Ghis (closed)

[KieranSoares]

Both wolves chuckled and Kell wrapped an arm about Kate's waist. Khelt straightened his jacket slightly. "I think I'll go join the other old folks. You young people are tiring." Kissing Kate's cheek and embracing Kell, he stepped away to find Vincenzo and Kitty in particular.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I missed you.” Kate murmured as soon as Khelt left to talk with her parents and grandparents. “I guess that makes me a hopeless romantic now. I can’t be away from you for more than a few hours at a time.”

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell smiled to himself. "You'll get sick of me eventually." He leaned down to steal a kiss and laid his head against her own for a moment.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I don’t think I ever will.” Kate said honestly, returning his kiss when he offered it. “And if I do, you have my permission to prove to me how much I do adore you.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"That shouldn't be hard... All I'd have to do is get into trouble, maybe life-threatening. And my beloved Queen will come riding in to save the day." Kell kissed her again and nuzzled against her cheek, forgetting the world around them for a quiet moment. "I love you," he murmured, his golden eyes closing when his forehead came to rest against her own.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I adore you more.” Kate murmured, her forehead resting against his own as she sighed in contentment. “I took down a boar with my Da. They’re preparing it for dinner. Who says that a queen can’t find some enjoyment in her spare time?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll see when we get busier. But I'm glad you're still taking time for yourself. This may be our life and our work now, but we don't need to drown in it."

 

[heartofcourage]

“You say that now.” Kate said with a chuckle as she turned and took Kell’s hand, pulling him towards her siblings and cousins. “Let’s show them what we know.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Should I let you win?" Kell asked with a half-smirk as they approached the group. Ashien gave them a pair of foils, but Kell chose a pair of rapiers instead. They were more suited to his and Kate's styles.

 

[heartofcourage]

“You shouldn’t “let” me do anything, Khelt Aleister.” Kate scolded slightly not as she was handed a weapon. “I’ll beat you all on my own.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"We'll see, my love," Kell chuckled. Most of the others paused to watch and Ashien separated them a few paces.

"Alright you two. By the rules, understood? We're teaching the little ones," Ashien reminded.

Kell smirked to himself. "If you want them to stand a chance, they ought to know how to spot and counter fighters like me." With a flick of the blade, Kell stood at the ready to parry or lunge at any given second.

 

[heartofcourage]

“They’ll learn that even the smallest among them can defeat a worthy adversary.” Kate said as she took her own stance, her uncle acting as referee for the occasion. “They’ll also see a queen win her first victory.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"You two are worse than my girls," Ashien sighed. "Ready."

Kell gave a simple salute with his blade as was customary. "En guarde," Ashien barked, and Kell immediately lunged forward.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was ready for him to make the first move, her foil pushing his to the side as she moved in rhythm with him. She was a formidable opponent, small and decievingly strong. She didn’t shy away from a fight and struck when she had the chance.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell's rapier followed every time she went on the offense, but his form of dodging was a bit different from hers. Kell was a close fighter, and that meant that rather than always using parries and dodges, he would sometimes let her blade go under his arm so he had an opening, but she was quick enough to fend him off.

Kate ended up landing the first point, the swordpoint landing perfectly on Kell's lower chest.

"Point to Kate," Ashien called, and Kell sighed. Ashien chuckled. "Well, are you two fencing or sparring? If you want to beat each other senseless, then ignore me, by all means."

"Maybe not senseless," Kell smiled to himself, flicking his blade back into position.

 

[heartofcourage]

“He’s still learning, Uncle Ash. Go easy on him.” Kate said with a grin as she resumed her position as well.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Ready, then," Ashien chuckled. "And en guarde!"

Kell was the first to move again, but he was learning Kate's fencing style quickly so he didn't risk too many attacks at once. He saw her strategy was simply to wait for her chance, so he didn't give her one when she could expect it.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate studied Kell as they sparred, watching as he changed his style to match her own. It was harder now to find her moment, but she never gave up. It was one thing that all of her uncles had taught her: no one would go easy on her simply because she was a woman.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell watched as she adjusted, and used one of her small mistakes to slash at her sword, getting it out of the way before the point of his own blade suddenly stopped at her heart, the point just delicately touching her chest.

"Point to Kell," Ashien barked.

"I am still learning love. I learn every person I come up against," Kell retorted to Kate with a smirk.

 

[heartofcourage]

“I think it’s safe to say that you’ve never met someone like me before.” Kate commented as a look of serious competition crossed her features and she got herself ready yet again.

 

[KieranSoares]

"That I haven't," Kell murmured, righting his stance to something completely different as Ashien spoke.

"Ready. And, en guarde!"

Kell only made a small lunge this time, just enough to make Kate start moving.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate didn’t move and he made his first move. She knocked his rapier away and ducked, using her height to her advantage to get lower than Kell could, a strike landing against his side in an instant before she finished behind him with the blade against the side of his throat.

 

[KieranSoares]

Before Ashien could give the point to Kate, her blade was crossed against a dagger and Kell locked her sword between both his own with a spin, forcing her arm away as he backed up a pace.

"Christ, you two," Ashien sighed, waving them on. "Just spar already." He went to take a seat beside Dylandra and Burke.

"Let them have their lovers' tiff," Ciaran commented with a smile. "They're too competitive for points and sports anyway. It ends with one of them on the ground."

 

[heartofcourage]

Gracie took the moment to climb into her Da’s lap, not interested in the least with sparring or anything to do with court like her older sisters. She simply wanted to be with her Da and she was soon snuggled against Ashien’s side.

Kate let out a soft growl as Kell suddenly unsheathed his dagger, the level playing field suddenly stacking against her. She spun against him, her elbow finding purchase against his belly as she wrenched her arm free from under his own.

 

[KieranSoares]

With that elbow to his gut, Kell knew this was going to be a proper match. He let himself be pushed back. "That's more like it," he egged her on, tossing the rapier aside in favor of his personal sword. The dagger, he exchanged for another that had a hooked end. He turned both blades point-down and took a low stance, awaiting her to change weapons should she choose. While Brogan had taught Kate fencing and two-handed blade work primarily, she had gotten a wide range of combat training from her family. While a sword had always been at her side paired with a dagger or shield, or a Claymore on her back, Durban had taught her use of a spear, Boar the axe, Ciaran the bow, and Kreston the staff. And Kell had been teaching her to wield knives and short blades like an assassin.