Christmas with Athelstan

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier waits in the bar in his finest clothes – cote and gown all warm and well made, his black hair brushed back and shining, his face clean-shaven. His hawk yellow eyes dance as he smiles.

Comments

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan joins him in short order, dressed in what a working man of Olivier's time would consider his best clothes.

"Ready to go?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"Indeed I am, beloved brother." He smiles, standing to greet Athelstan and hand him a warm thick cloak.

He opens the door into the stables of Sir Laurence's keep. It's a solid place, well kept and clean. Snow flurries and falls around them as they step out into the courtyard in great fluffy clumps. "Come, the hall is warmer and there is good ale waiting."

[athelstanthescribe]

He steps out after Olivier with a smile, wrapping the cloak around him.

"This is a fine building."

[equal_of_any_man]

"It is." Olivier notes with some pride. "Well stocked and manned.

There's a clatter at the gate and a tall man rides in on a handsome stallion of an eastern breed - smaller than Norman horses but fine boned and fast. Olivier greets the man with a smile and a brief bow and steps nimbly to take the reins.

The man himself alights with graceful else - broad chested and deep tanned but with hair as light as flax. A man in his prime, no more than mid-forties but with the signs of hard living on him, worn with pride. Not a man to have slept on furs and feathers while his men fought for him.

"My lord," Olivier smiles, "This is Athelstan of Northumbria, of whom I have spoken. Athelstan, may I present Lord Laurence d’Angers."


{ooc: sorry, weekend got busier than planned.}

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan bows to him, eyes respectfully downcast.

"My lord. I'm honoured to meet you."

[equal_of_any_man]

He claps Athelstan on the shoulder. "The honour is mine." He booms warmly. "Olivier speaks highly of you and I trust his judgement well. You are welcome to my hall and I hope you will join us for the feast tonight."

He turns Olivier, "Has any message arrived from the Empress?"

"No, my lord. As word we had was that she was holding court in Lodlow with no intention to move without reason."

"Then perhaps we shall have a quiet Christmas after all." He claps Olivier's shoulder too but in a rather more affectionate manner. "Come, there's warm wine to be had somewhere."

Olivier smiles and bows, "Let me stable your horse first, my lord. Then I will join you."

"I have grooms for that." Laurence teases. "But he settles better with you." He nods and leaves them be as Olivier strokes the horse's neck.

[athelstanthescribe]

"A fine horse, too." Athelstan approaches the horse's head, letting it see him.

[equal_of_any_man]

"He's Arabian. Of good Syrian stock, like me." Olivier smiles, guiding the horse with soft words in his native tongue. "Go through into the hall if you wish. I won't be long."

The tall dark roan butts against Athelstan, sniffing the collar of his hood. Olivier chuckles. "It seems Anid approves of you also."

[athelstanthescribe]

He laughs, stroking the horse's nose.

"Then how could I leave him while he's out in the cold? I'll see him in and walk in with you."

[equal_of_any_man]

Olivier smiles and clicks his tongue, not needing the reins to get the horse to follow. The stables are warm and dry and Olivier is a quick and practised hand with the tack, rubbing the horses flacks down with dry straw.

"There are oats in the barrel there if you will bring me a scoop. Anid takes to few people but oats will help."

"Apples don't." A voice mutters moodily from the shadows of the roof. "I've tried sneaking him apples and he still hates me."

Olivier doesn't look up from his task but smiles. "Because he knows you fear him, my lord Hugonin."

A blond boy of twelve or thirteen drops into view, straw in his hair. "He did try to step on me!"

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan raises his eyebrows at the boy, carefully not laughing, as he steps to Olivier's side with the oats.

"Could it not have been an accident, my lord?"

[equal_of_any_man]

"I doubt that very much." Yves mutters, still moody even as Olivier picks the straw from his hair. "Anid doesn't do anything by accident."

"With kindness and patience, he will come to trust you, my lord." He turns Yves to face Athelstan. "My lord Yves, this is my friend and sworn brother Athelstan."

[athelstanthescribe]

"And he will know if you're nervous", Athelstan adds. "It's a very great pleasure to meet you, my lord Yves."

[equal_of_any_man]

Yves gives him a deep and well mannered bow. "The pleasure is mine, Athelstan. And I'm not your lord, or Olivier's."

"You are a lord." Olivier reminds him gently. "And you will be a very good lord with your uncle's guidance."

Yves gives a little one sides shrugs. "I don't think I could ever be as good a lord as my uncle. Unless you stay around to help me, Olivier?"

Olivier smiles and shakes his head. "As your uncle requests of me. Now come, lets show our guest into the hall."

[athelstanthescribe]

The boy is charming, lord or no lord, and Athelstan likes him immediately.

"Yes, please do. Is the lady Ermina already there?" with a sideways glance at Olivier.

[equal_of_any_man]

To which Olivier reddens warmly.

"She's in the hall, overseeing everything." Yves manages to sound both a little proud and very put-upon as he stride toward the hall. "I wish she'd marry and start running her own house instead of this one."

To which Olivier reddens deeper.

[athelstanthescribe]

"I take it my lord Laurence has no wife, that Lady Ermina can take over the household management in such a way?"

Olivier, the teasing hasn't even started yet.

[equal_of_any_man]

"This keep belonged to my father Geoffrey Hugonin. He was a baron of Anjou, the hall came to my mother and at her dead, to my uncle, along with the title until I come of age. My mother's women stayed on after her death but no, my uncle has no wife. I fear he is an avowed bachelor."

The lady Ermina is standing in the middle of the hall, giving direction and commanding the army of servants setting up for the feast. "Sir Olivier! You're back." She flits over to him, all girlish charm and determination. "I am so very glad to see you!" She hasn't spotted Athelstan yet, eyes only for Olivier.

"M'lady." Olivier sweeps her a deep bow, his eyes low.

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan is openly grinning at this display of entirely proper affection, but schools his face to neutral when Olivier looks at him.

"My lady Ermina", he says with a bow of his own.

[equal_of_any_man]

It takes a moment for her attention to shift to Athelstan. "Oh, you must be Athelstan, the scribe Olivier met on the road. You are very welcome, sir." She remembers her manners and sends a maid running for wine for her guests. "I hope you will stay a while. I want to hear all about your adventures." Specifically the ones involving Olivier.

[athelstanthescribe]

"And so you shall", he promises. "Olivier and Lord Laurence have kindly invited me to stay for the feast."

[equal_of_any_man]

"Then you have to sit and share a cup of wine with my while my brother and my knight are busy doing whatever they are meant to be doing." She grins at them, pulling Athelstan away from Olivier and Yves. "And you must sit with me at the feast and tell me everything."

[athelstanthescribe]

Athelstan laughs.

"How could I refuse, my lady? I shall tell you all I can of your knight."

[equal_of_any_man]

"Oh please! I want to hear all about it." She drags him over to a private padded bench by the window, away from all the noise. She refills his cup with warmed wine, watered down a little but rich of flavour. "Now, Athelstan, friend to my knight. Tell me all about your adventures. How did you meet Olivier?"

[athelstanthescribe]

He shoots an apologetic look over his shoulder at Olivier and Yves, but he's sure they'll understand her determination.

"On the road here, as I came to see if I might practise my craft in the town."