English > Hamlet > FF100 > Hamlet/Horatio > "Practice"
Title: Practice
Fandom: Hamlet
Characters: Hamlet; Horatio
Prompt: #38. Touch
Word Count: 545
Rating: PG
Summary: Horatio teaches Hamlet how to fence. Or so he thinks.
Author's Notes: I never held a rapier in my whole life. I just watched some fencing during the last Olympic Games.
„Just a bit lower, bend thy knee a bit more, lean forward. Now, now, keep thine arm straight. No, don’t just lean over, not only thy shoulders have to go forward, thy whole body has to. Push thy hips a bit more forward. More, more, like that, only a bit more…”
The sound of a rapier falling onto the hard stone floor echoed in the room and Horatio sprinted a few steps forward to catch his prince should he fall.
“I can’t, Horatio. I told thee that I will lose my balance.”
Horatio carefully picked the sword up and looked at his prince. “My lord, I know what I am doing and wouldst thou follow my instructions just the way I give them thou shouldst be able to do so and keep thy balance.”
Now Hamlet crossed his arms in front of his chest and held his head just a bit higher. “Now, I don’t think so.”
“Ay, perhaps I should prove thee wrong by a better instruction. Take this, my lord and let me show thee again.”
Unwillingly Hamlet took the rapier in his right hand again and glared at his friend.
Horatio positioned himself behind Hamlet. “Take a step forward. Ay, like this, my lord.”
He put his left hand on Hamlet’s left hip and placed his right hand under Hamlet’s hand holding the sword. “Now, bend thy right knee, put all thy weight on it. Turn thy left shoulder away from your enemy, the left arm goes up. Up, I said. Fine, like that, my prince. Bend thy knee a bit more, thy left arm and leg will keep thee balanced and I am here to hold thee.”
Hamlet smiled lightly, his features turning back to earnest in only a second. Horatio’s hand’s were warm, his breath next to Hamlet’s ear almost hot. He bent his knee just a bit more and almost automatically took the right position.
After the session was over Horatio smiled gently.
“Thou art learning very quickly, my lord.”
“Ay, thou art mocking me, Horatio. How can thou say that after we practiced just that one position for almost an hour?”
“I say that after thou improved from a stumbling jester to a master in fencing in less than a minute.”
“A master? Is that not a bit of an exaggeration, sir?”
“When thou hold the foil it becomes an elongation of thine arm, thy motions are swift and easy and thou tend to balance on the balls of thy feet as soon as thine eyes catch sight of a sword. Thou hast trained with this instrument almost all your life, my lord, haven’t thou?”
Hamlet turned his face away from Horatio to hide his blushing cheeks.
“Would it make a difference if I had, sir?”
“Why, if thou wanted to spend more time in my poor company thou could have said so long ago.”
Hamlet looked up, Horatio smiled and turned away to put away the foils. “I still might, Horatio.”
Fandom: Hamlet
Characters: Hamlet; Horatio
Prompt: #38. Touch
Word Count: 545
Rating: PG
Summary: Horatio teaches Hamlet how to fence. Or so he thinks.
Author's Notes: I never held a rapier in my whole life. I just watched some fencing during the last Olympic Games.
„Just a bit lower, bend thy knee a bit more, lean forward. Now, now, keep thine arm straight. No, don’t just lean over, not only thy shoulders have to go forward, thy whole body has to. Push thy hips a bit more forward. More, more, like that, only a bit more…”
The sound of a rapier falling onto the hard stone floor echoed in the room and Horatio sprinted a few steps forward to catch his prince should he fall.
“I can’t, Horatio. I told thee that I will lose my balance.”
Horatio carefully picked the sword up and looked at his prince. “My lord, I know what I am doing and wouldst thou follow my instructions just the way I give them thou shouldst be able to do so and keep thy balance.”
Now Hamlet crossed his arms in front of his chest and held his head just a bit higher. “Now, I don’t think so.”
“Ay, perhaps I should prove thee wrong by a better instruction. Take this, my lord and let me show thee again.”
Unwillingly Hamlet took the rapier in his right hand again and glared at his friend.
Horatio positioned himself behind Hamlet. “Take a step forward. Ay, like this, my lord.”
He put his left hand on Hamlet’s left hip and placed his right hand under Hamlet’s hand holding the sword. “Now, bend thy right knee, put all thy weight on it. Turn thy left shoulder away from your enemy, the left arm goes up. Up, I said. Fine, like that, my prince. Bend thy knee a bit more, thy left arm and leg will keep thee balanced and I am here to hold thee.”
Hamlet smiled lightly, his features turning back to earnest in only a second. Horatio’s hand’s were warm, his breath next to Hamlet’s ear almost hot. He bent his knee just a bit more and almost automatically took the right position.
After the session was over Horatio smiled gently.
“Thou art learning very quickly, my lord.”
“Ay, thou art mocking me, Horatio. How can thou say that after we practiced just that one position for almost an hour?”
“I say that after thou improved from a stumbling jester to a master in fencing in less than a minute.”
“A master? Is that not a bit of an exaggeration, sir?”
“When thou hold the foil it becomes an elongation of thine arm, thy motions are swift and easy and thou tend to balance on the balls of thy feet as soon as thine eyes catch sight of a sword. Thou hast trained with this instrument almost all your life, my lord, haven’t thou?”
Hamlet turned his face away from Horatio to hide his blushing cheeks.
“Would it make a difference if I had, sir?”
“Why, if thou wanted to spend more time in my poor company thou could have said so long ago.”
Hamlet looked up, Horatio smiled and turned away to put away the foils. “I still might, Horatio.”