(no subject)
Elderberry #29. Wall of Swords with Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1250
Word Count : 501
Reida locked eyes with the silver haired and heavily muscled figure easily twice her size. The boys stood behind her, shoulder to shoulder, shiny lengths of steel in their hands. Reida clenched her empty hands against her hips. “You will teach me,” she said. Bushy brows firmly knit, Master Hakaro returned her glare without a word. “Master Berwyk says you must.”
He lowered his hand and the collecton of swords bundled between his thick fingers with it. There was a soft thump of metal displacing soil as all three of their tips sank into the ground. “Girls,” he said, “do not wield swords.”
“You heard him,” came Aldo’s voice from the line. “Hand it over.” The predictable yelp from Kairn and a bit of scuffling from the both of them followed.
Reida kept her eyes on the teacher, who now rested his hand across the pommels of the swords. “Berwyk says,” she said again, slowly.
“And I’m not Berwyk’s man,” Hakaro returned in the same tone.
Reida wrinkled her nose. “You’re not even a mage,” she said.
The creases deepened across his broad brow as he opened his mouth to protest.
“Is something amiss?”
The line of boys snapped to attention and even Reida spun around as Master Berwyk strolled into the yard.
“Not a thing,” said Hakaro, though a look crossed his face as if he’d just tasted something foul.
“Oh?” said Berwyk, his eyes settling on Kairn, still fuming and frantically brushing the dust from his pants, and Aldo, who hastly retunred the weapon he’d been holding over the other boy’s head.
He strode past the line, hands loosely clasped behind his back, the typical jovial look upon his round face. “Nothing?” he said, as he positioned himself a few paces to Reida’s side and eyed the swords on which Hakaro had propped himself.
“No,” said Reida, “Master Hakaro was just helping me pick out a sword.”
There was that look again, like whatever it was was burning him but he couldn’t bring himself to spit or to swallow. He looked from her to the blades and drew back his hand, and the weapons stood straight, tips firmly planted. “Take one,” he said.
Reida sniffed and took a step forward. She curled both hands about the hilt of the nearest weapon. Hakaro’s lips gave a twitch as she yanked on it, dislodging only a bit of dirt. She grit her teeth and braced her legs and pulled. The sword came free amid a shower of soil and a chorus of snickers. With a last glare at the teacher, Reida turned and stalked off towards the line, the dirt-crusted tip of her weapon bumping and scratching along the ground behind her.
“So nice to see the children getting a well rounded education,” said Berwyk, cheerfully.
As she dragged her new sword through the dust, Reida liked to think she heard Master Hakaro choking on whatever little was left of his pride as he voiced a stiff agreement to Berwyk’s observation.
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1250
Word Count : 501
Reida locked eyes with the silver haired and heavily muscled figure easily twice her size. The boys stood behind her, shoulder to shoulder, shiny lengths of steel in their hands. Reida clenched her empty hands against her hips. “You will teach me,” she said. Bushy brows firmly knit, Master Hakaro returned her glare without a word. “Master Berwyk says you must.”
He lowered his hand and the collecton of swords bundled between his thick fingers with it. There was a soft thump of metal displacing soil as all three of their tips sank into the ground. “Girls,” he said, “do not wield swords.”
“You heard him,” came Aldo’s voice from the line. “Hand it over.” The predictable yelp from Kairn and a bit of scuffling from the both of them followed.
Reida kept her eyes on the teacher, who now rested his hand across the pommels of the swords. “Berwyk says,” she said again, slowly.
“And I’m not Berwyk’s man,” Hakaro returned in the same tone.
Reida wrinkled her nose. “You’re not even a mage,” she said.
The creases deepened across his broad brow as he opened his mouth to protest.
“Is something amiss?”
The line of boys snapped to attention and even Reida spun around as Master Berwyk strolled into the yard.
“Not a thing,” said Hakaro, though a look crossed his face as if he’d just tasted something foul.
“Oh?” said Berwyk, his eyes settling on Kairn, still fuming and frantically brushing the dust from his pants, and Aldo, who hastly retunred the weapon he’d been holding over the other boy’s head.
He strode past the line, hands loosely clasped behind his back, the typical jovial look upon his round face. “Nothing?” he said, as he positioned himself a few paces to Reida’s side and eyed the swords on which Hakaro had propped himself.
“No,” said Reida, “Master Hakaro was just helping me pick out a sword.”
There was that look again, like whatever it was was burning him but he couldn’t bring himself to spit or to swallow. He looked from her to the blades and drew back his hand, and the weapons stood straight, tips firmly planted. “Take one,” he said.
Reida sniffed and took a step forward. She curled both hands about the hilt of the nearest weapon. Hakaro’s lips gave a twitch as she yanked on it, dislodging only a bit of dirt. She grit her teeth and braced her legs and pulled. The sword came free amid a shower of soil and a chorus of snickers. With a last glare at the teacher, Reida turned and stalked off towards the line, the dirt-crusted tip of her weapon bumping and scratching along the ground behind her.
“So nice to see the children getting a well rounded education,” said Berwyk, cheerfully.
As she dragged her new sword through the dust, Reida liked to think she heard Master Hakaro choking on whatever little was left of his pride as he voiced a stiff agreement to Berwyk’s observation.