"OK, what will it be tonight? The early days? Hmmm, I think I have one that will appeal to you, what with that scar on your nose and tattered ear. . ."
I was on the practice grounds in the castle yard one day, not long after having moved my things here, sparring with a young lass named Caroline, one of the guard. She was showing me some broadsword techniques, and I was introducing her to the Japanese style. I'd already figured out by then that the castle guard were somewhat friendlier and safer sparring partners than most of the family I'd met. Well, it happened that Gerard was in port, and wandering the castle grounds, in search of a diversion.
I saw him coming toward me and Caroline, and when he caught my eye, he smiled broadly, and waved. I could tell by the spring in his step that I was in for trouble. He said, "Hello, nephew! I see you are getting a little exercise. Mind if I join you?" Now, I was too new to Amber to risk insulting him by refuse the offer, though common sense said I should. He knew he had me, I could tell, by the glint in his eye. "Random and the few others who are around are tied up on state affairs. I am on holiday, however, so that leaves you and me as the only two people around here who have time for a little sport."
I eyed him cautiously, "What sort of sport did you have in mind, Uncle?"
"How about a little wrestling? Best two falls out of three," he answered, already taking off his shirt. Apparently, "no" wasn't an option. (Well, perhaps for you, but I have better manners and I can't climb poles and walls quite as nimbly as you can.)
Resigned to my fate, I turned to hand my sword to Caroline. She was already several yards away, however, well clear of Gerard's fallout zone. Smart girl. I walked the blade over to a wooden rack, enjoying the use of my legs while I had the chance. Gerard merely stood there patiently, hands folded across his chest, looking like a tree or a small mountain.
I approached, and he nodded, unfolding his arms. We began to circle, he crouched low, hands in front, close in, ready to grab and guard. He pawed the air between us a few times, but I didn't rise to it, just danced back a bit. After a few more circles, he threw a long jab, slightly over-reaching himself. I ducked under, and tried to move in for a scissors kick at his legs. My mistake. I caught a knee in the midsection, and as I doubled up, felt a hand shoving my neck, driving me into the dirt. (No, I don't have claws, and curling up around Gerard's hand and hissing at him wouldn't have done me much good! Do you want to hear it, or tell it?) He let me up, and I lay there letting the black spots diminish, trying to catch my breath. "I . . .thought . . .were. . .wrestling," I managed to spit out. Gerard helped me to my feet, and said, "Old style. You go ahead and use whatever style you like."
I said, "Really?" Gwythnir pulsed silently on my finger. I took a few more minutes to catch my breath, and then we stepped back, and the circling began. My ribs hurt like the blazes. Gerard assumed the same stance, arms outspread, and I cast my patented Invisible Gauntlets spell before he could use them on me. Two extensions of telekinetic force reached out from my hands, and grasped his wrists. He looked down at his wrists, mildly surprised, then up at me. He smiled. Slowly, he tried to force his hands down, toward the ground. I held him for a few seconds, the strain of the effort giving me a headache. Then, he put his back into it, and achieved a three point stance on the ground, looking like an American football lineman. I knew right then that testing his strength had been a bad idea, but if I changed my hold now, he'd have me in an instant. So, I exerted myself more, until I felt a trickle of blood flow from my nose, my face must've been beet red. Just when I thought I was going to burst, Gerard let loose, following the direction of my effort. As his hand flew upward, he released a huge spray of dirt which hit me squarely in the eyes. That was it, my vaunted concentration was gone, and he rushed me. I went down like a sack of potatoes, and didn't wake up for several minutes. Gerard was hovering over me with a look of concern on his face, and Caroline had come over and was applying a cloth with cool water to my head. Gerard said, "Let's get you patched up," and lifted me much more gently than I'd have expected.
Once in the infirmary, he set about taping my ribs up, as most of them were cracked. He did his work in silence, with only a few "tsks" here and there from him and a few groans from me. When he'd fixed up my ribs, and given me a painkiller, he sat on the table across from mine, and said, "Now, if you'd have grabbed my legs instead of my hands, you'd have had me on the second fall." I nodded, numbly. He was absolutely right, of course. He wasn't complaining about me using magic, either. "On the other hand, you've got to keep in mind that, no matter what you are doing, leverage is everything. Force is force, and whoever applies it wisely will prevail. You need to put a little beef on those bones, and start working out with real sparring partners instead of falling back on magic. Your tricks won't serve you everywhere. Better to be prepared." I nodded my assent, "You're right, of course."
Afterward, we had lunch at a good seafood place down by the docks, with Pollux and saw him out of port. I thought that he surely had a short shore leave, and when I mentioned the fact to Pollux, he just said, "That's my father, all right."
~END~