William awoke to a hailstorm of river pebbles pelting his face. He scowled as he stormed outside and looked over to where Roland and Wat sat eating their morning meals and laughing at something had Christiana said. The culprit, it seemed, was Geoff, who was suddenly standing next to him smirking.
"I'll have you know that you awakened me from a lovely dream just now," Will spat at his herald.
"In a fine temper this morning, aren't you? It had to be done - you were disrupting everyone's chatter with your incoherent moaning and groaning." Geoff only laughed and strode off to where Kate and Wat had begun to pack up the camp in preparation for that day's ride.
Will went to join the others, pinching a bit to eat as he went. Wat and Geoff seemed to be bickering with one another more often than they usually did this morning, and Will suspected they were still feeling the effects of their previous overindulgence. Both Kate and Christiana seemed in good spirits, however, as they chattered loudly about how keen they were to finally arrive at Amboise. In addition to the tournament, there would be a fair in the city over the next few weeks or so. Christiana (and even Kate, though she would be loathe to admit it aloud) looked forward to shopping for slightly frivolous things that were considered luxuries while travelling the tournament circuit.
So barely an hour after the sun had peeked over the horizon, the friends set off once again; with any luck at all, they could reach Amboise by dusk and have time to settle into the more comfortable accommodations that would be made available to them on the tournament grounds.
Much of the morning ride was spent in silence, as no one wished to provoke Wat by speaking too loudly and interrupting his hangover recovery. The enforced quiet was obviously driving the two women mad, and the girls eventually rode on ahead of the rest of the party, promising to stay within sight. Their laughter could be heard from some distance; despite the difference in their backgrounds, Christiana and Kate had become fast friends even before Jocelyn had deserted the group. They paid no heed to the men until the mid-day meal, when the group stopped at a stream to allow the horses to rest and to recover some strength themselves.
They could not stop for long, but at least the afternoon's ride was more sociable than the morning. The companions joked and laughed as they spoke of their plans for the days before the tournament began. During their conversations, Will felt his gaze pulled time and again to Kate, even when she was not speaking. Though she did not catch him watching her, he knew that the others were not so ignorant of the situation. Why, Chaucer even winked once after he caught Will staring!
They arrived at Amboise, as hoped, just as the sun finally sank below the horizon. After settling the horses in their assigned stable and taking up residence in one of the comfortable houses that had been made available to the knights and their companions, the group headed straight for one of the local pubs. After a few rounds of ale, Christiana and Roland excused themselves to walk about the town. Kate amused herself by watching an impromptu drinking contest between Will, Geoff, and Wat. Will put up a good fight, but withdrew after his speech began to slur. He stumbled as he stood up, and Kate rose as well and took his arm to help him.
"Don't worry, you lot. I can make sure he gets back in one piece." Kate manoeuvred Will towards the door of the pub and towards their temporary lodgings. Wat and Geoff hardly looked up from their drinks as they muttered a drunken goodnight.
"I don't understand how they can drink like that every night and still manage to drag themselves out of bed every morning," Kate laughed, staggering a bit as William leaned on her for support.
"It's an acquired talent- not that I'd know, as it were."
Kate didn't respond to his comment, but William saw her eyes roll skyward. They stumbled in tandem across the threshold and up the stairs. Depositing Will on the foot of his bed, Kate peered down at him.
"Do you need any more help, or are you good to pass out from here?"
William glanced at her and smirked as he fell backwards onto the mattress. Kate turned to leave, but turned at the last moment.
"William…"
"Kate…"
"After you."
"Ummm…. Thank you for the help."
Kate smiled very slightly, and with a whispered "anytime" she was gone.
Will moaned and covered his face with an arm. Just seconds later, he was out.
***
"I'll have you know that you awakened me from a lovely dream just now," Will spat at his herald.
"In a fine temper this morning, aren't you? It had to be done - you were disrupting everyone's chatter with your incoherent moaning and groaning." Geoff only laughed and strode off to where Kate and Wat had begun to pack up the camp in preparation for that day's ride.
Will went to join the others, pinching a bit to eat as he went. Wat and Geoff seemed to be bickering with one another more often than they usually did this morning, and Will suspected they were still feeling the effects of their previous overindulgence. Both Kate and Christiana seemed in good spirits, however, as they chattered loudly about how keen they were to finally arrive at Amboise. In addition to the tournament, there would be a fair in the city over the next few weeks or so. Christiana (and even Kate, though she would be loathe to admit it aloud) looked forward to shopping for slightly frivolous things that were considered luxuries while travelling the tournament circuit.
So barely an hour after the sun had peeked over the horizon, the friends set off once again; with any luck at all, they could reach Amboise by dusk and have time to settle into the more comfortable accommodations that would be made available to them on the tournament grounds.
Much of the morning ride was spent in silence, as no one wished to provoke Wat by speaking too loudly and interrupting his hangover recovery. The enforced quiet was obviously driving the two women mad, and the girls eventually rode on ahead of the rest of the party, promising to stay within sight. Their laughter could be heard from some distance; despite the difference in their backgrounds, Christiana and Kate had become fast friends even before Jocelyn had deserted the group. They paid no heed to the men until the mid-day meal, when the group stopped at a stream to allow the horses to rest and to recover some strength themselves.
They could not stop for long, but at least the afternoon's ride was more sociable than the morning. The companions joked and laughed as they spoke of their plans for the days before the tournament began. During their conversations, Will felt his gaze pulled time and again to Kate, even when she was not speaking. Though she did not catch him watching her, he knew that the others were not so ignorant of the situation. Why, Chaucer even winked once after he caught Will staring!
They arrived at Amboise, as hoped, just as the sun finally sank below the horizon. After settling the horses in their assigned stable and taking up residence in one of the comfortable houses that had been made available to the knights and their companions, the group headed straight for one of the local pubs. After a few rounds of ale, Christiana and Roland excused themselves to walk about the town. Kate amused herself by watching an impromptu drinking contest between Will, Geoff, and Wat. Will put up a good fight, but withdrew after his speech began to slur. He stumbled as he stood up, and Kate rose as well and took his arm to help him.
"Don't worry, you lot. I can make sure he gets back in one piece." Kate manoeuvred Will towards the door of the pub and towards their temporary lodgings. Wat and Geoff hardly looked up from their drinks as they muttered a drunken goodnight.
"I don't understand how they can drink like that every night and still manage to drag themselves out of bed every morning," Kate laughed, staggering a bit as William leaned on her for support.
"It's an acquired talent- not that I'd know, as it were."
Kate didn't respond to his comment, but William saw her eyes roll skyward. They stumbled in tandem across the threshold and up the stairs. Depositing Will on the foot of his bed, Kate peered down at him.
"Do you need any more help, or are you good to pass out from here?"
William glanced at her and smirked as he fell backwards onto the mattress. Kate turned to leave, but turned at the last moment.
"William…"
"Kate…"
"After you."
"Ummm…. Thank you for the help."
Kate smiled very slightly, and with a whispered "anytime" she was gone.
Will moaned and covered his face with an arm. Just seconds later, he was out.
***