Post by The Stranger on Apr 16, 2008 13:08:16 GMT -5
Ser Jaymes sat on the back of his garron, with two men behind him, both in black. He had said his vows a moon’s turn past, and had been sworn into the Black Brotherhood. This was his first ranging beyond the wall, since going to the Rangers. Thus far he had only done his duties as a watchman atop the wall, as well as the basic chores that every brother did to keep the castle running smoothly. Eastwatch was a port as well as a castle, so Ser Jaymes got a steady supply of news from the south. He could send letters as he desired and did so frequently. His home was on the other side of the continent, and far to the south, so he had never conceived that Eastwatch had such an active port as it did.
He spurred the horse forward, and the two mounted brothers behind him followed. He was not in overall command of this ranging, but the party had been divided in half and Jaymes had been given command of the second group. Lord Stark had come back across the wall claiming victory nearly a year before Jaymes arrived at the Wall, but the Black Brother’s were still talking about the Lord of Winterfell’s campaign. He had reportedly broken a large Wildling army under the command of the missing Benjen Stark, and the young lord had returned from the Frostfangs bearing the greatsword Ice.
Wildlings had been reported in large numbers moving in several directions outward from the Fist of the First Men, and this patrol had been sent out to investigate if any were congregating near Eastwatch. They were seven days north of the wall, and the commander had divided the party only half a day prior, they were to meet before nightfall. As the trio rode northwest, they found hundreds of tracks, varying in age, heading east, so they turned their horses to follow. It seemed as though a mass migration of men had passed through, some running, some being dragged, and some walking or crawling.
It was obviously men who had fled from the broken wildling army, and Ser Jaymes spurred his horse a little faster. An hour later they came upon the corpses, wildling men who had fallen and died in the snow, either of their wounds of from the icy cold. They were spread out, perhaps a dozen feet between each one, but a few small groups around. The three black brothers dismounted and began to search the bodies for anything useful, but there was little to take. Jaymes knelt in the snow, examining the tracks. “We’re going this way,” he said, pointing. One of his sworn brothers opened his mouth to object, and Jaymes shot him a poisonous look. “This way is where we shall find them. Mount up.”
They followed the tracks until Jaymes noticed that the sun was beginning to set behind the tree line. He reigned up his horse, and was about to admit his mistake when an arrow thunked into a tree a foot beside his head. He immediately dove from his horse and behind a tree for cover, and his other two brothers tried to do the same. One made a clumsy job of it, and fell rather than jumped from the beast’s back, landing heavily on the ground but righting himself and ducking behind a tree for cover. The other did not even get a chance before two arrows took him full in the chest. The horses panicked and began to run and Jaymes slipped as he tried to make a grab for the reigns, landing hard on one side.
Ser Jaymes gains beginner Tracking
He spurred the horse forward, and the two mounted brothers behind him followed. He was not in overall command of this ranging, but the party had been divided in half and Jaymes had been given command of the second group. Lord Stark had come back across the wall claiming victory nearly a year before Jaymes arrived at the Wall, but the Black Brother’s were still talking about the Lord of Winterfell’s campaign. He had reportedly broken a large Wildling army under the command of the missing Benjen Stark, and the young lord had returned from the Frostfangs bearing the greatsword Ice.
Wildlings had been reported in large numbers moving in several directions outward from the Fist of the First Men, and this patrol had been sent out to investigate if any were congregating near Eastwatch. They were seven days north of the wall, and the commander had divided the party only half a day prior, they were to meet before nightfall. As the trio rode northwest, they found hundreds of tracks, varying in age, heading east, so they turned their horses to follow. It seemed as though a mass migration of men had passed through, some running, some being dragged, and some walking or crawling.
It was obviously men who had fled from the broken wildling army, and Ser Jaymes spurred his horse a little faster. An hour later they came upon the corpses, wildling men who had fallen and died in the snow, either of their wounds of from the icy cold. They were spread out, perhaps a dozen feet between each one, but a few small groups around. The three black brothers dismounted and began to search the bodies for anything useful, but there was little to take. Jaymes knelt in the snow, examining the tracks. “We’re going this way,” he said, pointing. One of his sworn brothers opened his mouth to object, and Jaymes shot him a poisonous look. “This way is where we shall find them. Mount up.”
They followed the tracks until Jaymes noticed that the sun was beginning to set behind the tree line. He reigned up his horse, and was about to admit his mistake when an arrow thunked into a tree a foot beside his head. He immediately dove from his horse and behind a tree for cover, and his other two brothers tried to do the same. One made a clumsy job of it, and fell rather than jumped from the beast’s back, landing heavily on the ground but righting himself and ducking behind a tree for cover. The other did not even get a chance before two arrows took him full in the chest. The horses panicked and began to run and Jaymes slipped as he tried to make a grab for the reigns, landing hard on one side.
Ser Jaymes gains beginner Tracking