precarious | Glowfic Constellation

Well, that's annoying.

abeance

Jann ignores Milo's annoyance! He has a girl to kiss. All is right with the world.

Predictably enough, when Jann is not quite fifteen he is enrolled in knight school, where he will receive more systematic education in knight-related subjects and acquire knightliness-inclined friends with whom to practice knightfulness, with a view to being formally knighted when he's probably about eighteen.

Jann likes knight school quite a bit and usually forgets to write home until he has three or four insistent letters from his mother or other relations piled up on his knightstand.

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Not-quite-thirteen-year-old Milo (and, subseqently, quite-thirteen-year-old Milo) writes him about once a month, asking after his knightly adventures. The regularity of the letters suggests that his mother is probably reminding him, but he is legitimately interested in the subject even so.

Somewhat wistfully interested. Milo cannot go to knight school. He has tried learning several weapons, and although he's quite good at archery, any kind of fighting that involves two or more people hitting each other with things will inevitably break his bones even when his opponent is trying to be gentle. Milo would love to go to knight school, would probably even be allowed to go to knight school, but there's no way he could be the kind of knight who saves damsels from being carried off by monsters. At least not if he had to do it with a sword.

Halfway through Jann's first year at knight school, he gets a letter from Milo two whole weeks ahead of schedule. I bet I had a more exciting day than you! it begins. A giant tried to pillage the town I was visiting with Mom and Dad, and I argued him out of it! His name is Porabor and he's surprisingly nice for a marauding giant. Dad's going to let him move into that old ruined castle near the southern border, and send some people to help fix it up for giant habitation, in return for Porabor not marauding anymore and helping us clear out blocked roads and similar.

abeance

That is way more interesting than my day! agrees Jann when he gets around to reading this letter and writing back. All I did today was have various kinds of practice. Nice work with the giant! I know how to fight them but only in theory and it sounds a little too interesting all around. Why did you even start talking to the marauding giant in the first place though?

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Well, I was hardly going to go after him with a sword. Talking seemed the safer option.

abeance

No, I don't mean why didn't you go after him with a sword, I mean why did you do anything at all?

first-and-final

He was trying to pillage the town, was I supposed to just let him?

One might almost develop the impression that Milo is trying to avoid bringing something up.

abeance

Jann doesn't bother replying to this letter. When he is home from school on a break he corners Milo and says, "So what's the whole story on the giant thing?"

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"Hi, Jann, nice to see you, Jann," says Milo, rolling his eyes.

abeance

"Nice to see you too. Spill."

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"Ugh. Fine," says Milo. "He got confused and thought I was a princess and tried to carry me off. I set him straight, he came back and put me down and apologized."

abeance

"How did he confuse you for a princess, Milo, were you wearing a dress at the time?"

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"No!" he exclaims. "I was wearing, you know, usual clothes! Prince clothes!"

abeance

"Were you hanging out with princesses? If you know princesses you need to introduce me."

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"I was not hanging out with princesses. Why would I introduce you to princesses? You'll just start kissing them and then probably want to tell me all about it."

abeance

"I could shut up about it if it would get me introduced to princesses!"

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"Why do you want to be introduced to princesses in particular?"

abeance

"They're all... princessy. But anyway I know you don't care so tell me about the giant instead, I'm sure you'd prefer it."

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"Well, he was really embarrassed about his mistake, so he listened to me when I suggested he look into alternative career paths. And Dad said he wouldn't mind pardoning him for the one attempted pillaging, since he did seem to be very sorry about it, and they talked it out, and now Porabor lives in the southern ruins and we send for him whenever somebody needs something really big and heavy moved."

abeance

"That's useful, then. But how did he even make that mistake? You don't look like a girl. You're little, but that probably won't make you look like a girl even from far away until you're at least my age, maybe older."

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