The Tale of a Warrior Maid
Chapter 10
Kesteral turned to leave, before remembering her prior arrangement for that evening with Dernhelm. "Do you want me to go to the palace tonight sir?"'she asked.
"Not, if you have anything already planned," he replied with a quick wink. "Don't bother coming in tomorrow, we can handle our selves for translating as the spy will not be reporting again.
I will leave at day break then," she said before exiting through the curtain. Valar that man knows everything going on in this camp she thought peering up at the time poles. Dernhelm will be waiting at the supply tent, so I'd better hurry.
As she neared the grey tent she saw Dernhelm speaking to Nimli. It appeared that the dwarf was making a deal regarding the stolen helmet. "Kesteral, there you are. Just a second I'll be done in a moment." He called out before turning back to the dwarf. "Okay, yeah I know. It's just neither of your brothers where very helpful and I would need a helmet in battle," Dernhelm told the dwarf.
"I'll talk to them about that. Go ahead and use the one you lifted, I wont bother to report you," the dwarf replied. "Now I believe a lady is waiting for you,"
"Oh, yes of course. Thank you," Dernhelm finished before turning toward her. "Lets get started, it's getting dark and I've got a lot to show you," he took her by the arm and guided her toward the northern edge of camp. "First off, my tent, then I'll show you the look out stations, then the archery range, and then the practice yard."
Dernhelm's tent was next to the blue legion's chief tent. "My brother and my father work in there. I'm the youngest of three sons. My eldest is shadowing my father while he commands the blue legion. My other brother is studying to be a scholar. I'm stuck taking a soldier job. It's not too bad; at least my father doesn't get mad if I mess up, my father takes Hama's choices really seriously since he is heir to my fathers position," Dernhelm told her as he showed her around the blue section of camp. "Now to the look out stations, there are twelve placed around the camp, three soldiers man them each shift. My turn was about a week ago, so I won't have to worry about it again for another month. Don't worry, I wont take you to all of them, just the one closest to here."
The lookout station was a wooden platform raised about four meters from the ground; an elf stood peering into the distance while a dwarf smoked a pipe and a man sat polishing an axe. "Every shift at least one member of each of the three main races working here, it helps us to cover all the needs of a lookout man.
The elf turned to see who was visiting and Kesteral saw that it was Therindel, "Oh, hello I wasn't expecting to see you in a while," the elf greeted in his own tongue.
"How is it going, are you and your brother settling in?" she asked in return
"It's going well, Haradwë and I have been placed in the blue legion, perhaps I'll see around. But before you leave, tell me who this young man is?" Therendell informed her with a quick nudge.
"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Dernhelm; he is giving me a tour of the camp, but you're right we'd best get going. I'll see you later," Kesteral replied before turning to leave.
"Who was that?" Dernhelm asked as he guided her toward the archery range.
"That was Therindell, I joined him and his twin on my way from Orthanc. "I forgot you for a minute there, I should not have spoken to him in elvish, I am sorry."
"It's okay, as long as you weren't talking about me," he responded. "Here is the archery range; my guess is you'll be using it a lot. Any way it's getting dark and I have a tradition of spending my time at the practice field before I settle down for the night. Do you want to join me; it's just around the corner?"
"Sure, I would love to," Kesteral replied following her guide into the fenced off field.
"Put these leather slips over your knives, it's a mandatory safety precaution. But as you saw from my helmet yesterday, it doesn't always work," Dernhelm said handing her two pieces of thick leather, which she placed over her blades; he grabbed another larger one which he slipped over his own sword. "One hits to win a round, best two out of three," he decided making his way onto the field. "Prepare to lose."
"I'd rather not," she replied, squaring off for the first parry. One, two, three times he lunged. She dodged every one. Four, five, six times he came again, this time she leapt side ways and took a quick thrust to his upper leg. a hit!
"Very nice," he commented. "Two more rounds."
"I hope I won't leave you needing another helmet," she scoffed squaring off again.
"I doubt that, you're a bit too short to strike that high," he replied lunging in from the left. She spun out right and struck out at his chest. a miss. He faked a right before falling forward and striking her in the chest. "Opps sorry about that, I guess I win that round. Next one wins," he apologized as he fell back and prepared to come in again. He spun left and then stooped down for a low sweep. She quickly bounded over it, only to meet with the upward thrust of his blade. It struck her shoulder. "Looks like I won. I must say I didn't expect that. I watched you during the testing, you handled those blades better then," he searched her face. "Is something bothering you?"
"The king has given me a new assignment, but I am not too sure if I can do it?" she replied taking the leather slips off her knives."
"Come to the green legion fire and tell me about it if it will make you feel better. I know you women are all into this whole talk thing, so lets talk," Dernhelm offered removing the leather from his own sword. He took her by the arm and guided her toward her own company's fire while the last time pole met the suns raise.
Chapter 10
Kesteral turned to leave, before remembering her prior arrangement for that evening with Dernhelm. "Do you want me to go to the palace tonight sir?"'she asked.
"Not, if you have anything already planned," he replied with a quick wink. "Don't bother coming in tomorrow, we can handle our selves for translating as the spy will not be reporting again.
I will leave at day break then," she said before exiting through the curtain. Valar that man knows everything going on in this camp she thought peering up at the time poles. Dernhelm will be waiting at the supply tent, so I'd better hurry.
As she neared the grey tent she saw Dernhelm speaking to Nimli. It appeared that the dwarf was making a deal regarding the stolen helmet. "Kesteral, there you are. Just a second I'll be done in a moment." He called out before turning back to the dwarf. "Okay, yeah I know. It's just neither of your brothers where very helpful and I would need a helmet in battle," Dernhelm told the dwarf.
"I'll talk to them about that. Go ahead and use the one you lifted, I wont bother to report you," the dwarf replied. "Now I believe a lady is waiting for you,"
"Oh, yes of course. Thank you," Dernhelm finished before turning toward her. "Lets get started, it's getting dark and I've got a lot to show you," he took her by the arm and guided her toward the northern edge of camp. "First off, my tent, then I'll show you the look out stations, then the archery range, and then the practice yard."
Dernhelm's tent was next to the blue legion's chief tent. "My brother and my father work in there. I'm the youngest of three sons. My eldest is shadowing my father while he commands the blue legion. My other brother is studying to be a scholar. I'm stuck taking a soldier job. It's not too bad; at least my father doesn't get mad if I mess up, my father takes Hama's choices really seriously since he is heir to my fathers position," Dernhelm told her as he showed her around the blue section of camp. "Now to the look out stations, there are twelve placed around the camp, three soldiers man them each shift. My turn was about a week ago, so I won't have to worry about it again for another month. Don't worry, I wont take you to all of them, just the one closest to here."
The lookout station was a wooden platform raised about four meters from the ground; an elf stood peering into the distance while a dwarf smoked a pipe and a man sat polishing an axe. "Every shift at least one member of each of the three main races working here, it helps us to cover all the needs of a lookout man.
The elf turned to see who was visiting and Kesteral saw that it was Therindel, "Oh, hello I wasn't expecting to see you in a while," the elf greeted in his own tongue.
"How is it going, are you and your brother settling in?" she asked in return
"It's going well, Haradwë and I have been placed in the blue legion, perhaps I'll see around. But before you leave, tell me who this young man is?" Therendell informed her with a quick nudge.
"Oh, I'm sorry. This is Dernhelm; he is giving me a tour of the camp, but you're right we'd best get going. I'll see you later," Kesteral replied before turning to leave.
"Who was that?" Dernhelm asked as he guided her toward the archery range.
"That was Therindell, I joined him and his twin on my way from Orthanc. "I forgot you for a minute there, I should not have spoken to him in elvish, I am sorry."
"It's okay, as long as you weren't talking about me," he responded. "Here is the archery range; my guess is you'll be using it a lot. Any way it's getting dark and I have a tradition of spending my time at the practice field before I settle down for the night. Do you want to join me; it's just around the corner?"
"Sure, I would love to," Kesteral replied following her guide into the fenced off field.
"Put these leather slips over your knives, it's a mandatory safety precaution. But as you saw from my helmet yesterday, it doesn't always work," Dernhelm said handing her two pieces of thick leather, which she placed over her blades; he grabbed another larger one which he slipped over his own sword. "One hits to win a round, best two out of three," he decided making his way onto the field. "Prepare to lose."
"I'd rather not," she replied, squaring off for the first parry. One, two, three times he lunged. She dodged every one. Four, five, six times he came again, this time she leapt side ways and took a quick thrust to his upper leg. a hit!
"Very nice," he commented. "Two more rounds."
"I hope I won't leave you needing another helmet," she scoffed squaring off again.
"I doubt that, you're a bit too short to strike that high," he replied lunging in from the left. She spun out right and struck out at his chest. a miss. He faked a right before falling forward and striking her in the chest. "Opps sorry about that, I guess I win that round. Next one wins," he apologized as he fell back and prepared to come in again. He spun left and then stooped down for a low sweep. She quickly bounded over it, only to meet with the upward thrust of his blade. It struck her shoulder. "Looks like I won. I must say I didn't expect that. I watched you during the testing, you handled those blades better then," he searched her face. "Is something bothering you?"
"The king has given me a new assignment, but I am not too sure if I can do it?" she replied taking the leather slips off her knives."
"Come to the green legion fire and tell me about it if it will make you feel better. I know you women are all into this whole talk thing, so lets talk," Dernhelm offered removing the leather from his own sword. He took her by the arm and guided her toward her own company's fire while the last time pole met the suns raise.