Young Writers Society

A/N: I realise there's not very much plot advancement here but there really wasn't a great place to cut this 2400 word chapter. I hope you enjoy some characterisation and setting/worldbuilding stuff.

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“Seriously, Exi, thank you,” Dania said. Geda was standing beside Dania so she couldn’t see her eyes, but she recognised the earnestness of that voice. Her eyes would be locked onto Exi’s, trying to impress her gratitude upon them as firmly as possible.

“Ach, don’t worry about it, hen.” Exi grinned, as if she barely even noticed, which Geda found impressive. She was sure Dania didn’t mean to be so frightening when she was trying to thank people sincerely but…

Dania smiled and nodded, as she would have if acknowledging a soldier’s will. Geda shuddered and forced herself to be grateful for her relative security. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be as dependent on the kindness of your friends as on the mercy of an occupying army.

“Actually, there is something ye could do,” Exi said. She scanned the tavern with screwed up eyes probably more from wishful thinking than actual necessity. Nobody had been in the tavern past sundown since the start of the curfew. Suddenly Exi shouted and pointed an ever so slightly chubby pink finger towards the far right corner. “There she is! Could yous see if she’s finished with any of her embroidery. It’s probably about time to start selling.”

Dania nodded a bit too eagerly and immediately ran off like a loyal puppy towards their friend Ritel, almost as if she was proving herself after being chided.

Exi fixed a blonde braid back into place and raised an eyebrow at Geda. “I’m no crazy, right? Did I sound angry at her or…?”

Geda chewed her bottom lip and pictured Dania’s quiet frown when she’d given her the money. She knew she ought not to picture her as a puppy but how else was she meant to even process Dania now?

“I think it’s been tough for her to adjust,” Geda explained, not really looking in Exi’s eyes. She didn’t want to see that the lights in them were dimming. “Even before Peter, she was always in charge of her own life. I once heard my dad tell Irelna that she might even have made it to university. And she’d totally have held her own with all the men, right? She was amazing. Now you hear one five syllable word from her and it’s like being slapped in the face by her shadow.”

Exi burst out laughing and lay a hand on Geda’s shoulder. “God, Geda, I thought you were gonnae make me cry there. Then bam! I mean, still tragic, but man was that poetic. Can I sing that last line ae yours?”

Geda stared at her for a second then felt a laugh gradually start to tickle her. She winked at Exi. “Not if I sing it first.”

Exi called after her as she turned with a flourish to follow Dania. “Since when did you sing?”

Geda turned and walked backwards for a few steps. She shrugged. “You never know.”

Then she whipped back around, darting between the scuffed wooden tables and almost getting her favourite red dress snagged on a splinter. She’d almost felt bad insisting they go home before coming out that afternoon bit if she’d had to spend one more second in that raggedy brown smock she wore on washing days she might have exploded.

She gulped as she spotted Dania’s smock which, though blue rather than brown, was decidedly raggedy.

She was taking a pile of embroidery circles from the table in front of Ritel, who sat with her legs crossed on the bench that ran round the edge of the tavern.

Ritel looked up at Geda. “Wait, is Pyrenna not with you?”

Geda shrugged. “She’s at Rokil’s. Well, hers now. Hey, give her a break. She spent an hour and a half without him at the washing station today.”

Ritel rolled her eyes and muttered, “Will these star crossed lovers ever fight past the household chores that stand in their way?”

Dania groaned but chuckled as she started towards the nearest customers but Geda put one hand on her hip and stared at Ritel.

“Riti, you know I love you dearly but please could you not ruin this for them?” she said.

Ritel’s hands shot up in protest. “Hey, I only made a joke!”

Geda raised an eyebrow. “I know you, Riti. I know how pissed off you are with life and would like for you to not tell them that love is meaningless because we’re all going to die.”

“Who would I ever say that to?”

Geda glared at her. “My dad. At his wedding.”

Ritel’s eyes widened and she put her hand over her mouth. “Ah. I’d forgotten about that. I … uh… promise not to ruin our friend’s happiness.”

Geda smiled. “Thank you. Now, how much are you selling for tonight?”

Ritel clapped her hands together and was suddenly in business mode. “A copper for a citizen, two silvers for a soldier.”

Geda nodded. “Sounds good. Can you put one aside for me? Freya turns ten next week.”

“Course, I - oh, shit.” Ritel stared over Geda’s shoulder. “Didn’t realise Renyck was sitting over there.”

Geda rolled her eyes as she turned, wondering if Renyck had managed to clean his coat yet. Bit as her eyes scanned the depressingly empty room she realised why Ritel had sounded so panicked. Sat at a table by himself with his legs up on one of the chairs was Renyck Jr, the son of the man who had just delivered some of the most terrifying news Geda had heard since the start of the curfew.

Don’t think about it. Later, echoed the words of Pyrenna before she’d sprinted home.

She turned back to Ritel and sighed. “It’ll be fine. It’s just words.”

Ritel raised both eyebrows but shrugged. “If you’re sure.”

Geda stared at the embroidery as she made her way to the nearest occupied table. The soldier here was a relatively nice young man - for a soldier, and they were all soldiers no matter how respectful. He had the typically slicked back hair, his a deep shade of ebony. As Geda approached, he looked up from his book with an anxious smile and reached into his pocket.

“Lyrics or portrait today, Lieutenant Ochil?” Geda asked. She held up the lyrics version in her left hand - the most poignant words the of the song Exi would be singing that afternoon stitched into the tough linen in looping cursive. In her right she held the portrait of young Mik Lees, the hero who could captivate a school of sirens with a single note from his flute. He was perched on the prow of a longboat with his flute held up next to his mouth, ready to protect the minds of the Fareg navy.

“Hm…” Ochil steepled his hands and his eyes darted back and forth between the two designs. “The lyrics, I think. That way if I master them I can be of some use when Little Lees happens not to be around.”

One side of Geda’s mouth tried to tug the rest of it into a grin but she ignored it and nodded. “Sounds good, Lieutenant. That’ll be two silvers.”

He brought his hand out from his pocket clutching a pile of random silvers and coppers. Geda forced herself not to gape. Even if Ochil wouldn’t gloat, she didn’t feel like broadcasting quite who rarely she saw that much money in one place.

Frowning at his money, he looked up at Geda. “I haven’t been here in a couple of weeks and I can’t remember - does Ritel take tips?”

At this Geda did allow herself to chuckle, especially as the blush raced to his cheecks. She said, “I’m not sure it counts as a tip if I made you do it.”

“In that case here’s the extra copper?” He held out the coins to her with the skin around his eyes drawn tightly back, as if he was afraid the money might suddenly catch fire.

Geda sighed but took the money. She was about to leave but as their eye contact lingered she blurted, “Pleasure daein’ business wi ye, Ocky.”

He jumped backwards and knocked his chair completely off balance, having to clutch at the edge of the table not to fall over.

“Ah, shit, I think I got a splinter,” he muttered. Then he looked up with wide eyes and frighteningly red cheeks. “What did you call me?”

“It’s, uh - it’s a compliment.” Geda’s eyes darted about the room but the only soldier watching was Renyck Jr, and he was always watching. “A compliment, yeah. You think Ren- just anyone gets a nickname?”

She gulped down a brutal cocktail of shame and guilt as she sprinted away to the next occupied table. She really hoped she hadn’t just ruined Ochil’s night.