Post by westernsunset on Jan 20, 2019 4:41:35 GMT 10
Title: The Horse
Summary: Lord Wyldon sees how strong the Shang warriors really are. Part of my ongoing series about how Wyldon became friendly with the Shangs, given that they're total opposites.
Rating: PG, I guess. It just feels a little too mean for G
With the Royal family taking meals privately, Wyldon had to invent little tests for the pages, to ensure they wouldn’t embarrass him at big banquets. With enough guests coming through court, he could usually find someone to sit with him at the head table, and give the pages practice serving others. When there weren’t guests, particularly in the colder winter months, Wyldon would rely on the pages’ other teachers to fill the seats.
Frankly, it was only a matter of time before he had to ask the Shangs to join him for dinner. It was deep into the winter and he had a choice between the Shangs or one of the Mithran priests. He knew it was uncharitable but the Mithrans bored him to tears, the thought of spending an entire dinner with them was more than he could stomach.
He sought out Eda and Hakuin that morning, after they’d finished with the pages.
“You know I have guests at the head table for the pages to practice serving,” he said gruffly.
A pause. “Yes, we know,” Hakuin said.
“Well, I need guests for tonight, unless you two are occupied.”
The two engaged in the silent conversation Wyldon had seen several times before, and drove him crazy. They seemed to be have a whole discourse with a raised eyebrow, a tilt of the head. It was maddening.
“We’d be honored,” Eda said. Then, as Wyldon turned to go, “as long as you don’t mind us eating with our hands.”
Wyldon turned, not totally masking the horror from his face. Eda and Hakuin suppressed smiles, knowing their trick had succeeded.
Maybe he should’ve asked the Mithrans after all.
—
Mercifully, the Shangs did not eat with their hands, and actually seemed to know the nuances of formal dining. The second year page serving the head table seemed less nervous than other pages, possibly because Eda winked at him when he came up to the table.
“You’ve done well with them,” Wyldon said gruffly after the page had dropped off a small first course. “It seems their stances in staff work improved faster this year than in past years.”
“Thank you for saying so,” Hakuin said. “It was smart of you to integrate hand to hand combat. It strengthens the muscles, it helps almost everything else they’ll do.”
“Except horseback riding,” said Eda.
“True,” Hakuin responded.
“You all don’t ride horses?” Wyldon said.
“We can,” said Hakuin. “It’s just not part of our training, not in the same way everything else is.”
“It would make us too powerful,” Eda said.
If Wyldon was a less refined man, he would have scoffed.
“I know you doubt us,” Eda said. How she knew what Wyldon was thinking, he couldn’t say. “All the nobles do.”
“And do so at their peril,” Hakuin added. Eda nodded.
“You two think you could beat a fully trained knight?” Wyldon could hear the frustration in his voice. What was it about the Shangs that made him so quick to anger? He usually was in far better control of his emotions, but something about the two of them could get under his skin.
“Not in everything,” Eda said. “But for most knights, in most types of duels, sure.”
“How could you possibly—”
“With respect Lord Wyldon, you’ve never seen us fight,” Hakuin said. “Not for real, anyway.”
Wyldon opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. It was a good point. He’d only seen the Shangs in training or while teaching. If someone made a judgment on his skill after seeing his teaching and nothing more, they would be wrong.
“Then let’s see you fight,” Wyldon said.
—
“Why not just kick me directly? I’ve been rammed by more lances than I can count,” Wyldon said. “I think I can handle a barefoot kick.”
“You’re confident, that’s what I like about you,” Hakuin said. Wyldon glowered a little, though Hakuin’s comments seemed to almost be friendly teasing. The three had gone to the practice yards once dinner had finished, correctly assuming that at this late hour, no one would be there.
“Why don’t you see what I can do on something else first, then see if you still want to feel the full force of a kick from the Horse,” Hakuin replied.
Wyldon rolled his eyes, but agreed. “What did you have in mind?”
“What about that dummy you use for the tilting practice?”
“That’ll be useless, I won’t be able to gauge how hard you can kick on a heavy dummy filled with sand,” Wyldon protested.
“Humor him,” Eda chimed in. “You may be surprised.”
Wyldon threw up his hands, and the three walked out to the tilting lane where Wyldon set up the dummy.
Hakuin stood before it, settling into a stance. Wyldon saw his face smooth, and every muscle in his body shift. There was another change to Hakuin, a change Wyldon couldn’t put his finger on if he tried.
“I still don’t think—” Wyldon was cut off as Hakuin struck lightning fast. The thump on the dummy was audible, and in the next moment, the bottom fell off, spilling sand all over the practice yard.
Wyldon stared open mouthed. That dummy had taken hundreds and hundreds of lances from pages and squires and even knights riding huge horses. He himself had rammed the dummy several times, and he was one of the strongest jousters in the kingdom. And Hakuin had split it with a kick.
“A trick!” Wyldon finally said. “You’ve loosened it!”
Now it was Eda’s turn to roll her eyes. “You got the dummy yourself, you would have noticed if it was loose. But I’m sure Hakuin is happy to demonstrate again.”
“No let’s…let’s not ruin another dummy, they’re expensive to replace.”
Hakuin laughed, then stopped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be impolite. I just think that’s the first time I’ve heard you admit defeat!”
Wyldon scowled. “A good knight knows when he can learn from someone with more skill.”
“Plus he could unseat you easily if you ever jousted against him,” Eda replied.
“Thanks for the reminder Eda,” Hakuin said. “I can always count on you to point out my failings.”
If anyone pointed out Wyldon was softening on the Shangs, he would have denied it, but he did smile a little.
Summary: Lord Wyldon sees how strong the Shang warriors really are. Part of my ongoing series about how Wyldon became friendly with the Shangs, given that they're total opposites.
Rating: PG, I guess. It just feels a little too mean for G
With the Royal family taking meals privately, Wyldon had to invent little tests for the pages, to ensure they wouldn’t embarrass him at big banquets. With enough guests coming through court, he could usually find someone to sit with him at the head table, and give the pages practice serving others. When there weren’t guests, particularly in the colder winter months, Wyldon would rely on the pages’ other teachers to fill the seats.
Frankly, it was only a matter of time before he had to ask the Shangs to join him for dinner. It was deep into the winter and he had a choice between the Shangs or one of the Mithran priests. He knew it was uncharitable but the Mithrans bored him to tears, the thought of spending an entire dinner with them was more than he could stomach.
He sought out Eda and Hakuin that morning, after they’d finished with the pages.
“You know I have guests at the head table for the pages to practice serving,” he said gruffly.
A pause. “Yes, we know,” Hakuin said.
“Well, I need guests for tonight, unless you two are occupied.”
The two engaged in the silent conversation Wyldon had seen several times before, and drove him crazy. They seemed to be have a whole discourse with a raised eyebrow, a tilt of the head. It was maddening.
“We’d be honored,” Eda said. Then, as Wyldon turned to go, “as long as you don’t mind us eating with our hands.”
Wyldon turned, not totally masking the horror from his face. Eda and Hakuin suppressed smiles, knowing their trick had succeeded.
Maybe he should’ve asked the Mithrans after all.
—
Mercifully, the Shangs did not eat with their hands, and actually seemed to know the nuances of formal dining. The second year page serving the head table seemed less nervous than other pages, possibly because Eda winked at him when he came up to the table.
“You’ve done well with them,” Wyldon said gruffly after the page had dropped off a small first course. “It seems their stances in staff work improved faster this year than in past years.”
“Thank you for saying so,” Hakuin said. “It was smart of you to integrate hand to hand combat. It strengthens the muscles, it helps almost everything else they’ll do.”
“Except horseback riding,” said Eda.
“True,” Hakuin responded.
“You all don’t ride horses?” Wyldon said.
“We can,” said Hakuin. “It’s just not part of our training, not in the same way everything else is.”
“It would make us too powerful,” Eda said.
If Wyldon was a less refined man, he would have scoffed.
“I know you doubt us,” Eda said. How she knew what Wyldon was thinking, he couldn’t say. “All the nobles do.”
“And do so at their peril,” Hakuin added. Eda nodded.
“You two think you could beat a fully trained knight?” Wyldon could hear the frustration in his voice. What was it about the Shangs that made him so quick to anger? He usually was in far better control of his emotions, but something about the two of them could get under his skin.
“Not in everything,” Eda said. “But for most knights, in most types of duels, sure.”
“How could you possibly—”
“With respect Lord Wyldon, you’ve never seen us fight,” Hakuin said. “Not for real, anyway.”
Wyldon opened his mouth to speak, but closed it again. It was a good point. He’d only seen the Shangs in training or while teaching. If someone made a judgment on his skill after seeing his teaching and nothing more, they would be wrong.
“Then let’s see you fight,” Wyldon said.
—
“Why not just kick me directly? I’ve been rammed by more lances than I can count,” Wyldon said. “I think I can handle a barefoot kick.”
“You’re confident, that’s what I like about you,” Hakuin said. Wyldon glowered a little, though Hakuin’s comments seemed to almost be friendly teasing. The three had gone to the practice yards once dinner had finished, correctly assuming that at this late hour, no one would be there.
“Why don’t you see what I can do on something else first, then see if you still want to feel the full force of a kick from the Horse,” Hakuin replied.
Wyldon rolled his eyes, but agreed. “What did you have in mind?”
“What about that dummy you use for the tilting practice?”
“That’ll be useless, I won’t be able to gauge how hard you can kick on a heavy dummy filled with sand,” Wyldon protested.
“Humor him,” Eda chimed in. “You may be surprised.”
Wyldon threw up his hands, and the three walked out to the tilting lane where Wyldon set up the dummy.
Hakuin stood before it, settling into a stance. Wyldon saw his face smooth, and every muscle in his body shift. There was another change to Hakuin, a change Wyldon couldn’t put his finger on if he tried.
“I still don’t think—” Wyldon was cut off as Hakuin struck lightning fast. The thump on the dummy was audible, and in the next moment, the bottom fell off, spilling sand all over the practice yard.
Wyldon stared open mouthed. That dummy had taken hundreds and hundreds of lances from pages and squires and even knights riding huge horses. He himself had rammed the dummy several times, and he was one of the strongest jousters in the kingdom. And Hakuin had split it with a kick.
“A trick!” Wyldon finally said. “You’ve loosened it!”
Now it was Eda’s turn to roll her eyes. “You got the dummy yourself, you would have noticed if it was loose. But I’m sure Hakuin is happy to demonstrate again.”
“No let’s…let’s not ruin another dummy, they’re expensive to replace.”
Hakuin laughed, then stopped. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be impolite. I just think that’s the first time I’ve heard you admit defeat!”
Wyldon scowled. “A good knight knows when he can learn from someone with more skill.”
“Plus he could unseat you easily if you ever jousted against him,” Eda replied.
“Thanks for the reminder Eda,” Hakuin said. “I can always count on you to point out my failings.”
If anyone pointed out Wyldon was softening on the Shangs, he would have denied it, but he did smile a little.