Blaise longed to ask them more about her since he couldn't see her for himself but was afraid they would see him as a threat. The one ti he tried asking Lian it hadn't ended well.
"Do you rember ?" he asked a few days into training as he sparred with the boy.
Lian squinted at him a mont before rembering. "Oh. You were the one who escorted Abby here last year. This was your plan, wasn't it? I wondered why we were getting help from Shibatsu all of a sudden since we didn't have an alliance with them or anything."
It wasn't a completely negative response. Encouraged, Blaise continued. "Yes. Could you tell how she has adjusted here?"
Admiration filled his eyes as he answered. "Adjusted? She practically runs the place. I can't tell you how many things she's in charge of now. Everybody fights over who gets to use her because of how talented she is. She's so smart and beautiful and she really believes in you even when you think you can't do sothing. She already turned down a few proposals so no one has been brave enough to try in monthssay, why are you asking about her?"
"No reason in particular," Blaise lied.
Lian's eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on the ribbon still tied to his wrist. "I don't believe you. That's her ribbon, isn't it? She was wearing one just like it when we first t. Are you the reason she won't accept anybody around here?"
He didn't answer and took advantage of the boy's distraction to flip his sword out of his hand. That made him even more insistent on getting an answer but Blaise wouldn't tell him. He stomped off in a huff and hadn't spoken more than two words at a ti in front of the Warrior since.
That was when he had been forced to eavesdrop on those Kanta boys to get any further information. While they were the most useful way to hear about Abby, they weren't the only ones who talked about her.
Tahvo, the man who ran the printing office, was in the sa training shift as a few of his employees later in the day and sotis they would talk about work on their water breaks. Abby's na ca up a few tis in relation to picture books they were developing.
The baker's husband brought her up too after trying a new creation she and Sia whipped up together earlier in the day. The woman who occupied such a large part of his thoughts seed to be involved in almost every aspect of her village's culture in so way or another.
Not only had Abby adjusted, she seed to care about improving and advancing her new ho the sa way her sister had. Blaise was more proud of her than he had the right to be considering the casual nature of their relationship.
After hearing so many tiny things about her life hear he wanted to hear it from her own lips desperately. The two of them had so many things to tell each other. But he was still stuck here.
Alamar ca to check up on everyone's progress every few days and he finally managed to catch him before starting another set of core exercises for the trainees. He couldn't quite keep his voice casual when he asked, "When will we be able to leave the camp?"
He grinned mischievously, reading Blaise's desperation with ease. "I take it you have sothing very particular you'd like to do that has you so anxious?"
He scowled in response. This man was far too comfortable teasing people for soone who was supposed to be in charge of a nation, even one as small at this. "If you already know what I want to do there is no need to ask."
Alamar shrugged. "I suppose that's fair. Just so you know, a certain soone has been asking the sa question every other day since the restriction started. I'm wondering if I should send so of the won over with lunch instead of letting the n bring it themselves tomorrow."
Blaise's heart skipped a beat. Had she really? Did Abby want to see him half as much as he wanted to see her?
"If you could," he said, trying to keep his cool. "I am sure the n here would appreciate the show of support."
Alamar clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure I can make it happen. A fair number of the village girls are curious about the newcors after all and keep talking about wanting to et them. The younger generation who was raised elsewhere isn't as cautious toward strangers. Go ahead and tell everyone as an incentive to train harder."
He walked away to go find Carrick and get a progress report on how his n were doing leaving Blaise with far too much hope. Tomorrow. He would get to see her tomorrow. He would need to wash that ribbon.
Training for the rest of the day went by in a blur, even though so of the exercises were grueling. He had been through it all before but it had been a while so he was out of practice for so of the more difficult ones.
"What on earth are you so happy about?" a Warrior nad Kel who shared his rank asked in confusion as they sat next to each other for dinner.
He was clearly exhausted and rolled his shoulder with a wince. He was out of practice for these sorts of training drills as well. The Warriors, as instructors, didn't have to do as many as the poor Kanta clansn did but still had to demonstrate how they were done.
Blaise coughed to cover his embarrassnt. "The clan leader ntioned that won from the village will be bringing us lunch tomorrow."
That perked Kel right up. "Really? I wonder how they compare to the won back ho. I have only seen so of the older ones when we were on our way through town. I would not mind finding a nice Kanta girl and staying here. Their village is far nicer than the one I left behind."
He had expected there would be Warriors like Kel on this mission. The ones who had no real ho to return to. It would be mutually beneficial for both parties if a handful of Warriors decided to stay. They could help hold the military together after the main forces left.
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