[Flashback] Little Warriors [Closed]

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon exhaled heavily, finally realizing that he had been holding his breath while he waited for the dog's arrival. He had ignored the pavilion comment, knowing she didn't believe him about the dog. However, she in turn seemed to ignore the fact that he won the argument! The dog came, and despite being gloated on for being a killer, he seemed very fond of Kashik. Eldon sighed with relief as he dropped his false spear and ran his hand through his mullet-styled hair. He smiled, the first time since he prodded Nibbles with his ultra-deadly weapon. Eldon stood there a moment, now realizing, again, how awkward he felt. He never was around over kids, especially not girls, especially not vicious and fierce ones like Kashik. If he were to wander over to praise the dog she was, he'd have to get close to her. That wasn't acceptable. So, instead, he just sat down and waited for something, he didn't know what yet. He supposed that, whether his father wandered by or not, Eldon wouldn't get in trouble. They were just outside, being kids. "I guess he's kind of cute." Eldon then felt it, bubbling inside of him, slowly crawling up his throat. He had to let it out or it would kill him. Still, even if it was just a barely audible whisper, it would count. Right? "I'm sorry about Nibbles... Eldon's face lit up bright pink again, causing his freckles to stand out all the more on his sun-tanned face. He lowered his gaze to the ground, idly picking blades of grass.

[Kashik]

"Oh, that's all right," Kashik said from much closer than he'd anticipated - for while he'd been preoccupied with his own mortification, she'd abandoned the dog to his own devices and wandered back over to Eldon. Now she stood just in front of him, peering down at his blushing with a curious eye. "No, really, he's probably just fine. Besides, he shouldn't have been running around outside anyway. He just likes playing with kids is all, and most of my cousins are off in Riverfall this season. It's just my dad's family who's in the pavilion until they get back, and Nibbles is used to way more kids around."

At some point during her babbling, she plopped down right in front of him with no concern for whatever personal space he might have wanted. "My brother Eamonn usually plays with him during the day too, but he just bonded to his Strider so that's pretty much taken over his life," she said, dramatically rolling her eyes. "It's soooo boring now. I asked my father if I could start training at the War Pavilion just so I could have something to do, you know? But he said I can't until I bond to my Strider, and I just don't think that's gonna happen soon. Not that I don't like horses - I love them! - I just get this feeling, you know? Like it'll be a few more years before mine is born. I dunno, maybe my family's just too big this generation, like we don't have enough souls to go around yet or something. Do you want a caramel?" she asked, suddenly pulling a wad of tissue-wrapped sweets from a pocket. "My mom makes them, but I'm not supposed to have them so I have to finish them before I get home. What's your name, anyway?" she asked, holding the caramel out and looking at him expectantly.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon looked up at Kashik, she didn't seem so angry now, it was hard to believe that she cooled down so quickly (he of course didn't even notice he did the same thing, assuming he was level-headed the whole time). He grinned sheepishly. "Yeah, I think I just scared him is all. It's not even a real spear." Eldon reached over and plucked the weapon from the grass. It was his favorite toy. His father used a spear, along with an array of weapons he was skilled with. Bows, knives, Eldon saw all kinds weapons in his father's chest (when he forgot to lock it that is). "My dad says I have brothers, but they're all dead. He says one died when he was being initiated into reimancy and one died on the plains as a hunter." Eldon spoke without remorse or sorrow. Knowing he had brothers wasn't enough to really make that connection of family with them. Had they been around when he was born, alive, then it might have fractured his heart a little to admit the Sunkiss Pavilion's loss of every male offspring but himself. He had sisters, but they were so busy talking to boys, and they were mean. "I'm Eldon, Sunkiss Pavilion. My dad says he broke off from a larger family of water makers that have been here since Endrykas started." Eldon wasn't boasting anymore, but more like storytelling, figuring it was called for since Kashik went on her own little monologue about her siblings and dog and such. Eldon smiled when Kashik offered him the sweets, and he wanted to say yes, for for some reason he shook his head slowly. "That's okay. I'm not hungry."

[Kashik]

"You don't have to be hungry to have candy," she said, a little suspiciously, so as she shoved one of them in her mouth and tucked it against her cheek, she set the rest on the ground between them.

She didn't seem any more fazed by the talk of death than he'd been - but then, the Drykas were familiar with loss. "Oooh, reimancy. That is so cool. I want to do that one day, but my aunt says I'm too young. What I really want is to be a Stormwarden, and I'm gonna be one too," she said stubbornly, and there was a little of the old spark in her as if she dared him to challenge that assumption. "Do you have any Stormwardens in your family? I mean, you must if you came from water makers. Is that what you do now? Are you gonna be a watermaker when you grow up?" she said, bombarding him with every question that popped into her head.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon shrugged lightly, determined to not appear weak in his decision to deny the candy. He would not be so easily swayed. "My father never mentioned any living Stormwarden in the family. He doesn't talk much about my grandfather's pavilion. I don't know why though. I wonder if he had a fight with his brothers. All he ever tells me is that we come from a long line of Hydromancers and that it's my responsibility to stay alive so I can continue it. My mother is dead, so more sons isn't an option. He doesn't trust my sisters with anything either. He says they are 'full of dreams and sweet thoughts', whatever that means." It was true, Eldon was his father's last true joy in this world. With all his other sons passed away, and being mildly sexist as he was, he trusted everything to Eldon. Earning the title of 'Ankal', producing sons of his own, being a master watermaker, and so on. The list was endless, and already in his young age Eldon felt certain amounts of pressure, and very little of it he enjoyed. "I guess being a Watermaker is my only option. My dad would hate me if I didn't learn it someday. And I suppose if it's true, a woman champion spearfighter and all, then I guess you could make the Stormwarden." Eldon grinned, this time venturing out only enough to mock her, but teasing rather than out of anger. He chuckled lightly, then was quick to attempt to amend the situation. "I'm joking."

[Kashik]

"He should just remarry," she said as if she knew about such things. "Every good Drykas man should have two wives to ensure his line, especially if he's broken from his father's pavilion. How else are you going to fill the tent? My father took two wives, and he has five sons and two daughters and probably won't stop there. It's his duty to continue his line," she said with a sharp nod, like a tutor giving lessons. "Just as it'll be your duty when you come of age. And if your sisters are all fluff and silliness, then I wouldn't trust them either," she said, wrinkling her nose as she chewed at her candy.

Her face scrunched up a little at his teasing, as if she were prepared to launch into another attack, but then he actually smiled for the first time, and admitted that it was a joke, and her face went blank with surprise for about half a second - and then burst into the bright, happy smile that her pavilion was named for. "Oh, I'll be a Stormwarden," she giggled. "And you'll be a hydromancer, and we'll have epic water fights!" she promised.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon picked a clean green blade of grass and began to dissect it with dirt smeared fingers. The blade was almost perfectly cut in half by the force of his fingers, just for the sake of entertaining himself. Children, easily amused. "I suppose he should, but he's pretty old now. There's still lots of younger men and most women his age are taken, or widowed and belong to their family's pavilions. I think so anyway. He isn't even interested in women anymore either. I think he cared about mum more than most do." Eldon shrugged. The child was completely unaware he had a brother, almost his own exact age, yet hidden from his knowing. His father did in fact love another, but for reasons Eldon would never know, she was hidden from the family rather than being brought into it, as it should have been. Eldon tried hard, so hard to keep his cool, to fight the raging blushing that was inevitable. His 'duty', as Kashik so elegantly put it, was to reproduce, to marry. Eldon knew what that entailed, but just hearing it was embarrassing for him. His father made sure he knew that, it was up to Eldon to carry on the pavilion, the Sunkiss name, the water making legacy. It was all up too him. And too much to hear that from a girl. "Of course I know that!" Silly boy, looked away from Kashik, doing his best to avoid being seen blushing so heavily, but it was no use. His freckles were as contrasting to his burning face as the very stars in a clear night sky. Eventually Eldon cooled down. He was surprised to hear her actually speak of Hydromancy as a respected profession, right up there with Stormwarden. Eldon knew it was important, just as important even, in some cases, more so. Yet Eldon was a boy, he dreamed of adventure and slaying monsters, fighting evil and becoming a warrior, not making water. What child dreamed of making water for a lifetime? "Water fights? Wouldn't be much of a challenge at all." Eldon grinned once again.

[Kashik]

The vehemence of his retort and the fierce blush actually made Kashik blink, and stare at him for a few moments as he burned. She didn't know what to do, so while he fiddled with blades of grass she just folded her legs underneath her and began humming a little tune to herself, some children's song her father's second wife always sang to sooth her worst tempers.

When he calmed, Kashik silently congratulated herself on a job well-done as if she were the root cause of it. His own grin brought another of hers, and she bounced a little where she sat. "Pffft. Says you. I'm real good at splashing."

And with that, she bounced right up to her feet and grabbed his hand, tugging him up to his feet without even waiting for him to put any effort into it. "Come on! Let's go down to the river to swim! And you can prove your boasts about water fights," she laughed, dragging him in the direction of water.

[Eldon Sunkiss]

Eldon was about to mention something along the lines of being a better splasher and the best dunker in Endrykas when Kashik grabbed his hand and started to tear his arm from his body. Not really, but she did force him to stand up or suffer a fate equally as terrible. "Are you sure this is a good idea?" Eldon bit down on his lower lip lightly as he thought about his dad finding out he was swimming without supervision. His father was so careful of him, protecting him because he was, literally, all he had left. But still, it was just a swim. Heck, Eldon didn't even have to go deep. He could stay were it was shallow, have a little splash war, and then be back within a bell or two. No worries or complications. Eldon smiled as Kashik eagerly led him away from the Sunkiss Pavilion. "Alright, alright. I'm coming. I hope you can swim though. I don't want to have to save you from drowning. It'll ruin the fun." Eldon was actually a decent swimmer, not amazing, but he had some potential if he ever got the chance to work diligently at it. Eldon then grinned as he snatched his arm from Kashik and started running. "Last one there is a lazy hunter!" Eldon's voice called out as he ran with all his little nine year old feet could carry him. His shoes crashing into the grass with each triumphant step as he run. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if he lost after getting a headstart.

[Kashik]

Kashik gave a shout of annoyance as he sped ahead of her, and took off as fast as she could after him. "No fair!" she yelled, though she was laughing a little as she tried to catch up. She was small, though, and not a very fast runner - she had fast reflexes, which was totally different.

They nearly made it to the water before her feet got the better of her and she tripped over them, stupid little things that they were, and went tumbling end-over-end like a bag of feed fallen off a galloping horse. She gave a few inarticulate yelps as she rolled, but rolling was good. Anyone who'd ever actually fallen off a Strider knew as much, and while she wasn't the best of riders, her father had at least taught her how to fall. She finally came to rest, and because she was stubborn and fierce and determined never to give up, she simply jumped to her feet and started running again.

Unless he stopped, Eldon would have the clear advantage, and reach the river in no time. "Stupid shoes! These are... these are the wrong shoes for running!" she gasped, out of breath as she finally joined him at the banks of the river. "I would have had you if I'd been barefoot," she said in that superior tone she so favored, the one he'd first been greeted with.

But now she took stock of herself, and let out a little owww... She lifted her arm to reveal a tear in the sleeve of her shirt, and a small bloom of red where she'd scratched herself on some rock during the fall. "Shyke," she cussed as she realized it actually hurt. But she was a wild child of the Sea, and as such she was more than used to scrapes and bruises - her brothers gave her more than enough just playing around every day. "Shyke, shyke, double-shyke. Am I bleeding anywhere else?" she asked, turning around in circles for Eldon to check her head-to-toe.