Maidens & Killers

Twas The Night After Threshing

      Twas the night after Threshing and all through Basgaith, all the first years we’re celebrating, with most getting laid. I can’t help but chuckle to myself as I see Rhiannon and Sawyer of all people flirting heavily over a mug of spiked lemonade at the evening meal.
While we rider’s aren’t big ceremony people, we are still heavy on the celebration. I sip the toxic lemonade slowly and try to eat as much bread as I can, no one likes a messy drunk.
Ridoc slides next to me at the table and smiles coyly, “So we’re riders now.”
I smile and sip my drink, “That’s what they tell me. Well, that and the fact that I have this voice in my head all the time now.”
Ridoc laughs, “Right! I mean what’s up with that? I feel like Autrom is monologuing my life. It’s hilarious.”
“Hey Maeve, who did you bond with? I didn't see you finish,” yells one of the riders in another wing at the end of the table.
Ridoc tosses an arm around my shoulder and hollers back, “You didn’t see her finish because Maeve here was like the third person back! She absolutely killed it.”

   I’m stiff now with Ridoc’s arm around me. I know he probably means it in a friendly manner, and he’s had quite a few glasses of lemonade, but  I’m not really a touchy feely person. “UH, Craobh!”
I yell down the table, trying not to look incredibly uncomfortable. Violet is seated across from me, eyes wide and looking from Ridoc’s arm to something behind me and I know without looking that Garrick is watching from his seat at the leadership table. The first wing rider yells something back to me that I don’t hear and suddenly Violet is doing something weird with her eyes, as though she’s trying to tell me something.
As low as she can she whispers, “Ridoc, unhand Maeve or you might lose your hand.”
Ridoc looks at her confused, but lets his arm down from around my shoulder. “What?!”

    I don’t bother answering him, just turn in my seat to watch Garrick walking across the dining hall like it’s on fire. I give him my best coy smile, but he doesn’t return it.
“Hey.” I say when he finally reaches me.
“Hey, can we get out of here?” He asks back, tone completely devoid of humor.
‘Sure,” I say, draining my cup of lemonade.  “See you guys at formation in the morning.” I shoot over my shoulder without looking at Violet and Ridoc. I’m sure they will have tons of probing questions in the morning.

     Garrick takes my hand and leads me out of the dining hall and I get that same feeling of daggers being stuck in my back. I turn to my left to see Immogen violently stabbing pieces of cheese with a cheese knife while watching Garrick and quickly exit the hall.
“Does Immogen hate me or something?” I ask Garrick as soon as we hit the hallway.
“What? Why?” He grumbles pulling me in the direction of the dorms.
“She’s just always glaring at me, and just now I think she was picturing that a piece of mozzarella was my eye.” I explain, trying to dodge people clustered in the hallway.
This finally granted me a snort from Garrick, “Don’t worry about her, I’ll talk to her.”
I finally ask him the question I’ve been wanting to ask since our showdown in Battle Brief, “Did you and her…..” I trail off not really sure if I even want to know the answer.
Garrick shakes his head and we finally make it to my room, “No. She may want that, but I don’t think I’ve ever given her a reason to think it was possible.”

     We’re back in a now familiar position, me with my back against my room door and Garrick in front of me, invading my space. Only difference is that now we would have a rather large audience of people in the hallway. “Do you want to come into my room?” I ask hesitantly. 
Garrick nods so I turn to open my door.
“Wait!” Garrick says, slamming his hand to the wall beside my door.
I’m back in a cage of his arms, but this time my back is pressed to the front of his body and the door is in front of me. I turn slightly to look over my shoulder at him and find his face inches away from mine.
A heated look is exchanged between us and I lean forward to kiss his far too tempting mouth.
“Wait,” Garrick whispers this time. “I want to talk. But I’m not feeling very talky after seeing that guy with his arm around you, so maybe I should come back.”
I smile mischievously up at him, “You’re not feeling…talky? What are you feeling, Garrick?”
Garrick lets out an honest to God, actual growl before my back is plastered to the front of his and his lips are on mine, exactly where I wanted them. I brace my hands on the door and prepare of the onslaught when I hear a wolf whistle from a few doors down.
Riiiiiiight, public hallway.