Of Pawns and Repetition

Author's note: This was the result from the following prompts on my Tumblr: Ser Max, pawns being annoying, random animals.

"It's weak to fire!"

"Careful, a goblin!"

"Even in numbers, a weakling is a weakling still!"

When the Captain of the Wyrm Hunt had requested that the Arisen accompany him to the Greatwall Encampment, he had been confident that the young man and his pawns would not turn the job down. After all, the Arisen seemed to be a most helpful and capable man and had successfully completed several other similar requests. Ser Maximilian had also heard that the pawns who accompanied the Arisen were similarly capable, and would do their all to defend their charges.

"Fire works well!"

"Goblin!"

The pawns were indeed capable, of that he had no doubt.

"Careful, a goblin!"

"My attack did nothing!"

He simply had no idea the pawns were also annoyingly repetitive.

"Doesn't that bother you?" he finally asked the Arisen when the skirmish against the goblin pack was over.

"What?" the Arisen replied, seemingly in genuine confusion.

He felt slightly guilty, but went ahead and said, "The pawns' chatter. I wish no offence, for they are very skilled armed companions, but they seem to be fond of… repeating certain things."

The Arisen rolled his eyes. "Oh. That." He shrugged before he said, "I admit, it did vex me at first, but I have simply gotten used to it."

"I see," Ser Maximilian replied, though he privately felt that if he were in the Arisen's place, he would have gone insane, or at the very least regularly sported bruises on his forehead from repeatedly hitting his head against a tree.

The party decided to take a short rest from their journey for a meal and a chance to rest their weary limbs. Ser Maximilian was a trifle surprised to see that the pawns not only ate and drank like humans, but some of them had appetites to rival humans as well.

"Where is the Arisen?" he asked the pawns when he realised that the young man was nowhere in sight.

"Master said he wanted to hunt for a while," one of them answered.

"Hunt? But we've already some provisions," he replied, puzzled.

"That was what the Master told us."

He shook his head. It made no sense to hunt some game, not when the party was already rather well-stocked with food. Now curious, he decided that perhaps it was best to see how the Arisen was doing, and set off in the direction one of the pawns pointed out for him.

"ARGH!"

The Arisen! Was the young man in danger? He quickly drew his sword and ran towards the sound of the voice, only to witness a most baffling scene.

The Arisen was definitely not in danger, but the same could not be said for the small boars he was flinging about.

"I know wolves hunt in packs! You don't have to keep reminding me!" the younger man yelled as he tossed a very confused boar into the air. It landed with a loud grunt and somehow managed to get to its feet and run away even in its daze.

Ser Maximilian blinked.

"And stop telling me you're soaked in water! I never asked you to get yourselves drenched!"

Another wild hog soared, its legs flailing in vain.

"And I know the stupid lizard's tail is severed! I was the one who cut it off!" the Arisen continued to yell as he raised one more hog high above his head, then turned, ready to toss the animal.

Ser Maximilian was glad that he did not, for the small boar would have likely landed on his face.

"Um," the Arisen said, flushing guiltily, still holding the boar. The animal squealed.

"Your pawns said you went off to hunt. I must say this is a most… irregular way of hunting," said the captain, trying very hard not to laugh.

"Um," the Arisen said again, completely scarlet as he lowered the little hog and held it close to his chest. The hog squealed again, more loudly.

"Gotten used to the pawns' chatter?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

The Arisen did not say anything this time, but he let the confused hog go. The animal quickly ran off, relieved to be away from the strange humans.

"Well, I suppose this is still less painful than repeatedly bashing your head against a tree."

The young man coughed and could only give the captain a weak grin in reply.