Some arrows point to peace(Kynlis)

[Clair Feldsky]

(Occurs sometime after the mutiny encounter at the end of the Salvation Point thread)

Clair approached the place that she knew Kynlis would have a tent set up. She had finished up her duties for that day, and was about to go to her own tent, when she remembered Kynlis. The Pegasus trainee decided to go and check on the young hunter. It had been a while since her own first combat encounter, though the first time she had actually killed anyone herself had been only a very few days before. Mercifully, Clair had been trained to accept that that was her job. She had come to terms with killing the bloodthirsty Sacaens that attacked the fort. Attacking the home of missionaries. They were disgusting.

Clair looked, and saw Kynlis outside the tent. "Hey, how you doing? I wasn't expecting something like those mutineers earlier."

Clair was a little worried over Kynlis. Earlier when she had told the story of why she came she had broken down over the loss of her family. Only a few months before arriving here, raiders and bandits had struck, leaving the girl alone in the world. Now she had taken a step toward protecting other's from her fate. She had killed a man who had turned bandit.

[Kynlis]

Kynlis had been setting up her tent slowly, lost in thought, to the point of not even hearing Clair approach. She started when Clair started talking from behind her.

After hearing the pegasus trainee ask if she was okay, she gave a wan smile and said, "I-I think I'm alright. I mean, I didn't get hurt at all, not like you..." Her voice, which had been quiet to begin with, faded away. Kynlis, who had been looking away, suddenly turned and looked at Clair. "I-Is it always like this?" she asked, a note of desperation in her voice as she placed a hand over her heart.

[Clair Feldsky]

Clair flinched a little at the question. She was pretty sure she understood what Kynlis was asking. Did it always hurt to end another life?

She had been brought up by a caring yet hardened mercenary family who had worked for everything they had received. She had been raised, fully expecting to kill others for money. Mercenary work wasn't pretty, but it was all most people in Illia could manage. Even with that training, Clair could never have been fully prepared for war's bloody pathway; what it meant to kill.

Clair looked up from the ground, trying to push the thoughts of the people she had killed back to the darkness in her mind. Back to a place where they couldn't hurt her. She finally met Kynlis' eyes "I don't know.... The first time I killed a man was at the Battle of Salvation Point, only a few days before the army arrived. I guess, in all that's happened, I haven't been able to really think about it...." Clair's voice grew softer. "I try to remember good times instead."

[Kynlis]

"Good times?" Kynlis chuckled bitterly, grief making her voice raw as she shook her head. "Everytime I try to remember them, it just makes it hurt worse." Indeed, even when trying to not think about, merely hinting at her past caused her composure to slip a little more. It was still too soon, the wound too raw.

The distraught girl wrapped her arms around her knees as she sat next to her tent. Looking up at Clair with a lost and grief stricken face, she asked shakily, "What should I do?"

[Clair Feldsky]

Kynlis was injured. Hurt in a way that Clair hoped never to know herself. The young hunter was struggling to come to terms with her difficulties. How did one learn to deal with the fact that those you fought had families waiting for them? She was drowning in a sea of grief. Clair had never been one to give much comfort, but she managed to push her own troubles away to help Kyn.

Clair knelt down next to Kynlis and put her hand on the girl's shoulder. It felt odd and awkward to be giving a reassuring touch (She was still very young herself), yet it also brought to mind images of her parents and fellow trainees giving encouragement. Now, Clair was a servant of the Prophet. She was glad to assist another soldier of Elimine, especially a friend, however she could.

Speaking softly, Clair wrapped her arm around Kynlis in a comforting embrace, "Well, I think you should put your full and complete trust in St. Elimine. She wants to help us with our troubles... The best thing we can do is to put our faith in her instruments: people like The Prophet, and Commander Richter. By helping those at the top, we can make the future a better place."

The realization of what she had just phrased hit her. She had comprehended it only as spoke it. Something her mind had been trying to grasp for a while? Or divine inspiration to help her understand how to move forward?

[Kynlis]

The young girl sagged into Clair's comforting embrace. As she listened to the pegasus rider speak, she felt something sink into her. Kynlis didn't quite know what it was.

Direction? Focus? Purpose? Devotion?

Whatever it was, it eased her heart somewhat, enough so that the young hunter could finally grieve, let all her pent up emotion out. She turned in the embrace and threw her arms around Clair, and began sobbing, an amalgam of relief and sadness flowing through her. She would give her all to help these people, the ones who had welcomed her with no hesitation - her new family - make the world better. As she cried her heart out, Kynlis mumbled out, "P-please don't leave me, I don't wanna be alone anymore..."

[Clair Feldsky]

Clair was surprised by the intensity of the emotion coming from Kynlis. It made her a little uncomfortable being relied on for comfort when she hardly knew what she was doing, but she stayed and held the girl. She just stayed there, quietly waiting out the storm.

After a while, the crying slowed down and Clair held Kynlis out at arms length. "Feel any better?" Clair was still concerned. If Kynlis was feeling this oppressed by grief, then would she survive the army?

[Kynlis]

After awhile, Kynlis began to calm down. Hearing Clair ask her if she was feeling better, she wiped her remaining tears away and nodded. Opening her mouth to speak, Kynlis hesitated for a second before saying, "Sorry." She blushed lightly. "I didn't mean to fall apart like that. It's just...I haven't really grieved since my parents and friends died," she managed to say with only a slight wince.

She shook her head and managed to smile, saying, "Thanks. I think I'll be okay now."

[Clair Feldsky]

The whole situation Kynlis was in made Clair sad. It was common enough to find people in Illia who had lost whole families. Clair was glad she had been blessed to have not suffered any losses like that. "I'm just glad I could help, even if only to be a shoulder to cry on."

The pegasus squire stood up and brushed various bits of grass and dust off herself. She tried to remember what she had been doing before stopping by, and recalled she was going to her own tent. It was at least large enough for two people, but the camp supervisors had not done the best job at organizing. In the end, she had ended up with a larger tent than she needed, while others went completely without shelter. Looking down at Kynlis' partially set up tent, an idea struck her.

"Kynlis? why don't you pack up your things and move to my tent? It's large enough, and that would leave this one for others in the army. It's near the command tent in the center of camp."

[Kynlis]

Hearing Clair's offer really cheered up Kynlis. Plus, now she wouldn't have to worry about any "accidents" that were bound to happen when a girl tents in the middle of the army by herself.

"Really? Alright." The hunter, having not really unpacked much, quickly packed up any loose items before hurriedly breaking down her half set up tent.

"Alrighty then. I'll just drop this off with the supply officer and then I'll go make myself at home." She started off with a spring in her step, dodging people and tents alike.

OoC: I think this is the end, not much else to say.