“With your permission, my prince, I will send word to the college of heralds to begin on your new arms at once,” the old man offered.
Tobin shrugged. “Very well.”
Clearly delighted, the pair moved on, already discussing escutcheons and bars.
Ki shook his head. “Nik could do with a bit more dancing himself.”
The song ended and Arengil emerged from the press, looking very handsome and exotic. In addition to his green-and-yellow sen’gai, he wore a long white tunic of Aurënen make, and a thick golden torque and bracelets set with smooth round sapphires and crystals. Tobin had seen similar work in the shops of the Aurënfaie jewelers, but nothing so fine as these pieces.
“You’ve retreated earlier than usual,” Arengil noted, smiling as Tobin took his wrist to examine a bracelet more closely.
“This is beautiful!” Tobin exclaimed, wishing he had something to sketch out the intricate raised pattern work. “It’s old, isn’t it?”
“Never mind that now!” Arengil laughed, pulling his hand free. “Come on. Every girl in the room is waiting for you to ask her for a dance!”
Tobin folded his arms. “No they’re not. I’m like the bull with three legs. Did you see Quirion laughing at me? Bilairy’s balls, I wish Korin would just let me stay home!”
Una glided over, looking very pretty in blue satin with strands of pearls and lapis braided into her dark hair. She never flirted the way other girls did, but Tobin could tell she was enjoying the looks she drew tonight. Fluttering a jeweled fan under her chin in a very grown-up way, she bowed low to Tobin. “Hiding again, my prince?”
“I was just telling him that it’s his duty to ornament these gatherings,” Arengil remarked.
“An ornament. That’s just what I feel like,” Tobin muttered. “It’s so boring, all this talking and standing around!”
“You seemed to enjoy conversing with that elderly duke earlier,” Una observed.
Tobin shrugged. “He’s an artist. He admired a pendant I made for his granddaughter and invited me to see his work.”
“Watch that one,” Arengil warned, lowering his voice. “He invited someone we both know to see his ‘work,’ then tried to kiss him in the carriage.”
Una made a face. “But he’s old!”
Arengil snorted and tossed the long, fringed ends of his sen’gai back over his shoulder. “The old ones are the worst.” He looked around quickly, then confided, “I’ve heard a thing or two about Lord Orun. You must have been glad to be rid of him.”
Ki screwed his face up in disgust. “Old Slack Guts? I’d have put a knife in him! By the Four, Tobin, tell me he never—”
“No!” Tobin replied, shuddering at the thought. “He was bad enough without that.”
“And he’s gone, so forget him. Come on, Prince Tobin. Dance with me!” Una urged gaily, holding out a hand to him. “I don’t care if you step on my toes.”
Tobin shrank back. “No, thanks. I’ve had enough of being laughed at for tonight.” He hadn’t meant it to come out so gruffly, and he felt bad, seeing the laughter die in her eyes.
“It’s true,” said Ki, not noticing. “He’s like an ox on ice.”
“Really?” Arengil made a show of looking Tobin over. “You should be a natural, the way you fight and sit a horse.” Tobin shook his head but the older boy wouldn’t be put off. “You’ve got the balance and rhythm and that’s all you really need to dance. Come on, I want to try something.”
Ignoring Tobin’s protests, he led them to an unoccupied chamber down the corridor. The walls were decorated with battle trophies. Arengil took down two swords and tossed one to Tobin.
“Come on, my prince, partner me.” Arengil struck a defensive stance, as if they were going to practice.
“Here? There’s too much furniture in the way.”
The ’faie raised a challenging eyebrow. “Frightened, are we?”
Scowling, Tobin took his place facing him. “Are you saying I should attack my dancing partner with a sword? Because I might be able to manage that.”
“No, but it is similar. If I do this—” Arengil took a quick step forward, and Tobin fell back, braced to parry. “Right, you do that. And if you want to make me retreat?”
Tobin pushed the Aurënfaie’s blade with his own and made a quick feint. Arengil fell back a step. “Keep pressing. What next?”
Tobin made a quick succession of mock attacks, driving Arengil back across the room.
“Now let me drive you.” Slowly and deliberately, Arengil moved him backward. Reaching the place where they’d started, he lowered his weapon and bowed. “Thank you for the dance, my prince.”
Tobin rolled his eyes. “What are you talking about?”
“That’s brilliant!” Una exclaimed. “That’s all dancing is, Tobin. The lady responds to the step her partner takes. It’s just like sword fighting.”
Arengil tossed the sword to Ki and struck a dancing pose. Right hand raised, left at the small of his back, he shot Tobin another challenging look.
Feeling very silly, Tobin hesitantly took his place facing in the opposite direction and placed his right palm against Arengil’s.
“Good. Now, if I do this—” Arengil took a small step forward and pressed his hand against Tobin’s. “What must you do?”
Tobin took a step forward, then another and they circled one another. Arengil turned sharply on his heel and changed hands. Tobin followed awkwardly.
“You, too!” Una took Ki’s hand. A far more willing pupil, he wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her around, laughing.
Distracted, Tobin tripped over Arengil’s foot. The older boy caught him around the waist to steady him, and whispered, “Don’t worry. She won’t let Ki steal her away.” Giving Tobin a wink, he propelled him backward for a few steps. “I’m on the offensive now, pushing you. Unless you mean to fight me or fall over, you must allow yourself to be driven. Now let’s try this.”
He faced Tobin and raised both hands. Reluctantly, he did the same and stepped back on his left foot as Arengil stepped forward on his right.
And on it went, as they transformed one dance step after another into a battle drill. It was grim work, but Tobin did begin to see the patterns.
Ki and Una were making better progress. He whirled her around the room, whistling a country jig.
“But this isn’t really dancing. It’s too simple,” Tobin complained. He jerked a thumb at the others spinning past. “You have to add in all those jumps and twists and things.”
“Those are just the flourishes,” Arengil assured him. “As long as you remember the order of the steps and keep to the beat, it’s all just fancy advance and retreat.”
“That reminds me,” Una called, escaping Ki’s embrace to fan herself. “Can you teach me to fight by pretending we’re dancing?” She paused, and Tobin saw her smile falter again. “You haven’t forgotten your promise, have you?”
Glad of any excuse to escape the dancing lesson, Tobin grabbed up the discarded swords and handed one to her. Una’s skirts swirled around her as she took her stance and saluted him. When Tobin answered, she turned slightly and fell into a reasonably good defensive stance.
Arengil raised an eyebrow. “You want to learn swordplay?”
“I’ve warrior blood in my veins, the same as you!” she retorted.
Several revelers passed the doorway just then. “What’s this, a duel?” a man asked, grinning at the sight of Una with a sword.
“Just playing, Lord Evin,” she said, waving the blade clumsily about.
“Mind you don’t hurt her, boys,” the man warned, and disappeared after his companions. Una raised the blade again, steady this time.
“Do you think this is wise?” Arengil whispered. “It’s bad enough if word gets back to your father that you were alone in here with three boys. If he thought—”