SUPPER
Nathan and Brett were on time for supper,
lining up with all the other boys for the food. Brett stifled a laugh as he
heard Nathan's stomach growl, hungry for food.
The two boys sat down in their assigned
spots, next to Nathan's cousin, Alan of Trebond (Alanna's dad) and Brad of
Haddin Head.
"Fallen down again Brett?" a page, with a
well-rounded face, baby blue eyes and scruffy brown hair had come up behind
Brett.
"Yep, can't seem to stop it. I have an
uncontrollable desire to be horizontal all the time, know the feeling Ricky?"
The pages all burst into laughter.
"Maybe one day there'll be a girl between
you and the ground, if you know what I mean." Called a page with a tanned face,
largish nose and an almost puppy dog-like expression.
"Very funny Michael!" called back Brett.
"All right, let's have some silence in
here!" Lord Chappell was back, standing at the dais at the front of the dinning
hall. All the boys fell silent.
"May Mithros guide you on the harsh path
to Knighthood." a short prayer, compared to the usual drabble.
"So mote it be." the boys sat down and
began to eat, Nathan devouring everything in a matter of minutes.
"Finished already?" asked Brad, a softly
spoken young man, who was a wizard at jousting.
Nathan nodded, swallowed and said;
"looking after his lordship makes you hungry."
Brett growled, and would have flung his
mashed potato at his friend's head, if a shadow hadn't fallen across the table,
the shadow of a certain Squire Andrew.
"Fell down again Bretty Boy?" he sneered
"I see your ears are big enough to hear
everything." Nathan's voice was cool.
"Humph. I see the Page from the Lake of
wee has a crony. Honestly Nathan, I expected better of you." Nathan began to
rise out of his seat, but Brett grabbed his shoulder. "I can fight my own
battles." he hissed in his friend's ear. Nathan fumed silently in his seat, as
Andrew wandered off.
"You should have let me pound him. I have
my honor too, y'know." Nathan was upset. He wouldn't have minded a month's
punishment work for the chance to pound Andrew.
Brett shook his head. "You're to violent for your own good Nathan.
C'mon, let's go, we've got all that homework to do." Nathan's face became a mock mask of terror. He hated homework
more than chess. Brett laughed, as did Brad. Alan hadn't lifted his head from
his book since he'd sat down. Still laughing, Brett and Brad ran out of the
dining hall, being chased by Nathan.
*~*~*~*~*
"Right, we've been studying for an hour, let's have some fun." Nathan
sprang up from his seat, grabbed a long-staff from the wall, tossed it to
Brett, and got one for himself. Brad excused himself, saying he was going to
bed.
"Right, Page Brett of Lake Lee, I challenge thee to a duel." Nathan
spoke in a mock serious tone.
"I accept, page Nathan of Bracken Point." Brett was equally mock
serious.
They crossed staves, and began, Nathan lunging, going for Brett's head,
Brett blocked, and was rewarded with a light tap on the foot. He yelped half in
jest, half in serious pain and was given a light tap on the head.
"It isn't bloody fair." He muttered
"'course it isn't. It isn't meant to be." Brett sneered and threw
himself at Nathan who dodged. Brett would have gone headfirst into the
door, if the two pages that had been
jesting with Brett at dinner hadn't opened it. Brett careened into Page Rick of
Ponting Place. Michael of Cape Kasprowiz merely sighed, and pulled the two boys up.
"And for what reason do you not knock at our door?" asked Brett primly.
"Here, I think you've knocked his brains out!" exclaimed Michael.
"Nah, he doesn't have any left." Taunted Nathan. Brett chose not to
rise to the bait.
"We're here because of the beauty whose just arrived, wait 'till you see her! And by the way, you guys are supposed to be serving wine at the ball! We had to cover and say you were at the infirmary!" Ricky threw all this at the boys who then swore, and hurtled out the door, down the hallway, to where the ball was held.
