Post by Seek on May 5, 2013 0:03:29 GMT 10
Title: Crossbow
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 589 words
Summary: Buri saves Raoul's life in Corus.
Pairing: Buri/Raoul
Round/Fight: 1D
Notes: Part of the Crossfire series.
Warnings: Violence. Possibly graphic.
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The year after the earthquake is a time of famine, of hardship. All of Tortall’s harvests fail at once, and the water levels in the lakes drop to unprecedented levels. The Provost’s Guard are pressed to their utmost to deal with the almost-weekly riots in the Lower City, and there’s word of the same from Port Caynn and all the other fiefs throughout Tortall.
The King’s Own is pressed into service, and sometimes, Buri rides with them. Raoul is called from one corner of the kingdom to another, sometimes with Alanna as whispers that the gods have turned their faces from Tortall and the Contes abound. Barons and lords alike are furious when Jon taxes them and taxes them hard to find the money to buy Tusaini bread. The Own patrols the fiefs, a visible sign of the king’s power, reminding them that open rebellion is treason.
Still, signs show. Barons delay and wheedle, refusing to pay their taxes. Crown tax collectors wind up hanged or with their throats cut, and investigations take forever to conduct. The king’s spymaster is good at what he does, but he isn’t a god. Raoul is recalled to Corus, and the King’s Own with him. As he rides through the city streets, the gathered cityfolk pelt him and his men with rocks, shards of broken pottery. No one throws rotten fruit; at this point, they’d be glad to eat rotten fruit.
Men join the Own and the army when the king guarantees that Tortall’s swordarms will be fed. Scanra, at least, doesn’t raid. The Scanrans have food problems of their own and in the year where the Tortallan harvests fail and Tortall beggars itself buying grain, Tortall ceases to be a tempting target for the raiders. Tusaine and the other neighbouring countries make forays into Tortall and the army beats off the attacks, just barely.
Buri rides with Raoul back to Corus, and she notices a silhouette out of the corner of her eye. With barely enough time to think, she nudges her horse to the side. Roshan is well-trained, and the horse slams into Raoul’s horse Socks, enough to startle Socks. The gelding rears back, as Raoul curses and fights to control his horse. In the moment, the loosed crossbow bolt flies through the space where Raoul would have been, and punches into the wall of a house as if it were paper.
Raoul narrows his eyes; he knows what has happened. He’s made too many enemies this year as the Knight Commander of the King’s Own. A flicker of movement in the crowd, and the shooter has melted away, is trying to run. A few rogues charge out, swords drawn. Buri slips down from Roshan, and dodges past them. They try to cut at her, but she’s not their main target. Raoul is.
If she doesn’t stop the shooter and lets him get to another position, he has another shot at Raoul. She looks for him, trying to find the movement in the crowd. This is an angry crowd; it pushes against her, and slows her down. And yet they’re not overly helpful to the shooter either. He’s tried to attack a kingsman and as much as no one likes the king very much, this is a step too treasonous for their liking.
She catches a glimpse of his face. Ruddy, unbearded. Dark eyes. A scar across his lip.
Her hand goes to the curved K’miri knife at her belt. If he wants to play hide and seek, Buri’ll let him.
Rating: PG-13
Word count: 589 words
Summary: Buri saves Raoul's life in Corus.
Pairing: Buri/Raoul
Round/Fight: 1D
Notes: Part of the Crossfire series.
Warnings: Violence. Possibly graphic.
-
The year after the earthquake is a time of famine, of hardship. All of Tortall’s harvests fail at once, and the water levels in the lakes drop to unprecedented levels. The Provost’s Guard are pressed to their utmost to deal with the almost-weekly riots in the Lower City, and there’s word of the same from Port Caynn and all the other fiefs throughout Tortall.
The King’s Own is pressed into service, and sometimes, Buri rides with them. Raoul is called from one corner of the kingdom to another, sometimes with Alanna as whispers that the gods have turned their faces from Tortall and the Contes abound. Barons and lords alike are furious when Jon taxes them and taxes them hard to find the money to buy Tusaini bread. The Own patrols the fiefs, a visible sign of the king’s power, reminding them that open rebellion is treason.
Still, signs show. Barons delay and wheedle, refusing to pay their taxes. Crown tax collectors wind up hanged or with their throats cut, and investigations take forever to conduct. The king’s spymaster is good at what he does, but he isn’t a god. Raoul is recalled to Corus, and the King’s Own with him. As he rides through the city streets, the gathered cityfolk pelt him and his men with rocks, shards of broken pottery. No one throws rotten fruit; at this point, they’d be glad to eat rotten fruit.
Men join the Own and the army when the king guarantees that Tortall’s swordarms will be fed. Scanra, at least, doesn’t raid. The Scanrans have food problems of their own and in the year where the Tortallan harvests fail and Tortall beggars itself buying grain, Tortall ceases to be a tempting target for the raiders. Tusaine and the other neighbouring countries make forays into Tortall and the army beats off the attacks, just barely.
Buri rides with Raoul back to Corus, and she notices a silhouette out of the corner of her eye. With barely enough time to think, she nudges her horse to the side. Roshan is well-trained, and the horse slams into Raoul’s horse Socks, enough to startle Socks. The gelding rears back, as Raoul curses and fights to control his horse. In the moment, the loosed crossbow bolt flies through the space where Raoul would have been, and punches into the wall of a house as if it were paper.
Raoul narrows his eyes; he knows what has happened. He’s made too many enemies this year as the Knight Commander of the King’s Own. A flicker of movement in the crowd, and the shooter has melted away, is trying to run. A few rogues charge out, swords drawn. Buri slips down from Roshan, and dodges past them. They try to cut at her, but she’s not their main target. Raoul is.
If she doesn’t stop the shooter and lets him get to another position, he has another shot at Raoul. She looks for him, trying to find the movement in the crowd. This is an angry crowd; it pushes against her, and slows her down. And yet they’re not overly helpful to the shooter either. He’s tried to attack a kingsman and as much as no one likes the king very much, this is a step too treasonous for their liking.
She catches a glimpse of his face. Ruddy, unbearded. Dark eyes. A scar across his lip.
Her hand goes to the curved K’miri knife at her belt. If he wants to play hide and seek, Buri’ll let him.
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!