Slain Among Ice And Fire {Fairy Tail}

Chapter 3- Help... Least Expected

Chapter 3
Help... Least Expected

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or its characters, only my own OC's and Ideas

.:+:.

The figures of Sting, Rogue and Horatia walked into the Guild Hall, eyes narrowed and steely as they strode through the center of the hall toward the Job Board, followed closely by Frosch and Lector who looked slightly tense.

Horatia walked calmly, a little slowly- her person wrapped in bandages, but now in her usual mission attire- all sense of weakness and pain wiped from her face, her deep blue gaze steely and firm as she lead the two Dragon Slayers in.

The eyes of the Guild Members followed her as she cut straight toward her destination, all eyes wide and astounded- seeing her up and moving, and seemingly so undisturbed by her injuries... The horrific injuries they had seen her endure under the Master's wrath.

"Is that Horatia....?"

"Woah... She looks pretty good, considering...."

"They're headed toward the Request Board...."

"... She seriously gonna take a job, looking like that?"

"Think the Master's gonna let them go? Being this close to the GMG?"

"Masters been busy... He hasn't even been looking at the Requests taken...."

"But still... Sting and Rogue are on the team, right? And there's only a few months before the Games...."

Sting and Rogue sweatdropped slightly, hearing the murmurings go out around the hall- while Hora seemed hardly perturbed by it, her eyes fixed to the Board as they stopped in front of it.

Of course it was a shock to see Hora moving around only a week after having taken such a brutal punishment by the Master, and it was even more shocking to see her about to take a Job. Last they had seen her, she had been carried out by Rogue unconscious- and that was against Master's orders, though no one was surprised the two Dragon Slayers had gone against it.

Seeing her up and walking around, looking so strong and calm... It was a shock, and yet they were mostly relieved.

Now they focused on the other point- on Sting and Rogue, who, everyone in the Guild knew, were on the Team that participated in the Grand Magic Games, of which were only three months away now. They found it odd they would be going off on a Job so close to the Games... As they usually spent a large amount of time training with the other Members of the Team. To be going with Horatia, who wasn't on the team at all... They were surprised, and a little worried what the Master would think.

But, as it stood- the day Master inflicted his punishment in Hora, he had also sent Minerva out on a very important mission- which, as they heard it, was supposed to last months. With Saber's Lady out of the picture, and Master being so wrapped up in his own business... SaberTooth's Master hadn't been at all present the last few days. Yes of course he'd come out to send out some grand speech or other, other times to reprimand and correct as he saw fit... But he hadn't been paying as close attention to the Guild as he usually would. So maybe, Rogue, Sting and Horatia's action to take a Job would go without being scrutinized.

At least... That was certainly what they were hoping for.

The taking of Job Requests was usually overseen by the Master, most of the Guild's Members were assigned jobs by him personally- but those Mages of higher standing, to which Rogue and Sting belonged to, they were usually able to pick the jobs they'd like, and get approval by the Master. Sometimes they just went out without approval at all, and heard nothing from the Master in return to their actions. With the Master being as busy as he seemed at the moment, they were counting on their status in the Guild to perhaps allow them to slip under the Master's nose and approval, as well as manage a way to take a job with Hora- who at the moment was clearly not on the Master's good side. But they needed a break, a break away from the Guild and the city... And the Master.