Post by Lisa on Mar 23, 2010 8:19:37 GMT 10
Title: The Holiday Arc (4)
Rating: PG
Length: 774 words
Competitor: Alanna
Round/Fight: 3/A
Summary: Neal tells a story that gets Alanna and Kel thinking.
A/N: Meghan and I jumped on Kit and Nicki's thought of passing fics back and forth. Because they’re just that awesome.
August 1, 463 H.E.
“Legend says that there was once a beautiful lady knight – at least three hundred years ago – who was born on Lammas Eve,” Neal says, buttering his slice of bread.
“Lots of women are born on Lammas Eve, I’d suspect,” Kel replies nonchalantly. Alanna can’t help but snort into her cup of water, earning amused looks from others nearby.
“You’re so unromantic. There’s more to this tragic story than the date of her birth.”
“Of course there is.”
“Well, the lady knight traversed the country, doing great deeds for her people and her king, but fell in love with another knight. At a tournament, on the eve of their hand fasting, she was killed.”
“That’s not a very pleasant story,” Kel says.
Most tales of lady knights aren’t, Alanna thinks. The only stories she knows that lasted were the ones used to warn women back into more domestic roles.
“The tragedy was that she never fulfilled, nay, harvested her love for the other knight.” Neal grins at his play on words, overly proud of himself.
Alanna leans over her to knock her former squire upside the head. “I don’t understand why you talk suck rubbish all of the time.”
Masking a smile, Kel takes a bite of her own bread. She chews thoughtfully and focuses her attention on the people in the mess hall, wearing their best clothes and partaking in the harvest feast. They’re a hard-working people who don’t have time or money for luxuries, but there are more ribbons in hair and sweets exchanging hands than anyone in New Hope is accustomed to. Alanna knows that this is likely her last harvest in the refugee camp, if the reports from Lord Wyldon are true. Kel is needed elsewhere.
“Care for a walk?” Alanna asks softly.
Kel swallows her last bite and nods. She searches the older woman’s eyes. Apparently she finds what she was looking for. “Certainly, Lioness.”
They leave Neal to tell his romantic, tragic tales to Merric and the other men, and instead walk the perimeter of the camp at a relaxed pace.
“As nice as it is to hear Neal drone, I wanted to spend some quality time with you,” Alanna says, looking up at Kel with a sly grin.
“That works for me.”
Alanna leads her out the town gates, and back to the pond they’d sat beside at Midsummer. “You’ve never heard the tale Neal was spouting, have you?”
Kel shakes her head. “I stay away from romantic drivel.”
“You’re smarter than most,” Alanna says with a chuckle. “But there are bits he’s left out. It’s not just that the lady knight died before her love could be sworn before the Goddess. The knight she was in love with was also a woman.”
She doesn’t miss the sharp inhalation of Kel’s breath.
“Maybe it was originally a male knight, but then when people started using the story to morally oppress the world, they changed it to a woman. God forbid women become knights, or fall in love with other women.”
Kel says nothing, but Alanna can never tell if it’s a matter of being uncomfortable, or simply being the type who listens rather than talks.
“Do you object to that sort of thing?” she asks carefully.
“Not at all,” Kel replies. “I suppose it was just a bit of a surprise.” She stops at the edge of the water, gazing downward. “Do you?” Her voice is almost meek.
“Kel.”
She looks at Alanna again, her eyes wide. The color reminds her of George, though they’re really nothing alike. Maybe she’s just a sucker for hazel eyes.
Alanna closes the gap between them and shifts her weight to the balls of her feet. She presses her lips to Kel’s, and is delighted to feel those soft, full lips give beneath hers. Their tongues flick against each other, hesitant at first, but then with more urgency. When Alanna finally pulls away, Kel is almost panting.
“I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now,” she admits. She sits down beside the pool of calm water, finding it strange to see such calmness when her heart is pounding incessantly.
Kel sits beside her. “I was hoping you’d say that,” she says with a small smile. “Why do you think people use that story as a warning against women who fall in love with women?”
“Because the world is full of stupid,” Alanna replies, shaking her head. “Because people fear what they don’t understand.”
“I don’t.”
She takes Kel’s hand in hers. “No, my lass, you don’t. That’s what makes you better than the rest.”
“No, I’m really not.”
“You are.”
Rating: PG
Length: 774 words
Competitor: Alanna
Round/Fight: 3/A
Summary: Neal tells a story that gets Alanna and Kel thinking.
A/N: Meghan and I jumped on Kit and Nicki's thought of passing fics back and forth. Because they’re just that awesome.
August 1, 463 H.E.
“Legend says that there was once a beautiful lady knight – at least three hundred years ago – who was born on Lammas Eve,” Neal says, buttering his slice of bread.
“Lots of women are born on Lammas Eve, I’d suspect,” Kel replies nonchalantly. Alanna can’t help but snort into her cup of water, earning amused looks from others nearby.
“You’re so unromantic. There’s more to this tragic story than the date of her birth.”
“Of course there is.”
“Well, the lady knight traversed the country, doing great deeds for her people and her king, but fell in love with another knight. At a tournament, on the eve of their hand fasting, she was killed.”
“That’s not a very pleasant story,” Kel says.
Most tales of lady knights aren’t, Alanna thinks. The only stories she knows that lasted were the ones used to warn women back into more domestic roles.
“The tragedy was that she never fulfilled, nay, harvested her love for the other knight.” Neal grins at his play on words, overly proud of himself.
Alanna leans over her to knock her former squire upside the head. “I don’t understand why you talk suck rubbish all of the time.”
Masking a smile, Kel takes a bite of her own bread. She chews thoughtfully and focuses her attention on the people in the mess hall, wearing their best clothes and partaking in the harvest feast. They’re a hard-working people who don’t have time or money for luxuries, but there are more ribbons in hair and sweets exchanging hands than anyone in New Hope is accustomed to. Alanna knows that this is likely her last harvest in the refugee camp, if the reports from Lord Wyldon are true. Kel is needed elsewhere.
“Care for a walk?” Alanna asks softly.
Kel swallows her last bite and nods. She searches the older woman’s eyes. Apparently she finds what she was looking for. “Certainly, Lioness.”
They leave Neal to tell his romantic, tragic tales to Merric and the other men, and instead walk the perimeter of the camp at a relaxed pace.
“As nice as it is to hear Neal drone, I wanted to spend some quality time with you,” Alanna says, looking up at Kel with a sly grin.
“That works for me.”
Alanna leads her out the town gates, and back to the pond they’d sat beside at Midsummer. “You’ve never heard the tale Neal was spouting, have you?”
Kel shakes her head. “I stay away from romantic drivel.”
“You’re smarter than most,” Alanna says with a chuckle. “But there are bits he’s left out. It’s not just that the lady knight died before her love could be sworn before the Goddess. The knight she was in love with was also a woman.”
She doesn’t miss the sharp inhalation of Kel’s breath.
“Maybe it was originally a male knight, but then when people started using the story to morally oppress the world, they changed it to a woman. God forbid women become knights, or fall in love with other women.”
Kel says nothing, but Alanna can never tell if it’s a matter of being uncomfortable, or simply being the type who listens rather than talks.
“Do you object to that sort of thing?” she asks carefully.
“Not at all,” Kel replies. “I suppose it was just a bit of a surprise.” She stops at the edge of the water, gazing downward. “Do you?” Her voice is almost meek.
“Kel.”
She looks at Alanna again, her eyes wide. The color reminds her of George, though they’re really nothing alike. Maybe she’s just a sucker for hazel eyes.
Alanna closes the gap between them and shifts her weight to the balls of her feet. She presses her lips to Kel’s, and is delighted to feel those soft, full lips give beneath hers. Their tongues flick against each other, hesitant at first, but then with more urgency. When Alanna finally pulls away, Kel is almost panting.
“I’ve been meaning to do that for a while now,” she admits. She sits down beside the pool of calm water, finding it strange to see such calmness when her heart is pounding incessantly.
Kel sits beside her. “I was hoping you’d say that,” she says with a small smile. “Why do you think people use that story as a warning against women who fall in love with women?”
“Because the world is full of stupid,” Alanna replies, shaking her head. “Because people fear what they don’t understand.”
“I don’t.”
She takes Kel’s hand in hers. “No, my lass, you don’t. That’s what makes you better than the rest.”
“No, I’m really not.”
“You are.”