Silver Blade [on hold]

Initiated

The first thing I see when I wake up is a thatched roof. I move my gaze lower and see woven tapestries along the walls. I'm intrigued by the swirling patterns.

There's a gray blanket on me that goes up to my shoulders, and a needle in my wrist. I check my shoulder and discover that there's stitches. Feeling my back, I only find a bandage. I guess the cut there hadn't been too deep.

My stomach growls, and it's only then I notice that I'm starving. My last meal was two days ago, at the least.

A young brunette woman walks in, holding a small white thermos. She instantly spots me and rushes over.

"Just in time," she says, smiling. "Hi, I'm Esme."

I give her a grin and respond with my own as I sit up. "Brielle, but you can call me Bree."

I haven't heard that name in a really long time.

"Bree, catch me if you can!"

Carefree laughter as we raced through the trees. Faster. Faster...

I shake my head slightly to refocus on the present.

"That's a pretty name," Esme says, unscrewing the cap and handing the thermos to me. "I bet you must be feeling dehydrated by now. Drink up, it's my secret recipe."

I decide to trust her and drink. It smells wonderful.

And it doesn't disappoint. It tastes delicious, with a flavor I can't put my finger on. From chocolate to strawberry to mint... I finish all of it.

"Well, someone needs food," says an amused male voice, and I put the empty thermos down. The boy from yesterday, Seth, is leaning against the wall. He smiles at my startled expression.

I realize that the silver bandana he has on his head is also on Esme's. The bandanas have a single white stripe running across the silver.

"How are you doing?" He asks me as he walks closer. "You should thank me, by the way. I did all this."

"Except the needle and stitches," Esme corrects, looking at Seth with a knowing smile. "I did those because he's squeamish with blood. Little baby." She pokes his cheek affectionately.

He rolls his brown eyes. "I told you not to call me that. It's only a four-year difference!"

She laughs.

"Thanks, guys," I say with an unsure smile.

"Oh, Bree, you must be hungry. I'll go get food for you," Esme says, still grinning, and exits the hut.

Seth sighs and shakes his head, and we rest in a comfortable silence for about a minute.

"So," I say finally, "what are the silver bandanas?"

"Everyone has them," he answers. "It's like a symbol of your loyalty." He points to his own. "Only medics have the white stripe."

"You're a medic, then."

He nods. "Yup. So is Esme. We're both medics of equal status now, but she always refers to me as her 'little apprentice' just because I'm younger and I, um..." He adjusts his bandana self-consciously. "...I prefer not to deal with gory stuff."

I hold back a smile. "You're a medic who doesn't like dealing with blood?"

He rolls his eyes, but I know it's in good humor. "Yeah, now stop teasing me. I don't need another Esme."

"Did I just hear my name?" Esme says, appearing at the doorway with a wooden tray of food.

Seth nods eagerly, a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Yes, we were gossiping about you behind your back." He cups a hand over the side of his mouth and stage-whispers to me, "Wow, look at her, she doesn't even know how to properly wear a bandana."