Quanil stared at the military barracks for a long time, started towards the door, turned away, turned back, over and over.
This was an entirely New Experience. Quanil liked New Experiences to a certain point. Most New Experiences had some quality of familiarity to them at this point in their life. But this one... this was entirely New and now they were left foundering.
I have to do this to be a good and proper Loreseeker! they chided themselves. They'd made a list. Finding their sister was at the top, always, but this might be helpful for that. The provost's lecture had underscored just how many dangers were out there, and those were just the ones they knew about!
Quanil swallowed hard. Marching right into the military barracks and asking someone to train them in hand-to-hand combat was... How would you even...? Where does one start?!
By going in and asking someone. If nothing else, asking people questions was a necessary part of being a Loreseeker. They had to do this, and they were going to do it, for Safrin's sake! But do I have to do it today?
That was the voice of fear! Quanil would not give in to it! They pushed themselves into the barracks and asked the very first person they came across about training, trying to show the sort of resolute spirit that might inspire one of the soldiers here to think that this plucky young person might be worth the time and effort.
The soldier just jerked her head in the direction of the training yard, said, "Help yourself, I'm off-duty," and left.
Quanil deflated as they wandered out into the training yard, looking around for... something, they didn't know what. A familiar face? A cue to what they should do? Any idea at all, really. They'd know it when they saw it.
This was an entirely New Experience. Quanil liked New Experiences to a certain point. Most New Experiences had some quality of familiarity to them at this point in their life. But this one... this was entirely New and now they were left foundering.
I have to do this to be a good and proper Loreseeker! they chided themselves. They'd made a list. Finding their sister was at the top, always, but this might be helpful for that. The provost's lecture had underscored just how many dangers were out there, and those were just the ones they knew about!
Quanil swallowed hard. Marching right into the military barracks and asking someone to train them in hand-to-hand combat was... How would you even...? Where does one start?!
By going in and asking someone. If nothing else, asking people questions was a necessary part of being a Loreseeker. They had to do this, and they were going to do it, for Safrin's sake! But do I have to do it today?
That was the voice of fear! Quanil would not give in to it! They pushed themselves into the barracks and asked the very first person they came across about training, trying to show the sort of resolute spirit that might inspire one of the soldiers here to think that this plucky young person might be worth the time and effort.
The soldier just jerked her head in the direction of the training yard, said, "Help yourself, I'm off-duty," and left.
Quanil deflated as they wandered out into the training yard, looking around for... something, they didn't know what. A familiar face? A cue to what they should do? Any idea at all, really. They'd know it when they saw it.
