Tale #200
Rocky Road #25. A Hilltop
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1272-3-ish
Word Count : 345
Kairn held close to the trees, arms folded beneath his cloak and hood pulled low, glowering at the thick figure lumbering up the slope to meet him. Tristan’s own dark cloak hung loose on his shoulders, hood thrown back. Blood and cinders colored his wild, blonde mane. Dark eyes met Kairn’s own as the man crested the hill with a groan and a sad shake of his shaggy head.
“Don’t bother,” he said, pushing past. “It’s a mess down there.”
“It’ll be a worse mess if anyone catches you poking around in it,” said Kairn.
A thick hand waved him off. “Relax,” he said. “Do you know how many times I’ve done this? You, on the other hand-”
“What?” Kairn snapped. “You too now? Bad enough that Sethan won’t let me out of his sight. How am I supposed to be of any use if no one lets me do anything on my-“ The big man froze, a look of horror on his face as he turned slowly around. “What?”
“You didn’t bring him here, did you?”
“Well…” said Kairn, “of course. He wasn’t about to let me follow you by myself.’
One hand thrust in his hair, he flailed the other the way he’d come. “He can’t see that!”
“What?”
“The village,” said Tristan, all the color now gone from his face, “what’s left of it, anyway. We can’t let him see. He goes all batty.”
“Over a few bodies?” Kairn blinked. “You’ve lost me.”
“And you’ve lost Seth,” said Tristan, with an accusatory jab of his finger, and he spun again, headed over the hill.
Kairn scrambled to follow. “He said he needed to make a short stop. He should be coming along soon. You‘ll see.” He picked his way over the brush as quickly as he could in an effort to meet Tristan’s swift, easy strides. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’m sure Sethan is fine.”
His hand on his sword, Tristan hastened his pace. “I pray you’re right,” he called over his shoulder. “However much I doubt it.”
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1272-3-ish
Word Count : 345
Kairn held close to the trees, arms folded beneath his cloak and hood pulled low, glowering at the thick figure lumbering up the slope to meet him. Tristan’s own dark cloak hung loose on his shoulders, hood thrown back. Blood and cinders colored his wild, blonde mane. Dark eyes met Kairn’s own as the man crested the hill with a groan and a sad shake of his shaggy head.
“Don’t bother,” he said, pushing past. “It’s a mess down there.”
“It’ll be a worse mess if anyone catches you poking around in it,” said Kairn.
A thick hand waved him off. “Relax,” he said. “Do you know how many times I’ve done this? You, on the other hand-”
“What?” Kairn snapped. “You too now? Bad enough that Sethan won’t let me out of his sight. How am I supposed to be of any use if no one lets me do anything on my-“ The big man froze, a look of horror on his face as he turned slowly around. “What?”
“You didn’t bring him here, did you?”
“Well…” said Kairn, “of course. He wasn’t about to let me follow you by myself.’
One hand thrust in his hair, he flailed the other the way he’d come. “He can’t see that!”
“What?”
“The village,” said Tristan, all the color now gone from his face, “what’s left of it, anyway. We can’t let him see. He goes all batty.”
“Over a few bodies?” Kairn blinked. “You’ve lost me.”
“And you’ve lost Seth,” said Tristan, with an accusatory jab of his finger, and he spun again, headed over the hill.
Kairn scrambled to follow. “He said he needed to make a short stop. He should be coming along soon. You‘ll see.” He picked his way over the brush as quickly as he could in an effort to meet Tristan’s swift, easy strides. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but I’m sure Sethan is fine.”
His hand on his sword, Tristan hastened his pace. “I pray you’re right,” he called over his shoulder. “However much I doubt it.”