A/N Definition: Hench -- (of a man) strong, fit, and having well-developed muscles.
Iris's body hurt. Gods, it hurt. Hench had been far from gentle in their training, and on more than one front. They had trained for hours. And that meant... hours. Despite small breaks for water, Iris had been battered in every which way. They'd trained with the poles, they'd trained with actual weaponry, and they'd also trained with fists --fucking fists. Needless to say, her stamina was completely depleted.
Suddenly, the rogue wondered just how many days per week she'd feel like this.
Saying that, despite the nature of the training, Iris found that she liked Hench. Her mentor was her superior in every sense of the word, but not once had she belittled Iris. Not once had she teased or goaded Iris. And despite just how ridiculously tall and massive Hench was, she had a kind aura and a gentle, observant gaze. The whole time, she'd encouraged Iris to do her best and commended the things the rogue had executed correctly.
And when she'd offered critiques and tips to Iris, Hench had not appeared haughty in the slightest. In turn, Iris respected her --wanted to make this woman proud of her.
Perhaps she had today. Hench had seemed happy with her skill, after all. Yet, Iris could hardly smile at the small victory as she nearly staggered into the dining hall. There were a lot of guardians here, talking amongst themselves as they sat and ate. Iris looked around, trying to find any indication of where she was supposed to go to get dinner. She nearly got her map out. In fact, she was reaching for where she had stuffed it in her pack when she felt a large hand rest between her shoulder-blades. Iris jolted and turned to face Hench, who simply wore a wistful, knowing smile.
"Through that door, girl. Go eat," she simply told her, and pointed to a small door across the room from where they both stood.
"Thank you." Iris offered a grateful nod before scurrying in the direction her mentor had told her to go.
No one spoke to her as she went and retrieved a dinner plate. In part, Iris was thankful. While she liked getting to know new people, she had next to no energy --not after the afternoon she had. Quietly and without drawing too much attention to herself, she observed her surroundings. She noticed something peculiar... every guardian who took food went over to a middle-aged man standing in the corner and consequently thanked him for dinner.
Iris almost smiled --this atmosphere was not only disciplined, it was polite, and everyone was nothing less than respectful. Iris wasn't about to break that code. She walked over to who she could only assume was Cook, the man whom Hench had mentioned earlier, and offered him a small smile.
"Thank you for this," she said with a courteous nod.
His returning smile was kind. "Fresh blood, I see." He offered a nod to her, not even giving second thought to her gender. "You are welcome, girl. I do hope you enjoy it and also the rest of your stay here in our facility. Becoming a guardian is one of the proudest and most honorable things a person can do --you will not regret your decision."
And with a few more exchanged pleasantries, Iris made her way to the dining hall. Her eyes cast over all the tables. Hench sat with a group of five men, and all of them were seemingly lively as they each drank from heavy iron tankards. Iris could only assume that they weren't drinking milk.
Her eyes cast around the room and found an empty table. That would suit her just fine. Without a second thought, she went and had a seat to herself. She ate in peace, absentmindedly listening to the chatter that filled the room. Iris took that moment to remember Renna and Zayn, and she hoped that they were both doing well by themselves.
The rogue ate faster than usual, noticing that her stomach yearned for food after her intensive training. In fact, she nearly had finished half of her plate by the time someone stood at her table. Iris knew who it was without looking up.
"You wound me," came Kayde's glossy voice as he sat down with his own tray. "You were supposed to find me at dinner... not sit all by yourself."
Iris looked up, but otherwise, did not reply. After all, she was too busy chewing her food.
Just as his custom, he wore a wily grin on his face, off-setting the somberness of the black robes he wore. "I don't know if you were blessed by the gods or cursed by them to get Hench as your mentor," he said. "Tell me, dear girl, how do you fare?"
Iris swallowed her food. "What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, on a scale ranging from one to ten, how badly did Hench beat the hell out of you?" He took a sip from his mug.
She raised a brow. "Be nice."
Kayde's smile went from one of amusement to one of ingenuity. "Do not mistake me, dear girl. I am hardly making fun of you. Forgive my crudeness, but Hench is nothing short of an incomprehensible badass."
Iris chuckled and nodded in agreement. Finally, she answered, "About seventeen."
"The scale only went to ten," Kayde reminded her, taking another long draw from his cup.
"I know," she said, shivering at the memory of getting hit by Hench... again and again and again. Her body would be sore all over for days; Iris knew that without doubt. Her reply and the expression on her face paved the way for Kayde to let out a deep, belly laugh. And for a moment, Iris felt his mirth wash over her. She wanted to laugh too. She should laugh, actually. She wasn't hiding an identity anymore... nor was she at home trying to fit Renna's pieces back together.
And when she realized that there was literally no reason for her to hold it in, damn it all, she laughed with him. It might have sent hot fire into her belly, but she did it anyways. It took a long, few moments for the both of them to settle.
They quietened for a minute. Kayde was the next to speak, his voice considerably softer in volume at his next words. "I have missed you, dear girl."
"You too, Kayde. It is good to see you well."
Kayde only offered her a smile and then turned his head back to look at Hench, who still sat with her mates.
Iris seemed to follow his gaze.
"She's already on her second cup of ale," the rogue remarked. "She's not even fazed by it, I don't think. Does anything bring her down?"
Kayde turned back to Iris with a raised eyebrow. "That's not ale," he told her with a snort, "That stuff she's drinking? That would be whiskey."
If Iris was ever unfamiliar with anything, it was alcohol. Besides that one night during her mission, she generally veered clear of the stuff. It made her head fuzzy. No one in her family --back before Renna went mad-- cared for the stuff. "What's that?" she asked. She hoped it wasn't a foolish question. She couldn't imagine it being any different than ale.
"What, whiskey?" Kayde asked, forking some rice into his mouth. "If you truly don't know by now, it's better if you try it yourself and figure it out." He let out a chuckle. "And so help me gods, make sure I'm there when you do."
Iris narrowed her eyes. "Have you tried it?"
"Yeah," he paused, "Yeah, I have. Only on a couple occasions though. The first time was about seven years ago, when I was nearing seventeen years old. Hench actually was there for that. She was twenty-two, I think." A thought took Kayde away for a moment. And then, he said, "Gods, has it already been that long?"
"She's twenty-nine?" Iris asked, not all-too-surprised.
"Yes," Kayde replied. "She's been here since she was fourteen years old."
"I see." Iris finished off the last of her food.
Kayde looked thoughtfully at her for a second before saying, "There's something else you should know about your mentor."
Curiosity piqued, Iris stopped moving entirely and awaited his next words.
"Before I tell you, you should know this first: in all Hench's years here, she's been one of our most astounding and most honorable fighters. It wasn't always that way, though, of course. From what I know, Hench came here battered, bruised, and broken of spirit. To this day, no one but her and Master Dyran know what happened in her life before coming to this sanctuary, but it has molded her into someone unrivaled in strength and resolve. Even our master himself said that he's never seen the like of her. It's toughness of which I'm sure you've already gotten somewhat of a taste of." Kayde paused. "She's the second-in-command here, Iris."
Iris balked a little. "Second-in-command?"
"Yes, dear girl. She will be master of the guardians should something happen to Master Dyran," Kayde paused, his green eyes falling serious. "And you should know that in her entire fifteen years here, she has never --and I repeat never-- taken a trainee. Until you."
Iris didn't know what to say for an extended period. "I am honored. But, why?"
"That's sure to be the hot topic of the week. Once everyone figures out your Hench's new trainee, you'll find that you're not the only one asking that question," he said, and then gave her a sly smile. "But, if you ask me, I think it might be because you remind her of herself. By now, everyone's heard your story. Broken girl trying to salvage her life by shattering the binds of laws and stereotypes and becoming one of the most well-known and moving figures in the Eldian army... all that good stuff. Sounds a lot like her story... or perhaps something that would inspire her, even."
Iris took that into consideration, falling into deep thought for a long minute. The subject turned completely on a head when she thought back to her army days. "I am so sorry, Kayde." The words were sincere.
He stopped chewing for a second and raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the change in conversation. "For what?"
"I don't know what exactly," she said. An invisible spout turned on, and all the pent up guilt Iris bore flowed right from the source. "All that I know is that you just --you disappeared not long after the war ended. And I hardly noticed. I spent so much time with my father and aunt --so much time with Zayn... that I kind of let you fall off the face of the world. In my relief and homecoming... I really overlooked you. I know that and I shouldn't have done that ever. By the time I realized how much I never got to really thank you for everything that you did for me... you were already gone from my life. And I'm sorry I let it happen that way, Kayde."
He only smiled. "That is what guardians do, Iris. It is our duty to protect people."
"See, you're saying that... but you know it's shit. You did your duty in the training camp. That was your obligation. You stayed because you wanted to see me out alive, Kayde. You did all that for me and I didn't even say goodbye when you left, damn it. It was duty to help me learn the ropes in the beginning... but the rest was more than that."
He simply nodded and stared hard at his hands. "It was."
"Forgive me for how I repaid you," she said. "You can't even begin to know how shitty I feel --how long this has weighed on me."
"It is already done, girl. There was never anything for me to forgive. You shouldn't apologize for finding joy in your life. Happiness is quite the precious thing," Kayde said. He looked up, and then he chuckled, "And for the record, I could've came to say goodbye as well. But, I didn't. I had my reasons, too. I figured I'd leave you to adjust to your new life. The one you gave yourself."
"So... you're not mad?" she asked, suddenly feeling like a small child.
"Of course not. I was never angry with you."
Iris thought to herself for a moment, and then she smirked. "Is that why you didn't choose me as a trainee and left me to face Hench's blood-reaping?" It was a jest, of course. Iris was no stranger to hard work, after all. And, as previously addressed, she liked the woman well enough.
"I actually had no idea you were coming until you showed up earlier today. I figure Hench snatched the opportunity before it was even presented to anyone else," Kayde told her, wiping his mouth with a handkerchief.
"Would you have mentored me?"
Now, Kayde laughed. "Like old times, you mean?" He sobered after a minute, and then spoke again. "In a heartbeat, Iris."
That's where their conversation ended. In the midst of discussion, the rogue's mentor had found herself standing above Iris and Kayde's table. The rogue's eyes moved immediately to survey the woman. She was a giant in comparison to Iris --especially so when Iris was sitting. Hench offered the both of them a bit of a smile.
"I take it you both know each other, then?"
They nodded in unison.
"Is there anything you need me to do?" Iris asked immediately, hoping she hadn't missed something.
"If you're in the middle of something, then do not bother with it for now. It's more of a want." She paused and then her mouth turned up a corner. "But if you'd like, I'd like to introduce you to a couple of my best mates. You're my new little cub, after all. Possum can come too if he wants."
Iris's eyes flicked to Kayde, and he motioned for her to go.
"Is there any customs I should know before I go over there? Anything I should do?"
"Yes," Hench let out a short laugh, "yes, actually. There is."
Iris waited.
"You must have a drink with me."
A/N -- Decided to post this a bit early and I hope you all enjoyed! Let me know what you think!