Not Quite a Challenge . . .

[Sinold Bragasson]

She felt it too, then. The need to be close… the longing…. the desire for the other. But he wondered if from now on this would mean they would have to stay more or less away from one another. No, that couldn't be, he wouldn't allow his undisciplined body and mind to ruin the time together with Letha, even when they were not yet husband and wife.

He held out his hand to her, hoping she would take it, and spoke, quietly but in a strong voice:

"You might be right, Letha, and it is me who needs to learn more discipline it seems, not you. I don't wanna miss what we are doing here together, I will teach you more, as you will me. Next time we'll do some more moves and tricks, aye? We will find our balance… in all we do, now and in the future when we can share more. But now we stink!" Sinold grinned brightly at Letha, hoping his smile would prove infectious. "You don't think we could even think of going back like that and possibly face the king or Lady Edfeil, do you? No… I suggest we take a bath in the hot spring before we head back to the hall?"

He saw he ever more questioning face and he lips parting, ready to protest the bathing idea in the face of their so obvious mutual arousal, but he placed a finger onto her lips, then kissed her and took her into his arms.

"You will go first, I'll stand watch … can't be too careful with all these rascals may drift around the grounds these days. And I noticed that one ranger who almost keeps falling off his horse each time he sees you?" He was teasing and hoping she would take it as such. "And when you'll be finished, the you can stand watch over me. We can talk a bit more… something you must admit we can't really here." He smiled again, turning as he sheathed his sword again. "My father loved to bath in the hot springs not too far from our farmstead. I'll tell you how he taught me to swim… Come with me?"

Again he held out his hand to her, bathing her in a gaze devoid now of lust but instead full of love and devotion.

[Master Sergeant Gerben]

*When the steel had halted it's dance, Gerben stayed a moment. He saw longing there. And honour. And a struggle for control that was fought and won. He nodded silently. Discipline. 't would be discipline that made Sinold into more then what he was. When he managed to band that energy, the quick flame of his temper and instincts in iron, he could become one of the best. And one of the most honourable.

He did nay wish to intrude upon the moment. Yet something compelled him to speak. There were things that needed to be discussed. A wicked smile curved his lips when instead of hailing them, he let the sword slip out of it's sheet, certain the ring of steel would reach the Norsemans ears.*

[Sinold Bragasson]

Of course Sinold heard the familiar ring of steel scraping upon leather when drawn from a scabbard. In an instant his hand was on the hilt of his own sword while he hissed into Letha's ear to go ahead and stay back. The small noise he had heard, however, had been too deliberately, too slow and leisurely, so Sinold knew that whoever this was who'd be challenging him here, now, must be someone not intent on his life. Or if he was, he was a damn slow man!

Giving Letha a gentle push forward to encourage her to keep walking, Sinold turned, drawing his sword as deliberately until it was held in front of him, his eyes scanning the dark corners of the training pit area.

"Who is here? Come, show yerself ... a dark corner would be a lousy place to die... fit only for a coward!"

Sinold stood, waited, wondering who it could be that thus challenged him. Lord Sighehelm? He had enraged the Lord last night, and the Kentish man had promised to meet him in the pits, matching steel with him. Would he be so eager to cross swords with the Norse?

[Master Sergeant Gerben]

I don't just come for you. I come for the woman...

*he let the words sound a moment, but then stepped forward into the light. The sword only halfway out of the sheath and an amused smile on his face.*

I've been watching you two...

*he only nods once to Sinold. A nod of aproval. A nod each of the guards that had filled the ranks for the last five years, and completed the training had known. The small reward eagerly coveted, for Gerbens aproval was bestowed with serious consideration.*

If the lady is willing to wait a moment, I would like to have a bit of time with her in this pit.
*He glances aside to Sinold with humour in his eyes this time*
Ye be a good fighter... but a suitor is rarely a good teacher. I won't fear to bruise her. And she needs to know what will happen if... *Since he doesn't mean to goad the Norsemans temper he adds* But I will take care not to harm her, Sinold. Not more then I harmed you, at any rate. For now however... a moment of yer time?

[Sinold Bragasson]

As he re-sheaths his sword again, Sinold smacks his lips and spits into the dust of the pits, then returning the nod the guard has given him*

"Ye be lucky I know and ... respect the, Gerben! Otherwise..." He looks at Letha and sighs a little. "Maybe he is right, unnasta. I do make a lousy teacher when all I try is to protect yourself from harm. If you wish, and I can see yer still fresh and eager, go with the man and have him show ye some more moves. I'll be content to watch ... as I cannae watch ya when yer be in the springs bathing. What do ya say?"

Sinold looked to Gerben... that he trusted the man to teach his future wife said a lot for Sinold's respect for the man. Had he no trust in him, he'd never allowed it. So he again waited to see what Letha would say to Gerben's offer.

[Halethala]

Bristling at his little shove to keep her moving ahead of him, realizing he was simply trying to protect her, though for the life of her, she couldn't imagine any true danger challenging them here, within the walls of the castle. But then, perhaps she were too trusting.

From her vantage point behind Sinold, she peered closely at the sound he was facing, stunned and more than a little disconcerted to think anyone else had been watching them. When a voice revealed itself to them, a coldness crept through her. She knew the voice, and since first hearing it, now knew who possessed it, knew the reputation that backed it . . .

The confusion on her face was genuine as he spoke . . "What will happen? and what do ye think Letha will need to know?" she wondered to herself, her innate curiosity rapidly overcoming the prudent fear she should have felt.

She watched Sinold's reaction to Gerben, always puzzled at why he seemed to be at odds with nearly every man he encountered. It made her treasure his trust of her even more, yet she worried that one day he would anger the wrong man, and she find herself tending serious wounds of his yet once more . . or worse. She came to lay a hand upon his arm, looking straight to his eyes. "You must promise me, Sinold, that you will not leap in at any point in this challenge, then, if I accept . . "

She quickly removed her hand, so he would not feel the trembling and misinterpret it . . . and waited to secure his promise . .

[Sinold Bragasson]

This time it was Sinold who took Letha’s face into his hands and gave her a quick and loving kiss.

“ I will nae step in, I know the Sergeant, he is a man who can do absolutely nothing wrong!” He glanced over at the man next to them, his words a promise and just the slightest bit of a warning to the guard. “Watching you fight will be interesting, I will learn where your strength lay and next time we spar… I’ll be prepared, unnasta! The tale of how I learned to swim can wait just a bit longer, it will still be in me head when yer finished with Gerben, aye?””

Then he released Letha’s face from his hold, smiled at her encouragingly and nodded towards Gerben. “Give her the lessons she needs, and make her invincible… unless she’ll kick your arse!”

This was one of the few times Sinold genuinely smiled at the old guard and felt at ease around him.

[Halethala]

Her eyes lingered on his, absorbing the love and encouragement he infused towards her, trusting his judgement. Her head hissed “fool, what are you doing!” to her, yet her heart prodded her onwards. With a final tight grip to Sinold’s hands, she barely managed to whisper “Aye, and Thanks” and turned towards the Master Sergeant.

A strange calm settled over her as she faced the formidable man. “Sergeant Gerben . . a moment of my time with you would be a moment well spent on my part, I would wager. If you’ve watched us at it, ye know what you wish to know already, there be nothing more to say . . .” *Questions by the score I’d wish to ask, she wanted to add, but didn’t.

As she moved to retrieve the discarded blade lying in the sand, she crouched instead of bent to picked it up, her eyes not leaving his face . . Again her head hissed dangerously into her ears, trying to warn her of what she already knew. This would not be one to tease or play with, her small arsenal of tricks perhaps useless against such a man, one who had probably seen everything a cocky, green bladesman would attempt. Yet this was no competition. She was not here to best anyone, nor impress. She wished simply to learn, and learn she would . .

She stood, ready, loose and limber, not fearful. Nodding slightly towards him, she simply waited . .

[Master Sergeant Gerben]

*He nods to Sinold. His own respect visible in the single inclination of head. THen the Master Sergeants hand slowly moves to Letha's sword. His lips curve to a smile as he shakes his head, and instead motions to the rack of wooden weapons.*

I'm nae going to pull me blows like Sinold did, m'lady. And neither will ye, I hope. So we'ld best keep to the training weapons. For nae matter what his word be, I doubt Sinold would like to see steel slit through your skin.

Find a weapon that suits ye. Think about yer oponent. What be yer advantages, and how can ye take advantage of them.

[Halethala]

“I hated him” She said it simply, unexpectedly, quietly. “Hated him, yet longed for one word of praise, one nod of approval, however slight. Not until later did I realize he could nae, it were simply no longer in him to give. So he gave what he could.”

She slowly turned the hilt around to hand the sword to Gerben. “Sinold nae be lacking in his teaching skills. He be summat like my father.” Her face held an awed look as one to whom a great truth had finally broken through, one who has begun to reconsider what once believed to be truth, and now no longer does. “Both passionate. Sinold caring perhaps too much, my father nae as much. Wishing me strong. Wanting me to survive in a world that often does not care at all . . .

She turned and walked away from the wizened Master Sergeant. “When we thirst for water, the one thing we cannae live long without, we praise the rich man who gives us a barrelful from his ocean of resources. Yet should we nae praise e’en more the poor man who has but a thimbleful and still shares the half of what little he has, though ye both perish for lacking enough to survive. If the rich be held honorable and deemed generous, the poor moreso for his sacrifice is greater.

He gave what he could from what he had . .” she repeated herself again for the third time.

Squatting down, never letting the man out of her line of sight. “Sinold loves what he sees in me, and is trying hard to love what he cannot yet. I nae hold that against him, it seems so very difficult for men to look beyond a woman’s beauty.”

She then chooses from the wooden practice weapons two poles, straight as snakes that hang limp in death. Somewhat flexible, as thick as a goodly man’s smallest finger, yet the wood difficult to shatter, about 6 ½ feet long. She came closer and held one of them out to him, a small smile briefly appearing, then setting her face placidly. “Forgive me for disobeying you so soon, Master Sergeant Gerben, Sir, I nae know if they truly suit me . . but these just . . seem right.”

[Sinold Bragasson]

While Gerben started his instruction, Sinold sat on the side, crouching… watching Letha. To his slight surprise he saw pain in her face, but not coming from any would or bruse. She spoke to the Sergeant, and even though the Norse was too far away to understand clearly what she was talking about to the other man, Sinold knew that whatever she spoke of was what brought her that pain. That woman still gave him so many puzzles… he still knew relatively little about her past, about her upbringing or her history before she had come here to Windstorm. His shieldmaiden was an enigma in many respects, but then – how much did she know about him? Maybe this courting time would not be a total waste after all. He would use it, and press this point more vehemently, to explore the woman Letha was.

But for now Sinold was content to watch. So she had selected the staff for excercing now. Interesting choice. He had encountered a few men very apt with lances and halbards, which were similar to a staff, yet Sinold hardly ever had done battle with one of those pole weapons. The axe and the sword were his weapons of choice, the weapons of a Norse, and paired together with a shield very effective if used right.

Still pondering about Letha, weapons and how those two seemed to have been bound to a union, maybe against her will, Sinold continued to watch and encourage his love!