His eyes gleamed, and the light breeze rippled through the cloak hung from his shoulders. A thin smile was pasted upon his lips. A large "pack-to-the-back" was shouldered upon the broad rack he had.
"Would you be kindest to return my blade?" the man asked, in the language of old--the language that the Old Ones had spoken. The Lord William was still dumbfounded with surprise, and hadn't noticed the shaft-deep blade buried in the sandy ground--only the hilt protruding. Now noticing it, his mouth pulsing open and closed in large O's, his anger returned. His eyebrows drew together, and he clenched his fists.
"Ye will payest for breaking thy blade, so you shall!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at the newcomer. "Thee will pay, and so will YE!!" He pointed to the whore standing in the doorway, awe replacing the horror and fear pasted there previously. The newcomer turned to look, and realized he was being fooled before the blow was stricken. As William darted out a fist, he ducked below, and struck the man in the stomach, instead. William fell flat on his stomach, groaning as he lay there.
"I merely asked for my blade," the newcomer said, wrapping his fingers around the haft of the not-quite-sword, not-quite-dagger. He tugged, and it came free. Wiping it clean of dust and dirt on the folds of his cloak, he returned it to the hide scabbard at his side.
"Thank ye! Thank ye!" Madeline cried, and embraced the man in her arms. He was stricken with surprise, and nearly toppled over. He felt the intended thinness of her shirt, with the bulge of her breasts pressed up against him.
"There's no need, my lady," he said.
She looked him in the eyes, with that same awe hidden in the irises. "What is thou's name?"
After a hesitating pause, he replied. "Robald. Robald, the Wanderer and Nameless, I am called. Son of Rosan the Great."
Her eyes bulged with that same awestricken admiration. " 'Son of Rosan the Great?!' The greatest warrior to be sung about?!"
He nodded.
"Is there any way that I could repay you, Robald?"
"No, I'm just protecting one from a common threat." When William attempted to stand, Robald thrust a foot down, and both of them could hear his back snap and the wind being knocked out of his lungs. "You try to stand again, and I step down HARDER."
"Would you be kindest to return my blade?" the man asked, in the language of old--the language that the Old Ones had spoken. The Lord William was still dumbfounded with surprise, and hadn't noticed the shaft-deep blade buried in the sandy ground--only the hilt protruding. Now noticing it, his mouth pulsing open and closed in large O's, his anger returned. His eyebrows drew together, and he clenched his fists.
"Ye will payest for breaking thy blade, so you shall!" he cried, pointing an accusing finger at the newcomer. "Thee will pay, and so will YE!!" He pointed to the whore standing in the doorway, awe replacing the horror and fear pasted there previously. The newcomer turned to look, and realized he was being fooled before the blow was stricken. As William darted out a fist, he ducked below, and struck the man in the stomach, instead. William fell flat on his stomach, groaning as he lay there.
"I merely asked for my blade," the newcomer said, wrapping his fingers around the haft of the not-quite-sword, not-quite-dagger. He tugged, and it came free. Wiping it clean of dust and dirt on the folds of his cloak, he returned it to the hide scabbard at his side.
"Thank ye! Thank ye!" Madeline cried, and embraced the man in her arms. He was stricken with surprise, and nearly toppled over. He felt the intended thinness of her shirt, with the bulge of her breasts pressed up against him.
"There's no need, my lady," he said.
She looked him in the eyes, with that same awe hidden in the irises. "What is thou's name?"
After a hesitating pause, he replied. "Robald. Robald, the Wanderer and Nameless, I am called. Son of Rosan the Great."
Her eyes bulged with that same awestricken admiration. " 'Son of Rosan the Great?!' The greatest warrior to be sung about?!"
He nodded.
"Is there any way that I could repay you, Robald?"
"No, I'm just protecting one from a common threat." When William attempted to stand, Robald thrust a foot down, and both of them could hear his back snap and the wind being knocked out of his lungs. "You try to stand again, and I step down HARDER."
