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Cedric was scared shitless. That is, not only was he surprised, but he didn't have the time to make the connection that it was probably Ross, it being Ross' room.

He had his sword out in a smooth motion, though Ross could feel his shoulders move of course, and looked to be about to take his "Attacker"s head off.

By the time he was disarmed, Cedric at least knew who was doing it. He was a little surprised to be pushed, though. There were no rules for an engagement like this, not ones he knew, any way. It wasn't as simple as a master and her slave, where the slave knew his position and one could be expected to lose ones head for a stunt like this. It was not as simple as equals, either, though they were both slaves. Cedric lived in a sort of favor with the head of the compound, but Ross had a position that was equal or higher to Cedric's because of his responsibilities for their safty (or, rather, he was about to have).

So, when he was pushed, he stumbled backwards. He didn't even think of attacking back, not wanting to be in a fight with no rules-- or in a fight with Ross, for that matter.

When Ross turn to him, Cedric was crouched on the floor in a submissive manner, although it was also a position he could make trouble from if he was stupid enough. "Ross, I didn't know it was you." He pulled a knife out of his belt and stuck it between the floor boards angrily. "Would you like all my weapons? Might as well-- son of a b***h, I'm sure you could beat me without any."

Cedric didn't look up at Ross, but settled on his knees and stared at the knife in the floor with the fight all gone out of him, but not the paranoia.

Cedric stood up as he took his sword back, sheathing it quickly, but leaving the knife in the floor. He stepped backwards and sat on Ross' bed. "You snuck up on me," he explained simply. His voice was hard and matter of fact, like a rock tumbling down a hill. "Nobody ever does that." Because he was a guard, probably.

It was possible that he was upset that he hadn't been able to defend himself adequately. What use was there in being a guard if some one could not only sneak up on you, but dodge your counter strike? Phooey.

Cedric tilted his head, looking Ross straight in the eye. His voice changed, more like the matter of fact of water tumbling down the same hill. "I say, I come here to see how you were doing, and nearly take your head off. You'd better say hello next time! Are they treating you well? I hear jealous whispers about you..."

Cedric dismissed the fact that he hadn't heard Ross with a shrug. Really, it was because he was tired, and he looked it.

"You're young. They're jealous. It's the same with me. I haven't had all the proper training for my position, yet Marean likes me just fine. She has slaves younger than me...but at least they're in training. You? You've had something most of them will never had. Jealousy is a given."

Cedric wasn't telling him who or what specifically because it hadn't been that long since Ross got there, and he figured that the jealous ones might get over it. Or, at least, there wasn't a good reason to tell him about fifteen people when fourteen of them were going to change their minds later and only the one might be dangerous. Cedric figured they'd love their new commander. They'd have a certain pride in him as one of the highest ranking males on the entire compound and one good at his job.

Cedric stood up and leaned over the bed. "I've met some of the pikes. They're lazy sonsofbitches, but I don't know why." He shrugged, lifting the matress up. "Picked up any of my bad habits, eh? Hiding things?"

Cedric replaced his matress and shrugged. He had been kidding any way. "You make sure they treat you well here, alright? I doubt I'll be able to hang around much."

While that was partly true, he also didn't want to hang around because he had the good sense to know that he would end up getting one or both of them in trouble at some point. "But you watch out. Some day I'll go up in a puff of smoke, and no more Cedric," he laughed.

"Hey," he wondered suddenly, "you can read, can't you?"

"I ask because that makes you one of the few," he said, a calm relief in his voice. "I can read, although I can read better in my first language. But I miss it. The books I'm let to read at the House are, uh, not my style. And there are some differences between the written language I learned and the dialect written here. I've been learning these differences, but very slowly. I guess I was wondering, if I ever left you a message, if you could read it."

Cedric smiled, his hand on his sword hilt. "We should practice sometime. I miss that, too. You're better than me for sure, now."

"You need to teach me those dirty tricks," Cedric answered almost grimly. "I've seen a few myself, recently." He edged towards the door. Did Ross really think they would go to war with ToK? Cedric didn't want to talk about that, and if that was where this conversation was headed, he would end it. I mean, it was his home country. It should be obvious that he still felt loyalty to it. And yet, this was Ross' place of birth, and Cedric didn't think it was safe to make his opinions real by saying them out loud.

Cedric gave an easy laugh and stopped. "No, I've never played it. I've heard of it though. I've done one better, and hunted actual deer before, but maybe the game is more fun than it sounds," he allowed. "There's a game kind of like it where I grew up, but it's called Bandits and the children play thieves and guardsmen."

He came closer with a shrug. "I never played it because I was too busy learning what a prince needs to know. My trainers had different games for me. And a prince can't play a bandit, any way."

( lol )