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<blockquote data-quote="Drusilia Nailo" data-source="post: 527544" data-attributes="member: 2062">Drusilia scowled out the window of the house at the falling rain.&nbsp; The weather had just ensured that Papa would not be teaching her how to use a dagger today, which likely meant that he wouldn't come to see her at all.&nbsp;&nbsp; He had come last night, with Celia in tow, and had taken Kennic away.&nbsp; &quot;I have need of Kennic right now,&quot; he had told her.&nbsp; &quot;So for now, Celia is going to watch you.&quot; &nbsp;Drusilia turned to glance around the room, looking for where her bodyguard was.Celia was sitting in a chair nearby, sharpening her sword.&nbsp; Drusilia climbed down out of the window seat and moved so that she was standing directly in front of the woman.&nbsp; Celia paused in her sharpening, eyebrows raised.&nbsp; &quot;Yes?&quot;Drusilia pointed at the sword.&nbsp; &quot;It's different from Kennic's.&quot;&nbsp; She smiled at Celia, willing her to talk to her.&nbsp; She was bored and lonely, and missed Papa.Celia looked at the girl for a moment, and then set the weapon across her knees.&nbsp; &quot;It's called a cutlass,&quot; she told her.&nbsp; &quot;Kennic's sword is a rapier.&nbsp; I was trained to use a cutlass from a very young age.&quot;&quot;As young as me?&quot;With a smirk, Celia shook her head.&nbsp; &quot;No, not when I was as young as you.&nbsp; But not too long after.&quot;&nbsp; She chuckled, then, going back to sharpening the blade.&nbsp; &quot;I had a mother when I was your age, to stop my father from doing anything rash.&quot;&nbsp; She winced after she said that, as if she wished she could unsay those words.Drusilia thought about that, sitting down on the ground.&nbsp; &quot;Do you think that your father would have taught you how to use the...cutlass earlier, if it weren't for your mother?&quot;Celia nodded.&nbsp; &quot;Yes, I do think so,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;When my mother died, I had to go with my father to sea.&nbsp; He didn't want for me to be helpless.&quot;&nbsp; She looked up, her eyes locking with Drusilia's.&nbsp; &quot;Much like your father, I would imagine.&quot;&nbsp; Drusilia nodded.&nbsp; That Papa wanted for her to be strong, and able to protect herself was not a secret from anyone.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Do you think, if I had a mother, that she would keep Papa from training me in weapons?&quot;With a grimace, Celia shrugged.&nbsp; &quot;I don't know, kid,&quot; she said, with a trace of impatience.&nbsp; &quot;Probably.&nbsp; She'd probably want for you to learn how to be a girl.&nbsp; That's something you're not going to be able to get from your father, no matter how much he cares.&quot;Drusilia scowled.&nbsp; &quot;I don't want to be a girl anyway,&quot; she said, stung that there might be some part of her that was deficient.&nbsp; &quot;I've seen them.&nbsp; They wear stupid clothes, and laugh too much.&quot;Celia only grinned.&nbsp; &quot;Don't yell at me,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;I'm not exactly a normal girl either.&quot;&nbsp; She shrugged.&nbsp; &quot;You won't be missing much, from what I can tell.&nbsp; At least, until you're older.&quot;Drusilia sighed.&nbsp; &quot;I wonder why my mother isn't around.&nbsp; Papa never answers me when I ask him.&quot;&quot;Don't ask him,&quot; said the woman, looking at Drusilia with an intense expression in her eyes.&nbsp; &quot;It only gives him pain.&nbsp; I don't know who your mother was, or why she isn't here, but whatever the reason for it is, talking about it makes him unhappy.&nbsp; So just don't do it.&quot;Feeling ashamed, Drusilia looked down into her lap.&nbsp; &quot;I didn't want to hurt him,&quot; she said in a small voice.&nbsp; &quot;I just wanted to know.&quot;Celia patted her on the head, awkwardly.&nbsp; &quot;There there,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;It didn't do any permanent damage.&nbsp; Your father loves you, and he'll forgive you for any pain that you accidentally caused.&nbsp; Just don't do it again.&quot;Drusilia nodded, sighing heavily.&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;So what happened to your mother?&quot;&quot;Ah.&nbsp; That's a long story,&quot; said Celia.&nbsp; &quot;I'll give you the short version, though. My father was a pirate, and my mother and I lived in a coastal village, waiting for him to come home and see us.&quot;Drusilia grinned.&nbsp; She liked pirate stories.&nbsp; She scooted closer to Celia's feet, looking up at her expectantly.&quot;It doesn't make for a good story, or a happy one,&quot; she warned, &quot;But I'll tell you anyway.&nbsp; Once, when my father was at sea, the village was attacked by orcs.&nbsp; They killed everyone that they could find, except for those that they drug off in chains.&nbsp; My mother was one of the slain.&quot;Drusilia bit her lip, listening with horror.&nbsp; &quot;Did they get you?&quot;Celia shook her head, with a faint smile.&nbsp; &quot;No, they didn't see me.&nbsp; I was hiding in the pantry, and they never noticed me.&quot;&quot;What did you do?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Well, I went outside, when I didn't hear the orcs anymore, and saw all of the dead bodies.&nbsp; I think I wandered around for awhile, not knowing what to do next.&nbsp; I ate some of the food that the orcs didn't carry away.&nbsp; Fortunately for me, my father showed up only a few days later.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Did he take you away?&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Celia nodded.&nbsp; &quot;Yeah, he did.&nbsp; I went to sea with him, and learned how to be a sailor.&nbsp; I also learned how to fight, though he wouldn't let me do any pirating until I was older.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Drusilia's eyes sparkled.&nbsp; &quot;I'll bet that was a lot of fun!&nbsp; I want to be a pirate when I'm older.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Celia studied her, gravely.&nbsp; &quot;You'll have the opportunity to do so, if that's what you want,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &quot;Your father has all of the connections that you'll need.&nbsp; But I somehow am guessing that he's chosen a different life for you.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; Drusilia shrugged.&nbsp; That was too far in the future to get worried about.&nbsp; &quot;Alright,&quot; she said noncommitally.&nbsp; &nbsp; Celia smirked.&nbsp; &quot;It's good that you're being taught to defend yourself.&nbsp; That I was taught to defend myself.&nbsp; My mother was a good woman, but she didn't know how.&nbsp; She relied on my father's reputation to keep her alive, and eventually that wasn't enough.&nbsp; That is what being a girl gets you,&quot; she said.&nbsp; &nbsp; There was a heavy silence, broken by Drusilia saying, &quot;Now I really don't want to be a girl.&quot;&nbsp; &nbsp; &quot;Well, you don't have to be.&nbsp; I don't think your father is going to let you.&quot;</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Drusilia Nailo, post: 527544, member: 2062"] Drusilia scowled out the window of the house at the falling rain. The weather had just ensured that Papa would not be teaching her how to use a dagger today, which likely meant that he wouldn't come to see her at all. He had come last night, with Celia in tow, and had taken Kennic away. "I have need of Kennic right now," he had told her. "So for now, Celia is going to watch you." Drusilia turned to glance around the room, looking for where her bodyguard was. Celia was sitting in a chair nearby, sharpening her sword. Drusilia climbed down out of the window seat and moved so that she was standing directly in front of the woman. Celia paused in her sharpening, eyebrows raised. "Yes?" Drusilia pointed at the sword. "It's different from Kennic's." She smiled at Celia, willing her to talk to her. She was bored and lonely, and missed Papa. Celia looked at the girl for a moment, and then set the weapon across her knees. "It's called a cutlass," she told her. "Kennic's sword is a rapier. I was trained to use a cutlass from a very young age." "As young as me?" With a smirk, Celia shook her head. "No, not when I was as young as you. But not too long after." She chuckled, then, going back to sharpening the blade. "I had a mother when I was your age, to stop my father from doing anything rash." She winced after she said that, as if she wished she could unsay those words. Drusilia thought about that, sitting down on the ground. "Do you think that your father would have taught you how to use the...cutlass earlier, if it weren't for your mother?" Celia nodded. "Yes, I do think so," she said. "When my mother died, I had to go with my father to sea. He didn't want for me to be helpless." She looked up, her eyes locking with Drusilia's. "Much like your father, I would imagine." Drusilia nodded. That Papa wanted for her to be strong, and able to protect herself was not a secret from anyone. "Do you think, if I had a mother, that she would keep Papa from training me in weapons?" With a grimace, Celia shrugged. "I don't know, kid," she said, with a trace of impatience. "Probably. She'd probably want for you to learn how to be a girl. That's something you're not going to be able to get from your father, no matter how much he cares." Drusilia scowled. "I don't want to be a girl anyway," she said, stung that there might be some part of her that was deficient. "I've seen them. They wear stupid clothes, and laugh too much." Celia only grinned. "Don't yell at me," she said. "I'm not exactly a normal girl either." She shrugged. "You won't be missing much, from what I can tell. At least, until you're older." Drusilia sighed. "I wonder why my mother isn't around. Papa never answers me when I ask him." "Don't ask him," said the woman, looking at Drusilia with an intense expression in her eyes. "It only gives him pain. I don't know who your mother was, or why she isn't here, but whatever the reason for it is, talking about it makes him unhappy. So just don't do it." Feeling ashamed, Drusilia looked down into her lap. "I didn't want to hurt him," she said in a small voice. "I just wanted to know." Celia patted her on the head, awkwardly. "There there," she said. "It didn't do any permanent damage. Your father loves you, and he'll forgive you for any pain that you accidentally caused. Just don't do it again." Drusilia nodded, sighing heavily. "So what happened to your mother?" "Ah. That's a long story," said Celia. "I'll give you the short version, though. My father was a pirate, and my mother and I lived in a coastal village, waiting for him to come home and see us." Drusilia grinned. She liked pirate stories. She scooted closer to Celia's feet, looking up at her expectantly. "It doesn't make for a good story, or a happy one," she warned, "But I'll tell you anyway. Once, when my father was at sea, the village was attacked by orcs. They killed everyone that they could find, except for those that they drug off in chains. My mother was one of the slain." Drusilia bit her lip, listening with horror. "Did they get you?" Celia shook her head, with a faint smile. "No, they didn't see me. I was hiding in the pantry, and they never noticed me." "What did you do?" "Well, I went outside, when I didn't hear the orcs anymore, and saw all of the dead bodies. I think I wandered around for awhile, not knowing what to do next. I ate some of the food that the orcs didn't carry away. Fortunately for me, my father showed up only a few days later." "Did he take you away?" Celia nodded. "Yeah, he did. I went to sea with him, and learned how to be a sailor. I also learned how to fight, though he wouldn't let me do any pirating until I was older." Drusilia's eyes sparkled. "I'll bet that was a lot of fun! I want to be a pirate when I'm older." Celia studied her, gravely. "You'll have the opportunity to do so, if that's what you want," she said. "Your father has all of the connections that you'll need. But I somehow am guessing that he's chosen a different life for you." Drusilia shrugged. That was too far in the future to get worried about. "Alright," she said noncommitally. Celia smirked. "It's good that you're being taught to defend yourself. That I was taught to defend myself. My mother was a good woman, but she didn't know how. She relied on my father's reputation to keep her alive, and eventually that wasn't enough. [i]That[/i] is what being a girl gets you," she said. There was a heavy silence, broken by Drusilia saying, "Now I really don't want to be a girl." "Well, you don't have to be. I don't think your father is going to let you." [/QUOTE]

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