Blade Archer ~ Eighteen
Feb. 10th, 2013 12:55 am![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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yrae‘Could they really throw ye out?’ Kael’s mother seemed more concerned about his training than anything else. She had laughed ruefully when he told her what he had done to the training swordsman. Now she was bent forward, brow creased in concern.
Kael had skipped the remainder of the day’s lessons. Instead he’d come straight home to sit on the roof with his mother to have lunch.
He shrugged honestly in reply to her question. ‘So long as they don’t just take his puffed-up word for it. I mean, I made a threat, he provoked me, what else would they expect me to do?’ He spread his hands. ‘If I was First General, I’d be after me if I didn’t follow through.’
‘Too right,’ Kathani agreed. ‘And if they don’t get your word, and give it just as much weight as his, then ye’re better off elsewhere.’
Kael dropped his eyes to his bandage, then sighed and curled his knees up to his chin. ‘Where, though? I ain’t losing a finger, Ma.’
Kathani wrapped a comforting arm over his shoulders. ‘Dig that well when ye get to it. Ye’re not out ‘til they tells ye so. Just show ‘em what ye’re there for and they can’t touch ye.’
Kael fiddled with the edge of his bandage. ‘But what do we do ‘til then? I still got four years.’ He frowned and snorted irritably at himself, clasping his hands to keep from fiddling as he glared out over the city. ‘I could get a job.’
Kathani nodded slowly. ‘Harvest’ll be coming up shortly,’ she mused. ‘Check the farmers’ quarter, see if any want a pair of hands.’
‘Not these hands, they won’t.’ He sighed again, then hung his legs over the edge of the roof and braced his hands against the wall. ‘I’m going walking,’ he excused, then swung down to the ground with a dusty thud.
He wandered his district aimlessly, avoiding his siblings’ houses and the Charging Nira. He could probably win some coin off the patrons at the inn in a few games of dagger toss, but they were just as poor as he was, and he wasn’t likely to win more than a loaf of bread off of them. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood for laughter and conversation. He tried to lose himself, turning down side streets he had never been down before finding himself back on a street he knew too well.
Every person he saw, he found himself looking at their right hands. The number of missing fingers he saw made him gulp and clench his fist. He couldn’t do it. He needed a job.
He turned with purpose towards the farmers’ quarter, north by the Ra-Lin, close to where the farms lay on the other side of the river. He hadn’t managed to get far before he heard a familiar voice behind him.
‘Hey, Kael!’
He turned and folded his arms as Kelon and Aen ran up to him. Aen’s face was bright with excitement, while Kelon gave a sheepish, apologetic smile. Each had a bandage around his right wrist.
‘Is it true?’ Aen asked. ‘What ye did to that swordie? Everyone’s talking about it.’
Kael shrugged a shoulder and deigned not to answer. ‘What happened to running last night?’ he growled. ‘Didn’t I tell ye not to go back out the same way? Ye brought the Talons right on us!’
Aen ducked back almost as though Kael had brandished his dagger. ‘I know. I just panicked.’ He held his wrist up triumphantly. ‘Just a scratch, right?’
‘Ye’ve worn yer welcome,’ Kael informed him. ‘I ain’t getting caught again.’
‘Look, we’re sorry,’ Aen said with a shrug. ‘Won’t happen again, yeah? We’ll do it right next time.’
Kael snorted. ‘There won’t be one. That was me last.’ He caught a look of relief on Kelon’s face before he turned his back, resuming his journey to the farmers’ quarter.
‘Wait, what?’ Aen danced in front of him, pushing a hand against his shoulder to stop him. ‘Ye’re just going? Just like that? Are ye one o’ them, now?’
Kael hesitated. ‘No,’ he growled. ‘But I have to support me Ma now. Brother and sister have left, they won’t do it.’
Aen folded his arms and levelled a confused frown on him. ‘Ye’re scared,’ he surmised. ‘Big talk, but ye’re all about the honest work now.’
Kael snapped his hand out to grab Aen’s wrist. With his left he snatched his dagger, yanked back Aen’s bandage and pressed the blade’s edge against the freshly stitched cut. ‘Get to four,’ he warned. ‘See if ye’re quite so brave about it then.’
The training archer’s eyes had gone wide as silver coins as they flicked between Kael’s eyes and the dagger at his wrist.
Kael shoved the boy’s arm back at him and tried again to look for the farmers’ quarter. It wasn’t long before he heard the two sets of footsteps behind him once again, and both boys fell into step on either side of him.
‘Ye can at least show us how to do it right,’ Aen said with a shrug.
Kael looked sideways at him, not slowing his pace. ‘Fine,’ he agreed, ‘but I’ll have no part in it meself.’
‘Whatever ye says,’ the archer agreed.
Kelon looked uncomfortable with the idea, but he didn’t vocalise his concerns.
Kael slowly warmed to his uninvited company on his walk through the southern districts. Aen was fascinated to learn all Kael had to teach him about dagger mastery, and the archer caught on with remarkable ease.
‘How come ye didn’t know all this to start with?’ Kael asked him. For such a fast learner living in the southern districts, and now an army trainee as well, it seemed inconceivable that he didn’t already know as much as Kael.
Aen shrugged modestly. ‘Four older brothers,’ he said by way of explanation. ‘Defending me and holding me back at the same time. Show me that last one again?’
It was late in the afternoon by the time they reached the farmers’ quarter by the river, but most of the farmers seemed not to be home yet, anyway. The first three houses he’d clapped outside of to announce his presence had been silent.
‘Might as well just rob ‘em while we’re here,’ Aen suggested.
Kael was tempted, but the healing scar on his wrist throbbed in warning. ‘Already got enough of a reputation without confirming it,’ he muttered.
‘Good evening!’ he heard a woman call, a slight wariness to her voice. Kael turned to see a middle-aged couple and their four children approaching the fourth house. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Hope so,’ Kael said, shrugging as he shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as he could. The bandage was still largely visible. ‘Need any extra hands for the harvest?’
The man ushered his children through the canvas flap that was the door to their house and exchanged a warning glance with his wife. The woman’s eyes flicked to Kael’s wrist, and she bent and murmured something to her husband.
‘Might do,’ the farmer replied cautiously, folding his arms and effectively barring the door to his house. ‘But I wouldn’t be trusting your likes.’
‘Look,’ Kael said, rubbing self-consciously at his bandage. The wound itched and throbbed under the fabric. ‘I already got four scars. I’ll be honest, ye has me word. I ain’t lookin’ to lose any fingers.’
The farmers both shook their heads. ‘I’m sure you’re not,’ the woman answered with pursed lips, then she turned to her husband. ‘Come on,’ she murmured, and the two disappeared behind the canvas flap.
Kael tried house after house, all with the same result, and he was left cursing his scars by the time the sun dipped below the horizon. The Talons’ marks would mark him for the rest of his life, even once he finally did become a crown-paid blade archer in the queen’s army. After that morning, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to go back, but if he couldn’t get a job the honest way, there seemed no other option.
He led his new friends despondently to the Charging Nira, where he was barely able to earn enough from dagger toss to buy a beer.
‘Ye don’t have any jobs going?’ he asked the barkeep.
The old man just laughed and shook his head. ‘Ye’re no beer wench, Kael,’ he answered, ruffling his hair. ‘I’ll ask around fer ye, though, see what’s going.’
‘What about that healer?’ Kelon asked. ‘That one what did yer stitches. Seems she has a thing fer ye.’
‘I’m not asking Ronanen fer money,’ Kael snapped.
‘No!’ Kelon retorted, horrified he had been interpreted that way. ‘I meant, couldn’t she vouch fer ye? If ye says she was big on ye getting real work, might be she knows someone who’s looking.’
‘Maybe,’ Kael said dubiously, eyeing the dregs of his beer. Asking her would mean going back to the palace, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. Until something better presented itself, he was stuck with the army. After the morning’s theatrics, he could only hope the boys had taken the hint. If he had to deal with so much as a snigger, he would be ready for them.
Kael had skipped the remainder of the day’s lessons. Instead he’d come straight home to sit on the roof with his mother to have lunch.
He shrugged honestly in reply to her question. ‘So long as they don’t just take his puffed-up word for it. I mean, I made a threat, he provoked me, what else would they expect me to do?’ He spread his hands. ‘If I was First General, I’d be after me if I didn’t follow through.’
‘Too right,’ Kathani agreed. ‘And if they don’t get your word, and give it just as much weight as his, then ye’re better off elsewhere.’
Kael dropped his eyes to his bandage, then sighed and curled his knees up to his chin. ‘Where, though? I ain’t losing a finger, Ma.’
Kathani wrapped a comforting arm over his shoulders. ‘Dig that well when ye get to it. Ye’re not out ‘til they tells ye so. Just show ‘em what ye’re there for and they can’t touch ye.’
Kael fiddled with the edge of his bandage. ‘But what do we do ‘til then? I still got four years.’ He frowned and snorted irritably at himself, clasping his hands to keep from fiddling as he glared out over the city. ‘I could get a job.’
Kathani nodded slowly. ‘Harvest’ll be coming up shortly,’ she mused. ‘Check the farmers’ quarter, see if any want a pair of hands.’
‘Not these hands, they won’t.’ He sighed again, then hung his legs over the edge of the roof and braced his hands against the wall. ‘I’m going walking,’ he excused, then swung down to the ground with a dusty thud.
He wandered his district aimlessly, avoiding his siblings’ houses and the Charging Nira. He could probably win some coin off the patrons at the inn in a few games of dagger toss, but they were just as poor as he was, and he wasn’t likely to win more than a loaf of bread off of them. Besides, he wasn’t in the mood for laughter and conversation. He tried to lose himself, turning down side streets he had never been down before finding himself back on a street he knew too well.
Every person he saw, he found himself looking at their right hands. The number of missing fingers he saw made him gulp and clench his fist. He couldn’t do it. He needed a job.
He turned with purpose towards the farmers’ quarter, north by the Ra-Lin, close to where the farms lay on the other side of the river. He hadn’t managed to get far before he heard a familiar voice behind him.
‘Hey, Kael!’
He turned and folded his arms as Kelon and Aen ran up to him. Aen’s face was bright with excitement, while Kelon gave a sheepish, apologetic smile. Each had a bandage around his right wrist.
‘Is it true?’ Aen asked. ‘What ye did to that swordie? Everyone’s talking about it.’
Kael shrugged a shoulder and deigned not to answer. ‘What happened to running last night?’ he growled. ‘Didn’t I tell ye not to go back out the same way? Ye brought the Talons right on us!’
Aen ducked back almost as though Kael had brandished his dagger. ‘I know. I just panicked.’ He held his wrist up triumphantly. ‘Just a scratch, right?’
‘Ye’ve worn yer welcome,’ Kael informed him. ‘I ain’t getting caught again.’
‘Look, we’re sorry,’ Aen said with a shrug. ‘Won’t happen again, yeah? We’ll do it right next time.’
Kael snorted. ‘There won’t be one. That was me last.’ He caught a look of relief on Kelon’s face before he turned his back, resuming his journey to the farmers’ quarter.
‘Wait, what?’ Aen danced in front of him, pushing a hand against his shoulder to stop him. ‘Ye’re just going? Just like that? Are ye one o’ them, now?’
Kael hesitated. ‘No,’ he growled. ‘But I have to support me Ma now. Brother and sister have left, they won’t do it.’
Aen folded his arms and levelled a confused frown on him. ‘Ye’re scared,’ he surmised. ‘Big talk, but ye’re all about the honest work now.’
Kael snapped his hand out to grab Aen’s wrist. With his left he snatched his dagger, yanked back Aen’s bandage and pressed the blade’s edge against the freshly stitched cut. ‘Get to four,’ he warned. ‘See if ye’re quite so brave about it then.’
The training archer’s eyes had gone wide as silver coins as they flicked between Kael’s eyes and the dagger at his wrist.
Kael shoved the boy’s arm back at him and tried again to look for the farmers’ quarter. It wasn’t long before he heard the two sets of footsteps behind him once again, and both boys fell into step on either side of him.
‘Ye can at least show us how to do it right,’ Aen said with a shrug.
Kael looked sideways at him, not slowing his pace. ‘Fine,’ he agreed, ‘but I’ll have no part in it meself.’
‘Whatever ye says,’ the archer agreed.
Kelon looked uncomfortable with the idea, but he didn’t vocalise his concerns.
Kael slowly warmed to his uninvited company on his walk through the southern districts. Aen was fascinated to learn all Kael had to teach him about dagger mastery, and the archer caught on with remarkable ease.
‘How come ye didn’t know all this to start with?’ Kael asked him. For such a fast learner living in the southern districts, and now an army trainee as well, it seemed inconceivable that he didn’t already know as much as Kael.
Aen shrugged modestly. ‘Four older brothers,’ he said by way of explanation. ‘Defending me and holding me back at the same time. Show me that last one again?’
It was late in the afternoon by the time they reached the farmers’ quarter by the river, but most of the farmers seemed not to be home yet, anyway. The first three houses he’d clapped outside of to announce his presence had been silent.
‘Might as well just rob ‘em while we’re here,’ Aen suggested.
Kael was tempted, but the healing scar on his wrist throbbed in warning. ‘Already got enough of a reputation without confirming it,’ he muttered.
‘Good evening!’ he heard a woman call, a slight wariness to her voice. Kael turned to see a middle-aged couple and their four children approaching the fourth house. ‘Can I help you?’
‘Hope so,’ Kael said, shrugging as he shoved his hands as deep into his pockets as he could. The bandage was still largely visible. ‘Need any extra hands for the harvest?’
The man ushered his children through the canvas flap that was the door to their house and exchanged a warning glance with his wife. The woman’s eyes flicked to Kael’s wrist, and she bent and murmured something to her husband.
‘Might do,’ the farmer replied cautiously, folding his arms and effectively barring the door to his house. ‘But I wouldn’t be trusting your likes.’
‘Look,’ Kael said, rubbing self-consciously at his bandage. The wound itched and throbbed under the fabric. ‘I already got four scars. I’ll be honest, ye has me word. I ain’t lookin’ to lose any fingers.’
The farmers both shook their heads. ‘I’m sure you’re not,’ the woman answered with pursed lips, then she turned to her husband. ‘Come on,’ she murmured, and the two disappeared behind the canvas flap.
Kael tried house after house, all with the same result, and he was left cursing his scars by the time the sun dipped below the horizon. The Talons’ marks would mark him for the rest of his life, even once he finally did become a crown-paid blade archer in the queen’s army. After that morning, he wasn’t even sure he wanted to go back, but if he couldn’t get a job the honest way, there seemed no other option.
He led his new friends despondently to the Charging Nira, where he was barely able to earn enough from dagger toss to buy a beer.
‘Ye don’t have any jobs going?’ he asked the barkeep.
The old man just laughed and shook his head. ‘Ye’re no beer wench, Kael,’ he answered, ruffling his hair. ‘I’ll ask around fer ye, though, see what’s going.’
‘What about that healer?’ Kelon asked. ‘That one what did yer stitches. Seems she has a thing fer ye.’
‘I’m not asking Ronanen fer money,’ Kael snapped.
‘No!’ Kelon retorted, horrified he had been interpreted that way. ‘I meant, couldn’t she vouch fer ye? If ye says she was big on ye getting real work, might be she knows someone who’s looking.’
‘Maybe,’ Kael said dubiously, eyeing the dregs of his beer. Asking her would mean going back to the palace, but he knew he didn’t have a choice. Until something better presented itself, he was stuck with the army. After the morning’s theatrics, he could only hope the boys had taken the hint. If he had to deal with so much as a snigger, he would be ready for them.