Chapter Five: Swords and Invitations
They reached the practice courts just as Neal arrived.
"I see I'm not the only one who's late," Kel said with a grin.
"Yes, but why are you late, dear Keladry?" he replied.
"The same could be asked of you, Nealan."
"I, my dear, was detained due to a philosophical discussion with Lord Wyldon."
"That's just another way of saying he was receiving punishment work," Dom pointed out from slightly behind Kel.
"Kel, don't you have enough sense to keep better company that my cousin?"
"I think your cousin is delightful company. Much more than could be said of you." Kel retorted with a smile.
She walked to the edge of the courts and began to stretch. Neal and Dom followed, laughing.
"Don't you have duties for the Own, Dom?" Neal queried.
"Not today. My lord gave the Third two weeks off since we've been out in the field for nearly three months."
When Kel gave them a questioning glance, Neal said "Dom here is a sergeant in the King's Own. Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak is the knight-commander."
"Yes, I know. I've heard about the Own. Is anyone else coming or is it just us?"
"Just us for now, I suppose," was the reply, "which weapon do you choose, my lady?"
She walked slowly in front of the weapons rack, looking closely at each sword and bow. She selected a sword which was long and thin, with a near perfect weight.
"This will do." she said finally.
"Are you sure? It looks a bit big." Neal asked skeptically.
"I don't know. Let's find out. Guard." she said back.
In the short time after Neal had unsheathed his sword and gotten into the guard position, Kel had already disarmed him and was resting the point of her sword at the base of his throat.
"Yes, it will do." she answered.
She stepped back and lowered her sword. She heard laughter and looked over to see Dom laughing hysterically.
" I wouldn't laugh if I were you. You're next." Neal said in a dull tone.
"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with Kel."
"Right. How did you stay so.....fit? I mean, you have been at a convent for the past six years." Neal asked.
"I would sneak off at night and early in the mornings to practice with the guardsmen. I didn't want to lose all of my skills."
"It certainly seems as though you haven't. C'mon, Kel, let's get this over with. I'll have no honor left when you're done." Dom said, pushing off of the fence he was leaning on.
"Like you had honor anyway." Neal muttered under his breath. He received a glare from Dom.
"I could let you beat me. Then you could have the privilege of saying you won."
"And let my squad ruin your good name?! Most certainly not!"
"Suit yourself, then."
They walked to the middle of the court and saluted each other with their swords.
"It was nice knowing you, Dom!" Neal shouted from the sidelines.
"I wish I could say the same about you, Meathead!" Dom shouted back with a grin, his eyes never leaving Kel's.
Neal responded with a rude gesture and Kel laughed at the two cousins.
"It's your turn to guard, Kel." Dom whispered.
(A/N: I've never been in or written a sword fight before, so if it sucks, I'm sorry in advance.)
He attacked her left side with an overhead blow. She blocked and parried the blow and attacked his right side. As he blocked her hit, her arm was pushed down. She forced her arm back up and found herself locked body-to-body with Dom.(A/N: wouldn't we all LOVE that position? I know I would!!!!! *grin*). She blushed slightly as he winked at her, but quickly wiped her face blank with a Yamani stone face. She swung around backwards as he hit at her left side again.
As she blocked and attacked, she searched for an opening in his guard.
Finding one, she took her chance and locked the flat of her sword with Dom's, knocking his sword from his hands. She brought her sword up to rest at the side of his neck.
"I yield," he said breathing hard, "Good work, Kel!!! Years of sneaking out really did keep you in shape."
"Thank you." She lowered her sword as she heard the sounds of cheering and clapping. It seemed they had gathered quite a crowd of knights, pages, squires, and even a few nobles with their "duel".
Neal ran up to them, clapping and cheering with everyone else. He stepped between the two of them, grabbed one of each of their hands, and bowed with them to the crowd.
As Neal announced "Thank you! Thank you!! They'll be here all Midwinter!!", Kel decided that she'd had enough and pulled her hand away.
She walked to the weaponry shed and put away her sword.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to face Dom.
"Oh, it's just you. I thought it would be someone coming to fawn over me."
"I'm not allowed to fawn over you? Well, I'm leaving then."
"No, I'm just joking. You can stay, I like you."
"You're not a big fan of nobles either, are you?"
"Is it that obvious? They just annoy me even though I am one."
"I'm noble."
"Yes, but so is Neal and for some strange reason, neither of you bother me. Can't imagine why though."
Dom laughed and then asked quickly, "Kel, there's a ball two nights from now for Midwinter, would you go with me?"
Kel was a little bit shocked. She didn't expect an invitation to a ball. After a moment of thought, in which she considered the fact that she would have to attend anyway; why not go with someone she liked?, she replied, "Yes, I'll go with you."
"Good, I was hoping you would. Now, would you want to go eat? I'm starving and I'm sure you are, too."
"Sure. Should I go change or does it really matter?"
"We'll go to the Own and Rider's mess. It won't matter there."
"Alright, then, lead the way!!"
They reached the practice courts just as Neal arrived.
"I see I'm not the only one who's late," Kel said with a grin.
"Yes, but why are you late, dear Keladry?" he replied.
"The same could be asked of you, Nealan."
"I, my dear, was detained due to a philosophical discussion with Lord Wyldon."
"That's just another way of saying he was receiving punishment work," Dom pointed out from slightly behind Kel.
"Kel, don't you have enough sense to keep better company that my cousin?"
"I think your cousin is delightful company. Much more than could be said of you." Kel retorted with a smile.
She walked to the edge of the courts and began to stretch. Neal and Dom followed, laughing.
"Don't you have duties for the Own, Dom?" Neal queried.
"Not today. My lord gave the Third two weeks off since we've been out in the field for nearly three months."
When Kel gave them a questioning glance, Neal said "Dom here is a sergeant in the King's Own. Lord Raoul of Goldenlake and Malorie's Peak is the knight-commander."
"Yes, I know. I've heard about the Own. Is anyone else coming or is it just us?"
"Just us for now, I suppose," was the reply, "which weapon do you choose, my lady?"
She walked slowly in front of the weapons rack, looking closely at each sword and bow. She selected a sword which was long and thin, with a near perfect weight.
"This will do." she said finally.
"Are you sure? It looks a bit big." Neal asked skeptically.
"I don't know. Let's find out. Guard." she said back.
In the short time after Neal had unsheathed his sword and gotten into the guard position, Kel had already disarmed him and was resting the point of her sword at the base of his throat.
"Yes, it will do." she answered.
She stepped back and lowered her sword. She heard laughter and looked over to see Dom laughing hysterically.
" I wouldn't laugh if I were you. You're next." Neal said in a dull tone.
"I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with Kel."
"Right. How did you stay so.....fit? I mean, you have been at a convent for the past six years." Neal asked.
"I would sneak off at night and early in the mornings to practice with the guardsmen. I didn't want to lose all of my skills."
"It certainly seems as though you haven't. C'mon, Kel, let's get this over with. I'll have no honor left when you're done." Dom said, pushing off of the fence he was leaning on.
"Like you had honor anyway." Neal muttered under his breath. He received a glare from Dom.
"I could let you beat me. Then you could have the privilege of saying you won."
"And let my squad ruin your good name?! Most certainly not!"
"Suit yourself, then."
They walked to the middle of the court and saluted each other with their swords.
"It was nice knowing you, Dom!" Neal shouted from the sidelines.
"I wish I could say the same about you, Meathead!" Dom shouted back with a grin, his eyes never leaving Kel's.
Neal responded with a rude gesture and Kel laughed at the two cousins.
"It's your turn to guard, Kel." Dom whispered.
(A/N: I've never been in or written a sword fight before, so if it sucks, I'm sorry in advance.)
He attacked her left side with an overhead blow. She blocked and parried the blow and attacked his right side. As he blocked her hit, her arm was pushed down. She forced her arm back up and found herself locked body-to-body with Dom.(A/N: wouldn't we all LOVE that position? I know I would!!!!! *grin*). She blushed slightly as he winked at her, but quickly wiped her face blank with a Yamani stone face. She swung around backwards as he hit at her left side again.
As she blocked and attacked, she searched for an opening in his guard.
Finding one, she took her chance and locked the flat of her sword with Dom's, knocking his sword from his hands. She brought her sword up to rest at the side of his neck.
"I yield," he said breathing hard, "Good work, Kel!!! Years of sneaking out really did keep you in shape."
"Thank you." She lowered her sword as she heard the sounds of cheering and clapping. It seemed they had gathered quite a crowd of knights, pages, squires, and even a few nobles with their "duel".
Neal ran up to them, clapping and cheering with everyone else. He stepped between the two of them, grabbed one of each of their hands, and bowed with them to the crowd.
As Neal announced "Thank you! Thank you!! They'll be here all Midwinter!!", Kel decided that she'd had enough and pulled her hand away.
She walked to the weaponry shed and put away her sword.
She heard footsteps behind her and turned to face Dom.
"Oh, it's just you. I thought it would be someone coming to fawn over me."
"I'm not allowed to fawn over you? Well, I'm leaving then."
"No, I'm just joking. You can stay, I like you."
"You're not a big fan of nobles either, are you?"
"Is it that obvious? They just annoy me even though I am one."
"I'm noble."
"Yes, but so is Neal and for some strange reason, neither of you bother me. Can't imagine why though."
Dom laughed and then asked quickly, "Kel, there's a ball two nights from now for Midwinter, would you go with me?"
Kel was a little bit shocked. She didn't expect an invitation to a ball. After a moment of thought, in which she considered the fact that she would have to attend anyway; why not go with someone she liked?, she replied, "Yes, I'll go with you."
"Good, I was hoping you would. Now, would you want to go eat? I'm starving and I'm sure you are, too."
"Sure. Should I go change or does it really matter?"
"We'll go to the Own and Rider's mess. It won't matter there."
"Alright, then, lead the way!!"