Male Stories
                         IV. The Knight
     Sir Peter Bennot fought back a strong urge to sneeze. He was in
the company of others, he was on top his horse, and his helmet was on. He
was not about to let himself sneeze then and there; it just wasn't right.
Feeling the need grow stronger and stronger, he was sure he couldn't
hold it back for long, so he pulled back on the reins and dug his heels in
to the sides of his horse to halt. The others about him stopped, as well.
"Go up to yon hill top and wait for me there. *sniff* I have much to take
care of this moment." Hidden by his helmet, he was contorting his face
into strange positions, to make the sneeze stay in a few moments longer.
The band rode off; his squire, alone, stayed behind with him.
     With learned quickness, Sir Peter dismounted and shook off his
helmet. Leaning back in full armor against a tree, he let the sneezes that
were filling his nose come as they pleased, exploding out of him like
demons.
     His squire took out a cloth carried especially for Sir Peter and his
newly acquired cold, and stood on tip-toes to reach him. The squire
wiped the knight's face and runny nose with care. "Bless you, dear Sir
Peter."
     He sniffed and looked down. "Thank you, Lady Elizabeth."
     She blushed as she raised her pouch of water to his lips. "'Tis my
job, Sir, to tend to you as need. I require no thanks for that."
     Sir Peter swallowed and shivered in his armor. "The others all
thought me daft for- Ah-choo! *sniff*sniff* -taking a lady on as a
squire, but I've come toooaahhh-CHOO! -realize it the best decision I've
ever made. *sniff* None other could care- ah-choo! ah-choo! -for me with
such strength and tenderness. Ah-choo! You've proven yourself to me
more than once."
     Lady Elizabeth smiled. "'Tis your fever talking on me like that, Sir.
Seems to me I have earned my keep as many times as given you cause to
discharge me."
     Sir Peter sneezed again and again. His squire held the cloth up to
his face for him to sneeze into. "Ah-choo! Ahhh-Choo! AH-CHOO!" She
then held it right up to his nose and he blew hard into it. "I'b dode do
less thad-"
     The Lady giggled softly, holding the cloth up for him. "Blow more. I
can't understand a word you're saying."
     He obeyed, less congested afterwards but still sniffing the
stuffiness away as it came. "I've done no less than scale the *sniff*
highest mountains of Endar, *sniff* battled an ogre and a giant with my
sword in my *sniff* right *sniff* hand and held off the ahhh-ahhh-AH-
CHOO! *sniff* held off the oceans with my left, yet I can barely *sniff*
function with just a *sniff* simple cold."
     "There's naught simple about it," she replied, wiping perspiration
from his burning brow. "And you won't be conquering it by riding 
around all day in this cold weather, wearing yourself out, that much I
know for sure."
     He sneezed again, and then again. Elizabeth undid the joints and
buckles to his metal armor gloves. He put a finger under his nose and
rubbed, trying to rub away the tickles as they came. "And what do
*sniff* you suggest?"
     She shrugged. "It's only a suggestion, Sir, but my father's brother
is a blacksmith in the next town and has a barn large enough to hold us
all. I'm sure he could put us up a night or two with enough provisions.
You could get some much-needed rest. And we could wait out the storm
Marcus predicted would be coming tonight."
     The knight considered, then nodded. "I shall speak with the
others, ahhh-aaahhhh-CHOO! and then *sniff* give my decision. We have
lingered behind long enough. Ah-Ahh-AH-CHOO! They should be to the
hill top by now."
     The squire helped him back on with his gloves and helmet, and then
back onto his horse. She jumped onto the back of the horse, holding
tight to his armored body as they galloped up to mean the others and
discuss the evening plans.

                    *          *           *
     "Ah-CHOO!" Sir Peter gave into a clean handkerchief. He'd been
sneezing for over ten minutes straight, much to his embarrassment. The
company had discovered his illness in no time, and had delivered their
sympathies while keeping a safe distance, which was not too difficult as
the barn they'd been put up in was rather large.
     "'Twas nice that he let us stay, was it not, Sir Peter?" Lady
Elizabeth said, trying to keep her master talking pleasantly.
     He nodded. "Aye."
     "And the dinner he severed was nice. Was it not?"
     He nodded again. "Aye."
     She felt his cheeks and forehead, then stroked his head like a
owner would a pet. "Do you feel very horrible, Sir Peter?"
     He nodded. "Aye."  He grimaced and looked up at her with child-
like eyes. "I'm glad you're here, Elizabeth."
     She felt her heart skip a beat. He'd never called her so before; it
had always been squire or Lady, rarely Lady Elizabeth... but now just
her first name... it just wasn't done. How was she to take it? "Um... 'tis
my job, Sir Peter."
     He nodded. "Aye."  She shivered from the cold air and her master
noticed, and then commented. "You're cold?"
     "No, not really." She had given him her cloak earlier that night
when all his armor was removed. "Besides, you need it much more than I
do."
     He nodded and burst into more sneezing. "Ah-choo! Ah-choo!"
     She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and brought his hand
and handkerchief up to his nose mouth. "I don't want to catch your cold,
Sir Peter."
     He nodded as he sneezed, unable to answer. "Ahhh-chooo! AH-choo!
AH-CHOOO! Ah-Ah-AH-CHOOOO!"
     "How is he?" she heard a loud voice ask from across the room.
     Lady Elizabeth looked up to see Sir Reginald piling wood on the
fire. She answered loudly enough for him to hear her, "My master is ill.
Same as before. Yourself?"
     He looked a little shocked at her question, but answered. "Well, of
course."
     She stood, patting Sir Peter on the back, reassuring him that she
would return quickly, and walked to Sir Reginald, curtsying politely in
front of him. ""Tis good, Sir Reginald DeMonde. You look pale, only. I do
not know why I thought to ask, except that I do not want you to take ill
as well."
     Sir Reginald was silent for a moment, then he said in a soft whisper,
"It shows, then?"
     Lady Elizabeth checked to make sure none were watching, then she
felt his forehead, finding it hot, as hot as her master's own. "How long?
And how many others?"
     He shook his head. "Headache for a few hours, other feelings just
within this last one. As for the others of the company, I know not. Sir
Charles' squire complained of feeling poorly, and is asleep now, I do
believe. But as for the knights, I can but guess; they keep as much as
they can private, you understand."
     "I do," she said, knowingly. She'd been squire to one for four
years, after all. She took from him the wood and set it down, free to lead
him to a spot nearer to the fire. "Remain here and keep yourself warm. I
must go talk to my uncle and tend to Sir Peter now."
     Sir Reginald nodded. "Aye, Lady, I will do as you say."
     She swallowed, thinking about how many of them were in the band,
and how many sniffling, sneezing noses that would be to tend to, and she
the only woman.
                    *           *          *
     "Good eve, Uncle Vicent," she said with a curtsy. "I'm glad to have
caught you before you went to bed."
     "Good eve to you, Niece. May I be of further help?"
     Elizabeth bit her lip. "Well, several of the company have taken ill
with sniffles and colds and fevers, my master Sir Peter Bennot, included.
Should you have any extra blankets or items of the sort, they would be
greatly needed." The moment she finished asking, she felt poorly for
doing so. Her uncle was not a rich man, his household small. She knew
the provisions alone for the men for the few days they'd be staying was
nearly enough to drain him. To ask about such frivolous things as
blankets should not have been done.
     But her uncle was kind and gave her as many as she could carry
out to the barn, and then took the remaining few, himself. They two
distributed what they could to those who were in need, and then her
uncle left, leaving her alone with a barn of patients, though she knew
she would be tending to them all in the hours that followed, she only
truly cared for one in particular.
     She went to Sir Reginald to find him asleep under a blanket,
snoring softly. Then Elizabeth went to her master with the remaining
blanket, walking through the crinkling barn hay as softly as she could
so as not to disturb others around her, and possible Sir Peter himself,
should he too be asleep.
     Lady Elizabeth heard him sneezing before she could see him. He
had a welcome-sounding sneeze, compared to the few she could hear
around her. Most men's sneezes were loud, piercing, sounding almost like
coughs or sounding too nasal to be sneezes at all. But Sir Peter's were
different. They were strong but quiet, softly flying out of him like a
delicate breath. Lady Elizabeth turned round the corner and paused to
watch him in secret. His eyes were shut and stayed that way, though
they squeezed tighter as he sneezed each out. His face would grow tense,
his mouth and nose opened and with each release all would relax again,
peaceful yet expecting and ready for the next big one to hit. She
watched him a while, observing the beautiful pattern, and then went to
him.
     Scolding, she made her presence known. "Tisk, tisk. How many
times do I need to tell you to cover your nose when you sneeze, Sir
Peter? You're as bad as a little boy."
     Sir Peter looked up at her, a smile spreading over his face. "Ah-
Choo! I'm glaaahh-Choo! glad you're back Ah-CHOO! Ah-Choo-Ah-Choo!
ah-CHOO! Lady E-e-e-ahh-ahhh-ahhh-CHOOO!"
     Lady Elizabeth sat down beside him, stroking his head, consoling
him. "'Tis my job, Sir Peter. 'Tis my job."