me. “There is no shame in standing shoulder-to-shoulder with your peers.”
“My peers?” I stare at him for a moment, filled with revulsion. “What are you talking about?” I hiss. “I'm more than just a soldier, I'm the daughter of one of the greatest spiders who ever lived! In case it slipped your mind, my father is waiting for us to recover Karakh so we can bring him back from the other side of the void, and I'm pretty damn certain we wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for my work! I'm so much more than just another grunt in the army!”
“You have done very well, Emilia,” he says, still sounding calm and in control, “but others can take charge for now. You have lessons to learn, you are not -”
“I'm special!” I hiss.
“You make mistakes!” he replies, stepping toward me with a flash of anger in his eyes. “I see it, the others see it, your father sees it... You have potential, but you're nowhere near the level of achievement that was expected of you!”
“I just killed my first vampire!”
“Slowly! I heard you, Emilia. You stood over him and you gloated.”
“I had to learn his name!”
“No, you had to kill him, and that was all. His name was completely immaterial. You should have walked over to him, driven the dagger into his back, poured venom into his heart, and then walked away. Every second that you wasted grandstanding and taunting him was another second that proved your gross immaturity.”
“No, I...” Pausing for a moment, I realize that he's serious, and that maybe he has a point. “I wanted him to know his death was in vain,” I stammer. “I didn't want him to die thinking he'd contributed to some greater cause.”
“Your father sees such behavior as a sign of weakness,” he replies. “You don't dare go against your father's word, do you?”
“My father...” Taking a deep breath, I realize that I need to be careful. “My father barely knows me,” I continue finally. “He hears reports from you, and from the others, and he dips into my mind sometimes but... He doesn't see me on a day to day basis, he doesn't know what I'm really like.”
“He sees more than you realize,” Skellig replies, “and he is gravely concerned. You should be thankful that you have no living siblings, or by now you would have been replaced in your father's esteem. Fortunately for your sake, he persists in hoping that you will measure up to his expectations. For now, at least. When his doubts grow, I tell him to have faith in you. I hope that is not a mistake on my part.”
I want to argue with him, but I know he has the authority to punish me further.
“You will spend some time in the ranks,” he continues, as if the matter is settled, “and perhaps there you will learn how to control yourself a little better. This ignominy will not last forever. A day or two, perhaps, just long enough for you to learn your place. There will be another chance for you to prove yourself, Emilia -”
“And I will!” I hiss.
“I hope so, because if you fail again, there will be no further chances. Our forces are gathering for a major assault against the vampires, one those pitiful creatures will never see coming. If all goes well, we can strike a critical blow from which they can't possibly recover. You have a part to play, but...” He pauses, before another faint flicker of anger crosses his face. “Set off for the ridge at once, and try to learn from your mistakes. Your father wants you to play an important role in the coming battle, but he will dispense with your services if necessary. Don't take my word for it, though. He's waiting to speak to you.”
I turn and look along the road I must take, and I can't help but notice that darker clouds are gathering ahead, darker than the night itself, almost as if they're clouds that are breaking through from some other world.
“Where is he?” I ask, trying not to let my voice tremble.
“He will come to you the way he always comes to
“My peers?” I stare at him for a moment, filled with revulsion. “What are you talking about?” I hiss. “I'm more than just a soldier, I'm the daughter of one of the greatest spiders who ever lived! In case it slipped your mind, my father is waiting for us to recover Karakh so we can bring him back from the other side of the void, and I'm pretty damn certain we wouldn't have made it this far if it wasn't for my work! I'm so much more than just another grunt in the army!”
“You have done very well, Emilia,” he says, still sounding calm and in control, “but others can take charge for now. You have lessons to learn, you are not -”
“I'm special!” I hiss.
“You make mistakes!” he replies, stepping toward me with a flash of anger in his eyes. “I see it, the others see it, your father sees it... You have potential, but you're nowhere near the level of achievement that was expected of you!”
“I just killed my first vampire!”
“Slowly! I heard you, Emilia. You stood over him and you gloated.”
“I had to learn his name!”
“No, you had to kill him, and that was all. His name was completely immaterial. You should have walked over to him, driven the dagger into his back, poured venom into his heart, and then walked away. Every second that you wasted grandstanding and taunting him was another second that proved your gross immaturity.”
“No, I...” Pausing for a moment, I realize that he's serious, and that maybe he has a point. “I wanted him to know his death was in vain,” I stammer. “I didn't want him to die thinking he'd contributed to some greater cause.”
“Your father sees such behavior as a sign of weakness,” he replies. “You don't dare go against your father's word, do you?”
“My father...” Taking a deep breath, I realize that I need to be careful. “My father barely knows me,” I continue finally. “He hears reports from you, and from the others, and he dips into my mind sometimes but... He doesn't see me on a day to day basis, he doesn't know what I'm really like.”
“He sees more than you realize,” Skellig replies, “and he is gravely concerned. You should be thankful that you have no living siblings, or by now you would have been replaced in your father's esteem. Fortunately for your sake, he persists in hoping that you will measure up to his expectations. For now, at least. When his doubts grow, I tell him to have faith in you. I hope that is not a mistake on my part.”
I want to argue with him, but I know he has the authority to punish me further.
“You will spend some time in the ranks,” he continues, as if the matter is settled, “and perhaps there you will learn how to control yourself a little better. This ignominy will not last forever. A day or two, perhaps, just long enough for you to learn your place. There will be another chance for you to prove yourself, Emilia -”
“And I will!” I hiss.
“I hope so, because if you fail again, there will be no further chances. Our forces are gathering for a major assault against the vampires, one those pitiful creatures will never see coming. If all goes well, we can strike a critical blow from which they can't possibly recover. You have a part to play, but...” He pauses, before another faint flicker of anger crosses his face. “Set off for the ridge at once, and try to learn from your mistakes. Your father wants you to play an important role in the coming battle, but he will dispense with your services if necessary. Don't take my word for it, though. He's waiting to speak to you.”
I turn and look along the road I must take, and I can't help but notice that darker clouds are gathering ahead, darker than the night itself, almost as if they're clouds that are breaking through from some other world.
“Where is he?” I ask, trying not to let my voice tremble.
“He will come to you the way he always comes to
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