"Why is it always me?" Lyra groaned, falling onto her bed. Fox was in her room, spinning the hilt of a knife on her finger. "I dunno. You seem to attract trouble."

"No," Lyra said, craning her neck to look at Fox. "Trouble just likes messing with me. I don't want to go on this mission." Fox shrugged. "Stuff happens. If you really don't want to go, just talk to Lilia. She can arrange someone else."

"I can really do that?" "Can you really survive in the wild?" Lyra frowned. "Are you saying she'll kick me out unless I go on this mission?" Fox scratched the back of her neck. "Mm hm."

Lyra snorted in disgust. "That's hardly fair. I thought you were overthrowing the king for equality?" "I thought you were going back to Fenrir." She raised an eyebrow. Lyra rolled her eyes. "Besides the point."

Fox stood, tossing the knife she was holding on to a chair. She tied her red hair up in a ponytail. "Lyra, what you don't understand is that you have a gift. You can war play, and heal. Not many people can do that." "So? I'm only seventeen. And you? You're-" "Twenty four. Lilia's thirty six. And she can still handle herself." 

"Ugh." Lyra threw her hands up in the air. "You're more experienced in this stuff. And you know about these kinds of missions. Do you even think about how I feel? Does Lydia even think about how I feel?"

Lyra turned, hugging herself. Fox silently spoke.

"When I was your age, I watched Victor leave me to fend for myself. I had to see his sister die, because the king didn't provide medicine. My cousin, my best friend, the one I grew up with, is dead, and in the worst possible way. Lilia is the king's niece. In order to take the throne, the king killed the queen's brother, Lydia's  father. The king's own brother. She had to leave, or be executed herself. You see, Lyra, we know exactly what's happening for you. We just want you to be prepared, when worst comes."

Fox turned on her heel, her eyes flickering back to Lyra once more. Lyra couldn't meet her eyes. "Your gift can save people's lives. Think about it, Lyra." Fox left the room.

Lyra laid in her bed, hugging her pillow closer to her. She looked at her violin, scowled, and threw her pillow at it. A clang resounded as the violin hit the ground with a thump, the strings letting out a strangled sound.

After a couple of minutes, Lyra picked up her violin, twisting the tuning pegs and putting the violin back into tune. She began to wonder if she had left that girl in the street. If she hadn't got involved. Then it hit her hard. She had saved a life. That girl would've died. Her brother would be devastated. And it was because she defended them. War playing.

Lyra shook her head. You idiot. You saved a life without remembering. Fox was right. Lyra looked at her cursed blessing of a violin. She leaned her head on the decorative top, pacing her breathing to calm herself. I will fight. For me, for Lydia and Fox, for children out on the streets.

For Barley. For Eskar.

Sorry for not updating in forever! I was pretty busy with Christmas!