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yrae2005-11-03 08:45 pm
annarti.livejournal.com) wrote in yrae2005-11-03 08:45 pm
15min fic #119
Title~ Build Up
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All mine, still.
Notes~ 15 minute fic, word 119.
~ ~ ~
Gylepi gave a long-suffering sigh as he and the other three archers of the King’s Own rode from the stables to the rapidly growing crowd in the palace courtyard.
“News travels ridiculously fast in this palace,” he muttered, drawing a grin from Naraan.
“You have to play it up at some point in your career,” the veteran archer grinned. “It’s not like any other job in Raykin; people are going to turn up to see one of us knocked down. Especially if the one doing the knocking is one of the royals.”
“Have they opened the gates or something?” Garuk asked, “I’m sure I’ve never seen this many people in the palace before, Own challenge or no.”
Gylepi could see his horse’s ears twitching nervously at the sight and sound of so many people. The magnificent black and brown stallion wasn’t used to large crowds, unless they were a crowd of attacking Kazinians, so evidently he was expecting a bit of violence. Gylepi stroked his neck reassuringly as they rode into the obediently parted crowd. He realised with a sick feeling in his stomach that this could well be the last time he rode on Dizzy’s back—maybe the stallion had realised this too.
When the four of them finally burst out into the open, a loud cheer rose from the enormous crowd, which Naraan lapped up quite happily. The other three archers were considerably more demure about the whole thing, and Gylepi noticed Garuk and Murali going through much the same routine as they did before crossing the Kazinian border.
Inside the circle of people stood King Mithé and General Rau, looking very official. The rest of the Own hung on the sidelines, chatting idly and looking generally bored with the whole matter, the blade archers in particular.
Perched on ten camels were archers from First Company, but they held no weapons. Over the standard blue shirts the archers usually wore, these ten had wooden targets on both front and back.
An eleventh camel stood behind the king and the General of the Own. Seated astride the animal was the challenger, Prince Nolryn.
“I’m surprised he’s allowed to even try for a place,” Murali noted to the other three archers. “What happens if he gets in, then becomes king? Is he part of his own… Own?”
“Oh, he’ll get in,” Naraan said dismissively, “No idea what happens once he’s king though. I guess he’ll figure that out when he gets there. Seems to have been his style with everything else.”
“Including ruling?” Gylepi asked slyly.
Naraan nodded, the same grin on his face.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Rau boomed at the crowd, making Gylepi cringe visibly and scowl at the General. Rau shrugged and yelled out again, waiting for a hushed silence to fall over the crowd. “If you could all please move back, we’ll need the whole of the courtyard for the challenge. Thank you.”
“Here we go again,” Gylepi mumbled as the crowd shuffled back, with more encouragement from Rau. “Good luck, boys.”
Author~ Annarti
Disclaimer~ All mine, still.
Notes~ 15 minute fic, word 119.
Gylepi gave a long-suffering sigh as he and the other three archers of the King’s Own rode from the stables to the rapidly growing crowd in the palace courtyard.
“News travels ridiculously fast in this palace,” he muttered, drawing a grin from Naraan.
“You have to play it up at some point in your career,” the veteran archer grinned. “It’s not like any other job in Raykin; people are going to turn up to see one of us knocked down. Especially if the one doing the knocking is one of the royals.”
“Have they opened the gates or something?” Garuk asked, “I’m sure I’ve never seen this many people in the palace before, Own challenge or no.”
Gylepi could see his horse’s ears twitching nervously at the sight and sound of so many people. The magnificent black and brown stallion wasn’t used to large crowds, unless they were a crowd of attacking Kazinians, so evidently he was expecting a bit of violence. Gylepi stroked his neck reassuringly as they rode into the obediently parted crowd. He realised with a sick feeling in his stomach that this could well be the last time he rode on Dizzy’s back—maybe the stallion had realised this too.
When the four of them finally burst out into the open, a loud cheer rose from the enormous crowd, which Naraan lapped up quite happily. The other three archers were considerably more demure about the whole thing, and Gylepi noticed Garuk and Murali going through much the same routine as they did before crossing the Kazinian border.
Inside the circle of people stood King Mithé and General Rau, looking very official. The rest of the Own hung on the sidelines, chatting idly and looking generally bored with the whole matter, the blade archers in particular.
Perched on ten camels were archers from First Company, but they held no weapons. Over the standard blue shirts the archers usually wore, these ten had wooden targets on both front and back.
An eleventh camel stood behind the king and the General of the Own. Seated astride the animal was the challenger, Prince Nolryn.
“I’m surprised he’s allowed to even try for a place,” Murali noted to the other three archers. “What happens if he gets in, then becomes king? Is he part of his own… Own?”
“Oh, he’ll get in,” Naraan said dismissively, “No idea what happens once he’s king though. I guess he’ll figure that out when he gets there. Seems to have been his style with everything else.”
“Including ruling?” Gylepi asked slyly.
Naraan nodded, the same grin on his face.
“Ladies and gentlemen!” Rau boomed at the crowd, making Gylepi cringe visibly and scowl at the General. Rau shrugged and yelled out again, waiting for a hushed silence to fall over the crowd. “If you could all please move back, we’ll need the whole of the courtyard for the challenge. Thank you.”
“Here we go again,” Gylepi mumbled as the crowd shuffled back, with more encouragement from Rau. “Good luck, boys.”