The way to handle stupid people
Le fleur de chardon wasn't a big tavern but it was a lovely place to have a drink with some friends. Louise was in company of François de Poncy and three others musketeers. It was almost two weeks since Louise met François and she was beginning to wonder if there wasn't a way to earn some trust. The musketeer had presented the duellist to some of his colleague and they all seemed interested in her duel against Bianca.
"Congratulations on your victory mademoiselle", said Arnaud de Nemous, a rather small man with long dark hair. The woman besides him, as tall as him and with very long red hair, added : "And that guard, Bianca, was really a dangerous opponent. That poor Angélique wasn't her first victim."
"She is, I mean she was known to have fight and killed at least three musketeers" said the other woman, a named Alexandra de Mirecourt, while she passed her hand in her short hair dark as a raven. You would be more precise by saying eight musketeers killed, thought Louise. But as she wasn't supposed to have access to files from the Garde, she kept her thought to her. Finally, an occasion came to help her in her mission.
"It seems that now musketeers can be excited by some fencing rookie." It was told just loud enough to be heard from the musketeer's table. François and his colleagues turned immediately to see who just insulted them. At the next table sat a tall dark haired man with two female companions. By the way they surrounded him, Louise guessed that the trio was lovers.
"I think you're trying to insult us, monsieur, and I don't really like that. I think you'll need us an apology." said Arnaud, with an hand already on the hilt of his rapier. The man from the next table was smiling. Louise decided to call him Wannabe, as he was wearing a dark blue catsuit, almost as black as a guard's uniform. His girlfriends would then be Maid and Nurse, given their latex uniforms.
"Just name a time and a place and I'm your man", answered Wannabe. Before Arnaud could add anything, Louise had stood up.
"I think I'm the one in need of apology here. I'm the one whose fencing skill you're doubting after all." Both men looked at each other before agreeing she had her word in this.
"So mademoiselle, do you have a witness to organise our 'meeting'?" asked Wannabe. Louise caught its eyes taking a look at her wetlook leggings. You think it'll be an easy fight? She let him have his full share of looking before answering.
"Well, I was thinking of something else, something we could do here and now, if we're allowed to practice some fencing in the room?" She took a look at the musketeers. Besides them and Wannabe and his girls there were no customers. The evening was already becoming night and the usual patrons had already gone home. François nodded at her, looking curious, like the rest of the audience. Ok, let's see if that guy rise to the bait. "I propose a small challenge monsieur. We're going to have some fencing here and if you succeed to hit or disarm me once before I do thrice then you'll prove that I'm not such a good fencer and can continue to say whatever you want about me."
Wannabe raised an eyebrow. "And if you touch me thrice?"
"Then I'll hear no more of you, monsieur." answered the blonde duellist. She saw Wannabe thinking about it for a second. The challenge looked easier for him and perhaps he would say no, but she couldn't resist trying something like that. Come on guy, don't disappoint me.
"I'm ok with your idea, mademoiselle. You want to do it now?"
"Yes, here and now." Louise moved away from the tables and unsheathed her rapier, taking position. Wannabe gave a kiss to both girls, then faced Louise and took his blade. "En garde, monsieur!"
Louise attacked the first, trying something not too easy, but not really difficult, just to evaluate her opponent. The man parried with his blade then slashed at Louise's thigh. The young women just dodged it and stepped back. Ok, you know fencing 101. At their table, the musketeers gave an interested eyes to the move of the blades. Nurse and Maid seemed less interested by the art of fencing than by the way their man moved. Louise parried some attacks by Wannabe but eventually she dodged his blade and lunged to his left shoulder. The tip of her blade pierced lightly into the latex catsuit of the swordsman and a few drops of blood came out from the wound. Louise stepped back.
"That's one for me, monsieur." said the duellist. The man looked quite disturbed by the hitting. Louise's moves had been really fast for a few seconds. The musketeers seemed to appreciate the action, Wannabe's girlfriends not really.
