sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“What?” she sniffed, and rubbed at her face. “Oh, fine, I know. You don’t think that. It’s not what you meant when you said that.” Summer sighed and sniffed again. “I’m sorry. It’s this place. I need — I need to get out. I’m … I’m going down to the shore. Do you want to come with me?”

     Mordred smiled, placing his hand on her shoulder. “Of course, lead the way.”

She patted his hand briefly before standing up and glancing around the armory. For half a second she thought she could at least finish cleaning up, putting her armor away, but the weight of frustration weighed too heavily on her shoulders. She had to get out.

“Come on,” she said, and led Mordred to the stables. She didn’t even have to say anything; the stablemaster took one look at her face, shook his head slowly, and sent boys scurrying to tack up their horses. As she mounted, the stablemaster holding the mare for her, he said quietly, “You be wary, lady.”

“I’ll try,” she replied. It had the tone of a habitual exchange.

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“I haven’t lifted a sword in over a year!” she snapped. “Of course I am not as skilled as Arthur’s most skilled knight! Even at my best I was not a match for you, and I never will be; I have accepted that!” She put her hands on his chest and pushed a little. “I will never be worthwhile at anything men value. I know this. I am neither a seamstress nor a chatelaine nor a mistress of the distillery, I am not pretty or witty in the way that men value. My worth is only that I might be married off for some alliance!”

Then she sat down on the bench and burst into tears.

      Mordred crossed his arms over his chest, allowing her to rant to him, half listening and half not. He knew that even though he could dispute these things she wouldn’t believe him, and she never would. It was only when she began to cry did he lower his arms to his side. “Summer.”

“What?” she sniffed, and rubbed at her face. “Oh, fine, I know. You don’t think that. It’s not what you meant when you said that.” Summer sighed and sniffed again. “I’m sorry. It’s this place. I need — I need to get out. I’m … I’m going down to the shore. Do you want to come with me?”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“Oh! Oh, /now/ you are willing to fight me?” She squirmed around to face him, lifting eyebrows and making an amused face. “Now that you’ve seen me fight?”

     ”I am not willing to fight; I am willing to train you.”

Summer’s eyes went dark, and her voice fell flat. “I /am/ trained, or did you not see? No. No, after all, I am done with the sword today. I shall go back to drifting along the corridors, waiting for you.” She couldn’t walk away, not with his arms still either side of her, but she lifted her chin proudly.

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

Summer reached up and rapped his head. “Cruel Mordred. Shall I challenge you to a bout, then?”

     ”Sure, go for it.”

“Oh! Oh, /now/ you are willing to fight me?” She squirmed around to face him, lifting eyebrows and making an amused face. “Now that you’ve seen me fight?”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“Were there now? I have no memory of this. You should repeat them, I think.”

      “Good, because I can’t remember then either.”

Summer reached up and rapped his head. “Cruel Mordred. Shall I challenge you to a bout, then?”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

She tipped her head back and tried to kiss the underside of his chin. “How, may I ask, did you tell me so? You’ve spent a great deal of time explaining to me how you don’t want me fighting.”

      “There were words of encouragement in there somewhere.”

“Were there now? I have no memory of this. You should repeat them, I think.”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“‘s fine.” She took his hands and wrapped them around her shoulders, pulling him to lie over her back like a cloak. “Thank you. For letting me do this. For believing that I could.”

     He smiles, wrapping his arms around her tightly. “I always believed in you – but is it bad to say I told you so?”

She tipped her head back and tried to kiss the underside of his chin. “How, may I ask, did you tell me so? You’ve spent a great deal of time explaining to me how you don’t want me fighting.”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“Didn’t mean what?” Summer had to brace her elbows on her knees to keep from toppling over, so relaxed was she now. Vaguely she wished he would massage less and caress more.

     ”To hurt you,” he tells her, kissing the top of her head, “you feel a lot less tense now.”

“‘s fine.” She took his hands and wrapped them around her shoulders, pulling him to lie over her back like a cloak. “Thank you. For letting me do this. For believing that I could.”

sirmordred-thedruid:

iamthefirechild:

“Not a big deal the way your magic is not a big deal, or mine,” she muttered. He hit another sore spot and she bit her lips to hold back a yelp. She added, “wandering hands,” and laughed.

      “Sorry!” He says apologetically, “I didn’t mean it.”

“Didn’t mean what?” Summer had to brace her elbows on her knees to keep from toppling over, so relaxed was she now. Vaguely she wished he would massage less and caress more.