The regal ram waved his right roof. "Give them the rapiers, Lambric. Cousin Lamblet, you know the wager?" Said the King.
The grey buck smiled, he donned a black gambeson, elegantly fitting his chest. Light grey stripes covered it, contrasting with the black stripes on his cheeks. A blue cape hung from his right shoulder. "Very well, my lord. Your grace hath laid the odds o' the weaker side." He said fitting his left paw behind the rapiers guard.
The King laughed, his golden crown dangling over his small head. "I do not fear it; I have seen you both; But since he is better'd, we have therefore odds."
The buck's adversary stood in front of him, the capybara was a bit taller and donned a red gambeson decorated with golden buttons all over it. He slid his right paw inside the cup guard of his sword and felt it's weight upon his arm. "This is too heavy, let me see another,"
"Ay, my good lord." Spoke Lambric. The black sheep approached the capybara and took his sword with a bow, giving him another, shorter one.
The King stood up, clapping his hooves. "Set me the stoops of wine upon that table. If Lamblet give the first or second hit, or quit in answer of the third exchange, let all the battlements their ordnance fire: the King shall drink to Lamblet's better breath; And in the cup an union shall he throw, richer than that which four successive kings in Fowland have worn. Give me the cups and let the kettle to the trumpet speak, the trumpet to the cannoneer without, the cannons to the heavens, the heavens to earth." The King sipped from his chalice of wine in Lamblet's direction. "Come, begin: and you, judges, bear a wary eye." Said the King, lifting his chalice to the audience.
"Come on, sir" Said the buck, he turned his cape over his shoulder and spun it around his right arm. His rapier pointed straight to the capybaras heart: pointy, deadly.
The capybara held his rapier low, his left paw hung way over his head. "Come, my lord."
The buck charged over the capybara, throwing his cape over his adversaries rapier. The capybara jumped backwards, escaping both the cape and the thrust that followed around it. The capybara's rapier clanged when he deflected another thrust, sparks flew through the air as steel grazed against steel. The buck retreated and feigned a cut against the capybara's left hand, to which he fell, and quickly curved his rapier against the pretend-cut. The buck's smile widened and, as soon as one sword made contact with the other, he thrusted against the capybara's right shoulder, trespassing it.
The audience gasped as the point could be seen from the capybaras back. Lamblet and Sheepertes jumped away from each other,
"One." Spoke calmly Jack, or Lamblet, for the night. His smile was wide, he and Matthew had done that same scene many times before, but they always tried to improvise here and there. Their director hated it, the public thought otherwise.
Sheepertes hung his sword point a bit lower now. "No." He protested.
"Judgement." Claimed Lamblet in his calm tone.
Lambric caressed his black fur. "A hit, a very palpable hit."
Sheepertes stood in a higher guard, his sword standing in front of them both. "Well, again." He demanded.
The King clapped his hooves from his throne, up above. "Stay, give me drink. Lamblet, this pearl is thine." The King pulled a pearl from his necklace and dropped it in front of his throne. He raised his chalice in Lamblet's direction. "Here's to thy health."
A trumpet sounded from behind the set. A cannon shot soon followed.
The King clapped again, once silence reigned. "Give him the cup."
Lambled refused the cup from a cupbearer with his rapier's point. "I'll play this bout first, set it by awhile. Come." Spoke the buck in the same calm tone. His rapier pointed to the capybaras feet now, hanging from above his head.
The capybara tried a feint by the buck's left, but with a spin of his blue cape the buck captured his foe's rapier. His own then danced around his ears, knocking the foes right paw behind his sword guard. With another spin his rapier now met his foe's left arm, cutting the red fabric and showing it's white insides.
Matthew battled with his face, he was too excited that their footwork was actually working to not smile. But Sheepertes was worried, and his face should show accordingly. They both took a step away from each other, the buck throwing the sword back to the capybara. The crowd cheered and applauded the apparent small victory from the hero, apparently having forgotten the tragic ending that soon would follow.
Jack couldn't resist, he turned to the public and took a long bow, his sword now pointing to his right side. Applauses stormed frantically, he knew he had conquered them. He knew that he would break their hearts in a few moments. Like rain the applause sounded and he reveled in those sounds. Dozens of pairs of paws and hooves clapping happily, rhythmically. Except for one pair.
His ears turned searching for the source and soon he found it. A tiger wearing an yellow tunic, a wide smile on his mouth and an uneven pair of eyes on his face, staring deep into his soul: one yellow, one blue. He could clearly hear his claps now. Each, a thunder. Each, a drum beat.
Jack's happiness withered, his smile waned and the only reaction he could muster was to mutter. "Si… Sifu?" The tiger smiled with his large fangs now. A ferocious, menacing, smile
Jack only noticed that the claps had resumed when a folded script hit his head, coming from the off right. He looked around, first meeting the usually calm, but now furious eyes of his sloth director and second noticing the tiger was nowhere be seen. Jack took a deep breath and again he was Lamblet.
The play followed smoothly and, as soon as the curtain fell, Jack stood up as the cast gathered for the final bow. He sheathed his rapier and started to walk off-stage.
"Jack, are you ok?" Asked Matthew, as he walked by.
"Not feeling very well Mat." Said Jack, walking past him.
"Mr Savage!" Shouted his director. A whole phrase in a single breath, he wasreally pissed. "Where… do you think…. you are…" The sloth proceeded to shout, but Jack had already went away.
The buck first hopped and then ran as fast as his legs would allow him. He climbed a long set of stairs until he found himself in an even longer corridor of alternating golden doors. A few more quick steps and he finally reached his own.
From around his neck he produced a thread of line with a key attached to it. Jack fumbled with the lock as clumsy as his paws seemed to allow him. As soon as he could get himself in, he slammed the door and locked it. Finally he felt safe, leaning his back against the solid wooden door.
"It's been a long time, Jack Savage." Spoke the enormous tiger which was casually sitting on his bed.
"Aaaaah!" Shouted Jack in answer, falling to the ground.
He had meant something of the likes of "How did you get in here?" or maybe a defying "What do you want, Sifu?", but "Aaaah!" was his mouth's game today.
"I see that you are back to acting. That was a… peculiar rendition of Lamblet, I have to say." Proceeded the tiger, standing up.
"Aaaaaah!" Answered Jack, with confidence.
Even though his mouth seemed to betray him, his body started to recompose itself. First his back remembered that it should stay upright, like a proper and proud buck. Then his legs felt uncomfortable with his back's straightness and were like "Ok, ok. Time to work." and lifted him up. His hands then realised how dumb they looked flailing around and calmed the hell down. Last, but not least, his mouth remembered that silence was also a proper answer, so it tried that.
"Better this way. Now Jack, we have a lot to talk about." The tiger pointed Jack's bed, suggesting him to sit. Jack knew that it was an order, so he complied.