Disclaimer: I don't own anything made by Tamora Pierce. As much as I might want to.

Okay, so this is a product of my writer's block with my other stories and I need a break from school work before it does my head in. So enjoy.

Pay Up

Raoul of Goldenlake watched his squire, Keladry of Mindelan, as she approached the tilting lane with her vicious excuse for a gelding. Beside him, Gareth the Younger of Naxen alternated his gaze between her and her opponent, Sir Ansil of Groten. He clapped a hand on Raoul's huge back. "My dear friend, your squire will be flying gloriously in a few minutes."

Raoul didn't look around. Instead, he said, very calmly, "Ten Crowns says she wins."

Gary snorted. "You're betting a second year squire against a full knight? On his—excuse me, her first challenge?"

Raoul tore his eyes away long enough to stare down his friend. "Fifteen if she sends him flying."

"Why not just give me your gold now?" he asked, even as he stuck out his hand to shake Raoul's.

A whistle sounded and both horses jolted forward. Kel's lance shattered but Gary had been surprised to see she'd hit Groten's shield dead on. He eyed Raoul's profile and saw just the ghost of a smile on it. Gary began to get nervous.

The whistle went down again and in seconds, the knight was on the ground and Kel was looking down at him from her perch on Peachblossom. Raoul turned to look at Gary then and the smirk was plain on his face. "Oh, did I forget to mention that my squire has been jousting against me almost since I took her on?"

Gary, who'd been staring, slack-jawed, at the tilting lane, turned to face the other man. "No," he said finally, "you failed to tell me that."

Raoul's smirk widened. "Ah well." Then he got to his feet and held out a massive palm. "Pay up."

Gary's stunned look vanished and was replaced by a scowl. He, too, got to his feet and started fumbling in his breeches for his coin purse. As he began depositing Crowns into the other man's hand hand, Raoul glanced briefly down at Kel who was staring up at them in surprise. Had she really thought he wouldn't bet on his own teaching abilities?

"See if I ever bet against you again," Gary growled as he placed the last coin in Raoul's hand.

"You will," Raoul replied simply. "If only because you want to win when she finally does lose."

Any further reply was drowned out by the cheers as the next two jousters arrived at the lanes.

The End.

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