And the game of cat and mouse begins!

[Emmeline Vance]

Even though it was dusk and the sun was quickly setting over the horizon, that still did not stop Emmeline from working. With the military drills being over for the day, and the place more or less deprived of the knights and soldiers that would frequent the place during the morning hours, she felt that she could finally let her guard down and adorn herself in attire more befitting of a young woman. Now wearing a plain blue dress with simple brown overdress, the girl trotted out to her work station and lit a few lanterns to provide her with the light she needed.

Stooping down, she brought out a few helmets and breast plates she was asked to repair, although from the looks of things on the breast plate, she would have to reforge it, as it looked far too damaged to be fixed. Sitting down on a little wooden stool, she began to plan out her repair strategy.

[Benjamin James Fenwick]

Benjamin was most nervous, the brisk walk from the tavern that lead back to the camp ground having done little to settle his anxiety. It wasn't until Emmeline came into sight that Benjamin found his breath hitching, almost stopping entirely, and his hands clenching into fists. What if Caradoc was wrong? What if what women really wanted was the soothing, sweet lyrics of song, or enchanting verses of a poem? What if Emmeline found his attempts of apology not to her liking and wielded the same hammer she was using now against him? That would most definitely leave a mark--

With a shake of his head, Benjamin straightened himself, and narrowed his eyes. A Knight would worry not on such matters, and would make his appearance known without hesitance. He was a Knight now, or well on his way to becoming one, and so Benjamin forced himself on.

A smirk curled his lips into a half-smile as he approached, and the note that was jotted down only moments before was pulled from his pocket and left in his grasp (with trembling fingers, if one were to look close enough). Though it was entirely forgotten by the time he reached her. "I'm sorry," Benjamin blurted, gaze lifting to her own. "I wasn't -- your breasts, though as nice as they are, weren't meant to be used as leverage, I just-- no, no, that wasn't what I meant.. You see, you're nice, and I like you, and I didn't mean.."

And he still continued, until Benjamin found that his words were more than lacking. Keeping in mind what Caradoc had mentioned, Benjamin moved forward, grasped Emmeline's waist, and urged her into his arms.

[Emmeline Vance]

She had already started her work on the breast plates when she heard the faint sound of approaching footsteps. With the hour being relatively late, the girl was immediately on her guard, her hand clenching the heavy hammer just a little tighter as she turned to see who this unexpected visitor was. In these troubled times, Emmeline made it a rule to always be ready for a raid or invasion of sorts, refusing to be dependent on another to save her, and took on a stance of one who was more than ready to engage in combat.

Needless to say, the girl froze when she saw Benjamin approach her, the look she gave him was one that was about to hurl a bucket of ice cold water all over him. Still, she stopped what she was doing, placing her hammer down on her workstation as she wondered what else this young man intended to do to her. When he began to speak to her, however, the hard expression on her face began to soften considerably so, and the hint of a smile was even starting to appear on her lips the more the young man in front of her struggled with his words.

Of course, all of that changed when he suddenly moved forward, and being caught completely off guard, she was unable to escape his grasp. This was all very new to her, for no man had ever touched her in such a manner before, and Emmeline only had the chance to prevent him from drawing her closer to him by two well-placed hands against his chest. At that moment, the poor girl felt completely conflicted over this unexpected gesture on his behalf, and wanted to blush and box his ears simultaneously. "Benjamin," she said, saying his name for the first time that day and trying her best to control the urge to sock him in the eye, "what are you doing?"

[Benjamin James Fenwick]

"There's no need to lie, Emmeline. I know this is what a lass wants," and only to emphasize his point did Benjamin tighten his hold around her waist, fingers clasping together as they rested to the small of her back. With a bit of a smile he found her gaze with his own, and only upon realising the look on Emmeline's face was not at all similar to the one given by the barmaid, did he pause. "Caradoc said--" And with a grimace, Benjamin withdrew entirely, hands lifting as if to shield himself from the onslaught of what he knew would be Emmeline's attacks.

"He said that's the sort of thing you like, being claimed and all!"

[Emmeline Vance]

The look on Emmeline's face was clearly not one of amusement, although mercifully, the girl made no attempt to attack him in any way. She merely stood where she was, and when he released his hold on her, she spent a few tense moments looking at him, studying him wordlessly, before going back to work on the breast plate, the hammer now gripped tightly in her hand as she began reshaping the bit of armour.

"Did he?" she asked in a calm voice, although if one paid close attention, they could probably sense the fiery temper just bubbling beneath the cool exterior. "Is that what he told you about me?" The girl gave him a sweet smile...perhaps even too sweet of a smile. "I'm afraid Sir Caradoc's interactions with women are limited to barmaids and serving wenches," she said, chuckling softly. Then, putting down the mended breast plate, she approached him again, her hand playfully twirling the hammer as if it were nothing more than a mere stick. "And what do you think, Benjy?" asked Emmeline curiously. "Forget what my master told you. What do you think I like?"

[Benjamin James Fenwick]

There was something about the way Emmeline was twirling the hammer in her hand that made Benjamin shudder -- it was all he could do to keep from picturing it firmly thrust into the back of his skull, the lass who once seemed so innocent cackling at his death and hovering above him while she did so. With hands still firmly placed out in front of him, still in a vague attempt to protect himself from whatever it was she was about to do, Benjamin attempted what only ended up as a very sheepish and forced sort of smile.

"I don't--" pausing, he took a large step back at her advance, eyes widening even more than they had previously. "Personally I think you enjoy killing things."

[Emmeline Vance]

"Is that so?" Twirling the hammer for a few more moments, the girl brought the hammer behind her back as she clasped her two hands together, all the while taking one large step forward as Benjamin took a step back so that the distance between them remained the same. "Is that how you think of me? Is that how you view me?"

She studied him for a few more moments before walking away from him and went over to her work station, this time to begin her work on the helmets, hammering away furiously at the misshapen pieces of metal, sending bright orange sparks flying every time she struck the metal with her hammer. "Have you ever tried wooing a courtier?" asked Emmeline, punctuating her question with a piercing clang! as she struck the metal with her hammer. "A noble woman?" Clang! "Have you ever thought that perhaps someone like me might just possibly have more in common with them than the bar wenches you've just seen?" CLANG! "Because maybe....just maybe, I might actually like flowers!" CLANG! "Or words!" CLANG! "Just simple, thoughtful words!" CLANG! CLANG! "Only that nobody knows...because of this!" CLANG!

Striking the metal one final time, she set down the mended helmet in some water to cool and set the metal, then setting it aside. Breathing hard, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ears, her cheeks red from strength exertion. "I know I can't even compare to Princess Anastasie," she said, giving him a weary shrug of her shoulders, "yet I suppose, what I'm trying to say here is that first impressions aren't everything."

[Benjamin James Fenwick]

Was that really the wrong answer? Leave it to one Benjamin James Fenwick to choose the wrong bloody answer when it was so clear Emmeline was upset. With pursed lips, Benjamin found himself lingering a few feet away, waiting until it was obvious she had calmed down enough that his approach would not send her into another fit of rage -- thereby killing him. A brutal death by an angry lady was not something Benjamin truly wanted on his record, he looked bad enough as it was.

"Em," he began a second or so later, his thoughts of flailing hammers having ceased for the time being. The smile he gave now was much more genuine and (albeit with hesitancy), Benjamin reached out and rested a hand lightly to her arm. "I'm sorry. I was-- Caradoc swore up and down that all of you liked the same thing. How was I suppose to know the difference? I've never accidentally groped a noblewoman before. I'd have been hung."

[Emmeline Vance]

When he placed his hand on her arm, for a moment, it appeared as if Emmeline did not quite know how to comprehend his actions, for she was unable to recall the last time anyone had touched her in such a fashion. As far as she was concerned, most of the knights viewed her as Caradoc's squire and armourer, and interacted with her as such. Yet here, Benjamin was being gentle with her, and Emmeline did not really know how to respond accordingly. Even still, she did not flinch or doing anything of the sort. In fact, she was feeling quite bad for jumping all over him as she had.

"Well, you will be a knight one of these days," she answered, smiling softly, and putting down her tools and work, she took a step or two toward him. "Once you're a knight, you can go a-courting one of the royal courtiers. It happens all the time." She laughed soflty then. "So did my master send you over to practise with me? Have me act as your damsel in distress? That would be a hard role for me to take up, as I would rather fight by your side, but if that be my master's wish, I shall do it for you."