Post by The Smith on Apr 23, 2008 23:46:03 GMT -5
Ser Mychel Lannister stood in the cloisters of Duskendale Castle with King Rickon, his Sworn Brother, Ser Galwyn Fell, and the castle’s master-at-arms. Two targets had been set up a few dozen yards away, and Ser Mychel and King Rickon each clutched a crossbow. The master-at-arms, a grizzled old knight named Ser Elwood Waters, was instructing both white cloak and boy on how properly to hold the weapon. Ser Mychel had been a master-at-arms himself for twenty years, and could be called mildly competent with the crossbow at best.
The wind rippled his white silk cloak, as well as the black-and-gold cloak that hung from the King’s shoulders. At Ser Elwood’s order, they both fired. The king’s bolt struck the target, halfway between the center and the edge, while Ser Mychel’s bolt flew wide of the target altogether. He grinned, and looked down at the King. “Perhaps you might give me a few pointers, your grace.” Ser Galwyn laughed at the jest, as Ser Mychel and Rickon rewound the clumsy weapons. When both were reloaded again, the raised them to their shoulders, and fired at their targets. This time Rickon’s bolt ricocheted off of the edge of the target, and clattered to the ground, while Ser Mychel’s bolt struck near the edge on his own target.
“His grace has far better form than you do, Ser,” the master-at-arms said to Ser Mychel. “Although you both are holding the crossbows all wrong. You must brace it higher up on your shoulder, you can control the kickback more easily. That does not apply to you, your grace, your crossbow has been designed specially to scale. It will not be quite as powerful, but it is easier to load and lighter with less of a kickback. You will want to shift your grip on the handle, however, move your left hand slightly… perfect. Fire, both of you.”
Both bolts tore into the targets this time, both about equally far from the center of the target, a third of a foot. “Not bad, though one would expect better from a Kingsguard,” Ser Elwood said.
“That is why you find me here practicing, Ser, “Mychel said with a laugh. He began to rewind his crossbow to fire again, as the king did the same. The two practiced at the butts for almost an hour, and by the end of the time both targets bristled with quarrels. King Rickon had struck the target’s dead center thrice, while Ser Mychel had only once, though he had more quarrels that were only an inch away from the center.
Ser Galwyn escorted the King back to his chambers to wash, and Ser Mychel found himself with some free time. He walked slowly around the castle grounds to acquaint himself with them, should he ever need to fight there. He came upon the stables, which were a massive building. There were many rumors concerning horses and the Lady of Duskendale, but Ser Mychel knew that in truth she had begun to breed horses with her friend Lady Falgrave. She had generously offered him use of the stables when he had arrived with Lord Commander Benfry and the King’s party, and he indulged her now by selecting a beautiful brown courser. A groom saddled it for him, and he mounted, turning towards the racetrack that had been erected near the castle.
Ser Mychel trotted around the track once, and then pushed the horse a little harder the second time around. He did three more laps, each slightly faster but never pushing the horse into a true gallop. He reigned in the beast after the fifth lap, and dismounted. He fed the horse two apples he had taken from the groom, and led it back towards the stables. A team of grooms were already ready to remove the saddle, and rub the great beast down. Ser Grant smiled, and thanked them for their help. He fed the horse one last apple, and then walked back up to the castle proper to wash himelf, and change out of his dirty garb.
Ser Mychel Lannister improves to Novice Marksman (crossbow)
Ser Mychel Lannister improves to Noteworthy Horseman
King Rickon I Baratheon improves to Novice Marksman (crossbow)
The wind rippled his white silk cloak, as well as the black-and-gold cloak that hung from the King’s shoulders. At Ser Elwood’s order, they both fired. The king’s bolt struck the target, halfway between the center and the edge, while Ser Mychel’s bolt flew wide of the target altogether. He grinned, and looked down at the King. “Perhaps you might give me a few pointers, your grace.” Ser Galwyn laughed at the jest, as Ser Mychel and Rickon rewound the clumsy weapons. When both were reloaded again, the raised them to their shoulders, and fired at their targets. This time Rickon’s bolt ricocheted off of the edge of the target, and clattered to the ground, while Ser Mychel’s bolt struck near the edge on his own target.
“His grace has far better form than you do, Ser,” the master-at-arms said to Ser Mychel. “Although you both are holding the crossbows all wrong. You must brace it higher up on your shoulder, you can control the kickback more easily. That does not apply to you, your grace, your crossbow has been designed specially to scale. It will not be quite as powerful, but it is easier to load and lighter with less of a kickback. You will want to shift your grip on the handle, however, move your left hand slightly… perfect. Fire, both of you.”
Both bolts tore into the targets this time, both about equally far from the center of the target, a third of a foot. “Not bad, though one would expect better from a Kingsguard,” Ser Elwood said.
“That is why you find me here practicing, Ser, “Mychel said with a laugh. He began to rewind his crossbow to fire again, as the king did the same. The two practiced at the butts for almost an hour, and by the end of the time both targets bristled with quarrels. King Rickon had struck the target’s dead center thrice, while Ser Mychel had only once, though he had more quarrels that were only an inch away from the center.
Ser Galwyn escorted the King back to his chambers to wash, and Ser Mychel found himself with some free time. He walked slowly around the castle grounds to acquaint himself with them, should he ever need to fight there. He came upon the stables, which were a massive building. There were many rumors concerning horses and the Lady of Duskendale, but Ser Mychel knew that in truth she had begun to breed horses with her friend Lady Falgrave. She had generously offered him use of the stables when he had arrived with Lord Commander Benfry and the King’s party, and he indulged her now by selecting a beautiful brown courser. A groom saddled it for him, and he mounted, turning towards the racetrack that had been erected near the castle.
Ser Mychel trotted around the track once, and then pushed the horse a little harder the second time around. He did three more laps, each slightly faster but never pushing the horse into a true gallop. He reigned in the beast after the fifth lap, and dismounted. He fed the horse two apples he had taken from the groom, and led it back towards the stables. A team of grooms were already ready to remove the saddle, and rub the great beast down. Ser Grant smiled, and thanked them for their help. He fed the horse one last apple, and then walked back up to the castle proper to wash himelf, and change out of his dirty garb.
Ser Mychel Lannister improves to Novice Marksman (crossbow)
Ser Mychel Lannister improves to Noteworthy Horseman
King Rickon I Baratheon improves to Novice Marksman (crossbow)