Author's Note: since someone asked if Kel was married to Lord Raoul, I'll
specify that Keladry of Masbolle and New Hope is married to Lord Raoul's
successor as commander of the Own, Domitan of Masbolle.
Yuri was woken early the next bell as a loud bell startled her from her dreams. She sat up, confused, but soon, as she began to wake up properly, realised what it must be. Getting slowly and carefully out of bed, she splashed her face with the cold water in her basin, and pulled on her uniform. It was a rather nice uniform, at least in her opinion, since it showed off her black hair nicely. It consisted of a pale blue tunic belted over black shirt, hose and leggings.
At that point, someone knocked quietly on the door. "Miss? Are ye awake?" Yuri opened the door and saw the man who had shown her around the previous day.
"Good morning," she said, yawning widely.
"Page Yurimi? I'm Meech, an' I'm t' be lookin' after ye. Anything I can do for ye?" Yuri thought for a moment, absently fingering her shoulder-length black hair. It was all right for her normal home life, or a tedious existence at the convent, she thought, but if she was doing weapons work it would be very inconvenient.
"Would you trim my hair for me? So it's about as short as Lord Tobe's?"
"Of course I can, though it won't be as neat a job as some fancy servant. It t'will make it easier when yer fightin', won't it? I'll find a basin and do it properly then."
Yuri went uncomfortably into the mess hall for breakfast about twenty minutes later. She could feel the chilly northern air brushing the back of her neck, and it felt very strange to her. Rather self-consciously, she slid into a seat squeezed between to of the militia recruits - these were the youngsters pointed out to her the previous day. There were nine of them, aged between approximately fourteen and eighteen years old by the looks of them - all much larger and taller than she was. They were all boys. One of them decided it would probably be best to talk to her.
"Hello there, new recruit?"
"No, I'm a page."
"That explains you being so young then. I'm Merric Lofts, at your service. Course, I'm not 'zackly a recruit myself, but I will be as soon as I'm old enough. I'm thirteen now, and you have to be fifteen to join. My father's the commander of the militia; he's ranked as a Sergeant Major in the army. I've been living with the militia since I was five, cos Ma was killed in a Scanran raid and it was easier for Da without worrying about me."
"I'm Yuri, I'm ten." The boys were, on closer examination, definitely older than she was. Even Merric, a dark skinned boy with black hair and odd grey eyes looked much older than thirteen.
"Uh, are you a girl or a boy?" Merric asked, looked somewhat embarrassed at having to ask. "I mean, I know most pages are boys, but you might be one of the exceptions." Yuri smiled.
"I'm a girl."
"Gosh, good thing I asked. You look like a boy with your hair like that."
After eating, Yuri raced out to meet Lady Keladry in the stables. The knight was there before her, and was standing outside holding the reins of two horses. One Yuri recognised as her gelding, Trojan. The other was a rather elderly mare.
"Hello Yuri, nice morning, isn't it? You'll be riding Buttercup there, and we'll lead her back with us. Mount up, and we'll go straight away."
Yuri bowed and swung up into the saddle. The Lady Knight pushed Trojan into a trot, and they were off. Kel waved cheerfully at the guards manning the gates as they opened them for the pair to pass. The roads, Yuri observed distastefully, appeared to be little more than dirt tracks.
Suddenly Yuri thought of something.
"Lady Keladry," she began. "When did Lady Alanna leave? I haven't seen her today."
"Sun up this morning. She's picking up my daughter and her oldest grandson as she rides down, since they're both to start at the palace. You'd probably like young Danil, he's bookish like your father, and very stubborn. I suppose you'll be meeting him when you go next year."
"You really think his Majesty will agree."
"With all of us working on it, he can't refuse once you've proved you're better than the boys." Yuri sighed - it looked like more work.
"Yes my lady."
* * * * *
Yuri could see Fort Mastiff as she came out of the forest. Her first thought was the rather predictable 'IT'S HUGE!!!!'. The walled fortress was decorated with the colourful Scanran shields captured in battle. These would also serve as a warning to any would be conquerors that this wasn't an easy target. Yuri could see what looked like army regulars lining the walls as she rode closer. The gates swung open before them, and Lady Keladry led her confidently in.
A squire ran up to them as they dismounted. He looked, to Yuri's inexperienced eye, rather hassled, but she later learned that this was a common expression for boys greeting important visitors. He bowed to Yuri's mistress deeply with great respect.
"Welcome to Fort Mastiff, Lady Keladry. Lord Wyldon will see you in his study if you'll permit me to take your horses."
"Thank you Warric."
Yuri followed Lady Keladry rather shyly into the fort. Kel seemed to know her way around perfectly, so Yuri looked around curiously as she walked the proper pace behind to her right. The path they followed led between orderly barracks, past soldiers who saluted smartly as they passed. There were no animals running loose here, no children playing and no washing flapping outside in the breeze. It was, after all, a military camp.
They came at last to the main administration building and in, to Lord Wyldon's study door. He was, to quote himself, 'no longer young but as grouchy as ever'. After all, he had a reputation to maintain. Once a strict conservative thoroughly against female knights, he had mellowed considerably with age.
"Keladry," Wyldon said as they came in, without looking up. Yuri had been rather doubtful about barging in without knocking, but it was obviously what was expected. "Welcome to Mastiff. Take a seat. Have you anything to report?"
"No, sir."
"Then why are you here," he said, seeming not to notice Yurimi hovering by the door. Keladry was smiling indulgently. She was well used to his quirks.
"I need a horse for my new page. Tobe said that he had helped to train some here."
"Come on then, we'll go out to the stables," the elderly knight said, levering himself to his feet. "You too, lad."
"Lass, sir," his former pupil corrected him with a grin. "Yurimi of Queenscove. Neal and the king are kicking up a fuss about her paging at the palace with the boys, so I ah intercepted her on the way to the convent and brought her here."
"Kidnapped her, you mean?"
"Well, Yurimi did want to come."
"Not your fault then. Young idiot, Nealan, always was. He talked too much as well. Do you remember how I was always having to threaten to gag him to make him shut up? Brightest things he ever did were sponsoring you and marrying that Yamani girl. Keep at it, page. It's been proven to me twice now that a girl can do as well as the boys." Keladry smiled rather wryly at that.
"Thank you, my lord," Yuri stammered.
"Come on then! I do happen to have a couple of horses in the stable now, as you knew before you came. Here we are, he's one of them."
The horse Wyldon was indicating was a chestnut gelding with white socks. He objectively ignored them, concentrating instead on his hay. Keladry shook her head and they moved on. The next stall along had a bay in it.
"Mare," Lord Wyldon told them abruptly. "Two years old, nice temper." She came willingly and nuzzled Yuri's hand. Patting her gently, Yuri glanced over at the third horse.
He was a beautiful white gelding, taller than either of the other two. He eyed them warily as they approached his door. Yuri walked slowly up to him and stroked his nose. He soon calmed down.
"He's lovely!" exclaimed Yuri. "May I try him, my lord?"
"Well what else are you here for? Of course you can. His saddle's in the tack-room, bottom right."
He was an easy, patient horse to saddle, and soon Yuri was out admiring his smooth gait. She rode back to where the two knights were waiting. Yuri dismounted and looked pleadingly at Lady Keladry. The knight smiled and walked off, talking quietly to Wyldon. Soon they were finished and both looked satisfied. Yuri had been thinking hard about what to name him.
"Cirrus," she said quietly. "I'll call you Cirrus."
"It's a type of cloud in Yamani, sir," Kel said, translating for Wyldon. "Saddle up Trojan for me, Yurimi, and bring him here with Buttercup. You'll be leading her back if you think you can manage. "
Yuri tethered Cirrus loosely to a ring and jogged off in the direction she hoped would bring her to the guests' stable. Meanwhile, Kel was saying goodbye to her commander and former teacher. Clapping her solidly on the back, he sent them cheerfully on their way.
Yuri was woken early the next bell as a loud bell startled her from her dreams. She sat up, confused, but soon, as she began to wake up properly, realised what it must be. Getting slowly and carefully out of bed, she splashed her face with the cold water in her basin, and pulled on her uniform. It was a rather nice uniform, at least in her opinion, since it showed off her black hair nicely. It consisted of a pale blue tunic belted over black shirt, hose and leggings.
At that point, someone knocked quietly on the door. "Miss? Are ye awake?" Yuri opened the door and saw the man who had shown her around the previous day.
"Good morning," she said, yawning widely.
"Page Yurimi? I'm Meech, an' I'm t' be lookin' after ye. Anything I can do for ye?" Yuri thought for a moment, absently fingering her shoulder-length black hair. It was all right for her normal home life, or a tedious existence at the convent, she thought, but if she was doing weapons work it would be very inconvenient.
"Would you trim my hair for me? So it's about as short as Lord Tobe's?"
"Of course I can, though it won't be as neat a job as some fancy servant. It t'will make it easier when yer fightin', won't it? I'll find a basin and do it properly then."
Yuri went uncomfortably into the mess hall for breakfast about twenty minutes later. She could feel the chilly northern air brushing the back of her neck, and it felt very strange to her. Rather self-consciously, she slid into a seat squeezed between to of the militia recruits - these were the youngsters pointed out to her the previous day. There were nine of them, aged between approximately fourteen and eighteen years old by the looks of them - all much larger and taller than she was. They were all boys. One of them decided it would probably be best to talk to her.
"Hello there, new recruit?"
"No, I'm a page."
"That explains you being so young then. I'm Merric Lofts, at your service. Course, I'm not 'zackly a recruit myself, but I will be as soon as I'm old enough. I'm thirteen now, and you have to be fifteen to join. My father's the commander of the militia; he's ranked as a Sergeant Major in the army. I've been living with the militia since I was five, cos Ma was killed in a Scanran raid and it was easier for Da without worrying about me."
"I'm Yuri, I'm ten." The boys were, on closer examination, definitely older than she was. Even Merric, a dark skinned boy with black hair and odd grey eyes looked much older than thirteen.
"Uh, are you a girl or a boy?" Merric asked, looked somewhat embarrassed at having to ask. "I mean, I know most pages are boys, but you might be one of the exceptions." Yuri smiled.
"I'm a girl."
"Gosh, good thing I asked. You look like a boy with your hair like that."
After eating, Yuri raced out to meet Lady Keladry in the stables. The knight was there before her, and was standing outside holding the reins of two horses. One Yuri recognised as her gelding, Trojan. The other was a rather elderly mare.
"Hello Yuri, nice morning, isn't it? You'll be riding Buttercup there, and we'll lead her back with us. Mount up, and we'll go straight away."
Yuri bowed and swung up into the saddle. The Lady Knight pushed Trojan into a trot, and they were off. Kel waved cheerfully at the guards manning the gates as they opened them for the pair to pass. The roads, Yuri observed distastefully, appeared to be little more than dirt tracks.
Suddenly Yuri thought of something.
"Lady Keladry," she began. "When did Lady Alanna leave? I haven't seen her today."
"Sun up this morning. She's picking up my daughter and her oldest grandson as she rides down, since they're both to start at the palace. You'd probably like young Danil, he's bookish like your father, and very stubborn. I suppose you'll be meeting him when you go next year."
"You really think his Majesty will agree."
"With all of us working on it, he can't refuse once you've proved you're better than the boys." Yuri sighed - it looked like more work.
"Yes my lady."
* * * * *
Yuri could see Fort Mastiff as she came out of the forest. Her first thought was the rather predictable 'IT'S HUGE!!!!'. The walled fortress was decorated with the colourful Scanran shields captured in battle. These would also serve as a warning to any would be conquerors that this wasn't an easy target. Yuri could see what looked like army regulars lining the walls as she rode closer. The gates swung open before them, and Lady Keladry led her confidently in.
A squire ran up to them as they dismounted. He looked, to Yuri's inexperienced eye, rather hassled, but she later learned that this was a common expression for boys greeting important visitors. He bowed to Yuri's mistress deeply with great respect.
"Welcome to Fort Mastiff, Lady Keladry. Lord Wyldon will see you in his study if you'll permit me to take your horses."
"Thank you Warric."
Yuri followed Lady Keladry rather shyly into the fort. Kel seemed to know her way around perfectly, so Yuri looked around curiously as she walked the proper pace behind to her right. The path they followed led between orderly barracks, past soldiers who saluted smartly as they passed. There were no animals running loose here, no children playing and no washing flapping outside in the breeze. It was, after all, a military camp.
They came at last to the main administration building and in, to Lord Wyldon's study door. He was, to quote himself, 'no longer young but as grouchy as ever'. After all, he had a reputation to maintain. Once a strict conservative thoroughly against female knights, he had mellowed considerably with age.
"Keladry," Wyldon said as they came in, without looking up. Yuri had been rather doubtful about barging in without knocking, but it was obviously what was expected. "Welcome to Mastiff. Take a seat. Have you anything to report?"
"No, sir."
"Then why are you here," he said, seeming not to notice Yurimi hovering by the door. Keladry was smiling indulgently. She was well used to his quirks.
"I need a horse for my new page. Tobe said that he had helped to train some here."
"Come on then, we'll go out to the stables," the elderly knight said, levering himself to his feet. "You too, lad."
"Lass, sir," his former pupil corrected him with a grin. "Yurimi of Queenscove. Neal and the king are kicking up a fuss about her paging at the palace with the boys, so I ah intercepted her on the way to the convent and brought her here."
"Kidnapped her, you mean?"
"Well, Yurimi did want to come."
"Not your fault then. Young idiot, Nealan, always was. He talked too much as well. Do you remember how I was always having to threaten to gag him to make him shut up? Brightest things he ever did were sponsoring you and marrying that Yamani girl. Keep at it, page. It's been proven to me twice now that a girl can do as well as the boys." Keladry smiled rather wryly at that.
"Thank you, my lord," Yuri stammered.
"Come on then! I do happen to have a couple of horses in the stable now, as you knew before you came. Here we are, he's one of them."
The horse Wyldon was indicating was a chestnut gelding with white socks. He objectively ignored them, concentrating instead on his hay. Keladry shook her head and they moved on. The next stall along had a bay in it.
"Mare," Lord Wyldon told them abruptly. "Two years old, nice temper." She came willingly and nuzzled Yuri's hand. Patting her gently, Yuri glanced over at the third horse.
He was a beautiful white gelding, taller than either of the other two. He eyed them warily as they approached his door. Yuri walked slowly up to him and stroked his nose. He soon calmed down.
"He's lovely!" exclaimed Yuri. "May I try him, my lord?"
"Well what else are you here for? Of course you can. His saddle's in the tack-room, bottom right."
He was an easy, patient horse to saddle, and soon Yuri was out admiring his smooth gait. She rode back to where the two knights were waiting. Yuri dismounted and looked pleadingly at Lady Keladry. The knight smiled and walked off, talking quietly to Wyldon. Soon they were finished and both looked satisfied. Yuri had been thinking hard about what to name him.
"Cirrus," she said quietly. "I'll call you Cirrus."
"It's a type of cloud in Yamani, sir," Kel said, translating for Wyldon. "Saddle up Trojan for me, Yurimi, and bring him here with Buttercup. You'll be leading her back if you think you can manage. "
Yuri tethered Cirrus loosely to a ring and jogged off in the direction she hoped would bring her to the guests' stable. Meanwhile, Kel was saying goodbye to her commander and former teacher. Clapping her solidly on the back, he sent them cheerfully on their way.