Richard Luther, Jhereg come in down a bit, use them for Brennan and Maia
Narrator:
As she walks among the camps, she keeps an eye out for Jhereg, or others she might know.
Blackbird:
All sorts of interesting folk might be attracted to an undertaking such as this.
Narrator:
As is proved true when she gets near enough to Jhereg's camp to read off the standards that are flying.
Blackbird:
Holy Shit!
[looks around - no one heard]
Narrator:
There is Her Grace, the Duchess of McMannon's standard, with Jhereg's banner beneath it. That's no surprise. But then there's the Hesketh family banner [a McKitrick Lord who's son skewered a member of The Claw with lance and got the whole order pitched out of McKitrick], Sir Richard's banner, along with that of his family!
But the real shocker is the Ducal Pennant of Devonshire.
Needless to say, she goes further to investigate. She comes upon a rather strange sight. One jumbo knight is talking to some pipsqueek (a full foot, and nearly two, shorter than she is) wearing a suit of armour.
From this distance, through the hubbub of the nearby goings on, she can hear but one voice -- and it seems to be coming from the little guy.
Blackbird continues to close.
Richard, Luther, and Jhereg came from here
All of this while Richard and Jhereg look on...
Blackbird: [unspoken]
The big guy is Lord Hesketh's son, Sir Hesketh, who did well at the Hampshire fair.
Luther: [the little guy]
Say, Bullit-head, why don't you joins us for a round? We're not swimming in noble ladies, I'll grant. But, even you need a break from pitching woo once in a while.
Narrator:
Hesketh glances up, his face seems as though he is considering placing the little guy into low orbit. However, in the motion, he also glances Blackbird. Involutarily, pulls himself up to his full height and squares his shoulders. The move makes Blackbird's day.
Blackbird: [unspoken]
Still do that to the knightly types.
Narrator:
The short guy notices and turns around and stares at Blackbird.
Blackbird: [unspoken - fights to keep her lunch]
Man that guy's ugly. I've seen carrion that looked better than that.
Luther: [whistles appreciatively]
Oh, Baby! This is my lucky day!
[thinking]
Got to be the Anchor the men have been talking about.
[conspiratorial tone, direct to Blackbird]
You know, honey, if you'd like to come along with us... well, you'd be surrounded by a horde of men with nothing better to spend their hard-earned cash on than keeping an Anchor happy.
[thinking]
Boy, if I'd known THEN that I'd wind up here... I'd a had them little mothers BRONZED.
Dave:
As near as I can figure, Richard has never met Luther and hasn't seen Blackbird since she shed her family name. Luther's mouth is definitely going to get on his nerves, Evaine's a friend, and he's already had about as much frustration in the past few days as any mortal can take...
Ed.K:
That was certainly my read on it. Though, I admit, it took me a couple of moments before the first scene to remember that Luther and Evaine have not met at this point.
Narrator:
Richard, with a shocked expression on his face, turns and finally sees Blackbird. Even as he recognizes her, his mind is turning the comment over in his mind, and his face changes from shock to greeting to the beginnings of real anger within a heartbeat.
Blackbird: [smiling involuntarily]
[unspoken]
Oh, how cute. He's like one of those ferocious, ugly little dogs little old ladies have. Thinks he's about five times bigger than he is -- and he'll chew your ankles up if you disagree.
[dismounts, curtseying to the little armored guy, gives him a private wink]
Sir Richard: [Almost snarling]
Listen, "Sir" Luther, as hard as it is for me believe that some fool order was willing to grace you with a knighthood, it's impossible for me to believe that they didn't teach you how to address a noblewoman when you see one. Mind yourself or you and your mouth can suck mud.
Blackbird: [winces and thinks to herself]
Damn, he doesn't know yet! I suppose it's a compliment, but this is getting out of hand.
[trying to defuse the situation, keeps her attention on Luther]
Sire, you show yourself to be the most gallant knight here [gives a lazy nod toward Richard, Jhereg and Sir Hesketh], for you are the only one who thought to offer an Anchor your hospitality.
Narrator:
Blackbird wraps her horse's reins around one wrist, offers her other arm to the little man. He has to reach up, for her elbow is at his shoulder level, but he's quite accustomed to EVERYTHING being sized for larger people than he.
Richard stares on in amazement. He's having trouble coping just at this moment.
Hesketh, being a knight and accustomed to control, makes a quick decision and whistles a two-note trill. From off in the distance, thundering hooves respond. The men who brought Luther here, however, are standing in slack-jawed amazement -- unsure now just which piece of this unfolding scene is more bizarre.
Luther takes her arm in his and begins to walk away as if this sort of thing happens to him every day.
Blackbird:
I accept the favor of your company, and that of any others you deem worthy. I am Blackbird of the Anchor. What is your name, gallant sir?
Luther:
M'Lady, I am Sir Luther of Boadock, in McKitrick.
Dave:
Looks like a race between Blackbird's desire to be an Anchor and keep things together and Luther's desire to piss off the entire universe over 4 feet tall. Personally, my bet's on Luther's mouth; I'll lay odds that he'll be sucking sod in a few minutes and some kid will be riding around with his arms and armor....
Narrator:
Their voices trail as they walk away. Hooves inbound...
[contd next file]