Post by infinite on Mar 20, 2011 0:36:56 GMT 10
Title: Friends
Rating: G
Word Count: 674
Pairing: Kel/Maura
Round/Fight: 1/C
Summary: Kel and Maura make friends.
Author's Note: I hope this isn't too outrageously OOC, especially for Maura - I don't have a copy of Wolf Speaker to check.
Kel smiled as Crown fluttered towards her. “I’ve missed you,” she said when the sparrow perched, squeezing Kel’s finger in an apologetic greeting. “I thought I might have to go begging in the kitchens for something to bribe you with, except I don’t know the cooks here, and I know they don’t have much extra to give – not for spoiled birds from the palace, anyway.”
“I’m sure we could spare something for our guests.” Kel turned to see who had spoken and was mortified to see that it was the lady of the house, walking toward her across the lawn.
Kel bowed, “My Lady Dunlath.”
Maura stopped and gave a correspondingly solemn curtsey, “Page Keladry,” then she smiled, and soon her smile turned into a semi-stifled giggle. There was no malice in it, but Kel didn’t think she would have giggled had she bumped into one of the other pages. “Sorry, I’m not used to ladies bowing at me,” Maura explained.
“I’m not used to ladies curtseying at me, either.”
“No, I don’t suppose you get to meet many of them during your pages’ training,” Maura sighed, “Not that I meet many either.” She glanced over at the wolves frisking by the fringe of the forest, “Not that I don’t have anyone – my friends just come in unusual packages these days.” She smiled, “Sorry I giggled before, I’m not usually the giggling type. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t like you, or if I disapproved of what you’re doing. Going for your knighthood, I mean.”
“Thank you, My Lady.” This impressive young woman who defeated traitors and managed her own fief liked her?
“Please, call me Maura. As you may have gathered, I can’t abide all this formality Wyldon seems to tow around with him. It comes of living in the provinces, I suppose. I daresay they think me an unmannered bumpkin when I visit the palace.”
“Not at all. Mindelan – where I’m from – is further out than Dunlath. It’s right on the Scanran border.”
“Ah. I have no excuse then, your manners are impeccable. Well, perhaps I’ll blame it on the wolves. They’ve clearly influenced me with their wild ways.” Kel glanced at the wolves uneasily. It was their distinct lack of wildness that she found so uncanny. Maura held out a finger in an invitation to Crown.
“Don’t mind the wolves, they won’t hurt you.”
“It’s just…they’re so eerie. Though, I’m sure once you get used to them…” She didn’t want to offend Maura (and who knew if the wolves would overhear her!), but the other girl didn’t seem to mind Kel’s apprehension.
“I couldn’t bear them at first; I was terrified. But, you spend enough time with anyone, and you’re bound to become friends with them.” Kel looked at Jump, who seemed to have ingratiated himself into the pack – at the very least they were tolerating him, as well as the sparrows, the feathery turncoats.
“And animals make good friends, when they haven’t abandoned you for a pack of wolves.”
“Exactly.” Maura stroked Crown’s breast, “And what’s this fine lady’s name?”
“It’s Crown. She was the first of the sparrows to make me her friend, and she’s the chief of the flock.”
“Well, Crown, let’s see if we can find you something nice to eat.”
“Honestly, Lady Maura, I couldn’t possibly take anything from your kitchens. I usually just sneak some rolls at dinnertime.”
“You’re not taking it, I’m giving it to you. I can’t ask you to take food out of the mouths of your fellow pages. And besides, you said it yourself, this lady’s royalty. We at Dunlath always pay due deference to our monarchs.” She said it innocently enough, but Kel was shocked. Had Maura just made a joke about her sister’s treason?
“When you put it that way, I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Good. There’s a pair of cats I’ll introduce you to, they can usually be found somewhere under cook’s feet. You might like them a bit better than the wolves.”
QC'd by: inthefire
Rating: G
Word Count: 674
Pairing: Kel/Maura
Round/Fight: 1/C
Summary: Kel and Maura make friends.
Author's Note: I hope this isn't too outrageously OOC, especially for Maura - I don't have a copy of Wolf Speaker to check.
Kel smiled as Crown fluttered towards her. “I’ve missed you,” she said when the sparrow perched, squeezing Kel’s finger in an apologetic greeting. “I thought I might have to go begging in the kitchens for something to bribe you with, except I don’t know the cooks here, and I know they don’t have much extra to give – not for spoiled birds from the palace, anyway.”
“I’m sure we could spare something for our guests.” Kel turned to see who had spoken and was mortified to see that it was the lady of the house, walking toward her across the lawn.
Kel bowed, “My Lady Dunlath.”
Maura stopped and gave a correspondingly solemn curtsey, “Page Keladry,” then she smiled, and soon her smile turned into a semi-stifled giggle. There was no malice in it, but Kel didn’t think she would have giggled had she bumped into one of the other pages. “Sorry, I’m not used to ladies bowing at me,” Maura explained.
“I’m not used to ladies curtseying at me, either.”
“No, I don’t suppose you get to meet many of them during your pages’ training,” Maura sighed, “Not that I meet many either.” She glanced over at the wolves frisking by the fringe of the forest, “Not that I don’t have anyone – my friends just come in unusual packages these days.” She smiled, “Sorry I giggled before, I’m not usually the giggling type. I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t like you, or if I disapproved of what you’re doing. Going for your knighthood, I mean.”
“Thank you, My Lady.” This impressive young woman who defeated traitors and managed her own fief liked her?
“Please, call me Maura. As you may have gathered, I can’t abide all this formality Wyldon seems to tow around with him. It comes of living in the provinces, I suppose. I daresay they think me an unmannered bumpkin when I visit the palace.”
“Not at all. Mindelan – where I’m from – is further out than Dunlath. It’s right on the Scanran border.”
“Ah. I have no excuse then, your manners are impeccable. Well, perhaps I’ll blame it on the wolves. They’ve clearly influenced me with their wild ways.” Kel glanced at the wolves uneasily. It was their distinct lack of wildness that she found so uncanny. Maura held out a finger in an invitation to Crown.
“Don’t mind the wolves, they won’t hurt you.”
“It’s just…they’re so eerie. Though, I’m sure once you get used to them…” She didn’t want to offend Maura (and who knew if the wolves would overhear her!), but the other girl didn’t seem to mind Kel’s apprehension.
“I couldn’t bear them at first; I was terrified. But, you spend enough time with anyone, and you’re bound to become friends with them.” Kel looked at Jump, who seemed to have ingratiated himself into the pack – at the very least they were tolerating him, as well as the sparrows, the feathery turncoats.
“And animals make good friends, when they haven’t abandoned you for a pack of wolves.”
“Exactly.” Maura stroked Crown’s breast, “And what’s this fine lady’s name?”
“It’s Crown. She was the first of the sparrows to make me her friend, and she’s the chief of the flock.”
“Well, Crown, let’s see if we can find you something nice to eat.”
“Honestly, Lady Maura, I couldn’t possibly take anything from your kitchens. I usually just sneak some rolls at dinnertime.”
“You’re not taking it, I’m giving it to you. I can’t ask you to take food out of the mouths of your fellow pages. And besides, you said it yourself, this lady’s royalty. We at Dunlath always pay due deference to our monarchs.” She said it innocently enough, but Kel was shocked. Had Maura just made a joke about her sister’s treason?
“When you put it that way, I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble.”
“Good. There’s a pair of cats I’ll introduce you to, they can usually be found somewhere under cook’s feet. You might like them a bit better than the wolves.”
QC'd by: inthefire