From alt.pub.dragons-inn Sat Jun 17 12:16:14 1995 Xref: netcom.com alt.pub.dragons-inn:8509 Newsgroups: alt.pub.dragons-inn Path: netcom.com!ix.netcom.com!howland.reston.ans.net!Germany.EU.net!EU.net!uunet!in1.uu.net!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!psinntp!bbnews!unislc.slc.unisys.com!stv From: stv@unislc.slc.unisys.com (Steve Spencer) Subject: [J&K] inside the circle X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.2 PL0] Message-ID: <1995Jun15.140917.10164@unislc.slc.unisys.com> Organization: Unisys Corporation SLC Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 14:09:17 GMT Lines: 66 The crowd began to assemble eagerly around the eight foot circle Kierian had scratched in the dirt as the cool, crisp breeze of the dusk sky seemed to nibble and nip at any unprotected flesh. Old old man grumbled absently about what such changes in the weather wrought on his creaking old back, as other bundled onlookers passed the still moments before the contest in ways of their own. A man discussed a wager with friends as he cracked his cold, thick knuckles. Here and the a child hopped, and tiptoed for a better look at this strange new game. Kierian planted her feet firmly on the hard earth, her staunch, warrior's boots testing it for traction, for give. The cool, hard steel of her sword leapt nimbly from its sheath, revelling in the brisk night air that was so much like that of the home where it was forged. It swayed and spun in her hand as she tested its swing, and sword and warrior relaxed into a familliar comfortableness, a sharing of souls that always preceeded a dance of this kind. Jester was doing a sort of preparation of his own, that is once his ogling of a lovely youn lady in the crowd was so rudely interrupted by her none-too- pleased husband stepping bewtixt them to block her from his view. Jester shrugged in irritation but acceptance. For after all, a man has but one bed. Then he turned his attention back to the game at hand, a sleek shaft of wood hissing impossibly from his scarlet sleeve to end up in his rose-petal hand. He tested the wooden sword lightly, in first his right, and then his left hand, a odd mix of frustration and indescision tainting his face as he once again tested its heft in first one hand, then the other, as if he could not decide which he preferred. But he finally settled in with his right, it aparaently being his now decided sword arm of choice, and lurched the dark wood clumsily through the air a few more times before deciding he was indeed ready for the dance. "Are you ready then my dear," He inquired with the utmost of patience and politeness to the figure standing across from him, her moonlight blade a steel venom that whirled and stuck with seeming impossible speed and fluidity, a mercury cobra in the quickly darkening evening. Kierian looked up to her challanger, disbelief masking her face as she spotted his weapon of choice. "Are you sure you really want to do this?" She asked him, her eyebrows still arches of her inability to fully comprehend his madness. Did he think this a game? Was this a joke to him? But then her confusion fled from her, and was replaced with a dark determination. If he thought the art of a sword dancer so humorous, such a little joke, then so be it. He would learn indeed. "Do I really want to do this?" he held his hand to his chest in a parody of pain as if her comment had indeed hurt his pride. "My dear little fox, I do believe that such a question of my valiance may very well warrent you a spanking once we finish." The crowd derived great joy at this, nudging and jostling one another playfully in their laughter. "Very well fool." Let us be at it then." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Steve Spencer, Jack of Moons, Thief of hearts, Paladin of Ovaltine. SLC, UT. stv@unislc.slc.unisys.com ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++