Maidens & Killers

Surviving

         I’m slow to get out of my bed the next morning, despite the fact that Garrick kissed me sleepily on my forehead and disappeared when the sun was barely up in the sky. That man is a machine, I am sure of it. I am so slow to get out of bed, that once again when I finally make my way to the breakfast table, it is nearly empty of both people and sustenance. In fact, the only person left sitting at the long wooden table in front of me is a very cranky looking Violet who is cutting her eyes at me over a cup of coffee.

       I give Violet my best cheeky smile and finger wave as I grab a plate and fill it with whatever breads, meat and cheese I can scrape up from the scraps left and plop down across from her.
“Good morning, Violet.” I pop a wedge of cheese into my mouth and moan as I chew into the buttery, rich goodness.
Violet just grumbles back at me, “I wouldn’t exactly call it good. I slept like shit, thanks to some people, and woke up alone, which is becoming a habit around here.”
I understand Violet’s frustrations, having Garrick barely around fucking sucks, but I also understand the amount of pressure that he is under to care for and keep safe and entire community of people. I am grateful that the burden doesn’t fall as heavily on my shoulders as it does his. Violet nor I can even imagine the weight that Xaden and Garrick carry.
Instead of arguing with her, I just take her hand while she glares at me, “Hey, he would be there with you if he could. You know that, right?”
Violet sighs loudly before nodding her head, “Yea. I know that.”

      We eat in companionable silence for a while, both trying to gather our thoughts and keep the lack of sleep at bay before I ask, “Where is the rest of the squad this morning?” 
“Sawyer is showing Jesinia around the dragon keep that they have built up and Ridoc, Rhiannon and Sloane are out in the courtyard talking to some of the local town residents about their ideas for the new planting. Apparently Ridoc knows a thing or two about growing stuff.” Violet says with a shrug.
“So where does that leave us?” I ask, trying to keep my voice nonchalant.
“That is the question of my week.” Violet says, sighing again. She looks down, though I can’t really blame her. I haven’t talked to her much about her time in the dungeons just before we left Basgaith.  I don’t really know how to open that conversation.
Taking a deep breath I brace myself for the dam that I may break open when I ask, “Hey Vi, are you doing okay? You know, with everything that happened?”

      Violet looks up from her coffee to make eye contact with me for a second before breaking it to peer out the nearby window. “Ya. I’m fine. I didn’t tell them anything, I know that and I’m proud of that.”
I am quick to respond to her statement, “Noone would think that you told them anything important, Violet. Absolutely no one who has ever met you would think that. I was just asking if you yourself, Violet Sorrengail, were okay? Are you sleeping?”
Violet narrows her eyes at me, “No not really, though that has nothing to do with nightmares about torture and more to do with piss poor friends on the other side of a wall.”
I snort with laughter and shake my head, “Okay, okay. You have thoroughly made your point. We will keep it down, I swear.”
“We’ll make a deal,” Violet says. “You and Garrick keep the noise level to a minimum after midnight, and you will be the first to know if I am struggling. Honestly, the last six months have been such a shit show that this is the most at peace I have felt in a long time. What’s that say about me?”
Violet barks out a laugh and I once again reach for her hand.
“It says you're a survivor, Sorrengail. That’s all any of us can do right now, is try to be helpful and survive.”

     Violet raises her eyebrows up at me, “How’d you get to be so wise Maeve? Just born that way?”
It’s now my turn to chuck, “Not even close. I spent a lot of time alone growing up, because I wasn’t willing to play my parents bullshit society games. My older sisters fed into that shit and thrived, and my younger ones just wanted to keep the peace. Not me though, I spent a lot of time grounded to my room while they threw galas and balls and state dinners so I became very self aware. I had to learn at a very early age that you do what you can do to get through each day, and you move on from it. We’re only given so many days as it is. I don’t want to waste any of my days worrying about the next.”
Violet nods her head, “That’s a great way to be. I wish I could be more like that.”
I smile back at her, “But see here is the great thing, you can be. Every day you make a choice on the attitude you want to take and BAM!” I slam my hand down on the wooden table between us, “You take it.”
Violet looks around The Riorson House private dining area and smirks, “When’s the last time you rode Craobh?”
I scratch my chin dramatically, “Ya know, it’s been a few days.”
Violet breaks out in a massive grin, “Come on, let’s go find some trouble.”