Quote:
Sometimes, accidents happen. Your character has found themself in a situation where an honest accident has resulted in an item being broken. Possibly your own, or you may have broken someone else's. Was it an item at a shop, or a priceless artifact? How does your character react to the honest mistake?
Rhag'na stood in the training yard, his brow furrowed in concentration as he went through his drills. The clang of metal against metal filled the air as he practiced his swordsmanship, each strike precise and deliberate. He was in the zone, completely focused on honing his skills, when he heard the sound of laughter and roughhousing behind him. They ought to have been practising too but he didn't say anything to them. If they weren't ready when the time came, it would be on them. They had an awful amount of energy considering they said they were practising day and night. He huffed silently.
Hearing their noise getting louder, he turned around, his eyes narrowed as he saw some of his brother-in-arms engaged in a playful scuffle near the edge of the training yard. His gaze flickered to the wooden fence that bordered the yard, its weathered boards barely holding together after countless skirmishes and accidents. It was the same fence that Talisia had mentioned before. Rhag'na's jaw clenched as he watched one of them stumble backward, crashing into the fence and sending several planks splintering to the ground.
"Dammit!" Rhag'na exclaimed furiously, striding over to where they stood. This was exactly what had happened last time. "What do you think you're doing?" If some of the animals got loose again because of them... he was going to lose it and he had no plans to track down any animals again.
His brothers glanced at each other nervously, their expressions shifting from amusement to apprehension as they realized they had angered him. Rhag'na clenched his sword even tighter, knuckles going white. One of them, a younger Zenian with a sheepish expression, stepped forward, his voice faltering as he tried to explain.
"It was just an accident," he stammered. "We didn't mean to—"
"An accident?" Rhag'na interrupted, his voice cold and hard. "I've told you all a thousand times to be careful around the fence. Do you have any idea how much time and effort it takes to repair it every time you break it? Not to mention tracking the animals if they get lost?" He planted his sword into the snow angrily, furious that they would pull something like this again.
All five of them shifted uncomfortably under Rhag'na's piercing gaze, their earlier bravado replaced by shame and remorse. They knew he was right, of course.
"Sorry," one of them mumbled, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"Sorry isn't good enough and it certainly isn't to me you ought to be apologizing to," Rhag'na snapped, his frustration boiling over. "Get over here and repair this mess, now!"
Without waiting for a response, Rhag'na set to work gathering the fallen planks and rounding up the necessary tools. The others hesitated for a moment before reluctantly joining him, their movements sluggish and resentful. It was clear they were unhappy about being reprimanded, but he didn't care. He had zero tolerance for carelessness and incompetence, especially when it came to matters of discipline and respect.
As they worked, Rhag'na kept a close eye on the five of them, making sure they followed his instructions to the letter. He barked orders and issued corrections, his tone sharp and authoritative. He knew he was being hard on them, but he didn't care. They needed to learn that actions had consequences and that they were expected to take responsibility for their mistakes. This would be the last time they broke the fence or he was going to make them repair the whole of it.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the fence was repaired to Rhag'na's satisfaction. He surveyed their handiwork with a critical eye, nodding in approval as he saw that the repairs were sturdy and secure. The brothers stood by nervously, waiting for his verdict.
"Good," Rhag'na said gruffly, his expression softening slightly. "Now clean up this mess and get back to your duties. And remember next time, think before you act. if you have extra energy to spend, then maybe you aren't practicing hard enough. Think about it."
They all nodded, their expressions contrite as they hurried to obey. Rhag'na watched them go, a sense of satisfaction washing over him as he saw that his message had gotten through. He may have been tough on them, but he knew it was necessary. He would mention the repair to Talisia just in case and report that he'd watched over the whole affair to make sure they finished their duty and that no animal had gotten out.
Word count: 753
