Speak

Chapter 16

Air hissed through Scarlet's teeth. The sound of the wood upon wood mixed with her pounding heart, clouding her ears. Her vision was tunneled, focus on the attacking vampire in front of her. Blocking an attempt from them, she let out a small gasp as they responded. She found her wrist being bent in the most unnatural way, and released the wood from her hand to save them from breaking. They both watched the sword land just outside of her reach, and Claudia gave a wicked grin. Lifting her wooden sword, she swung it towards Scarlet. Sensing the move, Scarlet ducked, and sent her elbow into Claudia's rib. The vampire grunted, falling back a step. Taking the moment, Scarlet sent a rather nasty right hook into the crook of her jaw. Claudia let out a small cry, before falling to the ground in a heap. A string of curses fell through her lips as Claudia rubbed her jaw. Scooting to her knees, she looked back at Scarlet. Her eyes scanned her, and she nodded. "Good job." Scarlet smiled, falling to her own knees before finally coming to a rest on her side. Her whole chest burned, sweat stung her eyes and she lost feeling in three toes. The fight had lasted no more than five minutes and yet she felt near to death.

A hand fell into Scarlet's eye line, and she took it. Claudia pulled her into the air, Scarlet coming off the ground a few inches before standing straight once more. "You are just blossoming my little Gibbon. I do believe you shall forever carry that title. I was a fool to think of you as a Loris. You were clearly born a Gibbon- my little Gibbon. Now we must be going, Pals is expecting us at 5 for our gown fitting." Giving direction to the other trainers in the room, Renee included, Claudia strutted from the room. Scarlet followed silently, not looking back to meet Renee's gaze. Scarlet couldn't help or stop the feeling of guilt that rested in her. Renee was doing all she could to please her, yet Scarlet felt that by agreeing to be in Pals' wedding that the wedge between them was being forced upon them more. Scarlet's lack of trust, and Renee sensing it, did not help the relationship between the too either.

~~~

Claudia's whole body shuttered and she yelped. From where she stood beside her, Scarlet watched with eyes wide. "Sorry Claud." Pals spoke through a teeth of metal sewing pins, "If you got yourself measured routinely, then I wouldn't be doing this." Pals stuck another pin through a small bunch of fabric. "Pals you know I'm not one to rush to the fabric store weekly. If it fits and there are no holes- I'm a happy vampire. Ow!" Pals looked up at Claudia. "Stop moving. You should care, these measurements from a year and half ago are so inaccurate. You've lost easily two inches everywhere." Claudia turned, cursing as she was stuck by a pin. "Well it's not my fault! Loosing Larson meant I lost his family cooking. He may have been a real one, but the men in his family knew how to make good food. Especially their signature blood-wine. I don't know how they did it, keeping it so fresh and tasty while also preventing clotting." Claudia fell away into another world, moving away when Pals told her she could carefully change out of the dress. "The men in his family were also self-absorbed pricks." Claudia said nothing, just left the room. Pals rolled her eyes, slightly shocking Scarlet. It was the most emotion Scarlet had ever seen her express. "This is why I like you," Pals ran her hands over Scarlet's sides, feeling the fabric of the dress. "You don't speak. You're simple, and I enjoy simple. Turn around and place your arms up in the air." Scarlet did as she was told, feeling a gentle tug at her back. "Now down." The fabric grew slightly loose, but was remained tighter than it's previous state. "Out to the sides, both of them." Pals pinned the fabric, and turned Scarlet back around. Her eyes scanned over her body, taking in her full shape. "I don't understand you, Scarlet, what are you trying- never mind. Here, I have a piece of paper somewhere." Scarlet, who had been attempting to ask Pals a question, watched the werewolf throw a number of things into the air or out to the ground before finding a piece of paper and a pencil in a drawer. "Use this."

At your wedding, shall there be dancing?

"Of course." Pals looked up from the paper. "It would not be a party without dancing. Rony loves dancing." Pals reached for a skirt at her legs that was not there, she wore pants that hugged every muscle on her legs, and gave a twirl. "Nothing but the music and your partner. Feet shuffling and skirts swirling. Turn for me Scarlet, as if you were dancing." Scarlet did as she was told, hoping she was doing it correctly. Scarlet had never danced in her life, so she never fully learned. She stopped when her head begun to hurt, and held it in her hands.