[Mkguild] Patrol VII

[C. Matthias]

This entire section makes me see James as a 
spoiled brat who is scared and doesn't know how 
to overcome that fear.  He is surrounded by 
people who want to help him but he isn't ready to 
be helped; he wants life without fear and without pain.  Poor boy.

May He bless you and keep you in His grace and love,

Charles Matthias


>Patrol VII
>
>May 17th, 697
>"He doesn't like me." I said. My arm was straight out and utterly rigid.
>"He doesn't know you well enough yet." Sir 
>Tallis said. "Would you trust someone you barely know?"Â
>"I wouldn't be a wild animal." I said. The 
>Harris hawk on the end of my arm glared at me. I 
>tried to take a step back, except my arm went 
>with me so the hawk did also. Around his left 
>leg were little bells, they jingled every time I moved.
>"James all you want to do today is get the bird 
>used to being perched on your arm." Sir Tallis 
>stayed behind me at all times, watching and 
>never touching. Further behind him were five knights who watched us.Â
>My father had me watched at all times. Despite 
>being only twelve I had nearly been assassinated 
>three times already. When you're in any position 
>of authority in the Empire (or could be) 
>everyone want to kill you so THEY can be the target of assassins.
>Life is funny like that.
>"He's a beautiful bird isn't he?" Sir Tallis 
>asked. I swallowed. "James, he won't hurt you."
>"I know." I said. "It's just...I was hoping to 
>spend more time with him before doing this." Sir Tallis laughed.Â
>"James starring at your bird while he is in his 
>mews is not spending time with him. My arm by 
>now was beginning to throb and sweat was rolling 
>into my breeches. I flexed my fist.
>"It's almost spending time with him." I said. 
>The hawk turned his head to match my gaze. His 
>eyes pierced my skull. I closed my eyes but I 
>could still feel him starring at me. My skin 
>began to crawl. "What if he flies away?" Tallis snorted. "What?"
>"I expect him to fly away." Sir Tallis said. 
>"Every bird will try to fly away no matter how 
>well trained they are. Especially when they 
>aren't well trained. But that's why we have the bells."Â
>"Right, right the bells." I stammered. "Well 
>I've had him out for a while, why don't we put him back in his mews?"
>"Because you told me you wanted to be trained in 
>falconry." Sir Tallis said. "I will train you 
>James, but it will take time." I glanced back at 
>the other knights. Of the four knights there, at 
>least one was a mage. "James do not take your 
>eyes off your bird." My head snapped back.
>"Sorry sorry sorry." Sir Tallis gestured at the bag tied around my waste.
>"Take some food from your bag. We're going to 
>try feeding your hawk." Of course we were. I gingerly reached into my bag.
>"Kay, don't move." My hawk cocked his head. 
>"Please don't move!" Now my guardian was laughing at me. "Shut up!"
>"I'm trying." Sir Tallis said. His face was red 
>with mirth and his body was shaking.
>"I'll have dad put you in stocks!" I snapped.
>"No doubt. Now please James pull out one scrap 
>of meat." I swallowed and stuck my hand into the 
>pile of greasy scraps. Cold, squishy and all of 
>it very greasy. Now my hawk turned his gaze to my eyes.
>"Tal, he's looking at my hand!" I cried. The 
>knights behind me hid their laughter as best they could.
>"Of course he's looking at you." Sir Tallis said.
>"He's going to claw my face off!" I stammered. 
>"He's gonna kill me!" Sir Tallis didn't even 
>bother hiding rolling his eyes. The little hawk 
>had actually turned his gaze to the hand in my bag.
>"James, he's interested in what you have." Sir 
>Tallis said. "That's a good thing; you need to 
>hold your birds interest." I nodded. Gingerly I removed the chunk of meat.
>"Skreeeee!" My hawk fluttered his wings and my scream matched his.
>"James!" Sir Tallis brought me back to reality. 
>"You said you wanted to learn falconry, you have to learn this way."
>"What way?" I whined.
>"The same way I learned. I promise you my liege 
>you will be just fine." Sir Tallis raised a hand 
>as if to clap me on the back. To do such a thing would mean to lose the hand.
>My father made it a rule; you were only to touch 
>his wife, his sons or his whores if protecting 
>their lives. Sir Tallis realized this and 
>lowered his hand but he kept smiling at me. I grimaced.
>"I just...I don't want to hurt him. But I don't 
>want him to hurt me!" Sir Tallis shook his head.
>"James he won't hurt you, he's scared of you." I 
>nodded. He's scared of me. He's scared of me.
>I raised the chunk of meat again and my hawk 
>cocked his head. I held it forward, just on the 
>tips of my fingers. He reached down and snatched it. "Yowch!"
>"Something wrong?" Sir Tallis asked.
>"He pecked me!" I tried shaking the pain out of 
>my fingers. "I told you he was going to hurt 
>me." Now my men were laughing at me, even Sir 
>Tallis was failing. "Quiet! I'm gonna have you thrown in jail!"
>"We don't doubt it sir." Sir Tallis said, wiping 
>tears from his eyes. "You need to relax James. 
>You're fine but your bird will hurt you the first time. That's natural."
>"It is not!" I said, my arms shaking. "I should 
>never have to be in pain! I'm gonna be your 
>lord!" Now I was whining so hard that I couldn't 
>pay attention. If I had been I might have noticed Sir Tallis pointing.
>"Uh James? Your arm?"
>"I can have you sent to jail!" I yelled at them. 
>Now I began to gesture, causing my hawk to 
>screech. Sir Tallis began to yell at me.
>"Arm James! Arm!" I paused just in time for my 
>hawk to screech at me and take off like a bolt 
>from a bow. We stood there as my bird flew 
>straight to the roof of the manor and clenched down, glaring at us.
>At this point all of the knights fell to the 
>ground laughing. I glared at them as fiercely as 
>a twelve-year-old can. This naturally made them laugh harder.
>"Stop this!" A voice rang out above the 
>laughter. We all looked up to see a lone figure marching towards us. I sighed.
>"Enfer!" Sir Tallis greeted the approaching 
>knight, "What brings you out to our young lord's 
>lesson?" The new visitor was perpetual sour puss 
>and lieutenant in the Noble Guard, Sir Enfer.
>Like Sir Tallis, Enfer was tall but much 
>thinner. His red hair was falling out, what 
>wisps and clumps were left stuck straight up. 
>His body swayed as he moved, his arms leapt 
>around whenever he talked. His eyes were a weird shade of brown, almost orange.
>"I'm not coming here to watch this foolishness." 
>Sir Enfer said. "Our young lord was supposed to 
>be at his next lessons." My head sunk.Â
>"My next lesson is dance!" I whined. "Don't make me go."
>"Sir Enfer is right." Tallis said. "You have to 
>attend your lessons, knowing how to dance 
>matters when you are a Lord. You will host balls 
>events here one day and attend many more." My 
>hawk punctuated this with a screech. Sir Enfer glanced up at him.
>"Why is their a hawk up there?"
>"He tried to attack me!" I said. Sir Enfer just rubbed his temples and nodded.
>"You men" He pointed at them, "I expect you to 
>get that bird down. And Sir Tallis, I will be 
>escorting you and our lord to his next lesson."
>"Yes sir boss!" Tallis said, mock-saluting. He 
>gestured and I followed behind, my head down the 
>entire time. "I'm not trusted to look after my charge?"
>"I don't trust you to, Lord Leontes should not 
>either." Sir Enfer kept up pace on my other side. I looked up at them.
>Could one of them be a mage? I thought to 
>myself. Dad has mages hidden in the knights and 
>that would be cool. Wish I had magic... We 
>entered inside the manor and made our way 
>through the winding maze of corridors. I wonder 
>where grandpa hid the secret passage. I know it's somewhere.
>We came to the ball room doors, two massive oak 
>slabs. Engraved on them were the family crest 
>over and over, even on the door latch. Enfer nodded at Sir Tallis.
>"I will relieve you of our young master."
>"I stand relieved." I let out a cry.
>"I hate dance!" I whined. "And I hate you!" I 
>grabbed onto Sir Tallis. "I want you to stay here."
>"Sorry my friend." Sir Tallis smiled but didn't 
>touch me. "I've got a wife and boy of my own to 
>return home to." He disentangled himself from my 
>little arms. I watched him walk away.
>"I wish you wouldn't dislike me so." Sir Enfer 
>said. "I have your best interests at heart."Â
>"No you don't." I snapped.
>I forgot how young I was then; I couldn't see 
>what was obvious. I'll get into it soon though.
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