Rell and Cat are about seven or eight here.
Arella Surana knew this was a Bad Idea. With capital letters, which meant it was really bad; she knew from Ms. Ella's classes and Arella always did her best to listen. This entire thing was crazy and she really didn't know why she was doing it except that Cat wanted to go and Arella didn't want her to get into trouble.
They were sneaking under tables in the mess, crawling on the ground like dogs in an attempt to avoid notice of the templars. Cat called him 'giant sods with sticks up their butts' but Arella didn't think that was very respectful, even if they were mean sometimes. It couldn't have been fun being trapped in all that shiny armor, she'd probably have a bad attitude, too.
Catherine pulled her from her musings with a not-so-subtle smack to the shoulder. "Okay, the kitchen should be right past this table." she said excitedly. "I can smell them!" Her head tilted up in rapture.
"I don't think this is a good idea, Cat." she whispered back. "I'm supposed to meet Enchanter Wynne today! I don't want to be late for that!"
Cat snorted and shoved her playfully. "Aw c'mon! The cook never bakes cookies!" she argued. "Plus that old, crotchety biddy couldn't teach you anything, anyway."
Flailing angrily, Arella smacked her friend on the arm, making a small indignant noise. "Enchanter Wynne." she chided. "Use her title, Cat. And she's the best healer the Circle's ever seen!" A wistful sigh whooshed from her lungs. "I can't wait to meet her!"
It was dark under the table, but she didn't need light to know that Cat was rolling her eyes. Sometimes her best friend was a jerk.
There was a shuffling sound, and her fellow apprentice laid flat on her stomach, kicking Arella in the process; she retaliated with a kick of her own, which earned her a small, but painful shock to the offending foot.
"Ow!" the elf squealed. "You're not supposed to do that! The First Enchanter told you to stop being so fri-val... fivu..." Her brow pinched together. "Just stop being so stupid just 'cause you get spells faster than everyone else."
The only response was another shock to her foot, more powerful this time, enough to burn the skin slightly.
"THAT'S IT!" the irate little elf screamed, lunging towards her friend.
"Hey! GETOFFMERELL!" Cat screeched, pulling at the other girl's ponytail.
The two girls rolled out from under the table, dragging the tablecloth with them. Hands pulled hair and poked ribs, tearing at robes while small feet tangled desperately in the fabric, effectively trapping them in a maze of folds.
Arella was screaming and growling and felt like she was going to burst into flames she was so angry! It wasn't fair! Cat got away with everything because she was so talented; Arella worked so hard and she still had a hard time with things and it wasn't fair and she just wanted to –
Suddenly, neither of them could move.
The elf felt the tablecloth being unwrapped from their tangled limbs and soon, the very last person Arella would ever want to see her like this, was in front of her.
Enchanter Wynne shook her head in exasperation, muttering a few words to let the two girls out of their paralysis, and Arella collapsed limply on top of Cat, who let out a pained 'oof'.
"Cook Tera's cookie day, hmm?" the elder mage asked as the apprentices scrambled to their feet, assuming a penitent pose of eyes cast down and hands clasped in front of their bodies.
Arella answered first, as she always did.
"Y-yes Enchanter." she admitted, shuffling her feet. "We didn't mean to make a mess. I-I'll make sure I clean it up!" Arella dared to glance up at her idol, who looked strangely like she was trying not to laugh.
Sometimes she really didn't understand adults.
"Oh? Just you?" Wynne prodded Catherine with the base of her staff, nudging her in the ribs. "Didn't Catherine have something to do with this?"
"I should have been more responsible, Enchanter." the elven apprentice replied mechanically.
For some reason, Catherine dropped her normal 'I-didn't-do-it routine'. "What're you gonna do about it, anyway?" the dark-skinned human taunted. "I'm the First Enchanter's favorite."
Wynne arched a wry brow, corner of her mouth tilting upwards. "So I hear." she confirmed. "However, the two of you are going to be under my tutelage for the next few months, to see if either of you have the potential to become healers later on."
The smile on her lips turned scary when she looked at Cat. "As such, your punishments are mine to decide."
Catherine gulped audibly, and Arella only smiled a little bit as she saw her new tutor walk to grab a bucket and washcloth.
"Catherine. You'll be cleaning up the mess." she stated, eyes narrowing. "Without magic, and without help from any of the other apprentices, mages, or templars." Catherine's eyes went wide and the older mage chuckled. "Yes, I know your doe-eyes can melt even a templar, little one. Get to work."
Catherine looked like she was going to let out a string of curses that would've gotten her at least fifty lashes by the Revered Mother, but after a time, she just muttered something and grabbed both objects of torture from Wynne, with far more force than necessary, and stomped off.
The elder mage turned her attention to Arella; she gulped and bit her lip.
"Come along, child. I would speak to you in my chambers; we have much to discuss." she said softly, placing a hand between the elf's shoulder blades to guide her.
Arella walked with her mechanically, but had an utterly bewildered expression on her face. "B-but, what's my punishment, Enchanter? I-I was there too!"
Wynne simply smiled sweetly, patting her on the head fondly. "I have known a few mages like your friend, Arella. I'm quite sure she deserved your rage; she undoubtedly pressed you too far." The smile turned wicked again. "Besides, some people need to learn their place at times; you'll see."
Arella was silent, but she couldn't help the silly grin that crept on her lips.
Adults weren't so bad, sometimes.