akslnya:
though leyla liked to believe her tough act was strong enough to keep others from believing she was too soft, everyone knew she loved her family and her home ━ yet, she could not deny she did miss the comfort of the dorms, and the luxury of tasha’s captain status granted her even better chambers than leyla’s own mere soldier’s had been so many years ago. or maybe her memory is slipping ━ either way, she was too comfortable to move and go out into the cold right now.
“are you kicking me out ? ” she is teasing, like a good little sister would ( the saints knows she has had her practice on patience with havva ). “what can you possibly do without me here that you don’t already do with me here ? ” the younger squeezes her eyes almost daringly, but she shakes her head, rising from her friend’s bed with a small grunt. “mm, are you going to pour some for me ? then maybe.” she approaches the table where the other studied, the mirth flickering out of her eyes for a moment. “not for the road, though.” leyla adds, the corner of her lips twisting downwards as she observes the markers ━ her own regiments often went north, rather than west, and she can barely recall the last time she has gone home and seen her mother. “are you going across the fold soon ? to the camps ? or commercial trips ? ”
WITHOUT THE CONFIRMATION, ANOTHER GLASS WAS ALREADY POURED. there were many things that tasha was willing to do, but oftentimes drinking alone could be depressing - why not take advantage of a friend’s company? “maybe i have a barrage of men coming in and out of my rooms at every hour of the night.” it was a half-hearted lie, even leyla knew that there wasn’t enough people in the second army for such visits to be anonymous. it wasn’t as if outsiders could come through the gates whenever they please, and their luxurious accommodations did not come with utmost freedom. the darkling will continuously ensure that.
tasha handed the heartrender the glass, clinking it pointedly with her own. “ne zalost!” as if they didn’t get fussed over by healers with every bruise and scrape, she downed her drink in one. “i just came from the north with sacha, but i think we’ll be escorting some shipments to the west and back in the next few weeks.” her fingers tap at a few of the western encampments, small miniatures of ships circling ports and a much smaller few off in clusters upon the unsea. there hasn’t been news about their survival as of yet, but she remained with staunch hope that precious grisha blood would not surrender to the sea. “if princess nashka could command the first army better, we should focus our attention to the fold.” speaking ill of the royal family was treasonous, but tasha knew she was in perfectly safe company. “what’s your next assignment? have you been compelled to come up north yet?”
