Request and Response

Writers: Miriah, Suzee
Date Posted: 18th July 2016

Characters: Karhal, Loella, Benani
Description: How Karhal got talked into training.
Location: Amber Hills Hold
Date: month 6, day 4 of Turn 8
Notes: Notes: Flashback to month 5

Karhal

Loella

Benani

"Are you trying to sew with that dagger, Lady?" Karhal's voice was
cool and clipped as he watched Lady Benani stab at one of his
guardsman. "If you're not going to put strength into the blow, that's
all you be doing. Put strength behind it and you'll stab less cloth
and more flesh."

----
~Begin Flashback~

In the practice yard, Karhal was watching the two newest guards
carefully smack at each other with wooden practice swords. His face
was set in a hard line of concentration, but every so often, his eyes
would flick about watching around himself in constant perusal of his
environment. So, when his wife and the Lady Holder appeared in the
corner of his view his brow quirked and he abruptly turned, calling a
quick halt to the practice. "Go clean yourselves up. Tomorrow at the
same time."

His attention was then solely on the two women approaching him. He
inclined in a bow to Benani and his lips twitched upward in a quick
smile of greeting to his wife. "Lady. What brings you to the yard?"

"Well," she smiled. "The most important thing was a peek at your
daughter." She dimpled at the big Guard Captain and then turned a
conspiratorial look on Loella. "Then I was talking with your wife
about wanting to learn a bit about how to handle a weapon."

"I told her you'd know all about it and could show her whatever she
wanted to learn," Loella gushed.

The two ladies looked happily at Karhal expecting him to think it
would be a wonderful idea.

His smile lowered until his face was absolutely flat. "Weapon? What
weapon are you referring to exactly?"

"Well," her eyes clouded a moment as Benani thought back to her
confinement and how easily Crolarin had controlled her.

Loella's hand reached out to touch the ladies arm in silent support.

A small smile darted to the Captains wife and she pulled herself up
visibly to meet the big guardsman's eyes squarely.. "Knife or sword.
Something sharp so I can defend myself."

Karhal was about to tell her that that was what he was there for, but
he promptly remembered how useful he had been to her while laid up in
the infirmary. His slashing brows pulled downward; with Zathris gone,
he was sure Benani had to be scared. He spoke carefully. "The guards
and I will be defending you, Lady. But..." He glanced at Loella, his
gaze telling her that they would most certainly speak about this
later, then exhaled sharply through his nose. "If it is your command
that you learn the blade, I will teach you." He held up a hand. "But a
knife. A knife would be a better defense and can be well hidden."

"I know you mean that Karhal," Benani said. But the rest of what she
felt about his statement went unsaid. They'd made adjustments and the
guard captain had almost died the night she'd been taken and she knew
that with her head. She couldn't help that she didn't trust that
protection to be there when she needed it. Her eyes narrowed at his
tone and she nodded after a moment. "It is," Benani chose her words
carefully, "my desire is to learn to defend myself if necessary Captain."

Karhal slowly nodded. "Very well, Lady. Meet me here tomorrow after
breakfast and we'll begin. My wife will have to come with you to make
sure no ill rumors start." He turned to Loella and arched a brow.
"Agreed?"

Loella nodded at her husband even recognizing from his body language
that he was less than happy with the situation. She was fairly certain
to get an earful when he got her alone but she knew this was what the
Lady needed whether or not Karhal could see it at the moment. Men...

"Yes," Benani nodded and took a deep breath confirming her decision..
"I'll see you tomorrow then." She turned and began to walk back
toward the main hold.

Loella paused and looked at her husband. He was big and angry but
there was no fear in her eyes. She nodded. "Don't be late for dinner,"
she said and turned to follow Lady Benani.

He caught Loella before she turned completely and pulled her back
towards him. He wasn't rough, but he was firm. "We will be talking
about this, Loella. This evening." He glowered. "Extensively."

Her eyes snapped back at him without any contrition. Perhaps her
recent sweetness and compliance had made him forget what a handful his
wife could be when she put her mind to it. "And then you'll agree it's
a splendid idea," she leveled back at him while removing his hand from
her arm. Then she sprinted to catch up with the retreating Lady
Benani.

---

The moment he came home from his duties, Karhal hung up his sword belt
and leather jerkin, moving a bit stiffly with irritation. He turned
the main living area and took a slow breath. He didn't see Loella, but
heard the coo of the baby, so modulated his voice carefully.
"Loella....I'd like to speak to you."

The lady in question came out from the bedroom with their daughter in
her arms and a welcoming smile. She noted the way he'd said it. Not
'discuss with you' but 'speak to you...' so she was going to get a
lecture then? "Go ahead," she smiled pleasantly though he probably
didn't miss the dangerous gleam in her eyes. He was a guard after all
and trained to read people.

He saw the glint and was not cowed, but kept his voice soft so as to
not disturb their daughter. "Are you mad, Loella?" His hands went to
his lean hips and his jaw tightened. "What could have possibly given
you the idea that teaching the Lady Benani was a good idea at this
time? I'm trying to find her husband, not waste time teaching her to
hide a dagger in her skirts!"

"Well first of all," she said in her 'talking to the baby' singsong
voice. "It wasn't _my_ idea, it was hers." The baby smiled up at her
and she grinned back. "And she won't hide it in her skirts but in her
bodice."

"So she can stab or slice herself when she tries to draw it?" He shook
his head and looked up at the ceiling. "Faranth save me from well
meaning women." He huffed. "That's the worst place she could keep the
bloody thing. She doesn't _have_ to learn how to fight. Sweet Faranth,
if she is so fearful, I can assign a personal guard to her."

Loella's eyes narrowed. "You just watch how you talk to me Karhal. I
know you're angry but I'm no wherryheaded fool and neither is Lady
Benani. You teach her right and she won't hurt herself. If you _don't_
teach her she'll find someone else. What do you think will happen
then?"

Karhal glowered right back at her. "Women don't need to learn to fight!"

"And yet if she had known how to fight that kidnapper might not have
been able to force her to come with him. Would you like that to happen
to me or your daughter just because we don't have a third leg between
the ones we walk on?" Her eyes were now spitting fire as hot as his.
Her husband was a loving and caring man. She knew he didn't realize
how much of his attitude was ingrained in him by his upbringing. That
didn't make her any less forgiving of his attitude at this moment.

His face hardened and his cheeks flushed as he faced his wife down.
"You shouldn't have to worry. Shaffit, that's what I'm here for!
That's my job, to protect you!"

"And whose job to protect Lady Benani? Her husband is gone Karhal."

"That is _also_ my job." He bit the words out. "I'll train the Lady,
because I said I would, but I'll be shafted if she ever has to use
that training, Loella."

"Hopefully, she will never have to," Loella nodded.

------

He turned to his wife who was facing another guardsman and arched a
brow at the sweat on hers; by Faranth, this had been her doing, and he
was not going to slack up on either of them because of their
genders...or their station. They wanted to train, they would. His way.

Last updated on the July 19th 2016

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Request and Response