Panting and wheezing with her lungs feeling on fire, Cliodhna slowed to a stop, bending over with her hands on her knees. Training with her mother or at the Temple was never this long. She felt as if she had been running for at least three bells. Of course it was probably less time than that but it was true this was the longest she had ever ran in one setting.
Still frustrated and angry from the other day with the gun incident; when they had started the run; Cliodhna had sprinted as fast as she could to get ahead and away. Her original intent had been to outrun them all and find her way back....but quickly realized there was nowhere to go.
Soon enough; the others had started to catch up and bypass her as she stood gasping still for air. Ignoring them for the most part, Cliodhna continued to stare at the ground till she felt a strong hand give her a shove nearly causing her to fall into the dirt.
"Come now, you can not mean to tell me that was all you had in you?" Opito Nan Kollen questioned as he gave Clidohna another shove. "I had thought there was some promise but it seems your father was right to give you away."
"He was not! He was a coward and a liar!" Cliodhna yelled as she rounded to face Kollen, words once again echoing her mother's but a shared belief. Angrily; she fell into proper form and delivered a snap punch to his stomach.
Quicker than lightening; Kollen grabbed her arm tightly and flung the small girl into the dirt. "You say he was wrong and that you have worth. Why not prove it instead of sniveling like an infant about your situation?" Standing over her, he stared down as she laid on her side in a minor daze.
Her deep, jade green eyes stared up at his. Hatred and venom in them. "I'm not worthless." She hissed in a small voice. Fingers digging into the dirt like claws, she scooped up a fistful of dirt to fling at Kollen.
Shaking his head and making a tisking sound, he simply sidestepped the thrown dirt. "That would be an infant's reaction, Miss Eoghan." Giving her a surprisingly gentle nudge with his boot, he spoke again. "Prove your father wrong by becoming better with the life you have been given."
Without a backwards glance, Kollen then resumed his jog in order to watch the other children, leaving Cliodhna in the dirt where he had tossed her.
Staring after him, she thought. It was true she hated everything about the Empire and what they had done; her family had become divided over it, her entire homeland had suffered the same. She had looked on in horror from the window of her former house as she saw buildings become destroyed in a moment with less notice to the unsuspecting.
Yet despite that, and as much as she choked when the thought of admitting it formed.....Kollen was right. This was her life now, her mother was dead and her father betrayed her along with her people. There was no way to escape back to the safety of the Temple...If it was even there anymore. Cliodhna was left with a choice; continue to cower in fear like a scared little girl or rise up and fight with what she had been given. Restart anew and become stronger with her new life.
Slowly clambering to her feet; she brushed the dirt from her clothes before starting back into a jog that transitioned into a run, fully intent to catch up and surpass the rest of the other children, her eyes narrowed at an unseen point ahead of her.
Still frustrated and angry from the other day with the gun incident; when they had started the run; Cliodhna had sprinted as fast as she could to get ahead and away. Her original intent had been to outrun them all and find her way back....but quickly realized there was nowhere to go.
Soon enough; the others had started to catch up and bypass her as she stood gasping still for air. Ignoring them for the most part, Cliodhna continued to stare at the ground till she felt a strong hand give her a shove nearly causing her to fall into the dirt.
"Come now, you can not mean to tell me that was all you had in you?" Opito Nan Kollen questioned as he gave Clidohna another shove. "I had thought there was some promise but it seems your father was right to give you away."
"He was not! He was a coward and a liar!" Cliodhna yelled as she rounded to face Kollen, words once again echoing her mother's but a shared belief. Angrily; she fell into proper form and delivered a snap punch to his stomach.
Quicker than lightening; Kollen grabbed her arm tightly and flung the small girl into the dirt. "You say he was wrong and that you have worth. Why not prove it instead of sniveling like an infant about your situation?" Standing over her, he stared down as she laid on her side in a minor daze.
Her deep, jade green eyes stared up at his. Hatred and venom in them. "I'm not worthless." She hissed in a small voice. Fingers digging into the dirt like claws, she scooped up a fistful of dirt to fling at Kollen.
Shaking his head and making a tisking sound, he simply sidestepped the thrown dirt. "That would be an infant's reaction, Miss Eoghan." Giving her a surprisingly gentle nudge with his boot, he spoke again. "Prove your father wrong by becoming better with the life you have been given."
Without a backwards glance, Kollen then resumed his jog in order to watch the other children, leaving Cliodhna in the dirt where he had tossed her.
Staring after him, she thought. It was true she hated everything about the Empire and what they had done; her family had become divided over it, her entire homeland had suffered the same. She had looked on in horror from the window of her former house as she saw buildings become destroyed in a moment with less notice to the unsuspecting.
Yet despite that, and as much as she choked when the thought of admitting it formed.....Kollen was right. This was her life now, her mother was dead and her father betrayed her along with her people. There was no way to escape back to the safety of the Temple...If it was even there anymore. Cliodhna was left with a choice; continue to cower in fear like a scared little girl or rise up and fight with what she had been given. Restart anew and become stronger with her new life.
Slowly clambering to her feet; she brushed the dirt from her clothes before starting back into a jog that transitioned into a run, fully intent to catch up and surpass the rest of the other children, her eyes narrowed at an unseen point ahead of her.
too sexy to keep unhidden 
![[Image: smomentsig2_zpsz0ccrfpc.png]](http://i1379.photobucket.com/albums/ah124/cliodhna_eoghan/art/smomentsig2_zpsz0ccrfpc.png)
