*swoops in with hot chocolate and fuzzy blankets and comfy chairs and all the good reading things* Helloooo my peeps and welcome back to Story Day!! This snippet doesn’t end on much of a cliffhanger (again), but… hehe… it does set some stuff up.
Shall we dive in?
Recap
After returning to Base, Lasha meets with Commander Avith, who has brought Lasha’s new apprentice with him: a girl named Calah Yob.
The Caretaker – Part 1.4
Lasha studied the girl with a cocked eyebrow. Tension lines ran from her shoulders down her back as she met Lasha’s gaze with deep brown eyes – spunky, obviously, but also shy. Two dark braids dangled past her ribs and brushed against the simple navy shirt she wore. A silvery badge on the girl’s shoulder caught Lasha’s eye, though – two unicorns crossing their shimmering horns. She was a novice – probably only recently found out as a Leaper.
Great, and here I thought I was getting someone with a bit of experience.
“How old are you?” she asked, deciding to get to the bottom of the matter.
“Twenty-four,” she answered in a quiet, lilting voice.
A youngling, not yet in her fifties, Lasha thought with contempt. Even better.
“How much do you know of the situation?”
“Not much.” Calah fiddled with the end of her braid, avoiding Lasha’s cold gaze. “Someone’s trying to take over the InterWorlds, or something, right?”
A sigh escaped Lasha’s list. “How much experience do you have?”
At this Calah straightened. “I’ve graduated from training, so a little bit. But… erm…” She glanced at Jokshan uncertainty.
“She’s got a bit of a handicap,” he supplied, meeting Lasha’s hard stare with steady eyes. “Her portals never end up where she means them to go – and they’re purple colored, instead of blue.”
Lasha didn’t even know what to think about that. She narrowed her gaze at Jokshan and jerked her head to her left. “I need to speak with you for a moment.”
He sighed, as if already anticipating the conversation to come. “Of course. Excuse us, Calah.”
Calah nodded, a resigned look in her eyes.
“Is this some kind of joke?” Lasha hissed once they were out of hearing range. “She’s not yet fifty, only just graduated, and her portals don’t work?!”
“Calm down.” Jokshan kept his voice low. “It was the High Commander’s decision, not mine.”
Taking in a shuddering breath, Lasha raked her fingers through her mass of auburn hair. “Are you sure there was no mistake?”
“I am sure. I have the orders with me, if you’d like to see them, along with Calah’s profile.”
“Hand them over.”
Sure enough, Calah’s assignment notice was signed in the High Commander’s scrawling hand. Shifting her gaze, Lasha studied the girl’s profile.
The picture was a simple one – Calah in uniform against a grey backdrop – but something about her expression made Lasha pause.
A smile. At the very corners of her lips, against the rules, Calah was smiling.
Without knowing why, Lasha found herself following Jokshan back to the table and bidding him farewell. Without knowing why, she motioned for Calah to follow her and began asking more about the girl personally – her hobbies, her family, her favorite color. Without knowing why, she felt her heart warm.
No, Lasha thought, putting a stop to the feeling as soon as she recognized it. This job calls for loyalty, not friendship.
And I will fulfill my duty.
Wrap Up
Oohhhh y’all, I love this story SO MUCH. XD I can’t wait to get into some of the more juicy stuff. 😛 Until then, give me your feedback? How are the characters? Well-developed or falling flat? Is the plot too slow? Do I need more internal conflict, external conflict, or both, or something else? What do you think is going to happen next?
And, as always, take courage, pursue God, and smile while you still have teeth!! 😀
~Joelle
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