#bergen_county

"You wanna TELL me, since you think I'm a fledge that don't know nuthin'? Cause I know flim-flam and fakery when I see it."

"She did nothing other than try to resolve the conflict, and rather than reason, you throw your weight around. Without your title, you're just a jerk with rude opinions!" Standing along with Thistle.

"And what I see is a mean, petty, venal little man who thinks he can get away with whatever he wants cause he's a Baron - but he sure ain't got the guts to say it in front of another Baron. WHat HONOR, insulting and bullying fledges and commoners and people you outrank."

"Thistle, he's not worth our time. All I hear when he speaks is the sound of a fart, and we know where those come from."

"Is that what you are? A tinpot tyrant?"

A crowd is forming...

confusion abouts

"Oh, I know his opinions are worth what I scraped off my shoe, but he owes Bluebell an apology. And Gwen. And every damn one of us that's here."

Baron Alamandre Gilderlock speaks up "Ignore this Ailil bred Brat. Her keeper needs tigher leashes"

Art now reasons with Thistle, in an undertone, "We should go. This is drawing too much attention, and I fear that we are outnumbered here. Ailil is not loved by Gwydion, and we're on his home turf."

But then he turns! "Thistle is not a brat! You asked for a duel, I will grant it to you. I started this conversation, let us finish it, man to man!"

Says the scrawny lad.

"It's not FAIR. He was talking shit."

Someonne whispers into the Baron's ear, an advisor

"Oh very well" He nods "I will not sully myself against a Fledgge of such low nature... but ... there is a fledgge we believe is Gwydion, you will face him"

"You're gonna drag in somebody else rather than own up to your own tripe?"

"Oh yeah, real icon of chivalry we got here." A derisive snort.

"Cyfiawn" The baron says, seethingg a bit now, "Do honor to our house, and thrash this upstart Ailil fledge boy in a duel"

"Yo, Cwyf! Make sure you know what you are fighting for!"

"I would have chosen a champion to duel on my behalf..." Art whispers to Thistle... "though I'm not sure where Linnea went."

If Chuck HAD been taken by 'Arthur', this is what he might have looked like, golden haired, vibrant blue eyes, strong and supple

"Point one, Baron Alma here derided the hold of a guest. Point two, he called a pooka a pet, point three, he insulted our Baron, point four, he used magic to bully a Knight who was trying to mediate - and now he's calling you in because he is getting called on bullying fledges."

"Baron?" But Cyfiawn stops as Thistle speaks

"So you decide how much THOSE points are worth fighting to defend - they add up to 'being pretty insulting and awful to guests who don't have the same social standing."

"Which - is that honorable? I mean, I'm just a fledge. So maybe I missed some subtle knowledge where it's okay to be an ass and a bully."

"Ignore her" The baron sighs "And thrash this arty"

Art swallows, and steps forward. "I may not win, but I will defend the honor of my companions and hold."

A good foot shorter than Cyfiawn, at least in mortal terms.

"Why? Why ignore me? Because I'm a nocker and a fledge? C'mon - have I said ONE LIE?"

Something occurs to him, and he asks, pitched to be heard by the crowd. "As the challenged, may I choose the nature of the duel?"

"I.." Cyfiawn nods to Arty "you are brave... do you have a prefferrence between sword, staff, mace or fistticuffs?"

"Oh!" Thistle has an idea. But Art may have had the same...

The baron snorts "if you are hoping to win at some trivia game or chess, that's not the custom here. You must use an actual weapon"

"Would it be unfair, Lord Alamandre? Would your champion go into such a duel unarmed?"

Thistle laughs!

Cyfiawn stiffens "I Have not insulted you"

Art gives a bow to Cyfiawn.

"Then perhaps you would be willing to accept a duel of wits?"

"you see what the brats do? Insulting without cause" the baron says "We are house brothers. Gwydions protect each other's honor"

Cyfiawn turns at that, then looks to Art ""Pick a practticee weapon, Arty. " then "I know the truth of things"

His eyes lock with arty but not in rage, rather as if trying to SAY something "Baron, the loser must apologgize and leave?"

"That will do" the Baron agrees

"And yet, you insult the honor of our Lord and hold, and insult our attempts at defending such." Art says, with a sigh.

"Let is be staves, then." With a long-suffering attitude. He knows that this, at least, will leave him with bruises or broken bones at worst.

Thistle grumbles. "This is bullshit."

Two staves are handed over, practice weapons, one to each

Cyfiawn nods "Wise choice. I'm better with a sword. Someone call out begin"

"I am not afraid. Do you remember with I was but in 2nd grade, and Gareth dropped me from the window, to see if bushes would break my fall?" He says over to Thistle with a rueful look. "Bones will mend. The honor of Silverwolf is more important."

Art accepts the stave, and runs a hand over it, testing out the balance. This is a nice change of pace, actually. Normally when he's been bullied, he has no weapon in return.

"We know the truth of what home is. The lie is this place saying we were welcome guests. And Marigold made the dragon-bread, too."

"Begin" Someone calls