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Mocha #1. I Think I Can with Whipped Cream and Sprinkles
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1244-5-ish
Word Count : 755
Like I need more characters, right? At least I'll bring them in by connecting them to existing folk... I'm not 100% sure Kinari will retain sprinkles. It depends on how involved she gets when I get to Mara's part. I think she's going to remain more of a background manipulator than an actual MC, but do expect to see more of her. I'm also tempted now to explore some butterscotch and the adventures of Ski & Lyssa's parents and their friends.
“She’s good.” Cedric’s smile was a little too broad. Did he really think, after all these years, she couldn’t tell when he was lying?
Kinari sighed. “She scarcely looks strong enough to lift a blade, much less swing it.”
The girl in question was seated on the bench against the wall, the pile of her baggage set nearby. Her cloak hung loose over thin shoulders and pooled on the seat beside her. The toe of her boot prodded the dust, her heel unable to reach the ground even from such a low perch. She lifted a pale hand to sweep the wealth of platinum curls from her face, and those tiny shoulders heaved a sigh. Kinari doubted she could even lift more than one or two of her packs without straining her back.
“She is my daughter.”
Was that supposed to make the dainty child suddenly a shadow of the strapping figure beside her? Kinari sniffed. “She is Elrie’s daughter too.”
“I’ve been teaching her.” The display of white teeth amongst dark beard was so tight it seemed as if it could crack.
“I expect your wife is thrilled.”
“She doesn’t know.”
Hand to her temple, she shook her head. Of course she didn’t. Telling Elrie would mean the end of his little fantasy. Feet dangling in the air, the girl was picking the dust off her skirt and trying to pretend the conversation going on just outside her hearing was not about her. “I give her five minutes against Ronnie’s girl and she would be a bloody mess.”
Cedric wrinkled his bushy brows. His smile wavered, creeping towards nervous. “That is hardly fair.”
“Oh,” said Kinari, with a wave of her hand, “I would only put her up against the little one. She’d not last a minute with Masakari.”
He puffed his chest, folded his arms. “She is stronger than she looks.”
“I should hope so.” Otherwise the wind might have broken her by now.
“Look.” His hands fell to his hips, his brows dove into one thick, black line that dipped across the top of his nose, and the smile disappeared completely. “I will not have my only child turned into some delicate flower. If she is to take my place one day, she’ll not be filling it with tea and ribbons. A proper Lady carries a sword.”
Right, Cedric knew all about proper Ladies. “If you lay down with dogs…Or in your case butterflies.”
The girl had caught the change in her father’s face and was aiming at them an anxious smile of her own. Cedric sighed as Kinari turned away. “I am just asking that you give her a chance-”
“You are always ‘just asking.’”
“You have the school.”
Kinari rounded on him with a glare. “I earned this.”
“Of course you did, but-” Her scowl deepened and the big man shuffled back a pace, hands up in supplication. “Just a few extra lessons? Find her some decent friends. Girls she can spar with, not these pampered little dolls her mother’s always foisting on her.”
“You realize,“ she said, “that they are not my students yet.”
Cedric sniffed. “As if you haven’t been assessing them all already. I’ll wager you know exactly who is on top.”
“Fair enough.”
“I want her among them by the time she is yours.” He was watching the girl again, who was back to quietly toeing the dirt, and there was this distant look to his eyes that said he really thought there might be a knight in that tiny little body.
“That will take more than a few lessons.”
“She will not disappoint you.”
“I have others, you know.”
“So you said.” He was still looking at his daughter, but he frowned and wrinkled his nose. He was already pitting her against them in his head. “The Burnoire girls-”
“Masakari,” she said. “She is good.” He continued his glowering and she sighed. “She’s had two parents teaching her. Since she was a child.” She refrained from another comment as to their lineage, deeming it unnecessary. The girl before them might as well have been cut from the same mold as her mother. “I will see if she can talk to her.”
There was a slow nod from Cedric, a slight lessining of the frown. “One more little thing,” he said. Their eyes met and Kinari raised a brow. “This is just between us.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have no need for worry. I am more than capable of keeping secrets from your wife.”
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1244-5-ish
Word Count : 755
Like I need more characters, right? At least I'll bring them in by connecting them to existing folk... I'm not 100% sure Kinari will retain sprinkles. It depends on how involved she gets when I get to Mara's part. I think she's going to remain more of a background manipulator than an actual MC, but do expect to see more of her. I'm also tempted now to explore some butterscotch and the adventures of Ski & Lyssa's parents and their friends.
“She’s good.” Cedric’s smile was a little too broad. Did he really think, after all these years, she couldn’t tell when he was lying?
Kinari sighed. “She scarcely looks strong enough to lift a blade, much less swing it.”
The girl in question was seated on the bench against the wall, the pile of her baggage set nearby. Her cloak hung loose over thin shoulders and pooled on the seat beside her. The toe of her boot prodded the dust, her heel unable to reach the ground even from such a low perch. She lifted a pale hand to sweep the wealth of platinum curls from her face, and those tiny shoulders heaved a sigh. Kinari doubted she could even lift more than one or two of her packs without straining her back.
“She is my daughter.”
Was that supposed to make the dainty child suddenly a shadow of the strapping figure beside her? Kinari sniffed. “She is Elrie’s daughter too.”
“I’ve been teaching her.” The display of white teeth amongst dark beard was so tight it seemed as if it could crack.
“I expect your wife is thrilled.”
“She doesn’t know.”
Hand to her temple, she shook her head. Of course she didn’t. Telling Elrie would mean the end of his little fantasy. Feet dangling in the air, the girl was picking the dust off her skirt and trying to pretend the conversation going on just outside her hearing was not about her. “I give her five minutes against Ronnie’s girl and she would be a bloody mess.”
Cedric wrinkled his bushy brows. His smile wavered, creeping towards nervous. “That is hardly fair.”
“Oh,” said Kinari, with a wave of her hand, “I would only put her up against the little one. She’d not last a minute with Masakari.”
He puffed his chest, folded his arms. “She is stronger than she looks.”
“I should hope so.” Otherwise the wind might have broken her by now.
“Look.” His hands fell to his hips, his brows dove into one thick, black line that dipped across the top of his nose, and the smile disappeared completely. “I will not have my only child turned into some delicate flower. If she is to take my place one day, she’ll not be filling it with tea and ribbons. A proper Lady carries a sword.”
Right, Cedric knew all about proper Ladies. “If you lay down with dogs…Or in your case butterflies.”
The girl had caught the change in her father’s face and was aiming at them an anxious smile of her own. Cedric sighed as Kinari turned away. “I am just asking that you give her a chance-”
“You are always ‘just asking.’”
“You have the school.”
Kinari rounded on him with a glare. “I earned this.”
“Of course you did, but-” Her scowl deepened and the big man shuffled back a pace, hands up in supplication. “Just a few extra lessons? Find her some decent friends. Girls she can spar with, not these pampered little dolls her mother’s always foisting on her.”
“You realize,“ she said, “that they are not my students yet.”
Cedric sniffed. “As if you haven’t been assessing them all already. I’ll wager you know exactly who is on top.”
“Fair enough.”
“I want her among them by the time she is yours.” He was watching the girl again, who was back to quietly toeing the dirt, and there was this distant look to his eyes that said he really thought there might be a knight in that tiny little body.
“That will take more than a few lessons.”
“She will not disappoint you.”
“I have others, you know.”
“So you said.” He was still looking at his daughter, but he frowned and wrinkled his nose. He was already pitting her against them in his head. “The Burnoire girls-”
“Masakari,” she said. “She is good.” He continued his glowering and she sighed. “She’s had two parents teaching her. Since she was a child.” She refrained from another comment as to their lineage, deeming it unnecessary. The girl before them might as well have been cut from the same mold as her mother. “I will see if she can talk to her.”
There was a slow nod from Cedric, a slight lessining of the frown. “One more little thing,” he said. Their eyes met and Kinari raised a brow. “This is just between us.”
She rolled her eyes. “You have no need for worry. I am more than capable of keeping secrets from your wife.”