Elantra: Early afternoon
"What? No!" Kaylin was horrified. "I swear I'll study more. I'll stop betting, I'll, I'll stop working for the midwives, anything!"
Okay, that last was a lie, even if she did mean it right at the moment, but still, sending her away?
Marcus growled, his eyes shading to a very dangerous shade of orange, and Kaylin tilted her head, showing him her neck.
"It's been decided. The Hawklord agrees. You will go to this school and you will learn. You will do what the teachers tell you and you will stay out of trouble." He paused and clarified that last. "As much as you can stay out of trouble."
"Which we all have our doubts about," Teela drawled from where she was leaning casually against the wall, for a definition of casual that only a Barrani could manage.
Kaylin opened her mouth to protest again, but managed to shut it quickly as Marcus rose as if to come straight over the desk at her.
"If you do as you are told there will be no objection to your continuing your work with the midwives' guild. You will have a mirror with you so they can reach you in case of emergency and you will have free access to a portal to bring you here and back as needed."
"A portal?" They might as well have told her she'd have to cut off an arm to get back and forth!
"Kitling..." Marcus' tone said there would be no more arguing. "If you wish to be a Hawk you will do this. Otherwise, you may as well turn in your tabard and return to the fiefs."
Her eyes went wide, scared for the first time, and she swallowed hard. "Yes, Sir." Not much was able to subdue her, but the threat of never becoming a Hawk would always work.
"Don't fret, Kitling," Teela said. "Work hard and you can come back on vacations and some weekends. Maybe Tain and I will even visit and see what your local bars are like. Think of it as an adventure."
"Adventures are overrated," Kaylin muttered under her breath, but she nodded her agreement and went to pack up the very few things that she owned.
Okay, that last was a lie, even if she did mean it right at the moment, but still, sending her away?
Marcus growled, his eyes shading to a very dangerous shade of orange, and Kaylin tilted her head, showing him her neck.
"It's been decided. The Hawklord agrees. You will go to this school and you will learn. You will do what the teachers tell you and you will stay out of trouble." He paused and clarified that last. "As much as you can stay out of trouble."
"Which we all have our doubts about," Teela drawled from where she was leaning casually against the wall, for a definition of casual that only a Barrani could manage.
Kaylin opened her mouth to protest again, but managed to shut it quickly as Marcus rose as if to come straight over the desk at her.
"If you do as you are told there will be no objection to your continuing your work with the midwives' guild. You will have a mirror with you so they can reach you in case of emergency and you will have free access to a portal to bring you here and back as needed."
"A portal?" They might as well have told her she'd have to cut off an arm to get back and forth!
"Kitling..." Marcus' tone said there would be no more arguing. "If you wish to be a Hawk you will do this. Otherwise, you may as well turn in your tabard and return to the fiefs."
Her eyes went wide, scared for the first time, and she swallowed hard. "Yes, Sir." Not much was able to subdue her, but the threat of never becoming a Hawk would always work.
"Don't fret, Kitling," Teela said. "Work hard and you can come back on vacations and some weekends. Maybe Tain and I will even visit and see what your local bars are like. Think of it as an adventure."
"Adventures are overrated," Kaylin muttered under her breath, but she nodded her agreement and went to pack up the very few things that she owned.