Chapter 22: Front 13.5- Legacy – Part 2/2

'......For Sun's sake what am I thinking about at a time like this? I need to focus, it--' 
 "--Was just a dream!" Hoki finished aloud, slamming down a tray of food she had absentmindedly acquired, onto her familiar back corner table of the canteen.

A whelp of surprise from her left immediately caught her attention. Looking over she saw the pale mousy face of Una O' Conchabhair, her hands raised in alarm at Hoki's sudden outburst.
 Hoki's face caught a bright red shade as she scrambled for words; "Ah, Miss.Una my apologies, I didn't intend to startle you." She offered weakly.

Una visibly relaxed and laid a tray of her own down on the table, one stool up from Hoki.
 "You, umm. Couldn't sleep either Miss.Hoki?" Una said with her usual wary half-smile.

"Oh? No I usually get up this time of day Una. I take it you don't?"

 Hoki felt a tinge of guilt as the younger woman reeled at her innocent question.
Una looked as thought she had just been caught-out on a question at school; "Oh, ah, well, Miss.Scarlet said to take the morning off but, so I, ah..that is to say--"

Hoki patted Una gentle on the back while doing her best to put on a reassuring smile, "That's quite alright Una, no need to explain yourself to me."

Again relief seemed to overcome the girl and for a few moment the two ate in silence, until Una piped up once more, "Ah, a-are you, umm well you know, err nervous Miss.Hoki? About today I mean, I know I'm not on the front-line like you but um...."

 Hoki's hand faltered just a tiny amount between moving her teacup from its saucer to her mouth. She decided to lay the cup back down, still full. Wetting her lips she looked down at The Rookie, who in turn was earnestly sitting awaiting an answer to her garbled question.

 'Yes of course, nothing to be ashamed of. You'll do just fine. Even pros get a little nervous before a 'big day' - Such responses coursed through her head as Hoki looked at her eager junior.

Problem was it didn't feel right, to answer her question when she herself was wondering what the right answer was.
 'Do I answer as if I were still her teacher, or more honestly as a colleague? Oh yes of course Hoki, saying "I don't know Una, I'm scared witless myself as it happens", is really going to help the girl feel better....'

As a somewhat uncomfortable number of seconds rolled by Una began to shift uneasily, diverting her attentions back to the table in-front of her.

 Hoki had almost decided to go with a generic 'feel-good slogan' to break the tension, when suddenly a figurative sledgehammer did the job for her;

 "Scared Girl?! What reason has she to be scared Rookie, she's been trained since she was born. Heh she was probably born with a katana in her pampe-- pudgy baby-hands, well that or a million dollar chec-- chew toy. Ahem, point bein' she ain't worried about a little job like this one and neither should you be ya hear? The heck did I spend 2 weeks teachin' ya for if you're going to go and shite your pants so easy eh?"
 Both Hoki and Una were left speechless as Scarlet finished her 'pep talk' before taking the seat on Una's left, laying only a single cup of coffee down in front of herself.

Her taking the third seat across did make for a somewhat awkward image, with the three women sitting in a line, while no one sat in the stools directly across the table from them - Though this didn't seem to much bother Scarlet.

 She continued to preach as she took a small white-plastic tub from her jacket pocket, out of which she poured a single tablet which she proceeded to gulp down between conversational beats - Before quickly stowing the tub back away in an inside jacket-pocket;

 "Anyhow what's there to worry about, princ-- she's got me for a bodyguard! Ain't my first rodeo against a Casnel ya know. Anyway Una didn't I tell you to take the mornin' off. Lack of sleep, now that might be something to actually worry about."

Before either of the younger women could respond they were once more interrupted by further voices - "Ha! Now this makes for 'eck of a sorry sight, who went an' died to make you-two friends?" Croaked the voice of the ever merry Kolme Nilas.
 He quickly took a perch in the seat straight across from Hoki, with Sabban silently following behind and taking the one next to Kolme and across from Una.
 Food wise Kolme had a less gruff selection than the last time Hoki had dined with him - Now mostly consisting of bread items and some form of porridge, with Sabban opting for what looked to be a smaller portion of much the same.

"Sun above here comes histories least popular double act. You want to be careful with that toast old man, might be too much for them ancient teeth of yours." Scarlet shot before the two men were even fully seated.

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For his part Kolme replied without a moment's hesitation, "That's why you've only coffee then Lass? Ain't put your dentures in yet?" He cooed from across the table.
 In response to this exchange Una let out a small giggle, a momentary thing of bare audibility, to which she quickly rose a hand to cover her mouth.
 Hoki watched Scarlet's expression, fully expecting her to chew Una out for laughing and while she did indeed see Scarlet briefly furrow her brow, it quickly turned to what Hoki could of sworn was something like satisfaction on her face - Looking over at Kolme seemed to reveal much the same;
 "Ho-ho, finally embracing your natural born role of being a geriatric comedian, well atleast at being a joke eh Nilas?"

Before he could reply-in-kind Sabban's up till now absent voice cut in; "If he's a joke it's not a very funny one."
 He said dryly.
Hoki blinked at the comment, so did the others for that matter with it being unclear whether Sabban had meant it as a follow up joke to Scarlet's initial comment or some cynical comment against Kolme - All but Una, who once again let out a small embarrassed giggle.
 Seeing this reaction from the youngest member of the group, Sabban simply turned up the edge of his lip in that partial smile he most often frequented, before returned to eating.

While she couldn't be certain Hoki soon came to the conclusion there was a deliberate effort being made with this bizarre conversation. Scarlet was in her own strange way trying to make Una laugh, with Sabban periodically joining in and Kolme being apparently all too happy to be the butt of most jokes.
 Before she knew it Hoki's own worries, about family histories and the upcoming battle - Seemed to melt away as the quintet continued their strange little conversation, with frequent breaks for Scarlet to go get more coffee, or Kolme to pour more of his horrible looking tea for himself or Sabban.

"Was it really ten against one Miss.Scarlet? That's amazing!" Una exclaimed as Scarlet puffed her chest out, happy with a freshly told anecdote.
 Kolme, almost jumping out of his chair, was quick to respond;
"Ya so? Ten to one is nothin' Rookie, at the Battle of Ghealach we had to fight off the 'ole Abhailen navy by our lonesome, all or nothin' ya hear? They had wizards and everything, magic explosions at every door and a riflemen on every corner!"

Una turned her head to look in starry-eyed admiration of Kolme's rival tale - And to Hoki's surprize, so too did she.
 "Pah, you were never even near Ghealach ya old fart, you'd of run away at the first sight of the Abhailien pride and joy!" Scarlet said back with only degree of patriotic vigour for the mention of her homeland's former military-headquarters.

Kolme bristled in response, "I was too, one of the very first in the door I were."

"The first? Supposedly the entire first wave was wiped out near instantly, you a secret survivor Kolme?"
 Sabban chipped in with the same monotone delivery.
However by now the conversation had begun to incorporate his strange insights into its flow and Kolme was quick to respond;
 "Ah sure, well now. Maybe not one of the first but I really was there, I mean it. You believe me right Rookie, Hoki-lass?"

Hoki made an apologetic face at the probing question, "Er well I wouldn't wish to comment Sir."

"Comment away historian-girl!" Scarlet jeered happily, "Old man's just blowing hot air, right Rookie?"
 As thought to urge her on, Scarlet gentle slaped Una across the back.

"Why doesn't anyone believe me?" Kolme exclaimed gloomily, slumping his head down to the table.
 As though on instinct Una reached across to pet his greying head;
 "There, there. We all believe you were very brave", she spoke softly before realising her own actions and drawing back her hand as though she'd just touched a hot stove - All with a flush of red on her face and a slew of bows and apologies, to which Kolme shook off, all while giving Scarlet great cause for laughter.

"Not to interrupt, but you know you're late Kolme." Sabban said flatly breaking through Scarlet's cackling and the less loud laughing of Hoki herself.
 As though a fire had sparked beneath him, Nilas leapt to his feet; "Ha, for the love of-- I Better be goin'. Sab-lad, stow away me things. Can't stand bein' on the dinner-staff's bad side."
 And with that the older man was gone. With as little fanfare as when he had arrived Sabban stood back up, placing his own empty tray under Nilas'es abandoned one, with the battered teapot and cups atop it and began to turn away.

Seeing the collective looks of confusion on the faces that remained, Sabban shrugged and offered little answers before walking silently away; "Meeting with Nate, for about ten minutes ago I'd reckon."

Hoki didn't realise it then, she wasn't wholly sure any of them did but as there improto group breakfast drew to its end - So too did the first time all five had ever sat down to break-bread together.
 Even if Scarlet had only drank coffee.

To her surprise Hoki couldn't help but admit to feeling a bit lighter after the quarter hour spent listening to her comrades joking around - Indeed for the first time maybe ever she really did feel like comrades was the right word to use.

And above all else, as she to now made her way out of the canteen, reinvigorated for the day ahead - 'It was good to see Una smile again, I think that's the first time this week she's 'really' smiled...And maybe the first time I've really smiled this week too.'

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