Post by Lord Rhodri Arryn on Oct 12, 2007 13:34:14 GMT -5
Since everyone has a character there, please add anything you want your character to do during the hunt. Just write up your own little section in a post and I'll incorporate it into the main.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sky was bright blue but the air was crisp and biting. Rhodri had few days left in King's Landing and somehow the place seemed less odious. The stink of sweat and sin that usually hung low over the city seemed broken up by the wind.
The ostlers had already saddled the horses and the hunting falcons had been brought to the Tower of the Hand. One last day to go hunting in the Kingswood before the long and slow trip north through mountain and vale. Rhodri son of Alyn stood on the balcony of his tower -- soon to be Piers's tower -- and strapped on his custom falconry glove. It was a thick wedge of leather built to go over his stump.
The clan of Royces and their retinue descended the tower stairs and climbed into the saddle. Along with Rhodri was his son, Yohn, and his cousin, Aranya; the young knight Ser Roland Royce was invited along as well. Lilith Bettley, a Royce by birth and by soul joined them for the day. Ser Jon Royce joined them riding his sleek, fox colored stallion.
The company was rounded out by some of Rhodri's favorite knights; Ser Galwyn Fell, the Stormlander who still rode as Rhodri's Captain, Ser Dortmund Grafton, the son of Dom the Sharp who taught Rhodri falconry, and Lord Quinn Wydman, Lord Commander of the Vale Watch.
It was a perfect day for the hunt. Liltih produced a feast of fruit, basket after overflowing basket of luscious red raspberries, tangy stonefruit, and exotic citrus. Clearly her husband had no end of connections. The corps of birds took to the air at once; goshawks, gyrfalcons, peregrines, and all other manner of hunting birds kept as prize possessions of the nobility. Rhodri's bird was a large, female goshawk, bright red bands on her tail; his sigil may now be blue, but Rhod's favorite color still was red.
The meeting point, the King's Hunting Lodge, was set, and the riders set out after their own birds, off in many directions tracking them in the sky. Yohn rode with Rhodri, too young to have his own bird. Rhodri removed the hood and the creature took to the sky, climbing higher and higher, seeking its prey.
Yohn went stone still. He dropped his reins, and the gelding he rode startled and bolted. Rhodri cursed and rode after the boy, completely losing sight of the bird. It could not be helped. Yohn's gelding was surprisingly fast, and much lighter than Rhodri's mount; it gamely galloped through rocky ravines, over twisted vines and downed trees. It took all of Rhod's skill as a rider to keep close. Yohn was still expressionless but somehow kept his saddle all through the chase.
Rhodri could not have told you how long he rode. He knew this stream and that, but did not have the time to slow and think on it, to realize how far they had gone. When finally Yohn's steed pulled up panting and foaming, they had gone leagues south of the Lodge, far from any of the other hunters. As Rhodri trotted into the glade, his own mount exhausted, Yohn turned and looked at him, eyes sharp and aware. The boy smiled. The goshawk was resting on Yohn's thin arm, talon against bare skin. A brace of rabbits was in Yohn's other hand.
Hours later, when they finally arrived at the hunting lodge, the rest of the company was already there relaxing, playing games of chance, roasting rabbits over the generous hearths, and drinking a wagonload of Stormland cider that Ser Felwick Gower had inexplicably shown up with -- several hours after the start of the hunt.
The men and women of Mountain and Vale toasted to Lord Jon's glory at the games, to Rhodri's new life at the Eyrie, to Ser Roland's appointment to Captain, and to Lilith's ascension to power through her husband.
None were told of Yohn's strange exploit.
Results:
Rhodri Arryn improves to Grandmaster Horsemanship and to Novice Falconry
Yohn Weirwood approaches Apprentice in Horsemanship and Noteworthy in Skinchanging
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sky was bright blue but the air was crisp and biting. Rhodri had few days left in King's Landing and somehow the place seemed less odious. The stink of sweat and sin that usually hung low over the city seemed broken up by the wind.
The ostlers had already saddled the horses and the hunting falcons had been brought to the Tower of the Hand. One last day to go hunting in the Kingswood before the long and slow trip north through mountain and vale. Rhodri son of Alyn stood on the balcony of his tower -- soon to be Piers's tower -- and strapped on his custom falconry glove. It was a thick wedge of leather built to go over his stump.
The clan of Royces and their retinue descended the tower stairs and climbed into the saddle. Along with Rhodri was his son, Yohn, and his cousin, Aranya; the young knight Ser Roland Royce was invited along as well. Lilith Bettley, a Royce by birth and by soul joined them for the day. Ser Jon Royce joined them riding his sleek, fox colored stallion.
The company was rounded out by some of Rhodri's favorite knights; Ser Galwyn Fell, the Stormlander who still rode as Rhodri's Captain, Ser Dortmund Grafton, the son of Dom the Sharp who taught Rhodri falconry, and Lord Quinn Wydman, Lord Commander of the Vale Watch.
It was a perfect day for the hunt. Liltih produced a feast of fruit, basket after overflowing basket of luscious red raspberries, tangy stonefruit, and exotic citrus. Clearly her husband had no end of connections. The corps of birds took to the air at once; goshawks, gyrfalcons, peregrines, and all other manner of hunting birds kept as prize possessions of the nobility. Rhodri's bird was a large, female goshawk, bright red bands on her tail; his sigil may now be blue, but Rhod's favorite color still was red.
The meeting point, the King's Hunting Lodge, was set, and the riders set out after their own birds, off in many directions tracking them in the sky. Yohn rode with Rhodri, too young to have his own bird. Rhodri removed the hood and the creature took to the sky, climbing higher and higher, seeking its prey.
Yohn went stone still. He dropped his reins, and the gelding he rode startled and bolted. Rhodri cursed and rode after the boy, completely losing sight of the bird. It could not be helped. Yohn's gelding was surprisingly fast, and much lighter than Rhodri's mount; it gamely galloped through rocky ravines, over twisted vines and downed trees. It took all of Rhod's skill as a rider to keep close. Yohn was still expressionless but somehow kept his saddle all through the chase.
Rhodri could not have told you how long he rode. He knew this stream and that, but did not have the time to slow and think on it, to realize how far they had gone. When finally Yohn's steed pulled up panting and foaming, they had gone leagues south of the Lodge, far from any of the other hunters. As Rhodri trotted into the glade, his own mount exhausted, Yohn turned and looked at him, eyes sharp and aware. The boy smiled. The goshawk was resting on Yohn's thin arm, talon against bare skin. A brace of rabbits was in Yohn's other hand.
Hours later, when they finally arrived at the hunting lodge, the rest of the company was already there relaxing, playing games of chance, roasting rabbits over the generous hearths, and drinking a wagonload of Stormland cider that Ser Felwick Gower had inexplicably shown up with -- several hours after the start of the hunt.
The men and women of Mountain and Vale toasted to Lord Jon's glory at the games, to Rhodri's new life at the Eyrie, to Ser Roland's appointment to Captain, and to Lilith's ascension to power through her husband.
None were told of Yohn's strange exploit.
Results:
Rhodri Arryn improves to Grandmaster Horsemanship and to Novice Falconry
Yohn Weirwood approaches Apprentice in Horsemanship and Noteworthy in Skinchanging
