Disclaimer: I do not own A Knight's Tale or any characters therein… Poo…
The Beginnings of UnderstandingsKate sat by the forge and watched the fire inside slowly die down. The room got gradually darker and the light turned to an orange glow. She stirred slightly but continued to stare into the receding flames, the heat from the fire began to leave the room and she looked out into the night.
The sun had set about two hours ago and the cold of the winter nights began to spread over France. There was no moon tonight and the stars were almost completely hidden behind thick grey clouds that slowly floated overhead.
Kate sighed and slid further down in her seat. She felt no rush to get back to her tent. If anything it was colder than the stable in which she worked. Even the thick wool of the dress she wore could not keep out the cold.
She felt Goosebumps appearing on her arms and her flesh started to creep. She shivered and closed her eyes. She felt tired, she of course, did not intend to sleep there but she was only going to rest her eyes for a few seconds while the fire died down.
She let her eyes flutter shut and the last thing she saw were the glowing embers of the fire inside it's stone prison dimming in the night breeze.
Geoff walked down the short dirt path that led through the blacksmith's stables. His gait was long and his spirit affable. All day he had been in a dreadful mood, glaring daggers at anyone who even dared to walk too close by him. This was unusual for him. Especially at the moment, he was in a job, one with good pay at that. Plus he had clothes and was getting plenty of food, and so he couldn't understand his flaming mood.
But, it was not a problem any longer. It was amazing what a few beers could do for your mood, even with Watt singing right in your ear some dreadful song about a dwarf woman from Sweden who couldn't find her knickers.
And so, in his reasonably jolly mood, he strode soberly (he was a professional drinker and the only affect 3 glasses of beer had on him was a mood improvement) down the path.
There were no lights on and the moon was not out that night. The stars were cuddled tightly in a blanket that was masquerading as dark grey storm clouds above, and there was little light for Geoff to see by.
This was why it was so easy for him to notice a red and flickering light up ahead coming from one of the blacksmith's stables. He stopped in his tracks, confusion gracing his chiselled features and tilted his head slightly.
It was quite late on a cold winter night and all of the blacksmiths had gone home… to their wives and children. Then it dawned on him.
Obviously, Kate hadn't gone home to her wife. It was her stable he confirmed as he neared the flickering light, and he walked up to the entrance and peered into the orange-lit room.
The fire in the Forge was burning down, nothing but embers were left and the room was slowly falling into darkness.
He took a few more steps in, curious as to why Kate was here this late. He knew for a fact that all Blacksmiths put out their Forges before leaving in case of a fire, their space was far too valuable to burn down because of carelessness.
He searched the room for Kate, checking the corners and darker spots of the room as well as the ones in the light. Then he noticed a carpet of black sooty hair hanging over the back of the chair.
He smiled slightly to himself and took a few quiet steps forward, trying not to make any sound on the straw that was laid out underfoot. He rounded the chair to the front and found Kate hunched up into the foetal position, hugging her arms and her head rolled onto her shoulder.
He smiled slightly and crouched down, wincing at the loud crack that came from the bones of his knees.
Suddenly Kate stirred. She thought she heard a spark fly from the fire. Her eyes fluttered upon and she mentally slapped herself for falling asleep.
As her eyes adjusted to the darkened room she saw a lanky form in front of her. She jumped in surprise and grabbed the sides of the chair ready to fight… there were a lot of sick dudes about these days and she wasn't going to take any shit from anyone.
"Kate! It's me! Relax," she heard a familiar, well-tuned voice say. She recognised Will's herald immediately after she heard him speak.
She sighed and uncurled from her hunched position on the small chair on which she sat. Rubbing her eyes she stretched and cursed herself again for falling asleep, it was dangerous. Someone less pleasant than Geoff could have turned up…
"What are you doing here?" she asked looking at the herald crouched in front of her. She squinted through the darkened room, realising the fire had gone out completely now and saw Geoff shake his head.
"I could ask you the same thing, it's bloody freezing out here you could catch pneumonia," he said standing up and offering her his hand.
Kate sighed, grabbed the proffered help and pulled herself up with the aid of Mr. Chaucer.
She dusted herself down after letting go of his hand.
"My God, you're bloody freezing woman," Geoff scolded.
Then, right on cue, small patters began falling all over the roof. The sounds of aggressive waterfalls surrounded them. Both looked out into the night to see the grey drizzle that was rain falling from the sky. It sounded like someone was grating cheese violently and accidentally cutting off their fingernail at the same time.
Kate sighed again, this day just kept getting better and better.
"Oh damn. God must really hate me, must be for that extra tansy cake I ate yesterday. Oh, so dark the will of God," complained Geoff gazing out with a slumped posture towards the torrents of rain.
He looked at Kate and the short-armed dress she wore and remembered the frigid quality of her calloused hands.
Damn, why do I have to be so noble at heart? Geoff asked himself, inwardly sighing. He took one last look at her.
"Here," he said, taking off his long coat and wrapping it around her shoulders. Kate jumped at his touch as she had been looking the other way, but then grabbed the collar of the coat, pulling it closer around her. She gave him a gracious nod and shrugged it nearer.
Geoff repressed the urge to shiver as the cold air penetrated his thin shirt almost immediately.
"Come on," he said, "out of the Frying Pan and into the Fire," he said taking her by the arm and pulling her towards the exit.
The pair ran through the mud and rain until they finally reached the refuge of the tents.
They reached Kate's tent first and she turned back to him. The rain had soaked them both after only a few seconds out in it.
Kate looked to him and shrugged the coat off her shoulders.
"Thanks, Geoff," she said and touched him on the arm before retreating into the relative safety of the flaps of her tent.
He nodded, even though she had already gone and jogged the rest of the way to the large tent that he shared with Will, Roland and Wat.
Finally out of the rain Geoff shivered and threw his coat onto a barrel that sat just inside the door. Strange, it hadn't been there before, but things soon became apparent.
There was a muffled 'ouff' as the coat hit the barrel and then a shout of horror.
Suddenly, Wat leapt up, throwing the brown blankets off him and chucking the coat back at Geoff. It hit it's mark, right in the face.
"I'm going to fong you within an inch of your life mate, I swear," Wat said advancing towards him with a wild look in his eye.
"I didn't see you," Geoff defended, holding his hands up in a gesture of peace and retreating away from the raging redhead.
"YOU DIDN'T SEE ME!" Wat yelled, balling his hands into fists and raising an arm above his head reading to kill the retreating Herald.
"Yes! It's dark for God's sake!" Geoff said, his back hitting the edge of the tent. He was cornered.
"IT'S NOT THAT BLOODY DARK!" He yelled, grabbing Geoff by the collar of his shirt and dragging him towards him.
He began pounding and fonging Geoff, rage completely taking over him.
Will, who had been watching this charade eventually walked slowly forward and attempted to pull Wat off Geoff. To no avail, Watt seemed to have a death grip on Chaucer and didn't want to let go.
Roland stepped in and dragged Geoff from Wat's grip and threw him in the hay at the other side of the tent. Will did the same with the flailing Wat.
The two always let these 'fongings' last a few seconds before pulling the two apart… they were never really sure why, it was entertaining they supposed.
"Would you two keep it down please, some people have a headache you know," Roland enlightened, rubbing his temples to exaggerate the fact. Wat's ravings gradually quietened down and soon there was silence in the tent again.
Geoff looked over at Wat and saw a bit of drool falling out of the side of his mouth and cringed. The psycho had fallen asleep again already.
I don't know what he's complaining about, it's not like it takes him long to fall asleep again.
Geoff sighed and rubbed his eyes.
"Tough night?" Will asked sitting down on blankets that had been laid out.
Geoff looked up from his hands and saw the smirk on Will's features.
He smiled in return and nodded. He was going to mention Kate but decided not to. It's not like it was important, they wouldn't be interested anyway…
"THE ONE! THE ONLY! SIR WILLIAM THATCHER!" The crowd burst into thunderous applause as the herald ran off over to Will who was sitting atop his horse, raising his lance in recognition of the applause.
As the horse charged off and William to another win, it was by pure chance the Geoffrey Chaucer came to stand beside Kate. His feet just seemed to lead him there. Anyway, he wasn't thinking straight, his mind was on his last Introduction, perfect as always… He enjoyed it very much as much as he was loath to admit it.
"Nice," Kate said quietly so that only Geoff could hear. He was broken from his reverie and giving himself a pat on the back.
"Oh, why thank you. It comes to me naturally," Geoff said looking up just in time to see Will's opponent be knocked clean off his horse.
The crowd burst into applause once more for the knight that jousted before them once more, finally as himself and not some ninny from Guilderland.
She elbowed him playfully in the ribs as they both clapped for their Liege. He smiled, he just smiled.
Geoff took a few steps forward and entered the Forge where Kate was. She stood at the fire, oblivious to Chaucer's presence.
"What are you at then?" Geoff asked over the crackle of the fire. Kate jumped as she heard him speak.
"Fixing Will's armour," she said quietly.
"What? You mean it actually broke?" he inquired incredulously.
She nodded. "He took a hard hit today."
Geoff nodded and walked closer to the fire and closer to Kate.
There was a pause and then Kate spun around, finding Geoff standing directly behind her. She looked up at him through her eyebrows, breastplate in hand.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Kate asked. Geoff smiled and stepped back. He hadn't been that close really, but he had been standing behind her.
"No, I just decided to come to check…. You know, you hadn't fallen asleep in the fire," he came up with, glad that his literary brain finally kicked into gear.
Kate tried to look angry but she couldn't help the smile that crept over her face as she began pounding the hot metal into shape.
"No really," she said, turning back to him and setting down the hammer, "why have you come?"
"I already told you!" Geoff said with a cheeky smile.
Kate rolled her eyes and walked to the other side of the Forge, and began fiddling with something that Geoff couldn't see from where he stood.
"The truth is our Liege sent me. Will wants to know when the armour will be ready," Geoff lied smoothly.
"Well, I've only had it for a half of an hour. What's the rush anyway, he want to strut about in it in front of the mirror or something pigheaded like that?" Kate asked with a smile to Geoff.
She was surprised, over the last few weeks, things, a lot of things, had changed between them. Before they had never really noticed one another existed, never acknowledged each others presence, but now…
Kate knew that Geoff hadn't come to ask if Will's armour was ready, Will was away chasing after Jocelyn again… So what was the real reason for the writer's arrival?
"Probably, I don't understand Will anymore… Success has really changed him…" Geoff said, sarcasm dramatically dripping from his comment. Kate couldn't help but smile.
Geoff definitely had an effect on her now. She looked him up and down in the firelight as surreptitiously as she could. She took note of his tousled hair, the wild glint in his blue eyes, the cheeky smirk, the long, sturdy frame and the… somehow graceful movement that Geoff possessed.
Unfortunately, she was not very subtle in her attempts to drink all of him in…
"What?" he asked seriously this time. They could both tell when each other were joking around somehow. It was like some sort of sudden mutual understanding. Also known as soul mates but neither had even though as far as dinner yet.
Kate glanced up at him from where she had dropped her eyes to the floor. She couldn't think of anything to say so she just shook her head and turned quickly to get back to work.
Please, please review. I know all you people out there read it, it says so on the hits counter, so please, please review and take the time, even if it's only a few words. I accept anonymous reviews and will appreciate criticism or praise. Although I prefer the latter I LOVE reviews! So please…
I'll give you Geoff for a day. You can do whatever you want with him! As long as it doesn't involve Death…