Offscreen Conversations
Jul 4, 2011 1:34:21 GMT -5
Post by Kender Bard on Jul 4, 2011 1:34:21 GMT -5
Lya had gone through four more lessons of archery with Thomas in the intervening days. Each time she was met with firm guidance and gentle praise at her increasing skill. Not only was she lifting her rusty archery skills out of the ashes of the past, she was finding she looked forward to these lessons with increasing eagerness. Thomas was an excellent listener and was wonderful to speak with, often providing amusing commentary or a bit of insight that would give the queen pause for thought.
On this fifth lesson, she greeted the familiar sight of Thomas in the courtyard with a wide smile. “Hello Thomas!” she greeted him.
Thomas was carefully inspecting a second rapier—his own was strapped to his hip. Lya looked around and saw that his longbow was propped up nearby with his longsword. Seeming satisfied, he sheathed the rapier again and offered it, hilt-first, to Lya.
Lya accepted the weapon awkwardly. “What about archery?”
Thomas responded to her confusion with a small smile. “You’re doing wonderfully, Lya. You picked up what I had to re-teach you quickly and adeptly. I think if you just continue to practice and not let your skills fall back into disuse you’ll be fine on that front. So now we’re going to work on your swordplay.”
“I don’t know how to use a sword,” Lya said firmly and tried to give the weapon back to him.
Thomas held his palm open as he pushed it back at her. “I know. You’re going to learn.” At Lya’s skeptical frown, he added, “Don’t look at me like that. You can do this, Lya. You’re smart, creative, and I think that you could pick up the sword with time and practice. You can do anything you set yourself to.”
“I’m not paying you for a motivational speech,” Lya muttered, shifting uncomfortably and looking at the rapier in her hand as if it were a serpent she’d had thrust on her.
“No, you’re paying me to teach you to use a weapon,” Thomas agreed. “And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.” He gave her a challenging look. “Don’t tell me, Majesty, that you are afraid of even attempting to learn.” Lya wavered with uncertainty. Perhaps afraid wasn’t the correct word, but she wasn’t precisely filled with confidence. “Well I don’t think you are, because you don’t strike me as that kind of woman. Now come here.”
Lya frowned at the imperative tone of his voice but obeyed, walking over to Thomas. He slipped a bit of twine out of a pocket and reached up, taking her hair into his hands. She jerked in surprise at that, but one hand on her wing kept her from twisting around. “Relax.” Suspicious, but trusting, Lya stopped struggling. Soon her hair was pulled back into a rough ponytail and laid to rest between her wings. “If you fight with your hair free like that, it will just get in your face and cause other complications.” He gave her hair a playful tug. “Not to mention providing a nice handle.” She tried to swat at him and he nimbly evaded her hand, laughing. “You are feisty, aren’t you?”
Grinning at him, Lya gestured to the sword. “Now what?”
“Now we begin.”
The afternoon was a laborious one, which Lya would have never guessed of something so simple as the first tentative lessons in swordplay. By the time Thomas called for a break, her feathers were in disarray and she felt sweaty and dirty. She was glad he’d pulled her hair back or she was certain it’d be a frightful mess and sticking to her skin uncomfortably. Not even bothering to find somewhere proper to sit, she settled herself on the ground in the shade of the courtyard wall. Thomas chuckled and fetched a wineskin from his things, also in the shade, and offered it to her. Lya was overwhelmingly glad to find it was still cool and drank thirstily before handing it back.
“Forces but this is work,” she sighed, cupping her wings forward slightly so she could preen and straighten her feathers. Thomas watched her fingers working, a small smile on his face as he became almost mesmerized by the simple and ordinary chore. Lya caught his gaze and busied herself more deeply in it, blushing at the attention.
“Your feathers look so soft,” he murmured. Lya’s blush deepened. Rather than cause them further embarrassment, however, he remained silent and turned his attention to draining the wine. When both of them had taken their rest and grown composed, Thomas abruptly declared that it was time to get back to work.
It was nearly sundown when Thomas stopped. “I think that’s all we can do for the day, my lady.”
“Oh Etaf, it’s late!” Lya exclaimed. “I’m so sorry to have kept you this long!”
Thomas chuckled. “If it bothered me, I would have called attention to the fact. I enjoyed myself. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you.” Both of them paused at that for an uncomfortably long moment, a kind of pressure suddenly between the two.
Lya spoke without even thinking about it. “Would you like to spend a luncheon together? Tomorrow, perhaps?”
“I would…” And for once, Thomas seemed to lose some of that quiet confidence he always exuded. Swallowing, he just nodded.
Sharing another glance, Lya murmured her farewell and he bid her the same, gathering his things with more haste than necessary. Before she knew it, Lya watched him leave and felt a strange lightness, as if something heavy had been lifted from her chest. With a secretive smile and a feeling of excitement that warmed her more than wine ever could, she returned inside and set about planning the day that couldn’t come soon enough.
On this fifth lesson, she greeted the familiar sight of Thomas in the courtyard with a wide smile. “Hello Thomas!” she greeted him.
Thomas was carefully inspecting a second rapier—his own was strapped to his hip. Lya looked around and saw that his longbow was propped up nearby with his longsword. Seeming satisfied, he sheathed the rapier again and offered it, hilt-first, to Lya.
Lya accepted the weapon awkwardly. “What about archery?”
Thomas responded to her confusion with a small smile. “You’re doing wonderfully, Lya. You picked up what I had to re-teach you quickly and adeptly. I think if you just continue to practice and not let your skills fall back into disuse you’ll be fine on that front. So now we’re going to work on your swordplay.”
“I don’t know how to use a sword,” Lya said firmly and tried to give the weapon back to him.
Thomas held his palm open as he pushed it back at her. “I know. You’re going to learn.” At Lya’s skeptical frown, he added, “Don’t look at me like that. You can do this, Lya. You’re smart, creative, and I think that you could pick up the sword with time and practice. You can do anything you set yourself to.”
“I’m not paying you for a motivational speech,” Lya muttered, shifting uncomfortably and looking at the rapier in her hand as if it were a serpent she’d had thrust on her.
“No, you’re paying me to teach you to use a weapon,” Thomas agreed. “And that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.” He gave her a challenging look. “Don’t tell me, Majesty, that you are afraid of even attempting to learn.” Lya wavered with uncertainty. Perhaps afraid wasn’t the correct word, but she wasn’t precisely filled with confidence. “Well I don’t think you are, because you don’t strike me as that kind of woman. Now come here.”
Lya frowned at the imperative tone of his voice but obeyed, walking over to Thomas. He slipped a bit of twine out of a pocket and reached up, taking her hair into his hands. She jerked in surprise at that, but one hand on her wing kept her from twisting around. “Relax.” Suspicious, but trusting, Lya stopped struggling. Soon her hair was pulled back into a rough ponytail and laid to rest between her wings. “If you fight with your hair free like that, it will just get in your face and cause other complications.” He gave her hair a playful tug. “Not to mention providing a nice handle.” She tried to swat at him and he nimbly evaded her hand, laughing. “You are feisty, aren’t you?”
Grinning at him, Lya gestured to the sword. “Now what?”
“Now we begin.”
The afternoon was a laborious one, which Lya would have never guessed of something so simple as the first tentative lessons in swordplay. By the time Thomas called for a break, her feathers were in disarray and she felt sweaty and dirty. She was glad he’d pulled her hair back or she was certain it’d be a frightful mess and sticking to her skin uncomfortably. Not even bothering to find somewhere proper to sit, she settled herself on the ground in the shade of the courtyard wall. Thomas chuckled and fetched a wineskin from his things, also in the shade, and offered it to her. Lya was overwhelmingly glad to find it was still cool and drank thirstily before handing it back.
“Forces but this is work,” she sighed, cupping her wings forward slightly so she could preen and straighten her feathers. Thomas watched her fingers working, a small smile on his face as he became almost mesmerized by the simple and ordinary chore. Lya caught his gaze and busied herself more deeply in it, blushing at the attention.
“Your feathers look so soft,” he murmured. Lya’s blush deepened. Rather than cause them further embarrassment, however, he remained silent and turned his attention to draining the wine. When both of them had taken their rest and grown composed, Thomas abruptly declared that it was time to get back to work.
It was nearly sundown when Thomas stopped. “I think that’s all we can do for the day, my lady.”
“Oh Etaf, it’s late!” Lya exclaimed. “I’m so sorry to have kept you this long!”
Thomas chuckled. “If it bothered me, I would have called attention to the fact. I enjoyed myself. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you.” Both of them paused at that for an uncomfortably long moment, a kind of pressure suddenly between the two.
Lya spoke without even thinking about it. “Would you like to spend a luncheon together? Tomorrow, perhaps?”
“I would…” And for once, Thomas seemed to lose some of that quiet confidence he always exuded. Swallowing, he just nodded.
Sharing another glance, Lya murmured her farewell and he bid her the same, gathering his things with more haste than necessary. Before she knew it, Lya watched him leave and felt a strange lightness, as if something heavy had been lifted from her chest. With a secretive smile and a feeling of excitement that warmed her more than wine ever could, she returned inside and set about planning the day that couldn’t come soon enough.