Post by The Stranger on Apr 1, 2008 10:59:10 GMT -5
Over another rock and past another tree he rode, his men desperately trying to keep up with him. Beric knew it was folly, but halfway through the journey he had spurred off, hoping to
get to Aryanna as quickly as possible. The path he had chosen had not been a safe one. He had jumped over streams and darted through thick woods. He was a good enough rider and he didn't
care for his surroundings. He was safe but now he suddenly thought of the twenty men that had come with him. Sighing, Beric slowed his horse and turned around. Five men had been keeping
up pretty well with him; the others he saw far in the distance. The captain of the men, who was among the five, gave him a grim smile. "You sure ride like the stranger is after you."
"No, Ser. I am the stranger." He was in no mood for talk and chose what he thought was the best thing to say to stop the man from talking to him. He was wrong. "Hah! Who could the stranger possibly be running away from?". The man scratched his ear, pulled out a flask and drank deeply from it, water running into his greying beard. He looked at Beric anew and laughed. "Nay!" he said. "You're not running away from someone... you're running TO someone!
Hah!" Beric looked at the captain and then the other riders, who were approaching. He put on a dark smile, wheeled his horse around and cantered off.
Hours later they met the messenger. He had been riding for Lannisport, Beric presumed, but as he spotted them he indicated that he wanted them to halt. "What is it?" Beric shouted as
he was riding towards the man. "Well, Ser, I can only make guesses to your allegiance but some of your fellows have a Dornish look to them." Beric shrugged. "What about it?" The messenger was a skinny looking man and in the cold wind he had definately caught something. He blew into a handkerchief, folded it up and looked at Beric. "If it's Highgarden your riding for the forget it. Their against Horas now." Beric felt like he'd been punched in the gut with a warhammer. "What?" The messenger wiped something off his nose and coughed. "Helped getting the Stormlanders into Kings Landing." By now Beric's men were coming up behind him. Beric knew he had to do something. Aryanna was still there. He couldn't leave her behind. By now the messenger was repeating to the other men what he had already told Beric, who himself was staring vacantly into the distance, feeling lost. Something touched him on the shoulder and when he turned he saw it was the captain.
"Ser, I think the best action to take is ride for Dorne." Beric didn't care. "Ser. If you haven't heard, Princess Tristeza Martell has proclaimed Dorne as an independent kingdom." That took him slightly by surprise, but he still didn't care. "My... wife." he
mumbled. A worried look came over the captains face. "Ser, your wife will be fine. I doubt Ser Brynden will give her to the authorities. He'll wait until this is all over and then send her back." He didn't believe it. "No. It won't do. Go to Dorne, I don't care. For me it's to Highgarden."
And with that he was off again. Like lightning he thundered through the ticket. Bush, tree, hedge; nothing made a difference. He rode up hills, through meadows and streams, he rode through the rest of the day and the night. Shadow seemed to share his restlesness, his
need, for he didn't tire until morning. The first beams of light found Beric slumped in the saddle, his horse walking at a slow speed through a field. With his last efforts he was able to hold himself up but those gave out soon and he fell to the floor. He lay there,
Shadow licking his face, without moving. 'I only need a few minutes rest.' he thought to himself. A figure that had been watching him from the trees now slowly approached him. Beric saw it and tried desperately to pull one of his daggers but he lacked the energy.
The figure stopped in front of him and bent down. Beric's vision was blurred and all he could see was the shape of a face. 'A familiar face.' Something wet touched his lips and he realised it was water. "Who...?" he croaked. Somehow he knew that the figure was smiling.
"It's me Ber... it's your Ary."
Results:
Ser Beric Dayne increases to Expert in riding.
get to Aryanna as quickly as possible. The path he had chosen had not been a safe one. He had jumped over streams and darted through thick woods. He was a good enough rider and he didn't
care for his surroundings. He was safe but now he suddenly thought of the twenty men that had come with him. Sighing, Beric slowed his horse and turned around. Five men had been keeping
up pretty well with him; the others he saw far in the distance. The captain of the men, who was among the five, gave him a grim smile. "You sure ride like the stranger is after you."
"No, Ser. I am the stranger." He was in no mood for talk and chose what he thought was the best thing to say to stop the man from talking to him. He was wrong. "Hah! Who could the stranger possibly be running away from?". The man scratched his ear, pulled out a flask and drank deeply from it, water running into his greying beard. He looked at Beric anew and laughed. "Nay!" he said. "You're not running away from someone... you're running TO someone!
Hah!" Beric looked at the captain and then the other riders, who were approaching. He put on a dark smile, wheeled his horse around and cantered off.
Hours later they met the messenger. He had been riding for Lannisport, Beric presumed, but as he spotted them he indicated that he wanted them to halt. "What is it?" Beric shouted as
he was riding towards the man. "Well, Ser, I can only make guesses to your allegiance but some of your fellows have a Dornish look to them." Beric shrugged. "What about it?" The messenger was a skinny looking man and in the cold wind he had definately caught something. He blew into a handkerchief, folded it up and looked at Beric. "If it's Highgarden your riding for the forget it. Their against Horas now." Beric felt like he'd been punched in the gut with a warhammer. "What?" The messenger wiped something off his nose and coughed. "Helped getting the Stormlanders into Kings Landing." By now Beric's men were coming up behind him. Beric knew he had to do something. Aryanna was still there. He couldn't leave her behind. By now the messenger was repeating to the other men what he had already told Beric, who himself was staring vacantly into the distance, feeling lost. Something touched him on the shoulder and when he turned he saw it was the captain.
"Ser, I think the best action to take is ride for Dorne." Beric didn't care. "Ser. If you haven't heard, Princess Tristeza Martell has proclaimed Dorne as an independent kingdom." That took him slightly by surprise, but he still didn't care. "My... wife." he
mumbled. A worried look came over the captains face. "Ser, your wife will be fine. I doubt Ser Brynden will give her to the authorities. He'll wait until this is all over and then send her back." He didn't believe it. "No. It won't do. Go to Dorne, I don't care. For me it's to Highgarden."
And with that he was off again. Like lightning he thundered through the ticket. Bush, tree, hedge; nothing made a difference. He rode up hills, through meadows and streams, he rode through the rest of the day and the night. Shadow seemed to share his restlesness, his
need, for he didn't tire until morning. The first beams of light found Beric slumped in the saddle, his horse walking at a slow speed through a field. With his last efforts he was able to hold himself up but those gave out soon and he fell to the floor. He lay there,
Shadow licking his face, without moving. 'I only need a few minutes rest.' he thought to himself. A figure that had been watching him from the trees now slowly approached him. Beric saw it and tried desperately to pull one of his daggers but he lacked the energy.
The figure stopped in front of him and bent down. Beric's vision was blurred and all he could see was the shape of a face. 'A familiar face.' Something wet touched his lips and he realised it was water. "Who...?" he croaked. Somehow he knew that the figure was smiling.
"It's me Ber... it's your Ary."
Results:
Ser Beric Dayne increases to Expert in riding.