Welcome to Gaia! ::

Vergil nodded slowly. "What happens if someone does hurt them?" he asked, settling back into Cindy's arms. "Do they stop listening? I might, if someone didn't do what they promised for me." He shrugged. "Depending what it was."

But that was his way. If someone didn't keep their end of a promise, he didn't see the point in keeping his end.

"What about if someone does it by accident?" Vergil pressed. "It does happen sometimes, right? What happens then? What do the horses do? And I know big isn't always the best, I'm little and I think I'm pretty good, right?"

He grinned at Cindy. "I got by for a long time by myself, but I'm just happy I have a mother now."

Around the corner of the barracks, Halmir and Jasmine were training. Jasmine was a little taller than Cindy by now, her dark hair to her waist, her chocolate skin gleaming with sweat as she wrestled with her grandfather.

Halmir was trying to teach Jasmine how to throw someone over her shoulder, even when the person was bigger than her, and at the moment he had her in something of a headlock.

"Remember," he told her, "use your shoulder, and then your whole body can lift. Don't hurt your back."

Jasmine reached back and grabbed her grandfather by the collar with both hands. "Easier said than done, Neko," she grunted. "You're heavy!"

Vergil watched the two, transfixed. Were they fighting for fun? It didn't look serious, but ...

Halmir laughed at Jasmine. "You should be able to throw anyone, no matter their size," he told her, "once you learn how to do this. Now come on. Bend your knees, then lean forward and lift!"

Jasmine gritted her teeth and did as she was told, her forehead gleaming with sweat. "Can't ... quite ..."

Vergil looked up at Cindy, astonished. "Who are they?" he asked her, his eyes wide. "Why are they fighting?"

Vergil nodded slowly and watched the two as Jasmine continued to try to flip her grandfather over her shoulder, without success. At last she gave up and pouted at Halmir.

"Neko!" she frowned at him. "You're making it harder than it should be! You're supposed to take it easy for the first few times and then make it harder, when I'm used to it!"

Halmir just laughed and let go of her. "We'll work on it again later," he grinned, ruffling her hair. "You're doing well though, I felt myself shifting a bit there." He turned to Cindy and grinned. "And what's this?" he asked lightly. "New recruit?"

Jasmine had been so engrossed in her lesson that she hadn't noticed when Cindy arrived, and now she blinked at her in surprise. "Oh ... hello, Cindy," she murmured. But she said nothing of the boy in Cindy's arms, nor did she step closer. She was still as shy as she had ever been ... well, perhaps not that bad, but she was still shy.

Jasmine just kept staring at Vergil. She had never seen anyone that small. The only Seconds she knew were Celebor and his family, and none of them had ever been that small in her memory.

Halmir chuckled. "I think that might be good. Small he might be, but Jasmine has no children to play with. The next youngest is Kadmiel, and he is twice her age."

"I can imagine," Halmir nodded. He turned to his granddaughter and prodded her forward gently. "Go on, say hello," he urged her.

Jasmine lowered her eyes and shuffled her toes in the dirt. "Hello," she said quietly, shyly.

Vergil stared at her. "She doesn't talk much," he noted.

"Oh," Vergil nodded. "Okay." He turned back to Jasmine and smiled a bit. "Hello," he said brightly. "Hey, you looked like you were doing okay, fighting with your cat like that!"

Halmir started. "Her what?"