The Homecoming 25.

A Duel...

The next competitor to face Tamric Drubine forfeits the match. As does the next competitor of sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who has gone through the first two rounds of the duel event, without facing anyone yet.
The former earl of fief Lé Dic sighs, and looks over at the nearby crowd. He spots the rest of the group and shrugs his heavily armoured shoulders. The others nod in understanding, with the exception of Dorc da Orc who just scowls at him, before going back to drinking from another barrel of ale.
Since he's not busy at the moment, and after he glances over at Tamric Drubine, who is sitting on a camp stool infront of one of the fitting tent, with a few others who have already made it into the next round of the event.
The former paladin, now regular knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, makes his way through the lists, and across the field to where the stands are located. The heavily armoured knight is humming away to himself as he makes his way to the lower stand where his niece, the lady Linara is sitting with others of the nobility.
"Ah Percavelle, seems like no one wants to face you?" says lord Milburn "Sad but true" replies sir Percavelle Lé Dic as he stands near his niece and others sitting on the lowest level of the stands "No one has the will to meet their better" continues the former earl of Lé Dic, who then adds in a slightly sour tone "Unfortunately".
"Don't worry uncle, I'm sure someone will take up the challenge soon" says lady Linara Lé Dic, next to the young noble, her governess the lady Hollis, who is Percy's former sister inlaw, nods her head in agreement with her charge.
"I sure hope so Linny" says sir Percavelle, who out of the corner of his eye, notices the slight, and quick frown that appears on the face of lord Milburn when he called Linara by her nickname, Linny.
The former paladin who is normally obtuse to such things, infact he doesn't pay attention to many things around him. Because they're beneath his awareness, and they just have no interest to him.
Unless things are an advantage to him, like riling up lord Milburn gives him a sense of pleasure for some reason. Why? He has no idea. It's just so.
Then there's what the mercenary ranger, Riley Hait told him about the nobleman who is his niece's grandfather. That he should keep an eye on him whenever he's around him.
The former earl of the fief that bares his family name doesn't know why. But since the ranger Hait is the nominal leader of the group as lord Farque isn't around. The nobleborn knight takes his word for it. So he keeps an eye on lord Kievar Milburn whenever he's in his presence.
As the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che looks back across the lists to the marked off circles where the duels are taking place, he slightly nods as Linara Lé Dic, says "There's sir Galmot, he's up again".
And as the commander of the local army enters one of the circles to face one of his soldiers, sir Percavelle glances sideways at lord Milburn who says "Galmot is making a good showing of it" followed by "And i see Parvin is still in it too".
The former paladin who thinks sir Galmot the army commander is an adequate swordsman, won't get too far in the event. And thinks sir Parvin, who is one of Percy's contemporaries, who is of the same age. Was a much better duelists twenty years ago. And to be honest, is much better in a grande melee than he is in the duel contest, is lucky to still be in the event.
Says "That they are" followed by "But alas they won't get much further in the contest" he briefly pauses before adding "Especially if either one were to face me, the great sir Percavelle".
The former earl of Lé Dic briefly grins as out of the corner of his eye, he sees lord Milburn sourly smile when he mentioned himself in the first person.
Then Percy's grin disappears when the grandfather on the maternal side of lady Linara Dic, quietly says in a slightly smug tone "Or they face that young chap, you know, that friend of yours Percavelle".
"M'lord Drubine" says Linara Lé Dic, who continues with "Tamric". "Yes that's the young fellow" says Kievar Milburn, who looks at his former earl, and adds "From the kingdom of Sarcrin isn't he Percavelle?".
"Yes he is" says the heavily armoured knight who broadly smiles for sake of appearances, who then adds "Fine young fellow he is too, from a good family, and who has had all the proper knightly training" then because he can't help himself, sir Percavelle continues with "Even if he does come from a far inferior kingdom such as Sarcrin".
Lord Milburn who was more than shocked at how easily, not to mention, quickly the young foreign noble Tamric Drubine won his first duel in the tourney event that's taking place at the moment.
Puts his feelings about that to one side, as he says "Seems you might of been right about him earlier Percavelle" the grandfather of lady Linara, who might not be named the regent of the fief, definitely sees himself as one, then adds "He could very well be in the running to win this event".
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic, a boastful man, who is quite contemptuous of others, especially in regards to their abilities in things that he, himself excels at.
Does something unexpected, and swallows his pride, and with a grin upon his face, he says "Of course" followed by "I expect to face young Tam in the final round if we don't face one another before that".
The former earl of the Lé Dic fief then says "He's that good" Percy briefly pauses before continuing with "Which isn't much of surprise, since i helped train him".
Enjoying seeing the jaw of lord Milburn drop down in surprise, sir Percavelle Lé Dic grins, then he looks at his niece Linara, and his former sister inlaw the lady Hollis, performs an extravagant bow to the two of them and says "Ladies".
Before he turns and walks away, heading back across the field to the dueling event, hearing his niece Linny giggling at his flamboyant bow to her and her governess.
"That old popinjay can shove up it when the sun don't shine, as they say" sir Percavelle Lé Dic utters to himself as he crosses back across the field to where the dueling event is taking place. The former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che looks away to his right, across that way along the field, and back up the road to the massive castle that's his family's ancestral home.
He feels a little odd, as he's usually the most upbeat of individuals. But he feels a slight pang of sadness at seeing the castle that he no longer rules.
It's a feeling that passes quickly, because the former earl of the fief, knows that his young niece Linara now rules the massive castle, and the fief that bares their family name.
And he sir Percavelle, intends that she will rule it for a long time. And by the gods, in particular the god Narille, who he worships. No one tries to stop her ruling it, or tries to usurp her power.
The heavily armoured knight murmurs to himself "Well done Percavelle lad, no one shall get in the way of young Linny ruling here" the former knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, then silently adds, and if anyone does, i shall vanquish the foul villain.
The nobleborn knight makes it across the lists, just as the next round is being drawn as there's just a couple of duels still being contested.
He and the remaining competitors gather around the front of the fitting tent that Tamric Drubine and a few of the others have been sitting infront of.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic is asked by one of the judges to draw first since he's yet to duel against anyone. And the former earl of the fief named after his family, draws a short straw straight away from the clenched hand of the judge.
The judge moves around infront of the other competitors. And the third one after Percy drew the short straw, a nobleman by the name of sir Gaiton, picks the other short straw in the bunch the judge is holding.
Percavelle Lé Dic is genuinely surprised when sir Gaiton doesn't forfeit as his two previous opponents did. The heavily armoured knight nods his full helmed head to his opponent.
Then the two of them make their way to the nearest of the circles that have been marked out on the ground.
Many in the crowd start chanting "Percavelle, Percavelle!" over and over again when they see their former earl is actually going to compete for the first time this afternoon.
Percy walks into the circle from one side, and sir Gaiton enters from the opposite side. The former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che doesn't know much about his nobleborn opponent. Just that he knew his father, and met Gaiton himself about a dozen years ago when the younger nobleman was still a child.
As for sir Gaiton, he sees this as an amazing opportunity. He's of the opinion that sir Percavelle Lé Dic, a man now nearing his mid forties. Is no where near the swordsman he once was. And is no longer the tourney champion that he was when Gaiton was a child.
That's what the younger nobleman is thinking as he stands across the circle, facing his former earl.
The heavily armoured knight in the order of Saint Mar-che barely hears the instructions of the judge. He just nods in response to the judge, after waving to the cheering crowd, as he grins.
Now standing relatively still, with one foot infront of the other. And with his longsword pointed down at the ground in a low guard, sir Percavelle Lé Dic waits for the command to get underway. "Begin!" shouts the judge of the duel between sir Percavelle and sir Gaiton.
The former earl of the fief Lé Dic may be in his mid forties, and have grey sprinkled through his hair. But at six foot two inches tall, and weighing two hundred and twenty five pounds, the former paladin has lost none of his skill and talent with his sword.
But most importantly, even at his age. He's still not lost what has set him apart from other knights, wether they be ordered knights, or landed. Or like in his case, both. His incredible speed for someone fairly large, who is covered head to foot, in full, heavy plate armour. Add that to his overbearing confidence. He's always been a handful in combat, wether it be in a dueling circle in a tourney, or on a battlefield.
Sir Percavelle watches sir Gaiton approach swinging his sword, the former earl of Lé Dic is already swinging his own longsword. His opponents weapon doesn't even get to any closer than a couple of feet from him.
Before it goes flying through the air, after Percy's blade hits it so hard, that it's whacked out of the firm grip of sir Gaiton. And as the younger nobleborn knight stands there in shock as he no longer holds his weapon.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic nods to him, turns around and walks out of the marked off circle as the judge declares the former earl the winner. And the crowd cheer even louder "Percavelle, Percavelle!".
The former paladin in the order of Saint Mar-che looks across the field, and spots the disgruntled look upon the face of lord Milburn at seeing what's just happened.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic can't help but grin at this, and he murmurs to himself "Golly good old chap" followed by "It's just got going you pompous ninnyhammer, wait until later and you'll really be vexed with me" . . . . . .