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yrae2006-03-19 11:52 pm
annarti.livejournal.com) wrote in yrae2006-03-19 11:52 pm
kawa~ inspiration #109
Title~ Veteran
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still mine
Notes~ kawa~ 109. Mini!'may =D
~ ~ ~
Nimay wound her way through the crowd, ducking under swinging bags and weaving around legs. Finally though she made it to the front, where she could sit down on the cobbles, knees drawn up to her chest in excitement and anticipation.
She loved the atmosphere of an Own challenge. Everyone in the palace turned out to watch, and even the guards on the top of the outer walls turned their backs on the city for those few exhilarating minutes.
There were people from every age group here; children Nimay’s age lined the inside of the ring, mostly with the rusty red uniform of the palace staff, but a few from the kitchens too. A number of white-haired scribes and ministers stood out against the black hair of the other Raykinians, some nodding sagely and discussing possible tactics for the battle that would ensue, some pointing and grinning with the same enthusiasm as the children down the front.
The red-shirted swordsmen of the Own stood on the sidelines, all with that same overly casual expression that showed they were anything but. Nimay grinned stupidly and hugged her knees tighter with a quiet squeak.
In the centre of the circle stood the two swordsmen to be fighting today. Nimay already knew both of them—Rumal had challenged the Own not long after Nimay had first arrived at the palace, and had gained entry; Emon had tried a year later and failed, and now he was back again.
“First blood-draw from the torso!” Majesty yelled in the time-honoured tradition, and the battle began.
Nimay always liked to grin at the uninitiated as they frowned at each other in confusion. For some reason, they always expected that at those words, the two swordsmen would fly at each other, roaring and flashing their steel in veritable cyclones of action, but of course this never happened. Emon and Rumal instead began to circle each other slowly, not only picking each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but planting false ideas in their opponent’s head. Nimay wished she could do that, but she was still struggling to just defend the stronger boys’ heavy-handed blows.
Finally, having decided that he’d learnt all he could from circling, Rumal lunged forwards, and the real battle began.
Nimay was already so enthralled in the battle, trying to pick up techniques and defences, that it took her a moment to realise someone was nudging her. She didn’t take her eyes off the ensuing battle, but moved obligingly to her right to allow them to move.
A few moments later, they were nudging again. Nimay frowned and growled quietly, but shuffled aside again, considerably miffed that the best event of the year was being interrupted by someone so pedantic.
When she was nudged a third time, Nimay spun her head around and glared up at whoever it was that was determined not to let her enjoy herself.
However, the man didn’t seem to know she was there at all. His eyes were set with strong focus on the battle that was going on in front of him, with an intensity that rivalled Rumal’s and Emon’s. He held a cane in his right hand, which twitched out and bumped Nimay every time Emon looked like he might just miss. His fingers kneaded the top of the cane delicately, plainly wishing to grip it in the same way as they had gripped a sword hilt in years gone by.
Nimay turned back to the Own challenge, a broad grin on her face.
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still mine
Notes~ kawa~ 109. Mini!'may =D
Nimay wound her way through the crowd, ducking under swinging bags and weaving around legs. Finally though she made it to the front, where she could sit down on the cobbles, knees drawn up to her chest in excitement and anticipation.
She loved the atmosphere of an Own challenge. Everyone in the palace turned out to watch, and even the guards on the top of the outer walls turned their backs on the city for those few exhilarating minutes.
There were people from every age group here; children Nimay’s age lined the inside of the ring, mostly with the rusty red uniform of the palace staff, but a few from the kitchens too. A number of white-haired scribes and ministers stood out against the black hair of the other Raykinians, some nodding sagely and discussing possible tactics for the battle that would ensue, some pointing and grinning with the same enthusiasm as the children down the front.
The red-shirted swordsmen of the Own stood on the sidelines, all with that same overly casual expression that showed they were anything but. Nimay grinned stupidly and hugged her knees tighter with a quiet squeak.
In the centre of the circle stood the two swordsmen to be fighting today. Nimay already knew both of them—Rumal had challenged the Own not long after Nimay had first arrived at the palace, and had gained entry; Emon had tried a year later and failed, and now he was back again.
“First blood-draw from the torso!” Majesty yelled in the time-honoured tradition, and the battle began.
Nimay always liked to grin at the uninitiated as they frowned at each other in confusion. For some reason, they always expected that at those words, the two swordsmen would fly at each other, roaring and flashing their steel in veritable cyclones of action, but of course this never happened. Emon and Rumal instead began to circle each other slowly, not only picking each other’s strengths and weaknesses, but planting false ideas in their opponent’s head. Nimay wished she could do that, but she was still struggling to just defend the stronger boys’ heavy-handed blows.
Finally, having decided that he’d learnt all he could from circling, Rumal lunged forwards, and the real battle began.
Nimay was already so enthralled in the battle, trying to pick up techniques and defences, that it took her a moment to realise someone was nudging her. She didn’t take her eyes off the ensuing battle, but moved obligingly to her right to allow them to move.
A few moments later, they were nudging again. Nimay frowned and growled quietly, but shuffled aside again, considerably miffed that the best event of the year was being interrupted by someone so pedantic.
When she was nudged a third time, Nimay spun her head around and glared up at whoever it was that was determined not to let her enjoy herself.
However, the man didn’t seem to know she was there at all. His eyes were set with strong focus on the battle that was going on in front of him, with an intensity that rivalled Rumal’s and Emon’s. He held a cane in his right hand, which twitched out and bumped Nimay every time Emon looked like he might just miss. His fingers kneaded the top of the cane delicately, plainly wishing to grip it in the same way as they had gripped a sword hilt in years gone by.
Nimay turned back to the Own challenge, a broad grin on her face.
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I should do mini!whoever being a brat at some point X3 I'm sure they were, 'specially Nol and Lynnlita, of course XD Damn royalty X3
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