Faerie's Champion

by M. H. Johnson

  Her sister nodded. “Good. Best change, Jess. The way gossip runs in this school, everyone will know you’ve taken a lover by midday. But meanwhile, best to keep up appearances.”

  Suddenly feeling red-faced and awkward, Jess flashed an embarrassed smile and made her way to her foyer, pleased at the thought that she could at least control part of her day. Her hands itched to feel soft rich loam beneath her fingertips once more, to feel herbs and flowers blossoming to their full potential under her loving ministrations. Soon enough she was refreshed and changed, and determined to make the most of her day once she got a good meal into her ravenous belly, she thought, heading down to the dining hall, pointedly ignoring the measuring looks various gossiping students sent her way.

  "Hi Jessica, how are you this day?" This from a tentative Juliana, hesitant to sit down at the table Jess had claimed for her own the first full day she had attended, its sparse occupants having given her one set of measuring looks before returning to their meals without saying a word, and never coming to the table again.

  Jess completely understood why her sister didn't sit with her, Apple being the one pressured to blend in and make alliances, even as Jess was, for all intents and purposes, simply being put on display, and as happy as not simply to be free of a table full of sniping gossips. Of course, they all had assigned seats, but Jess had quite happily ignored her suggested place since that very first day, and none had dared challenge her assumptions. The fact that the original occupants had all left for other tables further made it clear that anyone with any amount of pull, or just a steely gaze, could bypass some of the sillier regulations at this academy.

  As much as she enjoyed having a table free of cruel gossips, Jess realized she was glad for company for a change, though poor Juliana looked as if she feared Jess would spurn her, for all that Jess had come to her rescue the day before. Jess could all too clearly hear the snide remarks coming from Angelica's table, and knew that her assigned seat was no longer a realistic option for a now cringing Juliana in any case. Jess turned to the younger girl and flashed her an inviting smile.

  "Please, Juliana. Make yourself comfortable. This table is always open to those who believe that honor and integrity have a higher place in life that petty innuendo and backstabbing." Jess smiled coldly at Angelica's openly hostile glare, refusing to break her gaze until the other girl flushed and looked away, apparently deciding to utterly ignore the girls at Jess's table, which suited Jess just fine.

  "Thank you, Jess," Juliana said. "I like this table best, I think. The company is friendly, and there is far less… nasty gossip."

  Jess nodded agreeably. “Just the two of us, and the soup is quite fine today, especially with the freshly baked bread. The Royal Ladies Academy certainly has wonderful baking ovens if nothing else, I must say.”

  Juliana nodded then gasped gently, looking up and up into the tall, larger than life figure of Rulia VonBurg, her brilliant golden hair tied tight in a bun, presently kitted up in armor of the highest quality, Jess could instantly tell, worthy of being worn in the battlefield in its own right. The rawhide plates would have been carefully soaked in a mixture of boiling water and glue for a sixth of a glass, no longer, then molded into shape as it hardened. Exquisitely crafted armaments that when properly made could resist slashes from most swords, and when coupled with a quality gambeson, could ward against arrow and any but the most telling of spear thrusts, the most common infantry weapons on the battlefield. Not a match for a shirt of mail, and worthless against poleaxe or a lancer's charge, but excellent protection, nonetheless.

  Rulia smiled brilliantly, smelling of salt, sweat, and steel. All aromas Jess loved. “Soup and fresh baked bread. My favorite! And are those freshwater clams with the potato soup? Fantastic!” Utterly comfortable in her attire, for all that she was the only student not wearing a dress, Rulia made herself welcome and dished herself a hearty bowl of soup.

  Jess nodded her head approvingly. “Indeed, it's excellent. And are those Tallgrim battleleathers, by the way? That armor looks custom made. I’ll bet it cushions a blow as well as anything, especially with a good quality linen gambeson underneath, and you hardly feel the weight, I bet, so well does Tallgrim custom fit his work to your frame, showing you all his tricks for fastening it just so, before sending you off.”

  Rulia gave Jess an amused nod of approval. "I see you know your armor, my friend. Tallgrim battleleathers these are, in fact, and such a quaint name for boiled rawhide. And who is this sweet looking waif at our table?"

  Juliana blushed and looked away, and Jess laughed.

  “This here is Juliana. We met yesterday, and she has the distinguished honor of being on Angelica’s snipe list. Something I shall have to put a stop to shortly, if she doesn’t back off.”

  Rulia nodded approvingly. “Excellent reference, that. Very well then, she stays. Welcome to our table, Juliana.”

  Juliana blushed and smiled. “Thank you, Rulia. It is a pleasure to meet you too. I didn’t know you and Jess knew each other.”

  Jess shrugged. "We didn't until yesterday, but when you find someone you click with, there you go. Regardless of how long or short the acquaintanceship."

  Rulia murmured her agreement. “Jess and I are fast friends.”

  "Pillow friends, more like." Jess heard someone murmur from a nearby table, the cluster of girls there tittering with nervous laughter.

  Jess turned around, bold as brass, and grinned. "Indeed. And a far better friend than the likes of you petty shrikes will ever know, or deserve."

  The table full of pasty-faced girls wearing far too much makeup gasped and stared hateful daggers at Jess, which just made her smile all the more.

  “I see we are making fresh enemies today,” Rulia teased.

  Jess shrugged. “Maybe some of these sorry excuses for students will have the guts to make war with something other than words, if they don't like my tone. I’m tired of pretense, Rulia, and am finding life here already unimaginably dull. Ye gods, I've only just gotten here!”

  Rulia grinned. “Somehow, I doubt too many of these girls would have the guts to challenge you to a fight, Jess. Shadowy manipulations from dark corners and bribing adoring patsies to do the dirty work for them seems more their style, to my mind.”

  Jess nodded, giving her friend an appraising look. “I don’t suppose you’d care to test your metal in a little sparring contest with me? Your attire and still sweaty brow tells me that there is someplace we can get a bit of exercise. And I, for one, am absolutely dying for a good bout!”

  Rulia nodded. "There is indeed a good place to train, if you don't mind getting sweaty with the men. The armsmen's training grounds is ostensibly open to all, though I do believe I'm the first female student to take advantage. We would be expected to have a chaperon with us, of course. They have a fairly decent selection of armaments in the barracks; wooden wasters and steel training blades with rolled tips are plentiful for sparring practice, though of course I brought my own gear."

  “Well I’m afraid mine is still at home,” Jess sighed, though in truth her most prized armaments that comprised her adventuring gear were at present safely stored within the realm of dreams. Too bad she didn’t know how to access it, and that her cat was busy padding about the Royal Family and Lords Council, getting a sense of the games of power and privilege in play in this day and age, as he had put it. Never mind the fact that Jess missed her kitty and his soothing purr.

  “I miss my cat,” she confided aloud, taking a thoughtful sip of soup.

  "Oh, I know what you mean, Jess," Juliana enthused. "Did I tell you I have three of my own? Muffins, Sunshine, and Trout. I miss them too."

  “I’m one for dogs, myself,” Rulia admitted. “Growler was always my favorite, but he passed away last autumn.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jess consoled. “I never lost my kitty, and I’ve had him all my life. I can only imagine how it feels for you.”

  “Oh my, Jess. Your cat must be very old by now. Please
don’t feel sad when his time comes. They only live so long, you know,” Juliana said, not unsympathetically.

  Jess smiled. “Oh, I’m not worried about him passing on anytime soon. From what he tells me, he’s been around for a long, long time.”

  Juliana laughed at that. "Oh, you're a riot, Jess! I loved your stories about your cat yesterday. It sounds like you had a very active imagination as a child, and I'm glad you remembered your childhood adventures to cheer me up. I would love to hold your inspiration for all those wonderful stories, even if he is a bit old and grumpy by now. And please don't worry about him while you are here. My father's stablemaster has a way with animals. If anyone can doctor a sick animal back to health, it's him, and I will expressly write to Father to lend your family our stablemaster's services, should your Twilight sicken while you are away at school."

  Rulia’s gaze was one of slowly growing wonder. “Your cat talks.”

  Jess chose that moment to focus on her soup. Quite delicious, really. “Did I say that?”

  “Yes, you did. Come to think of it, I could have sworn I had heard your name from somewhere before. Tell me. Does the title “Jessica’s Journey” mean anything to you?”

  Jess abruptly coughed, spraying soup everywhere, which earned her some more catty snickers from Angelica’s table. Briefly, Jess wondered if dangling each and every one of those girls from the highest crenelation of the academy would have any noticeable effect in terms of reducing their nasty snicker and spiteful comment output. Perhaps her stare was a bit too focused. Several of Angelica's tablemates began casting nervous glances at Jess, several others making their way from the lunch table at a carefully efficient, but obviously unhurried pace.

  "I'm sorry, Rulia, did you say something?"

  Rulia grinned. "Perhaps. But never mind that. I have an idea, let's dodge this incredibly sorry excuse for an eating hall, and make our way to the training grounds I had spoken of. Juliana can serve as our chaperone, and I'm sure we can borrow any gear we need there."

  “But I’m still hungry, guys, can’t we wait?” Angelica gazed plaintively at the massive tureen still full of soup, and Jess took the expedient measure of grabbing it with effortless ease, as well as a nearby flagon of watered wine, and with a nod to a grinning Rulia, they abruptly got up and made their way out of the far too stuffy dining hall.

  “Jess, I think that table matron back there is calling for you. I think she wants the tureen back. Yes, she’s looking rather flustered,” an anxious Juliana noted.

  Jess yawned. “I didn’t hear anything. Did you, Rulia?”

  "Nothing save the whistle of hot air." Her friend grinned and the pair laughed and strode on, utterly oblivious to the comments at their back. An embarrassed Juliana, holding back a secret smile of her own, gamely following behind, having grabbed a basket of freshly baked loaves as well.

  13

  “All right. Standard castle rules,” the guard captain who had agreed to referee their battle called out. “Everything goes, but no pressure chokes, neck twists, or joint cracking. Any yields to be immediately honored. Any objections?”

  Jess, training leathers strapped on and secured, felt the heady excitement of the upcoming bout shiver through her. The rush burned away all her frustrations and uncertainties, allowing her to focus on the fierce contest about to unfold.

  Her eyes met Rulia’s, looking perfectly comfortable as she did in her battleleathers, her friend flashing Jess an excited grin from her helm before slamming shut her visor. Jess nodded, having no visor to close, wearing the standard open faced helmet used by most armsmen. Fortunately, the standard cloth gambeson and lamellar armor she presently wore fit her well enough, after a thorough search of the storeroom turned up armaments that fit her surprisingly well.

  “All right, then. Begin!”

  With that a sharp whistle was blown and Jess focused upon Rulia with the fierce intensity of a predator, taking in every movement and shift in weight in her opponent’s stance, even as she felt her senses absorbing everything else that went on around her peripherally; from the half-heard snide comments of various guardsmen enjoying seeing two attractive women sparring against one another, to Juliana’s excited cheering of them both as she gobbled soup and bread with far more enthusiasm than she ever did under the cold glare of fellow students and table matrons alike.

  Her sense of time also felt strangely stretched as Rulia charged forward, shield leading even as her blade swept around in a tight arc in a classic arming sword variant of the Zwerchhau strike. Jess snapped back, twisting her torso, dancing out of her opponent’s line of attack even as she snapped a tight blow of her own to ring against the back of her friend’s helmet with such blistering speed that Rulia was unable to even raise her shield at that awkward angle to parry.

  The guardsman's whistle screeched a halt, and a panting Rulia turned around, Jess having somehow managed to spin near one hundred and twenty degrees to her right and score a point with the false edge of her sword in what must have appeared the blink of an eye.

  “By the gods, Jess, you are fast!” Rulia's words were laden with awe, and Jess could sense Rulia hungered to test her mettle again.

  Jess chuckled good-naturedly. “A lot of practice, my friend. Come, now that you know how I counter your charge, let us see what you can do with that knowledge, hmm?”

  Gamely, Rulia nodded even Jess silently scolded herself, knowing this contest was as much about strengthening their bonds of friendship as anything else. That was far more important than crushing her opponent with a sharp, decisive victory. She dared not fight all out as she had with Morlekai, shuddering to think what might have happened had she not fiercely clamped down on the power of her helmet strike, but moments ago.

  And with a single sharp whistle, they commenced their bout once more.

  Their blades danced, the guards whistling appreciatively, and Jess admired the grace with which her friend used the sword and shield as one unit, simultaneously blocking and striking, warding high and cutting low, even spinning around to clip her opponent with shield, while locking blades with her foe. Jess nodded in admiration even as she skillfully weaved and dodged Rulia's thrusts, strikes, and slams, luring her friend into a patterned sequence of moves before breaking free of it in a burst of aggressive frenzy, allowing Rulia to parry or dart back at just the opportune moment to prolong their bout.

  “Enough!” Rulia cried what seemed an endless time later, and Jess gave a slow nod, taking a deep breath as her heart pounded with the exhilaration of the contest, the high of battle only slowly fading. “By the gods, Jess. I’ve never faced off against someone with your skill before, and your speed is nothing short of incredible! Half of those strikes seemed to come from nowhere, and the way you moved. You have to teach me, Jess. I implore you!” Rulia said even as she wrapped Jess in a bear hug of affection for a bout well fought, as many a pair of sparring partners would do, to the admiring cheers of the guardsmen who had witnessed the battle.

  Jess nodded. “I’d be happy to. Have you ever trained with the longsword?”

  Rulia grinned. “Of course I know the basics, but really, arming sword, axe, and mace with shield were what I learned to master. I’m also a fair hand with the bow.”

  Jess nodded. “You’re quite skilled with using the shield as a weapon as well as a means to trap your enemy's blade, and parry his blows. Very useful when using a weapon as unbalanced as the axe or mace. Your style is similar to the one I learned at Highrock, and to be honest, I think I gained a few insights regarding how best to trap a fellow's blade just watching you in action. For me, mace and shield was something I practiced on horseback as much as I did on foot, and I suspect I could only benefit from learning whatever you can teach me, as my old armsmaster advised us all to do, whenever the opportunity presented itself."

  Rulia smiled. “You did well to master the mace and shield then, Jess, as well as your favored weapon. For a mace, as I am sure you know all too well, is excellent for stunning your foe w
ith a good rap to his helm as well as breaking bones, a better choice for the madness of melee than the war hammer, I think, and absolutely devastating on horseback. And if you are strong and skilled enough, a good blow with the mace can send shock sufficient to stun even a man whose mail is reinforced with plate armor, rare as that is. And what a fine ransom such a wealthy knight as that would make!”

  Rulia gave a breathless chuckle. "You and I both know arming swords are excellent for lightly armored opponents as dexterous as yourself, and striking with on horseback. You can also give point in the charge, if not so well as with lance or spear. Thus as long as I have a shield at hand with both sword and mace sheathed at my side, I am able to control the engagement, with the best two weapons on hand to counter light and heavily armored foes alike.

  Jess nodded “There is a lot of truth to that, especially if you are expecting trouble, though a mace and shield by my side would get cumbersome in civilian life. Most trained footmen I know of prefer arming sword and buckler for convenient day to day protection, for all that they carry pikes or halberds on campaign. For myself? There is nothing like the longsword. I feel wedded to that weapon like I do no other.”

  Her friend grinned in appreciation. “You have striven to fully master your chosen weapon, and from what you have shown me, you are well on your way. Again, I say bravo to you, my battlesister! I look forward to a rematch on the morrow, if you are up to it. A true warrior does not shirk from testing her skills against anyone. The better her opponent, the better she will be when the bout is more than just play.”

  Jess dipped her head in agreement. “Well said, battlesister. I look forward to a bout on the morrow then!”

  At which point the guardsmen eagerly asked if they could spar with the valiant pair of young noblewomen, and Jess and Rulia both enjoyed a most invigorating afternoon. As the day slowly began to wane and everyone who cared to got the chance to test their mettle against the pair of noble ladies before them, the guardsmen gazed upon the pair with increasing admiration, simultaneously assuring them that they were always welcome to train with the guardsmen whenever the mood struck them.