July 18, 1177
"If space is an issue, they could always stay with us. I doubt Riona would mind."
"No, Father won't hear of it. It's the first time Viridis has been home in years, so of course she has to stay with us. If you could take Searle off of his hands during the day, though, that would be great."
"Dare I? He sounds like the sort who sucks the life out of everything."
"And this coming from you!" A clear laugh charged through the auditory translucence that clouded Aspen's ears, the sounds preceding and following rushing after it. Did she know that laugh? It didn't sound too unfamiliar... "In all seriousness, though, Viridis has probably whipped him into shape somewhat. Just don't introduce him to Sparron, all right? Their combined vacuums of misery could probably suck the whole kingdom right off the map."
Another laugh, a different laugh--lower, gruffer, a hint of a Western accent lurking in the voice beneath. Aspen blinked. That was Lady Riona's husband. She knew him by sight--a few glimpses when she'd accompanied Rona to her friend's castle, maybe a couple more at the Altharaines' inn--but she doubted he could pick her out of a crowd. Still... why was she just lying here? Not that Aspen was the sort who inspired chivalry, but surely Lady Riona wouldn't have married a man so ungentlemanly as to leave a girl lying unconscious on the banks of a pond?
"No, Father won't hear of it. It's the first time Viridis has been home in years, so of course she has to stay with us. If you could take Searle off of his hands during the day, though, that would be great."
"Dare I? He sounds like the sort who sucks the life out of everything."
"And this coming from you!" A clear laugh charged through the auditory translucence that clouded Aspen's ears, the sounds preceding and following rushing after it. Did she know that laugh? It didn't sound too unfamiliar... "In all seriousness, though, Viridis has probably whipped him into shape somewhat. Just don't introduce him to Sparron, all right? Their combined vacuums of misery could probably suck the whole kingdom right off the map."
Another laugh, a different laugh--lower, gruffer, a hint of a Western accent lurking in the voice beneath. Aspen blinked. That was Lady Riona's husband. She knew him by sight--a few glimpses when she'd accompanied Rona to her friend's castle, maybe a couple more at the Altharaines' inn--but she doubted he could pick her out of a crowd. Still... why was she just lying here? Not that Aspen was the sort who inspired chivalry, but surely Lady Riona wouldn't have married a man so ungentlemanly as to leave a girl lying unconscious on the banks of a pond?
Then, it dawned on her just who the other man was and she no longer felt the need to answer that question. "Well, what do you know? I think I see some signs of life behind you."
Aspen blinked the world into focus and stiffened at the sight of him. She didn't know Jadin of Veldora, but everyone knew Jadin of Veldora; such was the price of infamy, after all. And here she was, in this out-of-the-way little place, her last memory that of the previous night's dip in the pond. Great. Jadin of Veldora had seen her naked.
Sir Isidro turned his head and nodded toward her. At least he wasn't smirking or leering, but that didn't stop her from shuddering. He might not have had Jadin's reputation, but all the same she had to wonder just how long he'd been here, and just why he'd bothered sticking around. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Uh... thank you?" Her own voice sounded rough and distorted and she fought a slight spell of dizziness as she pulled herself to her feet, but other than that she felt... well, being nude in front of two near-strangers aside, very normal. Too normal, actually. No fresh hope, no sense of contribution... all that wishing must have been for nothing. She should have figured. I'm sorry, Rona.
The men stood and approached, Isidro replying with only a blink but Jadin flashing a full-blown smile. "Don't thank us. We only had to lug you a couple of feet to get your toes out of the water. And I wiped the mud off your legs and Izzy got a few leeches off your chest, but that's pretty much it."
"Jadin, I barely tolerate Riona calling me that and she's sleeping with me."
"Eww, why would anyone want to sleep with Riona?"
Aspen blinked the world into focus and stiffened at the sight of him. She didn't know Jadin of Veldora, but everyone knew Jadin of Veldora; such was the price of infamy, after all. And here she was, in this out-of-the-way little place, her last memory that of the previous night's dip in the pond. Great. Jadin of Veldora had seen her naked.
Sir Isidro turned his head and nodded toward her. At least he wasn't smirking or leering, but that didn't stop her from shuddering. He might not have had Jadin's reputation, but all the same she had to wonder just how long he'd been here, and just why he'd bothered sticking around. "Welcome back to the land of the living."
"Uh... thank you?" Her own voice sounded rough and distorted and she fought a slight spell of dizziness as she pulled herself to her feet, but other than that she felt... well, being nude in front of two near-strangers aside, very normal. Too normal, actually. No fresh hope, no sense of contribution... all that wishing must have been for nothing. She should have figured. I'm sorry, Rona.
The men stood and approached, Isidro replying with only a blink but Jadin flashing a full-blown smile. "Don't thank us. We only had to lug you a couple of feet to get your toes out of the water. And I wiped the mud off your legs and Izzy got a few leeches off your chest, but that's pretty much it."
"Jadin, I barely tolerate Riona calling me that and she's sleeping with me."
"Eww, why would anyone want to sleep with Riona?"
...and these two had been wiping mud off her legs and prying leeches off her chest? She wasn't sure whether to vomit or beat the stuffing out of them. Perhaps she'd reach the middle ground by vomiting on them. "Er... you two didn't... do anything to me, did you?"
The pair exchanged a glance that went on for a few seconds more than Aspen found comfortable. Three... four... five...
The tension snapped as two strains of laughter shot forth. Aspen could only gape. How on earth was that funny?
"Relax, kid," Jadin choked between snickers. "We're not, um... that sort of men. Either sort, really."
Aspen raised an eyebrow. She wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Should she be relieved that they hadn't touched her in any unsavory ways, or insulted that they found the very idea laughable? And what did he mean by 'either' sort? "How many sorts are there?"
The pair exchanged a glance that went on for a few seconds more than Aspen found comfortable. Three... four... five...
The tension snapped as two strains of laughter shot forth. Aspen could only gape. How on earth was that funny?
"Relax, kid," Jadin choked between snickers. "We're not, um... that sort of men. Either sort, really."
Aspen raised an eyebrow. She wasn't quite sure what to make of that. Should she be relieved that they hadn't touched her in any unsavory ways, or insulted that they found the very idea laughable? And what did he mean by 'either' sort? "How many sorts are there?"
"How many sorts?" Jadin let out another laugh. "You're hilarious, you know that? Izzy, let's keep this one."
Isidro sighed. "You really are just like your father."
"What can I say? The men in my family know what we like."
Isidro sighed. "You really are just like your father."
"What can I say? The men in my family know what we like."
"The men in your family don't know what not to like." He gave her a quick look-over, then paid her a tired smile that she must have somehow won. She wasn't so concerned with his mouth, however, as she was with his height. He wasn't a tall man and she'd known that before, but he seemed even shorter up close. Maybe it was just the slant of the land sloping toward the pond?
No, that couldn't have been it; he was on higher ground than she was. Maybe I'm dreaming.
"Anyway, do you mind if I leave you alone with Jadin for a bit? I know that's not the most appealing prospect, but someone has to go and fetch you some clothes."
"Uh..." Hadn't her own clothes been around here somewhere? Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember where she'd tossed them. "Well, I had some around here, actually..."
"We looked when we found you, but we didn't find any." Isidro sniffed, as if he thought her a liar. She wasn't sure whether or not he liked her--or whether or not she liked him, really. Jadin seemed the friendlier one, as odd a thought that might have been about Lonriad's brother. "None that looked like they'd be yours, at any rate. I'll try to be quick."
He gave Jadin a quick nod and hurried out of the clearing before Aspen could think of any further protest, but maybe there were no protests to be thought. It wasn't as if she'd hidden her clothing, so they would have found it if it had been here. Maybe someone else had come along and stolen it? It was a twisted thought, but surely not an impossible one...
No, that couldn't have been it; he was on higher ground than she was. Maybe I'm dreaming.
"Anyway, do you mind if I leave you alone with Jadin for a bit? I know that's not the most appealing prospect, but someone has to go and fetch you some clothes."
"Uh..." Hadn't her own clothes been around here somewhere? Now that she thought about it, she couldn't remember where she'd tossed them. "Well, I had some around here, actually..."
"We looked when we found you, but we didn't find any." Isidro sniffed, as if he thought her a liar. She wasn't sure whether or not he liked her--or whether or not she liked him, really. Jadin seemed the friendlier one, as odd a thought that might have been about Lonriad's brother. "None that looked like they'd be yours, at any rate. I'll try to be quick."
He gave Jadin a quick nod and hurried out of the clearing before Aspen could think of any further protest, but maybe there were no protests to be thought. It wasn't as if she'd hidden her clothing, so they would have found it if it had been here. Maybe someone else had come along and stolen it? It was a twisted thought, but surely not an impossible one...
"By the way." A naughty grin on his lips, Jadin gave her a wink. "Nice."
Well. So much for thinking him the friendlier one. "Uh... sorry?"
He chuckled. Good Lord, he did that far too often for her comfort. "Maybe you were drunk. But anyway, there was this girl's dress on the shore when we got here. Looked like the kind of thing old Seoth's tavern girls wear."
Um... what? But he had said--! "That's m--"
"No worries. Not like I don't understand these things." Another wink. One more and she'd punch his lights out, she swore it. "But damn! Those girls are all gorgeous, but most of them are as frigid as a witch's tits at Christmas. I don't know how you got one of them to come here with you, but--"
...WHAT? "Wait, what do you--?"
"Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to rush off and tell your mother now, is it?" As if that was a concern just now. "But seriously--nice."
"Uh... sure. All right, fine. Nice. Excuse me for a second?" Satisfied, Jadin nodded. Aspen brushed past him on the way to the pond's edge and peered through one squinting eye at the reflection on its surface. Well. That... that was...
Well. So much for thinking him the friendlier one. "Uh... sorry?"
He chuckled. Good Lord, he did that far too often for her comfort. "Maybe you were drunk. But anyway, there was this girl's dress on the shore when we got here. Looked like the kind of thing old Seoth's tavern girls wear."
Um... what? But he had said--! "That's m--"
"No worries. Not like I don't understand these things." Another wink. One more and she'd punch his lights out, she swore it. "But damn! Those girls are all gorgeous, but most of them are as frigid as a witch's tits at Christmas. I don't know how you got one of them to come here with you, but--"
...WHAT? "Wait, what do you--?"
"Oh come on, it's not like I'm going to rush off and tell your mother now, is it?" As if that was a concern just now. "But seriously--nice."
"Uh... sure. All right, fine. Nice. Excuse me for a second?" Satisfied, Jadin nodded. Aspen brushed past him on the way to the pond's edge and peered through one squinting eye at the reflection on its surface. Well. That... that was...
"That's... different."
NEXT CHAPTER:
NEXT CHAPTER:
10 comments:
Started this last night, so I managed to post before leaving. Next time you hear from me, I'll be back at school.
School :(
Hope the holidays have treated everyone well :)
I knewwww it :D
OMG.
For a second there I thought Jadin was complimenting his you-know-what :P
How are you going to manage this transition, when it comes to writing? Immediate switch to his, he's and him? That's a scary prospect. Well at least Aspen's father finally got that son he was after ;)
I knew it I knew it I knew it I knew it!!! *does I-knew-it happy dance*
And now all she ... he ... ASPEN has to do is win the tournament, and ... Aspen and Rona will be all set!
... Although now that I think of it, a name change might be in order for Aspen, at least to get through the tournament. Let's not blow everybody's minds at once. (Although knowing Searle-the-no-longer-dying, he'll just get a kick out of it.)
EkhoGirl: Oh man, I could so see Jadin doing that too XD
Writing-wise, I'm not too worried about it. I have a character in something else who... okay, is not in a situation anything like this, but still gets referred to with both masculine and feminine pronouns at various points. The trickiest part will probably be Aspen's own POVs, since I can't imagine that switching pronouns in your own head is all that instantaneous?
Heheh... a little posthumous, but yeah, he did :P
Morgaine: XD
Yeaaaah, I think this adds one more safe option for the winner's podium? If nothing else, it seems suspiciously like a sign.
Oh yes, there will definitely be a name change. Probably a permanent one, at that, since I doubt anyone in Naroni will be buying this story (actually, I'm kind of relieved that you guys did XD) and Aspen is a pretty girly-sounding name if you think about it. I didn't leave Aspen out of the tags for now because I forgot ;)
Woooooooooah!
At first I actually thought Aspen might have been turned into a tree or become invisible as a price for Rona's happiness! XD But then I KNEW she had to have become a man! *joins Morgaine in I-knew-it happy dance*
Dunno why you thought we wouldn't buy it. Odder things have happened in literature, right? And you do have a knack for selling the improbable, so to speak. ;)
I hope Rona doesn't freak out when Aspen reveals the story. ^^
I think that was what Aspen was kind of thinking too, with the waking up and not feeling much different. But yeah, slightly less drastic--still capable of interacting, still a member of the same species.
I don't know. I sometimes get a bit anxious before posting some of my stranger ideas until I get some feedback, plus gender/sex issues can be a pretty big can of worms (although I'm more used to opening it than presenting it :P). But hey, there is a precedent in this story (Tavrin and Iata's mom and aunt). And I really have been itching to write a gender bender for a while now, just to see if I could. Aspen was a good candidate for a few reasons: no family and not many social connections, little if any attachment to the initial sex, stands to gain something with the switch...
Heh. Will Aspen tell Rona? If I was a twelfth century teenager and some guy who was trying to win my hand told me he was actually my former maid, I think I'd feel like my intelligence had been insulted. But knowing this story, she's probably going to find out some way or another...
Heh, I'm with Echogirl. Definitely thought that Jadin was complimenting Aspen's wang. *sigh* I don't think this was where I left off. *trails further backward in story*
It is the sort of comment that wouldn't be unexpected from Jadin XD
I KNEW IT!!!!
XD
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