Post by Dalet on Nov 14, 2008 22:33:39 GMT -10
This chapter was supposed to have more to it, a bit of action, maybe, but by the time I finished the first part, it was noticeably longer than any of my other chapters, and anything else would have felt tacked on.
So, action next time. For now, new characters!
Chapter 7
All in all, Natalia’s new life – for that’s what it was: a brand-new start – was exceptional. Of course, the Guild worked them to the bone, sending them on double missions, back and forth across the country, but if they trying to make the small group miserable, they had missed one very important factor: bonds.
For the first time in her life, Natalia had a friend, a real friend, a relationship beyond that of duty which would be sure to last. Natalia had not had any sort of “friend” since her final days in the Academy, at age 8. Working Seers didn’t have time to make friends, and their Guards didn’t have time to let them, nor was it one of their duties.
In spite of the Guild, a phrase very seldom used, Horatio had stubbornly chosen to “adopt” Natalia, as it were, defying the conventions of relationships within their unique, closeted sub-society. It was a good thing Natalia liked Marisol, because they were stuck together.
Marisol, for her part, did whatever she could to bring the little family full circle. Engaging Natalia in conversation was no issue, but getting Horatio to talk for any length of time was a feat. It seemed to Natalia that he had a lot on his mind at every moment, even for a Guard, but Marisol had smiled and told her that he’d always been like this, don’t worry. She’d later confided, however, that he was probably brooding, probably still concerned for Natalia’s safety, but she never stopped insisting that there was nothing to fear.
The Guard, Horatio, was a study in contrasts. He communicated, or so it seemed, far less than Nick ever had. Nick had been fairly social, excessively so, the other Guards would note, but Natalia found it ideal. It certainly wasn’t too much for a human. But for all his outgoing traits, they rarely had company. Guards were both individual and collective at the same time. Each Guard worked by himself – so-called “team” missions were rare – but they all seemed to be an extension of each other. Natalia couldn’t put her finger on it, couldn’t put it down in words, but they seemed, somehow, all of them, to be one. They didn’t communicate, because they didn’t need to.
She’d meant to ask Nick, she really had.
Horatio, on the other hand, seemed especially quiet, even for a Guard. His eyes were always piercing the horizon, looking cautiously ahead, wary of any other presence around them where most Guards were merely apprehensive.
For all this, however, Marisol maintained an incredible level of togetherness with him. Natalia couldn’t help but think of them as a quintessential pair: a deep and involving relationship. Marisol seemed to know things without even having to speak. Horatio treated her – both of them, for that matter – with more respect than Natalia would have expected from his general outward demeanour. She was continuously surprised that it had been on his insistence that she was with them. Not only was it not an assignment, it was against orders. It was unheard of.
She would be long dead if it hadn’t been for him.
Seers and Guards were intricately connected, and the death of one would resonate through both groups as a tragedy – particularly that of an otherwise immortal Guard – but would not be cause for a change in routine, in maintaining order.
Whereas Horatio had gone out of his way to protect her.
It was these thoughts that made Natalia restless – that kept her up at night. There was a very deliberate reason for everything Guards did, and she couldn’t pinpoint this one. From everything she’d heard, this had been a spontaneous, and highly contentious, change in pattern. What use was she to the Guild now? How was she different?
The answers to both were negative, which left Natalia with a strange, uneasy sense of foreboding wherever they went.
It was both good and bad (and strange) that none of the other Guards they met seemed at all surprised, and certainly not concerned, at the new addition to the “team” of Horatio and Marisol Delektorsky.
Although no meetings between Guards in the field were planned, as such, Natalia couldn’t help but think that their running into the same Guards, time and time again, was more than coincidence. Even more strangely, watching them speak with Horatio, even at a distance, she only describe as his “friends.”
Although Rick could hardly be counted as a “friend,” it was improbable that all of Horatio’s business with the Guild went through him. The Guild purposely prevented Guards from meeting regularly, wherever possible, to prevent “personal” relationships from developing, particularly between “clerical” Guards and those in the field.
And yet, according to Marisol, Horatio rarely spoke with anyone else when the Guild was involved. At any rate, Rick was the only clerical Guard that she knew.
More frequently, they came across someone like Mac. Mac very well embodied the essential Guard: unobtrusive, in theory, with dark, short hair and sharp green eyes, but with a distinct and unmistakeable air of readiness around him. Unlike Horatio, who carried his single blade strapped behind him, under his cloak, Mac wore both his blades – identical, graceful, curved swords – on his hips, in plain sight. Although he could brood with the best of them, he was more likely than some to smile, or at least flash a sharp-toothed grin. He was aggressive, but under control and well-prepared: a stellar example of Guard.
His Seer was a few years older than Marisol and Natalia, but hardly enough to warrant the motherly behaviour with which she treated them. It was far from over-whelming, or even irritating, however. Marisol had introduced Stella Bonasera warmly.
More than her motherly behaviour, Stella seemed to be an anchor for Mac that Natalia had rarely seen between Guard and Seer, no matter how close. It was rather amusing, watching Stella say “No,” to Mac, and suggest a better plan of action for their next mission. Mac took it to heart.
Often with Mac, or shortly after him, came Danny, one of the “Geniuses” that Natalia had heard of but rarely seen, and certainly never communicated with. Danny was especially young for a partnered Guard – only 120, Horatio had later told them, the cusp of Guard adulthood, as it were – and it showed: having spent considerably less time “messing around” with the Guild, he was easily the most “human” Guard Natalia had ever heard of. He was vocal and communicative, and exceptionally energetic.
Natalia later asked what distinguished him as a Genius. Horatio explained that Danny could outrun Guards twice his age and had a markedly different fighting style: he rarely fought hand-to-hand.
Natalia had quickly noticed, upon first meeting Danny, that he didn’t appear to be carrying any sort of weapon. This was, of course, untrue: hidden on his person were innumerable projectiles, mostly in the form of long, thin needles and daggers. He also had a number of collapsible spears, which were required for fighting Ghosts. True to his “Genius” status, his accuracy was 100%.
Unlike Stella, who was senior to Marisol and Natalia, Lindsay Monroe was some years their junior. It showed on her smiling face, which matched her upbeat demeanour. She was well-matched with Danny, though. They were both unexpectedly astute, and quick on their feet. They moved as one, and when Danny carried Lindsay as they whisked across the landscape, she was more a part of him than an extra, if necessary, weight.
But the pair that Horatio seemed to get along best with was that of Frank and Calleigh Duquesne. Frank had a distinct appearance, different from that of the average Guard, though not enough to have been labelled a “Genius.”
For one thing, Frank had hardly any hair. Natalia couldn’t help but laugh – she blamed Marisol – at the image of a near-bald Guard. Frank, for his part, took it very well. Even Horatio had smiled behind his back – and denied it when Frank turned on him.
Frank was also considerably taller than most Guards Natalia had seen. If he were a Genius, his specialty would’ve certainly been his strength. Frank preferred to conduct business with his fists, and only resorted to the enormous cleaver he carried strapped to his back when absolutely necessary.
Calleigh was also the Seer to whom Natalia could best relate. Like Stella she was caring and concerned, like Lindsay she was friendly and outgoing, but there was always more to her. Her smile was enchanting and uplifting. She never saw anything in a negative light, though she did offer sincere apologies to Natalia about Nick. She didn’t shy away from it, either.
Most impressively, however, Calleigh was the only Seer Natalia had ever so much as heard of, not counting an old legend, who could wield a weapon. It was useless against Ghosts – no human, of any kind, could match their speed and agility – which it made an even more unlikely and unusual hobby; but as Natalia watched Calleigh fire an arrow into the very center of a tree trunk, and then another with such accuracy that she very nearly split the first, she couldn’t help but feel envious, and regretful that he had never asked Nick to, perhaps, teach her to wield a blade.
It was with this interesting and varied “extended family” – as Marisol called them – that Natalia passed her first six months as Horatio’s second Seer, and Marisol’s adopted sister and best friend. She still mourned, and occasionally wept, for Nick, the person who had raised her from early childhood, but she was in the best possible place to feel, for everything it was worth, at home.
Yeah, yeah, it was kind of obvious who would be paired with who, and I don't know why I picked Danny as a main character, but I like'em. They make a good, well-rounded family, I think.
I hope you all enjoyed! I promise a more exciting chapter next time.
Dalet
So, action next time. For now, new characters!
Chapter 7
All in all, Natalia’s new life – for that’s what it was: a brand-new start – was exceptional. Of course, the Guild worked them to the bone, sending them on double missions, back and forth across the country, but if they trying to make the small group miserable, they had missed one very important factor: bonds.
For the first time in her life, Natalia had a friend, a real friend, a relationship beyond that of duty which would be sure to last. Natalia had not had any sort of “friend” since her final days in the Academy, at age 8. Working Seers didn’t have time to make friends, and their Guards didn’t have time to let them, nor was it one of their duties.
In spite of the Guild, a phrase very seldom used, Horatio had stubbornly chosen to “adopt” Natalia, as it were, defying the conventions of relationships within their unique, closeted sub-society. It was a good thing Natalia liked Marisol, because they were stuck together.
Marisol, for her part, did whatever she could to bring the little family full circle. Engaging Natalia in conversation was no issue, but getting Horatio to talk for any length of time was a feat. It seemed to Natalia that he had a lot on his mind at every moment, even for a Guard, but Marisol had smiled and told her that he’d always been like this, don’t worry. She’d later confided, however, that he was probably brooding, probably still concerned for Natalia’s safety, but she never stopped insisting that there was nothing to fear.
The Guard, Horatio, was a study in contrasts. He communicated, or so it seemed, far less than Nick ever had. Nick had been fairly social, excessively so, the other Guards would note, but Natalia found it ideal. It certainly wasn’t too much for a human. But for all his outgoing traits, they rarely had company. Guards were both individual and collective at the same time. Each Guard worked by himself – so-called “team” missions were rare – but they all seemed to be an extension of each other. Natalia couldn’t put her finger on it, couldn’t put it down in words, but they seemed, somehow, all of them, to be one. They didn’t communicate, because they didn’t need to.
She’d meant to ask Nick, she really had.
Horatio, on the other hand, seemed especially quiet, even for a Guard. His eyes were always piercing the horizon, looking cautiously ahead, wary of any other presence around them where most Guards were merely apprehensive.
For all this, however, Marisol maintained an incredible level of togetherness with him. Natalia couldn’t help but think of them as a quintessential pair: a deep and involving relationship. Marisol seemed to know things without even having to speak. Horatio treated her – both of them, for that matter – with more respect than Natalia would have expected from his general outward demeanour. She was continuously surprised that it had been on his insistence that she was with them. Not only was it not an assignment, it was against orders. It was unheard of.
She would be long dead if it hadn’t been for him.
Seers and Guards were intricately connected, and the death of one would resonate through both groups as a tragedy – particularly that of an otherwise immortal Guard – but would not be cause for a change in routine, in maintaining order.
Whereas Horatio had gone out of his way to protect her.
It was these thoughts that made Natalia restless – that kept her up at night. There was a very deliberate reason for everything Guards did, and she couldn’t pinpoint this one. From everything she’d heard, this had been a spontaneous, and highly contentious, change in pattern. What use was she to the Guild now? How was she different?
The answers to both were negative, which left Natalia with a strange, uneasy sense of foreboding wherever they went.
It was both good and bad (and strange) that none of the other Guards they met seemed at all surprised, and certainly not concerned, at the new addition to the “team” of Horatio and Marisol Delektorsky.
Although no meetings between Guards in the field were planned, as such, Natalia couldn’t help but think that their running into the same Guards, time and time again, was more than coincidence. Even more strangely, watching them speak with Horatio, even at a distance, she only describe as his “friends.”
Although Rick could hardly be counted as a “friend,” it was improbable that all of Horatio’s business with the Guild went through him. The Guild purposely prevented Guards from meeting regularly, wherever possible, to prevent “personal” relationships from developing, particularly between “clerical” Guards and those in the field.
And yet, according to Marisol, Horatio rarely spoke with anyone else when the Guild was involved. At any rate, Rick was the only clerical Guard that she knew.
More frequently, they came across someone like Mac. Mac very well embodied the essential Guard: unobtrusive, in theory, with dark, short hair and sharp green eyes, but with a distinct and unmistakeable air of readiness around him. Unlike Horatio, who carried his single blade strapped behind him, under his cloak, Mac wore both his blades – identical, graceful, curved swords – on his hips, in plain sight. Although he could brood with the best of them, he was more likely than some to smile, or at least flash a sharp-toothed grin. He was aggressive, but under control and well-prepared: a stellar example of Guard.
His Seer was a few years older than Marisol and Natalia, but hardly enough to warrant the motherly behaviour with which she treated them. It was far from over-whelming, or even irritating, however. Marisol had introduced Stella Bonasera warmly.
More than her motherly behaviour, Stella seemed to be an anchor for Mac that Natalia had rarely seen between Guard and Seer, no matter how close. It was rather amusing, watching Stella say “No,” to Mac, and suggest a better plan of action for their next mission. Mac took it to heart.
Often with Mac, or shortly after him, came Danny, one of the “Geniuses” that Natalia had heard of but rarely seen, and certainly never communicated with. Danny was especially young for a partnered Guard – only 120, Horatio had later told them, the cusp of Guard adulthood, as it were – and it showed: having spent considerably less time “messing around” with the Guild, he was easily the most “human” Guard Natalia had ever heard of. He was vocal and communicative, and exceptionally energetic.
Natalia later asked what distinguished him as a Genius. Horatio explained that Danny could outrun Guards twice his age and had a markedly different fighting style: he rarely fought hand-to-hand.
Natalia had quickly noticed, upon first meeting Danny, that he didn’t appear to be carrying any sort of weapon. This was, of course, untrue: hidden on his person were innumerable projectiles, mostly in the form of long, thin needles and daggers. He also had a number of collapsible spears, which were required for fighting Ghosts. True to his “Genius” status, his accuracy was 100%.
Unlike Stella, who was senior to Marisol and Natalia, Lindsay Monroe was some years their junior. It showed on her smiling face, which matched her upbeat demeanour. She was well-matched with Danny, though. They were both unexpectedly astute, and quick on their feet. They moved as one, and when Danny carried Lindsay as they whisked across the landscape, she was more a part of him than an extra, if necessary, weight.
But the pair that Horatio seemed to get along best with was that of Frank and Calleigh Duquesne. Frank had a distinct appearance, different from that of the average Guard, though not enough to have been labelled a “Genius.”
For one thing, Frank had hardly any hair. Natalia couldn’t help but laugh – she blamed Marisol – at the image of a near-bald Guard. Frank, for his part, took it very well. Even Horatio had smiled behind his back – and denied it when Frank turned on him.
Frank was also considerably taller than most Guards Natalia had seen. If he were a Genius, his specialty would’ve certainly been his strength. Frank preferred to conduct business with his fists, and only resorted to the enormous cleaver he carried strapped to his back when absolutely necessary.
Calleigh was also the Seer to whom Natalia could best relate. Like Stella she was caring and concerned, like Lindsay she was friendly and outgoing, but there was always more to her. Her smile was enchanting and uplifting. She never saw anything in a negative light, though she did offer sincere apologies to Natalia about Nick. She didn’t shy away from it, either.
Most impressively, however, Calleigh was the only Seer Natalia had ever so much as heard of, not counting an old legend, who could wield a weapon. It was useless against Ghosts – no human, of any kind, could match their speed and agility – which it made an even more unlikely and unusual hobby; but as Natalia watched Calleigh fire an arrow into the very center of a tree trunk, and then another with such accuracy that she very nearly split the first, she couldn’t help but feel envious, and regretful that he had never asked Nick to, perhaps, teach her to wield a blade.
It was with this interesting and varied “extended family” – as Marisol called them – that Natalia passed her first six months as Horatio’s second Seer, and Marisol’s adopted sister and best friend. She still mourned, and occasionally wept, for Nick, the person who had raised her from early childhood, but she was in the best possible place to feel, for everything it was worth, at home.
Yeah, yeah, it was kind of obvious who would be paired with who, and I don't know why I picked Danny as a main character, but I like'em. They make a good, well-rounded family, I think.
I hope you all enjoyed! I promise a more exciting chapter next time.
Dalet
