“How?” She buckled on the other greave, swinging each leg in turn to assure herself of the fit and her freedom of movement. “Did I not say? I thought I said — I meant to say — he will have only a shield. It’s not a true duel, and even if he had a sword it would not be like to a tournament. I don’t fight that way.” She picked up the vambraces, holding them up. “These are my shield, and my speed.”
He cocked a brow, “that’s not what I meant, Summer,” he tells her “I just mean that he is trained to do this, he was born with a sword in hand, even with a shield he can do damage, my darling. Just do not underestimate him.”
Summer nodded, laying one vambrace back down. “He is not you — I’ve seen you fight. Edward doesn’t have your talent. And, too, he will underestimate /me/.” She glanced down, lips pressing together. “He always has, even when we were younger and he was teaching me to fight. But I will be careful.” Tweaking the sleeve of her undershirt down, she struggled to do up the vambrace buckles with one hand.
She shifted her shoulders under the guards, feeling the grip of it on her bones. “So you did. I shall never doubt you again.” Picking up one of the greaves, she sat down on a convenient bench and closed it around her leg, buckling each strap with care. Nodding to the sword that lay upon the table, paired vambraces piled next to the hilt, she asked, “What do you think, then? As a knight.”
“I think you look well protected” he tells her, looking over her for a moment before he turned his attention to out the window. “I’m just concerned your brother will use it to his advantage.”
“How?” She buckled on the other greave, swinging each leg in turn to assure herself of the fit and her freedom of movement. “Did I not say? I thought I said — I meant to say — he will have only a shield. It’s not a true duel, and even if he had a sword it would not be like to a tournament. I don’t fight that way.” She picked up the vambraces, holding them up. “These are my shield, and my speed.”
Summer held up the cuirass, untangling the laces. “I would not be able to walk under the weight of yours. I hope this still fits, I think I’ve got fat since last I wore it.”
“You’ll be fine,” he tells her, taking the cuirass and beginning to re-lace it. “Told you,” he tells her after a moment.
She shifted her shoulders under the guards, feeling the grip of it on her bones. “So you did. I shall never doubt you again.” Picking up one of the greaves, she sat down on a convenient bench and closed it around her leg, buckling each strap with care. Nodding to the sword that lay upon the table, paired vambraces piled next to the hilt, she asked, “What do you think, then? As a knight.”
She took his hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing the fingers. “How will it be,” she asked, pushing the door open, “for you to dress me instead of the other way round?” She looked up at him, grinning. “I think my armour is less complicated than yours.”
He chuckled, “it should not take me long — nothing is as complicated as our armour.”
Summer held up the cuirass, untangling the laces. “I would not be able to walk under the weight of yours. I hope this still fits, I think I’ve got fat since last I wore it.”
Neatly, she braided it again, tightly to her scalp with a handful of pins, then shook her head hard, to see if it would come loose. “Thank you. Will you come down to the armory, then?”
Mordred holds his hand out to her, “of course.”
She took his hand, lifting it to her lips and kissing the fingers. “How will it be,” she asked, pushing the door open, “for you to dress me instead of the other way round?” She looked up at him, grinning. “I think my armour is less complicated than yours.”
She shivered a little at the tug on her scalp. “Distracted?” she offered. “I’m looking forward to chasing Edward around the field while he tries to fend me off with nothing but a shield.” She lifted each foot and rotated the ankle.
”I‘m going to enjoy it — I believe everyone else might too,” he tells her, “alright, all done.”
Neatly, she braided it again, tightly to her scalp with a handful of pins, then shook her head hard, to see if it would come loose. “Thank you. Will you come down to the armory, then?”
“Should I have tried to sneak in here last night, then?” Summer asked. She rubbed her fingers together, loosening them up, twisting her wrists after. It’s been a while since she lifted a sword, and she didn’t want to strain anything.
”You needed your sleep,” he says, running his fingers through her hair, getting a knot out of it. “How are you feeling?”
She shivered a little at the tug on her scalp. “Distracted?” she offered. “I’m looking forward to chasing Edward around the field while he tries to fend me off with nothing but a shield.” She lifted each foot and rotated the ankle.
“Your childhood,” she said, softly. Obedient, she sat, holding very still. “You don’t have to say, if you don’t want to.”
“Good — because I don’t want to,” he tells her, running the brush gently through her hair.
“Should I have tried to sneak in here last night, then?” Summer asked. She rubbed her fingers together, loosening them up, twisting her wrists after. It’s been a while since she lifted a sword, and she didn’t want to strain anything.
She took the vambrace back and put the hairbrush in his hand before putting the piece of armour down. “Brush. You can talk and brush at the same time. What nightmare? Not about today, surely.”
”Sit,” he orders, moving behind her, taking her hair out of its braid. “It was about something that happened a long time ago.”
“Your childhood,” she said, softly. Obedient, she sat, holding very still. “You don’t have to say, if you don’t want to.”
It felt strange, sleeping apart from him. Truth, it felt strange sleeping alone at all. Before she went to Camelot, Winter had been just married, and Summer hadn’t yet gotten used to sleeping without her, and now she was cold and lonely-feeling without Mordred. She didn’t sleep well, and got up very early to lean on one of the battlements and watch the sun rise.
After a while, she went down to the armory to assemble her gear. No chain, but hardened leather shaped to her body; a sword some hands shorter than most, but more suited to her height and weight; no shield, just steel vambraces the length of her forearm. Edward would have only a shield, and his armor.
Going back up, but to Mordred’s room instead, she tapped on the door and slipped in. “Will you help me brush my hair?”
Mordred’s attention snapped up from his armour to the door, a smile finding his lips as he set down his vambrace. “Of course, I would love to.”
“Why are you awake so early?” she asked, offering him the hairbrush. “You can’t be worried.” She picked up the vambrace he’d set down, turning it over in her hands, putting her wrist through it. “Yours is much bigger than mine,” she mused.