Young Writers Society

Will someone bring me in. I was gone for a few days and bam I have no idea what is going on. I read the posts... but... I don't want to get anything wrong.

Arahnia, I'm sure you'll do fine! Just post and if you mess something up, which I don't think you will, someone will tell you. If it's something big, anyways.

Don't have time to post but I think Artemis is talking to her... if you could include Taúra too that'd be great

Yeah, I have been busy also. You guys can post but don't go into tomorrow(in the story book). I will post who is going on the mission on Monday!

February

I sprinted through the trees forcing myself to go faster. Even though speed was one of my strong suites there is always room for improvement. My light breakfast soon disappeared, and my stomach started to rumble. I focus on my feet trying to ignore it. Finally I stopped panting for breath.

After a few moments I started to climb a birch tree. The wind made my long hair fly out behind me, and if felt good to be close to my beloved nature. Every moment I was in a town or city I suffered. Even the guild made me cringe sometimes.

Soon I had to go back though there was much to do. When I walked up I saw that people were mostly just training. So I joined in, working on my marksman’s ship.

~Taúra~

I look up as February returns to the guild, seeming somewhat out of breath. Lightweight. "Hey," I call out to her, and she comes over after scanning to see who had shouted for her. For a moment I consider asking where she'd been, but I drop the issue, judging it to be a waste of time. If she was hiding something, I'd beat it out of her anyway.

I slip silently into a fighting stance, giving my ward a meaningful stare. She pauses, then alters her position to a similar, if weaker, stance. I stand back up, moving to shift one of her legs into a more secure pose. "Better balance," I inform her briefly before preparing to fight again, fists at the ready and feet poised for swift dodging. Perhaps she preferred archery, but I didn't care for such flimsy weapons. Perhaps I'd ask Silvan for an exchange of training - I'd train both apprentices for hand-to-hand combat and he could take February for archery.

Wiping this distracting train of thought from my mind, I watch and wait for her to make the first move.

Aimee

I drew in long raggedy gasps as I continuously pursued Silvan, trying to get as many hits as possible. Silvan hadn't even broken a sweat while I was sure I smelled like trash. I drew back a fist as I tried to punch his stomach, but he evaded it as he grapped my wrist in his iron grip.

He came dangerously close to my face, "You're leaving to many openings. If I was a enemy, I would've killed you long ago."

He released my hand as I stumbled back, brathing hard. "Now, when doing close combat, you are in as much danger as your oppenent. The trick is..."

I listened intently to Silvan as he continued to talk about the dangers of close combat.

Aimee

February
I fell to the ground. Taúra stood above me foot on my stomach. Sweat ran into my eyes making them sting. My breathing was heavy. I hated that Taúra could beat me every time. It was so infuriating. I stood up.

“Next time you need to pay attention to your legs. They always lay unprotected, easy for attack. How did I place them in the beginning?” I placed my legs as best I could knowing all the while she would move them. I was right.

“More like this. That’s the way they should stay even though you are moving around. Let’s try that again.” I tried to concentrate on my legs, and I thought I was doing good when Taúra punched me in the face. I again was completely defeated in a vulnerable position.

“You did better on your feet, but you need to protect your face too. Your hands weren’t even in front of it. Until you get this down you will never go up in rank. Instead of practicing with your bow from now on work with the dummies. You are already skilled at far range.

~Taúra~

I watched, deep in thought, as February got up and dusted herself off again. Perhaps this wasn't the best way to train her... It was the way I'd learnt as a child but it only seemed to be pushing her further into her shell.

I drew back as she threw a punch, catching her wrist and letting it drop. "That's enough for today, Kid. Now we do speed exercises."

Kid looked up in slight confusion, and though she didn't ask why, her expression demanded an explanation. I jabbed at her arms by means of explanation. "You're small and lithe, should be able to easily out-dodge me. Need to build up agility. Now, footwork."

I gestured to the two ladders side by side on the floor. "Run up and down. Don't catch feet. Ten minutes every day." After watching the first two runs to ensure she was doing the right thing, I left in search of Silvan. I really did not want to teach archery.

Cas~~

I pulled the string back to its full draw and let the arrow go. The deer heard the string twang and raised its head, but the arrow slammed into its neck, knocking it over. The deer struggled to rise, but another arrow was already on the string. I shot again through the heart and the deer began to become still. I slipped the bow over my back and walked over, my hands already closing the deer's eyes. It was a bit archaic, to thank the deer for its food and the life it would preserve in its death, but it calmed me down.

- - - -

After cutting up the dear and packaging it in my bag I started off through the mountains. It would be another three hours before I reached the guild, but the sky was starting to get dark, and the mountains around Burma are not a traveler friendly place at night. I picked up my pace to a slow jog, in the hope that I might get there in two hours instead.

- - - -

I pushed open the door to the guild and stepped inside. The warmth of the building invigorated me and I walked through the main room to the kitchen.

"Hey, I have some deer that you can cook up for breakfast tomorrow."

The cook looked over, "Thanks".

I nodded and walked back into the common room. People were scattered around eating, most of them I didn't know, so I decided to find Asvald and let him know I was back.

Anguilon Filch

I had been training all day and I was beat! I walked into the kitchen to start supper. I liked when it was my day to cook. I meant I got to talk with most of the warriors. Although some didn't want to talk to me. I laughed thinking of Taúra. I was going to cook venison steaks. All the venison really cheered me up. Other from hunting the guild could not afford much imported food from the south. But some times after a big mission the guild master (sorry guys I have been calling him leader but he is now the guild master. I like it more! ) would order some exotic food. I remember about ten years ago all the guilds were called by the imperial legion to fight off a huge goblin army. Many were killed on both sides. But after the war the guild had a ton of money for our services. We ate like kings! We had all kinds of new spices, lamb, beef, strange fruit, and best of all a keg of wine that was over one hundred years old. The steaks were close to being done. I buttered some bread and put it on one of the serving platters. Then I put the meat on the other. I saw Aimee wondering by and asked her to go get a large pitcher of wine from the basement. Then I carried the food up to the dinning hall. We always ate dinner up there.

--------

Once I had set the table I rang the huge bell. People came running. The warriors were always starving. All that training gets to you!



Asvald Naddod

I had thought about who to send all day. Since we did not know the number of thieves that could be a problem. We also wanted to be as stealthy as possible. In the end I knew it would have to be quite a few warriors. I knew Silvan wanted to take Aimee and I was going to let him. Then I knew Artemis would be perfect because of her stealth. The two last ones I picked were Taúra and Anguilon. I would announce the names at dinner.

-------

I heard the bell ring and went up to eat. By the time I got there everyone was already started but they all got up when I entered. "At ease". I took my seat at the head of the table and cleared my throat. I announced the warriors that would go.

~Taúra~

I paused mid-mouthful as my name was called, mulling this over silently. Kid hadn't been called, though this was hardly a surprise to me... both apprentices were really too young to accompany us on a mission, though obviously Silvan had managed to coax Asvald into letting Aimee join in.

Hmm. So I was going to have to find someone to look after her for the day.... someone trustworthy... someone... Aha. Castiel had returned to the guild. He was the perfect unsuspecting victim to offload an apprentice onto, especially as he was skilled in archery if my memory served me well, and could hopefully train Kid for the day.

I waited for my apprentice to finish eating, then gestured promptly for her to follow me. Castiel was already wandering off, and he had this annoying tendency to disappear for unspecified periods of time after wandering off. I half-jogged up to him, February seeming rather confused but following nevertheless, and tapped him on the shoulder.

Silvan

Silvan nudged Aimee, sitting next to him, as Naddod called her name. She bounced happily and grinned. He smiled back, proud of her achievement.

"I can't wait!" she exclaimed to her mentor quietly. "This is going to be fun!"

Silvan laughed. "It will be. I remember going on my first mission with the guild. It was only a few weeks after I had joined--I'd already been a fighter by that time--but I was much older than you. It's a great thing that you're going so soon."

"You think so?" she asked.

"I do," he replied, then added in a teasing tone, "I bet some of your friends are jealous."

Castiel~~

I turned as Taura tapped me on the shoulder, "What's up?"

"I need to ask you a favor."

I smiled, "Need me to watch your apprentice? I know you got called on the mission."

She nodded, but February seemed a little confused.

"Sure. What do you need me to do?"

February
Taúra told me to follow her. I had just finished my steak. It was rare, just the way I liked. I walked a little confused rubbing my tongue across my teeth trying to get the last bit of juiciness. Castiel? Why did Taúra bring me to talk to him? I waited silently.
"What's up?" Castiel asked.

"I need to ask you a favour."

"Need me to watch your apprentice? I know you got called on the mission." I fingered my hair nervously, I didn’t really know Castiel. He was a good warrior, and he seemed friendly enough. But, would he like me? Taúra shouldn’t just run off on me like this! Why wasn't I going on the mission with her? I had only been on one! All I ever did was train. I would be able to handle anything Aimee could! She was two whole years younger then me. I had been training for four years now! But, Asvald never thought I could do anything. The only mission I had ever been on was because Taúra had asked again and again for weeks.

"Sure. What do you need me to do?" Castiel asked. I was wondering the same thing myself. What would he teach me?