Elemental Thief Part I : Child of Calamity

Spies

Treasa collapsed on a bench in the shade, feeling the afternoon sun's heat waft over her, even when it wasn't touching her. Her shirt was soaked with sweat, her arms ached and burned, her heart was thrumming in her chest and her hands were sore from gripping swords, the shock of repeated blocks, and new blisters and calluses forming.

But she felt good.

Happy, content, and exhausted all at once.

As was normal for her evenings now, her brain was full of the information that the various teachers had been cramming into it most of the day. From healing to history and science and natural studies, a completely new world was open to her.

And she was learning to fight; it was frustrating, knowing how much she didn't know, and sometimes doubting her capabilities of doing some things they were training her to do, but she felt a happy form of contentment that she didn't think was possible.

"Treasa!" A voice broke through her happy reverie, and she sat up, finding herself face to face with Princess Draisia, with Kaiyal standing right beside her. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just resting after training." Treasa tugged absently on her braided hair, watching the two girls. She had seen them once or twice in the last couple days, and had been trying to avoid them, avoid the painful conversation of whatever feelings they had after her last words to them. "Then I'm heading home."

Kaiyal smiled to her, offering her a careful shrug, her voice more subdued, gentle than the Princesses'. "We're going to go spy. You should come with us."

Treasa frowned at that, looking between the two of them. "Spy? Look, I'm not trying to get anyone mad at me here. All this can be taken away, if I step out of line, just like that."

She snapped her fingers for emphasis, though the girls looked more confused than anything.

"Who told you that?" Draisia asked, a deep frown forming on her features. "Whomever it was, is lying. No one is going to send you away. This is your home now. General Lianza wouldn't let them."

"Unless it's him, that's doing the sending." Treasa offered a shrug, shaking her head. "I used to have to follow people, spy on them all the time, in order to eat. It's not a very fun game, when you get stabbed or beaten at the end."

"We're not following anyone." Kaiyal shook her head, giving her a sad look. "We're going to sneak into Draisia's mother's office and use the scrying crystals to see what her brother or sister are doing. See what's happening across the world from us."

Treasa frowned at those words, feeling the curiosity building then, biting her lower lip, knowing that she would be looking in on Clairval, which still had an odd sentimentality to it.

But she sighed and shook her head. "Can't every Rulin smell who's been where? And your family is even better than that? They'd know the instant they walked into the office that we'd been there."

"It's harder when the scents are layered. We've been in and out of there so often that it'll barely be an afterthought." Draisia seemed proud that she had come up with that solution, grinning at her brightly.

"Except, I haven't." Treasa shook her head. "They'd know in an instant. And I have no reason to be in there. They'd probably think I was trying to steal something."

Kaiyal laughed. "You always think people are going to assume the worst about you. We wouldn't let them think that, even if they wanted to. But you're right. If momma figures out what we're doing, she'll make it harder, and that'll stop all the fun. We once saw Davanos get into a fight with a piece of rope."

Draisia grinned in amusement. "I think he was trying to help the sailors, but it was pretty funny to see him get all tangled and nearly pulled up off his feet while trying to figure out what to do. He always tries to be so serious."