7.  Reflections.

​

  The battle was over all too quickly for most of those involved.  The whole event had been preparing them for what could go wrong with the first plan, and training them on how to deal with that possibility.  When things go right, most work is just that, work.  It is the moments of sheer terror that are exciting, and the expectations of those who have never seen how things really work rarely matches what will be.

  Evadel talked with Imel'wain's mother.  She left feeling like she had fought a banshee.  The woman could yell!

  She made her way back to the theater.  By the time she got there, Imel had awoken.  She suggested they bathe, and the suggestion went over well.  Cynthia and Ysen especially liked the idea,mentioning that sand gets in clothes far too easily.

  The group split by gender to clean up, taking heated baths that helped relieve the tension for Evadel and Ysen'theiril.  They were glad things had worked out so well, and a little surprised.  In retrospect they concluded that the fiend had no expected them to gather allies.  They had always used traps, deception, and simply running away to avoid it when possible.  The few battles they had with it were long past, and with no member of the group skilled in magic that could produce and effective ice attack against it, complacency seemed the most likely explanation.

  Cynthia was just disappointed.  She had been hoping for a brawl, and instead she had flung sand.  Her displeasure was announced with a glare that left the older women feeling a little flustered.  She forgave mid-bath, however.  'You know, my father always said be grateful for the fights you don't have.  I'm not sure I really understand, but... maybe I should just be glad none of us were hurt.  Not, Evadel, that I am going to forget this.  You owe me full payment still.'

  'Oh, in that case you won't mind a deduction for the bath.  It is, after all, not part of our agreement.'

  Cynthia submerged herself for a moment, and sulked for a while afterward.  'Stingy,' she muttered repeatedly.  Evadel hadn't mentioned anything about charging anyone else for the bath.  Cynthia decided she was still mad, although it felt childish.  That, in turn, just made it worse... and she hid the emotion as best she could.

  Gerald merely cleaned up and left.  He had enjoyed the moment well enough, although the lack of much magic in the battle chafed at him.  He knew that Imel'wain had an ability of interest now, and was even more sure that Evadel knew more than she let on.  He spent the rest of the day pestering his mentor, to the point of being asked to 'kindly shut up for a moment so my head doesn't explode.'  To Gerald's chagrin, he learned relatively little from his efforts.

  Dubrick was grateful it had ended smoothly, and set out to compose a song in commemoration of the event.  He left the bath shortly after Gerald, due to the incessant suggestions of the other boys.  Once he finished, he showed his work to Evadel, and went home.  His mother was glad to see him, but suggested he might have more work to do.  She had enjoyed a little down time.

  Peter was the last one into the bath.  He had cleaned up what mess there was, and yet he ached for more to do.  He had wanted this to be a chance to redeem himself.  Cynthia had bested him soundly in the little tournament held for the children of the militia, and where she had won the whole thing he still felt stung by it.  He spent more time thinking about that than the fight that had just happened.  It was the 'Sons of the Militia Tournament'... so how did a girl win the darn thing!

  Imel'wain felt tired, but he still wished that the fight had been a little more dramatic.  It felt cheap.  This wasn't the tale of heroism he had hoped to be part of.  Just ambushing one foe who was too stunned to fight back was hardly a great feat.  He convinced Peter that they should get the group to do more things like this, and together the two headstrong and foolish boys eagerly discussed the great adventures they were going to have.

  That night they all slept well, being more fatigued than most of them realized.  Come the morning, however, they were awake and alert.  Evadel and Ysen'theiril found themselves surrounded by those they had used the day before... and beset by a horde of questions to be answered.