661-05-20 - Secret Lessons
Secret Lessons | |||||||
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Summary: A week after arriving, Moshe and Lisabette talk, and an agreement for lessons is settled upon. | |||||||
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The formal meeting came around a week ago between Moshe and the family. As soon as it was done, Lisabette escaped with her uncle, and headed out, not a backward glance given to the younger kid. They've seen each other in the days that has followed, but Lisabette kept her distance, acting far older than she truly is. Always attempting to get her mother's favor, and yet ignored for the most part. Only her uncle seems to pay attention to her, and that is at least one good thing.
This afternoon far in the back of the gardens, the young heir is found with Avidor on a patch of grass. They are using wooden practice swords and going over a few basics to which Lisabette is listening to quite seriously. Her dark head bobs at times, her voice answering at others.
Moshe still remembers that introductory day, names and titles but in the end he was once again set aside. Maids were given the task to find him a room, a small room that had a bed and a place for clothing. Everything he owns is in the small room, the room hidden in a corner some where in the castle. He does not mind it as it was pretty much the same thing at his fathers home after he died. So it has taken him several days to get the layout of the place and even then still he gets lost. Which includes the gardens and the other surrounding areas.
It is around this time he comes upon the practice session of Lisabette and her uncle. Like every day he has seen the girl practice and practice and she would not give up. There was something about her that made her different than her siblings, other than the color of her hair. He is not sure but he finds himself watching her, not just at practice but when she goes through the stables and gardens, she is always by herself or with her uncle, alone. So now he hides behind the bush, near a tree and with his stick for a sword. He watches and then he tries to practice again the tree, trying to learn, perhaps be something.
It's hard to say if Lisabette has noticed the newcomer or not in the days since that first meeting. Just another brother, right? Another who won't measure up in quite the same way. While she doesn't notice him there at the tree, her alert uncle has seen the boy many times, and today, he sees the way Moshe goes after the tree and shakes his head, "You, boy... you need to firm your grip up or the sword will be easily knocked out of your hand."
The comment confuses Lisabette for a moment until she realizes that her uncle is addressing someone else. And so she slowly turns, gaze to find him where he's half hidden from her sight by the bush he stands behind. "Who, uncle?" The answer comes, "The Machuri boy." And then louder, "Come on out. No need to hide as you have been. Come here, let me look a you.." Lisabette waits quietly.
Moshe stops all of the sudden and he had thought he was hiding enough, he thought the bush was tall enough but he was wrong. The shout makes him freeze and then he truns slowly, stepping out of behind the bush, holding his pathetic skinny stick. He stands there scrawny, small and rather pathetic looking, though his face has that frown or determination to him. He is gripping his stick well, the knuckles are white. He says nothing but does glance briefly towards Lisabette, trying to be strong or at least try as he sticks out his chest like a knight should, failing miserably though.
Avidor gives the boy the once over after Moshe steps out from behind the bush, stepping away from his niece to do so. Around him does he walk before finally speaking up, "If you want to learn how to use a sword, boy, you will need to be stronger. Eat better, exercise plenty." He reaches out and easily disarms the boy of his stick, only to take up his hand, pressing lightly against his thin wrists, "You need to be stronger here, boy. Your grip is not tight enough. " He might sound as if he's being hard on Moshe, but he's merely pointing out the truth of things.
Lisabette stands quietly by,listening to her uncle, watching as Moshe stands there with chest puffed out. Curious is she though, head tilted as she takes in the younger boy. Perhaps not quite a pest as she thought he might be.
Moshe is scared, this man approaching him easily twice taller and weighs at least four times his won weight. Though that determination to impress that keeps him from shaking his skin off his bones. As Avidor looks at him he looks straight ahead, though as his stick is so easily hit away he frowns slightly. Nods are given to the man telling him things, understanding things easily about getting stronger and getting meat into him. As the mans hand takes Moshe's it makes him blush, embarrassed perhaps , though his eyes become narrowed then. " I shall." is all he says to the older mans words, though he looks straight towards Lisabette.
Avidor looks at the determined young boy, then asks after stepping back, "Tell me boy.. do you think you could beat my niece here?" Oh, yes, perhaps the man is being evil at already plotting to embarrass the boy before the heir? Or perhaps he might see a possible match between them? Surely it would be easier for Lisabette to spar against someone nearly her own size than taking on her uncle all the time?
As for the young heir, Lisabette lifts her chin in a subtle show of her own, meeting Moshe's eyes, "I doubt he could, uncle." Might that be a subtle challenge given to Moshe?
Moshe looks to Avidor as he asks if he could beat Lisabette. There is that glance again to Lisabette as she speaks about that he could not. A long time is given to looking at Lisabette and then he looks to Avidor, way up he looks and states boldly. " I am not to beat girls, I am supposed to protect them." perhaps he has picked something up here and there. Then looks back to Lisabette for a brief glance. " If I could, it be bad to hit her." he has little to no regards about title so far by the look of things.
The boy's answer draws a smile from the uncle, brief as it might be. "No, you are not to beat girls, unless they ask for it.. but I meant more, do you think you could go a round or two against her?" Amused is the older man.
Lisabette hmmphs slightly, "So you would stand there and let me go after you with my sword?" She asks, stepping forwards, "Would you not even defend yourself? " Again, the question, "Not a very good protector would you be, if you don't defend yourself against a girl.."
Moshe blinks at Avidor's response to his own, not really understanding the 'unless they ask for it part'. He was about to answer Aviron when once again she speaks, out of turn. His head turns to look her way and he listens to her words. He licks his lips then, obviously thinking on it for a long time. Then glancing back and forth between them he answers. " I could try, though I would not let her beat me, I would try to defend myself but I could not hurt her back, she is a girl."
It only takes a brief look from Avidor to his niece before Lisabette moves quickly forwards in an attempt to surprise Moshe when he might least expect it. With her wooden sword raised, she might manage to get the point to his neck, "I might be a girl, but if this sword was real, you'd be dead, Moshe." She actually remembered his name. Eyes are dark, serious as she watches him, "Girls can be as dangerous as a viper, and if you leave them unharmed, they'll rise back up to bite you again."
Moshe had no real time to react, he did not expect it and sure enough the point of the wooden practice sword is at his neck. He openly gulps and blinks to the sword wielding girl, obviously listening at this time. "It is not real, it wooden....I would have ...ducked." his only answer for the moment. Then he steps back slowly and looks at them both. " Thank you for the lesson, may I go?" his face in anger right now. Maybe he hates the thought of been used as so or just not prepared.
Lisabette hmms, dropping her sword away when he steps back, only to tilt her head, "Are you angry at me?" She asks then, brows furrowed slightly. Her uncle shakes his head, "No, I think you should stay. If nothing else, you can sit aside and watch, instead of lurking behind the bushes." While Avidor walks off, Lisabette remains there, waiting his answer, "You shouldn't beat a girl, but if she comes after you first, you shouldn't let such thoughts hold you back. You can bet that they won't hold her back, Moshe... not if she's intent on hurting you." She shrugs, likely more to herself than to him, "I would not wish to see you hurt. "
Moshe does not leave, he stands there perhaps pouting, perhaps angry at her but he is not saying much. Though he will watch, he is not happy at the moment, especially with the girl talking to him again and again. Now he tilts his head slightly. " Your different." then he straightens his head and keeps on looking at her. " You have..de..detumanashion." he has a hard time even pronouncing a big word like that. Even some of the words he has spoken seem off, like he has had little teaching of anything.
Lisabette looks at the boy for a moment, "Different?" Talk about getting her feathers ruffled with that comment at first! And yet as he continues, he seems to soothe her a little. "Determination." She pronounces the word correctly, "I am determined about many things." She finally says before glancing to her uncle who speaks with a servant who has come up with a message. "Niece, I need to meet someone inside. WE will continue this tomorrow." A pause, and he says to the boy, "If you are not doing anything tomorrow afternoon, then come too." And with that, the man strides off, leaving the kids with a servant to at least keep an eye on them.
Moshe grumbles again, he seems to brood a lot and smiling is not in him. " Yes" is all he says to her words. Then his eyes look towards Avidor and a simple nod is given to him in reply. Once Avidor is gone he looks back to Lisabette. " Why is your hair different than others?" Once again he is curious and he is asking, she answered last time.
The wooden sword is put aside, and yet when he questions her, Lisabette goes still. Again, there comes a tension to her slim form as she turns to glare at him, "Onimoria saw fit to give me dark hair for whatever reason." And after a moment, she adds, "I have questioned her every day why, and never have heard an answer." And so she asks, "Why did your family send a bastard here to us?"
Moshe see's the eyes of this girl light on fire as she answers his question. " Darker is better." then she asks him the question. His face falls instantly and he tilts his head to look down. His knuckles grow white as he clenches his little hands into fists. He does answer but it hard pressed to say. " To honor the queens command, though if it was not the command, I would have been put in a orphanage. So they told me I was lucky and should be glad that it happened now." Oh he heard more from whispers about insulting the House Zorich with this move, almost patting themselves in the back.
His words seem to surprise Lisabette who so often has heard that the golden hair of her siblings was the best, heard the various whispers of her own darkness even at this age. "You think that?" She questions, though not before she's asked him the last. Picking up on his anger, she hmms, "I've heard the talk. Your family made my mother quite angry, though she wouldn't say it to them." She studies him, then offers aside as th thought comes to her, "Neither of us is liked by our families."
Moshe slowly lifts his head up, calming a little at least and then nods slowly. Then when she mentiosn her mother is upset because of him he sighs and nods. " I suppose she is thinking of giving me away to a orphanage too?" then he hears her, actually hearing her say that her family does not like her. This brings his head up once again, slowly. " Is it because your deturmond?"
Lisabette shakes her head, "No. To do that after your family sent you here to be fostered, would be wrong." The duchess might turn a blind eye and ignore him, but she won't turn him over to an orphanage. With her last words given, she actually blinks and shrugs, "Maybe. I am not like my sister. I do not giggle at everything. "
Moshe nods. " You say what you mean, she is weird, like you say, she giggles and stuff." then thinking a bit more on it. " I try not to be around the others, they are different than you." he almost said that she has seen her spending time alone but says nothing about it. " You read?" his eyes looking at her, there is a question there as well.
There comes a slight sigh from Lisabette as she rolls her eyes, "She giggles all the time. If she's not awwing over it. I never understand her." She finally says before turning back, "I read, yes. I like to read. I... when it's raining, I stay in the library.." She admits after a fashion, "Do you read?"
Moshe nods and leaves it at that. Though the question he had hoped for comes up. " I read not enough, was taught a little but was more used to do other things around the place." he says nothing about cleaning, taking out slop and helping clean the stables and pretty much what a commoner would do. " I would like to learn, more. Are you smart enough to teach me?" now tilting his head, there may be hope in his eyes then.
Oh, there's a quick mind in that head of the young heir, his hopeful look to gain her attention. "I could, yes." Lisabette informs him as she looks him over, "I could see if you're smart enough to teach." Some might consider her words cruel, but she seems serious - why waste her time trying to teach someone who wouldn't get it? "What can you teach me in turn?" Only fair there is something given back!
Moshe grins as she is willing, though a bargain is in the progress and he has nothing to give in return. He broods again, thinking, wondering what he can teach her and he has nothing that she does not have already. " Nothing...but..." he leans in and speaks quietly. " I can sneak in and get some goodies for us from the kitchen or I can show you how?" growing boy needs to eat more than he is given and he is given not enough.
See, there are always things that can be taught! Lisabette listens, then actually offers a slight smile to him, "Teach me how to be sneaky? If you can manage to get by our cook first, by yourself, that is." Seems there might be a bargain in the making. "The day after tomorrow, uncle won't be here. We can meet in the library then. If you can bring the treats, I'll teach you how to read."
Moshe nods, seeming to be determined now as he may be able to learn things here, perhaps he made a friend, though she is a girl. Still he looks at her and nods. " Deal, treats in the library two days from now." hsi mind already thinking, wondering on how to do it. Already forgetting that he was talking to he girl.
Lisabette nods then, considering the thinner, younger boy. "Maybe we will be friends." She finally says lightly. "Especially if you do not like my sister." Already, there is that wall that separates her from Samuela. Before she may say more, another servant arrives, "M'lady, your mother wishes to speak with you in the salon." Shoulders slump briefly at that, lips pressed together before she turns and nods, soon to follow after the servant back to the house. It's to be seen that after a step or two, shoulders are squared, and she presents herself properly.