"To The Victor" is copyright 1996 by Kathy R. Coleman and is reproduced here by permission.
To The Victor
by Kathy R. Coleman
To the Victor Tower yr 93 Nez leaned back in the chair, threw his long legs casually up to the tabletop, crossed his booted ankles and smirked across the table at his conquered opponant. Tanyel slapped his hands against the arms of his chair and half-rose, sputtering, "What did you do?"
"I won," said Nez pleasantly, lifting his wine goblet to his lips. Tanyel leaned over the table so far his bushy bright red hair brushed the gamepieces, eyeing each piece as if were personally responsible for his loss.
"But how, you sneak? I can't see it."
Nez let the hawkmaster examine the gameboard while he examined the hawkmaster's sister, lounging across the top of one of the white-fur covered chairs. She wore a black-and-white body-suit and her hair was white; and to match her, everything in her rooms was white and black, too. The three colorful balls she juggled seemed to be the only bright spots in the room, outside of Tanyel's red hair and Nez himself. His green and gold tunic and brown breeches stood out like leaves on snow. Felimath's rooms were large and comfortable nonetheless, and Nez frequently found himself there, either bandying words with the lithe acrobat herself or engaged in the tri-dimensional game that both she and her brother, Tanyel, loved.
"It's a fair and legal move, Tan. I don't just hang around with your brother because I like his sparkling conversation," said Nez. Tanyel and Felimath's brother, Razmak, was a reclusive sort who spent long days seeking out the best way to play any individual game there was; often he would be so engrossed in his study he'd forget to eat and sleep. Nez liked Razmak quite a bit except for one thing; the gamemaster's ear for music was absolutely atrocious.
Tanyel laughed a little, then threw his hands up and sat back. "All right, Nose, what'd you do?"
Nez reached out one thin arm to point out the moves, explaining the strategies he'd worked out with some depth. Tanyel rested his head on his hands and watched, his brow furrowed in concentration. From her nearby perch, Felimath shifted her position and watched them from beneath her half-lowered eyelids as Nez and Tanyel's discussion deepened.
"Prithee, must both your mouths be continuously running? An thou desire flight, Nez, thou hast but to harness thy tongue," she cut in to the discussion, switching her juggling from her hands to one hand and her feet. "You are both so bloated with your own opinions that one need only prick ye both with a pin to see an explosion that would blow the Tower to dust."
"Well, how would you have played it, sexy?" asked Nez cheerfully. Both Tanyel and Felimath snorted, making Nez laugh out loud.
"What art thou laughing at?" asked Felimath, reaching towards the fruit bowl that sat on the table beside her. She took a bite out of an apple before tossing a few fruits into the circle of her arch.
"You two," answered Nez, watching Felimath with appreciation in his dark eyes. She was nearly motionless, but for the moving balls and fruit. "If it was dark in here you couldn't tell one from the other. You act exactly alike."
"Oh, come on!" said Tanyel. "All you have to do is listen to the speech."
Nez chuckled and tucked his hands behind his head. "I didn't mean it literally, Tan," he said, while Tanyel pulled a mocking face at him. Nez returned the expression, took up his wine and put his feet back on the table, leaning back in his chair and cupping his goblet in both hands. Felimath didn't stop juggling, but reached out one foot and shoved his booted feet off the tabletop. They dropped to the floor with a loud THUMP!, followed by Nez, unbalanced. His backside hit the floor and his breath whooshed out of his lungs. "Ow!" he exclaimed, while Tanyel burst out laughing.
"I suppose she doesn't like feet on the furniture," said the hawkrider, gathering up gamepieces and putting them in a wooden box decorated with white and black marbling. "She used to do it to me, too."
Nez dragged himself to his feet, setting his wine down and brushing ineffectually at the wine that had spilled on his green tunic. "This is new, too," he said, then glared at Felimath, who was smiling pleasantly. "And I haven't any padding there, either," he added, grinning back. He rubbed his thin hips in an exagerated way, then he plopped himself down in the chair again. He stuck the tip of his tongue out at Felimath, then quite deliberately slung his legs back up to the table, just out of Felimath's reach. "Don't you ever give those poor little balls a rest?" he asked. She slid down the furs to the seat of the chair and leaned on one hand.
"When there is need," she said. "Nimble hands show a nimble mind. Doth it annoy?" Her fingers flicked in and out, while the rest of her remained absolutely still. Nez's eyes followed the movements with appreciation, admiring her control.
"Oh, no. I like it. I was just wondering. I exercise my fingers quite a bit, too, after all." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the V-bodied, twelve-stringed gitar that was his constant companion. "Is there anywhere you can't keep them moving?"
Felimath slowly smiled. "Nay. Forsooth, I am able to juggle in my sleep."
Nez cast a look from her to Tanyel, who stood nearby with his arms crossed. "You think so, Tan?"
"I wouldn't tell her she couldn't. You know how the two of us are. Can't turn down a dare on anything." said Tanyel.
"Well, I bet you couldn't keep them going when you're joining," said Nez, a thought churning around in the back of his head. He grinned at her in a challenging way.
"It's certainly something I wouldn't want to take her up on," said Tanyel.
"She's your sister," said Nez, "'Course you wouldn't want to bet that with her."
Tanyel laughed. "Don't lay a dare like that before Vaynyar," he said. Nez's eyes widened and he shook his head.
"Little sparrow'd peck his eyes out," said the lean musician, then looked aside as though thinking about it. "Maybe I'll suggest it to him."
Tanyel and Felimath both laughed, then Tanyel shook his head. "Well, I have duties now, so if you'll both excuse me. Nez, if you're willing, I'd like to run that strategy with you again with you later," he jerked his thumb towards the gametable. "This time, I'll beat you. If, of course, you don't cheat so much."
"I NEVER cheat," answered Nez, wounded.
"Sure you don't. You couldn't win if you didn't."
"You know, Tan, you're only related to Razmak by blood," said Nez cheerfully, making Tanyel chuckle as he left the room. Nez turned his attention back to Felimath. "Well, Felimath?" he asked, leaning across the table and resting his chin on his hand.
Felimath's eyes narrowed, and she winked one slowly. "Perchance thou art offering me an opportunity to find out?" she asked.
"I bet you can't do it," said Nez, leaning towards her a little. Now he was resting on uneven ground; suppose she wanted to prove it with someone else? But his odds were pretty good that she'd chose him, after all, he was handy -- and he was a bit of a gambler himself.
"Ah, a dare I have never been able to resist, thou long-nosed minstrel. What wilt thou bet?"
Nez rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, I can't think of anything right now that I'd want."
"That is not what I asked," said Felimath.
"I know, I know -- What about you, Cloud-Top? What do you want?"
"'Haps we might discuss the conditions of the bet whilst the wager is in progress."
Nez ran the end of his tongue along the inside of his lower lip. "I like that," he said. "In fact, it sounds pretty good." He rose to his feet. "Your place or mine?"
"Come hither, tall one, and we shall partake of each other's pleasures whilst I prove to thee my juggling prowess and thou showest me thine own." She tossed the balls into the air and turned a challenging stare on him as they spiraled back to her. "Come now, and give me cause to drop the balls, thou long-nosed one."
"Look who's talking about a long nose," returned Nez, diving for her. They toppled onto one of the large chair-shaped things, and although Nez managed to tangle her arms with his own, her slender feet took up the task of keeping the balls in motion.
It wasn't so much lovemaking as it was a wrestling match; Nez tried everything he could think of to distract her, but even when she seemed most interested in their tussle, she never lost control of the spiraling spheres. Finally, Nez collapsed in defeat, gasping for breath. Felimath held aloft the balls on one hand and both feet, giving him a triumphant look.
"And now thou must pay up!" she announced. Nez shot her a sour look, then lifted the corner of his mouth in a half-smile.
"Well, what did we bet?" asked Nez, fearing the worst. He had no idea what the oddly mysterious acrobat might desire from him, and he could only hope he could pay it, whatever it was. Still, his own gamble had already paid off.
"Tell me, what wouldst thou have asked, hadst thou won?" Felimath asked instead, shifting her position and tickling his cheek with the tips of her fingers.
Nez grinned even more. "I think I got what I wanted," he said with a smirk. "I've been harboring thoughts about fondling you in dark corners for a long time now."
Felimath's eyes sparkled and she smiled delightedly. "Thou art a fiend, thou thin-shanked fellow. I can but say that I admire thy guile! Let us just say that thou dost owe me. Favors are hard won, and oft times come in handy."
"Come here," said Nez, dragging her into his arms. "So I owe you, eh?" he asked, fondling the base of her neck. "All right, I can live with that. But how about you and me continuing this without those stupid balls, eh?"
Felimath paused, then let each of them land with a smack into her palm, setting them down beside her as they landed. "Ho, Nez, hast thou the strength to wrestle with me again?"
"The strength! Don't underestimate me, sexy. I just want to have the idea that you're paying some attention to ME." He pulled her head to his with his arm, pressing her mouth tightly to his. "And then maybe we can bet again sometime," he said as their mouths parted. Felimath cast him a wicked look, her eyebrows arching even more.
"But it must be fair, Nez -- thou canst not bind me in any way."
Nez looked horribly innocent. "But isn't that very popular these days? Binding?" He wasn't serious, but he had heard some pretty interesting things whispered about the Tower.
"Art thou so worrisome of thy lovemates that thou must needs tie them down?" she asked, rolling her juggling balls off the fur so they bounced to the floor. She tugged on a lock of his blood-colored hair in a mischievious way.
Nez laughed, tracing a finger lightly over the angle of her cheek. "No, no, I was teasing." He paused a while, then took her chin in his forefinger and thumb, making her look at him. Her gaze was as frank and forthright as he hoped his own was -- there would be no ties of any sort between them. Nez grinned then, and Felimath returned the smile, since they both understood what neither had said. "But I think I'd like to keep trying, anyway," Nez said at last. "I might win someday."
"Thou art going to find thyself deeply indebted to me, sweet minstrel."
"I'll take my chances," answered Nez, and pulled her close again.
Back to the Table of Contents
Back to the Tower Homepage