"I'm so sorry!" Zayn said, wallowing as she slumps to try a different direction on her hunt to find the infirmary. She expected the girl to be annoyed or upset, but the girl only giggles.
"I appreciate you trying to find the office. If anything, I'm sorry I'm not much help either." the girl said, biting her lip nervously as she speaks. "I've never been to the infirmary before and this place is so big!"
"I know! It's like a whole different world!" Zayn said, walking any which way and hoping for the best. "I even got lost finding the toilet one time and—even the toilets are huge!"
The girl giggles again, causing Zayn to smile as she continues to head forward. The girl suddenly stops, looking sadden, causing Zayn to start at her face.
"Is everything okay?" Zayn asked, her voice laced with worry. "I-I'm sorry! I never had been good with directions, and I always get lost and-."
"No! No? T-that's not why!" The girl said. "I just want to say that I'm sorry."
"Sorry?" Zayn asked. "For what? You've done nothing wrong?"
"But I have…" The girl said. "We watched you guys get bullied by Sierna yesterday and-and even as she said some really mean stuff about you guys, we-no I didn't defend you. I just let her say whatever because I was jealous. Because you guys seem really cool and you guys had the highest expectations from the other knights…because your performances during recruitment process was so good and—and in comparison, me and my friends felt lesser than. So sorry. For that."
Zayn blinks, stopping in her tracks before she laughs, shrugging her shoulders and continuing forward.
"You apologized and-and apologizes are as hard as the offense sometimes!" Zayn said, "So I accept! Thank you for that-uh?"
"My names Amelia," the girl said, "and you are Zayn, right? All the older knights were talking about how strong you are."
"Oh, wow. I'm kind of embarrassed." Zayn said, a soft blush rising to her cheeks "T-thank you? And that's a real pretty name! It's like your hair! So pretty!"
The girl tightens her grip on Zayn's kneck. "No ones said they like my Afro before!" Amelia said. "They say it looks like a cloud and it's too big."
"It reminds me more of uh-do they call it cotton candy! I saw someone eating it once!" Zayn said. "It's so soft and cute and colorful! I love it! A lot!"
The small girl—Amelia—blushes, holding Zayn tighter as she hides her red face.
"Oh." A voice said. Zayn looks forward, face to face with a worried Clarke. "There you are! Chase and Amur begged me to find you-!"
"Ah yes, it seems I'm pretty bad with finding my way!" Zayn said, motioning her head to Amelia. "She sprained her ankle and I wanted to take her to the infirmary!"
"Oh, let me carry her the rest of the way!" Clarke said, bending on her knees and motioning for the girl to get on. "You head back, Knight Zayn."
Zayn bends down to let Amelia get off her back and hop onto Clarke's dejectedly, which confuses Clarke, but she doesn't comment on it.
"Thank you, Vice Captain Clarke!" Zayn said, saluting to Clarke. "then I'll be off-."
"Knight Zayn." Ms. Clarke said, pointing forward, her face emotionless. "Please stay straight ahead—do not wander off the path. You'll find the training grounds there."
Zayn slowly nods her head, turning her body and making extra sure not to get distracted.
…
After Zayn gets back—in one piece—and training quickly ends, Zayn, Chase, Amur, and Ramon head over to the mess hall as per usual. It's Amur that lingers a bit behind, however, to match steps with Ramon, who confusedly watches Amur walk forward with a expressionless face.
"Yes, shortie?" Ramon asked, raising an eyebrow.
"It's only an assumption, so correct me if I'm wrong," Amur said, eyeing Ramon up and down, "but based off those orange eyes I saw not too long ago, you wouldn't be apart of the Ruh Damawia clan, would you?"
Ramon chokes on her breath, quickly looking at Amur with alert, big eyes, but Amur's expression does not change; her big eyes only shrink with her squint, and her usually bright eyes dim with her expressionless face.
"Because if you are—assuming you aren't, of course, we'd be in a bit of a pickle." Amur said. "Because our clans never mix very well, and I don't intend on changing that."
Ramon stops, stuttering as Amur casually walks forward and grabs Zayn's hand, swinging it before she turns her head and gives Ramon a emotionless glare.
Flabbergasted, Ramon lingers behind, but her strained expression is something Chase notices, but he doesn't comment on.
Now, the four knights walk into the mess hall, prepare their trays, and find a empty table to eat at. They indulge in small talks with one another until it's Zayn who first looks up, followed by Amur and Chase as a group of new knights head over to the table Chase, Amur, Zayn, and Ramon sit at.
"H-Hi!" It's Amelia, the small girl from before, who speaks. "Um-I wanted to say thank you Z-Zayn for your help today!"
Zayn smiles, waving a hand.
"Oh that's no biggie! I'm glad to see you're okay, Amelia." Zayn said. "How are you feeling?"
Amelia blushes, hiding behind another girl—Zayn notices the one from yesterday that mentioned the whole weapon thing—the one with brown hair and eyes—and Chase looks almost already over whatever nonsense is about to occur; Amur is the same based off her facial expression, so Zayn stands up, offering a hand to the two girls.
"Hi! I don't think I introduced myself!" Zayn said, chirping as she speaks, "I met Amelia, but not the rest of you!"
"I'm Stace," the girl said, awkwardly looking at Zayn's hand behind she shakes it, "uh…I wanted to also apologize for yesterday…and thank you for helping out Amelia today."
"Not at all-oh!" Zayn stops, shaking hands with different people who move forward, offering her apologizes and thanks but also small, friendly smiles and—maybe it's because the tension in comparison to yesterday isn't there, but Annie shakes a few hands too, Chase follows, and even Ramon introduces herself to a few people and—something about this makes Zayn smile brightly.
"So um—Zayn," Amelia said, fidgeting in her spot, "m-my village is holding a small celebration to honor my knighthood and—um—they mentioned to bring some friends and I—would you like to come with us? Of course, you three are invited too and I-I just want to show my gratitude for today and-!"
"I've never been to a party before!" Zayn happily exclaims, turning to Amur and Chase. "Can't we go?"
Chase and Amur nervously share a look, but it's Chase who's responds first.
"Is it far from base?" Chase asked, "and would Captain allow us to go?"
Amelia smiles. "Y—yes! I actually talked to him before I asked you guys." She said. "Since it's a weekend, he said as long as we aren't out too late and we're ready to train the next day, it's fine!"
Chase opens his mouth for further interrogation, but Amelia happily continues.
"It's actually not too far from the capitol!" Amelia said, "it's about a little more than a half hour and Captain said we can take horses to get there! So…I'd like you all to come!"
Amur looks about ready to decline, opening her mouth to do so, but Zayn happily shakes Amur's shoulders and nods to Chase, creating a turmoil of emotions that makes it hard to refuse her.
"We will come with you guys…" Chase said, avoiding one of the nastiest glares Amur has ever sent him. "Just pack some snacks for the ride for us."
Zayn nods her head excitedly, her being filled to the brim in excitement.