You're a what?? [Thor and I]

Subject: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Thu Aug 28, 2008 9:50 pm

Alanna of Andor was already awake when the sun peeked in through her chamber's window. She was in her night-dress still, a large broadsword in hand. The weapon was nearly as large as she was, but her handled with deftly and familiarly. The girl had been using the sword since she was elven. It helped build up the strength in her arms and upper body. She shifted effortlessly from one stance to the other. After several moments, she came to a rest and lowered the massive blade. Sweat glistened on her forehead and trickled down the sides of her face. She sheathed the weapon and put it on her bed.

She got dressed quickly, knowing the servants would be coming soon to bring her water to wash with. It was an old routine. She pulled on a loose tunic just as she heard a knock on the door. She opened it quickly, grinning up at the grizzled old servant holding a basin of water. He smiled fondly at her and stepped in past her. "Dunna ye ever sleep in, lad?" He set the basin in her small washroom, taking the old one and emptying out her chamberpot.

Alanna shrugged. "You know I never like to miss the sunrise, Gaston."

The old man snorted and shook his balding head at her. "You'll end up killing yourself if you don't get enough sleep, Squire Alan." Her heart skipped a beat. She still felt a thrill at being called a squire. The old man bowed stiffly and left her to wash.

Alanna, or Alan as everyone knew her in the Palace, was living a lie. She had disguised herself as a boy and came to the Palace when she was eleven in order to become a knight. Her father was a scholar and took little notice of her doings or whereabouts. As far as he was concerned, she was at a convent learning to be a Lady. That was not the sort of life Alanna wanted. She had always loved hunting and learning to fight. It was her dream to become a knight, and she was almost there.

She washed quickly and dressed in a plain tan tunic and leather breeches. She planned out going out to the fencing yards and keeping her training up. She needed to be in tip top shape in case a Knight finally came to ask her to be his squire. She brushed her hair quickly, barely sparing a glance in the mirror before tugging her boots on.

Alanna was thin young woman, fifteen years of age. She was tall for her age, but slender. The boys always made fun of her, saying she had the build of a girl, not knowing of course, that she was a girl. Her skin was darkened by hours of hard work and practicing in the sun. Her coal black hair was cropped short like the other boys'. Over all she looked like a pretty young man. She often wore a scowl or a mischievous grin on her lips to distract people from her looks. She couldn't afford people thinking she looked like a girl. It was bad enough that her chest was growing. She had bind her chest in yards of cloth so no one would notice.

Strapping her sword on her waist, she jogged out the door towards the practice yards.

You're a what?? [Thor and I] Th_CASKA04dairysorbet

You're a what?? [Thor and I] Th_2545736688

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Fri Aug 29, 2008 11:24 am

https://2img.net/h/i33.photobucket.com/albums/d90/Finch2/BarbarianKnight1.jpg

Sire Darko Risto was known far and wide as a great and fearsome knight. He has fought in many shield walls, and he was always the first one to break through the other side's wall. Ever since he had become a knight, he served under one lord, Lord Damion Verit. Under his lordship, Darko trained and fought; his skills with the blade became renown. With each passing year under his Lordship, Darko became stronger and wealthier. At twenty-five years, he was already being sung by the poets and traveling minstrels.They sung of how his broad sword, Dragon-Sting, would flash through a body, slicing into the person's flesh and smashing their bone. While he did use the broad sword alot, he was also a fan of his axe, Skull-Crusher, and his short sword, Dragon-Tooth. In a shield wall, it wasn't wise to use a longer sword since the swinger did not have enough room to put a lot of force into the blow, so Darko used a shorter sword instead so that he could jab under the shield's rim and into a person's gut.

Drako's last squire, a brave lad named Gregory, had recently expired. Gregory was incredibly brave, but he was also reckless and stupid. When Drako was fighting in a shield wall, Gregory had decided he was going to fight beside his lord and so he came running up behind Drako with a spear, intent on skewering someone. Poor Gregory never saw the ax blade coming, and so it slammed home into his head, breaking through the poor helmet he had donned, his flesh and bone and into his brain. Of course Drako was saddened by his loss, but the boy was an idiot for running into a battle when he wasn't ready for it. However, the boy did at least die a warrior's death unlike a lot of others who perished.

That is what brought Sire Drako Risto to the training compound, he was in search for a new squire, perhaps someone who was a bit less brave and a tad more rational. All the boys had lined up on the training squire at the command of their master, "Students! Today we are receiving a great honor, the knight Sire Drako Risto has graced us with his presence and has decided to use our training compound to find his new squire." The master bowed and presented Drako.

Drako stepped up, his armor shining brilliantly. He must have looked like a Warrior God to those children, he was truly dressed to kill. At the bottom of his mail shirt, the part that escaped his armor, were several symbols attached to it. Each symbol was taken from some knight he had killed, most of them crosses while a few were the symbols of the old gods, the gods that Drako followed. "Alright boys, as you master said I am looking for a new squire and so there shall be a competition today. It will consist of three parts, a melee, an archery bout and a running competition. You might be thinking this will be easy, scoffing to your self. However, I can ensure you that none of this will be easy for anyone. Eat your breakfast and prepare your self in which ever way you choose for the first bout will start in a hour's time." Drako then stepped back and allowed the master to step up again and dismiss his students to their breakfast.

(sorry if it isn't to your standard)

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Fri Aug 29, 2008 4:41 pm

Since Alanna had already eaten breakfast, she stayed in the practice yards while the other squires rushed off to the squire's mess hall for breakfast. They were whispering excitedly among themselves, all imagining what it would be like to be the famous Sir Darko's squire. Alanna wasn't one of them, she watched the knight, her dark face expressionless. She had heard the knight's last squire had died. Not uncommon since Scanra was invading again this year and the realm's knights were off to the north defending it, but knights were supposed to keep their squires out of serious battles unless they knew they could handle it.

Sir Darko's squire obviously had not been up to the task.

A hand rapped her hard on the back, and she turned to see her large friend Raoul grinning down at her. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, nearly engulfing her in his huge arms. Raoul was the biggest squire at court. He had started his training late and was now seventeen to her fourteen. She and Raoul had become fast friends. She liked Raoul's quick wit and easy smile and he liked her in tern for her sharp tongue and fiery temper. He grinned down at her and ruffled her hair playfully. "What's the matter, Alan? Don't like the famous Sir Darko?" Like everyone else in the Palace, Raoul too thought she was a boy. She hated herself for lying to her friend, but she couldn't let the truth slip now.

"Its not that," she said. "I was just thinking about his last squire."

Raoul nodded somberly. "Poor lad. I heard he caught an axe to the head." He have her shoulder a small squeeze. "Don't worry though. Sir Darko wouldn't pick a little tyke like you." He chuckled and grinned at her ruefully. By this time, Alanna was used to those sort of remarks. She was the smallest 'boy' in the palace. Everyone made remarks about her stature.

The boys were coming back down from the mess hall and assembling a line in front of Sir Darko and their instructor. Lord Reuel was the Master of Arms and in charge of training the pages and squires until a knight took them. He was a broad old man, with a vicious scar down the right side of his face, pulling his mouth down into a grimace. He bellowed for them to fetch their bows. Alanna shrugged Raoul's arm off her and trotted off to get her own.

The archery and running tests weren't so bad. She was the best in archery and came in fifth out of fifteen in the running. It was the sparring that made her sweat. She felt herself turning hot and cold with terror. She hadn't fought freestyle -- without each pass and move already assigned to her by Reuel -- since that awful first bout just the year before. She had dome drill -- endless repetition of the same movement -- or one-on-one "plotted fighting" in which each member of the team had to make a certain set of movements dictated by Reuel, while the other member used the countermoves Reuel had given him. That sort of thing went back and forth between two duelers all afternoon, and it certainly didn't prepare anymore for freestyle dueling. In addition, she had her night practice and morning practice, but she was always alone, and it was only drill. Alanna drew deep breaths, feeling faint until at last her name was called.

"Andor!" Lord Reuel bellowed. "Malven!"

Alanna grimaced to herself. Roger of Malven had been her bitter enemy since her first day in the palace. They had gotten into several brawls, none on which she had won. The last had ended with her arm being broken. She looked the other squire over. He was a head taller than she was, with broad shoulders and strong arms, but he was overconfident.

Alanna and Roger stepped to the center of the yard, their unsheathed swords pointing down. Alanna fingered the ember-stone on her sword, Lightning, nervously, wishing she felt calmer. Reuel stood a little bit off.

"Are you prepared?"

The both faced him and bowed, then saluted him with their swords. Quickly, they bowed and saluted each other, then moved until they were just a sword's length apart.

"Cross your weapons," Reuel ordered. Alanna and Roger obeyed. The bigger squire had a nasty smirk twisting his lips, eyes alight with the chance to do Alanna harm. "Do honor to the laws of chivalry and to the customs of you land. Guard!"

Roger swung his blade around, meeting Alanna's with a clear, ringing sound. He bore down, trying to force her sword to the floor. Alanna gritted her teeth and held, the muscles in her arms screaming. Roger's eyes widened, she was much stronger than she looked. He broke away and circled her.

"Prepare to die, boy!"

Alanna did not reply. It was custom to yell insults and challenges at an opponent, but she had always thought this was a waste of breath. She had also noticed that her unusual silence made her opponents nervous. Instead, she watched Roger steadily, waiting for the movement of the torso that would give his next thrust away.

He whipped his sword down and in, Alanna struck it away and slid her own blade straight toward Roger's heart, ready to pull back if she had it. Roger stepped back hurriedly, and Alanna lunged back before she went off-balance.

"A child's trick," Roger scoffed.

Lord Reuel winked at Sir Darko. "That 'child's trick' nearly worked," he murmured, to the younger knight.

Roger was circling and talking, trying to keep Alanna distracted until he spotted her weakness. He lunged in and back with great speed, searching for her one failure to fend him off. Alanna parried these blows and watched for an opening she would use to knock the sword from his hand: she wanted no bloodshed. Sweat trickling down her cheeks, making her nervous. What if it got in her eyes? It was no comfort that Roger's shirt and tunic were soaked through on the chest and between his shoulder blades, or that he was breathing in deep, heavy gasps. Alanna grinned to herself. He should have begun fencing with a broad sword, she thought. Then he wouldn't be so tired now.

Frantic, Roger insulted her ancestors, her mother, her looks. Alanna ignored him, far more worried about the sweat she could feel on her forehead. The only sound in the yards was the padding of their boots and Roger's harsh breathing. Alanna spotted a chance and lunged desperately causing Roger to stumble back. She tried to wipe her face on her sleeve while she recovered.

She wasn't quick enough. With a yell of triumph the bigger squire darted forward. She stepped back too slowly, the tip of Roger's sword sank deep into her right arm below the elbow. Cursing her bad timing, Alanna lowered her blade. She had lost. According to the rules, Roger had won by drawing first blood. The fight was over.

He lunged for her chest, his eyes wide and crazy. Alanna jumped aside, just missing dying on Malven's sword.

"Foul!" Raoul yelled, furious. Others joined him, yelling "Foul!"

Roger ignored them. He circled Alanna, searching for another opening. Lord Reuel strode forward, his sword shimmering in his fist. He obviously planned to end the fight, and from the look on his face, if Roger got hurt it would be too bad for him!

Alanna stopped her teacher with a shake of her head. A cold, glittering fury filled her chest. She loved the laws of chivalry, and this barbarian had just broken them. He would play for that, and pay well.

Slowly she stepped back and away from Roger, painfully transferring Lightning into her left hand. Blood dripped onto the floor from her right arm.

Raoul shouted encouragement as Alanna lunged forward viciously. Lightning met Roger's sword with a crash. Instantly she pulled away, then thrust in again. The other squire blocked clumsily, falling back as she bore in on him. Her sword never stopped moving; she never stopped looking for an opening There is was!

She brought Lightning down, under and up, catching Roger's hilt and yanking the sword from his hand. It went flying. In his haste to escape, the boy stumbled, falling flat. Alanna darted forward to press Lightning's brightly gleaming point into Roger's throat. The boy looked up into the coldest eyes he ever hoped to see.

"Stupid," Alanna told him quietly, her voice shaking with fury. "That was very stupid. And you're lucky I'm a better 'knight' than you are, or you'd be dead," She turned contemptuously and walked back to her friends, letting Raoul brace her as Lord Reuel bound up her arm.

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Fri Aug 29, 2008 9:32 pm

Drako watched the race and the archery contest with some interest, but not a whole lot of it. It was the sparring contest he was most interested in. He noticed the two of them coming up to the sparring area. One was a larger kid, stout and tall with enough force to slam a spear into someone while the other was smaller, much more lithe and agile then the larger one. He watched them exchange blows again and again, the lithe one obviously practiced more then the larger one did as he could handle the blade with more familiarity then the larger one; however the larger one was more confident and had reason to be. If it was a wrestling match, it would have been over already as he could have simply over-powered the lithe one or just lay on top of Alann.

The blood had been drawn as the larger one gave a powerful thrust into the lithe one's right arm, his sword arm. 'Smart kid,' Drako noted. It was precisely what he would have done, gone for the sword arm. All of his respect went was killed when he kept attacking the lithe one. Yet, the wound to his sword arm did not stop Alan and he continued fighting with the left, until pinning him down with the sword at the big one's neck. 'Well, the small one is kinder then the larger one. That could prove problematic, but he is sure to be the better knight.' Drako stepped up now, "The competition is over, Alan will come with me to become a great knight or another body. Go get your things boy and say your good byes." Drako then turned to face the master, "Reuel, I seem to recall you teaching us better in my days as a squire." Drako had trained at Scanra as well, and his back still had some marks from the whips. "You should really go back to the whips, they make the better knight then words." Drako looked at Reuel again, "I hope I won't be back here in a few months Lord, Alan seems to be a bit smarter then the last one was. The kid was brave though, just too brave."

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Sun Aug 31, 2008 6:04 pm

Alanna looked up at Drako in mild surprise She was going to be Sir Drako's new squire? But why? She had lost the duel. Even if she had beaten Roger in the end, technically he had won first. She shook her head to clear it and her arm throbbed painfully in response. She felt Raoul's hands tighten on her shoulders and she twisted her head to look at him. His face was unreadable, but she could tell something was troubling him. She reached up and squeezed his hand with her good arm and pulled away from him. He looked down at her, an uneasy smile on his lips. She sighed and patted her friend on the shoulder before turning to walk back up to the Palace to pack her bags. She had been eager to gain a knight-master, but now that she had one, she was uneasy.

It didn't take long for her to pack, she didn't own much. Her eyes burned unexpectantly as she packed. She would miss the Palace and the people in it. Her teachers and mentors, and her friends. Raoul in particular. They probably wouldn't see each other again until they were knighted. The thought made her throat tighten. She would miss her big friends talent for making her laugh. When she was packed she went down to the stabled to saddle her mare.

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Mon Sep 01, 2008 11:52 am

Drako was already at the stable, atop his steed, Stamco. Stamco was a dark brown stallion and was raised to be around war fare. Anyone would pay well for the stallion as he doesn't buck away from fighting, but rather bite at the people trying to hurt his master. Stamco was not wearing any armor and so he did not look as threatening, but he would snap at any stable boy that came near him.

"Are you ready Alan?" Drako asked the new squire, without waiting for an answer he started speaking again, "listen here, I don't want you to be too brave. My last squire was too brave and it killed him. He picked up a spear and ran towards the other shield wall, and received an ax to the head for it. It was not my fault he died, and I will not mourn you if you do the same thing." Drako pushed his heels into Stamco's sides softly, the horse starting forward. "You will need to be able to cook, sew, and cauterize wounds. You will not touch my swords without my permission, before we leave the city we will go and get you proper weapons." The gates to the palace swung open as Drako and Alanna approached, "When there is a battle going on, you will stay in the camp until I think you are ready for the shield wall. Believe me, there is nothing like a shield wall. It is both the greatest thing, and the worst thing to be in." As they rode through the streets, Drako took some coins and gave them to the various beggars.

Soon enough the two of them were at the black smith's shoppe, Drako embraced the man. "Frederick! It has been a long time since I've last been in! How is the family?"

Frederick smiled back at Drako, the man was wearing a leather apron covered in the black powder of his art, "Indeed it has Drako. The boys are well enough, getting ready to start helping me out down here. The wife is getting fatter, I'm hoping for another son."

Drako listened intently to his friend, ignoring Alan for the moment, "That is good news Frederick. Send the wife a hello for me. Now it's time to talk business. This is my new squire," he said acknowledging Alan for the first time, "I need to make sure that he has the right tools for the trade. Do you have any blunted swords and axes lying around? We also need some shields, mostly old ratty ones if you have any but I do need two good ones. My last one got smashed in again."

Frederick nodded as he took mental notes of what Drako needed, "Alright, come back a little bit later, lets say an hour and I'll gather everything I can find for you."

"Thank you Frederick," Drako nodded again, handing the man a pouch with coins in it. "I trust you enough to take what you need. Alan, stay here with Frederick and help him find everything he needs." And with that, Drako left Alan and the Smithery and headed towards the closest tavern.

Subject: Re: You're a what?? [Thor and I] Thu Sep 04, 2008 12:31 pm

When she had her mare, Peachblossom, saddled she followed her new knight-master into the city silently, listening to what he said. She gripped Lightning's hilt tightly. She had proper weapons... Lightning was perfect for her, it fit her hand like it was made for her. She wouldn't give up her sword without a fight. She would use other weapons of course, but she would never give up Lightning.

For the most part, she let Drako talk, murmuring 'yessirs' and 'nosirs' at the appropriate moments. She wasn't a talkative person, even less so around strangers. When they reached the blacksmith's, she dismounted and took Stamco's reigns from her knight and holstered them to the post outside the smithy. She stood a polite distance away while Drako and this Frederick man got reacquainted. She knew when to keep silent or when to make herself known.

She bowed her knight-master out and took the bellows that Frederick offered her. She knew how to work the bellows. Reuel wouldn't let them near a sword until they had learned how to make one. One cannot master something without knowledge of how it was made. She kept the flames at a decent temperature, following Frederick's orders silently until Drako saw fit to return for her.

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