Besties

Melsana carefully sighted down the length of the long metal barrel, the strange rifle in her hands held firm and steady. Within it, powerful arcane forces built up, the magic rising to a point where it would emit forth from the front of the rifle in a burst of energy akin to a physical projectile. With a whumph of sound the magic sprang forth, traveling across the courtyard to slam into the practice dummy with a satisfying blast.

The Huntress grinned, studying the weapon in her hand and inspecting it for signs of damage from the magic. The goblin that had sold it to her had not intended for it to be used this way, but she'd spent several days modifying it with enchantments to her exact specifications. While she could use a bow, it had been so long since the Huntress had actually hunted with one that she preferred to try new methods. Besides, it would be awkward if she were to practice with one and fail to compare to the other rangers, and new times demanded new methods.

"That works pretty well," Braeth'el said as he observed Melsana's practice. Beside him one of the ranger captains nodded, the red-haired Sin'dorei having been shouting commands at her all morning as he assessed her prowess. Other rangers worked at their own target dummies around the courtyard, each using various ranged weapons for this day's routine. The estate grounds were filled with the sounds of taut bowstrings and the snap of arrows in the air, punctuated now and then by Melsana's unique weapon.

As she prepared to take another shot, silence descended on the courtyard. She turned, lowering her weapon and brushing an errant strand of pure gold hair from her face as she observed the source of the disquiet that had descended.

The curtains to the open doors behind them had parted and a blonde haired elf had stumbled out, the woman looking rather belligerent as she stalked across the courtyard, the look on her face one of death. Clutched in one fist she had a mostly empty bottle of wine, which she brought to her lips and finished off directly from the bottle before hurling the object across the courtyard, watching it shatter against one of the stone walls surrounding the area.

Her summer dress ruffling in the light breeze, she marched the rest of the way to that same wall, hoisting herself up before sitting on it and looking out at the forest beyond sullenly, clearly sulking. As Melsana studied her, quiet whispers arose around her from the other rangers until the bark of several trainers got them focused once more on their work.

Melsana frowned, casting a glance at Braeth'el and completely ignoring her own trainer as she spoke loud enough to be heard, "Who's that?"

"That would be the Lady of this house, Kyliska Sunblade," Braeth'el said, looking over at Kyli with concern in his eyes.

"And what's her problem?" Melsana asked, her tone causing Braeth'el to turn his head back towards the Huntress.

"She...had a falling out with a good friend. Most days she is fine, but sometimes she gets sullen like this and spends the day in her cups. I've tried to help her through it but...well, the pain is still fresh and there is little for her to do to fix things," Braeth'el said quietly.

Melsana considered this, her striking green eyes traveling to where Kyliska perched on the wall. When she responded, her voice was loud enough to carry across the clearing, "Well, if she wants to sit and sulk like a coward maybe she should do it somewhere that real soldiers can't see her doing it. We have work to do and if she's going to be a prissy baby over a fight with a friend then she should do it inside, pampered by the servants."

Braeth'el's mouth gaped open and a deadly silence fell across the courtyard as everyone heard the words. On the wall, Kyliska's head turned slowly, her eyes narrowed in rage. It was as if Melsana had known exactly what to say to draw Kyliska's attention back to the real world. In the silence, everyone heard Kyliska as she hopped down from the wall, her fists clenched as she stormed across the courtyard, her face inches from Melsana's.

"What did you just say?"

Melsana stared her down, her look unimpressed, "You heard me."

Kyliska got even closer, her chest nearly touching Melsana's, her alcohol laced breath wafting over the other elf, "I will break you in half if you dare say another word."

A smirk passed across Melsana's face, as if she had seen this all a thousand times before and knew where it was heading, relished it even, "You could try..."

Kyliska's fist was swinging before Melsana finished speaking, the blow connecting with Melsana's left eye and rocking her head back. The Huntress burst into motion, her own fist coming up and giving Kyliska a hit to her upper body, rocking her sideways.

Kyliska growled in rage, throwing another punch which Melsana dodged, the Huntress stamping down on Kyliska's sandal and making her grunt as she ground her heel into the other's bare skin. She followed it up with a punch to the face that Kyliska managed to jerk back from enough that it only split her lip. Retaliating quickly, Kyliska's knee came up, slamming into Melsana's nethers and causing her to double over in pain, a few more punches to her chest rocking the Huntress.

Melsana grinned, wiping blood from her eye, her voice a purr, "Now that is how a warrior acts when they are down. But let's see what else you've got..."

Kyliska merely growled before hurling herself at Melsana, punching the other elf repeatedly in the face as they traded blows, both of them becoming more and more bloody.

Around the courtyard, no one dared move or interfere; no one had spoken to Kyliska like that while she'd been in one of her moods, and no one but Braeth'el had practiced with her. Everyone had been afraid to say anything, to do anything to upset the fragile balance of their Lady's emotions. Except this new hire, who they watched with awe as she and the Lady of the house beat each other to bloody pulps.

A lucky blow to Melsana's gut had her doubled over again and a second later, Kyliska pounced, slamming into Melsana and bowling her over. The two fell to the ground with an 'oof' of air escaping them, rolling and punching each other. In his shock, Braeth'el had not thought to step back, and the two fist-fighting elves quickly tumbled in his direction before he had time to think, their weight slamming into his legs and sending him cartwheeling sideways. He tumbled over them, tripping and then falling on his back, the sound of him hitting the pavement and the gush of surprised air escaping them punctuating even the sound of the fight. The two elves paused for a moment, their eyes wide as they realized what they were doing.

"I knocked my boss over," Melsana drawled from beneath Kyliska, the other elf's hands around her throat. "That's totally going to come out of my paycheck."

For a moment Kyliska said nothing, just staring down at the elf beneath her. The audacity of the woman like a splash of water to her face. Slowly, ever so slowly, a smirk spread across her face and in a low voice she replied, "Well, he's the Master at Arms, not legs apparently..."

A smile met a smile, two pairs of green eyes locked on each other for another moment before both burst out laughing, everyone else staring in stunned silence. From the ground, Braeth'el sat up, rolling his eyes, "I'm glad you find this amusing..."

Kyliska rose, standing over Melsana and offering her a hand up, her eyes straying to Braeth'el, "What is this bitch's name?"

Melsana took the offered hand, rising beside Kyliska, her voice full of amusement, "Melsana Featherwind, at your service. Good thing too, because you hit like a human girl."

Kyliska grinned, her face a mask of blood, Melsana's not much better, "Fortunately your face gives me a lot of places to practice. The question now is, how do you stave off the pain of battle?"

"Not by drinking that fancy crap you just had. Ale maybe though," Melsana purred back. "And then we could talk about who you really want to hit, and get started on doing it in a productive way, hmmm?"

Kyliska laughed again, linking arms with the Huntress, her eyes gleaming for the first time in many months as she lead her towards the open door, her voice trailing back over the dumbstruck elves they left behind, "You know, I'm already starting to like you. You know me so well. Ale it is!"

And with that they were gone, Braeth'el picking himself up and shooting Melsana's trainer a look that basically told him to never speak a word of this to anyone, ever, if he wanted to live, before he followed them inside with a long suffering sigh.