Prompt: Nightingale

Kitty watched her mother get dressed for the annual Eldmere Ball. She swung her legs as she sat on her mother's bed, waiting.

When Diana finished pining up her hair, Kitty jumped down and darted up to the vanity. “Can I?”

Diana chuckled and pushed her jewelry box closer to her daughter. “Yes, dear.”

Kitty opened the lid carefully. Instantly, a soft melody began to fill the room. Kitty rested her head on her arms, watching the small, spinning silver nightingale with fascination as her mother selected her jewels.

Prompt: Shot Through the Heart

She looked at the evidence, wishing it were all some terrible joke. Her golden eyes flicked up to her grim first mate. “Bring him in.”

The burly norn nodded, stepping out of her cabin only momentarily before dragging in the bound boatswain.

Mazu eyed her childhood friend, masking her hurt at his betrayal with a somber mien. “Why?” She asked pointedly, slapping down the letter that had luckily been intercepted before making its way to Aetherblade hands.

David Grundy snorted, shrugging. “What do you care? You don't care what I want, Maz. You never 'ave!”

Prompt: Wrong Name

“We truly should compare notes sometime, Dee Dee.”

Deoir gritted her teeth and resisted the temptation to have her minion bite his ankles as she put away her purchase. “Of course, but some other time though. I'm afraid I don't have them on me.” She lied easily.

“Of course, of course.” The asuran alchemist bobbed and shuffled his wares.

Deoir scoffed and rolled her white eyes the minute the door closed behind her.

As if you would understand my formulas, she thought disdainfully. You can't even remember a simple name you've been told three times.

Prompt: Raindrops

A heavy rainstorm was rolling over the Citadel and fat raindrops clicked against the roof and windows. Seneca watched Callista's eyes as they followed the droplets racing patterns on the glass with fascination.

“Do you like the rain?” Seneca grinned.

The kit turned to her and hesitated, bearing a look of uncertainty. Seneca realized that she didn't know how to reply.

“Would you like a better look?” Seneca coaxed warmly.

Callista blinked, her whiskers perking forward. That was all Seneca needed and she carefully scooped the quiet little one out of bed and took her onto the porch.

((A longer version of this story is available here))

Prompt: Defend

((Continuation of the Drabbles for the Prompts: 'Duty' and 'Dead End'))

When word of Callista's warband's use of magic were passed along, the Centurion sent her second-in-command with a reprimand. Words Callista ignored.

“Did you hear me Legionnaire? You will give me an answer for breaking orders.”

“Look down the front lines, sir.”

He snarled and disdainfully glanced down the ranks. “What-” His words died away upon seeing what she meant. The waves of Risen were overwhelming the charr forces.

“If we survive this, the Centurion will do what she must.” Callista said evenly. “Until then, I will do what I must to defend my warband.”

Prompt: Futile

“Let me do this.”

“Can you fix it?”

“Yea, I remember what you showed me last time.”

“Really?”

“Maybe.”

“Move over.”

“No, I got this.”

“Really? Because you shouldn't cross the wire in your hand with-”

Too late. Sparks jumped from the circuit box and Axtus' fur fluffed like a bushy squirrel tail as the sparks jumped through his fur in a souped-up static frenzy. He wheezed and coughed, looking at the graying white tiger beside him. “Da---a---umn.”

Seneca shook her head. “No more circuit boards for you.”

Prompt: Chef, I am Not

“Koda's furry balls.” Caedyn cursed under her breath, looking around the kitchen.

It was an absolute disaster.

Smoke billowed from the stove and oven. Burned chicken in the pan and charcoal lumps on the sheet in the oven that were supposed to be rolls. She'd even had to scrap the salad when she realized she's cut herself while slicing the radishes and given the greens an undesirable bit of dressing...

“I ain't ne'er cooking no more!” The disgruntled norn growled to herself.

Prompt: Love and Passion

“See, part a what keeps the ship steady. She got what they got the bilge keels, you see. They like fins of a fish an' keep her from likin' to roll on.....”
.
.
.

“I'm sorry, you were saying?”

“I-- I. Um. I kinda be loos'n me train of thought when ya kiss me like that.”

“Mmm. Well, you talk too much, sometimes, but it's one of the things I love about ya.”

“Me? But I'm just a yeoman?”

“So? I'm just a cabin girl?”

“Aye, 'cept yer the purtiest cabin girl I eve--”

Prompt: Quite Unexpected

She thought that after all her reading and research, after her talks with Diana, that she would be prepared. Yet, even in the quiet, early hours as she kept a calm watch over her injured Whispers Director, not only did it take her unawares, she almost missed it entirely. The little fluttering captured her attention out of the blue, the outside world faded away as the young mother felt her babies for the first time with bated breath. In those minutes of quiet awe, her unconscious patient could have leapt from the bed and started a jig without her noticing.

Prompt: Pure Chance

((Man, I have neglected my poor Drabbles. I shall try and post more often in the future.))

She started to stand and winced. She pressed her hand briefly against her shoulder and it came away sticky with amber blood.

Crunches in the snow. She turned her head and saw a shadow step towards her from the trees.

Just Sunana.

She must have fallen during the fight. She looked up at the cliffs, where she had been hopelessly outnumbered by Svanir. Nothing above. Not a sound to be heard.

Lucky she landed in this big snow drift just by chance.