Post by The Smith on Apr 30, 2008 12:37:31 GMT -5
The days at the Dun Fort went by without much excitement. Darien spent his time walking around the castle, getting to know
every room, every walkway and every wall. He supposed it couldn't hurt if he knew the place off by heart but he was sure that
there were a few hidden areas, places he was not about to just stumble upon.
Upon returning to his room he saw Yozs sitting
at a table, a bottle of wine and several beakers with strange looking liquids in front of him. He was currently diluting
some of the wine with a thin white liquid, which turned the vintage a clear blue. "What... are you doing?" Darien said chuckling.
"I am trying to recreate the poison that was used at the feast here. It's something very interesting." Darien sighed. He didn't
know much about poisons so he just sat down and watched Yozs do his work. The guard took the diluted wine and poured some of
it into a new beaker, adding a few strange looking crystals. The mixture suddenly began to froth and it seemed like Yozs had
anticipated this reaction. He took another small bottle of liquid, this one grey-brownish, took off the stopper and poured
three drops of it into the frothy wine. Almost immediately the liquid hardened, turning a deep black. Yozs smiled, took a small
spoon and scraped out some of what used to be the wine. He placed it on a small dish, inspecting it for a long time.
"And?" Darien asked, impatient. Yozs held up a hand and scribbled a few things on a piece of paper. "I should be able to
recreate it... but I'd need time." Darien stood. "And no disturbance, I see. Well my friend, I shall be back later." Darien
went for the door but Yozs called his name. "Don't go too far."
Darien didn't often go somewhere without his guard, but the Dun Fort was safe and the Lady Aranya didn't seem to like the look
of Yozs, always standing in the shadows, crossbow loaded on his back. Darien decided to go to the stables to check on his horse.
With all the excitement of the castle he had completely neglected the poor beast and now he would have to make up for it.
The stables were warm and quiet when he entered, with horses eating their midday meal. As he approached his horse's stall, the little skewbald gave a friendly whicker and Darien scratched it's head.
"Nice little skewbald," a voice said behind him.
Darien spun and saw a tall, skinny young boy with a mass of unruly red hair standing behind him. He looked about ten years old. "Ah, greetings... was there a need to creep up on a man like that?"
The boy merely smiled at him. "I am Brynden Royce, son of Lady Royce. I was going to saddle my horse, and I saw you enter and wanted to see yours." The boy's dark eyes regarded Darien curiously. "You're my uncle, aren't you?"
Darien frowned. "Uncle... yes. Well, I was only going to take my horse around the town a bit."
"The woods are better! I'll show you," Brynden went over to one of the large stalls of the three studs that Aranya kept, and saddled a magnificent bronze-gold stallion with a long black mane and tail. The courser was Lady Aranya's prized jumper and one of her Blackdusk studs, a Greycopse stallion named Sunspear. Sunspear was Brynden's horse whenever he came home.
Darien mounted his skewbald and followed his nephew as they cantered out the hunter's gate, riding out onto the headland towards the woods. The boy drove his buckskin courser fast, sliding into a gallop as they crested a gentle green rise. The winter wind was cold, but the sun was bright. Brynden reveled in his gallop and soon left Darien in the dust.
Eventually Darien caught up with the boy on a meadow. Brynden had slowed his courser and was impatiently waiting for Darien. Darien himself wasn't the best rider and he felt like this child was going to challenge him. The boy was grinning when Darien finally
approached and he pointed off towards the distance.
"See the forest beginning over there?" Darien nodded. It was about a mile in the distance. "Race you!" Almost immediately the boy was off and Darien cursed. Kicking his horse into motion, Darien did not know how he was going to win this race. The boy and his bronze stallion were already far ahead but the least Darien could do was try.
As his skewbald got into a canter Darien leant forward and whispered encouragement to it. He pushed the horse as much as he knew was safe to do. He knew his horse well and it knew him but horses were still wild animals and could be unpredictable. It seemed to work however as the distance between Brynden and Darien was getting smaller and smaller. Darien shouted as he gave his horse the last push and a few moments later he reached the forest, Brynden already there waiting for him. Darien cursed again, but smiling
as well. "You are a good rider. I hear you get it from your mother."
Brynden grinned. "Mother loves horses. Now, let me show you
my favourite spot!" Brynden slowly rode off and Darien followed him. He knew it could be very dangerous to canter or even gallop
through woods, as low branches could easily decapitate a man at that speed.
After countless bogs and clearings they were finally there. Among the woods there were a few tall boulders, bizarrely scattered among
the ground. "How did they get here?" Darien asked, his expression curious.
"No one knows. They are too big for any man to carry,
however somehow they got here. Might be they were here even before the trees." Brynden chuckled. "The small folk claim that giants set them down here, in the Age of Heroes. I don't care - I love to sit under them, and just watch everything."
Darien nodded. That would mean they were very old.
Darien and Brynden dismounted, leaving the horses to graze, and approached the boulders. "They would have to be very old if they were here before the trees.
Some of these birches look ancient." As they reached the boulders they could suddenly hear the horses shy at something. Sunspear reared, bugling a warning.
Darien and Brynden turned and suddenly they could hear a long howling. "Wolves!" Brynden shouted, reaching to catch the horses' reins before they bolted.
Darien cursed. "Let's go, quickly now."
But as they two struggled to calm the horses and mount up, it was already too late. From between the trees the wolves came, snarling and snapping,
surrounding Brynden, Darien and the horses. The skewbald's eyes rolled back in terror, and the bronze courser was whinnying in alarm.
"What do we do now?" Brynden shouted, wishing he had brought a weapon.
"Pray." Darien grabbed his bow, the
one weapon he always kept with him, and notched and arrow. "We need to appear as strong as possible. Make yourself look bit and
shout at them!" Darien said as he lifted his bow and aimed. Brynden puffed himself up and started shouting at the wolves, who didn't
seem at all impressed. An arrow went flying and caught one of the skebald in the leg. "I will try and get us gap which we can
escape through! Just keep the horses calm!" Brynden nodded and turned to the horses, talking to them in a soothing voice and
stroking them. Darien notched again and aimed for another wolf. He wasn't very good with the bow and under pressure he was even
worse, but his and Brynden's life depended on it, so he let fire and his arrow struck another wolf. The opening was there and
Darien yelled for Brynden to mount up as he did the same. They kicked the horses into motion again and rode for the gap between
the wolves. However, a large beast suddenly jumped out in front of them, trying to block their exit. Darien thought this was the
end but suddenly (enter horse name here) reared up and kicked the wolf right in the face, causing the beasst to whine and run off. Another wolf tried to get in the way, but Brynden sat Sunspear calmly as the stallion reared and plunged, his training as a warhorse serving his young rider in good stead.
And then they were free, galloping back through the trees and over the meadow. It was already dark when they arrived back at the Dun
Fort and it seemed like their little adventure had not gone unnoticed. The master at arms, Ser Harmond, the kennel master and several other men-at-arms, as well as many other castle folk, were talking and watching anxiously. Clearly they were about to send out a search party. Lady Royce was dressed to ride herself, talking in a low, urgent manner with Ser Jonjen Hill.
As they rode in he could see people waving and sighing in
relief and Darien realized they must have been gone for a long time. But now, now they were safe.
"Look, my lady, they've returned!" the kennel master shouted, spying them first. Lady Aranya looked around, the relief clear on her face as Brynden and Darien cantered into the yard. A groom took Sunspear's bridle and another came forward for Darien's little horse, and Aranya inspected her son carefully, looking stern.
"I'm all right, Mother," Brynden said, squirming impatiently. "Look, Uncle Darien will tell you, we were attacked by wolves and..."
"Wolves?" Aranya looked up at Darien.
Darien explained what happened, and she looked at him for a long time after he'd finished. "Thank you, brother," she said finally. "For saving my son's life."
Darien Stone advances to Novice Horseman
Darien Stone advances to Apprentice Bow
Yozs advances to Apprentice Poison
Brynden Royce gains Noteworthy Horseriding
every room, every walkway and every wall. He supposed it couldn't hurt if he knew the place off by heart but he was sure that
there were a few hidden areas, places he was not about to just stumble upon.
Upon returning to his room he saw Yozs sitting
at a table, a bottle of wine and several beakers with strange looking liquids in front of him. He was currently diluting
some of the wine with a thin white liquid, which turned the vintage a clear blue. "What... are you doing?" Darien said chuckling.
"I am trying to recreate the poison that was used at the feast here. It's something very interesting." Darien sighed. He didn't
know much about poisons so he just sat down and watched Yozs do his work. The guard took the diluted wine and poured some of
it into a new beaker, adding a few strange looking crystals. The mixture suddenly began to froth and it seemed like Yozs had
anticipated this reaction. He took another small bottle of liquid, this one grey-brownish, took off the stopper and poured
three drops of it into the frothy wine. Almost immediately the liquid hardened, turning a deep black. Yozs smiled, took a small
spoon and scraped out some of what used to be the wine. He placed it on a small dish, inspecting it for a long time.
"And?" Darien asked, impatient. Yozs held up a hand and scribbled a few things on a piece of paper. "I should be able to
recreate it... but I'd need time." Darien stood. "And no disturbance, I see. Well my friend, I shall be back later." Darien
went for the door but Yozs called his name. "Don't go too far."
Darien didn't often go somewhere without his guard, but the Dun Fort was safe and the Lady Aranya didn't seem to like the look
of Yozs, always standing in the shadows, crossbow loaded on his back. Darien decided to go to the stables to check on his horse.
With all the excitement of the castle he had completely neglected the poor beast and now he would have to make up for it.
The stables were warm and quiet when he entered, with horses eating their midday meal. As he approached his horse's stall, the little skewbald gave a friendly whicker and Darien scratched it's head.
"Nice little skewbald," a voice said behind him.
Darien spun and saw a tall, skinny young boy with a mass of unruly red hair standing behind him. He looked about ten years old. "Ah, greetings... was there a need to creep up on a man like that?"
The boy merely smiled at him. "I am Brynden Royce, son of Lady Royce. I was going to saddle my horse, and I saw you enter and wanted to see yours." The boy's dark eyes regarded Darien curiously. "You're my uncle, aren't you?"
Darien frowned. "Uncle... yes. Well, I was only going to take my horse around the town a bit."
"The woods are better! I'll show you," Brynden went over to one of the large stalls of the three studs that Aranya kept, and saddled a magnificent bronze-gold stallion with a long black mane and tail. The courser was Lady Aranya's prized jumper and one of her Blackdusk studs, a Greycopse stallion named Sunspear. Sunspear was Brynden's horse whenever he came home.
Darien mounted his skewbald and followed his nephew as they cantered out the hunter's gate, riding out onto the headland towards the woods. The boy drove his buckskin courser fast, sliding into a gallop as they crested a gentle green rise. The winter wind was cold, but the sun was bright. Brynden reveled in his gallop and soon left Darien in the dust.
Eventually Darien caught up with the boy on a meadow. Brynden had slowed his courser and was impatiently waiting for Darien. Darien himself wasn't the best rider and he felt like this child was going to challenge him. The boy was grinning when Darien finally
approached and he pointed off towards the distance.
"See the forest beginning over there?" Darien nodded. It was about a mile in the distance. "Race you!" Almost immediately the boy was off and Darien cursed. Kicking his horse into motion, Darien did not know how he was going to win this race. The boy and his bronze stallion were already far ahead but the least Darien could do was try.
As his skewbald got into a canter Darien leant forward and whispered encouragement to it. He pushed the horse as much as he knew was safe to do. He knew his horse well and it knew him but horses were still wild animals and could be unpredictable. It seemed to work however as the distance between Brynden and Darien was getting smaller and smaller. Darien shouted as he gave his horse the last push and a few moments later he reached the forest, Brynden already there waiting for him. Darien cursed again, but smiling
as well. "You are a good rider. I hear you get it from your mother."
Brynden grinned. "Mother loves horses. Now, let me show you
my favourite spot!" Brynden slowly rode off and Darien followed him. He knew it could be very dangerous to canter or even gallop
through woods, as low branches could easily decapitate a man at that speed.
After countless bogs and clearings they were finally there. Among the woods there were a few tall boulders, bizarrely scattered among
the ground. "How did they get here?" Darien asked, his expression curious.
"No one knows. They are too big for any man to carry,
however somehow they got here. Might be they were here even before the trees." Brynden chuckled. "The small folk claim that giants set them down here, in the Age of Heroes. I don't care - I love to sit under them, and just watch everything."
Darien nodded. That would mean they were very old.
Darien and Brynden dismounted, leaving the horses to graze, and approached the boulders. "They would have to be very old if they were here before the trees.
Some of these birches look ancient." As they reached the boulders they could suddenly hear the horses shy at something. Sunspear reared, bugling a warning.
Darien and Brynden turned and suddenly they could hear a long howling. "Wolves!" Brynden shouted, reaching to catch the horses' reins before they bolted.
Darien cursed. "Let's go, quickly now."
But as they two struggled to calm the horses and mount up, it was already too late. From between the trees the wolves came, snarling and snapping,
surrounding Brynden, Darien and the horses. The skewbald's eyes rolled back in terror, and the bronze courser was whinnying in alarm.
"What do we do now?" Brynden shouted, wishing he had brought a weapon.
"Pray." Darien grabbed his bow, the
one weapon he always kept with him, and notched and arrow. "We need to appear as strong as possible. Make yourself look bit and
shout at them!" Darien said as he lifted his bow and aimed. Brynden puffed himself up and started shouting at the wolves, who didn't
seem at all impressed. An arrow went flying and caught one of the skebald in the leg. "I will try and get us gap which we can
escape through! Just keep the horses calm!" Brynden nodded and turned to the horses, talking to them in a soothing voice and
stroking them. Darien notched again and aimed for another wolf. He wasn't very good with the bow and under pressure he was even
worse, but his and Brynden's life depended on it, so he let fire and his arrow struck another wolf. The opening was there and
Darien yelled for Brynden to mount up as he did the same. They kicked the horses into motion again and rode for the gap between
the wolves. However, a large beast suddenly jumped out in front of them, trying to block their exit. Darien thought this was the
end but suddenly (enter horse name here) reared up and kicked the wolf right in the face, causing the beasst to whine and run off. Another wolf tried to get in the way, but Brynden sat Sunspear calmly as the stallion reared and plunged, his training as a warhorse serving his young rider in good stead.
And then they were free, galloping back through the trees and over the meadow. It was already dark when they arrived back at the Dun
Fort and it seemed like their little adventure had not gone unnoticed. The master at arms, Ser Harmond, the kennel master and several other men-at-arms, as well as many other castle folk, were talking and watching anxiously. Clearly they were about to send out a search party. Lady Royce was dressed to ride herself, talking in a low, urgent manner with Ser Jonjen Hill.
As they rode in he could see people waving and sighing in
relief and Darien realized they must have been gone for a long time. But now, now they were safe.
"Look, my lady, they've returned!" the kennel master shouted, spying them first. Lady Aranya looked around, the relief clear on her face as Brynden and Darien cantered into the yard. A groom took Sunspear's bridle and another came forward for Darien's little horse, and Aranya inspected her son carefully, looking stern.
"I'm all right, Mother," Brynden said, squirming impatiently. "Look, Uncle Darien will tell you, we were attacked by wolves and..."
"Wolves?" Aranya looked up at Darien.
Darien explained what happened, and she looked at him for a long time after he'd finished. "Thank you, brother," she said finally. "For saving my son's life."
Darien Stone advances to Novice Horseman
Darien Stone advances to Apprentice Bow
Yozs advances to Apprentice Poison
Brynden Royce gains Noteworthy Horseriding