ONE MONTH LATER.
"This--this is a trebuchet!'' Madi said excitedly as she pushed out her trebuchet model ferociously at Luna, much to her bewilderment and slight amusement.
"O-okay, Madi,'' Luna said, staring at the trebuchet as Madi looked at her expectantly, as if expecting some form of praise or response, but all that came in her mind was what is with your sticking of the wood and why do you expect my praise? but that didn't seem particularly nice. As Luna's mind scrambled for other words to say about such a contraption. Her mind blanked on all but one. Brow furrowing, she looked at Madi and asked, at the time unbeknownst to her, the very question that would be her downfall. ''What... does it do...?''
Madi practically brightened with glee once she heard Luna's question, and cradling the trebuchet close to her chest, babbled on so quickly that Luna could not discern half of what she said. ''S-slow down, Madi—'' was all she managed to get out before she was engulfed in the wave of Madi's happiness slurred out in Trigedasleng.
''It's—it's a war machine from the past ages! T-there are lotso parts, but we can go over those later when we build one 'specially for you!'' And Luna blinked at the statement because it sounded like Madi wanted them to make a trebuchet together that was dedicated to her, but she didn't even have the time to open her mouth when Madi spoke excitedly on again. ''It could fling a rock over a distance of five thousand feet if it's huge enough and break down even metal walls! No-one in Polis used them very much, or 'least they retired 'em anyway, but that doesn't mean it should be forgotten.'' Madi stated firmly and gazed at her in the eyes as if she was speaking of some deep philosophical meaning that only she and Luna could have shared and understood. ''Trebuchets are amazing,'' Madi said, gushing, her features haloed with a glow as she gazed at Luna giddily with a toothy-like smile. ''Any questions?!''
No questions apparent had surfaced on Luna's features, though Luna's eyebrows had quirked at the mention of war machines. A part of her was concerned about what Clarke and Lexa were teaching her little sister, especially with regards to war, but the other part of her decided not to ask. She could deal with that later, after all; especially since there was nobody on Earth but them, she decided, war didn't matter much now anyway. Only a past tale.
At that thought, Luna smiled grimly. But then when she was met with Madi's expectant gaze, a drunkenly giddy smile on her face as she waited expectantly for Luna's questions, she found the smile morphing into something else. Something less tainted with hate or sadness.
And so, as she looked at the trebuchet that was so lovingly cradled in Madi's arms and smiled, Luna voiced the one question that crossed her mind. ''D-do you happen to have a... larger prototype?''
From Madi's smile formed a wicked grin. Placing down her trebuchet model that she had so loved on the counter, she yelped out— ''Follow me, sestra!''
...
''That—that is gigantic,'' Luna admitted as she gazed at the foundations of Madi's trebuchet, nestled inside a clearing of the forests. All around her were scattered parts, wheels and metal bits and scraps that looked like it had seen better days, and in its centre stood the bare bones of a wooden trebuchet, as if it were queen that was crowned by the scattered gears all around. Which, of course, was not moderately true by any standard, but had seemed slightly so, if you could discount how... unruly it had seemed.
''Yes it is!'' Madi yelped excitedly, and Luna knew that the makings of a babble were about to begin. ''But mine's not all that big,'' she said modestly. ''Some of 'em are gargantuan. I've seen pictures an' sketches and drawings—those can smash rock walls! An' I couldn't build it too tall, anyway... not if I wanna keep this a secret.''
