Break and Brocolli

[Sairque]

89 Summer, 495 AV Something heavy and solid caught the little girl in the lower back, throwing her stomach first into the earth. Grit and offal ground into her exposed torso, her face smashing into the rock floor as her upper chest whipped downward. The squirming weight disappeared post haste, shooting over the girl’s body toward the bit of meat, tantalizing in its new dirt crust some distance ahead of them. The small redheaded urchin didn’t waste a moment, her hand thrust out, catching a bare, black heel. The boy, roughly the same age and malnourished stature, broke free but stumbled. Sai, snarling, lurched forward and whipped her balled fist across her chest and into the side of the boy’s knee. It cracked, popping with sharp mushiness against the side of her hand. She knew from his flail and grunt that it wasn’t serious. Her bare foot caught him in the face as she stumbled forward over his curled body. The sounds of their scuffle didn’t even penetrate past the nearest bend in the warren. Rats with insipid squeaks, posturing at one another while cowering in corners. Just as her grimy fingers closed over the prize, something swept her feet out from under her. Slow moments, opportunities wasted as she floated weightless before crashing to the floor. The boy’s scampering form disappeared in the fading mirror-transported closure of dusk. Bruised elbows and scraped flesh marred flesh that at this age should be pristine. Wounds that were seasons old already, virgin patches tempting fate. Ahead, flickering in and out between the severe adults that Sai’s lithe little self zipped past without ruffling a single fold of cloth, the boy veered to the right passage of a fork. The little girl cut to the inside and used the cover of a line of supply drudges to blind side him body check him. As she ricocheted off, skidding along the rough-hewn wall with the barest grasp on recovering balance, the thief smashed square into the target—the partition between passages. His mark stalked back, her scowl christened in blood. Smashed nose and a long cut across pallid forehead dripped freely, sticky and hot between her lips. Dirty roast chunk plucked from twitching fingers. “Don’t ever steal from my sister again or I’ll cut your fingers off.” A flash of silver at her waist, gone as quickly as the tempered victor.

[Sairque]

Sai stomped back toward the common area shared by Inartan children, glowering at adults who demanded deferment in the warrens. It was the snarl of ineffectual bitterness, unjust anger seething in the shadows. Daggers pointed at the dirty food perched between dirty fingers. Addy hadn’t been feeling well, she kept asking for solid food but the nurses insisted that it would be a waste to give her solid food while she continued to vomit. Cabbage soup was less of a squander. Cabbage soup wasn’t what she wanted. Knowing the immensity of the task ahead, the little soldier pivoted on a heel and headed back to the kitchens. Covertly, she rinsed the meat off in the communal washbasins and procured a tray. Shouldering in next to a group of her peers, she nibbled on the edge of the roast. Across from her a freckle faced trap prodigy stared over his bread and broccoli dinner. “Where’d you get that?” he asked, drawing the attention and momentary pause of voracious children. She hunched in protectively, self-conscious of her small stature and those jealous, scrutinizing glares. “It doesn’t matter where she got it,” cut in a prematurely matured voice further down the table. The bulky boy knew enough to know that one didn’t ask a kid where they got food they weren’t supposed to have. His advice fell on hunger-deafened ears. “You’d better share.” Freckle Face swelled in stature and she was mildly surprised by the ready show of threat. Sai glanced around the table, gauging what parts those flanking her would play. Just as the perpetually sneering girl next to her reached out to take the meat, the lanky girl next to her caught her wrist and shook her head. “However she got it, it’s hers. Don’t act like a Drudge.” The interfering girl, no older than her table-mates but possessing tranquil confidence, released the bully’s hand and included everyone in her advice before returning to dinner. “I’ll trade you.” “I’ll arm wrestle you.” “Pick me, it’s big enough for both of us to split it.” Voices chimed up. Sai breathed a sigh of relief. She thought that Ginny’s interference would put an end to her ruse. “I’m not really in the mood for meat, I’ll take your bread and vegetables.” She could have kicked herself. Who was ever not in the mood for elk? The other kids didn’t seem to notice the weak lie and grunted their disappointment. Freckle Face plucked the roast from her tray and ripped of a chunk with his teeth. When she went to take his tray, his disproportionately large hand slammed over hers. “It’s been a long day, I’ll pay you tomorrow.” Food continued to be shoveled into mouths, even as green and blue and yellow eyes swiveled collectively to watch the continued drama. Stymied, Sai deflated. It would have been better to offer up the kicked around meat to her sister than return empty handed. Ginny’s cold gaze bore into Sai, and the smaller girl squirmed for a moment. This was now no one’s fight but her own. To be weak was to be dead. To be weak was for Addy to be dead. Ginny’s fingers flicked at her tray, playing what appeared to be an absent beat. Ginny’s round eyes rolled down the back of Sai’s sweat slickened neck. To be weak was to kill Addy. “No. Pay up now.” “No.” His palm ground down on the delicate bones of her hand. “Come on, we made an agreement.” “Later, squirt.” Squirt. Nonchalant, sure in his superior physicality, brushing her off like feathers. The corner of the heavy tray caught him in the mouth, ripping out and flinging blood and teeth in a shower. Kids vacated the premises, disgusted at the boy’s fluids touching him and dealing with their own flaring tempers at ruined meals. Sai was on the table, knee in mashed tubers and knocking dishes aside. She used the contortion of his body between table and bench seat to trap him as she grabbed him by scruffy red locks and smashed his face into mountain stone. Tresses proved too weak, slipping from her grasp, ripping from his scalp, and she vaulted over his head to alight on the ground behind him. Their scuffle was lost in the shadows of the corner of the hall, the children’s tables paid little mind by the rest of the starving diners. Almost lost, one of the children’s overseers caught sight of it and hurried from across the chamber. In the meantime, one of the boy’s long arms swept out behind him and struggled to get her weight off so that he could unfold from the table. Tenacious, the little monkey soldier, clung to his back and jabbed one bony fist into his side, quickly learning that the soft part between rib and hip was especially painful for him. She laid into it. A shout echoed behind her, and she knew time was now of the essence. “I’m going to take my food now,” she grunted to him in between jabs. He sobbed bloody, toothless gasps, nodding. Spitting on him, she reached for his loaf and broccoli stalks. Scrambling between the annoyed gathering of her tablemates, the monkey soldier disappeared into the warrens. She wouldn’t just get away with that and headed straight for the Dreaming Lady. Despite the bond between the eldest Tisserand girl and the warren rat, few realized what such a friendship would mean. That, yes, the vicious child would be welcome within the decent, honorable establishment. And had to associate with the Tisserands for such a friendship to exist. Preposterous, right?

[Sairque]

Sai peeked through the door, catching sight of a little head of dark redhead loosely braided. She knew that handy work anywhere. Chemar never had been able to braid her own hair. When she snuck through the portal, carefully closing it behind her so as not to call attention of the Dreamwalker undoubtedly in the back, and wrapped a hand around the girl’s mouth to keep her from making a noise, she about had a heart attack when the girl shrieked. Never. Never ever had Chemar reacted like that. Sai recoiled, throwing her hands up in placation. “Hey, it’s just me, shhhhh!” Rae turned around and Sai cursed under her breath. “I’m sorry, I thought you were your sister.” “What the petch happened to you? And of course I’m not Chemar, she’s off looking for you, stupid.” The little warren rat stared. “Did you bring me food?” Rae reached for the bread Sai had placed on the counter. “No! That’s for Addy!” She snatched up the meal, glaring as though the girl had tried to take the food right out of her twin’s mouth. “Well, what happened to you? You’re face is uglier than usual.” Crusted blood flaked out beneath exploring fingers, peeling off from beneath her nose and across the bridge. Oooh, that explained the kids’ behavior. “Well?” “I got in a fight, what’s it look like?” Yellow hues rolled within a surly glare. Quick enough, however, at the sound of the door, it turned to panic and the little girl dove beneath the counter. Footsteps came closer, and the beat seemed slow compared to her hammering heart. When an arm reached beneath and fished her out, she waited for the blow to fall, eyes squished shut to protect the delicate organs. “Sairque! Who did this to you?” She knew that exasperated bark and fairly melted. Bony shoulders rounded and she slumped against the counter. “Rae, get out of here, go get a rag.” “I can’t stay long, I need to get this to Addy,” she told Chemar, allowing the tall ape to maneuver her into a seat. “Let me clean you up and walk you back.” Sai almost protested, but her face was starting to throb, back twinged and hand hurt when she moved her fingers. The protective value of Chemar’s accompaniment was sweet music. The young Dreamwalker generally warded against both children and adults. When Rae returned, Sai didn’t know which was more soothing, velvety warmth of moist cloth gently applied to her swollen face, or the strong palm cradling her cheek. Musky and sweet, the scent of the Tisserand’s hair surrounded her, and she melted into the seat while waiting. The Dreaming Lady had its own unique smell, they’d tried to explain to her what that had to do with the activities that occurred here, but it went right over her head. Now she just enjoyed the relaxing effects, her simple little mind soothed by the one other person besides her sister that displayed acceptable affection. “You’ve got to stop catching…sticks? with your face. I don’t even know what could make this cut here, it’s shaped like a tree…” Chemar mumbled, prodding at her soldier monkey’s forehead.

[Sairque]

Feet scraping against gritty stone, Chemar’s shoes drowned out the faint scuffle of Sai’s bare feet in the dark warren. “I’ll be back out in a tick.” They were right outside the children’s sleeping area and the little soldier monkey nudged the ape affectionately before disappearing within. Addy was still curled up in the corner, given an inordinate amount of space in an effort to prevent sickness from spreading. The girl’s pretty face was pallid and clammy, and Sai carefully kneeled on the edge of her blankets. “Hey, Addy,” whispered with a hopeful smile. “I brought you something. I know you need to sleep, but I’ll keep it safe until you ca—“ “Get away from her,” a remonstrating voice snapped and the elder twin stuffed the purloined goods under Addy’s covers before the nursery worker arrived. The woman, not unkindly, took Sai by the arm and dragged her away. “We can’t have you getting sick, too, Sairque. She’ll be okay without you for a few chimes, now go finish your bendi.” “I did,” the scrawny girl mumbled, looking at the ground and hiding swollen lips from view behind long hair. But she obediently turned away and headed for the door. Addy threw in her sleep, a small cry piercing the silence of the empty rooms. Her small figure seemed stick-like even beneath all the insulation. Sai could feel her unease this close, and her feverish turmoil made her sister’s palms itch to be able to fix it. The nurse urged the lingering visitor out the door. Heavy wood swished shut, and one thin hand lifted slowly to brush away a bit of dust from it, eventually it rested against the surface. “You’ll be okay, I promise.” The meticulously maintained edge of a dagger dug into the wood, tracing the hand. “But you won’t. I know what you did.” What she imagined to be childish malevolence washed over the back of Sai’s flushed neck and the girl leaned forward against warm wood, knife dropping to her side. “You can’t take food for her. If she dies than you took life from the mouths of the living.” Timber, smoothed and softened by thousands of little hands, soothed irritated skin bordering the jagged cut on her forehead. “You have to tell them what you did. You can’t throw food away like that.” “I didn’t throw food away. They haven’t fed her in a week.” “They’ve given her soup.” “It’s nothing but warm water, how is she supposed to get better with no food?” The scrawny little thing slumped against the door, sluggishly aborting an attempt to turn around. Glazed eyes, lakes sheeted with snow and ice, fluttered shut. “They can’t waste food on someone who could die.” “She isn’t going to die.” “You’re going to have to accept it.” “Shut up and go away,” Sairque said. “No, you have to tell them and apologize. Admit you were wrong.” “Shut the perch up and get out of here.” “If you don’t, I will.” The voice shrugged off the unvoiced threat and approached. A long fingered hand wrapped around wiry bicep, tugging Sai out of the way. She fell away under the taller girl’s grip but lashed out with a balled up fist. It caught her under the chin. Blood gushed out, splattering over dark stone, dripping in thick black rivulets down a scrawny white forearm. Trembling fist fell away, releasing the knife where it dangled for a moment before clattering to the ground. Ginny stared with wide, terrified eyes, stumbling forward into her murderer, clutching as jellied legs gave out. Collapsing with her, Sai reached out, cradling her face as she shook her own. She’d never meant to. The door slammed open, revealing Sai in all her grotesque, betraying glory. Guilty and horrified features snapped up, peering into the better lit chamber over the collapsed body. Her bloody knife hand reached out pleading.

[Sairque]

Nothing more than a latent bond suddenly became a summoning beacon, terror and fury shocking the system and infusing it with alien energy. A god’s gift, her claim, suddenly flaring to life, accessing the information contained in that foreign jolt with greater clarity and accuracy than any mortal could ever hope. Trembling, sweaty fingers melded with sticky outstretched ones, pulling Sai aside as entranced features managed more than a barely acknowledging glance as the other hand stemmed the flow beneath Ginny’s chin Rek’keli’s promise. Fulfilled. Taxing a weakened system, giving of itself when there was nothing to spare. Life drained away in the fight for another’s. Two girls collapsed in the corridor, one heart beat between them. Reeling, Sai slapped at Addy’s slack face. “Addy. Addy! Aidara! Ginny? No, no no no.” Sai struggled to her feet, slipping in blood and smearing it across warm wood. Barrier thrown open once more, screams and furious questions. Pounding feet and summons. Healers presenting themselves, demanding answers. Why hadn’t they been informed one of their own had been laying ill for days? Who had stabbed Ginny? Bustle and hustle, punishment and pain. Aidara given a bed next to Ginny, meals furnished and true care lavished. One little soldier monkey cast off to the corner, bread and broccoli rolling to a stop at her feet.

[Phoenix]

Sairque

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Daggers	2
Intimidation	5
Brawling	4
Negotiation	2
Unarmed Combat	1
Leadership	1

Lores

• Savage Urchin
• Going to Great Lengths for Aidara
• Having friends to run to
• Soldiering on

The Order of the Phoenix

I loved this thread. The scrappiness of Sai when she was younger is just the cutest thing in the world to me. If you think I missed any skills or lore, let me know!