Bill and Katrin looked at each other, laughing all the while. Starting to get up, their movements were halted by the yell coming from across the grove. They looked up to see a young man in Renaissance garb running their way. "Ector..." Katrin muttered.

"Who?" Bill asked.

Before she could respond, Ector had caught up to them. He grabbed Katrin around the shoulders and quite literally hauled her off the ground and set her to one side. "Stay out of the way; I'll take care of this fiend!" he announced. Turning back around, Ector reached for Bill. Grasping him by the lapels of his coat, Ector pulled him off the ground as well, this time hauling him close. Katrin could see that Bill was glaring at his captor. Well, glaring wasn't quite it. It was more of an I'm-trying-not-to-lose-my-temper-because-there-has-to-be-a-rational-explanation-for-this-but-you-are-not-making-it-easy look in his eyes. She decided to put a stop to whatever was going on before it got out of hand. As though it hasn't already. That boy, I swear...

Ector opened his mouth to begin his lecture. Before he could get started, however, a tap on the shoulder interrupted him. He suddenly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Somehow, he knew that the person who was behind him was not pleased. It couldn't be Kati, because I'm helping her, he thought. Ector turned his head, slowly. Then again, maybe it could...

Bill took advantage of Ector's distraction to gently remove his hands from his jacket. He took a step to the side to see what had caused the distraction. He raised an eyebrow at the scene in front of him and grinned.

Ector looked as though he had been caught trying to get into the Restricted Section of the library after being told off numerous times for doing it before. He looked quite sheepish, and a little nervous. Bill really could not blame him, and felt a little sorry for the young man. Katrin was about two feet away from Ector. She had drawn herself upright, looking quite tall (though she wasn't really) and... imperial. Her left arm crossed her body, right elbow leaning against the back of her hand. Her right hand rested against her chin and mouth, index finger tapping lightly on her cheekbone. One eyebrow was raised and she was looking at Ector with something that looked like a mixture of disdain and disappointment.

"Well, well, well. Ector." Katrin started. She realised by her tone that her voice had gone cold. And probably my stare as well. Hmmm... Who do I remind me of? She chuckled internally. "And just what did you think you were doing?"

Ector swallowed hard. This was not the reaction he was expecting. "I um well I saw and I thought and um... helping?"

"Ah. Of course. 'Helping'. Now then, for the past few years I have tolerated this protective regiment you and some of the other boys have created. And while the prevention of true harm is one thing, misinterpreting a harmless situation is another. Especially when that means mauling a bystander and a patron of the Faire." She dropped one hand and wagged a finger at him with another. "Tsk tsk... I should see that you are dropped head first into the B--"

"No!" Ector sounded horrified. Katrin just raised the other eyebrow. "Not that! Not another dunking in the Barrel of Shame!" Bill looked back and forth at them a tad confused. What in the world is a Barrel of Shame? "Come on, Kati... I had to go through that already three times and it was so embarrassing. I'm really sorry. I won't butt in again without thinking first."

Katrin looked at him for a moment and sighed. "Well, alright. But don't let it happen again." Ector nodded. "Oh and Ector... It was supposed to be embarrassing. Hence the name?" She grinned at him then started to chuckle.

Ector just stared at Katrin for a moment and then smiled back. He turned to Bill and grinned sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that. I get carried away sometimes."

"No problem," Bill grinned back and was about to say something else when a loud bell clanging interrupted him.

"Oh, I have to go. Parade. Bye!" With that, Ector ran off leaving the two of them alone again.

Bill and Katrin looked after him, the former slightly bewildered and the latter slightly bemused. Still chuckling, Katrin turned to Bill, "That bell is for the final parade. All the nobles walk around and then the Faire closes."

"Oh. Well I guess that means I should probably go then..."

"Aye, I suppose so..." She did not particularly want him to go, but couldn't think up an excuse to have him stay.

"But before I go, I have two questions."

"Alright"

"Um... would you like to go for tea or coffee or something some time this week?"

Katrin was delighted and smiled at that, but chose not to answer right away. "And the second question?"

No answer... bad sign? "What in the world is a 'Barrel of Shame'?"

She started laughing again. "I'll tell you about that over coffee at Alistair's tomorrow at eleven." They stood there for a moment just smiling at each other, and then the bell rang again. "Come on, let's go watch the parade, and I'll tell you how to get there."