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Rocky Road #16. Where It All Happened with Whipped Cream
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1250 (Lyssa is 14)
Word Count : 806
“Bet you can’t.”
“Can so.” Lyssa shrugged. A quick assessment of the boy’s gangly form told her he wouldn’t last five minutes if she did.
Avery planted his hands on his hips with a dramatic sneer. “Alright, then,” he said, “bet you won’t.”
She folded her arms but stayed her distance, idly prodding the ground with her boot. “Try me.”
Nika’s hand found her shoulder. “Lyssa, don’t.”
“I don’t hit girls.” Avery sniffed.
“Lyssa,” Nika persisted. “You know what Lady Mirren said last time. If she catches you again-”
Without so much as a look, Lyssa shrugged out of her grasp. “Well, I don’t hit sissies,” she said, with a grin at the way his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared at the words.
“What did you call me?”
“What?” said Lyssa, rolling her shoulders, flexing her fists, the grin spreading over her face. “Your ears not work either? They’re big enough.”
“That’s enough.” A fist snapped her way.
Lyssa bobbed beneath the flailing arm. “Now that’s more like it,” she said, as he staggered forward and her return jab caught him in the ribs.
Nika scampered away, along with the rest of the kids, who wove their way into a ring around the two as they shuffled about the yard. Avery was quick to recover his footing and her next blow was deflected by a hand. She batted his next strike aside with ease, dancing about him in search of the best opening, breathing hard and beaming like a fool.
“You’re enjoying this far too much,” he said, with the launch of another unsuccessful attack. Laughter rippled through the crowd as Lyssa rewarded his efforts with another swift punch in the side.
She swung a foot between his legs and caught him by the back of his calf. “I shouldn’t be?” She gave the leg a pull.
A hand shot out, as Avery went tumbling to the ground, and wound itself in her hair. “Hey, that’s not fair!” she yelped as he dragged her down beside him.
Still pulling at her scalp, as she fought to bat his hand away, he brought himself up to his knees. “I suppose fighting a girl has its advantages,” he said, a hand snaking its way round to the base of her ribs. “ I could go for these instead.”
“Only if you want to die.”
She thrust an elbow into his gut and he rolled off her with a groan. Scrambling to her feet, she snatched him by the collar. The throng parted around them as she dragged her thrashing opponant through the yard to the wall.
“Look.” She pressed him to the stone, a knee poised between his legs while he squirmed in her grasp. “You don’t see me taking advantage of your weaknesses, do you?”
Avery glared at her in silence for a moment before spitting. Lyssa threw a hand to her face and he shoved her off him and stepped out from the wall. The dance of swinging and dodging, striking and blocking, resumed, the crowd knitting its wide frame back around them as the passed again into its center.
As the fight wore on his scowl deepened, his swings became more wild. Lyssa slipped past each increasingly desperate blow with ease. He made another lunge for her hair. She batted the hand away, but he caught her wrist and dragged her in.
“Some fighter you are, thinking you’ll get away with that twice,” she said, wrenching her arm free.
Avery smirked. “I could always try this move again,” he said, the now empty hand making a dive for her breast.
She rammed a fist into his gut, her vision swimming as white heat ripped through her. The sudden roar in her ears swallowed the chorus of gasps and cries from their audience and melded with her adversary‘s scream.
“What was that?” said the boy, long moments later as her sight cleared again and she found him sprawled in the dirt at her feet.
Lyssa blinked. “What was what?” she said, shaking out her tingling hand. “I just hit you.”
Avery gaped at his ribs, mouth quivering. “You- You left a mark!”
“Only cause you’re such a sissy,” she said, not bothering to look.
“On my shirt?” He plucked the fabric away from his body and she eyed the scorch marks between his hands. “What weapons are you hiding?”
Lyssa dropped to her knees, brows knit, to join his appraisal. “Nothing,” she said. “I didn’t-”
The crowd hummed again, a few dozen voices nervously announcing a new arrival.
“What,” Lady Mirren’s voice carried from their midst, “is the meaning of this?”
The two snapped to attention, Avery forcing his shirt back into order. “N-nothing,” they both stammered, the best looks of innocence they could muster set into place as the teacher strode to meet them.
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1250 (Lyssa is 14)
Word Count : 806
“Bet you can’t.”
“Can so.” Lyssa shrugged. A quick assessment of the boy’s gangly form told her he wouldn’t last five minutes if she did.
Avery planted his hands on his hips with a dramatic sneer. “Alright, then,” he said, “bet you won’t.”
She folded her arms but stayed her distance, idly prodding the ground with her boot. “Try me.”
Nika’s hand found her shoulder. “Lyssa, don’t.”
“I don’t hit girls.” Avery sniffed.
“Lyssa,” Nika persisted. “You know what Lady Mirren said last time. If she catches you again-”
Without so much as a look, Lyssa shrugged out of her grasp. “Well, I don’t hit sissies,” she said, with a grin at the way his eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared at the words.
“What did you call me?”
“What?” said Lyssa, rolling her shoulders, flexing her fists, the grin spreading over her face. “Your ears not work either? They’re big enough.”
“That’s enough.” A fist snapped her way.
Lyssa bobbed beneath the flailing arm. “Now that’s more like it,” she said, as he staggered forward and her return jab caught him in the ribs.
Nika scampered away, along with the rest of the kids, who wove their way into a ring around the two as they shuffled about the yard. Avery was quick to recover his footing and her next blow was deflected by a hand. She batted his next strike aside with ease, dancing about him in search of the best opening, breathing hard and beaming like a fool.
“You’re enjoying this far too much,” he said, with the launch of another unsuccessful attack. Laughter rippled through the crowd as Lyssa rewarded his efforts with another swift punch in the side.
She swung a foot between his legs and caught him by the back of his calf. “I shouldn’t be?” She gave the leg a pull.
A hand shot out, as Avery went tumbling to the ground, and wound itself in her hair. “Hey, that’s not fair!” she yelped as he dragged her down beside him.
Still pulling at her scalp, as she fought to bat his hand away, he brought himself up to his knees. “I suppose fighting a girl has its advantages,” he said, a hand snaking its way round to the base of her ribs. “ I could go for these instead.”
“Only if you want to die.”
She thrust an elbow into his gut and he rolled off her with a groan. Scrambling to her feet, she snatched him by the collar. The throng parted around them as she dragged her thrashing opponant through the yard to the wall.
“Look.” She pressed him to the stone, a knee poised between his legs while he squirmed in her grasp. “You don’t see me taking advantage of your weaknesses, do you?”
Avery glared at her in silence for a moment before spitting. Lyssa threw a hand to her face and he shoved her off him and stepped out from the wall. The dance of swinging and dodging, striking and blocking, resumed, the crowd knitting its wide frame back around them as the passed again into its center.
As the fight wore on his scowl deepened, his swings became more wild. Lyssa slipped past each increasingly desperate blow with ease. He made another lunge for her hair. She batted the hand away, but he caught her wrist and dragged her in.
“Some fighter you are, thinking you’ll get away with that twice,” she said, wrenching her arm free.
Avery smirked. “I could always try this move again,” he said, the now empty hand making a dive for her breast.
She rammed a fist into his gut, her vision swimming as white heat ripped through her. The sudden roar in her ears swallowed the chorus of gasps and cries from their audience and melded with her adversary‘s scream.
“What was that?” said the boy, long moments later as her sight cleared again and she found him sprawled in the dirt at her feet.
Lyssa blinked. “What was what?” she said, shaking out her tingling hand. “I just hit you.”
Avery gaped at his ribs, mouth quivering. “You- You left a mark!”
“Only cause you’re such a sissy,” she said, not bothering to look.
“On my shirt?” He plucked the fabric away from his body and she eyed the scorch marks between his hands. “What weapons are you hiding?”
Lyssa dropped to her knees, brows knit, to join his appraisal. “Nothing,” she said. “I didn’t-”
The crowd hummed again, a few dozen voices nervously announcing a new arrival.
“What,” Lady Mirren’s voice carried from their midst, “is the meaning of this?”
The two snapped to attention, Avery forcing his shirt back into order. “N-nothing,” they both stammered, the best looks of innocence they could muster set into place as the teacher strode to meet them.