First Love, First War, First Step |√|

Secret Notes

My days were filled with my training, and my nights were shuddering with messages carried by a tiny mechanical messenger.

The first time I went to send a note to Luke, I tore off too large of a strip of paper and watched the dragonfly struggle to fly.  Out of pity for the tiny creature, I untied the message and swiftly rewrote it on a smaller scrap.

L.,
This is brilliant!  Wherever did you come up with the idea?
I.

Satisfied with how the bug was flying, I opened my window and cupped my hands around it.

"Luke," I whispered in a breath as light as the breeze and watched in amazement as the dragonfly rose out of my hand and darted away.

I couldn't make it out amongst the stars that were shimmering outside my window, but I sat there anyway, straining my eyes to see if I could catch a metallic glint as it came back towards me.  The night wasn't windy, which was good for the little messenger as I was sure that it would struggle fiercely to fly in a stout breeze.

Moments before I considered getting up from the sill and settling into bed with my book, I heard a slight whirl and found the dragonfly returning.  It was bearing the burden of a scrap of paper, and I felt my heart flutter in my chest.

The bug landed in my outstretched palm, and I swiftly undid the string holding the note to its back.

I.,
Uncle L. smuggled something out of the Archives for me.  I decided to give it a try.  How was your day?
L.

Gleefully, I hid the message with the other and spent half of the rest of the night penning notes back and forth with Luke.  Each time I sent a new one off, I imagined him staring at the night sky as well, searching hopefully for the dragonfly.

After a month of this, I realized how grateful I was now that Father paid no heed to my habits, else the correspondence would have been over long before it began in earnest.

I.,
I believe that we should meet sometime in person again.  Would you mind my stopping by to escort you home after work?
L.

L.,
Not at all!  I'll see you tomorrow.
I.

"What are you doing today?" Father asked as I came into the kitchen the next day.

I stopped short, surprised to find him eating breakfast calmly at the table like it was something he did every morning.  Taking a deep breath, I sat down across from him.

"I'm going to go to the Archives like normal, and one of my former classmates' older brother is going to walk me home this afternoon."

He looked up in interest, and my mind started to race with questions.  "Which classmate?"

Oh Father, why are you so interested in my life all of a sudden?

"Meara," I answered, sliding a serving of scrambled eggs onto my plate.

"Ah, Henry's children.  He used to work with your mother, you know.  I would assume that the older brother you're referring to is Luke," he said calmly, no emotion running across his face.

I nodded before shoveling a forkful of egg into my mouth to prevent myself from answering out loud.

"Last I remember, Luke is twenty.  That's far too old for you, young lady."

I swallowed the eggs that had suddenly turned to dust in my mouth.  "Father, he was only being polite and bringing me home.  We're not planning marriage or courting.  The Founding Laws are drilled firmly in both of our minds."