The Immovable Object

[neav]

Neav ran through the market-place, a copper coin held tight in his hand. He was in a joyful mood, and skipped past the people as though he were a horse instead of a boy.
There had been a mule, standing stubborn and immovable and blocking the way, Neav had convinced it to walk on. This party trick was becoming a common sight to the stall-holders of Camelot; but they did always seem to enjoy watching it. This time the owner of the stubborn animal had given him a coin for his skill. Neav grinned. He was heading to the end of the market where he knew he could get cheep carrots. It was a sweet treat for the horses, and one he bought for them whenever he could.

Neav passed a horse, a shaggy-maned working animal. He turned his head to watch it without slowing his pace. Some mistake. The next second he had slammed into someone very big and very solid. Neav staggered, almost fell but saved himself.
"Sorry, sir!" he gasped out, feeling rather winded. Then he stepped as if to continue his run. He had not much time.

Tag: Vaughn

[Vaughn Adeney]

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Vaughn was still in Camelot. It was not as if he particularly liked this city, but it was busy enough for him to find some entertainment in. Especially with the strict laws it imposed. The strictness would only make it more fun to break them. He was initially sitting, looking around and surveying the crowd. While he did not speak much, his mind was constantly working, trying to plan things out. When he decided to go for a drink, or maybe just wander aimlessly around the city, he stood up and paused for a moment, only to have something bump into him.

He spun around, looking at a small boy. His expression was unreadable before he broke into a crooked smile. "Why, that is quite alright. Are you hurt at all?" Truthfully, Vaughn did not care. He was not a polite, caring kind of person but he ensured his question was asked with a false concern that he forced, appearing to actually be worried for the well being of this boy.

[]

[neav]

"No - no, I'm not hurt," Neav said, though the way he clutched his chest as he dragged breath back into his squashed lungs made his words seem a lie. As he waited the moments it would take for him to be able to run on, he stared up at this giant of a man with who he had collided. Neav did remember seeing him before. However, that did not really mean much. Neav had an appalling memory for faces, though he remembered well every horse that he met.

He took a last, deep ragged breath.
"I'm sorry I never looked where I ran, sir." Neav finished, and crouched to pick up his copper coin. He had dropped it at the man's feet in the crash.


((That is ok. And I am so very sorry for the shortness of my post... I think my imagination is tired today. ))

[Vaughn Adeney]

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Was Vaughn truly concerned by the boy's well being? No. So he just continued to look at the child, with a fake smile. The boy was winded, and now was perhaps the best time to take advantage of his opportune moment. "What if I were to say that I do not accept your apology." Vaughn's smile was still there, but it became a bit more sinister. The place was too crowded and so any hostile act would gain the attention of others and besides, who would not run to the aid of a young boy.

Vaughn then grabbed the boy by his shirt and pushed him into an abandoned alley way. He pushed him against the wall, and in one swift motion, pulled out a small dagger he had tucked in his waist band. "I am not really a forgiving sort of person," he told the child. He held the blade in a horizontal position and had it pressed against the child's throat, but not hard enough so that it would cut it. Not yet anyway.

[neav]

"What if I were to say that I do not accept your apology."

Neav slowly stood back up, uncertainty clear on his face. The giant-man still smiled as he said it... was it a joke? Surely people did not refuse an apology for something so small as a crash. But even as he thought the self-comforting words, a chill of fear began to grow inside him. Something was not right. Neav took half a step back... and suddenly, moving faster than he would have thought possible, the man grabbed his shirt and hauled him into the nearest alley. It was narrow and dark, thick with shadows. Any happens would be passed unnoticed by the people on the busy streets.

Neav tried to cried out but his throat would not work. Any words seemed caught behind a huge swelling of fear in his throat. He struggled, twisting desperately in the man's hold but he may as well not have bothered for all the good it did. The stranger was unbelievably strong, easily pinning him to the wall. Neav felt the stone scrape roughly against his back. He tried to twist away again - and suddenly fell still, almost paralysed with fear.

The cold edge of a knife was pressed against his throat.
Neav's eyes grew so wide they threatened to swallow his face.
"Please," he whispered, suddenly finding his voice. The speaking made the knife painful against his skin. "I did nothing wrong..."

[Vaughn Adeney]

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

Seeing the fear in the boy's eyes, only encouraged Vaughn. He was the kind of sadistic person who fed off of one's fear and discomfort because for him, it was entertaining and his only form of amusement that this dull world had to offer. Everyone reacted to danger differently, and he very much enjoyed seeing the diversity of such reactions. Vaughn's smirk only increased when the boy pleaded and claimed he did nothing wrong. Vaugh knew he had done nothing wrong. But the boy's mistake was forcing Vaughn's attention to him. That was all the reason he needed to make him a target of Vaughn's bullying.

"Such a polite child," Vaughn commented sarcastically. "Polite, yet clumsy. But now that you said please, of course I will let you go." Vaughn's voice was filled with sarcasm. He never quite understood the reason that victims begged for their life or freedom. As if the attacker would care that the person was saying please and thank you. They were empty words, spoken as a result from pure desperation.

[neav]

Neav's mind was in a whirring panic. This kind of thing did not happen to him. His whole life had been spent with horses, with their closeness and their protection. If he was in trouble, someone would hit him and then it would be over. No one had ever pressed a knife up to his throat or threatened him when he had done nothing at all.

As the stranger he would let him go, Neav's heart leapt - only to come sinking back down again. The man showed no sign of making good his words. Neav's mind began to whirl again. The man must want something! If it was not an apology, what was it? He could hardly think that Neav would have money. It was obvious from the first glance that the boy had none.
Yet Neav suddenly thought he did not dare to stay silent. What if the stranger grew bored and killed him? With that terrible thought in his mind, Neav forced himself to speak again.
"What... what do you want from me?" he whispered. "I have not got anything..."

[Vaughn Adeney]

Every man must decide
whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism
or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you not to lie?" He said in an accusatory tone, yet he was anything but offended. A man with such few morals, was not offended by a mere lie. People lied all the time. Every was a hypocrite in one way or another. What Vaughn enjoyed doing was catching people in their lie and this case, though he knew the boy probably meant it, he was going to use a little something against him. "Did you not just have at least one coin a moment ago? And here you are, telling me that you have nothing." Vaughn shook his head in disapproval.

"I've killed men for less insolence...boys too." That was a bit of a stretch, though he spoke with dead seriousness. Vaughn would not lose sleep if he were to kill this boy, but he needed a stronger motive. He pushed the knife a bit deeper, creating a small cut but nothing life threatening. He was just trying to emphasis his point. Whatever that point was.

[neav]

Neav bit his lip, eyes wide with panic. He had not meant to lie! When he said he had nothing, of course he had meant that he had nothing worth stealing. Nothing worth killing for! Sure, he had that single coin still tight in his fist but it would buy no more than four of the cheapest carrots. It was so unfair to call him out as lying for that!

"I didn't mean - I haven't - I don't - " Neav began incoherently, ending in a sharp hiss of pain as the knife cut his skin. Tears sprang to his eyes. This was so unfair! He was going to die for nothing and who would look after his horses then? Who would calm Gillyflower's nerves, help Hemlock with her next foal?
The pain and hopelessness of it all snapped something deep inside. A wave of panic raced from him, catching every horse in Camelot. The effect was instant.
In the far away stables the grooms had the shock of their lives as every single horse screamed. Chaos grew as horses kicked at stable doors, tugged at ropes as they tried to free themselves and race to the cause of that helpless cry. In the market mules brayed. Packhorses were suddenly wild and two of them broke free. With clattering hooves and screams of both horse and people, the runaways raced for a certain small alley...

When so reliaztion hit Neav, knocking his terror off sideways. This alleyway was too narrow. The horses could not come here! Any that did would find walls pressing tight against their flanks, would hurt themselves in their panic...
With a great effort, Neav shut off his silent scream. The horses skidded to a halt, turning their heads this way and that in their confusion. Where had their direction gone? And with no direction, they allowed themselves to be caught. People everywhere grumbled as wondered what could have spooked all their horses so suddenly.

In the dark alley, Neav's eyes were suddenly like chits of ice. He felt himself in the grip of his cold, endless temper. This man, this stranger who would kill for the smallest coin, had almost caused Neav to hurt his beloved horses.
The boy's voice was frost as he pressed the coin against the man's arm.
"You are welcome to my coin," temper making his head clear enough to think. "I wish you the joy of it. Just take your knife away from my neck and I will do whatever you wish." Now he spoke as those the blood trickling slowly down his neck was someone else's, not much to do with him at all. The change from the frightened child to this cold-eyes was amazing.

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

The boy's stammering and obvious uneasiness was what fueled Vaughn. He was highly amused by his stuttering. He was after all a boy. Vaughn was not sure what more to expect from him. Yet, he would still bully him and instill some fear into the child. And the suddenly he changed his tone. As if a switch within him had been altered. This only further amused Vaughn and he began to chuckle. "A coin? That is all you offer me in exchange for your life? Surely you believe it to be worth more. Otherwise, you are just a sad, pathetic excuse for a future man."

Vaughn had no care towards the boy or anyone else for that matter. No one was innocent. No one deserved more than anyone else. It was his cynical viewpoint of the world that encouraged such dark thoughts in the knight's mind. "It does not seem like you are in position to be making demands boy." He pushed the knife a bit closer, though at an angle so that it would not cut his neck. He was not planning to physically hurt the child, unless he provoked him to the point of doing so. "What makes you so bold to presume that you have the authority to tell me what to do?"

[neav]

Neav did not answer the stranger's scornful comments about his single coin. He had thought it would be obvious that he had no real money. His tunic and breeches were twice-worn, cast off from grooms so much larger than he that the sleeves and legs had to be hacked shorter. And though his boots did fit, they were worn right to holes. If the stranger was real after money, he would not have chosen Neav.

And then the knife was pushed even closer though it did not deepen the cut. Even in his cold anger, Neav felt his stomach clench.
"No," he said evenly. "I am in no position at all to make demands. But you don't leave me much choice! You are not telling me what you want! So what am I supposed to do?"

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

"What do you do to earn your living, boy?" Vaughn asked in an even tempered voice. He did not overreact to situations, nor did he express any anger. His voice was often leveled and emotionless, and right now was no exception. He wanted whatever the boy had to offer. To have control over someone was Vaughn's greatest amusement in life. He had it when he blackmailed a noble, he had it when he helped kidnap someone for ransom, and now he had it when holding a knife against the boy's throat.

To Vaughn, life was a game. To a man who feared nothing, not even death, he tended to be reckless and disregard the emotions and feelings of others. This is what justified his ability to threaten even a child's life with no reluctance or compassion.

[neav]

The blood from the cut was seeping into his shirt collar now. Neav swallowed and then regretted it with a hiss through his teeth. That action had made the blade cut deeper. Glad that at least the strange man had asked him a question he could properly answer, Neav said,
"I Prince Arthur's stable-boy," he said softly. "And I care for all the horses in the Castle."

He was not sure why the man wanted to know this. If he tried to get him to hurt one of the horses he cared for... Neav would rather die.

((Sorry it is so short... My imagination is sleeping. ))

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

He was a stable boy? For the Prince of Camelot? Oh this was perfect. What good fortune had come in meeting this boy. Vaughn had so many options, he needed to narrow it down to see how he wanted to proceed. He began to distance the dagger a bit, but not to the point of seeming less threatening. So a stable boy. Responsible for the horses. Now Vaughn knew what he wanted.

"I want a horse then," he told him. Vaughn did not actually. But because the boy cared after them, that was the only reason Vaughn had said he wanted one. Little did he know just how much the boy cared for the horses. They were just animals to the nomadic knight and therefore, did not mean anything to him, other than being a means of transportation and for that reason he would feed them and allow them to rest. But he did not go out of his way to show them any compassion and extra special care. "And not just any horse. One of the Prince's or King's horse." If he was their stable boy, that meant he had access to them, and so now did Vaughn.

[[ No problem. I know the feeling. ]]

[neav]

Oh. Oh no. He wanted a horse? One of Prince Arthur's, or the King's horses...
A list of their names flooded his mind. Comet, Tempest, Noble, Rising Sun, Kingfisher, Flyaway, Chanter...
This was very bad.
There was no doubt that Neav could get him one. No one would question him if he took one of the horses from their stalls; he was always doing it. But Neav would not give a single one of his precious friends over to this man! This man who pressed a knife to his throat, who threatened wicked things... No. It was unthinkable.

But here was he, with a knife against him (though no longer cutting him was still threateningly close) and no way of protecting himself. o Neav swallowed again. He had to agree. He had no intention of giving up one of his friends, but to save his life now he had to agree.

"Yes..." he said, his expression so pained. Even to pretend he was giving up one of his horses was terrible. "I could get you a horse but... the Prince... the King... they would kill me...." He faded to a whisper, mind and heart racing. It was true. They would, if Neav actually did such a dreadful thing.
But he would not. If only he could get away from the man's knife, he would find some way of stopping this... He had to.

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

Vaughn chuckled as the boy began to explain that the king or prince could kill him for it. "Well that is not my concern now is it." He could not care less if the boy died for helping him steal a horse. The point would be that Vaughn got the horse and put the boy in a difficult position. His ruthless behavior often found situations like these as the most satisfactory. What other enjoyments did life have to offer? None.

"The way I see it you have two options. Either die here immediately, by my hand." While he said this, he once again held up the knife, waving it around right in Neav's line of sight. "Or, you can give me a horse and risk death by the King's hand." He smirked, either option worked for him. Neither were really that good for Neav. "The choice is yours. You best decide quickly for your own sake. While I could wait here all day, I am certain you have places to be, stables to clean, and your presence will be questioned." But not discovered as Vaughn planned to keep him in this abandoned alley way for as long as possible.

[neav]

Neav's eyes anxiously followed the waving blade. He did not doubt that the man would kill him, given even half an excuse. He did not at all understand why, but then, he never did really understand people. They were all so complicated. As for the two options... they were hardly options. Die now, or perhaps die in a little while? It was no choice.

But when the man mentioned that he was sure Neav ought to be about his duties already, the boy gasped in horror.
"I am so late," he breathed. That was dreadful. He had been late for work only once before and had been given the most dreadful beating for it... Neav bit his lip. He had to get there now, as fast as possible!
"I will get you a horse," he gabbled, trying to edge away from the man. "I will get you Noble," he continued, naming the Prince's horse that was his closest friend. Noble listened to him unquestioningly, which would be important if they had to fool the wicked man. "He is the Prince's best charger, I am supposed to exercise him today..."

But how did the man want him to do it? How did the man suggest the horse was to change hands. Neav did not know how far through the plan he would have to go. Could he not just turn up at the stables, and stay there? The man could not hurt him in the busy work-place, could he?

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

Vaughn did not trust the boy. He did not trust anyone really, but he was not about to let this boy run off and leave him here waiting. Vaughn was not an idiot. "Before we go, I have two questions for you." He maintained a close distance to the child so that if he tried to run, Vaughn would not be out of reach from him. "First, since we skipped the introduction part of our meeting, what is your name?" It was easy enough to find him by asking for the stable boy, but Vaughn wanted to know just so his job would be all the more easier if it ever came that he needed to locate the boy.

"And secondly, do you like horses?" He expected both answers. He asked the questions far too casually for someone who held a firm grasp on a dagger, and had two swords strapped to his back. He would alter his plan according to the boy's answer. Either way, he would form a plan before blindly following the child to retrieve a horse that he did not even need.

[neav]

Two questions before they went? Neav bit back a sigh. He wanted to go now, before the man changed his mind and knifed him. Before he was so late that he would get a worse punishment than a simple beating.
"Neav," said Neav, obediently giving his name. And then, before the man could ask, "I have not got a last name."
He really did not want to have to say way. Explain that he was a foundling child, that no one even knew where he came from... Not that Neav really cared about his uncertain past. But he did not want just anybody knowing it.

The next question, however, took him by surprise. Did he like horses? Why would he want to know that? Perhaps he was wise to people who liked horses. Perhaps he knew that some people would rather die than give up a horse to a horrid stranger. But Neav could not lie about his passion. The boy never lied... and he knew if he tried he would never be believed. So instead he said,
"I have to like them. I work with them every single day."
Which was quite true without, Neav hoped, betraying his heart-felt passion. The boy tried to move away again. "Please..." he said. "Can I please go now? I am so late... I will be in so much trouble..."
He chewed his lip, truly anxious. Being hit was never fun.

[Vaughn Adeney]

::vaughn::

Neav. "Well Neav, I will be sure you remember your name." Vaughn may very well forget it. Though his memory was not terrible, he did not make it a habit to remember strangers names. He did not care enough about the people he encountered, but this boy, well, Vaughn find him highly entertaining. He did not return the favor however, not yet revealing his own name. He would build up to that. "Your tolerance for them must be very high then." The boy could be lying, or he could be telling the truth. Either way, Vaughn had a purpose for his question.

"If you try anything or draw the attention of anyone else, then I will ensure that one of the animals you are responsible for taking care of, does not make it out of the stable ever again." Yes, Vaughn was threatening a horse; an innocent animal. "Whether you like them or not, they are ultimately your responsibility as you are the stable boy. So I do not think the King or Prince will appreciate one of their prized animals turning up dead under your watch." Vaughn gave a sinister smile. "Are we clear on the terms, Neav?"