Neal thought for a moment, his hand hovering. Finally, he shrugged.
"Check."
"Gods I stink at chess."
Imrah grinned from his place by the fire.
"No, Neal is just exceptional at it, and never lets anyone forget."
Neal shook his head, as did Xlelon.
"Hm…oh great."
He grinned as she realized the situation she was in. She just glared at him.
"I hate you."
He laughed along with Imrah, they had been playing chess every night since they had gotten here, as they were the two people that Xlelon knew best. Neal and Imrah were leaving in two days, and the only goal she had by then was to beat him. So far she was having no luck. She sighed, there was only one move that she could make, and it would put her into mate. Shaking her head, this could have been avoided, she moved her king to the only place it could go. Neal nodded, and moved his bishop.
"Check and Mate."
She shook her head.
"Best two out of three?"
He laughed.
"You know I'll just beat you!"
"I live in hope, don't wet on my charcoal."
"Very well, I shall give you another chance."
"So noble."
He bowed as they set up the table again, this time with her as black. Neal moved his pawn, and she took out her knight.
"Have you managed to find a job yet?"
She mumbled something, far too concentrated on the game.
"Aha," she moved the knight again, taking a pawn. "No, I'm going into Corus tomorrow, the palace wont need me till winter sets in. Until then I have to find something to do."
Imrah nodded.
"Yes, the palace doesn't have many people until the winter, when parties and such start."
Neal shuddered.
"And you are dragging me back to those parties, where I shall surely be worked to death."
Imrah laughed.
"Of course my boy, it builds character."
Neal's face screwed up, whether in concentration or dislike for the parties, she wasn't sure. His hand fluttered over his queen, and then switched to the knight, finally, it settled on the bishop. He moved it four spaces and smiled.
"Check."
"Erg."
She moved her pawn in order to protect her king, and lost it to one of his rooks. A small flurry of checks and takes later, they broke even. She was left with most of her pawns, one bishop, both her rooks and knights, and her queen. He was left with both of his bishops and knights, most of his pawns, one rook and his queen.
"Wonderful, that was pointless."
"No it wasn't."
He moved his lone rook and took her queen, also managing to put her into checkmate. She glared at him.
"That was mean."
He grinned.
"Yes it was. Your point?"
"That was mean."
He shook his head, still smiling.
"You had better work on your skills whilst I am gone, or I will smear you during midwinter."
"No you wont, I will make certain of that."
"Is that a challenge?"
She smiled lopsidedly.
"If you want it to be."
Slowly, he began to grin.
"You're on."
"Shake on it."
He reached over, presenting his hand; she took it and shook it firmly. Imrah noticed that it was a bit to long of a hand shake for a simple bet, but said nothing, just tucked it away for further use.
"Another game?"
"Of course, I have to get my practice in while I can."
"You could always challenge Raoul, he would give you a run for your money."
She shook her head.
"He wont be here for a while most likely, third company is probably still cleaning out immortals."
"True, let me see, Buri is good, she often plays Raoul."
She smiled, knowing what that friendship would turn into.
"She's with the riders, though they'll probably start training again, so maybe."
He nodded.
"Yep, they'll begin training again, just like the pages, Jon wants to keep everything as smooth as possible after the war."
"I don't see how that is possible, but I'll give him credit for trying."
Neal shook his head and chuckled as he made another move.
Yep, I really am that bad at chess, I can beat the occasional person, but not often. Well, I gave it away, but oh well…we may be skipping ahead in the next few chapters, but then I always say something and it ends up happening three chapters later, so don't pay attention to that. Can I make a play for fifty reviews before the next chapter? It's only four or so! Come on, ya know you want to!
"Check."
"Gods I stink at chess."
Imrah grinned from his place by the fire.
"No, Neal is just exceptional at it, and never lets anyone forget."
Neal shook his head, as did Xlelon.
"Hm…oh great."
He grinned as she realized the situation she was in. She just glared at him.
"I hate you."
He laughed along with Imrah, they had been playing chess every night since they had gotten here, as they were the two people that Xlelon knew best. Neal and Imrah were leaving in two days, and the only goal she had by then was to beat him. So far she was having no luck. She sighed, there was only one move that she could make, and it would put her into mate. Shaking her head, this could have been avoided, she moved her king to the only place it could go. Neal nodded, and moved his bishop.
"Check and Mate."
She shook her head.
"Best two out of three?"
He laughed.
"You know I'll just beat you!"
"I live in hope, don't wet on my charcoal."
"Very well, I shall give you another chance."
"So noble."
He bowed as they set up the table again, this time with her as black. Neal moved his pawn, and she took out her knight.
"Have you managed to find a job yet?"
She mumbled something, far too concentrated on the game.
"Aha," she moved the knight again, taking a pawn. "No, I'm going into Corus tomorrow, the palace wont need me till winter sets in. Until then I have to find something to do."
Imrah nodded.
"Yes, the palace doesn't have many people until the winter, when parties and such start."
Neal shuddered.
"And you are dragging me back to those parties, where I shall surely be worked to death."
Imrah laughed.
"Of course my boy, it builds character."
Neal's face screwed up, whether in concentration or dislike for the parties, she wasn't sure. His hand fluttered over his queen, and then switched to the knight, finally, it settled on the bishop. He moved it four spaces and smiled.
"Check."
"Erg."
She moved her pawn in order to protect her king, and lost it to one of his rooks. A small flurry of checks and takes later, they broke even. She was left with most of her pawns, one bishop, both her rooks and knights, and her queen. He was left with both of his bishops and knights, most of his pawns, one rook and his queen.
"Wonderful, that was pointless."
"No it wasn't."
He moved his lone rook and took her queen, also managing to put her into checkmate. She glared at him.
"That was mean."
He grinned.
"Yes it was. Your point?"
"That was mean."
He shook his head, still smiling.
"You had better work on your skills whilst I am gone, or I will smear you during midwinter."
"No you wont, I will make certain of that."
"Is that a challenge?"
She smiled lopsidedly.
"If you want it to be."
Slowly, he began to grin.
"You're on."
"Shake on it."
He reached over, presenting his hand; she took it and shook it firmly. Imrah noticed that it was a bit to long of a hand shake for a simple bet, but said nothing, just tucked it away for further use.
"Another game?"
"Of course, I have to get my practice in while I can."
"You could always challenge Raoul, he would give you a run for your money."
She shook her head.
"He wont be here for a while most likely, third company is probably still cleaning out immortals."
"True, let me see, Buri is good, she often plays Raoul."
She smiled, knowing what that friendship would turn into.
"She's with the riders, though they'll probably start training again, so maybe."
He nodded.
"Yep, they'll begin training again, just like the pages, Jon wants to keep everything as smooth as possible after the war."
"I don't see how that is possible, but I'll give him credit for trying."
Neal shook his head and chuckled as he made another move.
Yep, I really am that bad at chess, I can beat the occasional person, but not often. Well, I gave it away, but oh well…we may be skipping ahead in the next few chapters, but then I always say something and it ends up happening three chapters later, so don't pay attention to that. Can I make a play for fifty reviews before the next chapter? It's only four or so! Come on, ya know you want to!