Activity

@this-is-not-an-alien

I’M BACK EVERYBODY, DID YA MISS ME? *ignores groans from all sides*

Of course, I did!! So glad you’re back and I hope you had fun!

@skylarynn

“what is lacking here is your humility.  I have seen arrogance on all scales – I’ve seen men reach for godhood – but I have never seen someone be so arrogantly contemptuous of others who are arrogant.”

That’s a brilliant sentence! Karayan is growing on me, he’s so pointedly unbothered about the whole situation XD

Chantara

I stood at a distance, quietly observing everyone without attracting attention.

“It’s just a polite lie civilized people use to greet each other,” Connel said, “you certainly don’t strike me as a maid in need of defending.”

My lips twitched in amusement. She certainly didn’t. Perhaps I did, but that was intentional.
Þorunn glared at him.

“Really?” she asked, “Did the sword or the spear give it away?  Or perhaps it was the mark of a shieldmaiden on my cheek?”  She turned her head so the black branching mark was visible.

I squinted at it inquisitively. It was an unfamiliar marking.

The Siya didn’t share any permanent marks, like tattoos or brandings, that would make us easy to pick out. However, I carried a small vile of ashy black paint that I used to paint a black mask around my eyes when I wasn’t being secretive about my assignments, or when there happened to be a battle.

For each assignment you had completed, you could paint one more dot on your cheeks. I had ten, which was more than most seventeen-year-olds had. The older assassins had more, of course, and sometimes the young ones had only one or two.

“I think you mistake civility for patronizing,” Þorunn said, icily, then spun on her heel and stormed through the left door.

Karayan stood, “We had better follow the grouchy shieldmaiden.”

I nodded but didn’t make eye contact. The commander never would have tolerated that, but this creature was not my superior.

I hated speaking to commander Abacus. He had a way of making everyone back down and submit. I always thought I had gotten used to it, but perhaps there was some distant spark of rebellion left in me. That wouldn’t do.

Without looking over my shoulder, I ran after Þorunn. My footfalls were quiet, and I listened for anyone coming after me. I knew they would follow, but I didn’t want anyone directly behind me. Perhaps they would come close enough to see the puckering of the fabric where my knives were hidden, and then it would turn into an all-out fight.