The Barker Street Irregulars case 2 A vision in pink

[Ranger Reid]

Reid nodded his thanks and fixed a plate of food.   He sat beside Toby and whispered "after we eat would you like to go out back and do a little fencing?"    Toby's reaction of confusion led Reid to add "play with swords I mean."

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard burst through the door of the club, a slightly mad look in his eyes "what's the case? Is it the one I think it is, please tell me it is the one I think it is, please! I'm dying to use my brain for something other than clue with my landlady..." he said very quickly. "did I here fencing? count me in!" He added, thinking of his new collapsible cutlass hanging on his belt.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid smiled.   "Bad penny.    I want to be sure Celia approves, but we each could tutor Toby a little in what we know, and that might help him down the road."  seeing the excitement in the young boy's face the ranger added. "Probably should have asked HER first.  Might be drama now."

[MWBailey]

"Well, I say 'Capital idea!' in any case. If young Toby's to be accompanying Lady Celia and teh rest of our little horde, he should know his way around a bit of weaponry." Marley said, while occasionally surreptitiously glancing about.

Temporal incursions could be tiny wormholes, too miniscule to allow anything but air or the lack of it through, or they could signal major influxes of persons or objects that could make a Temporal Knight's life even more complicated than usual - and it was damnably hard to say what category any of them fell into before something untoward happened - or failed to do so.

Even so, Marley, beingthe pragmatic sort, heaped a plate with meat and bread, took a seat and a glass, and began wolfing down the repast. One could never tell how long it would be before something went BANG! and cut the meal short...

[walking stick]

Beety arrived looking so completely elegant no one could imagine how she had lugged such a large hamper along with her. Handing out fencing masks and quilted jackets she said, "Save the risks for when you have to take them."  Turning to look at the lost young man in green she wondered if anybody else saw what was so different about him.

[MWBailey]

Oh, well, Mollesley's had us Knights chasing the more time-related idiots since almnost a decade ago." Marley answered Celia. "That's how I ended up being changed into a raven that time." He looked to Bill, who had emerged and was perched atop a bust of some philospher or other, eating a blob of marzipan he'd stolen form the cake on the sideboard. Say, Bill, was that why your mum said to watch me? Is she Mama Esme?

"Eshme'sh dead these two years, she eshcapped n' got run over by a omnybush." Bill said in his customary cockney, around a beakful of marzipan. Shorry Looby, thoughtchernoo."

Marley looked dubiously at the fencing mask in his hand. "No, I didn't," he answered sadly. "Gods, I hate helms," he muttered. "Can't see worth a fart - he remambered suddenly that he was in the company of ladies. "-thing." he added, just barely in time for it to be obvious (hopefully) that what he had actually said was "farthing."

In any case, he donned the jacket and suffered the mask, and tested the foil that he was given. "Dear me, a button-end." he said, watching how the blob on the end of the blade  bounced around when he manipulated the foil.

Then he noticed the green-coated lad for the first time.

"Excuse me, young fellow, are you lost?" Dear merciful purgatory, he's got Elf ears! Marley thought incredulously. Temporal incursion, I do believe I'm looking right at you...

[CPT_J_Percell]

Once the others had entered the club, the soldier in red nodded to the older officer and headed to the club and knocked on the door. He stood there nervously and waited for someone to open the door.

*****

"That's him?" asked Mr smith from the rear of the alley.
James stood up, adjusted his uniform and turned around, "Thats your new charge Captain Smith!"
"I'm not ...." Mr Smith suddenly realised that James Purcell was is Uniform and decorated as a Highlord of the Albion Alliance. Without thinking, he snapped too attention, "Sorry sir, didn't realise you were here on official business."
James handed a pouch to Mr Smith, "Congratulations, inside this is your orders and grant of Promotion along with your pay and order for him. He will now be reporting to you and permanently stationed in this time period."
"Yes sir!" Mr Smith said snapping off a salut, "Are you not staying sir?"
James Smiled and put a hand on Mr Smith's shoulders, "I'm sure that no matter what happens Jerramia, I'm sure that you and Sergeant Tobias will be able to handle everything."
"Including his home coming?"
James lips curled in a sinister smile, "I suggest that you go home and change and be back to stop them attacking the shard, and make sure that he is made welcome here."
"Yes sir Jerramia said as Highlord James Purcell disappeared into the fog.

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

"I don't know about you Reid, but I get the feeling you also are not keen on wearing a mask while fencing..." said Mallard with a sly smile "what d'ya say we go out back and do some proper sword play, no masks, sharp blades, the first person to land a cut that draws blood wins." he said, donning his quilted pauldron, attached to a sleeve and gauntlet. He threw Reid one as well.

[Ranger Reid]

Reid watched out of the corner of his eye as Toby tossed down the mask almost exactly as Mallard had done.

"You know Mall,"  the ranger winked at the detective, "I believe we should focus on our student.  And we will observe the basics."  Saying this, Reid picked up a full set, mask, grieves, chest guard and saber and started for the back of the property.

He didn't need to watch as the young boy did likewise.

On instinct, the ranger grabbed three stout canes out of the umbrella bin by the door.

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia weighted her options carefully and looked at Toby. He was growing up and becoming a young man even if he would always be her baby she had to let him do things on his own.  "Toby darling please be careful and as respectful of their teaching as you would be of mine."  Celia was not going to cry because her little boy was growing up but she would hug him extra close and kiss the top of his head extra long.  "If I hear back from them that you were insubordinate with any of them you are in big trouble. Understand?'

"Yes mama. Thanks." He said excited.

Celia looked at Reid. "I know my son is in good hands with you."

"Mallard we have been tasked with solving the oddest art heist I have ever heard of. Let me have a bit of lunch bees got in the way of me eating earlier and I am famished."  Just as she set down to eat she heard the door.  "Marley could you get that I think it may be James."

Celia picked at her food.  She was distracted by the letter This was the first time she had gotten correspondence from the head mage of another country. With some nervousness she used her butter knife to open the seal. "They aren't sending you home Abraham they want you to work with me. Something about being divinely touched or at least I think that is what that word is, Norway has it own language for dealing with magic and I am beyond rusty.  Well about anything other than trolls because we have had problems here every so often with them."

[Ranger Reid]

Reid, Mallard and Toby made it out to a small garden.  It was beautiful, if a bit unkempt.  Reid thought it reminded him of Celia herself.  There was a charm that a lot of people would miss simply because it wasn't manicured like most other gardens.

Reid tossed the gear to one side, and looked at an old cherry tree.   He reached up, and with his dagger cut off a short limb that was as straight as possible.
He quickly stripped it to a decent state.

The ranger handed a cane to Mallard, and kept one for himself.  To Toby he handed the wooden stick. 

Reid smiled at the detective and saluted him in the french style.

[MWBailey]

Having gotten not much answer as to whom the green-coated lad was, and realizing the others were on their way out back, Marley turned to go, first propping the mask up on his forehead so he wouldn't trip over something on the way, and then went to the door at the sound of a repeated knock.

"Hello-!" Marley said as he opened the door. "Yes, come in, young fellow," he said, noting the red jacket with the dragon insignia. The Pendragon! He realized with a start. Marley had only seen one such uniform before, a long time in the future from the current present. He also noted the fellow's features. Holy Smiths! another  elf type. "Miss Celia, Beety, I think this fellow might be here for you." He made a short, military-style bow, and added, Malrey Whippett, Knight Temporal and Linnaeus Guardsman. Please, young fellow, address yourself to the ladies, there. I assure you they are of great authority and importance in this era and stream. I have other business to attend to."

Marley excused himself and continued out back, to find Reid, Mallard and Toby already at it. "Sorry to be late," he said, "But The club's got another visitor. From the future, if I'm any judge. he loundged against a stack of empty crates and watched the martial education of young Toby commence...

[Prof. Isambard Ravenwood]

Mallard Returned the saluted, and both at the same time said "En garde". They both adopted their respective stances, reflective of their much different training, east and west. Reid had both hands on his cane, much like the samurai fighting stance, whereas Mallard held his cane with one hand, and held his free hand raised, ready to grapple with Reid if necessary. Mallard mat the first move, a simple lunge, thrusting towards Reid's chest. This was casually blocked. They started to circle, and Mallard swung down from above. Reid blocked this also, and they locked blades. Mallard pushed Reid's cane to the ground, but Reid slid his blade out from under Mallard's and attempted to slice diagonally up across his torso. Mallard jumped backwards narrowly avoiding the slash. "Touche' " said Mallard, with a slight grin.

[Stella Gaslight]

Toby watched eyes sharp trying to learn as much as he could.  It looked like the way Reid was holding his cane led to more powerful swipes but Mallard had more flexibility.  Toby knew he didn't have nearly the reach of the older men but what he did have was a smaller body to strike and more space to doge.  He had used that to his advantage in the one fight he had been in.  An older boy stole his candy and would not give it back so Toby had socked him in the nose snatched his candy back and ran home.  Not much of a fight at all realy but mama was so worried for him he tried to avoid fights after that.

"Hello." Celia said looking over the young man in red.  "Do I know you?'

[MWBailey]

"D' you see what they're doing, lad?" Marley asked, sidling up to Toby. Look how Mallard slides Reid's blade aside. Not much like the slash-and smack they show in the dreadfuls, is it? He looked at Toby's smaller frame am dnoted that teh cane looked a bit lrge for him. He decided it might be good for teh lad to use a big stick for now; it just might help him build arm strength, which he would need for swordplay with a blade like Reid's. He knelt and took his favorite spanner from his sock yet again (a new one; the other had been left at The Golden Tower, gods only knew what had become of it), and struck it on teh ground four times,; what metamorphosed into his hand became a round-edged fencing bastard sword, with a guard much like that of Reid's katana.

"I'm hardly a katana master," he said, "more of a knightly pigsticker, pardon the term. But, I'll bet we can spar anyway. Would you like to?"

[Stella Gaslight]

"Yes sir.  I need to learn how to defend Mama."  He looked at his stick and then at Marley wondering where he could reach on the larger man.

[MWBailey]

"Never assume your opponent is unassailable," Maqrley said. Now, we must observe the niceties. firt: salute! he showed Toby how to do so, then atf er several instructional practices, he siad, now, then, let's salute for real, and come at me! He did something then that perhaps was not entirely kosher, but the lad wasn't going to be fighting fairminded opponents all th etime, so he figured it was better to go ahead and let him learn that lesson soon. marley swept the tip down in the ending movemnet of the salute, then in the Spanish epee style, whipped the tip back around lighning-quick and deftly (but ever so gently) snagged and twirled Toby's cane such that he lost control and was disarmed, the cane flying away to impact the back wall of teh club and fall to the alley cobbles with a clatter.

Sorry, Young Toby, but you won't be facing fairminded knights and moble samurai all the time. Always be ready for a trick! that's the most common kind, there, every fop with a blade tries it almost every time. Now, come at me!

[Ranger Reid]

Reid saw that Toby's attention was being split between so many actions and stopped.  He went and sat cross legged on the ground.  After a while, the action stopped in the yard.   

Reid stood, and asked Toby to come face him.    "Hold the sword with your hand at belly button level, centered on your body, tip up and pointed a little forward."

"This is your middle ready position."  Toby complied.  Reid watched carefully and made a small adjustment.

"Don't think, just react"  Saying this, the ranger took a slow swipe at the boy's left shoulder.  On instinct the child blocked it.

"Now, as soon as you make your block, return to the middle ready position.  Each time I make you move, do it, but then return."

The ranger continued to swing moderately at the boy from different angles, and explain as he went.  Very quickly Toby had mastered the basic 8 blocks.  Reid kept praising him when he would do well, and calmly correcting small errors.

Reid called for a break.   "Well, I think we have covered good ground for today.  I think we could do just this for another week or two.  Does anyone have anything else to add to our basics?  If not we can go in and see what the others are doing."

[Ranger Reid]

As he worked with Toby, Reid had a vision of himself in Japan.  Kamatsu was the first and only person that he had ever found that had a similar ability with metal.  It was the old man who made the young Reid hold the sword in his bare hand and wait for the metal to speak to him.   It was a year of discovery as the boy very quickly became a master swordsman, and grew to love the old man.

Reid also grew to love his best friend Tomo, but those thoughts were too painful.  Visions of the fight, and cutting his best friend down flooded Reid's mind.  He had to pause, and focus on Toby and Celia to chase away the horrible memories.

Reid was actually very please that he had been able to get through the lesson without the memory overwhelming him.   Maybe he was learning something new too.

[Steampunk Away]

Abraham casually watched the teachings and approached Celia slowly, "Ms. Celia, if I could have a word right now."

[Stella Gaslight]

Celia was happy to see that Toby looked like he was having fun.  The young man in green was sitting politely with Beety while the  one in red looked a bit unsure but was eating a bit of cake.  "Yes Abraham would you like to step in to the parlour?"

[Steampunk Away]

"That may be the best idea mi'lady"

Abraham entered the house and took a seat in the parlor, jittering as he did.

[Stella Gaslight]

The parlour was all done up in green with sunlight steaming in. "I am guessing you had no idea that letter was coming?"

[Steampunk Away]

"Very little idea, and I am afraid my current state will prevent me from leaving." Abraham showed his blackened neck o Celia, his female companion giving a gasp.

[Stella Gaslight]

"Am I mistaken or are you manifesting something?"  She wondered if he wanted to be a vessel or not.  either way this could be tricky.

"Reid can you teach me that spinning thing you used to save mama?"  Toby had tried it many time in his room but he just ended up hitting himself most of the time.