The unhorsed conservative snarled as he gracelessly regained his feet. Across the partition, Kel raised her visor and remained silent - the man had begun a tirade of spleen and umbrage, and it would be rude of her to interrupt.
Once he began repeating himself, Kel drew her sword and pointed it at him.
"Would you care to try your luck with a blade, My Lord, since your horse, or perhaps your lance or shield have failed you?" Kel asked sweetly. "I won't be so rude as to call the judgment of the gods into question, nor will I imply that you were sabotaged, as you have implied just now. I will, however, insist that this match was fairly won."
The irate Lord glared mutely at her and turned on his heel, striding off the field in high dudgeon, beckoning to his man of business and a squire or page as he went. The latter gathered up the man's horse and shield, leaving the shattered lance for the monitors to dispose of, while the man of business hailed Kel and offered the mighty purse of coins that the Lord had recklessly offered.
Thanking him, Kel turned Peachblossom to leave the field, when Neal and Raoul joined her.
"Was he saying what I think he was?" Raoul asked, grinning wickedly.
"That depends, my Lord, did you think he was casting aspersions on my skills, his equipment, the gods, my reputation, or all of those things? Because I'll give you a hint," Kel said with a wry smile.
Neal and Kel chorused, "it was all of those."
Raoul laughed aloud. "You would think that they would have learned by now that you've as much granite in your seat as Wyldon."
"What I don't understand, Kel, is why you let them say such things," Neal said, scowling mightily.
"Because it would be impolite to interrupt such magnificent rhetoric. And my mother raised me to be polite."
Raoul laughed again. "You and Alanna really need to spend more time together, Kel. She'd tell you well-behaved women seldom make history."
"I don't intend to make history, just to make people listen when women say they can take up arms," Kel protested.
"Kel, Kel, Kel, when will you learn that doing that is precisely how you're going to make history," Neal told her, smiling fondly.
"I'm not making history, precisely," Kel demurred. "I'm just reminding people that women were warriors until they were told not to. Women were warriors, knights, long ago."
"And because of you, now they can again," Raoul said, grinning, "which means you have made history. Whether you wanted to or not."
"And I did so while behaving myself," Kel added, slyly. Peachblossom snorted and shook his head in agreement. "Because I have you to misbehave for me," she assured the horse.
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Fill: Keladry of Mindelan
Date: 2014-06-02 06:20 pm (UTC)The unhorsed conservative snarled as he gracelessly regained his feet. Across the partition, Kel raised her visor and remained silent - the man had begun a tirade of spleen and umbrage, and it would be rude of her to interrupt.
Once he began repeating himself, Kel drew her sword and pointed it at him.
"Would you care to try your luck with a blade, My Lord, since your horse, or perhaps your lance or shield have failed you?" Kel asked sweetly. "I won't be so rude as to call the judgment of the gods into question, nor will I imply that you were sabotaged, as you have implied just now. I will, however, insist that this match was fairly won."
The irate Lord glared mutely at her and turned on his heel, striding off the field in high dudgeon, beckoning to his man of business and a squire or page as he went. The latter gathered up the man's horse and shield, leaving the shattered lance for the monitors to dispose of, while the man of business hailed Kel and offered the mighty purse of coins that the Lord had recklessly offered.
Thanking him, Kel turned Peachblossom to leave the field, when Neal and Raoul joined her.
"Was he saying what I think he was?" Raoul asked, grinning wickedly.
"That depends, my Lord, did you think he was casting aspersions on my skills, his equipment, the gods, my reputation, or all of those things? Because I'll give you a hint," Kel said with a wry smile.
Neal and Kel chorused, "it was all of those."
Raoul laughed aloud. "You would think that they would have learned by now that you've as much granite in your seat as Wyldon."
"What I don't understand, Kel, is why you let them say such things," Neal said, scowling mightily.
"Because it would be impolite to interrupt such magnificent rhetoric. And my mother raised me to be polite."
Raoul laughed again. "You and Alanna really need to spend more time together, Kel. She'd tell you well-behaved women seldom make history."
"I don't intend to make history, just to make people listen when women say they can take up arms," Kel protested.
"Kel, Kel, Kel, when will you learn that doing that is precisely how you're going to make history," Neal told her, smiling fondly.
"I'm not making history, precisely," Kel demurred. "I'm just reminding people that women were warriors until they were told not to. Women were warriors, knights, long ago."
"And because of you, now they can again," Raoul said, grinning, "which means you have made history. Whether you wanted to or not."
"And I did so while behaving myself," Kel added, slyly. Peachblossom snorted and shook his head in agreement. "Because I have you to misbehave for me," she assured the horse.