The Homecoming 40.

A Village & A Castle...

"Beats me why we're stopping for the day" says Lisell Maera, who then continues with "It's only mid afternoon, and the day is still fine" the tall, attractive teen from the city-state of Brattonbury then adds "What's he playing at?".
"He wants word from the advanced party about what's going on at Falshire" says Tamric Drubine as they carry their gear into one of the houses in the village that they'll be staying in until they leave early tomorrow morning.
"I can see the logic to that" adds the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, who nods to the homeowner, and the man's wife. Who were a little frightened at first that strangers would be staying in their house. Until Shur Kee the monk, then Tam and Lis spoke to them for a while.
They're quite honoured that foreigners would be staying with them. One a holy man, and another who is nobleborn, all friends of the legendary sir Percavelle Lé Dic too. It beats having a bunch of soldiers from castle Lé Dic staying with them, as some of the other villagers are having to endure.
"Though i suspect sir Galmot has ulterior motives for stopping here so early" quietly says Tamric Drubine as he and Lis step outside again, the former heir to a previous knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin nods his head at the castle to the left, and quietly adds "I think he's trying to make Percy as miserable as possible".
Tam pauses for a moment, then quietly says "Payback for what Percy did during the grande melee in the tourney the other day".
Shur Kee the monk, who is standing nearby, with Tamric Drubine's mount, which is drinking from a bucket. Overheard what the nobleborn teen just said, and nods in agreement with Tam.
The one time heir to castle Drubine in northern Sarcrin looks at Lisell and Shur Kee and ask them "Will you two be alright here?" followed by "I'm just going to check up on something".
"We will be friend Tamric" is the reply of Shur Kee the monk, while Lisell Maera says to the nobleborn teenager "Yeah".
Tam nods to them, then he makes his way through the village to the castle. That's been the home for centuries, to the Duc de Laér family, the nobleborn family in this part of the Lé Dic fief.
After passing through the village commons, Tamric Drubine approaches the front gates of the castle, where he sees some of the soldiers who have come from castle Lé Dic, are on duty with the local soldiers in service to the Duc de Laér family.
Spotting one of the soldiers he knows, infact Tam fought against him in the dueling event in the local tourney held outside the walls of castle Lé Dic.
The nobleborn teen goes up to him and asks him "Salvarné, do you know where my friend the ranger is?".
"I think he's in the keep m'lord" says Salvarné, the soldier in the army of the fief, he continues with "Or he might be round back, in the yard there, sir Percavelle and that smelly monster, er that ork fellow are around there at the moment".
"Thanks for that" says Tam who enters the castle through the gates, while behind him he hears Salvarné inform two of the local soldiers. That the teenager is a visiting noble from the kingdom of Sarcrin. Who took part in the dueling event in the tourney held at castle Lé Dic. Where he defeated everyone including himself. Until he fought the legendary sir Percavelle Lé Dic in the final round of the event. And even then, the former earl of Lé Dic had to use all of his skill and experience to best the young noble from the kingdom of Sarcrin.
Tam wryly smiles as he hears Salvarné talk him up. The nobleborn teenager walks through some chickens who bawk at him as they peck at the ground.
One of the castle servants nods to him, as he guesses Tam is a noble from the armour he wears, and the weapons he has on him. Especially his longsword, which you don't have to be an expert on weapons, to know is of the highest quality, and something no ordinary sellsword or mercenary would normally have.
The fact that it's elven made and magical, kind of adds to that too.
Passing some washer women carrying baskets of linen, as they come out of one of the smaller buildings in the castle, and head for the keep, the dominating feature of which is a broach tower.
Tamric Drubine heads around the keep, to get to the yard behind it. From where he can hear the sounds of blades clashing, and figures someone's practicing their swordsmanship.
Which it turns out to be, as he walks into the yard, and finds sir Percavelle Lé Dic sparring against three opponents. One of the more experienced soldiers in the fief army, as well as an officer. And the third being the young squire Mercent.
Who was one of the last competitors in the grande melee held recently in the tourney outside the walls of castle Lé Dic.
Tam winces, as the former paladin is hitting a little too hard for a sparring session. The nobleborn teenager looks quickly around the yard, at the others watching the heavily armoured knight taking on three opponents.
There's a mix of soldiers, both from the army of the fief who have come from castle Lé Dic. As well as local soldiers who serve the Duc de Laér family.
There's castle servants, from the keep, as well as the stables, smithy, and other buildings here in the castle. Watching the legendary sir Percavelle Lé Dic, as many of them have never seen him before. And if they have, it was a long time ago.
The only other noble watching is sir Barid, who came from castle Lé Dic as well. The knight is keeping an eye on his squire, Mercent who is doing his best to try and hit the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
Tam spots Dorc da Orc sitting on the ground, with his back against the back of the stables, watching the sparring session.
The large ork, who has found himself a barrel of ale from the village outside the castle, has a sour look upon his face.
As he's hoping sir Percavelle Lé Dic would get hit by one of his three opponents. But the former paladin is in such a mood that, that seems a fairly remote possibility of happening.
After the officer is knocked down, and the veteran soldier's sword is whacked out of his grasp. Squire Mercent, steps back and holds up sword, in a sign of quitting.
For a moment, it seems the former earl of the fief will continue to press the attack upon the squire who has given up the sparring session.
The heavily armoured knight recalls where he is, and what he's doing. And he too, steps back, and raises his sword in a sign the sparring is done.
After those watching, cheer the former paladin who was once their earl, sir Percavelle Lé Dic looks around, and says "By chance, is there anyone else who would like a little sparring session with i, the great sir Percavelle?".
The former earl of Lé Dic ignores Dorc da Orc who raises a hand and says "Me cunt!". "Anyone?" asks the former knight of the first class "Oi, Percy piss pot, Dorc said me!" calls out that large ork. "Any takers?" asks the heavily armoured knight. "Fuck, what a cunt" says Dorkindle as Percavelle Lé Dic continues to ignore him.
"Barid old chap, how about you?" asks the former earl of Lé Dic "I'll pass on that Percavelle" says sir Barid, who has noticed the mood the heavily armoured knight is in, and the reason for it.
The former paladin spots Tamric Drubine, and he says "Why Tam, i didn't see you there" the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che continues with "Young fellow, how about a test of your skill with your sword?".
The nobleborn teenager, who has just glanced up at the broach tower of the keep, and spotted a slightly ajar window shutter, that he figures someone is watching from.
Thinks about something for a moment, then he says to Percy "Sure why not". "Fuck him up Tam!" calls out Dorc da Orc who chuckles as sir Percavelle Lé Dic scowls at him. While those who have come from castle Lé Dic cheer, because they've seen the foreign born noble teenager in action, and know how good he is.
As Tamric Drubine draws his sword and stretches. Those who have travelled from the ancestral home of the Lé Dic family, inform the locals about Tam, and how he got to the final round of the dueling event in the recent tourney, and fought sir Percavelle Lé Dic at the end of the event, and how close it was until the former earl of the fief won.
The nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin makes his was to the middle of the yard to face the heavily armoured knight.
They nod to one another, and put on their helms. Tam having kept the one that was given to him at the tourney to celebrate the late winter festival at castle Lé Dic.
They close the visors of their helms, nod, then step back, then raise their swords slightly to indicate they're ready.
As usual, the two of them begin in a low guard, with the tips of their blades, pointing down at the ground, as they wait to see who'll make the first move.
Tamric Drubine isn't surprised at all that sir Percavelle Lé Dic moves first and attacks. The former earl of the fief is just in that kind of mood. It's clear he just wants to hit someone, he doesn't matter who.
The heir of the former knight of castle Drubine in the kingdom of Sarcrin knows that he can beat Percy at times when they spar, he's done so in the past, though not very often.
But Tam knows that there's one way he can definitely best the former paladin in a sparring session. And that's to cheat, by using the full potential of his sword, which after all is magical.
The nobleborn teenager barely blocks the blade of the former paladin. Once, twice, then a third time, only getting in one swing of his own sword against the knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, who easily blocks the swing from Tam's longsword.
Easy there, Percy, it's only a little bit of sparring, Tamric Drubine thinks to himself as the two of them circle one another, swinging their blades. They both dodge to one side, avoiding one another's weapons.
Then Tam knowing that sir Percavelle Lé Dic could very well hurt him if he isn't careful. Presses a slight, tip of the finger sized, circular, button like raised piece on the hilt of his longsword.
The next swing of the former earl of Lé Dic's sword doesn't even connect with Tam's weapon, sliding off to one side at least a few inches before coming anywhere near the nobleborn teenager's weapon.
The heavily armoured knight who is briefly stunned his weapon didn't even get close to his teenage opponent's longsword. Is even more stunned when he's whacked in the side of the helm by Tamric Drubine's longsword.
Slightly dazed, and a bit unsteady on his feet. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic gets his sword up quickly, but it's whacked out of his hand by a two handed swing from Tamric Drubine's weapon.
As the sound of Dorc da Orc can be heard laughing, and a few surprised cheers can be heard from some of the others watching. The former earl of the fief shakes his head to clear it, while the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin picks up the heavily armoured knight's weapon.
As he hands sir Percavelle Lé Dic's weapon back to him, Tamric Drubine looks quickly up at the keep here in castle Duc de Laér. He sees the window shutter towards the top quickly close.
He has a feeling that it's either one of three people watching from up there. But being so high up in the keep, he figures it's either one of two people, who's watching what's been happening down in the yard behind the broach tower.
And his best guess, it was the lady Marsaé Duc de Laér, the ex wife of sir Percavelle Lé Dic who was just watching what was going on down here.
The former earl of the fief takes his sword back from the youngster Tamric Drubine, and is just about to grudgingly congratulate the nobleborn teenager from the kingdom of Sarcrin, when he looks at Tam's longsword and realises something.
"Why you scallywag" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic, who is interrupted by Tam who tells him "You didn't say i couldn't use it like that". The former knight of the first class shuts his mouth. For in the past, he's always told the nobleborn teen not to use the magical aspect of his weapon when they've sparred.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che just plain forgot to, as he was so distracted.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic just nods, when Tamric Drubine gestures to the broach tower of the keep, and quietly says "Come on Percy, let's see what's being discussed in there".
Then he follows after the nobleborn teenager in silence, as they head into the keep that's the longtime home of the family of his ex wife, Marsaé Duc de Laér . . . . . .