Post by The Stranger on Apr 24, 2008 10:27:09 GMT -5
A few leagues away from Norvos, Beric had his men dismount. "Men, now that we have a reasonable
number of swords in out company, it's time to learn some tactics!" Some of the men smiled
knowingly, while others just looked confused. Beric walked up to Gaharr and exchanged a few
quick words with him. The giant smiled and then nodded, giving Beric a small pat on the back.
"Right!" Beric said, addressing his men. "First of all, I have a question for you." He let
that hang in the air to make sure he had everyone's attention. "What sort of formation do
you call this?" Beric asked, pointing at how the men stood. They looked around with confused
faces, some moving themselves into what could nearly be called a line. "It's rabble! We are
a mercenary company, not a bunch of children!" He didn't know how he would do, but commanding
men came easier back to him as he thought. "We are going to learn two formations today! First:
The Column! This is a simple line! For the amount of men we are going to make it two ranks
deep!" Some of the men moved into position, others still looked slightly confused. "COME ON!
TWO LINES OF THIRTY MEN, ONE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER!" That moved them.
"Good." Beric said, more to himself than anyone, when all the men were in position. "We are
going to learn how to shift from this formation into what is called a wedge!" All eyes
were on him as he slowly walked up and down the line of men. "Now, say we are ever up against
a well formed shield wall. No way to break through like this; they will just cut us down
where we are. However, if we change formation to a wedge, we will easily be able to punch
a small hole into their shield wall. After that, it's just a matter of pushing ourselves
through that hole and widening it." Some of the men were nodding, others grinning at the
prospect of a fight. "Now, the shape of a wedge is an upside down V, the point of it facing
the enemy ranks." Beric walked to the centre of the column. "If I had a rope attached
to this man, and he was attached to everyone else, were I to pull right here in the middle,
then you would all fall into perfect wedge formation. Unfortunately this is not so, so I
am going to put you men into sections. The outer three men on both sides, you are A's.
The next three men in, on both sides, you are B's. And you centre three, you are C's. Now,
your job is the most important. When I say "Wedge" I want the C's to walk forwards ten
yards, forming a V shape. At the same time I want the B's walking forwards 5 yards, keeping
themselves at an angle to the C's, so they form the upside down V. The A's will angle
themselves in the same way to the B's. Got it?!" The men murmured. "I want a 'Yes, Ser!'"
"Yes, Ser!" the men replied. Beric stepped up beside Gaharr. "It's going to take a while with
this lot." "They are all good men, just not used to fighting like this. You will get them
under control." Beric sighed. "Let us hope so."
Turning back to the men, he shouted "Wedge!" What happened then made Gaharr burst out
laughing. The C's did as they were told, however one half of the B's decided to walk
in the wrong direction, the others sort of fumbled around, shifted up a bit, until they
stood in what they perceived to be the right position. "No! Left flank B's! You walk
the way everyone else is walking! Right flank B's, I want a steady walk, not some sort
of dance! C's, congratulations, you men are the only one's who did it right. However,
your comrades failed so successfully that were this a battle you men would be the first
to die! Now, I want a fanning inwards of the B's. The man closest to the C's walks
until he is standing at an angle to a C, forming a line with the other C's. The B next
to him walks so he is also forming a line with his fellow men and so on! Now, get back
into a column!" The men seemed to be able to do that well enough. When they were back
in position Beric shouted "Wedge!" This time went better, although the flanks were still
not as coordinated with each other. Beric let them do it twenty more times, and by the
end of it the men moved fluently. He then made them form a wedge out of a march and then
a charge, the latter causing men to fall over each other the first few times they tried
it.
As evening came he let the men rest; Beric himself needed to lie down, his back aching
and his voice rough from shouting all day. Zarztahn came up to Beric, a grin on his
face. "You did excellently! I myself knew of the wedge, but my fellow companions did not.
You may have seen me; I was at the front, centre C!" "And for that you deserve my respect,
however, I want large men to be C's. Your size is perfect for a B." Zarztahn's grin fell
but then returned. "That man Hodor does not have the brains to be a C!" Beric shook his
head. "One doesn't need to many brains to fall into a formation and bash his enemies
over the head. Although we might need to get the man a horse; I am planning to make
you all learn the wedge on horseback." Zarztahn nodded as he pulled out his flask and
drank his last dribbles of water. "I was wondering why you made us dismount." "If someone
were to catch us off guard, say when our horses were grazing. We wouldn't have time to
dismount. We we have to move into position immediately."
Zarztahn's smile fell again. "You are again right. Let us hope this will not happen."
Beric Dayne advances from Expert once improved towards Master Battle/Command
number of swords in out company, it's time to learn some tactics!" Some of the men smiled
knowingly, while others just looked confused. Beric walked up to Gaharr and exchanged a few
quick words with him. The giant smiled and then nodded, giving Beric a small pat on the back.
"Right!" Beric said, addressing his men. "First of all, I have a question for you." He let
that hang in the air to make sure he had everyone's attention. "What sort of formation do
you call this?" Beric asked, pointing at how the men stood. They looked around with confused
faces, some moving themselves into what could nearly be called a line. "It's rabble! We are
a mercenary company, not a bunch of children!" He didn't know how he would do, but commanding
men came easier back to him as he thought. "We are going to learn two formations today! First:
The Column! This is a simple line! For the amount of men we are going to make it two ranks
deep!" Some of the men moved into position, others still looked slightly confused. "COME ON!
TWO LINES OF THIRTY MEN, ONE IN FRONT OF THE OTHER!" That moved them.
"Good." Beric said, more to himself than anyone, when all the men were in position. "We are
going to learn how to shift from this formation into what is called a wedge!" All eyes
were on him as he slowly walked up and down the line of men. "Now, say we are ever up against
a well formed shield wall. No way to break through like this; they will just cut us down
where we are. However, if we change formation to a wedge, we will easily be able to punch
a small hole into their shield wall. After that, it's just a matter of pushing ourselves
through that hole and widening it." Some of the men were nodding, others grinning at the
prospect of a fight. "Now, the shape of a wedge is an upside down V, the point of it facing
the enemy ranks." Beric walked to the centre of the column. "If I had a rope attached
to this man, and he was attached to everyone else, were I to pull right here in the middle,
then you would all fall into perfect wedge formation. Unfortunately this is not so, so I
am going to put you men into sections. The outer three men on both sides, you are A's.
The next three men in, on both sides, you are B's. And you centre three, you are C's. Now,
your job is the most important. When I say "Wedge" I want the C's to walk forwards ten
yards, forming a V shape. At the same time I want the B's walking forwards 5 yards, keeping
themselves at an angle to the C's, so they form the upside down V. The A's will angle
themselves in the same way to the B's. Got it?!" The men murmured. "I want a 'Yes, Ser!'"
"Yes, Ser!" the men replied. Beric stepped up beside Gaharr. "It's going to take a while with
this lot." "They are all good men, just not used to fighting like this. You will get them
under control." Beric sighed. "Let us hope so."
Turning back to the men, he shouted "Wedge!" What happened then made Gaharr burst out
laughing. The C's did as they were told, however one half of the B's decided to walk
in the wrong direction, the others sort of fumbled around, shifted up a bit, until they
stood in what they perceived to be the right position. "No! Left flank B's! You walk
the way everyone else is walking! Right flank B's, I want a steady walk, not some sort
of dance! C's, congratulations, you men are the only one's who did it right. However,
your comrades failed so successfully that were this a battle you men would be the first
to die! Now, I want a fanning inwards of the B's. The man closest to the C's walks
until he is standing at an angle to a C, forming a line with the other C's. The B next
to him walks so he is also forming a line with his fellow men and so on! Now, get back
into a column!" The men seemed to be able to do that well enough. When they were back
in position Beric shouted "Wedge!" This time went better, although the flanks were still
not as coordinated with each other. Beric let them do it twenty more times, and by the
end of it the men moved fluently. He then made them form a wedge out of a march and then
a charge, the latter causing men to fall over each other the first few times they tried
it.
As evening came he let the men rest; Beric himself needed to lie down, his back aching
and his voice rough from shouting all day. Zarztahn came up to Beric, a grin on his
face. "You did excellently! I myself knew of the wedge, but my fellow companions did not.
You may have seen me; I was at the front, centre C!" "And for that you deserve my respect,
however, I want large men to be C's. Your size is perfect for a B." Zarztahn's grin fell
but then returned. "That man Hodor does not have the brains to be a C!" Beric shook his
head. "One doesn't need to many brains to fall into a formation and bash his enemies
over the head. Although we might need to get the man a horse; I am planning to make
you all learn the wedge on horseback." Zarztahn nodded as he pulled out his flask and
drank his last dribbles of water. "I was wondering why you made us dismount." "If someone
were to catch us off guard, say when our horses were grazing. We wouldn't have time to
dismount. We we have to move into position immediately."
Zarztahn's smile fell again. "You are again right. Let us hope this will not happen."
Beric Dayne advances from Expert once improved towards Master Battle/Command