15min fic #111
Oct. 29th, 2005 10:22 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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yrae
Title~ Disbanded
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still~ mine
Notes~ 15 minute fic, word 111. During Nol's hrai-dani. I'm on a Lynnlita kick, so sue me =P
~ ~ ~
“So.” Nolryn cringed internally. Even in that one word, he could feel that ever-present sense of foreboding that came whenever Lynnlita was about to set up an argument that she was certain she’d won before it had begun. “Lynnlita hears Nolryn has been accepted into the… what is it called? The King’s Own?”
Nol nodded and took a sip from his glass. “Last Autumn.” Where was she heading this time?
The foreign princess nodded, and it seemed to Nolryn that she was only feigning interest in the Own. “Has he been amusing himself with this new career?”
The prince shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it amusing myself, exactly. It’s fun until we hit the Kazinian border.”
“So Nolryn does not enjoy the fighting aspects?”
“No, Nolryn does not enjoy the rain, fog and cold,” he answered, grinning wryly.
Lynnlita’s shoulders slumped just slightly, but she straightened and brightened almost instantly. “And the injuries?”
“I could do without them, but I haven’t been killed yet, so I’m doing well enough.” He passed his glass to his lips again and drained it as a servant passed with a tray of empty glasses for him to set it on. He noticed Lynnlita watching the movements of his fingers with a faint but undeniably sympathetic look on her fine-boned face.
“Surely though, Nolryn would prefer to deal with these problems without fighting.”
He splayed his fingers, turning his hands over in front of him. He hadn’t really noticed until now just how bad they had gotten over the year and a half since he’d joined the Own. The calluses on his right middle and index fingers, from pulling back a bowstring, had grown as tough as the soles of his feet, and four other fingers had been bent slightly from having been broken at various intervals. He had a funny feeling he knew where Lynnlita was going now.
“I guess so, but that’s somewhat impossible with Kazinians.”
“Llayad manages the task well enough.”
The prince flicked off his crown and ran his crooked, callused fingers through his hair before slapping the uncomfortable wreath of gold and gems back on his head. “Raykin isn’t Llayad. We deal with things differently.”
“There’s no reason why Nolryn should not propose to King Mithé that the army be disbanded.”
He knew it was coming, but he couldn’t help but splutter at the Llayan princess’s suggestion. “And what would you propose the redundant warriors do? The people in the army are not built to be palace officials and diplomats, least of all farmers or merchants. Half of the jobs in Ni-Yana are related in some way to the army, so they’d be out of work too.”
“But just think how much more peaceful Raykin would be with no army, no fighting.” The twinkle in Lynnlita’s eyes set Nolryn’s teeth on edge.
“Are you not listening? The army is part of our culture, the Own especially. Imagine… Imagine if you tried to remove all Llayad’s deities from existence.”
Lynnlita was silent for a moment, her face unreadable. “That’s impossible,” she said flatly, her red-brown curls jiggling as she shook her head. “And it’s an entirely different proposal.”
Nol spread his hands matter-of-factly. “That’s what the army is like for Raykin.”
“But think of the peace Raykin would have!”
“That’s not the point!” the prince said through gritted teeth. It was going to be a long, long night.
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ Still~ mine
Notes~ 15 minute fic, word 111. During Nol's hrai-dani. I'm on a Lynnlita kick, so sue me =P
“So.” Nolryn cringed internally. Even in that one word, he could feel that ever-present sense of foreboding that came whenever Lynnlita was about to set up an argument that she was certain she’d won before it had begun. “Lynnlita hears Nolryn has been accepted into the… what is it called? The King’s Own?”
Nol nodded and took a sip from his glass. “Last Autumn.” Where was she heading this time?
The foreign princess nodded, and it seemed to Nolryn that she was only feigning interest in the Own. “Has he been amusing himself with this new career?”
The prince shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it amusing myself, exactly. It’s fun until we hit the Kazinian border.”
“So Nolryn does not enjoy the fighting aspects?”
“No, Nolryn does not enjoy the rain, fog and cold,” he answered, grinning wryly.
Lynnlita’s shoulders slumped just slightly, but she straightened and brightened almost instantly. “And the injuries?”
“I could do without them, but I haven’t been killed yet, so I’m doing well enough.” He passed his glass to his lips again and drained it as a servant passed with a tray of empty glasses for him to set it on. He noticed Lynnlita watching the movements of his fingers with a faint but undeniably sympathetic look on her fine-boned face.
“Surely though, Nolryn would prefer to deal with these problems without fighting.”
He splayed his fingers, turning his hands over in front of him. He hadn’t really noticed until now just how bad they had gotten over the year and a half since he’d joined the Own. The calluses on his right middle and index fingers, from pulling back a bowstring, had grown as tough as the soles of his feet, and four other fingers had been bent slightly from having been broken at various intervals. He had a funny feeling he knew where Lynnlita was going now.
“I guess so, but that’s somewhat impossible with Kazinians.”
“Llayad manages the task well enough.”
The prince flicked off his crown and ran his crooked, callused fingers through his hair before slapping the uncomfortable wreath of gold and gems back on his head. “Raykin isn’t Llayad. We deal with things differently.”
“There’s no reason why Nolryn should not propose to King Mithé that the army be disbanded.”
He knew it was coming, but he couldn’t help but splutter at the Llayan princess’s suggestion. “And what would you propose the redundant warriors do? The people in the army are not built to be palace officials and diplomats, least of all farmers or merchants. Half of the jobs in Ni-Yana are related in some way to the army, so they’d be out of work too.”
“But just think how much more peaceful Raykin would be with no army, no fighting.” The twinkle in Lynnlita’s eyes set Nolryn’s teeth on edge.
“Are you not listening? The army is part of our culture, the Own especially. Imagine… Imagine if you tried to remove all Llayad’s deities from existence.”
Lynnlita was silent for a moment, her face unreadable. “That’s impossible,” she said flatly, her red-brown curls jiggling as she shook her head. “And it’s an entirely different proposal.”
Nol spread his hands matter-of-factly. “That’s what the army is like for Raykin.”
“But think of the peace Raykin would have!”
“That’s not the point!” the prince said through gritted teeth. It was going to be a long, long night.
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Date: 2005-10-29 02:29 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-29 02:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-29 02:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2005-10-29 02:36 pm (UTC)we'll never stop arguing about this