Wolf Iron

Chapter 10 / Meat Crisps & Destiny

Rodney still couldn't believe what had happened. He had felt it. He had felt the girl's strength from their very first encounter in the loo. And after seeing her so easily dispatch of Barlow, Rodney wondered what it must be like to be that strong. Maybe one just had to be completely and totally off their knocker? 

Fourth Period was long over and Rodney, in a day with certainly more than a couple of firsts, sat in the Study Hall for more than an hour and a half, but couldn't focus on anything.. 

The daughter of the King's Guard, huh?

He had thumbed the whole of the novel he had brought with him and found not a mention of any daughter of the Guard. Nor did he remember anything about the return of Princess Freya and the demise of the Mountains of Wymer. And the book itself had been published over 16 years ago...

What am I doing? This is mental, all of it. I can't believe I'm even thinking about it. She-or Quinn, must be wonky as a bat. Maybe she was some type of super fan or the sort, still high off her cosplay costume from last year.

But then again, she did stick up for me...

Rodney made his mind up and after the school bell rang, and like a very good soldier, he walked out into the courtyard and made directly for the Detention Hall. The red brick walls, all uniformly paved and symmetrical, held up quite neatly long rectangular panes of glass windows that opened up from the top. And through one smudged window he could see sat very erectly the heroine of the day. 

"Pssst." Rodney craned his head over the opened window. "Hey. Pssst." 

Quinn turned her head and her short brown bangs fell on thick and delicately aligned eyebrows. Her nose made its profile clear and Rodney noticed for the first time just how red it appeared at the tip and how it matched the blush of her cheeks and ears. It was certainly a very Edgardian complexion, he thought while swallowing and feeling himself blush as well. And then he remembered something in the book. 

All of the King's Guard, upon the completion of their training, got a series of closely-adhered miniature ball-studded piercings on the nape of the neck. They were so closely pieced together that they made the multi-coloured image of a roaring wolf, the official mark of the Axemen of Edgard. It was a rite of passage and extremely painful to endure. A marking meant to signify a life of sacrifice and honour to follow. 

Quinn had no such markings.

Then Rodney felt, for a reason he couldn't quite explain, very protective over this girl with short brown hair and large brown eyes. Perhaps she really was unwell, and she needed someone to take care of her. Perhaps her family was on drugs and had no time nor interest in her and so she too, found refuge in the world of Edgard. Maybe it was her first day at school as well. Maybe she just wanted a friend. 

"Randolph! Where have you been, you lout? They've taken me here and locked the door. I've been quite beside myself for the past hour," she said in a very loud voice. 

"Shh!" Rodney put a finger to his lips and pinched his nose. "Quiet down or they'll hear you. Listen, are you okay? You didn't get hurt or anything, did you? Your hand is fine?"

Quinn looked back at Rodney as if he was the stupid one for asking. 

"Of course I'm fine, no thanks to you. I'm wondering, do you have any power at all in this world or are you simply pathetic across the board?"

"I'm sorry. Real, rational-minded people know that you can't just punch someone and get away with it scot free," he replied bitingly. Then he took a step back and felt sorry for her again.

"Listen, have you eaten anything at all? I've some food here from lunch and you must be very hungry." He reached out past the window with a half-full paper-bag of crisps and soy-fused lentils.