Benjamin Harrison Campfire - Late Wednesday Evening

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Five days since Rose had seen Lissa, and that was longer than she remembered since they'd met sitting next to each other in kindergarten.  When she was by herself, she couldn't stop mentally poking at that oddly blank spot in her head where Lissa was supposed to be.  Every once and a while, Rose could almost feel a whisper of emotion from the spot, but it was never constant.  It was never the way their bond had always been.

She'd tried to tire herself out today, but she couldn't fall asleep so Rose got up and headed out to the unlit campfire.  She scavenged some bread and peanut butter and sat at the campfire to occupy herself by ripping up the slices and throwing pieces into the firepit.

Comments

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth laughed again. "Yes. Heralds don't need to be perfect, trust me. But they must be loyal to Queen and country and put the needs of others before their own. Well, most of the time. They're only human. But Heralds would never sell their honor for power or gold."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"The country comes first?" Rose asked, the echoes of her own motto in the statement. "Then if the Queen has to be a Herald - she's probably pretty good most of the time. That's gotta be cool."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth nodded. "It's part of the reason our country's so stable."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"Sounds like a useful way," Rose agreed. "So why are you here?"

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"My own safety." Elspeth made a face. "Our country's at war now. What about you?"

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose wondered why Elspeth's safety would be important, but she dismissed the question almost as soon as she thought of it. "I got expelled," she said with a shrug. "So they sent me here. It's much less boot camp-y than I thought."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"What would be 'boot camp-y'?" Elspeth asked.

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"More military," Rose said, wrinkling her nose. "5am wake ups and three miles to run before breakfast. No cabins or classes as silly as they are. Drill instructors yelling at you every few minutes if you sit down or stand at ease. Like a movie." She paused. "Which you might not get either."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth shook her head apologetically. "We don't have a movie in Valdemar, either."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"We'll have to introduce you," Rose decided. "There's a movie theatre in town. Or once we're back in the dorms, I'm sure there'll be movies in the common rooms. It's just a story told with pictures and actors."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

Elspeth tried to sort that out. "A play with paintings?" Most theatricals had painted backdrops, but she didn't think that was what Rose meant.

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

She shook her head. "A play but, um," Rose didn't have much of an idea how to explain this either. "They take pictures of the play. Video so the pictures move and talk. And then they project it onto a really, really big screen. So it's like watching a play that was done in the past and the actors aren't there anymore. Just the moving pictures?"

Rose thought about what she'd said and was pretty sure she'd still be confused if she were Elspeth.

"Um, it might be easier just to see one."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"Perhaps," Elspeth smiled. "It sounds fascinating, though."

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"It is!" Rose agreed instantly. "Liss and I used to go to the movies all the time. She liked the old ones the best. So if you don't have movies or electricity, is everything here different? Like computers and bicycles and stuff?"

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"Computers? Bicycles?" Elspeth echoed. "We have swords back home," she offered. "And beds... food... blankets... horses?"

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

Rose shrugged. "Animals don't like me. Swords though -" she lit up. "Swords are good. We use swords. Stakes usually, but swords work too."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"How do you fight with a stake?" Elspeth asked.

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"Put it through their heart," Rose said. "Silver stakes, magiced with all the elements. It's one of the best way to kill Strigoi."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"You're a mage?" Elspeth asked, suddenly very interested.

[SP yes!]

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"No!" Rose said quickly. "The Moroi - the ones with the Queen and the royals - all have magic. I'm just half."

[formerbrat.livejournal.com]

"Oh," Elspeth said. "The Moroi are mages and the Strigoi are... demons?" she guessed.

[guardianborn.livejournal.com]

"Basically," Rose agreed. "The Moroi's magic is life. It doesn't have such a good effect on the Strigoi."