Jan 22, 2008 23:40
For the Green Rider series by Kristan Britian. This takes place durring First Rider's Call, sometime after Rider barracks burned, but before Mapstone was back in action. Just before the armor comes to life.
I do not own Green Rider. Mores the pity.
Karigan tapped her pen against the table in irritation as she stared despairingly at the large ledger lying on the table before her. She furrowed her brow in confusion and stopped her tapping to make a small change to one of the sums. With a sigh of frustration she leaned back in her chair, staring out at the common room of the new Rider Wing.
The mid-afternoon sun was slanting through the window filling it with a warm glow that somehow still left her cold. Ever since her she started having trouble with her powers she couldn’t seem to get warm; there was always some lingering chill in her bones. Rubbing her arms Karigan heaved herself out of the chair and walked to the window hoping to leech some heat from the sunlight.
The palace grounds were surprisingly empty for this time of day. Not too far off she could see a Green Foot messenger running an errand. In the distance there were a few light Calvary members out exercising their horses, their blue jackets discarded in the warmth of the day. But that was it; the normal hustle and bustle that she’d come to expect were absent. People were scared. Wild magic was wreaking havoc on the countryside and there was nothing that the King could so about it.
He was out there somewhere. Somewhere in the behemoth of stone rising above her was the most confusing man that ever lived. She respected him, and trusted him, but she would be lying if she said that she understood him.
Karigan sighed and leaned her head against the window frame. Her dreams had been quite disturbing lately, filled with wraiths and whispering voices. It was not surprising when you took into account all that had happened to her lately; it was probably just stress. But even more troublesome then those were the dreams involving almond eyes, a pleading face in a telescope, and impossible possibilities.
Karigan rubbed a tired hand over her face and closed her eyes for a moment of rest. When was the last time that she had slept properly? She was so tired that she couldn’t even remember. All of the extra work was really starting to take its toll on her. Something big was coming and between the wild magic, Captain Mapstone being out of commission, her power running amok, being regularly beaten by Drent, and the King suddenly deciding that she was the best person to advise him, she honestly didn’t know if she could make it though this.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a hesitant tugging on her sleeve. She turned to see a Green Foot runner no more then 10 year old, Geoffrey she thought his name was, holding out a letter to her. She took it and he scampered off before she could even thank him. Breaking the seal with her thumb she scanned the page. It was from Cummings, a schedule of all the meetings she was required for this afternoon and evening, the earliest taking place in just 20 minutes. Karigan groaned as she took in the length of the list.
With a sigh of fatigue Karigan gathered up the accounts ledger that she’d been working on and headed for her room to change into her formal uniform. It seemed that a few moments rest was all that the world was willing to give her right now. Someday she would have more time to think of possibilities, but right now she had work to do.
green rider