25 May 2012
"So that's it?" I just couldn't suppress my sarcastic side any longer. It took all of my self control to not interrupt during his pathetically long-winded (and easily unbelievable) story, so all I thought to do was discredit it. "So he just happens to dive into a bush just before I appear? How coincidental." "It's true, you know." He said through gritted teeth. The boy was beginning to look a little peeved. I should have recognised the warning signs, but at that moment I was too disbelieving to notice. "Oh, and your mother took a job collecting ingredients for potions which just happened to allow you to save that mage's life? Give us the credit of a little intelligence! Us elves ARE sentient beings you know." I was riled, up on my feet, directly slamming his story and credibility. Who was he to come into our camp, pleading for our help when all he blatantly wanted to do was to escape whatever law enforcers were after him. We'd had too many of these. I'd heard all the stories. All I wanted to do was to get him out of here. You know that little bit of sympathy that I felt at the end of yesterday? Well, it was now sitting under a huge mound of anger. Not the best producer of a healthy difference-sorting-out environment. However, this was not going to be one-sided. "Ok. So you decide, through absolutely no evidence at all that my story is fake, I'm a hoax and I'm insulting your intelligence. Well I certainly wasn't doing any of them, but now that you mention it, the last part sounds very appealing..." "Oh does it? Really? I'd never have guessed! I am so not used to scrawny teenage mages insulting me, my people and our culture. Quick! I might faint with shock!" "Wait a minute, for I am so not done. I originally set out to just insult you, but, again, now that you've mentioned it, I've got a great opportunity to insult your people as well. All the treatment I've had is verbal abuse, whether it was from you or that crazy old healer! In fact, I might as well take the opportunity to mention that you are an absolute..." "QUIET!"
We'd forgotten that First Hollar was there. Not a good idea. "When I first woke up today," Hollar was in full patronising mode now. "I expected to receive a report from a mature young huntress, who would later become my successor, and when I first saw the polite young mage enter the tent, I expected exactly that. But what have I found? Two badly behaved children who can't even exercise a little dignity in front of their elders. Now what have you to say?" We remained mute. Even Samuel had noticed that, when angry, Hollar was a force not to be reckoned with. "Good. It seems that you do have some manners. Now go from my sight. I need to think about what Samuel has just said." We left. We didn't want to anger him further.
I split up from the mage as soon as we were out of sight of Hollar's tent. I just couldn't bear the sight of him. I then made my way back to my tent feeling strangely empty. It felt as if I had dropped in my masters esteem. My thoughts were disjointed, disconnected, separate from one another. I collapsed on the bed. I found myself thinking about what had just passed. It was true; my arguements were unjustified - they were bordering on... no. They were rude. I had to apologise. I got up, ignored the mewling attentions of Buttons and opened the tent flap. Samuel was standing outside.
An Argument • Opuss № I