He slowed to a walk as he turned the last corner on his way to the gate. As he walked that last stretch, he concentrated on controlling his breathing so that the Terranan guard wouldn't guess that he had been running; he almost succeeded in doing so by the time he reached the gate. "I am here to see Mestra MacDonald," Gwenn announced in cahuenga.
The guard looked down at the small person who'd just addressed him. It was that same pretty boy from the other night; the one who looked far too young to have any right to that uniform he wore. The name rang a bell in his memory. That was the cute little clerk who was new in Records -- the one who'd told him earlier that she was expecting company that evening.
He wondered what sort of business this boy might have with her. Some of his fellow Terranan had no better sense than to fraternize with the locals and pick up their customs. Even worse, some of them had blood relatives and/or lovers among them. He didn't like it, not at all. There ought to be regulations against such things.
He frowned, before saying gruffly "Eh, chiyu, if you're the MacConal lad, then you may wait here for her. Otherwise, be off with you. Nobody gets through these gates without official permission".
Gwenn blew air through his cheeks, making a rude sound of displeasure, and placed his hand on his knife. "Aye, right enou' I'm _the MacConal lad_, an' I wasna' askin' permission to pass yer gates. An' if ye'll be calling strangers 'chiyu', ye'd best be willing t'fight for the right!". Gwenn's eyes hardened as he prepared for a fight.
Kay hurried towards the gate ... it seemed that time had flown far too quickly that afternoon ... As soon as she came within sight of the gate, she spotted the large figure of the guard confronting a smaller figure. *Goddess ha' mercy*, she thought to herself, quickly speeding up into a run. Finally she got close enough to see that it was indeed her friend who awaited her.
Out of the corner of his eye, Gwenn noticed someone moving quickly toward the gate and altered his stance to bring the person into his view. As the person got closer, he thought he recognized Kay's figure and gait. He relaxed his fighting stance slightly, while still keeping a close eye on the guard.
Kay's fear suddenly crystallized into a flare of fierce anger. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL DO YOU TWO THINK YOU'RE DOING ? STAND DOWN, BOTH OF YOU !!". she yelled at the top of her lungs. Both young men turned to stare at her as she came to a stop beside them. It was as if a small kitten had suddenly turned into a huge-and-hungry mountain cat. Even Kay hereself was surprised that she dared to do such a thing.
Gwenn jumped and almost pulled his knife in reflex. He stared at Kay as if she had suddenly grown another head...and two more arms...and two more legs....
Frowning with dissaproval, Kay let go of her skirt, having pulled it up around her waist so as to run more quickly. Its folds quickly swirled down to hide her longjohns. "May God and Goddess have mercy and preserve me from the folly of young mens' pride and tempers", Kay exclaimed vigourously, anger still overriding her normal shy politeness. "I'll not ask WHY you two were ready to go at each other. My ears heard more than enough of it already, and I do NOT wish to hear any more". At this, Gwenn had the grace to look embarrassed.
Taking a deep breath, Kay grasped the reins of her temper more tightly. "I asked you to keep an eye out for my guest -- NOT to damn well insult him", she scolded the guard, deliberately speaking the words in Terran Standard, "You shame your uniform by such disgraceful behaviour. And if it is beyond your pride to apologize, then at least go back about your business. Do I need to be asking your name ?". She paused, as if daring him to add to her annoyance, then continued in cahuenga "Or will you drop your quarrel ?".
Gwenn watched in amazement as Kay dressed down the guard, but said nothing yet. That was some temper, and he didn't particularly care to see it turned upon himself as well.
Reaching into her waist-pouch, Kay pulled out a plastic-coated card and thrust it at the guard. It listed a description matching that of the lad who'd threatened him (and who was still giving him a very unfriendly stare), and stated that one "G. MacConal" was the guest of Terran Citizen Kay MacDonald and was to be permitted unlimited admittance to all public areas of the spaceport.
Seeing this, the guard frowned, then grudgingly stepped out of Gwenn's path, giving a brief nod -- but offering no word of apology. He'd been cited twice already within this last tenday, and could oot afford another reprimand so soon. But it was NOT enough to make him hide his own private opinions.
Kay then turned to Gwenn. "I am sorry that I did not arrive sooner, my friend", she said softly, continuing back in cahuenga. "Will you drop this matter as well ? Perhaps the quarrel was based partially on a misunderstanding. By Terran law, a person must be the equivalent of eighteen Terran years in order to be considered legally an adult. So, even though you are adult by Darkovan law, Terranan law still counts you as a minor".
She paused for amoment, then added "I too have run into the diffuculty of needing to prove that I am older than I appear. Yet you are obviously no small child, and he should not have spoken as he did". "Aye," Gwenn replied, still feeling quite justifiably insulted, "since he wasna' willing to earn the right to address me as he did." Gwenn glanced disdainfully at the guard, and received an equally-unfriendly glance in return.
Kay handed Gwenn the card in her hand. "Keep this document with you", came her explanation, "it identifies you as my guest and entitles you to pass through the gates while in the company of a Terran Citizen. Though I must caution you that I will be legally responsible for any action you take while you are on Terran Empire territory".
Gwenn let go of the hilt of his knife and took the card, looking at it. "I'll try to nae embarrass you, Mestra MacDonald, or get you into any blood-feuds or challenges." Gwenn didn't know what to do with the card, so he continued to hold it.
"Of course ", came a pleased reply, "if I had not expected such an answer, then I wouldn't have gotten you an id card. It wasn't easy to get either. You can hang it on your belt, or stick it in a pouch (or pocket) -- it doesn't have to stay in your hand".
She then grinned warmly and added "I had hoped that you might wish to come dine with me in my quarters --- the food arrived from the kitchen of the Roasted Lamb less than a quarter of a candlemark ago".
"Oh, uh, w-well, is it n-nae improper? I m-mean, w-we're nae kin, and, w-well, do you have a ch-chaperone?" Gwenn stuttered in confusion.
Kay frowned. A chaperone ? What kind of reish was THIS ? She was all ready to tell Gwenn what she thought of THAT idea, when it occured to her that a renewed bad temper might not be the best way around the problem.
Horses are easier led with apples instead of whips, her old gran had often said. Kay giggled at the memory. A very mischievous grin spead across her face. "Since this is legally Terranan soil, why not try following OUR customs ? Friends surely need no protection from each other, do they ?", she inquired in a friendly-teasing way, but low enough so that no other ears could overhear.
"So, will ye be proper ... or sensible ?", she prompted her friend, then took a step towards where her dinner (and hopefully his too) was waiting.
Gwenn was taken aback. As he suspected, there would be no chaperone--most unsuitable for a young unmarried female. What had friendship to do with it? he wondered. But then Kay had a point. Gwenn was no longer on Darkovan soil. "Well...I'll be properly sensible. Dinner it is," he said with a grin. "Ellyots won't march to a Bayerd tune--at least, not wi'out a lot o'promtin'!" He then followed Kay further into the spaceport.