Post by Shhasow on Nov 20, 2010 8:25:32 GMT 10
Cavall
Summary: Kel and Wyldon go to Cavall.
Rating: G
Thanks to Ankhiale.
Part 10 of 11
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Kel had mixed feelings as she saw glimpses of Cavall manor through breaks in the trees. She had unexpectedly enjoyed herself on the week-long journey from Corus, largely thanks to her company.
Wyldon, relieved of command, away from the confines of the palace walls and the inquiring eyes of busybodies, had never been more personable. Of course, that was relative to him; had Neal acted the same way, Kel would have considered him to be sulking.
Although they had left Corus in secret, they both wore full armor while they rode. It was extremely uncomfortable and cumbersome, but it had not been a discussion. Both knights considered the attack had targeted them and were leery of riding unprotected even if no one but the king knew of their destination. Wyldon had left Margarry in the care of her austere great-aunt, though the girl had at first pouted and then argued heatedly when her father was not to be swayed by sulks. It had been for naught, and she was left at the palace under a guardian stricter than even her father, for he at least left her for the training yards daily.
Kel had to deal with her own pouting dependent. Tobeis was not amused at having to stay in Corus, though he was slightly gratified when Kel was able to introduce him to the Riders’ horses, through Daine. He would serve as assistant horse-master to Onua in Kel’s absence, and she suspected that he might not wish to ride off with her when she left for her next posting, or at least could be persuaded to stay and continue learning his letters while working.
Within a day of leaving Corus, Kel and Wyldon were talking as if they were old friends. She had told him the full story of her mother’s saving the Yamani relics, as well as the reason behind her earlier fear of heights.
He had been furious with her brother for his malicious bullying. Kel had assured him that Conal had been punished severely.
“Father nearly disowned him,” she explained, to Wyldon’s mollification.
Wyldon shared stories of himself, his early days as a page, misadventures as a squire, though he had never been a rambunctious child.
“I have always been conscious of my position,” he told her as they rode one day. “Cavall is an important fief, in the Book of Gold. My ancestors would have sent more knights to the Crown but for the Cavall predilection towards daughters. As the oldest son, I was quite aware of my present and future duties.”
Kel was sure that Neal would have made a comment about him always being a Stump, or at least a tree branch, as a child. She could imagine a young Wyldon, always on his formal dignity, industriously training and studying, never wasting time with frivolity. The thought made her a little sad, but she rolled her eyes at folly. She was much the same, after all.
When tentatively asked, Wyldon had even told her about his wife.
“Mithros, girl,” he said wryly, “I am not going to break down at the mention of her name. I loved her, she loved me, we had a happy marriage, she died, I mourned her, I released her. She is in the Peaceful Realms, now.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes before Kel could respond. “You will see her again, Wyldon.”
He had nodded, a bit distant. If he had to swallow past a lump in his throat, Kel would never tell another.
Soon after, he had recovered enough to relate to Kel how they met at Cavall’s stables, and their subsequent three-year courtship before Vivenne had finally agreed to marriage.
“I am certain she did it to torment me,” he had said in a tone that, if used by another person, Kel would have called grumpy. Still, she muffled her laughter and solemnly agreed with him, which led to stories of his daughters’ antics.
Kel had wondered after her first year of training how Wyldon seemed so knowledgeable about girls, but everything was made clear when he told her of their first crushes, and how puberty seemed to change each of them from mild-mannered young ladies to boy-crazy hooligans.
He seemed disgruntled just remembering them, though the stories tested Kel’s resolve not to laugh. She managed it more often than not though on occasion it did burst out of her control.
But now, in sight of Cavall, Kel was saddened to have the first part of their journey complete. Wyldon had been largely open to her and free with his past. She was also relieved; his trust in her and calm enthusiasm in her past made it more difficult to wrestle with her growing attraction.
Wyldon was never so handsome as when he smiled and, on rare occasions, when he laughed.
Kel swore that his laugh was the most wonderful sound she had ever heard.
They rode through the gates into the fief walls, Jump sitting in Hoshi’s bag for the first time since they left. Wyldon nodded to the people who lined the road to greet him, slowly walking Cavall’s Heart through the tight throng.
Kel followed close behind. She was impressed at the reception, as not all commoners greeted their returning Lords with such happiness.
Still, she was pleased to be through the town and on her way up the hill. Hoshi was well-trained, but no horse enjoyed crowds of people.
They finally entered the walls around the manor house to be greeted by old servants and one beautiful Lady standing on the steps to the entrance.
“Wyldon!” she called out eagerly, hurrying towards them. “I wasn’t expecting you at all, yet here you are! What strapping young knight have you brought, brother? I don’t recognize his shield.”
Kel took off her helmet and got her first good look at Wyldon’s youngest sister, Elsabenne. She was petite with a laughing face and long black hair pulled back. She wore a simple but pretty linen dress, and she looked utterly stunned at Wyldon’s companion.
“Lady Elsabenne,” Kel dismounted and bowed.
“Elsa, meet Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan,” Wyldon drawled, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Kel looked at him in surprise. She had never heard that teasing edge in his voice before. At the moment, he sounded more like Neal when he was trying to provoke Dom.
Elsabenne shot her brother a significant, and disgruntled, look. They would talk later, and she would find out the story behind Tortall’s strictest training master and only official Lady Knight. Last she had heard, Keladry of Mindelan had been sent on a secret mission in Scanra, though some gossips claimed she deserted and was forcibly brought back by Lord Wyldon.
Elsa would get answers from her brother very shortly.
She bent down to greet the dog, holding out her hand for a cautious sniff. “And who is this fine fellow?” she cooed. Accepted, she gave the mutt a few quick pats and scratches. “You’re getting a bit long in the tooth, my new friend,” she informed him.
Kel hid her flush behind her mask. She wanted to make a favorable impression on Wyldon’s sister, and being thought of as careless with her animal friend was not a good way to start. “Jump is with me, my lady. Since an… incident a few days ago, he has refused to leave my side.”
Jump, having completed his compulsory examination of the new person, proved Kel’s words as he withdrew to sit at her feet, peering up at her expectantly.
Kel appeased him by scratching his favorite places.
“That incident is why we are here, Elsa,” Wyldon said, watching the two interact. “Keladry is in need of a horse, and I am going to provide her one from the Cavall stables.”
“What? Wyldon, no, I can pay for my own mount,” Kel looked up with a scowl. Elsabenne’s mouth dropped. This young girl was on first-name terms with her stickler brother?
“Absolutely not.”
“Why? I have a purse from the Crown from the war, I can afford it.”
“I am the lord of Cavall, Keladry, and I say you will have a horse from my stables. I will not let you waste your gold.”
Kel frowned darkly. She disliked being beholden, not when it was unnecessary.
Elsabenne, watching the proceedings with great interest, interjected. “I’m afraid, Lady Keladry, that you will not win. My brother is the most obstinate man in Tortall.”
She heard a muttered, “and she the most determined,” from Wyldon, but the woman in question didn’t seem to hear it.
Elsabenne continued. “Let me get you settled in, Lady Keladry. I am sure you will spend a few days here to properly decide on your mount.”
“Please, my lady, call me Keladry, or Kel.”
Elsa nodded once and turned towards the manor as servants lead away their horses. She overheard her brother speak quietly.
“Let me do this for you, Keladry.”
“But Wyldon-“
“Let me do this for my friend.”
Keladry paused, then answered begrudgingly, “Fine. Thank you, Wyldon.”
He chuckled. “I am pleased you are grateful,” he teased lightly, a slight smile in his eyes. He patted her shoulder and then swept up to Elsabenne, taking her arm decorously.
“To what do I owe this fine surprise, dear sister, for your presence at Cavall?” He ignored the significant look she gave him.
“You know me, Wyldon. Without a fief of my own, I take it upon myself to come and meddle with yours.”
A servant in Cavall livery cleared his throat to draw Kel’s attention. She spared one last look at the siblings’ retreating backs and followed the servant to her rooms.
***
Elsabenne was getting irritated at her brother. He insisted on pleading ignorance, that there was nothing untoward about his relationship with the girl.
“We are friends,” he stated as a matter of fact, “due to mutual respect for each other. To insinuate anything else is a falsehood and an affront to me.”
“Whatever happened to the 'presumptuous wench on a futile quest for knighthood and doomed glory'?”
Wyldon scowled. “That was over ten years ago before I even met the girl.”
“You waxed quite eloquently in your letter.”
“Times have changed.”
“Indeed they have,” Elsa muttered. They settled into an uneasy silence, Wyldon reading the financial ledgers and steward reports, Elsa staring into the fireplace, anxiously thinking.
Her brother was exceedingly defensive over this woman. Granted, her face was pretty enough, though to be fair, Wyldon had never been shallow enough to care about looks. His wife had snagged him with her wiles and love of common interests, stringing him along for years before ending his love-struck misery.
The best thing that woman ever gave Wyldon were his daughters.
Elsabenne would have to watch this Lady Knight. She had no qualms in protecting her brother. He was a brave and skilled knight, certainly, and very intelligent in most ways, but he tended towards being oblivious about women.
Elsa still wasn’t sure how his wife had caused him to fall in love so quickly. She had thought Wyldon was too stiff and formal to anyone outside his immediate family to fall in love. Elsa considered, half seriously, that she had witched him, or had someone else put a geas on him.
Yes, she would watch her brother and this upstart. Quite closely.
***
Kel stared into the large brown eye facing her.
The eye stared back.
She slowly reached out a hand to let the horse catch her scent.
Kel whipped it back in time to avoid the snapping head, the teeth making an audible clack as they closed on air. Jump stayed behind Kel, unwilling to venture closer.
“None of that, Master Merry,” she lectured sternly.
“Merry has always been particular,” Elsabenne offered unhelpfully.
Wyldon sighed. “We were never able to train it out of him.”
Kel shook her head, keeping her eyes locked with the horse’s. “You shouldn’t. He is himself, a warhorse, not some lady’s mare. Besides,” she added dryly, “I’m used to it. An even-tempered warhorse would be rather boring.”
She offered her hand again. Merry eyed it carefully, then sighed as if making a decision. He lipped it slightly, then pulled back to glare at her imperiously.
“You certainly have character,” Kel remarked as she went into his stall to saddle him.
“Are you sure, Lady Keladry? Merry is rather large,” Elsa said dubiously.
Wyldon’s laugh sounded like a bark. “Keladry’s first mount was nearly this size, and she rode him at ten. I never could figure out how he didn’t throw you.”
“We came to a mutual understanding,” Kel said with a muffled laugh. “And I asked Daine for help, just to heal him and to translate. That is why I never wore those star spurs, Wyldon.”
He nodded as if a mystery had suddenly become clear.
Kel appeared at the opening of the stall, leading Merry by the bridle. When he tried to pull away, she shook him firmly and directed him towards the riding field to put him through his paces.
She was confident that this was her next horse. Not Peachblossom’s replacement – no horse could replace him in her heart – but he was shaping up to be equally as cranky and restless. Kel admired that, in a way. Merry wasn’t quite tamed; he had a hint enough of the wild to be fierce and fearless, exactly the mount that she needed, able to connect with her hidden passionate side as Hoshi could to her calm exterior.
Wyldon watched her walk Merry to warm him up, and she then began to exercise him by trotting, cantering, and galloping, followed by jumps.
She was an excellent horsewoman, he mused, watching her take the hurdles with ease, controlling the large destrier with subtlety.
Keladry was a wonder to behold.
“Oh no.”
He shook himself out of his musings and turned to his spoiled little sister, raising an eyebrow at her exclamation.
“You like the chit!” she gasped with dread, putting a pale hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe it, you and her! What about that woman?”
“As I recall, you never liked Vivenne,” he retorted, “and I already told you that Keladry and I are just friends. I resent your accusation that there is more between us.”
“Then why can’t you take your eyes off her?” Wyldon, startled, drew his gaze away from Keladry as she tested Merry’s war maneuvers, her determined face bearing a slight smile. “That’s what I mean, Wyldon!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Elsa,” he responded, irritated. “There is nothing else, there never can be.”
She groaned. “So it’s true?”
His face grew dark. “I fail to understand your meaning. Nor do I want to. If you insist on slandering Keladry, then you can leave Cavall for your husband at Josu’s Dirk. I will not stand for it here.”
Elsa gaped at him. Wyldon had never threatened before to send her away.
This was serious.
She couldn’t leave for home until she either knocked some sense into his stubborn head or put the fear of the Mother in that chit.
Elsa was trying to figure a way to regain her lost favor and dignity when Keladry came in, grinning broadly, her eyes shining brightly.
“He’s perfect,” she gushed to Wyldon. “Not a flinch, not a single misstep, and he could have cleared the highest jump twice over. His training was masterfully done. You were absolutely correct, Cavall does breed the best horses.”
Wyldon’s expression transformed immediately from irritated to pleased, even happy, as a smile played on his lips.
“He is yours,” he said quietly, but firmly.
Kel shook her head, still awed. “Wyldon I just, just can’t thank you enough, but I won’t argue because I can tell a losing battle.”
Before she lost her courage, Kel stole quickly up to Wyldon and stood on her toes to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. She blushed furiously and hustled Merry to his stall for a quick rub-down.
Wyldon raised a stunned hand to his cheek.
Elsa clucked disapprovingly and flounced out of the stables, leaving behind her gobsmacked brother.
A woman’s instincts were never wrong.
***
Over the next few days as they relaxed at Cavall, Elsabenne took the opportunity to study the Lady Knight, especially when she and Wyldon were together.
What she saw was slightly disturbing.
Wyldon had always been a dour man, even as a child. Her oldest brother, as far back as Elsa could remember, was quicker to frown than smile and more likely to do neither. He was inflexible and balked at the very idea of change, though when faced with evidence that he was wrong, Wyldon immediately switched positions without reservation and held the new idea with equal fervor.
Stringent morality defined his character, the Knight’s Code his manner. His word was intractable and absolute, his honor above reproach.
All of this together made for a man who had been called the most conservative knight at court.
That he could stand the Lady Knight’s company was one thing; it could be born from familiarity, as he had been both her training master and her commander.
That he actually enjoyed it?
Impossible, yet undeniable.
He seemed softer, almost, certainly more apt to smile when she was around. He frowned less, wore his blank expression less, that emotionless face Elsa loathed.
Several times, Elsa actually saw him reach out to touch the chit, always innocuously on her shoulder or arm, but what was disconcerting was the amount of times he began to move but aborted his action before she noticed.
No matter how vehemently he denied it, his body language spoke the true story. He leaned towards her when she neared, and slumped almost imperceptibly when she left. His face relaxed when she spoke and resumed its usual tenseness when she turned her attention elsewhere.
The girl reacted in similar ways. Her neutral expression opened in Wyldon’s company. She considered every word he spoke, though she did not always agree with them and was not hesitant in declaring so. She always looked for him when she entered a room and either brightened or dimmed depending on his presence or absence.
Both of them followed the other with their eyes when they thought no one was looking.
The pair spent too much time together, training in the courtyard, riding in the fields, or secluding themselves away in his office to complete paperwork and read reports.
Elsa admitted against her will that they were a wonder to behold when they trained together. They jousted a few times, as Wyldon always kept a few ready lances at Cavall, and she was amazed that he never once unseated her. Elsabenne didn’t think he went easy on her, that was contrary to his character.
Their sword fights were equally amazing. They moved as one, switching instantly between offense and defense, both reluctant to give ground and determined to take it. Neither ever gave up until they were dealt a fatal wound, and to her surprise, they each won about half the time. Elsa wasn’t used to seeing her brother lose, yet he took it in good grace, even as a matter of pride that his pupil outperformed her master.
They were well-matched in some ways, Elsa bitterly considered, but it was not enough. That girl would break his heart, like it broke when that woman died.
***
Kel knew that Wyldon’s sister didn’t like her.
Whenever both women were together, she felt herself being measured and left wanting. It was a most uncomfortable sensation, but she didn’t know how to approach Elsabenne. The diplomat in her wanted to clear the air if possible; her logical side wanted to wait for her to approach.
If Elsabenne had problems with her, she should be the one to bring it up, Kel decided. There was no need to start a confrontation. Still, it was not a surprise when Elsabenne cornered her the night before they were to leave Cavall.
“We need to talk, Lady Keladry,” the woman informed her imperiously.
Kel bowed silently and followed her into the library for privacy. No matter how many times she offered, Elsabenne refused to call her by anything other than her formal title.
She was obstinate, just like her brother.
“Wyldon is outside in the kennels,” Elsabenne announced. Kel nodded in agreement. She usually knew Wyldon’s general location.
The woman gave her a hard look. Kel fought the urge to raise an eyebrow. She had been stared down by many people more intimidating than this petite lady.
Elsabenne began the interrogation. “How did you do it?”
“Do what, my lady?”
“You did something to my brother. I demand you cease immediately.”
Kel sighed. “I have done nothing to Wyldon. We are friends, as I’m sure he has told you.”
“I believed him as little as I do you.”
“Then what do you want me to do?” Kel raised her hands helplessly. “There is nothing I can say or do to convince you.”
“You could stay away. You should stay away. Do you know what this will do to his reputation, when he has worked so hard to establish his good name?”
Kel sighed in exasperation. “You don’t understand. I greatly respect and admire him, and I don’t want anything from Wyldon other than his friendship, so if he chooses to be my friend then there is nothing you can do about it.”
“That is a lie. You want more than friendship from my brother, you can’t deny it.”
Kel felt a pang in her chest. She rubbed the scar where the arrow wound had healed. “What does it matter?” she answered dully. “He will always mourn his wife. I am just a friend to him, just a training partner, nothing more.”
Elsabenne shook her head, but her anger eased at the lost expression on the young girl’s face. For all of her training and experiences in the world of men, Keladry was not well versed in the feminine world of emotions and romance.
The girl really couldn’t see that she attracted Wyldon, that he gravitated towards her, was happiest when she was around.
And the girl – no, woman – was lost, on her way towards being heartbroken because she couldn’t comprehend what was in front of her.
Elsabenne took pity on her for one minute.
“I never liked Vivenne,” she declared quietly, “though I tolerated her for Wyldon’s sake. She was good for him, she was what he needed at that time, but she wasn’t good enough for my brother. Neither are you, frankly.
“For some unfathomable reason, he likes you. I’m not certain that he knows it himself yet, but having grown up with him, I know him, and I know that he is attracted to you. Goddess knows what he sees in you, for you can’t be any more different from that woman. I’m not fool enough to get between him again, but neither can I sit back and watch his heart break in silly unrequited pining. Wyldon gave his heart only once before, but he’s a fair way towards giving it to you.
“Just know that if you hurt my brother, I will kill you.”
***
Wyldon and Keladry prepared to depart from Cavall. Though she was quite impressed by the extensive stables and kennels, Kel wasn’t reluctant to leave Wyldon’s spoiled sister behind.
Elsabenne’s final words echoed in her mind. Could Wyldon really like her? It seemed impossible, but so did his having a wife at all when she was a page. The lady claimed to know her brother well, but what ad she seen of him in the past years? People change, he certainly did.
Wyldon had asserted several times that they were friends. He hadn’t given any indication of romantic interest in her, not so much as a longing look.
She snorted at her feminine sentimentality. Wyldon, a lovesick fool?
No, Cavall had made several things clear to Kel. She was more certain than ever of her feelings for her old training master, but Kel had no expectation that they would ever be returned.
She threw a stick idly for Jump as the siblings said their goodbyes, and scolded Merry when he pulled impatiently against her hold on his bridle.
Wyldon and Elsabenne stood off to the side, speaking quickly and quietly. Their conversation paused, goodbyes completed, when Elsa put a hand on her brother’s arm.
“She isn’t good enough for you,” she said softly without rancor.
“Elsa-“
“No, let me finish. No one is good enough for you, but that woman made you happy last time, and you’re just as happy now with Keladry.” She shook her head and gripped harder when he began to interrupt. “Listen to your heart; I know you have one. If you enjoy being around her, if you enjoy her company, then you might be friends.
“But if you find yourself wishing you were with her, or if you look for her when you don’t mean to, then you are more than just friends.”
Elsa smiled wistfully. “This is sad, Wyldon. You’ve been through marriage just as I have, yet why must I give you advice?”
He returned her smile. “You were always smarter than me.”
“At least you finally acknowledge it.”
The siblings laughed and hugged each other. One left for the house and looked back. The other mounted a waiting horse and joined his willing companion.
As they rode down the path away from Cavall, if either of them looked at each other with a lost expression, there were no witnesses and the other was as like to misread as to return it with one of their own.
Summary: Kel and Wyldon go to Cavall.
Rating: G
Thanks to Ankhiale.
Part 10 of 11
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Kel had mixed feelings as she saw glimpses of Cavall manor through breaks in the trees. She had unexpectedly enjoyed herself on the week-long journey from Corus, largely thanks to her company.
Wyldon, relieved of command, away from the confines of the palace walls and the inquiring eyes of busybodies, had never been more personable. Of course, that was relative to him; had Neal acted the same way, Kel would have considered him to be sulking.
Although they had left Corus in secret, they both wore full armor while they rode. It was extremely uncomfortable and cumbersome, but it had not been a discussion. Both knights considered the attack had targeted them and were leery of riding unprotected even if no one but the king knew of their destination. Wyldon had left Margarry in the care of her austere great-aunt, though the girl had at first pouted and then argued heatedly when her father was not to be swayed by sulks. It had been for naught, and she was left at the palace under a guardian stricter than even her father, for he at least left her for the training yards daily.
Kel had to deal with her own pouting dependent. Tobeis was not amused at having to stay in Corus, though he was slightly gratified when Kel was able to introduce him to the Riders’ horses, through Daine. He would serve as assistant horse-master to Onua in Kel’s absence, and she suspected that he might not wish to ride off with her when she left for her next posting, or at least could be persuaded to stay and continue learning his letters while working.
Within a day of leaving Corus, Kel and Wyldon were talking as if they were old friends. She had told him the full story of her mother’s saving the Yamani relics, as well as the reason behind her earlier fear of heights.
He had been furious with her brother for his malicious bullying. Kel had assured him that Conal had been punished severely.
“Father nearly disowned him,” she explained, to Wyldon’s mollification.
Wyldon shared stories of himself, his early days as a page, misadventures as a squire, though he had never been a rambunctious child.
“I have always been conscious of my position,” he told her as they rode one day. “Cavall is an important fief, in the Book of Gold. My ancestors would have sent more knights to the Crown but for the Cavall predilection towards daughters. As the oldest son, I was quite aware of my present and future duties.”
Kel was sure that Neal would have made a comment about him always being a Stump, or at least a tree branch, as a child. She could imagine a young Wyldon, always on his formal dignity, industriously training and studying, never wasting time with frivolity. The thought made her a little sad, but she rolled her eyes at folly. She was much the same, after all.
When tentatively asked, Wyldon had even told her about his wife.
“Mithros, girl,” he said wryly, “I am not going to break down at the mention of her name. I loved her, she loved me, we had a happy marriage, she died, I mourned her, I released her. She is in the Peaceful Realms, now.”
They rode in silence for a few minutes before Kel could respond. “You will see her again, Wyldon.”
He had nodded, a bit distant. If he had to swallow past a lump in his throat, Kel would never tell another.
Soon after, he had recovered enough to relate to Kel how they met at Cavall’s stables, and their subsequent three-year courtship before Vivenne had finally agreed to marriage.
“I am certain she did it to torment me,” he had said in a tone that, if used by another person, Kel would have called grumpy. Still, she muffled her laughter and solemnly agreed with him, which led to stories of his daughters’ antics.
Kel had wondered after her first year of training how Wyldon seemed so knowledgeable about girls, but everything was made clear when he told her of their first crushes, and how puberty seemed to change each of them from mild-mannered young ladies to boy-crazy hooligans.
He seemed disgruntled just remembering them, though the stories tested Kel’s resolve not to laugh. She managed it more often than not though on occasion it did burst out of her control.
But now, in sight of Cavall, Kel was saddened to have the first part of their journey complete. Wyldon had been largely open to her and free with his past. She was also relieved; his trust in her and calm enthusiasm in her past made it more difficult to wrestle with her growing attraction.
Wyldon was never so handsome as when he smiled and, on rare occasions, when he laughed.
Kel swore that his laugh was the most wonderful sound she had ever heard.
They rode through the gates into the fief walls, Jump sitting in Hoshi’s bag for the first time since they left. Wyldon nodded to the people who lined the road to greet him, slowly walking Cavall’s Heart through the tight throng.
Kel followed close behind. She was impressed at the reception, as not all commoners greeted their returning Lords with such happiness.
Still, she was pleased to be through the town and on her way up the hill. Hoshi was well-trained, but no horse enjoyed crowds of people.
They finally entered the walls around the manor house to be greeted by old servants and one beautiful Lady standing on the steps to the entrance.
“Wyldon!” she called out eagerly, hurrying towards them. “I wasn’t expecting you at all, yet here you are! What strapping young knight have you brought, brother? I don’t recognize his shield.”
Kel took off her helmet and got her first good look at Wyldon’s youngest sister, Elsabenne. She was petite with a laughing face and long black hair pulled back. She wore a simple but pretty linen dress, and she looked utterly stunned at Wyldon’s companion.
“Lady Elsabenne,” Kel dismounted and bowed.
“Elsa, meet Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan,” Wyldon drawled, a satisfied smirk on his face.
Kel looked at him in surprise. She had never heard that teasing edge in his voice before. At the moment, he sounded more like Neal when he was trying to provoke Dom.
Elsabenne shot her brother a significant, and disgruntled, look. They would talk later, and she would find out the story behind Tortall’s strictest training master and only official Lady Knight. Last she had heard, Keladry of Mindelan had been sent on a secret mission in Scanra, though some gossips claimed she deserted and was forcibly brought back by Lord Wyldon.
Elsa would get answers from her brother very shortly.
She bent down to greet the dog, holding out her hand for a cautious sniff. “And who is this fine fellow?” she cooed. Accepted, she gave the mutt a few quick pats and scratches. “You’re getting a bit long in the tooth, my new friend,” she informed him.
Kel hid her flush behind her mask. She wanted to make a favorable impression on Wyldon’s sister, and being thought of as careless with her animal friend was not a good way to start. “Jump is with me, my lady. Since an… incident a few days ago, he has refused to leave my side.”
Jump, having completed his compulsory examination of the new person, proved Kel’s words as he withdrew to sit at her feet, peering up at her expectantly.
Kel appeased him by scratching his favorite places.
“That incident is why we are here, Elsa,” Wyldon said, watching the two interact. “Keladry is in need of a horse, and I am going to provide her one from the Cavall stables.”
“What? Wyldon, no, I can pay for my own mount,” Kel looked up with a scowl. Elsabenne’s mouth dropped. This young girl was on first-name terms with her stickler brother?
“Absolutely not.”
“Why? I have a purse from the Crown from the war, I can afford it.”
“I am the lord of Cavall, Keladry, and I say you will have a horse from my stables. I will not let you waste your gold.”
Kel frowned darkly. She disliked being beholden, not when it was unnecessary.
Elsabenne, watching the proceedings with great interest, interjected. “I’m afraid, Lady Keladry, that you will not win. My brother is the most obstinate man in Tortall.”
She heard a muttered, “and she the most determined,” from Wyldon, but the woman in question didn’t seem to hear it.
Elsabenne continued. “Let me get you settled in, Lady Keladry. I am sure you will spend a few days here to properly decide on your mount.”
“Please, my lady, call me Keladry, or Kel.”
Elsa nodded once and turned towards the manor as servants lead away their horses. She overheard her brother speak quietly.
“Let me do this for you, Keladry.”
“But Wyldon-“
“Let me do this for my friend.”
Keladry paused, then answered begrudgingly, “Fine. Thank you, Wyldon.”
He chuckled. “I am pleased you are grateful,” he teased lightly, a slight smile in his eyes. He patted her shoulder and then swept up to Elsabenne, taking her arm decorously.
“To what do I owe this fine surprise, dear sister, for your presence at Cavall?” He ignored the significant look she gave him.
“You know me, Wyldon. Without a fief of my own, I take it upon myself to come and meddle with yours.”
A servant in Cavall livery cleared his throat to draw Kel’s attention. She spared one last look at the siblings’ retreating backs and followed the servant to her rooms.
***
Elsabenne was getting irritated at her brother. He insisted on pleading ignorance, that there was nothing untoward about his relationship with the girl.
“We are friends,” he stated as a matter of fact, “due to mutual respect for each other. To insinuate anything else is a falsehood and an affront to me.”
“Whatever happened to the 'presumptuous wench on a futile quest for knighthood and doomed glory'?”
Wyldon scowled. “That was over ten years ago before I even met the girl.”
“You waxed quite eloquently in your letter.”
“Times have changed.”
“Indeed they have,” Elsa muttered. They settled into an uneasy silence, Wyldon reading the financial ledgers and steward reports, Elsa staring into the fireplace, anxiously thinking.
Her brother was exceedingly defensive over this woman. Granted, her face was pretty enough, though to be fair, Wyldon had never been shallow enough to care about looks. His wife had snagged him with her wiles and love of common interests, stringing him along for years before ending his love-struck misery.
The best thing that woman ever gave Wyldon were his daughters.
Elsabenne would have to watch this Lady Knight. She had no qualms in protecting her brother. He was a brave and skilled knight, certainly, and very intelligent in most ways, but he tended towards being oblivious about women.
Elsa still wasn’t sure how his wife had caused him to fall in love so quickly. She had thought Wyldon was too stiff and formal to anyone outside his immediate family to fall in love. Elsa considered, half seriously, that she had witched him, or had someone else put a geas on him.
Yes, she would watch her brother and this upstart. Quite closely.
***
Kel stared into the large brown eye facing her.
The eye stared back.
She slowly reached out a hand to let the horse catch her scent.
Kel whipped it back in time to avoid the snapping head, the teeth making an audible clack as they closed on air. Jump stayed behind Kel, unwilling to venture closer.
“None of that, Master Merry,” she lectured sternly.
“Merry has always been particular,” Elsabenne offered unhelpfully.
Wyldon sighed. “We were never able to train it out of him.”
Kel shook her head, keeping her eyes locked with the horse’s. “You shouldn’t. He is himself, a warhorse, not some lady’s mare. Besides,” she added dryly, “I’m used to it. An even-tempered warhorse would be rather boring.”
She offered her hand again. Merry eyed it carefully, then sighed as if making a decision. He lipped it slightly, then pulled back to glare at her imperiously.
“You certainly have character,” Kel remarked as she went into his stall to saddle him.
“Are you sure, Lady Keladry? Merry is rather large,” Elsa said dubiously.
Wyldon’s laugh sounded like a bark. “Keladry’s first mount was nearly this size, and she rode him at ten. I never could figure out how he didn’t throw you.”
“We came to a mutual understanding,” Kel said with a muffled laugh. “And I asked Daine for help, just to heal him and to translate. That is why I never wore those star spurs, Wyldon.”
He nodded as if a mystery had suddenly become clear.
Kel appeared at the opening of the stall, leading Merry by the bridle. When he tried to pull away, she shook him firmly and directed him towards the riding field to put him through his paces.
She was confident that this was her next horse. Not Peachblossom’s replacement – no horse could replace him in her heart – but he was shaping up to be equally as cranky and restless. Kel admired that, in a way. Merry wasn’t quite tamed; he had a hint enough of the wild to be fierce and fearless, exactly the mount that she needed, able to connect with her hidden passionate side as Hoshi could to her calm exterior.
Wyldon watched her walk Merry to warm him up, and she then began to exercise him by trotting, cantering, and galloping, followed by jumps.
She was an excellent horsewoman, he mused, watching her take the hurdles with ease, controlling the large destrier with subtlety.
Keladry was a wonder to behold.
“Oh no.”
He shook himself out of his musings and turned to his spoiled little sister, raising an eyebrow at her exclamation.
“You like the chit!” she gasped with dread, putting a pale hand to her forehead. “I can’t believe it, you and her! What about that woman?”
“As I recall, you never liked Vivenne,” he retorted, “and I already told you that Keladry and I are just friends. I resent your accusation that there is more between us.”
“Then why can’t you take your eyes off her?” Wyldon, startled, drew his gaze away from Keladry as she tested Merry’s war maneuvers, her determined face bearing a slight smile. “That’s what I mean, Wyldon!”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Elsa,” he responded, irritated. “There is nothing else, there never can be.”
She groaned. “So it’s true?”
His face grew dark. “I fail to understand your meaning. Nor do I want to. If you insist on slandering Keladry, then you can leave Cavall for your husband at Josu’s Dirk. I will not stand for it here.”
Elsa gaped at him. Wyldon had never threatened before to send her away.
This was serious.
She couldn’t leave for home until she either knocked some sense into his stubborn head or put the fear of the Mother in that chit.
Elsa was trying to figure a way to regain her lost favor and dignity when Keladry came in, grinning broadly, her eyes shining brightly.
“He’s perfect,” she gushed to Wyldon. “Not a flinch, not a single misstep, and he could have cleared the highest jump twice over. His training was masterfully done. You were absolutely correct, Cavall does breed the best horses.”
Wyldon’s expression transformed immediately from irritated to pleased, even happy, as a smile played on his lips.
“He is yours,” he said quietly, but firmly.
Kel shook her head, still awed. “Wyldon I just, just can’t thank you enough, but I won’t argue because I can tell a losing battle.”
Before she lost her courage, Kel stole quickly up to Wyldon and stood on her toes to plant a soft kiss on his cheek. She blushed furiously and hustled Merry to his stall for a quick rub-down.
Wyldon raised a stunned hand to his cheek.
Elsa clucked disapprovingly and flounced out of the stables, leaving behind her gobsmacked brother.
A woman’s instincts were never wrong.
***
Over the next few days as they relaxed at Cavall, Elsabenne took the opportunity to study the Lady Knight, especially when she and Wyldon were together.
What she saw was slightly disturbing.
Wyldon had always been a dour man, even as a child. Her oldest brother, as far back as Elsa could remember, was quicker to frown than smile and more likely to do neither. He was inflexible and balked at the very idea of change, though when faced with evidence that he was wrong, Wyldon immediately switched positions without reservation and held the new idea with equal fervor.
Stringent morality defined his character, the Knight’s Code his manner. His word was intractable and absolute, his honor above reproach.
All of this together made for a man who had been called the most conservative knight at court.
That he could stand the Lady Knight’s company was one thing; it could be born from familiarity, as he had been both her training master and her commander.
That he actually enjoyed it?
Impossible, yet undeniable.
He seemed softer, almost, certainly more apt to smile when she was around. He frowned less, wore his blank expression less, that emotionless face Elsa loathed.
Several times, Elsa actually saw him reach out to touch the chit, always innocuously on her shoulder or arm, but what was disconcerting was the amount of times he began to move but aborted his action before she noticed.
No matter how vehemently he denied it, his body language spoke the true story. He leaned towards her when she neared, and slumped almost imperceptibly when she left. His face relaxed when she spoke and resumed its usual tenseness when she turned her attention elsewhere.
The girl reacted in similar ways. Her neutral expression opened in Wyldon’s company. She considered every word he spoke, though she did not always agree with them and was not hesitant in declaring so. She always looked for him when she entered a room and either brightened or dimmed depending on his presence or absence.
Both of them followed the other with their eyes when they thought no one was looking.
The pair spent too much time together, training in the courtyard, riding in the fields, or secluding themselves away in his office to complete paperwork and read reports.
Elsa admitted against her will that they were a wonder to behold when they trained together. They jousted a few times, as Wyldon always kept a few ready lances at Cavall, and she was amazed that he never once unseated her. Elsabenne didn’t think he went easy on her, that was contrary to his character.
Their sword fights were equally amazing. They moved as one, switching instantly between offense and defense, both reluctant to give ground and determined to take it. Neither ever gave up until they were dealt a fatal wound, and to her surprise, they each won about half the time. Elsa wasn’t used to seeing her brother lose, yet he took it in good grace, even as a matter of pride that his pupil outperformed her master.
They were well-matched in some ways, Elsa bitterly considered, but it was not enough. That girl would break his heart, like it broke when that woman died.
***
Kel knew that Wyldon’s sister didn’t like her.
Whenever both women were together, she felt herself being measured and left wanting. It was a most uncomfortable sensation, but she didn’t know how to approach Elsabenne. The diplomat in her wanted to clear the air if possible; her logical side wanted to wait for her to approach.
If Elsabenne had problems with her, she should be the one to bring it up, Kel decided. There was no need to start a confrontation. Still, it was not a surprise when Elsabenne cornered her the night before they were to leave Cavall.
“We need to talk, Lady Keladry,” the woman informed her imperiously.
Kel bowed silently and followed her into the library for privacy. No matter how many times she offered, Elsabenne refused to call her by anything other than her formal title.
She was obstinate, just like her brother.
“Wyldon is outside in the kennels,” Elsabenne announced. Kel nodded in agreement. She usually knew Wyldon’s general location.
The woman gave her a hard look. Kel fought the urge to raise an eyebrow. She had been stared down by many people more intimidating than this petite lady.
Elsabenne began the interrogation. “How did you do it?”
“Do what, my lady?”
“You did something to my brother. I demand you cease immediately.”
Kel sighed. “I have done nothing to Wyldon. We are friends, as I’m sure he has told you.”
“I believed him as little as I do you.”
“Then what do you want me to do?” Kel raised her hands helplessly. “There is nothing I can say or do to convince you.”
“You could stay away. You should stay away. Do you know what this will do to his reputation, when he has worked so hard to establish his good name?”
Kel sighed in exasperation. “You don’t understand. I greatly respect and admire him, and I don’t want anything from Wyldon other than his friendship, so if he chooses to be my friend then there is nothing you can do about it.”
“That is a lie. You want more than friendship from my brother, you can’t deny it.”
Kel felt a pang in her chest. She rubbed the scar where the arrow wound had healed. “What does it matter?” she answered dully. “He will always mourn his wife. I am just a friend to him, just a training partner, nothing more.”
Elsabenne shook her head, but her anger eased at the lost expression on the young girl’s face. For all of her training and experiences in the world of men, Keladry was not well versed in the feminine world of emotions and romance.
The girl really couldn’t see that she attracted Wyldon, that he gravitated towards her, was happiest when she was around.
And the girl – no, woman – was lost, on her way towards being heartbroken because she couldn’t comprehend what was in front of her.
Elsabenne took pity on her for one minute.
“I never liked Vivenne,” she declared quietly, “though I tolerated her for Wyldon’s sake. She was good for him, she was what he needed at that time, but she wasn’t good enough for my brother. Neither are you, frankly.
“For some unfathomable reason, he likes you. I’m not certain that he knows it himself yet, but having grown up with him, I know him, and I know that he is attracted to you. Goddess knows what he sees in you, for you can’t be any more different from that woman. I’m not fool enough to get between him again, but neither can I sit back and watch his heart break in silly unrequited pining. Wyldon gave his heart only once before, but he’s a fair way towards giving it to you.
“Just know that if you hurt my brother, I will kill you.”
***
Wyldon and Keladry prepared to depart from Cavall. Though she was quite impressed by the extensive stables and kennels, Kel wasn’t reluctant to leave Wyldon’s spoiled sister behind.
Elsabenne’s final words echoed in her mind. Could Wyldon really like her? It seemed impossible, but so did his having a wife at all when she was a page. The lady claimed to know her brother well, but what ad she seen of him in the past years? People change, he certainly did.
Wyldon had asserted several times that they were friends. He hadn’t given any indication of romantic interest in her, not so much as a longing look.
She snorted at her feminine sentimentality. Wyldon, a lovesick fool?
No, Cavall had made several things clear to Kel. She was more certain than ever of her feelings for her old training master, but Kel had no expectation that they would ever be returned.
She threw a stick idly for Jump as the siblings said their goodbyes, and scolded Merry when he pulled impatiently against her hold on his bridle.
Wyldon and Elsabenne stood off to the side, speaking quickly and quietly. Their conversation paused, goodbyes completed, when Elsa put a hand on her brother’s arm.
“She isn’t good enough for you,” she said softly without rancor.
“Elsa-“
“No, let me finish. No one is good enough for you, but that woman made you happy last time, and you’re just as happy now with Keladry.” She shook her head and gripped harder when he began to interrupt. “Listen to your heart; I know you have one. If you enjoy being around her, if you enjoy her company, then you might be friends.
“But if you find yourself wishing you were with her, or if you look for her when you don’t mean to, then you are more than just friends.”
Elsa smiled wistfully. “This is sad, Wyldon. You’ve been through marriage just as I have, yet why must I give you advice?”
He returned her smile. “You were always smarter than me.”
“At least you finally acknowledge it.”
The siblings laughed and hugged each other. One left for the house and looked back. The other mounted a waiting horse and joined his willing companion.
As they rode down the path away from Cavall, if either of them looked at each other with a lost expression, there were no witnesses and the other was as like to misread as to return it with one of their own.