(no subject)
Molasses #1. Survival of the Fittest with Hot Fudge and Whipped Cream
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1249
Word Count : 747
In one jumbled mass, the boys pushed and pressed their way against the fence. The taller leaned up against the rails, while the smaller wormed their way beneath and between them, all straining for a glimpse of the road below.
A good five yards or so away, Sethan sat in his usual haphazard stance, knees and elbows jutting at odd angles over a pattern of sticks he was arranging and rearranging on the ground. Kairn eyed the lot at the fence with a yawn as he settled in the grass beside him.
“What’s with them?” He gave the crowd a nod.
Still poking at his twigs, Sethan didn’t bother with a look. “They’re waiting for the new arrivals,” he said.
“Another?” said Kairn, craning his neck as if he might spy something worthwhile could he only find a crack between the boys. “Just how many does Master Berwyk think this place will hold?”
Sethan shrugged. “I suppose he will keep cramming them in as long as they’re willing to come.”
A wave of agitated chatter ran through those gathered at the fence. “Looks like they’re here,” said Kairn.
Eyes never leaving his work, Sethan nodded.
Kairn studied the sticks splayed in the grass and grimaced. “You’re practicing human sigils again.”
Sethan’s lips curled in the slightest. “You’ve been paying attention,” he said.
He’d rather not have recognized it. The sight of even a harmless rendition of the form was enough to send chills through him. “It’s just wrong,” he muttered. “I don’t see why you’re so bent on-”
Another fit of commotion from the fence stopped him short. Heads turned, puzzled looks passing from face to face with murmurs of confusion.
Kairn looked to Sethan, who continued prodding his wooden sigil. “Something special about this one?” he said.
Sethan shrugged
“What’s his name again?” said Kairn.
Sethan pried his eyes from the ground to fix Kairn with an incredulous stare. “Do you think I would be bothered with remembering it?”
Kairn frowned. “Right,” he said, “of course not. Though I bet you know ever other detail about him.”
Sethan turned back to his work with a grin. “I know he has an apprentice.”
“I am not,” Aldo’s voice rang out as he came stomping across the lawn, Kinu and Ril close on his heels, “taking lessons with a girl.”
Kairn’s eyes darted from Sethan to the approaching trio and back. A broad hand caught the back of his head as its owner passed, and he ducked forward. Kinu snickered and caught his backside with the toe of his boot, as if his step had simply found Kairn in its path by accident.
“Not like you don’t already,”said Kinu, as Kairn scrambled out of his way.
Aldo stopped to appraise Kairn with a snort. “Right,” he said, “no place for either of them.”
Kairn’s eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue.
“You know,” Ril piped in. “She didn’t look half ba-”
Aldo cut him short with a glare, his fists curling. “If you even think about-”
Kinu silenced them both with a laugh and gave Kairn another prod with his boot. “Kairn might have to watch his step,” he said, with a sickening grin. “Competition.”
Kairn clenched his fists in the grass.
“Or,” said Sethan still tinkering with his sticks, “maybe you might have to watch yours.”
“Oh?” Aldo’s attention snapped to Sethan, his hands still balled, though he rocked a bit uneasily as his eyes settled on the design laid in the grass.
Sethan smoothed a few blades out of his way to make yet another adjustment to one of the twigs. “I hear she is quite talented,” he said.
Aldo shuffled back a pace frowning at the sigil. “I’m not going to be intimidated by some girl because you say so.”
Sethan shrugged. “I’m not the one that needs to worry about where I stand with Berwyk,” he said. “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”
“As if I have reason to worry either,” said Aldo, still glaring at the sticks. “What is that?”
“Human,” said Kairn.
There was a muffled choking from all three. “Right,” said Aldo, his face a shade paler than it had been a moment before. “You know, this Master Tarek is bound to need some help, what with a useless girl for an apprentice and all. I suppose we should be going to offer.”
Kairn turned to Sethan and a grin passed between them as the three made a hasty retreat.
Story : knights
Rating : G
Timeframe : 1249
Word Count : 747
In one jumbled mass, the boys pushed and pressed their way against the fence. The taller leaned up against the rails, while the smaller wormed their way beneath and between them, all straining for a glimpse of the road below.
A good five yards or so away, Sethan sat in his usual haphazard stance, knees and elbows jutting at odd angles over a pattern of sticks he was arranging and rearranging on the ground. Kairn eyed the lot at the fence with a yawn as he settled in the grass beside him.
“What’s with them?” He gave the crowd a nod.
Still poking at his twigs, Sethan didn’t bother with a look. “They’re waiting for the new arrivals,” he said.
“Another?” said Kairn, craning his neck as if he might spy something worthwhile could he only find a crack between the boys. “Just how many does Master Berwyk think this place will hold?”
Sethan shrugged. “I suppose he will keep cramming them in as long as they’re willing to come.”
A wave of agitated chatter ran through those gathered at the fence. “Looks like they’re here,” said Kairn.
Eyes never leaving his work, Sethan nodded.
Kairn studied the sticks splayed in the grass and grimaced. “You’re practicing human sigils again.”
Sethan’s lips curled in the slightest. “You’ve been paying attention,” he said.
He’d rather not have recognized it. The sight of even a harmless rendition of the form was enough to send chills through him. “It’s just wrong,” he muttered. “I don’t see why you’re so bent on-”
Another fit of commotion from the fence stopped him short. Heads turned, puzzled looks passing from face to face with murmurs of confusion.
Kairn looked to Sethan, who continued prodding his wooden sigil. “Something special about this one?” he said.
Sethan shrugged
“What’s his name again?” said Kairn.
Sethan pried his eyes from the ground to fix Kairn with an incredulous stare. “Do you think I would be bothered with remembering it?”
Kairn frowned. “Right,” he said, “of course not. Though I bet you know ever other detail about him.”
Sethan turned back to his work with a grin. “I know he has an apprentice.”
“I am not,” Aldo’s voice rang out as he came stomping across the lawn, Kinu and Ril close on his heels, “taking lessons with a girl.”
Kairn’s eyes darted from Sethan to the approaching trio and back. A broad hand caught the back of his head as its owner passed, and he ducked forward. Kinu snickered and caught his backside with the toe of his boot, as if his step had simply found Kairn in its path by accident.
“Not like you don’t already,”said Kinu, as Kairn scrambled out of his way.
Aldo stopped to appraise Kairn with a snort. “Right,” he said, “no place for either of them.”
Kairn’s eyes narrowed, but he held his tongue.
“You know,” Ril piped in. “She didn’t look half ba-”
Aldo cut him short with a glare, his fists curling. “If you even think about-”
Kinu silenced them both with a laugh and gave Kairn another prod with his boot. “Kairn might have to watch his step,” he said, with a sickening grin. “Competition.”
Kairn clenched his fists in the grass.
“Or,” said Sethan still tinkering with his sticks, “maybe you might have to watch yours.”
“Oh?” Aldo’s attention snapped to Sethan, his hands still balled, though he rocked a bit uneasily as his eyes settled on the design laid in the grass.
Sethan smoothed a few blades out of his way to make yet another adjustment to one of the twigs. “I hear she is quite talented,” he said.
Aldo shuffled back a pace frowning at the sigil. “I’m not going to be intimidated by some girl because you say so.”
Sethan shrugged. “I’m not the one that needs to worry about where I stand with Berwyk,” he said. “I’m just telling you what I’ve heard.”
“As if I have reason to worry either,” said Aldo, still glaring at the sticks. “What is that?”
“Human,” said Kairn.
There was a muffled choking from all three. “Right,” said Aldo, his face a shade paler than it had been a moment before. “You know, this Master Tarek is bound to need some help, what with a useless girl for an apprentice and all. I suppose we should be going to offer.”
Kairn turned to Sethan and a grin passed between them as the three made a hasty retreat.