Death Frost | Deathsworn #2

Chapter 13 ❆ Trio

So...I've been wondering for a while how to make the language shifts clearer? I was debating using BOLD for convenience, but am unsure as to how that'll work.

For the next few chappies, you might see me experimenting. Please give your feedback on it! Thank you.

"Okay. That should be it," I said, rising to my feet as I finished the routine. I was sweating hard even though it was somewhat cold out. Thankfully, a strong breeze swept in to cool me down enough, but it ended up throwing my hair all over the place. Though I had tied it back to keep it out of my face, curly hair needed a lot of maintenance and was literally prone to becoming "under the weather" in a different, almost literal sense.

It was a pain in the ass. Now that we had to live in such conditions, it was more of a pain to deal with. My mother used to braid it and comb it for me whenever possible. Now, she was no longer here to do it for me.

I was starting to find out, piece-by-piece, just what I was missing now that I had lost her. Whenever I get reminded of the little things that I no longer had, I could not help but be reminded of everything I had taken for granted.

Happiness was so fleeting.

"YESSSSS!"

Startled out of my thoughts, I refocused back to reality and found that Eren and Maun had jumped to their feet.

"Mmh! Mmh!" Maun clapped enthusiastically and pumped his fist in the air. It was a little scary though, considering the knife he was holding while he was running around.

As I looked at the two of them, I couldn't help but feel a little sheepish. I must be old. Scratch that. I actually was. My mind was technically around thirty years old already.

"You're doing this on purpose to annoy me, aren't you?" I quirked a brow at Eren's direction. The huge, stupid smile, as usual, was pushing on her cheeks. Her red hair bounced as she did and her hands were clapping in chorus to her laughter.

"We know how much of a frowner you are! So of course, if you can't smile, then we'll do it for you!"

"Why you—" I ran after Erenol with the threat of a fist and she ran away from me screaming—but of laughter.

"Evy! You've got to admit it this time around. You actually do have a stick up your ass!"

"Watch whose ass will have a stick in it when I get you!"

"Ooh. Kinky." She stopped just behind a tree and shot me a knowing glance, lifting her wrist to her lips as she laughed into her sleeve.

I paused, horrified. "What the—Did you learn that from the mistresses?"

Maun watched the two of us with a big smile and continued clapping himself.

It seemed he was finding this whole thing funny.

"You too! Stop it!" I hollered at him.

He merely joined Eren and began running away.

"Now, you two! We're supposed to be training!"

We spent the next few minutes running around and chasing one another down until we finally spent more than half of our energy doing so. When we were all tired, we found ourselves collapsing on the stone pavement, leaning against the bench as we looked at the sky.

"You know, we should sit properly," Eren said, pointing to the open seats by our head.

"I'm too tired to lift myself from here," I muttered, leaning back and heaving deep breaths to fill my lungs.

I found Maun on my right nodding fervently.

"I can't imagine how that elimination round will be," I told them both. "There was this kid from my batch who was eyeing me badly. I think he has some sort of grudge."