Post by renegade on Oct 6, 2009 0:56:54 GMT 10
Title: The King's Men
Rating (and Warnings): G (Mention of character death)
Fairytale/Nursery Rhyme adapted: This spoils the surprise - Humpty Dumpty
Word Count: 406
Summary: There's been an accident.
Notes: Just a short one, beware the humour!
-
The rain-soaked messenger slipped from his horse, almost falling in his haste to dismount. The gelding turned his head to snort at his rider; ears pinned tight against his skull as the metal guard on his rider’s knee bumped his flank and caught on his tail. A young stablehand rushed forward to grip the horse’s bridle before he could bite as another set about untangling the poor horse’s tail.
“Do either of you know the whereabouts of Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie’s Peak?” The messenger asked as he swept a chaffed hand over his brow to push the hood of his cloak back.
The two boys froze for a moment, startled by the messenger’s deep voice. The one by the horse’s tail was the first to recover but kept his head down as he spoke. “Pardon, milord?”
“I’m no lord,” the messenger protested before he remembered the news that he was carrying. “Have you seen the Giantkiller?”
“The practice courts, mi-”
“Thank you,” the messenger said, pausing to flip them a copper before he set off at a run.
Raoul was in the middle of a practice duel with Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan when the messenger ran onto the courts, shoving through the ragged circle of onlookers that had formed around them.
“Milord Raoul! I carry urgent news from Third Company.”
The two knights quickly stepped back from each other, sheathed their swords and turned to the dust-covered man.
“I regret to inform you that Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle is with the Black God.”
“Are you certain?” Raoul asked, his face paling under its normal tan.
“There can be no doubt about it; I saw it happen with my own eyes.”
“Where they ambushed?”
The messenger cringed, sucking a breath in through his teeth. “No, sir.”
“An assassin?”
“No, sir.”
“Did his horse-”
“He fell off a wall, sir.”
“If Winddancer threw him I’ll….he did what?”
“He was sitting on an old wall in some ruins that Third Company found two days ago near the Scanran border. I don’t know what happened exactly – he was just there one moment and on the ground the next.”
Raoul sighed and looked down at his boots for a moment. “Were there healers-”
“I’m sorry, sir, but all the king’s men and all the king’s horses couldn’t-”
“Thank you,” Raoul cut in before the messenger could continue, “I think that’s enough. Someone has to inform his family.”
Rating (and Warnings): G (Mention of character death)
Fairytale/Nursery Rhyme adapted: This spoils the surprise - Humpty Dumpty
Word Count: 406
Summary: There's been an accident.
Notes: Just a short one, beware the humour!
-
The rain-soaked messenger slipped from his horse, almost falling in his haste to dismount. The gelding turned his head to snort at his rider; ears pinned tight against his skull as the metal guard on his rider’s knee bumped his flank and caught on his tail. A young stablehand rushed forward to grip the horse’s bridle before he could bite as another set about untangling the poor horse’s tail.
“Do either of you know the whereabouts of Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie’s Peak?” The messenger asked as he swept a chaffed hand over his brow to push the hood of his cloak back.
The two boys froze for a moment, startled by the messenger’s deep voice. The one by the horse’s tail was the first to recover but kept his head down as he spoke. “Pardon, milord?”
“I’m no lord,” the messenger protested before he remembered the news that he was carrying. “Have you seen the Giantkiller?”
“The practice courts, mi-”
“Thank you,” the messenger said, pausing to flip them a copper before he set off at a run.
-
Raoul was in the middle of a practice duel with Lady Knight Keladry of Mindelan when the messenger ran onto the courts, shoving through the ragged circle of onlookers that had formed around them.
“Milord Raoul! I carry urgent news from Third Company.”
The two knights quickly stepped back from each other, sheathed their swords and turned to the dust-covered man.
“I regret to inform you that Sergeant Domitan of Masbolle is with the Black God.”
“Are you certain?” Raoul asked, his face paling under its normal tan.
“There can be no doubt about it; I saw it happen with my own eyes.”
“Where they ambushed?”
The messenger cringed, sucking a breath in through his teeth. “No, sir.”
“An assassin?”
“No, sir.”
“Did his horse-”
“He fell off a wall, sir.”
“If Winddancer threw him I’ll….he did what?”
“He was sitting on an old wall in some ruins that Third Company found two days ago near the Scanran border. I don’t know what happened exactly – he was just there one moment and on the ground the next.”
Raoul sighed and looked down at his boots for a moment. “Were there healers-”
“I’m sorry, sir, but all the king’s men and all the king’s horses couldn’t-”
“Thank you,” Raoul cut in before the messenger could continue, “I think that’s enough. Someone has to inform his family.”