Fable - Ask The 44th

[Rhory Grimmere]

"Well! It will benefit them greatly then, once Arn bests the challenge! It's the small comforts which truly assuage harsh times."

"Such wise words." Rhory grinned. She placed no bets, only due to the fact she did not want her friend to see her making any and wondering which favour she was hoping this would go. "Besides, look at the size of Arn. He's going to need both sleeping rolls to accommodate his height."

The mountainous man known as Porridge grinned down at Arn.

"Oh, no. I thought he was smaller than that..." She winced, but would break into a large smile and blow Arn a kiss should he look their way. To Felix, who had wormed his way through the crowd to meet them, Rhory leaned over to murmur into his ear. "It is fortunate Owain isn't here or else he'd screw up Arn with the wrong advice. He looks nervous. Say something encouraging!"

 

[Kristen Pirian]

Who...on Arethil...gave that man the name of Porridge? The origins of nicknames were sometimes incredibly simple, but sometimes took on the mystery of myth. Kristen could hardly venture a guess as to the mindset of the man who so christened Porridge.

Even Rhory was astonished by the goliath Arn faced down in the makeshift ring of Guardsmen. While abroad in Elbion and Alliria, Kristen had encountered a popular notion among those foreign to Vel Anir that Anirians stood as some of the tallest humans in the world, their stature (so a good number of the locals attested) a full head at least above their contemporaries. Now, Kristen herself...was not the best Anirian to disabuse foreigners of this notion. But Porridge certainly wasn't the best Anirian at that.

Felix came back, practically brimming with confidence compared to Kristen and Rhory. And in reply to Felix she said, "Well, a classic tale would have it that the smaller man beats the larger."

This felt like a limp endorsement of Arn. Goodness. She could do better than that.

So Kristen cupped her hands about her mouth and shouted encouragement to Arn, calling, "The bigger they are, the harder they fall! Topple that mountain, Arn!"

Arn Felix Nevarre Rhory Grimmere