"Yurimi!" Yuri heard Merric, now a recruit, yell down from the top
of the wall. "Lord Wyldon and party sighted!"
"Thanks!" she called back, waving to him in case he hadn't heard, and hurried to the gate, which was being slowly pulled open.
It was a few weeks past Midwinter festival, when Yuri had served successfully at high table for the largest celebration of the Tortallan year. The last half year had brought her growth, confidence and a loss of the misleading quietness that had deceived so many people, including her own father.
Now Lord Wyldon, the retired palace Training Master, was coming especially to New Hope to check up on her progress. The gates were finally fully opened and Lord Wyldon rode in, followed by a squire and two guards.
"My lord," she said, bowing, and hoping desperately that she'd remember the formal words she'd been taught to use on such occasions. "Lady Keladry welcomes you to New Hope fief." She carefully took the reins of his horse and his squire's. "Merle will show your soldiers to the mess hall, and Meech, with your permission, Squire Warric, will guide you to the conference room where you can make the acquaintance of some of the resident nobles. Lady Keladry asks you to allow me to guide you to her office, my lord, since she believes it has moved since your last visit."
Yuri suddenly began to panic. If she was meant, as she had been instructed, to guide Lord Wyldon in, who was going to take the horses? She couldn't just leave them there. Just then, two lanky youths in recruit colours came jogging up. Glen winked at her as he took the reins from her unprotesting hands; Yuri smiled thankfully back. Taking a deep breath, Yuri bowed once more and led Lord Wyldon into the main building. When they reached the study door, Yuri knocked, went in and bowed.
"Lord Wyldon to see you, Lady Keladry," she announced, just as if he was totally unexpected. Keladry stood up respectfully.
"See him in."
"Yes my lady."
Lord Wyldon stepped in and clasped hands with the Lady Knight over the desk. Then they sat down. Yuri hesitated uncertainly by the door. She hadn't, as far as she remembered, been told what to do with herself.
"Shut the door and wait outside, Page Yurimi," Lady Keladry instructed. "And don't eavesdrop."
Yuri stared at her in amazement. Had she ever given her mistress reason to mistrust her? Then Lord Wyldon laughed - it must be a private joke. She bowed hurriedly and took a post standing outside the door. Luckily, she couldn't have heard even it she tried, since the thick wood stopped all sound from within. At last, Lady Keladry opened the door.
"Yurimi," she said briskly. "Conduct Lord Wyldon to his quarters. He will begin examining you tomorrow."
"Yes my lady." Yuri bowed to them and led Lord Wyldon up to the next floor, where the guest quarters were located. It was a luxurious room, by border standards, and was probably better than what he had at Mastiff, which was an army camp.
The next day, Yuri arrived in the mess hall in her best uniform; a towel draped neatly and precisely over one arm as she began to carefully serve the nobles at the head table. Luckily, they were always undemanding at breakfast, and she had plenty of time to eat her own meal before reporting to the small room adjoining the clerks' office where she had her lessons. Lord Wyldon had decided to stay with her normal timetable as he assessed her thoroughly. After a solid lunch, the one meal Yuri wasn't expected to serve at, she changed into practice clothes. These were just a simple white shirt and black hose of coarser, hard wearing material that were fairly standard for rough activity and would last her until she grew out of them.
Then Yurimi went out to the practice courts. Warric, Lord Wyldon's squire, a tall, muscular sixteen-year-old, was waiting there with his knight master. After they had warmed up properly under his critical eye, Lord Wyldon watched them fight. As she had expected, she was thoroughly thrashed by him in everything but staffs. Still, he had had the benefits of seven years training, to her six months, and he just lacked the Yamani touch to best her at staffs as well.
Yuri found it perfectly easy to perform the riding manoeuvres demanded of her. Then she took a few turns at the quintain, even hitting inside the ring once! Archery perhaps went the worst. It was understandable, since she had always used the different styled Yamani bow before, and was finding it difficult to adjust. She managed to string the bow, but had problems even hitting the target like many Tortallan six year olds were required to do, let along hit the gold.
That evening, after dinner, Yuri was summoned to the study. She went in and bowed to the two knights. Then she stood apprehensively in front of the desk, hoping desperately that the report was good.
"Well Yurimi," Kel said with a wry smile. "You survived. Now Lord Wydon wants to tell both of us how you've done."
He cleared his throat authoritarily and began.
"We'll start with your academics. Your history and etiquette were both excellent, although your knowledge of mathematics could do with a little more work. In reading and writing, immortals and nature studies, I would judge you to be abreast of the other pages your age. Then your weapons work. As you must know, this was less impressive. Your unarmed combat was not good, I'd recommend that you need to be more confident with the moves you know before adding any new ones. Your staff fighting was excellent, of course, but I assume you've been training with a glaive."
"Yes, my lord. My mother has taught me since I was six."
"As I thought. However, your fencing is very weak. That is apparently due to only starting recently, which means I can excuse it for the moment so long as you put in some good solid work in the next half year. Riding showed that you worked well with your gelding and your jousting was what I would expect from a first year page. The last thing was archery, and that was appalling! You definitely need to put more effort into that. On the whole, I believe I would say that you are much of the standard I expect from most first year pages, but if you work you could easily be among the best."
"Thank you, my lord!" Yuri exclaimed happily at the unusual praise.
Kel looked thoughtful - often an ominous thing for Yuri.
"We ought to be able to adjust your timetable to allow more time for your weak subjects and slightly less for your strong ones. We could certainly cut down your basic riding and staff work, and I'll see what I can do about the rest. By your next visit sir, I want her exceptional."
"Thanks!" she called back, waving to him in case he hadn't heard, and hurried to the gate, which was being slowly pulled open.
It was a few weeks past Midwinter festival, when Yuri had served successfully at high table for the largest celebration of the Tortallan year. The last half year had brought her growth, confidence and a loss of the misleading quietness that had deceived so many people, including her own father.
Now Lord Wyldon, the retired palace Training Master, was coming especially to New Hope to check up on her progress. The gates were finally fully opened and Lord Wyldon rode in, followed by a squire and two guards.
"My lord," she said, bowing, and hoping desperately that she'd remember the formal words she'd been taught to use on such occasions. "Lady Keladry welcomes you to New Hope fief." She carefully took the reins of his horse and his squire's. "Merle will show your soldiers to the mess hall, and Meech, with your permission, Squire Warric, will guide you to the conference room where you can make the acquaintance of some of the resident nobles. Lady Keladry asks you to allow me to guide you to her office, my lord, since she believes it has moved since your last visit."
Yuri suddenly began to panic. If she was meant, as she had been instructed, to guide Lord Wyldon in, who was going to take the horses? She couldn't just leave them there. Just then, two lanky youths in recruit colours came jogging up. Glen winked at her as he took the reins from her unprotesting hands; Yuri smiled thankfully back. Taking a deep breath, Yuri bowed once more and led Lord Wyldon into the main building. When they reached the study door, Yuri knocked, went in and bowed.
"Lord Wyldon to see you, Lady Keladry," she announced, just as if he was totally unexpected. Keladry stood up respectfully.
"See him in."
"Yes my lady."
Lord Wyldon stepped in and clasped hands with the Lady Knight over the desk. Then they sat down. Yuri hesitated uncertainly by the door. She hadn't, as far as she remembered, been told what to do with herself.
"Shut the door and wait outside, Page Yurimi," Lady Keladry instructed. "And don't eavesdrop."
Yuri stared at her in amazement. Had she ever given her mistress reason to mistrust her? Then Lord Wyldon laughed - it must be a private joke. She bowed hurriedly and took a post standing outside the door. Luckily, she couldn't have heard even it she tried, since the thick wood stopped all sound from within. At last, Lady Keladry opened the door.
"Yurimi," she said briskly. "Conduct Lord Wyldon to his quarters. He will begin examining you tomorrow."
"Yes my lady." Yuri bowed to them and led Lord Wyldon up to the next floor, where the guest quarters were located. It was a luxurious room, by border standards, and was probably better than what he had at Mastiff, which was an army camp.
The next day, Yuri arrived in the mess hall in her best uniform; a towel draped neatly and precisely over one arm as she began to carefully serve the nobles at the head table. Luckily, they were always undemanding at breakfast, and she had plenty of time to eat her own meal before reporting to the small room adjoining the clerks' office where she had her lessons. Lord Wyldon had decided to stay with her normal timetable as he assessed her thoroughly. After a solid lunch, the one meal Yuri wasn't expected to serve at, she changed into practice clothes. These were just a simple white shirt and black hose of coarser, hard wearing material that were fairly standard for rough activity and would last her until she grew out of them.
Then Yurimi went out to the practice courts. Warric, Lord Wyldon's squire, a tall, muscular sixteen-year-old, was waiting there with his knight master. After they had warmed up properly under his critical eye, Lord Wyldon watched them fight. As she had expected, she was thoroughly thrashed by him in everything but staffs. Still, he had had the benefits of seven years training, to her six months, and he just lacked the Yamani touch to best her at staffs as well.
Yuri found it perfectly easy to perform the riding manoeuvres demanded of her. Then she took a few turns at the quintain, even hitting inside the ring once! Archery perhaps went the worst. It was understandable, since she had always used the different styled Yamani bow before, and was finding it difficult to adjust. She managed to string the bow, but had problems even hitting the target like many Tortallan six year olds were required to do, let along hit the gold.
That evening, after dinner, Yuri was summoned to the study. She went in and bowed to the two knights. Then she stood apprehensively in front of the desk, hoping desperately that the report was good.
"Well Yurimi," Kel said with a wry smile. "You survived. Now Lord Wydon wants to tell both of us how you've done."
He cleared his throat authoritarily and began.
"We'll start with your academics. Your history and etiquette were both excellent, although your knowledge of mathematics could do with a little more work. In reading and writing, immortals and nature studies, I would judge you to be abreast of the other pages your age. Then your weapons work. As you must know, this was less impressive. Your unarmed combat was not good, I'd recommend that you need to be more confident with the moves you know before adding any new ones. Your staff fighting was excellent, of course, but I assume you've been training with a glaive."
"Yes, my lord. My mother has taught me since I was six."
"As I thought. However, your fencing is very weak. That is apparently due to only starting recently, which means I can excuse it for the moment so long as you put in some good solid work in the next half year. Riding showed that you worked well with your gelding and your jousting was what I would expect from a first year page. The last thing was archery, and that was appalling! You definitely need to put more effort into that. On the whole, I believe I would say that you are much of the standard I expect from most first year pages, but if you work you could easily be among the best."
"Thank you, my lord!" Yuri exclaimed happily at the unusual praise.
Kel looked thoughtful - often an ominous thing for Yuri.
"We ought to be able to adjust your timetable to allow more time for your weak subjects and slightly less for your strong ones. We could certainly cut down your basic riding and staff work, and I'll see what I can do about the rest. By your next visit sir, I want her exceptional."