Shady

(Okay cool I thought he may be since I do have a general gist of a mental image but a while back I exited out of my browser mid response ...

“He’s been training me on the short sword, but I’m sure he’s skilled with many. He’s like this tall.” Ky gestured. “And muscular.” She rambled about his hair and eye ...

“I really am.” Ky smiled and nodded, though she had a prick of imposter syndrome at her words. Here she was, worried about wasting General Xander’s time, when she’d been ...

Ky nodded. “And quite good, too. He’s the one that’s been teaching me sword lessons so far.”

“One of Tomhas’s men. His sister is Tomhas’s Generals. The Wais. Their mother is a chieftain down South… wonderful family.”

Ky nodded. “Maybe I’ll ask Tomhas if I can learn when I go back.” She mused. “Dunno if Ka’Nor knows how, but I’d assume so.”

“Oh, that’s cool!” Ky thought for a moment. She didn’t want to learn to hunt. But — “Is archery terribly difficult?”

“I like reading,” Ky said with a smile, grateful for a safe topic. “And puzzles and games and training horses. You?”

Ky nodded. She felt like she should change the topic. But to what? She obviously couldn’t talk about swordsmanship lessons without starting a fight. It wasn’t her place to talk ...

“They do,” Ky agreed, not sure whether she was talking about the slavers or the soldiers, but it was accurate for both. “They delight in violence for violence sake.” She ...

Ky nodded sympathetically. “We thought we’d be able to outsmart the soldiers… but we didn’t.”

Ky blinked. That was… uncanny. “Do you ever know what they mean before they happen, though?”

Ky nodded. “What sorts of things does it send you?”

Ky nodded in agreement, deciding not to comment on the gods. Ada clearly thought they were real, if she hypothetically eavesdropped on their dreams. But Ky had a hard time ...

Ky almost wanted to ask how Ada had gotten taken. And yet she knew that was obscenely rude. She pulled her furs tighter and shivered a bit at a gust ...