Iridescent Ice

Springvale's Ghost

It was a long time before she opened her eyes again, and breakfast was ready for her.

"Chicken mushroom skewers?" she asked as she walked into the kitchen. The scent was enough to realize what he'd cooked.

"Kaeya special." His voice was slightly rough, and Jasmine smiled at the slip of his morning voice. "I haven't anything to do this morning," he said, casually throwing that comment out as if it meant nothing.

"Would you spar with me?" asked Jasmine, her eyes brightening for a fraction of a second.

He smiled and Jasmine took that as an agreement. "Meet me out the gates," he said as he walked out the front door.

Jasmine nodded to no one in particular and headed down after breakfast, throwing a greeting here and there. Helen sang from her balcony, the notes falling upon willing and unwilling ears. Jasmine passed her and headed past the gates and the bridge, waving to the Knights who stood guard. Following the path down the bank, she spotted Kaeya looking down at the water, his thoughts far away.

Tilting her head and wondering if it would be considered foul play, she pulled out her rapier and attacked him, which he casually sidestepped. Jasmine regained her balance before she fell into the lake.

His smile said he saw her coming from a mile away. "Your footsteps aren't exactly quiet."

"Really?" she asked, looking down at her shoes. "I thought they were."

He pulled out her sword as well, and the gravity of the situation hit Jasmine as she smiled nervously. "Not to a trained ear, darling."

His lips twitched as he attacked. His sword clanged against hers, and she gritted her teeth against the jolt, her hands shaking. The worst part was that she knew he was holding back. Pushing his sword aside, she lunged, only to be sidestepped.

Kaeya's vision flared, but he didn't use it, and she knew he was trying to even the battlefield. "Come on," she muttered.

Amusement flashed in his eyes as she attacked again and again, only to be sidestepped and blocked at every turn. He threw out advice and comments now and then but he was faster than she ever was. She turned to see his blade at her throat, and she involuntarily held her breath.

"This is hard."

"You're good." He pulled his sword away, and it vanished. "I'm just better." She glared as he smiled. Taking a seat at the edge of the lake, he continued. "You're not very strong."

She nodded and joined him on the bank. "I would be no match in hand-to-hand combat."

An idle chat of poetry and books followed, before she asked him about Diluc.

"Are you interested in him?" his eyes held mischief, and another emotion she couldn't quite place.

"Not at all." She picked up a stone and skipped it across the lake. One. Two. Three. Sink. "I was just curious since you two don't seem to get along."

His smile was a sad one, that spoke of secrets whispered under blankets, books thrown across in front of a fireplace. "We used to."

"What happened?"

"A death." His tone was light, but something told her that questions in that direction would not be welcome.

"I see." She tilted her head, casting around for a subject change. "What do you think of Lisa?"

He winced as he rubbed his arm. "Just make sure you return her books on time."'

She laughed as Kaeya stood up and held out a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up, before leading the way back to the city, the wind blowing dandelion seeds around them.