Ghis (closed)

[heartofcourage]

“Trust an assassin to change weapons in the middle of a fight.” Kate commented as he got comfortable with his weapon of choice as she threw the rapier to the side and drew her own sword.

 

[KieranSoares]

"Always use the right weapon for the job if you can help it," Kell murmured. "And don't play fair when you know fair loses."

Kell bolted forward, aiming for her sword rather than Kate herself to disarm her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate gripped the sword with both hands, absorbing his strike with relative ease. She had spent years being trained by burly uncles who didn’t go easy on her becauseod her size. Sparring with Kell was about using intelligence and perseverance to have the last motion.

 

[KieranSoares]

Once Kate had both hands on the sword, Kell used his hooked dagger to suddenly hook her blade and pull it towards himself, using Kate's own strength to overbalance her.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate’s feet momentarily stumbled as he pulled her towards him, but she was soon back on solid ground, swinging at hikmas she was able to with her sword.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell's hooked blade proved to be quite the challenge. Anytime she locked blades with him or lunged, he hooked her own sword and twisted, nearly disarming her several times.

"Kate," she would hear Durban bark, "use th'Boar tactic!" He'd taught her to defeat Boar's axe with a similar method. Boar could hook a blade and tug it away if his opponent wasn't ready, but Durban could trick him into hooking at the wrong time, and rip the axe right out of his hands.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate took the advice to heart, effectively trapping Kell’s hooked dagger with her sword during a mistimed lunge. With a quick pull backwards, she caused him to lose his grip. She gave him a grin as she repositioned herself to take on the brunt of his next swing.

 

[KieranSoares]

Kell let the hooked blade go when he knew he wouldn't tug it back, and he retaliated with a two-handed overhead swing to make her pay for taking the blade. After their swords clashed, Kell drew a new medium dagger to function as a defensive tool. "Very nice," he complimented.

 

[heartofcourage]

“How many more blades do you have?” Kate asked, giving him a grin as she watched him unsheath his next weapon in his personal arsenal.

 

[KieranSoares]

"As many as it takes and more," Kell growled playfully. Their blades met again and with a quick recoil and snap forward, the flat of Kell's sword slid past Kate's side. In a real fight, it'd make for a devastating blow.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Touché.” Kate commented as Kell moved quickly and the broad side of his sword passed dangerously close to her. “This might not end until one of is dead.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Or until Her Majesty concedes," Kell teased with a bow.

"Or til she whips yer hide," Boar commented with a smirk. "In a real fight, Kate would've finished you off immediately after tha' hit you landed."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Her Majesty never concedes.” Kate said as Boar shouted his taunt at Kell and she chuckled. “And My Lord Protector has left himself open.”

She pulled her own small dagger, pressing it against his side as she quirked an eyebrow at him. “Another fatal blow?”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Not fatal there in particular, no," Kell chuckled, sheathing his dagger to right her aim. "Higher, under the ribs."

 

[heartofcourage]

“Are you admitting defeat?” Kate asked as he righted her positioning until he was sure that it would be a fatal kill if she were really in a duel.

 

[KieranSoares]

"For now," Kell smiled, pulling her in for a kiss after sheathing his blades.

 

[heartofcourage]

“Get a room, you two.” Dylandra called as Burke wrinkled his nose at the scene. “There are young children here.”

The rest of the family laughed as Kate pulled away, giving her husband a small smile. “Make yourself useful and teach them something.”

 

[KieranSoares]

"Alright, who wants to learn how to get into more trouble?" Kell announced to all the children, and most of them immediately flocked inward as their parents sighed. Soon he had taken them all to play, whatever plan they made eventually devolving into tag. Burke remained beside Dylandra, however.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan had a hard time understanding her growing son. He was quiet most of the time, hardly saying two words to anyone, but he seemed content enough to sit next to her. She glanced over at him and smiled, reaching out to ruffle his hair gently.

“Too old to join in with them, Bo?” She asked him softly.

 

[KieranSoares]

"No," Burke murmured, "I'm fine right here, though." Other than looking after his siblings, Burke didn't find much in common with anyone his age or under. He got along much better with older people, and he cared more about things like carpentry with his Uncle John, riding with Ashien, or painting with Dylandra in particular.

 

[heartofcourage]

“We’ll go inside soon. I want to paint this afternoon and Gracie wants to practice on the piano. I’ll let you share my paints.” Dylan said softly, kissing his cheek.

He was a sensitive soul that Dylan loved to encourage when she could. He worked hard as a squire to his father and he was good at whatever he put his mind to.

 

[KieranSoares]

Burke leaned into her side for a moment nodding at the offer. "I'll help put the horses away then." He rose to help his father gather the horses after the other children went to play with Kell.

 

[heartofcourage]

Dylan smiled as her lanky son stood to help his father out their horses away. He was nearly as tall as Ashien now, still thin without the hard muscles that most men developed in their late teens. It was clear that he adored Ashien and worked hard to make him proud. She was working on portraits of all of their children, from Burke to Ashleigh to Amelia to Grace. Ashien has mentioned that they needed a special place in Darkwood and she was intent to surprise him for his upcoming birthday.

 

[KieranSoares]

By dinner that night, Kate and Kell had spent equal amounts of time with the family and with more visitors and those who needed their attention. Reaffirmations of alliances were signed, a few new ones formed, trade routes confirmed, and the lot. Kell's business was more on the side of security and subterfuge, but Kate never sawuxh of that beyond Qira.

 

[heartofcourage]

Kate was exhausted that evening, sprawled on their bed with an unopened book beside her. It hurt to know that the first wave of her family would be leaving in a few days. Of course he parents would stay but her aunts and uncles would be leaving with her cousins. It would be hard to watch them leave and know that she would have to stay behind.

Khan rumbled from his spot at the foot of the bed, chewing on a piece of bone that had been given to him by the castle cook. He had been allowed more freedom lately, the guard becoming more used to seeing a white tiger stalking the hallways.