Part 2: Needed

The practice pits were filled with most of the Myrin student body. Large copper pots had been set up next to the auxiliary ovens. The smell of oatmeal and fresh bread wafted around the room, warming Rae after their run through the rain. All three of them grabbed a bowl and lined up for the oatmeal. Waiting for her portion, Rae spotted Silya sitting at one of the pits, laughing with her friends while eating an apple. She looked so comfortable, so confident with herself. Her smile came so easily, and everyone around her looked up to her.

Rae’s mood darkened a little. Why was she so...so… so great? Why was it that everyone wanted to be around her? Why did she have to be so nice, yet smart and strong too? Looking at herself, Rae only saw an awkward looking girl, with messy brown hair and a glare for whoever passed. She had tried, had tried so many times, but the glare had become her trademark, and it seemed to late to change her style. In front of her, Elk was bartering the server for an extra scoop of oatmeal, with Ánra telling him to stop being so greedy.. “Why in the world do they enjoy being with me?” she thought. Well, Elk was an easy answer: he was her cousin. He understood her and could relate to her more than others, but he was still definitely the more outgoing one.

And Ánra… Well, Ánra was just a likeable person, at least to Rae’s eyes. She had a scar down the side of her face that had never fully healed. It had a puffy quality to it that never went away, and turned red if she became too stressed. It had been the result of a toran monitor attack on her village. Her parents had not made it out, but Cove had been passing through with a group of students and found Ánra huddled at the edge of the village.

When Cove had brought her to Meyrin, both she and Rae had been nine. She had stayed in the infirmary for the first few months, rarely stepping out. Sometimes, when classes had gotten lessons from the healers, Rae had seen her peeking out from behind the curtains around her bed, her scar still fresh and scabbing.. Everytime, Rae would hear a few of her classmates snicker at the sight, or exchange looks of disgust. Everytime, Ánra’s face had slid back behind the curtains. Everytime, Rae had curled her little fists, wanting so much to defend the girl.

Even now, though everyone knew Ánra pretty well, there were still the occasional glances in her direction. Ánra was part of the reason of Rae’s “darker”personality. In prior years, she had stopped every single condescending person with a glare and a growl. Nowadays, those traits weren’t needed as much, but after so long of perfecting it, it had become ingrained in her character.

“Good morning young miss,” said a voice, shaking her out of brooding; it was her turn at the oatmeal. “Good morning Ciana. How goes it today?” Ciana smiled, her eyes crinkling. “Very busy. Cove came to us kitchen staff two days ago, raving like a lunatic about all this food.” She ladled the bran into Rae’s bowl. “It took quite a while to calm him down. By the time he could think straight, he whipped a strip of paper out of his pocket, told us to make everything on it five times over, then ran out the door, shouting about going to the stable boys.” Ciana handed back the bowl and topped it with a few dried cranberries. “You would’ve thought someone’d set fire to his house and he didn’t know where the nearest bucket of water was,” she chuckled. Rae laughed too, thinking of the frantic old master. “And you wouldn’t believe what was on the list! He said to make them all times five, but some of those items were already multiplied by ten! I doubt the Lithrae are sending an army over for a dignitary conference.” Ciana handed Rae a fresh roll from the bread peel she was pulling out of the oven. Rae took the roll, taking pleasure in the warmth it sent through her hand.

“Do you need any help in the kitchen?” she asked, moving to the side to let others pass her in line. “I have most of the morning free, since the first day of Rako doesn’t start into late evening.” She glanced at the other helpers. Even they, who weren’t even working on the dignitary feast, seemed strained. Ciana emptied the rolls onto the table for the other students to take. “Oh, don’t worry. We may look a little weary, but we’re still on schedule. You’re one of the last students to grab some breakfast and we’ll be moving back to the secondary kitchens soon.” The older woman stopped one of the servants, gesturing at the dwindling line of students then at the dough she’d been kneading.

Turning back to Rae, she shooed her hands. “Besides, you need to keep up your strength for Rako. You’ve many people cheering you on this year, and we don’t want to see you fall from exhaustion in the first round.” “Ciana, I’ll be fine. Besides, you’ll be the one serving the Lithrae food, while I’m fighting them. In Elk’s opinion, you’re the one who’ll need the most the most help. And don’t worry,” she said, as Ciana was about to counter. “I’ll stop after the second lunch hour to rest and practice. You need all the hands you can get.” Ciana stared at Rae for a few seconds, then threw up her hands. “So be it child. Go the kitchens and tell Pecha that I sent you.”

As Rae walked away towards Elk and Ánra, a servant tugged on Ciana’s sleeve. “Wasn’t that Rae?” she asked. “What is she doing offering her help? She needs to be resting up for Rako!” Ciana patted the girl’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Rae always pulls through.” The girl looked doubtful. “She’s never failed us yet. Now, go round up the leftover dough, we’ll use it to start the sweetbreads later.” As the girl rushed off, Ciana turned back to Rae, who was motioning to her friends, point towards the kitchens. She watched as the the boy groaned into his oatmeal, and the other girl shaking her finger at him. “Bless you child,” she murmured. “We need more people like you.”

Chapter 1: https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2154336-Part-1-Uneasieness
Chapter 3: https://www.writing.com/main/view_item/item_id/2155715-Part-3-Releasing-Fear