*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Next, they went outside to the training courts. Robin was in a better mood; she was much better at the fighting arts then the thinking arts. She wasn't slow, she was just better at the first. 'Nice day ter be trainin',' she thought as she sloshed through ankle-deep mud; it had rained the night before.
"Today, you'll learn how to fly," Scott joked as they approached two firmly- built people sitting on a fence.
"Well, they will actually be teaching you how to land after you have finished flying," Shelby put in at the surprised look on Robin's face.
"Good morning! I am the Shang Puma, and this is the Shang Hawk," said a burly young man, pointing to another muscular young woman. "Today, we are going to teach you how to fly."
The Shang Hawk said, "Well, actually, we will actually be teaching you how to land after you have finished flying."
She leaned forward, fell, and as she did so, slapped the ground, emitting a loud slap! as she hit the ground, making most of the pages jump; Robin stayed her ground. She had heard and seen people do this so many times it was almost a natural sound to her.
"Alright, the Shang Puma and I found the perfect place to begin our training today." She led them around a corner, the Shang Puma following her.
"A giant mud-puddle. I doubt that the training master mentioned thankfulness for rain last night in this morning's prayer?" Robin bit her lip, she hadn't been listening to that morning's prayer, but shook her head along with everyone else.
The Shang Hawk stepped into the knee-deep grime. "Who is going to be first?" She asked. No one answered or stepped forward. Robin grimaced; if the mud was knee-deep on the Shang, it was probably thigh-deep on her. The Shang Hawk saw her grimace.
"How about you?" She asked, reaching out her hand. 'Ya know what she's goin' ter do. Let 'er do it.' Robin thought; she had been trained in Shang. She stepped into the filth, and held out her hand to the Shang.
"Not exactly a giant, but don't worry, I grew when I was thirteen," the Shang Hawk commented, grasping Robin's outstretched hand.
Robin had every intention of letting the Shang do what Robin knew she was going to do, until the Shang grasped her hand and pulled. Her training took over, and she pulled against the Shang, whose eyes widened in surprise. Then the Shang recovered, and pulled on Robin. Their combined tugs, going a different direction, made Robin over-balance, and fell, toppling the Shang Hawk with her.
Everybody burst out laughing. Robin's eyes widened at what she had done, then she rushed to help the Shang to her feet. The Shang was making a funny noise, and it wasn't until she wiped her face that Robin realized that the Shang was laughing. Robin opened her mouth to say something, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed her mouth.
"Don't worry about it, youngster," the Hawk said, patting Robin on the shoulder with a filthy hand. Robin smiled weakly. "That was a complete surprise. Whom did you learn from?"
"The Shang Tigress," Robin replied, not expecting Hawk to know whom she was talking about.
"You learned from HER? The Shang Tigress?" The Shang Hawk asked, amazed. Robin nodded. "She was the best Shang I ever knew. But, we each went our different way, I to the palace, she to somewhere- I have no clue. However, she must have stopped by your fief.
"Now, will you let me throw you?" The Shang Hawk inquired. Robin nodded.
Once again, the Shang Hawk took hold of Robin's hand, but this time, Robin let the Shang send her flying.
Nonetheless, her training took control again, and Robin landed on her hands, curved into a forward roll, twisted around, one fist raised, the other groping down to her boot where she hid her knife. "Whoa! I don't know why or where you were trained to fight like that - I've never seen it - but you don't need to fight me to the death. Though, it could come in useful to you as a knight." The Hawk looked Robin over: her hands dropping to her side, her stance relaxing.
"What is in your boot?" The Shang Puma's question surprised Robin, but she quickly regained her face composure.
"Oh, nothin'. I jest was reachin' down ther ter regain ma balance." She said loftily, and she must have said it convincingly, too, because the Hawk and Puma both looked persuaded.
"Right, one more time, lad. This time, let me throw you, and land the right way," the Shang Hawk said, and stepped back into the mud-puddle, with Robin close behind.
Again, they grasped hands, and again Robin went flying, but this time, she hit the ground with a loud smack! that made everyone but the two Shangs jump. Robin clambered to her feet, and went back in line as the Hawk and the Puma nodded to her. It was someone else's turn to be embarrassed.
Next was hand-to-hand combat- Robin excelled in that class, too; she had been taught that almost before she could walk, every street-rat was, or else died in their first fight.
Then were staff lessons. This class was distressing, because, as a thief, Robin had been trained to use anything on hand as a weapon, but she had never used anything as long or as cumbersome as a staff. Nonetheless, Robin thought that she would catch on fast, she always did with the fighting arts; she just had trouble with the thinking arts.
As she leaned forward to rap Shelby, who was telling her about algebra, and she was not listening, on the noggin, she thought that she might ask him to help her with the thinking arts and she would help him with the fighting arts.
Subsequently there was archery, Robin was a fair shot - in fact the best in the Court of the Rouge - at throwing knives, and this seamed to her every bit as easy. You sighted along the arrow for a fleeting second, then let it fly. The archery master was very impressed with her skills, but Robin decided against telling him that if he trained his pupils in knife-throwing before he taught them how to shoot, they would probably be a bit better.
After archery, there was horseback riding. Robin had been dreading this all day; the something inside her that was in Scott, too, had been furiously trying to reach out to any animal within reach, and Robin did not like it. She had also never ridden a horse in her life, but that was because of a certain promise she had once made.
"So, what's next?" She asked, and her friends looked surprised. She hadn't asked that all day, but had somehow known what was coming next. (She was the King of Thieves, so naturally, she knew.)
"Horseback riding," Shelby said; Robin seamed to have become a favorite of his.
They continued walking down the grassy slope to the stables. Then they entered them. Robin stopped dead, making Shelby bump into her from behind.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Those're real 'oses," Robin said, disbelieving.
"What did you expect- wooden ones?" Scott asked, who was already combing down his peach-colored mare, Sunlight.
"No, I, but, I made a promise that I'd never ride a 'ose."
"Please, call them HORSES!" Brad said, emphasizing the h and r, approaching his fidgety golden-brown steed, Fiend, Scott reached out his hand and stroked her. Immediately the mare calmed down.
"Would you stop raggin' on 'im 'bout 'is language?" Rayon demanded, mounting his roan mare, Firefly.
Brad threw up his hands in defeat, "Now you are talking like him!"
"And that him has a NAME!" Rayon said.
"Pick a horse, Robin, or the training master will have your hide. It doesn't matter what you promised, I'll tell the horse that you have to ride her, and cannot help it that you had to break your promise." Scott said, coming out of his mare's stall, and pulling on Robin's wrist to get her to move.
~Don't mind the boy, lass,~ a soft whicker filtered through Robin's mind. She turned around to see the most beautiful mare she had ever seen - she was rather large for a mare, and was a beautiful burgundy with a flowing midnight-black mane and tail, a tiny creamy-white star on her forehead, and white specks on her coat around her hooves.
~Did you just talk to me?~ Robin asked, in her mind.
~Is it surprising?~ The mare demanded. Robin thought about it. No, it actually hadn't been surprising to hear the mare talk.
"I'll take this un," Robin said out loud.
"That's Starlight, she's a little big, and a lot frisky. Do you still want her?" Scott came over to look.
~You don't have to choose me,~ Starlight whickered.
~Nonsense. I have ter choose ye, ye're the first animal I've ever let my magic work on,~Robin admitted. Out loud, she said "O' course I wan' 'er." Scott gave her saddle and reigns, Starlight told her how to put them on, and soon they were ready to go.
~Alright,~ Starlight said. ~Go to my left side, and put your left foot in the stirrup.~ Robin followed Starlight's instruction. ~Now, swing your right foot over the saddle, and settle in.~ Robin did so.
~You've never ridden, have you?~ Starlight asked.
~No,~ Robin admitted.
~It shows. You ride like a sake of flour.~
~Thanks for the compliment.~ Robin said sarcastically.
~Now, just remember, I'm being patient with you.~ Starlight reminded Robin, who agreed that she remembered.
The rest of horseback riding lessons went pretty fairly, except that Robin kept forgetting to pay attention to the training master, and instead, talked to Starlight, who was being frisky and annoying and not paying attention to Robin.
Finally, the lessons were over, and it was time for dinner. "Now for a nice, hot bath," Brad said, and instantly ran into Robin, who had stopped in front of him. "Now what are you doing? Trying to get run over?" Brad snapped at her. Robin stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes at him, making Liam snort with laughter.
Then she turned to Scott. "We're takin' a BATH?" She demanded.
"Well, it usually helps relax your muscles." Robin turned around and marched out the door, going against the steady flow of pages and squires. "Where are you going?" Scott hollered at her.
"To go see Stephan!" She called over her shoulder.
"What has Stephan got to do with taking a bath?" Brad bellowed after Robin, but she decided not to answer.
"STEPHAN!!!" She hollered as soon as she got to the stables.
"What?" Stephan asked, shooing the last lonely page out the door, and eyeing Robin suspiciously.
"You ain't never told me that we 'ad ter take BATHS 'ere!" Robin roared at him.
Stephan bit his lip. "I didn't tell ye acause ye wouldn't have agreed ter becomin' a knight 'ere." He told her. "Now, lass, bathes aren't that bad, honestly! Ye could even learn how ter enjoy 'em." Robin pretended to faint. "Stop that nonsense! Bathes really aren't that big a deal!" Stephan said.
Robin peaked one eye open. "Do ye take 'em?"
"Yep." Came the short reply.
Robin stood up. "Alright, I take 'em. I'll jes 'ave ter take 'em in my own room." She said, and turned to go, but Stephan stopped her.
"Got a job fer ye; after all, ye are the King," Stephan said, and handed her a note. Robin sighed, and put the folded parchment in her pocket. Thinking of all the other papers sitting on her desk in her room, she walked back into the castle, up to her room, and tentatively took a very short bath. Then she picked up her deportment papers, and headed down for dinner.
After dinner, Scott pulled her away, and handed her a little token: a round piece of glowing metal with a hole in the middle. "Don't forget. After hours, my mother's room. That token means that you can be up and about after hours." And left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Next, they went outside to the training courts. Robin was in a better mood; she was much better at the fighting arts then the thinking arts. She wasn't slow, she was just better at the first. 'Nice day ter be trainin',' she thought as she sloshed through ankle-deep mud; it had rained the night before.
"Today, you'll learn how to fly," Scott joked as they approached two firmly- built people sitting on a fence.
"Well, they will actually be teaching you how to land after you have finished flying," Shelby put in at the surprised look on Robin's face.
"Good morning! I am the Shang Puma, and this is the Shang Hawk," said a burly young man, pointing to another muscular young woman. "Today, we are going to teach you how to fly."
The Shang Hawk said, "Well, actually, we will actually be teaching you how to land after you have finished flying."
She leaned forward, fell, and as she did so, slapped the ground, emitting a loud slap! as she hit the ground, making most of the pages jump; Robin stayed her ground. She had heard and seen people do this so many times it was almost a natural sound to her.
"Alright, the Shang Puma and I found the perfect place to begin our training today." She led them around a corner, the Shang Puma following her.
"A giant mud-puddle. I doubt that the training master mentioned thankfulness for rain last night in this morning's prayer?" Robin bit her lip, she hadn't been listening to that morning's prayer, but shook her head along with everyone else.
The Shang Hawk stepped into the knee-deep grime. "Who is going to be first?" She asked. No one answered or stepped forward. Robin grimaced; if the mud was knee-deep on the Shang, it was probably thigh-deep on her. The Shang Hawk saw her grimace.
"How about you?" She asked, reaching out her hand. 'Ya know what she's goin' ter do. Let 'er do it.' Robin thought; she had been trained in Shang. She stepped into the filth, and held out her hand to the Shang.
"Not exactly a giant, but don't worry, I grew when I was thirteen," the Shang Hawk commented, grasping Robin's outstretched hand.
Robin had every intention of letting the Shang do what Robin knew she was going to do, until the Shang grasped her hand and pulled. Her training took over, and she pulled against the Shang, whose eyes widened in surprise. Then the Shang recovered, and pulled on Robin. Their combined tugs, going a different direction, made Robin over-balance, and fell, toppling the Shang Hawk with her.
Everybody burst out laughing. Robin's eyes widened at what she had done, then she rushed to help the Shang to her feet. The Shang was making a funny noise, and it wasn't until she wiped her face that Robin realized that the Shang was laughing. Robin opened her mouth to say something, couldn't think of anything to say, and closed her mouth.
"Don't worry about it, youngster," the Hawk said, patting Robin on the shoulder with a filthy hand. Robin smiled weakly. "That was a complete surprise. Whom did you learn from?"
"The Shang Tigress," Robin replied, not expecting Hawk to know whom she was talking about.
"You learned from HER? The Shang Tigress?" The Shang Hawk asked, amazed. Robin nodded. "She was the best Shang I ever knew. But, we each went our different way, I to the palace, she to somewhere- I have no clue. However, she must have stopped by your fief.
"Now, will you let me throw you?" The Shang Hawk inquired. Robin nodded.
Once again, the Shang Hawk took hold of Robin's hand, but this time, Robin let the Shang send her flying.
Nonetheless, her training took control again, and Robin landed on her hands, curved into a forward roll, twisted around, one fist raised, the other groping down to her boot where she hid her knife. "Whoa! I don't know why or where you were trained to fight like that - I've never seen it - but you don't need to fight me to the death. Though, it could come in useful to you as a knight." The Hawk looked Robin over: her hands dropping to her side, her stance relaxing.
"What is in your boot?" The Shang Puma's question surprised Robin, but she quickly regained her face composure.
"Oh, nothin'. I jest was reachin' down ther ter regain ma balance." She said loftily, and she must have said it convincingly, too, because the Hawk and Puma both looked persuaded.
"Right, one more time, lad. This time, let me throw you, and land the right way," the Shang Hawk said, and stepped back into the mud-puddle, with Robin close behind.
Again, they grasped hands, and again Robin went flying, but this time, she hit the ground with a loud smack! that made everyone but the two Shangs jump. Robin clambered to her feet, and went back in line as the Hawk and the Puma nodded to her. It was someone else's turn to be embarrassed.
Next was hand-to-hand combat- Robin excelled in that class, too; she had been taught that almost before she could walk, every street-rat was, or else died in their first fight.
Then were staff lessons. This class was distressing, because, as a thief, Robin had been trained to use anything on hand as a weapon, but she had never used anything as long or as cumbersome as a staff. Nonetheless, Robin thought that she would catch on fast, she always did with the fighting arts; she just had trouble with the thinking arts.
As she leaned forward to rap Shelby, who was telling her about algebra, and she was not listening, on the noggin, she thought that she might ask him to help her with the thinking arts and she would help him with the fighting arts.
Subsequently there was archery, Robin was a fair shot - in fact the best in the Court of the Rouge - at throwing knives, and this seamed to her every bit as easy. You sighted along the arrow for a fleeting second, then let it fly. The archery master was very impressed with her skills, but Robin decided against telling him that if he trained his pupils in knife-throwing before he taught them how to shoot, they would probably be a bit better.
After archery, there was horseback riding. Robin had been dreading this all day; the something inside her that was in Scott, too, had been furiously trying to reach out to any animal within reach, and Robin did not like it. She had also never ridden a horse in her life, but that was because of a certain promise she had once made.
"So, what's next?" She asked, and her friends looked surprised. She hadn't asked that all day, but had somehow known what was coming next. (She was the King of Thieves, so naturally, she knew.)
"Horseback riding," Shelby said; Robin seamed to have become a favorite of his.
They continued walking down the grassy slope to the stables. Then they entered them. Robin stopped dead, making Shelby bump into her from behind.
"What's the matter?" he asked.
"Those're real 'oses," Robin said, disbelieving.
"What did you expect- wooden ones?" Scott asked, who was already combing down his peach-colored mare, Sunlight.
"No, I, but, I made a promise that I'd never ride a 'ose."
"Please, call them HORSES!" Brad said, emphasizing the h and r, approaching his fidgety golden-brown steed, Fiend, Scott reached out his hand and stroked her. Immediately the mare calmed down.
"Would you stop raggin' on 'im 'bout 'is language?" Rayon demanded, mounting his roan mare, Firefly.
Brad threw up his hands in defeat, "Now you are talking like him!"
"And that him has a NAME!" Rayon said.
"Pick a horse, Robin, or the training master will have your hide. It doesn't matter what you promised, I'll tell the horse that you have to ride her, and cannot help it that you had to break your promise." Scott said, coming out of his mare's stall, and pulling on Robin's wrist to get her to move.
~Don't mind the boy, lass,~ a soft whicker filtered through Robin's mind. She turned around to see the most beautiful mare she had ever seen - she was rather large for a mare, and was a beautiful burgundy with a flowing midnight-black mane and tail, a tiny creamy-white star on her forehead, and white specks on her coat around her hooves.
~Did you just talk to me?~ Robin asked, in her mind.
~Is it surprising?~ The mare demanded. Robin thought about it. No, it actually hadn't been surprising to hear the mare talk.
"I'll take this un," Robin said out loud.
"That's Starlight, she's a little big, and a lot frisky. Do you still want her?" Scott came over to look.
~You don't have to choose me,~ Starlight whickered.
~Nonsense. I have ter choose ye, ye're the first animal I've ever let my magic work on,~Robin admitted. Out loud, she said "O' course I wan' 'er." Scott gave her saddle and reigns, Starlight told her how to put them on, and soon they were ready to go.
~Alright,~ Starlight said. ~Go to my left side, and put your left foot in the stirrup.~ Robin followed Starlight's instruction. ~Now, swing your right foot over the saddle, and settle in.~ Robin did so.
~You've never ridden, have you?~ Starlight asked.
~No,~ Robin admitted.
~It shows. You ride like a sake of flour.~
~Thanks for the compliment.~ Robin said sarcastically.
~Now, just remember, I'm being patient with you.~ Starlight reminded Robin, who agreed that she remembered.
The rest of horseback riding lessons went pretty fairly, except that Robin kept forgetting to pay attention to the training master, and instead, talked to Starlight, who was being frisky and annoying and not paying attention to Robin.
Finally, the lessons were over, and it was time for dinner. "Now for a nice, hot bath," Brad said, and instantly ran into Robin, who had stopped in front of him. "Now what are you doing? Trying to get run over?" Brad snapped at her. Robin stuck out her tongue and crossed her eyes at him, making Liam snort with laughter.
Then she turned to Scott. "We're takin' a BATH?" She demanded.
"Well, it usually helps relax your muscles." Robin turned around and marched out the door, going against the steady flow of pages and squires. "Where are you going?" Scott hollered at her.
"To go see Stephan!" She called over her shoulder.
"What has Stephan got to do with taking a bath?" Brad bellowed after Robin, but she decided not to answer.
"STEPHAN!!!" She hollered as soon as she got to the stables.
"What?" Stephan asked, shooing the last lonely page out the door, and eyeing Robin suspiciously.
"You ain't never told me that we 'ad ter take BATHS 'ere!" Robin roared at him.
Stephan bit his lip. "I didn't tell ye acause ye wouldn't have agreed ter becomin' a knight 'ere." He told her. "Now, lass, bathes aren't that bad, honestly! Ye could even learn how ter enjoy 'em." Robin pretended to faint. "Stop that nonsense! Bathes really aren't that big a deal!" Stephan said.
Robin peaked one eye open. "Do ye take 'em?"
"Yep." Came the short reply.
Robin stood up. "Alright, I take 'em. I'll jes 'ave ter take 'em in my own room." She said, and turned to go, but Stephan stopped her.
"Got a job fer ye; after all, ye are the King," Stephan said, and handed her a note. Robin sighed, and put the folded parchment in her pocket. Thinking of all the other papers sitting on her desk in her room, she walked back into the castle, up to her room, and tentatively took a very short bath. Then she picked up her deportment papers, and headed down for dinner.
After dinner, Scott pulled her away, and handed her a little token: a round piece of glowing metal with a hole in the middle. "Don't forget. After hours, my mother's room. That token means that you can be up and about after hours." And left.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*