Chapter Text
The autumn air was crisp as the sound of steel rang out in the courtyard. The courtyard held a small ring of people as they watched two figures clash. The larger of the two swung their dulled training sword at their opponent, who dodged left and tried to get behind the looming figure, but was unsuccessful for they swiftly turned and blocked the thrust. The sparring continued on for ten minutes with the smaller fighter constantly on the defense and only able to get in a few good hits. The duel finally ended when the taller opponent knocked the other off their feet and onto the hard ground. The gathered people dispersed and returned to their work as the tall figure helped their opponent up off the ground.
“Very well done you two,” exclaimed Sir Gunter, the master of arms.
“Thank you, Sir Gunter,” said both combatants.
The tall figure took off their helmet to reveal the face of a young woman, around sixteen years of age. Her hair fell in curls to the middle of her back, it was a light brown with golden streaks running throughout it. Her heart shaped face held no marks other than a small scar under her left eye, which was a deep green and matched the right. She could be considered an understated beauty in the eyes of most. The woman started to walk towards the armory to put away the training gear when she noticed her opponent walking beside her. He had removed his own helmet revealing black hair and rounded face of a young man.
“It feels strange sparring with you, Esmeralda,” the boy said as they walked.
“I am not surprised Rickard considering not many women learn to fight with a sword,” Esmeralda replied.
They walked in silence the rest of the way to the armory, her long strides carrying her there quickly. They put away their equipment and Esmeralda started to walk towards the stables where she found her father, Resse, the master of horse for the castle. Resse was a large man only slightly shorter than his daughter but much more muscular. He was a man in his mid-30s with short, black hair. Resse was tending to a young dapple gray gelding, who was giving him a hard time.
“Blasted horse,” Resse grumbled as the gelding pulled his back hoof away from him.
“Looks like he’s getting the better of you,” remarked Esmeralda.
The sound of her voice must have startled Resse for he lost his grip on the horse’s hoof, who pulled it back and landed a quick kick in the back of Resse’s thigh.
“Aideen damn you,” he exclaimed.
The dapple gray looked back with a pleased expression on his face. Resse straightened and turned towards his daughter with an annoyed look that softened when his brown eyes landed on Esmeralda.
“You really are as quiet as a shadow, my dear,” he said in his gruff voice.
Esmeralda smiled as she started to stroke the gelding’s neck he seemed to relax at her touch and leaned into where she had started to scratch his neck. Resse watched them as a small smile started to form on his lips.
“He seems to like you,” he commented.
“It certainly seems like it. Does he have a name?”
“No, not yet. I was thinking Smoke would be a good name for him.”
“Hmm...it does not really fit him, though.”
“I was getting him ready to be ridden. Do you want to try him, Esmeralda?”
“Yes, I would love to ride him,” she said excitedly.
With that they worked together to finish cleaning the gelding and tacked him up. While Esmeralda was brushing him she noticed that he was the perfect height for her 6 foot 2 frame at 16 hands. Once he was ready Esmeralda and her father walked the gray gelding out to the courtyard, where she got on. When Esmeralda was settled in the saddle she asked the gelding for a walk and took him in a large circle around her father. She moved on to the trot and she could feel the gray almost gliding underneath her he was so smooth. Esmeralda felt very comfortable with the gelding and she could tell he was comfortable with her as well. She urged him into a canter and went around Resse a few times before slowing him down and doing the same thing the opposite way. This time when she asked for the canter the gelding’s hind end came up and his back hooves kicked out. Esmeralda stayed on because she had been riding since she was a little girl and had helped her father train many a horse - she was used to them acting up like this. She kept him going, and he didn’t act up again. She had him walk over to where her father was standing and she could see the proud look on his face, but she also saw a hint of sadness in his eyes.
“How does he feel?” Resse asked.
“He feels like a dancer, father,” Esmeralda said. A look of realization crossed her features before she stated, “That is it; his name should be Dancer.”
Resse seemed to mull the name over for a bit before clapping his hands together which slightly startled the horse.
“Then it is settled; he is now known as Dancer,” Resse boomed.
Esmeralda hopped off of Dancer and she and her father walked the gray horse back to the stables, then proceeded to untack him and brush him. When they were done she helped her father with the rest of his duties. By nightfall they had returned to their living quarters and had sat down to eat a supper of stew and bread.
“How did today’s training go,” Resse asked hesitantly.
“It went very well. Sir Gunter had me spar against Rickard,” she stated.
Her father had always been hesitant about her learning to fight with a sword but he was slowly getting more used to the idea even though it had been 2 years since she had started training. There was a long silence before Esmeralda spoke again.
“Father, may I ask you something?” Esmeralda asked.
“Of course, my dear.”
“What happened to my mother?”
Resse’s face twisted up with emotion as he looked at his only child. He looked away from her before heaving a heavy sigh and returned his gaze to her face.
“Your mother was very much like you. A natural horsewoman and talented with a bow and arrow. She was also a wild spirit and did what she wanted.”
Esmeralda listened intently for she had never heard really anything about her mother before this. Resse went on for about an hour telling stories and reminiscing about her mother, Diana. She had been black of hair that fell in curls and brown of eye. Diana had also been taller than the average woman, but nowhere near her daughter’s height.
Resse was telling a story of how Diana had helped him tame an unruly stallion when Esmeralda interrupted him.
“—Diana jumped on his back and—“
“But what happened to her after I was born,” Esmeralda questioned.
Her father paused for a moment before turning his head to look at the fire that burned in the hearth.
“Please, I must know,” she pleaded and reached out to take ahold of his hand, she gave it a gentle squeeze.
Resse slowly turned back to look at his daughter and looked her in the eye.
“Your mother” Resse started then paused. “After you had been weaned, your mother left saying that she did not want to be tied down and that she would not be a suitable mother.”
Esmeralda sat in silence as her father’s words sunk in. Resse watched his daughter as a tirade of emotions danced across her beautiful face. At first her face was blank; but then anger crept across her features and stayed there for a time; anger was replaced by sadness and then hurt.
“So my mother abandoned me,” Esmeralda said half to herself.
“Yes, she abandoned both of us.”
They sat in silence for a few moments before Esmeralda suddenly stood up from the table. Rage was strewn across her face and tears were being held back.
“Why would she abandon me like I was nothing to her,” she roared. “She was my mother; how could she leave her own flesh and blood?!”
Resse watched helplessly as Esmeralda paced back and forth. He slowly stood up, went to her, and caught her arm, pulling her into his chest. By this time the rage had quelled, the tears had overflowed their dams, and Esmeralda slumped against her father and only managed to stay upright for he was the only thing supporting her; just as he had been for all of her life. As they stood there she kept muttering “Why did she leave me?” over and over into Resse’s shoulder.
“Your mother loved you very much,” he whispered into his daughter’s hair, “but she also loved her freedom, and she wanted what was best for you.”
They stood like that for what felt like hours, eventually Esmeralda ran out of tears to cry. Resse helped his daughter to her bed, and then went to his own, where he reflected on the memories of his wife.