It was time to seek out my newest apprentice.
With Sinist nearing Regular rank, Eve on a weeks leave and Tyrael presumeably dead I had a little time teach another hopeful something of army life and what it takes to become a Grenadier.
Little did I know that it would be I doing most of the learning!
I flung open the barracks door.
"Mortan?! Guardsman Recruit Mortan?!"No-one stirred. There was a Grenadier taking a well earned nap in the corner and a female recruit who seemed oblivious to what was going on. I walked over to her checking my parchment to make sure I had the right name.
"Are ye Arel Mortan?!"Just then Demarian walked in and chuckled at me getting flustered.
"Ye will have to talk slowly Sir, so she can understand.""Eh? What's wrong with her?" I asked becoming impatient.
"She can nay hear or speak Corporal."
"Gah!"I looked at the recruit and sat opposite her, she returned my stare with a quizzicle look.
"A-r-e y-e A-r-e-l-?" I asked in a slow monotone.
She frowned and scibbled a note which she then passed to me.
I chuckled to myself as I read it - this was going to be nay picnic for either of us.
I managed to exchange notes with her and with her reading my lips a little too I managed to find out that she has been the victim of some sort of explosion in Trinsic when she was but a small child and it had stolen her hearing and that losing her hearing at such an early age she had not developed the ability to speak.
She had however developed some kind of hand signal communication which was totally foreign to me.
We made our way otside and soon set off to help Demarian with his sentry in the shire. Once we had found a suitable spot Arel and I set out to get some hides for the fortification. My back was turned for but a moment and she was gone!
I spent what seemed like an age charging around the forest shouting her name but to no avail! Bugger! I'd lost her. I made my way somewhat sheepishly back to camp and asked if any of the guardsmen had seen her when she came strolling along.
I took her to one side to admonish her for wandering off but alas I think I upset her somewhat as she shuffled around and began to well up a little. With a heavy sigh I along with Demarian tried to explain that I was concerned for her safety. What would happen if she had been set upon or been injured? She pulled out what looked like a child's whistle and gave it a short sharp blast. Gah!
As we settled into our positions I asked Arel to show me a little of the hand signals she had used earlier and slowly but surely I picked up enough to be able to sign my own name - but what use would that be in combat? We needed some combat signals.
Again this was something we would have to work on.
*signed*
Raiden, Grenadier Corporal.
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