Ritter, fragment, PG
Saturday, November 20th, 2010 04:33 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tsaikoSince I didn't write yesterday, I'm trying to write extra today to catch up. I'm already behind still from family reunion. I'd like to say I'll catch up over Thanksgiving, but I know better. even if I don't quite make my quota, I'm at least writing quite a bit.
I think it's sad that instead of finishing the first series of stories for Ritter, I'm working on the second series. Sigh.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Bits and drabbles
"So this is a dragon village?" Ritter said as the rode into town. The houses were much more ornate than what Ritter was expecting, covered in wooden curlicues, trim, and carvings well past the point of ridiculousness. Each house seemed to have a color scheme that was composed of five to seven different contrasting colors that were used indiscriminately on the wood. None of the houses had the same color scheme. Ritter wasn't even sure the houses shared any of the same colors.
The whole thing looked rather gaudy to Ritter. He was use to simple daub and wattle houses with strong, wooden timbers painted a solid brown. Maybe, if someone in the village was particularly prosperous or the material was readily available, there was a stone house or two. "Is this typical?"
"This is a little smaller and not as nice as some of them. It's not that large of a town," Aavon replied. Ritter gave him a look. It seemed pretty large to him. "At least they've got stone streets. Some of the smaller ones have dirt roads."
The streets in question were lined with stone of mottle gray. The pieces were laid flat and evenly cut. Small grooves worn into them showed hundreds of wagons had passed by. At the center of the village was a small fountain, where horses, dogs, and people drank.
"You know, most of the villages where I come from are half this size, have no running water, and dirt streets are normal," Ritter said. Aavon rolled his eyes.
"Yes, but I already knew you were a heathen." Aavon turned his dark bay mule to the north. "The river is on the southern side of the city, so the inns are probably to the north. Let's see if we can find a room. Tomorrow is market day, so we may have to share a bed." Aavon gave the mule a nudge to get him moving.
"What a tragedy." Ritter gave squeezed with his legs and Lilith followed. Plod brought up the rear at his standard slow gait.
The first inn they came to was more what Ritter was use to: a dark wood top perched on a whitewashed bottom. The shutters were of a lighter stained wood and there wasn't nearly as much ornate woodwork on it. This was a working class building. Ritter liked it immediately.
Aavon was in the process of passing it when Ritter called out to him. "What about this one?"
"I'm sure there's a better one a little farther," Aavon replied. Ritter immediately knew something was going on just from the tone of Aavon's voice. It had that tight, slightly desperate edge to it.
"What's wrong with this one?" Ritter asked as he positioned Lilith closer to the building. There was a large wooded sign affixed above the door. He knew some of his letters from his training as a knight, though mostly it was just enough to sign his name to legal documents. That training didn't really help him here, in dragon country, where the letters were the same but the language was different.
Aavon made a noise. "Ritter, that's really not a place we'd want to stay." He paused for a moment, considering, before correcting himself. "Or at least that's not a place I'd want to spend the night. I'm sure you would love the alcohol and love the workers there more."
"You mean its brothel?" Ritter gave the building a long look. Somehow it didn't surprise him that dragons tarted up all the respectable houses and businesses, but made their brothel look like an old, respectable matron. "Then let's find somewhere a little more respectable to stay the night, then. Wouldn't want to offend your sensibilities."
The dragon flushed bright red, before continuing on. Ritter grinned. He could tell Aavon that he never was one for paying for sex, not when he always managed to get some free. And after what happened the last time he'd gotten drunk, Ritter had pretty much sworn off booze.
He didn't though. It would ruin his carefully crafted reputation.
I think it's sad that instead of finishing the first series of stories for Ritter, I'm working on the second series. Sigh.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Bits and drabbles
"So this is a dragon village?" Ritter said as the rode into town. The houses were much more ornate than what Ritter was expecting, covered in wooden curlicues, trim, and carvings well past the point of ridiculousness. Each house seemed to have a color scheme that was composed of five to seven different contrasting colors that were used indiscriminately on the wood. None of the houses had the same color scheme. Ritter wasn't even sure the houses shared any of the same colors.
The whole thing looked rather gaudy to Ritter. He was use to simple daub and wattle houses with strong, wooden timbers painted a solid brown. Maybe, if someone in the village was particularly prosperous or the material was readily available, there was a stone house or two. "Is this typical?"
"This is a little smaller and not as nice as some of them. It's not that large of a town," Aavon replied. Ritter gave him a look. It seemed pretty large to him. "At least they've got stone streets. Some of the smaller ones have dirt roads."
The streets in question were lined with stone of mottle gray. The pieces were laid flat and evenly cut. Small grooves worn into them showed hundreds of wagons had passed by. At the center of the village was a small fountain, where horses, dogs, and people drank.
"You know, most of the villages where I come from are half this size, have no running water, and dirt streets are normal," Ritter said. Aavon rolled his eyes.
"Yes, but I already knew you were a heathen." Aavon turned his dark bay mule to the north. "The river is on the southern side of the city, so the inns are probably to the north. Let's see if we can find a room. Tomorrow is market day, so we may have to share a bed." Aavon gave the mule a nudge to get him moving.
"What a tragedy." Ritter gave squeezed with his legs and Lilith followed. Plod brought up the rear at his standard slow gait.
The first inn they came to was more what Ritter was use to: a dark wood top perched on a whitewashed bottom. The shutters were of a lighter stained wood and there wasn't nearly as much ornate woodwork on it. This was a working class building. Ritter liked it immediately.
Aavon was in the process of passing it when Ritter called out to him. "What about this one?"
"I'm sure there's a better one a little farther," Aavon replied. Ritter immediately knew something was going on just from the tone of Aavon's voice. It had that tight, slightly desperate edge to it.
"What's wrong with this one?" Ritter asked as he positioned Lilith closer to the building. There was a large wooded sign affixed above the door. He knew some of his letters from his training as a knight, though mostly it was just enough to sign his name to legal documents. That training didn't really help him here, in dragon country, where the letters were the same but the language was different.
Aavon made a noise. "Ritter, that's really not a place we'd want to stay." He paused for a moment, considering, before correcting himself. "Or at least that's not a place I'd want to spend the night. I'm sure you would love the alcohol and love the workers there more."
"You mean its brothel?" Ritter gave the building a long look. Somehow it didn't surprise him that dragons tarted up all the respectable houses and businesses, but made their brothel look like an old, respectable matron. "Then let's find somewhere a little more respectable to stay the night, then. Wouldn't want to offend your sensibilities."
The dragon flushed bright red, before continuing on. Ritter grinned. He could tell Aavon that he never was one for paying for sex, not when he always managed to get some free. And after what happened the last time he'd gotten drunk, Ritter had pretty much sworn off booze.
He didn't though. It would ruin his carefully crafted reputation.
(no subject)
Date: 11/21/10 03:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 11/21/10 06:10 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 11/22/10 12:15 pm (UTC)Want more...^_^