We were walking along a stone path near the riverside. The flow was swollen, threatening to spill over the side of the bank. I shuddered against the lingering cold of the wind, but smiled as I looked at the beauty around me. I could see the buds of green on the trees, pricks of new grass showing through the loam. It was springtime. My arm was looped through Briamy’s, the tinkling sound of her laugh stretching my features to a smile.
“He actually believed your brother would agree to let him see you?” she asked.
I nodded, joining her laughter with my own. “He was confident, saying things about a secure future and many, many children.”
“Because that’s what every brother wants to hear in regards to his sister,” a softer voice giggled.
“Gorgeous, don’t start a sentence with ‘because’,” Briamy corrected.
I ignored the chastisement, keeping the tone light as I leaned around Briamy, smiling at the younger red-headed girl who had her arm looped through Briamy’s. “Have you ever met my brother?” I asked.
She shook her head shyly, dropping her gaze before answering. “He sounds protective.”
“Protective is an understatement,” I said. “I believe that if Lord Pipit himself chose a suitor for me that my brother would still slam the door in his face.”
“What about the High Lord?” Briamy added.
“High Lord?” I asked.
“I keep forgetting this is your first year,” Briamy said apologetically. “The High Lord is the man in charge of Effugere, Lord Pipit is only acting in his stead. It’s the High Lord who actually makes all of the decisions around here.”
“This is my second year,” the red head chimed. “And I’ve never heard of him. How do you know?”
“Lord Pipit came into my calligraphy class,” Briamy explained. “He told the instructor, Lady Isabella, that she was to integrate typing into the curriculum. Before she could open her mouth, Lord Pipit said ‘High Lord’s orders’, and left without another word. Lady Isabella began to teach typing the very next day.”
“It sounds a bit cliché,” I said. “With all of our instructors being ladies, and the men’s instructors being lords, that the man in charge would be the high lord.”
“Effugere runs on clichés,” the red-head cheered. “Everyone finds a home in Effugere!”
I woke smiling from the flashover, stretching luxuriously as I reached for my blades. It was the first time I had felt human in one of the flashovers, the first time I didn’t want to scream at myself to act differently.
A knock sounded from the door and I grinned, assuming it was Briamy. It was always Briamy. Yet as I opened the door, it wasn’t Briamy, but Flint who almost fell through my doorway.
“Morning Flame!” he said as he regained his balance. “I brought you breakfast! Or, I tried to; I didn’t know what you would eat… so I brought you an apple and some toast.”
I rolled my eyes and took the food from him. “What’s this about?” I asked around a mouthful of toast.
“Iwanttotrainwithyoutodayifyournotbusydoingotherthings,” he rushed out.
YOU ARE READING
FireSweet
Fantasy"My name changed before my eyes, the paper before me read "Welcome Gittoran Scarlet", I felt a searing pain in my left shoulder and the world spun around me. I dropped to the floor, and blacked out." Gittoran was your average party-girl with attit...
