“Your efforts have been in vain, good sir,” the nameless knight said.
From his spot on the ground, Valerian wasn’t sure the knight’s boastful tone had any merit. Granted, the man outweighed him, but that was mostly the armor, and Valerian wasn’t dead. Or disarmed. He swung his staff up and drove it straight into the knight’s midsection. The man let out an ungainly, pig-like squeak and toppled over like a felled siege tower. The sound of metal hitting the grass was strangely satisfying.
Valerian took his time climbing to his feet and dusting himself off. Then he went to stand over his attacker. He peered down into the knight’s dazed face, amused at the terror he saw when the knight realized his struggle to stand was, indeed, in vain.
“Perhaps, Sir Culligan, you’ll wait and ask a man’s name before you attempt to accost him in such a manner,” Valerian said. He tugged down the collar of his cloak so the knight could see the heavy ruby brooch all of the king’s sons wore, and the horror that blossomed on the knight’s face was gratifying.
“Now, if you would be so kind as to point me toward Amesbury.”
(200 on the nose)
1 comment:
Oh this was priceless. Why is it people are so smug and think they are so superior until they realize who you are? I liked the reversal of the attacker and the prey. And Culligan, stupid enough to leave his opponent armed? Is he always that dim?
I really liked this short bit, I would like to hear the rest of the story some day.
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