Adopted Rider horse: Zachary's POV during sword practice with Karigan and after it goes awry.
Most dialogue and some other stuff from pages 152-162 of First Rider's Call.
This Was a Bad Idea
Sweat beaded on his brow and ran into his beard, but Zachary was completely focused on his opponent. Cling, clang,the clash of their steel blades rang through the practice yard. He met every blow and returned them in kind until Drent used an arc feint. Zachary's blade went flying.
"Must I go back to basics with you?" Drent shouted. "How many times must I go over it?" Inwardly, Zachary cringed. The move was not very basic, but it was a weak point in his training that a swordsman at his level should not have. He stood impassive as Drent upbraided him. It really had been too long since he had a chance to train. Although few were crazy enough to wantto train with Drent, those who wished to be the best knew that surviving Drent was necessary. Drent could be worse than the first few circles of hell at times, but trainees who lasted past his first phase always, always left masters.
"Fastion," Drent interrupted his tirade momentarily, "I need your assistance for a moment." The Weapon disengaged from the shadow of a nearby maple. "Fastion, I need you to help illustrate why the boy's block failed."
"Regretfully, sir, I cannot protect the king while illustrating technique. Perhaps the Rider who has been watching would be willing to lend a hand. I have seen her use a blade and she could perform the sequence you require." Fastion answered.
"Fine," Drent turned and shouted at the girl in green, "You there, come over here." Zachary turned to see who he would be training with. A jolt hit him when he saw a frozen Karigan staring back at them. She hesitated, but Drent did not tolerate anything less than lightening obedience. "Come here now."
Karigan approached them on unsteady legs and bowed to Zachary. He barely managed to suppress an amused grin. Still skinny from her ordeal in the north and with bright eyes open wide she looked even younger that she was. And considering her legs seemed uncertain in their support of her slim build, she reminded him of a young filly meeting something new.
Drent explained why he wanted Karigan's aid. She glanced at Fastion with pleading in her eyes. Zachary saw Fastion give a tight smile and a wink before melding back into his previous position. Now, what is he up to?
Filled with amusement Zachary handed Karigan his longsword. She tested the heft and adjusted her grip on the handle.
"Now here's what I want you to do," Drent told Karigan as he wrapped his massive hand around her wrist and directed it in the movement of the feint and angle he had used against the king. Zachary could see her concentration as she followed the instructions.
"Got it?" Drent asked.
"Yes, sir, I think so." Karigan answered. Wrong answer.
"You don't think. Yes or no?"
Karigan shrank just a little. "Yes."
"Let's try it then. You will attack me using that technique, but we'll go slowly so the boy can see his mistake." They went through the movements as Drent explained why Zachary's block failed. "You met the angle all wrong. Your sword was too high. Now let's see what it looks like done correctly."
They repeated the sequence, but this time the arms master demonstrating the correct block. Zachary watched Karigan's lithe figure more than he watched the arcs and curves of sword play. Does she even realize how graceful and beautiful she really is?
"Got it?" Drent demanded of Zachary.
"Indeed," he answered, thoughts drifting far away from the ring and into places they should not be going.
"Good. Then you show me. Girl, you will—"
"Rider G'ladheon," Zachary interrupted.
"Hunh?"
"She is Rider G'ladheon." He tolerated Drent's manner in the practice ring because he was no longer a king in their bouts. He was the trainee and Drent was the master, but Karigan was not one of Drent's students. Not yet anyway and he would be respectful to her.
Drent hacked and spat. "Rider G'ladheon, you will attack the boy, full speed." Drent may not be very happy about being corrected, but he definitely understood an order from his sovereign.
"What? I--! But he's the king!"
Drent rolled his eyes. "Gods have mercy. Of course he's the king." Zachary was passed Drent's sword. "Girl, Rider, you will commence the attack."
Zachary smiled encouragingly at her. He felt that this was an opportunity for her. Her spirit was admired by the Weapons and weaponsmaster Gresia had commented on her natural talent. If this bout gave Karigan a chance at more advanced training, he would be glad to help her. "Don't worry about me, so long as you are wary of the blade edges."
"Ready yourselves," Drent ordered. Karigan faced her king and settled herself into the ready position. "Begin."
Karigan clashed with Zachary's blade hesitantly. They moved according to Drent's sequence, but Zachary could not bring himself to meet her moves with any more strength than she met his. He knew that she was no swordsmaster and had probably never practiced with live steel before.
A load groan issued from Drent, "Stop, stop, stop. Pitiful, absolutely pitiful. Girl, you are not doing your sovereign any good by being gentle with him. He won't learn to defend himself with this pitiful tapping." He was right, of course. Drent turned to Zachary next. "And you shall respond in kind. If you do not, then she will draw blood and I shall have to hang her from a tree. Now. Harder, faster."
Karigan launched herself into the next attack. Zachary automatically caught the blow, but was taken aback. Nothing in her blow had been timid or weak. She took Drent's advice wholeheartedly. Gone was the concern for his safety that was in her eyes when they first traded blows. If he was going to avoid injury he would have to take the risk of hurting her and meet her blow for blow. It was not long before he was given over to the Dance of the Sword. Distantly he realized that she was slowing down, that her movements were less fluid, that she was still recovering from a draining ordeal, but he carried through the sequence.
Zachary struck his final blow, and Karigan raised her sword to perform the block. To his horror, Zachary felt no resistance meet is stroke. He tried to pull back the blow, but the weapon had too much momentum. His wrist snapped as he tilted the blade's edge away and tried to reduce the force of the blow. Nonetheless, a sickening, ringing smack filled the air, and Karigan went down.
Zachary went white with fear. He dropped his sword and fell to his knees beside her. A bruised knot was already forming on her high brow. When he tenderly brushed his thumb over the mark she hissed and opened her eyes with a slightly unfocused gazed.
"Karigan, look at me," Zachary demanded. He didn't like how his voice sounded--a little thin, even desperate. Karigan focused her eyes onto his. "Do you think you can stand if we help you? We need to bring you to the mender's wing." There was simply no question in his mind that Destarion would evaluate her. If she is hurt because of me, I could never forgive myself. He had let her join the practice when he knew; he knew that she was not a swordsmaster.
"I just got out of there," Karigan whined and with resignation added, "But I can stand." Zachary felt his heart loosen a little. She stood shakily and despite her protests, Zachary and Drent supported her. She was able to walk, but her unsteadiness worried him. He very much wanted to simply scoop her up into his arms and carry her into the castle. Unfortunately, he suspected that such an action would wound her pride, and worse, make her an object of gossip. Instead he gave her words of encouragement and a strong arm to lean on. Part way across the grounds they decided that her own bed was the better destination since Rider barracks were closer than the mending wing.
"Come on Kari, just a few steps more," he told her as he brought her close to her narrow bed. Destarion was quickly sent for and when he arrived he bustled in around them and shooed them away. Zachary was unwilling to leave the room, however. And since Drent did not leave either, Zachary guessed he was feeling guilty too.
Destarion had Karigan sit up and told her to follow his finger as he moved it through her field of vision. He attached a lens to the oil lamp next to the bed and shone the focused light into her eyes. "Any headache, dizziness, nausea?"
"Headache and dizziness, yes. Nausea, no," she answered miserably. Destarion tested her reflexes in her arms and legs. When he tested her right elbow she yelped in pain. Destarion was quick to check range of motion in the joint. Karigan grimaced against the movements.
"You seem to have done some serious damage to this joint, Rider. Just how hard was the blow?"
"Not very. My arm was weak before we started," Karigan answered. Zachary was stunned. Why didn't she tell us? Tell me?
"When did you injure it?"
"During the groundmite attack on the delegation. It was feeling okay; I thought it healed on its own."
"You were probably right, but you wrenched it again. If you don't want to risk loosing full use of your arm, you will have to let it heal fully this time," Destarion told Karigan. "I think you received a mild concussion, but I see no sign of serious injury. The arm, I will put in a sling with a compress. And what happened to you?" Destarion refocused his attention on Zachary, whom was cradling his wrist.
"Nothing more than a sprain I think. A result of pulling the blow," Zachary answered.
"Uhm," Destarion checked his range of motion too. "I will get a second compress for you." Turning back to Karigan he said, "I will send a message to your Captain informing her of your injury." Karigan let out a soft groan as Destarion bustled out of the room.
ssssss
Captain Mapstone had come in a whirlwind of red-headed anger. Zachary deserved everything that was coming to him. And it would come. For now he would be grateful that Karigan was alright, and that he had a few moments alone with her.
He whistled softly. "I know she's really upset when she calls me 'Excellency' in private, but I've never seen Drent intimidated before."
"I'm sorry," Karigan said, sounding small.
"For what?" What in heaven and earth does she believe she did wrong?
"For getting you in trouble with the captain."
Zachary wanted to laugh out loud. She was worried about that. Before the laugh could escape, however, he caught the look of true contrition in Karigan's eyes. Deciding laughter was not the best response to meet Karigan's concern; he hooked his foot around the leg of a chair and dragged it over to the bed so he could sit beside her. He leaned forward, and noted with pleasure the attractive blush that crept across her cheeks. "Karigan, Laren and I go back quite a few years. She's like an older sister to me." Pleasant memories of childhood flitted across his mind, bringing a small smile to his lips. "I've been in trouble with that formidable woman more times than I care to remember, and have managed to survive."
"But I—" She is still trying to take blame upon herself. Well, that is going to end now.
"Rider, your captain happens to be correct. Drent and I should not have involved you in such advanced swordplay. You were doing so well we didn't think much of it. As a result of our negligence, your captain is short one Rider for an undetermined time, and more importantly, you have been hurt."
"Your wrist—" her protests were weaker, but she still persisted.
"Will be back to normal in a couple days." He grinned at her and added, "I've received far worse from bouts with Arms Master Drent." He regarded her for many moments, her blush deepened. She means everything to me. I know I shouldn't care so much. I shouldn't love her because she is a Rider and I am her king.
But knowing the impossibility of a future with her didn't stop his feelings. It would be better if she were indifferent to him, but the glances, the shy blushes, so unlike her behavior with other men, told him that she was not immune to his attentions. If I made my feelings known, would she accept whatever we could have? Probably not, his rationality answered him. Her sense of honor would forbid it. At the very least she needed to know that he cared for her, that he deeply regretted bringing her into the practice.
"I want you to know that I'd never intend you harm," he stated solemnly. He wanted to say more, but he sensed Karigan tense when he reached to softly caress the smooth skin of her hand. She was silent and closed her eyes against whatever she was feeling. He watched her, hoping for some clue on how to proceed, but she stayed silent with her eyes closed.
He gave a resigned sigh within his mind. He wished that he was just a man and not a king. He wised that he was free to feel and love and make decisions just for himself. But he was not just a man. He was the High King of the Sacor Clans, and what he wished for was nothing compared to his responsibility to his crown. With a gentle squeeze to Karigan's hand, he left her side without a word. Best to forget about wishes.
AN:I decided to cut the section with Captain Mapstone. She knows the king very well and I felt that I couldn't add anything of interest to her view of the scene before her.