Chapter 1: If Stone Walls Could Hear
“It’s slim pickings tonight Lily.” Amy said sadly.
Both girls looked at the pathetic leftover plates of slop and bread.
“Yeah, I heard they’re marching out in a few days, so I figured they’d start licking their plates clean tonight. They always pack it away before a fight. I’m afraid we’re going to have to make do with that bread loaf that fell in the mud.” Lily wiped her hands on her stained waist apron before untying it.
“Yeah, the inside of it should still be ok.” Amy said, trying to make it sound positive. She mimicked the actions of her friend now that the huge stone mess hall was empty and cleaned. As if to punctuate the moment, Amy’s stomach growled in protest. It would be another night going to bed still hungry as all they were allowed were table scraps. It was just one of the small burdens they had to bear for being Wylish.
An old word for unwanted.
The girls shared the meager meal and a thimble of stale ale each, swapping gossip overheard during the evening feeding of the full Ballum’s Fist infantry. Over 1,500 loud mouths spewed all sorts of interesting rumour, history, and plans nightly. Though they worked together in the mess hall almost all day every day, the girls heard separate conversations in their different positions of ale maid and cleanup. Besides, as ostracized Wylish, they really only had each other their age to speak with anyways, so there was no where else to be besides their own tents. It took until the sky started to darken to update each other on the day’s learnings.
“Sooo, are you going to let that burly man-beast in your tent one of these nights? The handsome one that is always holding up the line in order to speak with you?” Amy teased. “I saw him do it again today.”
Lily dropped her mouth in mock offense and threw a balled up napkin at her, which bounced off Amy’s tattered dress shoulder. “HUSH! What if someone hears you?” They both looked around them, but unless an awakened core could hear whispers through rock walls, they were safe. Lily leaned forward and lowered her voice anyways. “He’s on my short list, yes. Along with that quiet Mystic, Ryder. One is shy and passes me letters, the other is an unashamed flirt, but I’m sure both will only hold interest while my station is at the ale table. That’s your spot in a fortnight. Then Ryder’ll be promising to rock your cot to the stars beyond.”
Amy gasped. “He SAID that?” Lily nodded through a blush. Amy fanned her face jokingly, then went back to idly pushing a petrified pea around on her plate. “Well I’d jump him. But then again, I’d probably jump anyone. None of the men ever chat me up like they do you.”
Lily shook her head. “Well that’s because you hide! Clean up tables while they’re still sat at them so they have a sporting chance to say hi. PRACTICE flirting, girl! Otherwise you’ll be very overwhelmed with stage fright when you get put in my station next!”
Amy brushed brown hair over her ear. She lowered her voice even more. “What’s it like Lily? You know… that? I’m woefully unexperienced in that area.” She felt her ears go hot from the embarrassing question.
“You mean what is it like to ride a warrior? I’m not as experienced as you think I am, I’ve only been with a few men. And it’s… um.. not like your little book at all.”
Amy chewed a thumb fingernail, though her nervous habit meant there wasn’t much left to chew. Amy’s book was her prized possession, and it was just a poorly strung together parchment and ink collection of raunchy letters she found among her father’s possessions eons ago. Amy read pages almost nightly and could only imagine sex the way the pages portrayed - one of complete passion and needy romance. “No? Like, what, no sweet talk? What about Ryder’s letters?” she asked.
Lily laughed, shifting in her seat. “No, the stuff they say on paper or across a table are just to get in our nightgowns. Then it’s a very quick, um.. transaction.”
Amy screwed her nose up. That was an awful way to think about it. “But, even in a give and take you get something out of it, right?”
Lily shrugged. “Yeah, it does feel good. It’s just.. One of these days I’ll find one with stamina in the sack that matches their resolve in battle. It’s just always too quick.” She ‘Hmm’d’ and stared off to a far corner as if imagining. “Maybe that pretty-boy beast today would be different. I would rather like to give those big lips a try!”
Amy threw the fabric napkin scrap back at Lily and pegged her square on her distracted nose. She squealed and the pair laughed before rising to tidy their dishes.
