Post by The Smith on Nov 7, 2008 23:01:28 GMT -5
Ser Samuel sat astride a black courser, while across the tilt sat his squire, Dustin Flowers, the bastard son of one of his cousins, on the back of a second courser. Both young men were armored in boiled leather, with heavy shields that were dented and chipped from years of training use, and holding tourney lances. The knight and his squire were staying at Horn Hill with the army, which was still milling about the fortress awaiting orders to march in one direction or the other. He and his squire were training in the practice fields erected outside the castle’s walls, where soldiers could constantly be found, drilling under their officers to maintain efficiency.
The knight and squire kicked their horses forward at the same moment, and seconds later both were thundering down the tilt towards each other. Ser Samuel saw Dustin shift in his saddle, to ride forward, and he saw the squire tilt his lance slightly upward. He was going for a head-strike, which was a much harder target to hit than the chest or shield, but when a rider extended his lance to strike his opponents head, it would extend four inches further so a successful strike would throw the other ride off balance before their own lance struck. Samuel smiled to himself and maintained his own position. When the pair were a dozen yards a part, he angled his lance slightly to Dustin’s left, but then leaned to his own left. The squire’s lance blew by his head and his own struck Dustin square in the breastplate, throwing him bodily out of his saddle and to the ground.
Ser Samuel leapt off his courser’s back and extended a hand to help his squire to his feet. Dustin had a scowl on his face, but it broke out into a laugh when he remounted his horse. “I’ll have to remember that trick, if I see someone trying to take a headshot on me in the future, Ser,” he said. He retrieved his lance and shield and rode back to the opposite side of the field while Samuel took his own place.
The pair rode against each other a dozen more times, breaking nine lances apiece. Samuel unseated his squire five more times, while losing his own seat only twice. They called a halt as the sun began to dip below the horizon, and bid each other farewell, each departing for his own quarters within the castle.
Ser Samuel Tarly improves to Noteworthy Horseman
Ser Samuel Tarly improves to Noteworthy Lance
The knight and squire kicked their horses forward at the same moment, and seconds later both were thundering down the tilt towards each other. Ser Samuel saw Dustin shift in his saddle, to ride forward, and he saw the squire tilt his lance slightly upward. He was going for a head-strike, which was a much harder target to hit than the chest or shield, but when a rider extended his lance to strike his opponents head, it would extend four inches further so a successful strike would throw the other ride off balance before their own lance struck. Samuel smiled to himself and maintained his own position. When the pair were a dozen yards a part, he angled his lance slightly to Dustin’s left, but then leaned to his own left. The squire’s lance blew by his head and his own struck Dustin square in the breastplate, throwing him bodily out of his saddle and to the ground.
Ser Samuel leapt off his courser’s back and extended a hand to help his squire to his feet. Dustin had a scowl on his face, but it broke out into a laugh when he remounted his horse. “I’ll have to remember that trick, if I see someone trying to take a headshot on me in the future, Ser,” he said. He retrieved his lance and shield and rode back to the opposite side of the field while Samuel took his own place.
The pair rode against each other a dozen more times, breaking nine lances apiece. Samuel unseated his squire five more times, while losing his own seat only twice. They called a halt as the sun began to dip below the horizon, and bid each other farewell, each departing for his own quarters within the castle.
Ser Samuel Tarly improves to Noteworthy Horseman
Ser Samuel Tarly improves to Noteworthy Lance