Post by Seek on Dec 11, 2011 23:56:17 GMT 10
To: Isha
Message: Happy holidays, and thanks for the reminder! I threw in a dash of hinted Kel/Joren because I know you like 'em
From: Seek
Title: Northwatch Through The Night
Rating: G
Words: 606
Wishlist Item: #1 - Squire!fic, tradition
Summary: Kel’s squire and Kel talk as they make an urgent journey to Northwatch. The squires to lady knights have their own traditions. Hinted Kel/Joren.
-
It was another series of grueling nights. Kel had her share of forced marches when she served as a squire with Raoul and the King’s Own. Hard rides through the night, with little time to rest, tasteless trail biscuit and tough jerky, strict water rations. They paused only to switch to their remounts and to give the original horses some time to rest.
Aric was resentfully silent through most of the journey. At least she didn’t have to deal with disobedience. If there was something, Kel thought, she hated the warriors who thought they knew better than the Girl or the newest lady knight, never mind their orders. Disobeying orders got good men needlessly killed.
But it seemed her new squire seemed content to brood and—she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and was faintly surprised—he was actually sulking, shoulders hunched as he sat astride Blaze.
Kel normally prefered riding in silence, but she knew little enough of her squire. What she knew was that it had taken months after Lord Burchard’s death before Stone Mountain had sent another son to the palace. Mithros forbid Stone Mountain fail to provide a son in defense of the realm. No matter how outspoken Lord Burchard had become, Stone Mountain would hardly stint on tradition.
All that told her nothing that Lord Wyldon hadn’t already said about Aric. She took a deep breath. “How’s the pace?” Kel asked him.
“I hate the weather,” Aric muttered sullenly. In Joren, it would have been a look of haughty disdain. The similar features on Aric turned the expression into a sulk, almost a pout as he glanced up at the dark skies.
“Stop complaining,” Kel ordered. She resisted the grin that tugged at the corners of her lips. “Knights don’t get to pick the weather they ride in.”
“Squire’s sacred right, lady,” Aric murmured. Kel shot him a quizzical look. “Sir Nealan took me aside to explain the traditional duties of a squire to a lady knight. He said to never stop complaining. It’s the only thing a good squire does when they work you like a horse.”
Kel’s eyes narrowed. “I am going to have a talk with Neal when we get back,” she murmured. She fought the smile. So there was a bit of sardonic wit hidden beneath the whiny exterior, or so it seemed.
“He liked you, you know.”
Kel drew rein, startled; Hoshi came to an abrupt halt. “What?” Kel asked her squire, before she could come to think the better of it. “What do you mean?”
Aric drew a long, reluctant breath, and then released it slowly. “Joren,” he said. Blaze tugged at the reins. Aric ignored her. “Maybe ‘like’ isn’t the word to describe it. But he was fixated on you, lady. Make of it what you will.” He kneed Blaze into the steady, distance-eating trot they’d been using for most of the evening. “You were the only thing he spoke of when he came home. Sir Nealan told me about…your history. I just thought you might want to know that.”
Sir Nealan told me indeed, Kel thought crossly. Most likely Neal had taken him apart and threatened him with dismemberment and goodness knows what if the younger Stone Mountain was going to make a try at her.
I can take care of myself, thank you very much Neal, I don’t need you scaring my squire!
“Aric,” she said. “You know I don’t bite.”
“Maybe,” Aric murmured. And quietly: "That wasn't what Tobe said." In the middle of the dark, cold, thankless ride to Northwatch, Kel found she was smiling.
Message: Happy holidays, and thanks for the reminder! I threw in a dash of hinted Kel/Joren because I know you like 'em
From: Seek
Title: Northwatch Through The Night
Rating: G
Words: 606
Wishlist Item: #1 - Squire!fic, tradition
Summary: Kel’s squire and Kel talk as they make an urgent journey to Northwatch. The squires to lady knights have their own traditions. Hinted Kel/Joren.
-
It was another series of grueling nights. Kel had her share of forced marches when she served as a squire with Raoul and the King’s Own. Hard rides through the night, with little time to rest, tasteless trail biscuit and tough jerky, strict water rations. They paused only to switch to their remounts and to give the original horses some time to rest.
Aric was resentfully silent through most of the journey. At least she didn’t have to deal with disobedience. If there was something, Kel thought, she hated the warriors who thought they knew better than the Girl or the newest lady knight, never mind their orders. Disobeying orders got good men needlessly killed.
But it seemed her new squire seemed content to brood and—she glanced at him out of the corner of her eye and was faintly surprised—he was actually sulking, shoulders hunched as he sat astride Blaze.
Kel normally prefered riding in silence, but she knew little enough of her squire. What she knew was that it had taken months after Lord Burchard’s death before Stone Mountain had sent another son to the palace. Mithros forbid Stone Mountain fail to provide a son in defense of the realm. No matter how outspoken Lord Burchard had become, Stone Mountain would hardly stint on tradition.
All that told her nothing that Lord Wyldon hadn’t already said about Aric. She took a deep breath. “How’s the pace?” Kel asked him.
“I hate the weather,” Aric muttered sullenly. In Joren, it would have been a look of haughty disdain. The similar features on Aric turned the expression into a sulk, almost a pout as he glanced up at the dark skies.
“Stop complaining,” Kel ordered. She resisted the grin that tugged at the corners of her lips. “Knights don’t get to pick the weather they ride in.”
“Squire’s sacred right, lady,” Aric murmured. Kel shot him a quizzical look. “Sir Nealan took me aside to explain the traditional duties of a squire to a lady knight. He said to never stop complaining. It’s the only thing a good squire does when they work you like a horse.”
Kel’s eyes narrowed. “I am going to have a talk with Neal when we get back,” she murmured. She fought the smile. So there was a bit of sardonic wit hidden beneath the whiny exterior, or so it seemed.
“He liked you, you know.”
Kel drew rein, startled; Hoshi came to an abrupt halt. “What?” Kel asked her squire, before she could come to think the better of it. “What do you mean?”
Aric drew a long, reluctant breath, and then released it slowly. “Joren,” he said. Blaze tugged at the reins. Aric ignored her. “Maybe ‘like’ isn’t the word to describe it. But he was fixated on you, lady. Make of it what you will.” He kneed Blaze into the steady, distance-eating trot they’d been using for most of the evening. “You were the only thing he spoke of when he came home. Sir Nealan told me about…your history. I just thought you might want to know that.”
Sir Nealan told me indeed, Kel thought crossly. Most likely Neal had taken him apart and threatened him with dismemberment and goodness knows what if the younger Stone Mountain was going to make a try at her.
I can take care of myself, thank you very much Neal, I don’t need you scaring my squire!
“Aric,” she said. “You know I don’t bite.”
“Maybe,” Aric murmured. And quietly: "That wasn't what Tobe said." In the middle of the dark, cold, thankless ride to Northwatch, Kel found she was smiling.