MEANWHILE IN THE PANEL ROOM:
"Yeah. Your welcome. What about you?" James said.
Lady took another sip of the cool drink, closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the sweet taste. She never understood how James managed to make things that tasted more delicious than even the Olympian clans did with their ambrosia.
Placing the empty cup beside her, she looked to James, thinking of his story with his sister. “I have very few stories like that with my brother. I wish we had more of a relationship with each other, like you and your sister, but we were never close. The two of us were far too different to get along amicably and it was evident…even in the end...however…”
She rose from her seat and paced back and forth as she recalled that day. “There was one day, almost like your day. It was summer. Doriane was maybe 10 seasons and I was 9 or so. He had started his training to become a guardian with the Master at Arms and he couldn’t stand the constant practicing. One day he stole away to the river instead of reporting to his Master and I found him. He was boots off, pants rolled up, catching bugs in the water. Instead of ratting him out, I jumped in with him. Dress and all. We had water wars, chased each other with all manner of crawly bugs. We laughed hysterically when a serpent crawled up his pant leg…after he was done screaming and flailing around of course. When we grew tired in the afternoon, we sat on the edge of the river bank listened to the fireflies whisper. That was one of the days I’ll remember most with my brother. No quarreling between us.”
You know, I have never seen a firefly... Always wanted a swarm in a jar though." He sketched for a lot longer on this one. Another two part where the left included the two playing with bugs, and the right included them by the bank looking up at the stars with little dots for fireflies. "I am going to make one for every story, including the ones I have already written back home." He said, turning the book and showing her.
Lady stopped her pacing and reached out to the note book. A wistful sort of smile came to her lips as she looked over the sketch. "You have a gift for capturing moments," she said sincerely before pausing for a moment, " May I make a request?"
He turned to a new set of pages and flipped the book over, reading his quill. "Be my guest."
"Will you make one with you and I? Not in battle. Just something small?"
He smiled and said "I know the perfect thing." He started to sketch a time when he was wounded and lady was tending to him, James sitting on a log and tending to a fire with his uninjured arm while lady was adding things to a bowl of soup.
Lady kept pacing as she listened to the scratching of his quill over the note pad. He had perfectly good human-world writing utensils in his room, yet he had continued to use the quill. She had to admit the fresh ink added a character that his human 'pens' did not though. Occasionally, she would glance over as he focused on the paper, and after awhile she recognize the scene.
"I remember that day," she chuckled, "You did not care for my cooking in the slightest."
He laughed lightly "Yeah well you still need to work on it. I could give you lessons if you want?" James covertly looked over at Lady for any signs of anything.
Lady kept her steps going but her smile grew into a wry grin. "I fear I am not very gifted when it comes to domestics. You may be taking on a lost cause with that offer."
"If I can teach a kid with a prosthetic arm to fence, I can teach a medieval swordsman to cook."
"Swordswoman, I am a Lady after all, " she corrected, jokingly, " If you are so confident, then I accept. It will be an interesting proposition and I look forward to seeing if you have bitten off more than you can chew."
Lady paused and stood in front of James, with her scarred hand held out to seal the deal.
James stopped sketching and shook her hand with his metal one. "Bite off more then I can chew? Why I never!" He said, mock offended. "Moi? Bite off? In your wildest dreams." He smiled and returned to his book.
She laughed at his silliness as he let go of her hand and began her walking again. Every now and then her blue-green eyes would glance at the page he was working on, until Victor appeared at the door, tapping on it with his crutch.
Her eyes flicked up immediately and her smile faded a little as she saw his face full of dutiful concern. "Something is moving along the perimeter of the island M'lady and Sir."
"Any visual, victor?" He set down his sketchbook and grabbed Lumil.
"None so far," the soldier replied, "The wisps have run to the farther side of the island though, which means...."
"Demons, dead, or Shadows," Lady said, firmly, "They have only just entered the Forge. Victor, please stay here. if this takes too much time, Eryth, Hazel and Alex will emerge to find themselves alone. Stay here so that does not happen if we are gone too long. "
"Yes, M'lady I will stay."
Lady turned to James and offered him a hand, "To battle again, my friend?"
"Actually.. I think I'll stay floating" he moved down the corridor at a fast pace, heading up to the surface.
Lady strode beside him as Victor took up a clacking pace behind them both. "Which side of the island, Victor?"
"North, M'lady, near the beaches."
"Damn," she muttered, "James, will you take your raven and look from above? I'll meet you at the beaches."
"Understood. See you on the front lines."
