They were finally being summoned.
…
His Skyguard seal was hot against his chest. Kael mumbled some apology to Clarisse as he left the girl to make his way across the hall; he’s eyes not leaving his partner who at a table with a plate of food forgotten in front of her. He could sense the wave of similar movement around him as conversations faltered in response to the summoning.
Seriss stood as he reached her side, “We need to go to the Knight Master’s court.”
“Yes,” he smiled; it was rare to see Seriss’ usual offhand demeanour replaced with excitement. And nervousness. “We do.”
He was a little nervous himself. He had faith in his partner’s abilities and his own, but this wasn’t going to be training anymore, this was the real deal, what they’d worked all these years to get to. Seriss wasn’t driven by the sense of responsibility and honour that some Skyguard were, but he didn’t doubt her loyalty. He’d joined because he’d grown up dreaming of being a Vanguard having listened to the tales of Skyguard heroes since he was a boy. She’d joined because she needed it. She might have authority issues but she’d recognised her need for discipline, training, and security; safety and understanding. Being part of the Skyguard meant different things to each of them but it was important to them both. Now they faced their final trial and there was that tiny nugget of doubt, fear of failure.
“Let’s go show them what we’re made of,” he said putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.
She graced him with a brief soft smile of gratitude before putting on a more confident expression. “You mean what I’m made of. Don’t worry I’ll make you look good, just stand there and look pretty like usual,” she teased, refusing to acknowledge her fear any further.
“You think I’m pretty?” he teased back, pinching her.
She smacked at his hand, and they shared a tense laugh as they headed out of the hall towards the Knight Master’s court.