The metadata on Blogger tells me that my last post was almost a year and a half ago. While this is obviously a vicious lie, I clearly haven't been keeping up with my writing like I should be, what with a multitude of house moves and a distressing lack of internet.
In fact, it's been such a long time since I posted, that I've all but forgotten what I was writing. Thankfully I had a bit of a buffer between what I've already written and what I was posting, so with absolutely no trouble at all, here is part 20 of my 2013 NaNoWriMo, Mad Men.
(Also, I lied about the apology. I'm totally not sorry.)
[Starting again? Look here]
[Continued from here]
Beranwen
made sure she got the first word.
"What
do you want, lord Derryl, Master Lucan?" She said in her most cross voice.
"Haven't you had enough fun with us today?"
"Where
is the mechanical man?" Lucan asked, clearly seeing the absence of any
figure draped over her saddle.
"Where...?"
Beranwen allowed a moment of uncomprehending silence to stretch out. "What
do you mean, where is he? You took him from us. What have you done with
him?"
"Have
you lost Stan?" Quinton asked, with uncalled for but surprising
helpfulness.
"You
took him back!" Derryl snapped. "You stole him from me."
"I
never did!" Quinton argued.
"Quinton."
Beranwen calmed, as Lucan laid a hand on Derryl's arm in a similar spirit.
"Am
I to believe," Lucan addressed them, "That you did not take the
unconscious man from my saddle after distracting me with thrown stones?"
"You
may believe what you like, Master Lucan, but we clearly do not have Stan. As
for the stones... it would be a shocking breech of etiquette to throw stones at
a Mad Man. Besides," She added in a more sarcastic tone, "I thought
he wasn't unconscious, he was 'off'."
Lucan
clearly didn't approve of the jab, but he was on rocky ground now. For all he
knew, he was wrongly accusing a Mad Man and his advisor of theft, with no
evidence other than his own suspicion to back the accusation up. And even his
suspicion was beginning to fade. Almost visibly swallowing his pride, he bowed
slightly in his saddle.
"In
that case, I hope you will accept my most humble apology for the slight on your
honour, my lord."
"I
want my man back." Derryl whined. Beranwen thanked the gods that her lord
was not as spoilt.
"They
do not have him, lord Derryl." Lucan explained. Derryl pouted.
"Master
Lucan," Beranwen broached the new topic carefully. "Might I have a
word, one advisor to another?"
Lucan
nodded, and urged his horse into a walk. Leaving their lords to keep their own
company for a moment, they rode until they were out of earshot.
"Master
Lucan, I believe we have not got off to a good start," Beranwen began.
"And I am concerned of the effect this might have on our lords'
friendship. Even if we cannot be
friends, can we perhaps encourage our lords to make up? They are still young,
and a quest is such a silly thing to fall out over."
There
was a hint of respect in Lucan's eyes as she finished this, and he nodded
thoughtfully.
"Indeed.
Our lords are more delicate than we." He smiled a tight, knowing slime.
"I still believe you are ill-qualified for the work, and disrespectful to
your lord, but... perhaps experience will improve you. You are certainly not
without promise. Let us, as you say, return and broker a peace."
They
walked their horses back to where the two Mad Men still waited, staring blankly
at each other. Clearly they had not exchanged words while their advisors had
been away. Beranwen approached Quinton, and leaned over to speak quietly to
him, as she saw Lucan doing to Derryl.
"You've
done really well, Quinton. We're going to make up with lord Derryl and Master
Lucan now, so shake Derryl's hand when he offers it."
"Is
your plan working?" Quinton asked.
"So
far, I think. Ah, here we go."
Derryl
was nudging his horse forwards, a lopsided grin on his face.
"I'm
sorry I took your mechanical man, Quinton." He stuck out one hand. Quinton
took it, smiling back.
"That's
alright. No one has him now. Maybe he'll show up again later."
"Did
you find something for your quest?"
"I
got this scarf." Quinton held up the object in question. "Master Win
thinks a child left it behind, but it's okay to take it because it's summer and
they won't miss it."
"It's
a nice colour."
"Yes."
"Alright,
lord Derryl." Lucan interrupted. "Let us let lord Quinton and Master
Beranwen get on their way."
"It
was nice to meet you, Master Beranwen." Derryl said with a wave.
"It
was nice to meet you too, lord Derryl."
And
without another word, or even a backward glance, Derryl and Lucan turned and
rode away.
"Will
Stan come out now?" Quinton asked.
"Soon,
probably. Let's walk towards the house and keep an eye out for him."
They
didn't have to wait long. In fact, Beranwen thought Stan was taking a bit of a
risk running out when he did. But there was no cry of outrage from the
departing Mad Man, so she refused to let it worry her. She also refused to
think about how she wouldn't have to worry about anything for much longer.
[Part 21]
[Part 21]
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