milliways_bar | (no subject)

Entry tags:

(no subject)

So getting a sheep was quicker than getting a gun, but in some ways more annoying. But that's in the past. Now, Karel's here with a sheep, am unharmed but very unhappy sheep at the end of a rope tether, and a bundle wrapped up in a big striped cloth that some here might recognize as an American flag.

He and his sheep wait outside, of course. For Shephard in particular, but he doesn't mind chatting with anyone else he knows.

((Warnings on the links, I guess for, uh, unarmed robbery and the intimidation of gentle mythological creatures?))

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Athelstan eyes him.

"...and... defence...?"

He really hopes Karel isn't going to go and be proactive about things.

"Yeah. That too. Defence. And hunting."

"Does your mother know?" he asks carefully.

"Yeah." Karel nods. "She knows. --You have a farm?"

"We did", he answers. "It's gone now, burned and all the animals dead. But my master killed the Earl and took his place, for what he did."

"Earl, that is the one who burned it?" Big eyes. "But your...master...killed him?"

Athelstan nods. "And he would have killed us all, I'm sure, if he'd caught us. He nearly killed Ragnar - my master - and we hid for weeks while he healed. But then he challenged the Earl to single combat, and won."

"That's good." Karel pauses, and adds, with extra sincerity, "But scary."

"It was both", he agrees. "I wasn't certain he would win, when it came to it - the Earl was old, but Ragnar was still not at full strength... but strong enough, in the end."

"How did they fight? They had knives? Or just--" He holds up his hands and makes a grrrrr face.

Edited 2014-12-04 21:42 (UTC)

"They had swords", Athelstan tells him. "Axes are their preferred weapon for war, but they use swords also. Each man was allowed two shields, one and a spare if the first broke, but they both cast away their first at the start."

"Why did they throw them away?" There's nothing feigned in his sincere interest now. Axes and swords! "Do you fight like that?"

"To show their faith in their own ability, I think. That they wouldn't have any need of the spare." He shakes his head. "I wasn't raised as they were. I was never taught to fight, until I came here."

"You are learning here? With swords? Axes?" He's not really sure what an axe is, but you fight with it.

"With swords, and sticks and bare hands. All can be useful."

"Sticks? Yeah?" He tries to picture this, thinking of the sort of sticks you can pick up from the ground. The doubt shows in his face. "You tell me?"

"Long sticks, and strong", Athelstan clarifies. "Made for the purpose. I can show you, if you like."

"Yeah. Show me. Um." He rummages in the bundle of cloth he'd brought, and fishes out one of the thin X MEN books, a little battered by its travels. "I can give you this."

"Then it's a trade." He has no idea what he's being offered, but it's clear refusing to take anything would insult Karel's pride. Anyway, he's sure he can find a use for it.

What, Athelstan isn't excited about the adventures of unspecified-to-avoid-potential-weird-canon-puncture-for-anyone early-to-mid-90s X-Men? Well, that's okay, Karel isn't so sure what to make of it either. But the cover has people flying. Or something.

"...But I have to watch the sheep." The sheep, who now seems glumly resigned to her fate. "I tie the rope to something?"

"A tree would work", he suggests. "Or we could put her in the stables until we've finished."

"A tree." He can keep an eye on her, then: there's a tree not far off, thin enough to tie a rope around, but not just a little sapling. He calls over his shoulder as he goes to tie her up, "Show me the right sticks?"

"All right." Asking Bar for them doesn't seem right, this time - Karel won't always be able to rely on her, so he should learn how to choose a stick and shape it to what he needs. "It should be long and stout, but not too heavy. And then we trim off any twigs sticking out."

"I have a knife," he volunteers proudly. It looks an awful lot like a kitchen knife, but it'll probably work on twigs.

"Very good", he says, smiling. "It's sensible to carry a knife, you never know what you might need it for."