The road had been long and tiresome. There were no few amount of people standing in her way on the journey. They thought her a child, a wayward little girl running away from a tiny village hoping for bigger and better things. They were right, in a way. But they did not stop her from her goals. Sorcha would not let anyone hold her back. She supposed she did look awful young for her age. Standing just barely over five feet, she was rather slender. Her large black eyes and deep olive skin often added to her youth, instead of hindering it. She did not curse her looks, merely accepted them as they were. They meant nothing when it came to her goals—unless of course they helped her in some way.

 

The sun was beginning to set when her weary horse reached the expansive palace. Organized teams of men in white marched in timely order about the facility. They took a quick assessment of her, and dismissed her as no threat. Sorcha would have smirked if she had really cared. Let these men believe what they would. It was no matter to her either way. Stepping lightly off of her gelding, she quietly asked the stableboy where she went to enlist, and after a wide eyed gape and a snicker, the boy pointed her in the right direction. Apparently the person she wanted to speak with was a Head Clerk of sorts.

 

Entering the Hall, she stared for a moment at her surroundings. Large gold sunbursts decorated the area, and the white marble floors shone. The place held a quiet authority Sorcha could appreciate. She had always craved order in her life, and it was something sorely lacking in Ebou Dar. Perhaps here she would find her home.

 

Taking the hallway the boy had directed her to, she found the large wooden door depicting the Head Clerk’s office. Rapping sharply on the door, she waited for the okay to enter.

The vain on Roudal's forehead was quite visible. Any person with some wits about him would have fled the scene, but the particular clerk sitting opposite to the Head Clerk was obviously lacking when it came to the mind department.

 

Roudal's hand was fiddling with his bushy beard as he tried to think about his next move in the game, while his vain was growing ever so slowly. After what seemed like hours, Roudal flung the game board to the floor and grunted in agitation. All the other young clerks in the room remained wide eyed yet quickly recoiled back to work.

 

The stunned clerk that was playing with Roudal got up and proceeded to pick up the board game and the stones. "So I'm writing a win for me...?", said the young clerk. Roudal picked up his walking staff to give the boy a piece of his mind, but the clerk left the office hurriedly, dropping a few stones in the process.

 

Sitting down in front of his desk, Roudal put on his glasses, realizing everyone was eyeing him sideways. "Back to work, NOW!". Some of the clerks dropped their papers and had to pick them up, but the rhythm of work was starting to pick up again. Sighing with frustration, Roudal opened the accountant book and started to go through some numbers.

 

He was soon interrupted by a young girl, so he rested the book on the desk and eyed her. "What can I do for you? Be quick about it, girl."

 

 

Roudal

Head Clerk

Sorcha quietly eyed the bearded man. His face was flushed, and he looked highly agitated. The other people in the room seemed to cower before him; it made Sorcha wonder if they had all experienced this man's temper in a literal way. It made no difference to her, just so long as he kept his temper in check around herself. Through her travels on her father's boat she learned much about the different ways of people throughout the lands, and though this was her first time in Amadicia, she was rather certain he wouldn't take kindly to a duel in the streets.

 

Glancing quickly about her, she noticed the overturned game board, and a few scattered game pieces laying on the floor. Sorcha could fathom a guess now to his anger...and she found herself stifling a smirk. The image of a man having a huge temper tantrum came to mind. Unable to stop herself, she continued on with this quick mental picture; she running into the room, bending this man over the table and paddling his behind for acting like a child.

 

"What can I do for you? Be quick about it, girl."

 

Snapping out of her reverie, and instantly feeling her hackles rise instinctively at the word 'girl', Sorcha drew herself up and said stiffly "I am called Sorcha Barshande. I wish to become a Child of the Light, sir."

Who did this guy think he was, anyway?

IC:

"I am called Sorcha Barshande. I wish to become a Child of the Light, sir." Roudal eyed Sorcha for a long moment and smirked. Such a tiny person she was. He meant no disrespect towards the girl, obviously, since he considered every new recruit to be a welcomed one. Yet, he couldn't help but wonder what such a young small girl would want with the life of a CoL.

 

Giving her one of his rare smiles, he tried to speak as softly as he could. "I need your full name, age and place of origin to get you signed up in the recruit book. Then we'll take it from there."

 

 

 

OOC:

Don't worry about your next post being super short. I should have added this bit to my last post so it's my bad :)

 

 

 

Roudal

Head Clerk

"I need your full name, age and place of origin to get you signed up in the recruit book. Then we'll take it from there."

 

Sorcha wasn't sure if she liked this man. She was prepared to do what she must however, so she answered the best she could.

 

"Sorcha Barshande, of Ebou Dar. I'm 20 years old, sir."

 

After seeing that she would most likely be accepted here, Sorcha felt for the first time fatigue. The journey had been long, but she would finally be home. She would take her vengeance on those women who changed her life, and she would learn some things before she was ready to do her deeds.

Roudal wrote down the details Sorcha gave him rather indifferently. After doing the same kind of work for so many years, a person grew rather robotic. Manners were long gone and so there was nothing left to Roudal but behave the only way he could, or rather, the only way he knew how.

 

Grunting for a moment at the noise the other clerks made, he placed his eyes on Sorcha. "You are all done here. Find Emenuale's study. She will assign you a room. Off with you now", said Roudal and waved his hand in dismissal and watched the girl as she left the office. Muttering under his breath, Roudal got back to his work.

 

 

Roudal

Head Clerk

 

**********************************************************************

 

Emanuela lit up the little oil lamp that was in her office. There was still light outside but her eyes seemed to strain when she tried reading the repair report for the upcoming month. Squinting her eyes, she sighed heavily. She'd have to get one of those glases soon, as age started to sip into her life.

 

"Come in", said Emanuela at a knock on the door. A young woman came in and Emanuela gestured her to sit down. According to the girl, she was a new initiate named Sorcha and by the look on her face, it was quite evident that she already passed through Roudal. Only he had such a lasting effect on people. And not of the positive kind.

 

Giving Sorcha a motherly smile, Emanuela spoke. "I can't tell you how happy I am to have you join our ranks, Sorcha. There are few women who do. Too few. But you and I both know that we can make a difference just as any man. If not more so." Winking at Sorcha, Emanuela opened the room assigning book and flipped through it. "Ah, I have a free space just for you. You'll be sharing your room with Zoe and Selindra. In the closet you will find six sets of uniforms. Take care of them as they will not be replaced."

 

Writing the number of the room on a note, Emanuela handed it to Sorcha and smiled. "I really do wish you the best of luck, dear. May the light always illumine your way." Emanuela sat back, content at the new addition to the fortress, watching as Sorcha retired from the study.

 

 

Emanuela

Quartermaster