Valkyrie (Complete)

9: Closure

They spend one more week recuperating at Phoenix's house. His is one of the only houses to have not sustained any damage. Eira's house was burned completely to the ground and Kaj's was looted and then smashed. Phoenix's is also the biggest of those left standing, with three bedrooms, a kitchen and an open room.

Over the course of the week, Valkyrie recovered. It started slowly but gained momentum, and by the end of the week, she's feeling well enough to spar with her teammates once again. She changes into her battle uniform, pausing to straighten the bandage on her arm and fiddle with the holes in the sleeve of her jacket. The cut is healing quickly now with the help of a few stitches, but she leaves the bandage on just in case they were to tear during training.

She walks down the steps and into the street, where her friends are currently training with each other. They all pause to take a break when they see her, and Eira is the first to comment. "It's good to see you in your uniform, Val. Are you sure you're feeling up to this?"

She rolls her eyes as a lazy smile adorns her face. "Of course I am."

Phoenix grins and they break off into groups of two. She pulls her swords from her back and Phoenix swings at her. She blocks it and the familiar sound of the swords clashing puts her at ease. She blocks blow after blow, but soon notices that he isn't even out of breath. She begins to attack faster, trying to make him work, but it doesn't work. He seems like he's having no problem avoiding her. "Come on, Nix, try!"

He sighs and puts his sword down. She's mid-attack and he simply lifts his sword to defend himself. "Val, you can't just jump right back in. Your body isn't quite back to the way it was before."

"It is! Why aren't you trying?"

"It isn't. Your attacks are slower and you keep letting your guard down. I know you think you're ready for this, but you aren't." Somewhere during the time he was talking, he moved closer to her. He's looking down at her now, her chin lifted defiantly as she puts her hands on her hips.

"I know how I'm feeling, and I'm telling you that I'm fine. Why are you treating me like a child?"

"Because you're acting like one!" Regret flashes across his face and he sighs. "Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just frustrated and worried, okay? It's been a week and we still haven't seen anyone, and for all we know, we could be the last people here. I'm frustrated because all I want to do is confront the Ankathians, but we can't yet. I want this to be over with, but it feels like we're sitting off to the sidelines waiting for them to get to us."

She puts her swords away and starts walking down the street without responding to him. He hurries after her and grabs her wrist. She turns and the look she gives him makes him wish he'd never opened his mouth in the first place. It's absolutely withering and if he could, he'd crawl under a rock.

"Where are you going?" His voice is quiet and he curses himself when she jerks her arm away.

"To make myself better," she says sharply. Red-hot rage is running through her veins and she needs to cool it before she says something she would regret. "I'm getting closure."

He stares at her for a moment before dropping his eyes to his boots. "Do you want some company?"

"I'm not going to break into pieces just because you aren't with me," she says, the words tumbling out of her mouth before she knows what she's saying. "Is that what you think? That if I'm by myself, I'll fall apart again?"

He shakes his head. "Of course not. Val, you're the strongest one here." He lifts his eyes to meet hers and she's shocked to find concern in them. "I just don't want you to feel like you have to do this on your own. You're my best friend, and I know how hard this is for you. I don't want you to feel alone."