Muttering grimly under her breath at the number of places she'd been sent
to in that afternoon alone, Yuri jogged back over to the first practice
court. The only thing remaining, as far as she could remember, was the
extra exam. This was a fairly newly introduced idea at the palace, started
under Baron Owen, and was where pages demonstrated their abilities with
weapons not taught as part of the standard training schedule. Yurimi had
been asked to show her abilities with the glaive.
When she arrived, she retrieved her glaive from the corner where she'd left it and sat down with the few other pages there in the spectator's gallery. Francis of Contë was warming up in the court itself with a knight Yuri didn't recognise. She tore her attention away from the young prince as Alan slid into the seat next to her.
"Now we'll see something," she said excitedly. "Francis is amazing with one sword, as I guess you've found out - Danil told me about what happened earlier. With two swords, he's unbelievable! He beats lots of knights already, and he's only a second year."
Yuri looked down again. He did have an unfair advantage in having learnt swordplay since he could walk, but he was still really good, and didn't seem to be arrogant with it.
"Who's the knight with him?"
"Oh, that's his tutor, Sir Gerald of Eagle's Rest. What are you here for, anyway? I'm doing glaive. What, you are too? Brilliant. I'd much rather fight you than the princess, and I thought that's who I'd have to fight 'cos we're the only ones who use glaives. The three over there use axes - not what I'd choose really, but I they seem to like it."
Yuri agreed with her heartily - axes were large, unwieldy things compared to a beautifully crafted Yamani glaive. Alan fell silent as the match began - her attention was fixed entirely on the amazing skills being demonstrated. Yuri could now see what she'd meant - the swords were flashing lightning fast in an intricate, deadly dance. It seemed to be quite an even match, and it would be marvellous if the page could beat his tutor. The fight lasted for about five minutes, then Francis tripped over and rolled back up to find his teacher's sword at his throat.
He yielded, of course, then stood up and bowed to Sir Martin, then to the examiner. He joined them in the seats once he'd sheathed his sword and brushed down his clothing.
"Go Francis!" exclaimed Alan exuberantly. "You were brilliant! If you hadn't tripped over, you'd have won!"
"I doubt it - Sir Gerald's really good, and he knows all of my tricks. Are you next? You do glaives, don't you? Hi," he said to Yuri. "I'm Francis of Contë, we fought earlier, didn't we?"
"Yes, I'm Yancen of Coll. I'm doing glaives too, with Alan, I guess."
"That would be the standard assumption. She'd quite good, I think, but then I'm no expert. Mother tried to teach me when I was younger, but I had great problems with it. I still have problems with staffs - I know how illogical that sounds, but it's true. You're not bad with a sword, by the way. Your style's especially good; you just need more practice. Have you only just started?"
"Uh, yes, how did you know?"
"That would be telling. Oh, all right. You only know the very standard moves: not the tricks that I like to use. Your teacher's must have been good to bring you on that much in what, a year?"
"Alanna of Masbolle, Yancen of Coll. Glaives," the examiner announced, interrupting their talk. The two of them went down into the court and unsheathed their glaives. Princess Shinkokami was judging this one, as she was Yamani and the best fighter with a glaive in the palace. They bowed to her Yamani style and began.
Yurimi felt that Keladry had taught her daughter well, but she wasn't Yamani like Yuri's own mother, and hadn't had so much in the way of training herself. At last, the princess called out,
"Match to Yancen of Coll!"
They stopped immediately with a speed only great skill and discipline can imbed and bowed to each other properly, then to the princess before they were allowed to leave.
"You're really good," Alan said, not jealous at all. "Can I train with you? Hey Francis - hurry up! Come on Yancen, we still have to wash before supper, and I don't want punishment work today of all days for being late. I have enough to worry about with the exams, even if I have passed, and Baron Owen always picks on people with outstanding punishment work for the worst jobs on the summer expedition. You are coming, aren't you?"
"If I'm allowed."
"You will be, you're really good."
When she arrived, she retrieved her glaive from the corner where she'd left it and sat down with the few other pages there in the spectator's gallery. Francis of Contë was warming up in the court itself with a knight Yuri didn't recognise. She tore her attention away from the young prince as Alan slid into the seat next to her.
"Now we'll see something," she said excitedly. "Francis is amazing with one sword, as I guess you've found out - Danil told me about what happened earlier. With two swords, he's unbelievable! He beats lots of knights already, and he's only a second year."
Yuri looked down again. He did have an unfair advantage in having learnt swordplay since he could walk, but he was still really good, and didn't seem to be arrogant with it.
"Who's the knight with him?"
"Oh, that's his tutor, Sir Gerald of Eagle's Rest. What are you here for, anyway? I'm doing glaive. What, you are too? Brilliant. I'd much rather fight you than the princess, and I thought that's who I'd have to fight 'cos we're the only ones who use glaives. The three over there use axes - not what I'd choose really, but I they seem to like it."
Yuri agreed with her heartily - axes were large, unwieldy things compared to a beautifully crafted Yamani glaive. Alan fell silent as the match began - her attention was fixed entirely on the amazing skills being demonstrated. Yuri could now see what she'd meant - the swords were flashing lightning fast in an intricate, deadly dance. It seemed to be quite an even match, and it would be marvellous if the page could beat his tutor. The fight lasted for about five minutes, then Francis tripped over and rolled back up to find his teacher's sword at his throat.
He yielded, of course, then stood up and bowed to Sir Martin, then to the examiner. He joined them in the seats once he'd sheathed his sword and brushed down his clothing.
"Go Francis!" exclaimed Alan exuberantly. "You were brilliant! If you hadn't tripped over, you'd have won!"
"I doubt it - Sir Gerald's really good, and he knows all of my tricks. Are you next? You do glaives, don't you? Hi," he said to Yuri. "I'm Francis of Contë, we fought earlier, didn't we?"
"Yes, I'm Yancen of Coll. I'm doing glaives too, with Alan, I guess."
"That would be the standard assumption. She'd quite good, I think, but then I'm no expert. Mother tried to teach me when I was younger, but I had great problems with it. I still have problems with staffs - I know how illogical that sounds, but it's true. You're not bad with a sword, by the way. Your style's especially good; you just need more practice. Have you only just started?"
"Uh, yes, how did you know?"
"That would be telling. Oh, all right. You only know the very standard moves: not the tricks that I like to use. Your teacher's must have been good to bring you on that much in what, a year?"
"Alanna of Masbolle, Yancen of Coll. Glaives," the examiner announced, interrupting their talk. The two of them went down into the court and unsheathed their glaives. Princess Shinkokami was judging this one, as she was Yamani and the best fighter with a glaive in the palace. They bowed to her Yamani style and began.
Yurimi felt that Keladry had taught her daughter well, but she wasn't Yamani like Yuri's own mother, and hadn't had so much in the way of training herself. At last, the princess called out,
"Match to Yancen of Coll!"
They stopped immediately with a speed only great skill and discipline can imbed and bowed to each other properly, then to the princess before they were allowed to leave.
"You're really good," Alan said, not jealous at all. "Can I train with you? Hey Francis - hurry up! Come on Yancen, we still have to wash before supper, and I don't want punishment work today of all days for being late. I have enough to worry about with the exams, even if I have passed, and Baron Owen always picks on people with outstanding punishment work for the worst jobs on the summer expedition. You are coming, aren't you?"
"If I'm allowed."
"You will be, you're really good."