Post by The Smith on Jul 5, 2009 10:37:54 GMT -5
Several days ride south-west of Riverrun, and after they had crossed into the Westerlands and neared the Golden Tooth, Aegon Targaryen thought it prudent to send out scouting parties behind the rearguard and on their flanks. After two days of inadequate reports and Aegon being no wiser about whether they were under threat, the Prince grew frustrated and determined to lead one of the scouting parties himself. “We’ve heard nothing useful now for two days.” he raged to his second in command Ser Maekar Velaryon. The large blonde man said nothing, but nodded in agreement.
Aegon summoned some of the men who had regularly been out scouting over the past couple of days. He stared in disbelief when they arrived – notably a boy of sixteen dressed in cheap shoddy leather armour and a small man in his late twenties, known to the other men as Cockeye due to his heavy-lidded right eye – the result of a childhood accident and a number of others dressed in homespun motley, but alternatively missing ears, fingers and one a whole hand.
“These are our scouts?” Aegon asked Maekar in disbelief.
Maekar nodded. “They can’t fight and these aren’t much good at helping feed the men, so we use them as scouts.
Aegon thought for a moment. “They‘ll have to do. I’ll take the boy and the one with the eye and him without the ears for the moment. "What’s your name man?” he asked the one with the missing ears. “Rogar the Earless my lord” replied the man ducking his head in a small bow. Aegon rolled his eyes and nodded. “Of course it is." As he turned away to call for his horse he said shortly "Maekar – find out the credentials of these others while I’m gone.” Maekar saluted in reply.
A prince, a green boy and two ugly men, Aegon thought to himself as he strode away, the boys and the ugly men scampering after him., ‘Here’s hoping we don’t run into the Cultists or anyone else for that matter – the embarrassment would be too much to bear.’
Allowing the rest of the column to march past them, eventually Aegon adjudged the column to have opened sufficient distance between him and his three men. They left the road, and commenced trotting adjacent to it. They stayed close enough to see anything coming up the road ahead or behind them, whilst keeping a distance such as they could from the available foliage that would allow them to make for cover and remain unseen should they come across anyone. Aegon and Cockeye rode on one side of the road, Rogar Earless and the young boy rode on the other.
At length the Prince was satisfied that there was no one along the road that shouldn’t be there and he ordered his men to strike west by south-west across open country, but following what appeared to be a small trail.
“Ain’t much cover along here ser,” Cockeye called over to Aegon as they rode mainly through open fields, “If anyone’s about we’ll see ‘em a mile off.”
“Still,” replied Aegon “keep your eyes open and try to make as little noise as possible. Stay behind any little cover you might find.”
After riding ahead and scouting back along whence they had come for over two hours, there came a high call of alarm. Aegon quickly gestured for Cockeye to pull his pony over nearby, and the two jumped down from the saddle behind a large gorse-thicket. They waited, trying to ascertain what was going on, but there was neither sight nor sound of the other two men. Several minutes, before there was another shout from the other side. “Milord!” Aegon recognized the unmistakable high voice of the earless man Rogar. “Smoke!”
Aegon inwardly cursed as he and Cockeye made their way across to the source of the call, to find the earless man staring down over the crest of a small hill. Sure enough, there was smoke billowing from a small group of huts down below – and not just campfire smoke either. Several of the buildings were on fire – an orange glow could be seen emerging from the thatches. The men hastily tethered their horses in a small copse leaving the boy to watch over them, and drew their swords as they crept closer to the brow of the hill. Below them they could now see the scurrying figures of the villagers – attempting to douse the flames engulfing their hovels. Further west, Aegon could see dust and the outlines of figures – men mounted on horses - riding off into the distance. He couldn’t make the details out, but whoever they were, they were clearly hostiles and it appeared responsible for the scene below them.
“By the Seven,” Aegon whispered, partly to himself.
He signaled to the others. They would need to return quickly to the rearguard and revise their plans in light of this new development. He whistled to the boy, who came leading the horses. Mounting up he warned his men to stay quiet and alert. They moved west quickly following the tracks of the host. It wouldn't be long before they caught up.
Result
Aegon Targaryen improves his Scouting skill to Noteworthy
Aegon summoned some of the men who had regularly been out scouting over the past couple of days. He stared in disbelief when they arrived – notably a boy of sixteen dressed in cheap shoddy leather armour and a small man in his late twenties, known to the other men as Cockeye due to his heavy-lidded right eye – the result of a childhood accident and a number of others dressed in homespun motley, but alternatively missing ears, fingers and one a whole hand.
“These are our scouts?” Aegon asked Maekar in disbelief.
Maekar nodded. “They can’t fight and these aren’t much good at helping feed the men, so we use them as scouts.
Aegon thought for a moment. “They‘ll have to do. I’ll take the boy and the one with the eye and him without the ears for the moment. "What’s your name man?” he asked the one with the missing ears. “Rogar the Earless my lord” replied the man ducking his head in a small bow. Aegon rolled his eyes and nodded. “Of course it is." As he turned away to call for his horse he said shortly "Maekar – find out the credentials of these others while I’m gone.” Maekar saluted in reply.
A prince, a green boy and two ugly men, Aegon thought to himself as he strode away, the boys and the ugly men scampering after him., ‘Here’s hoping we don’t run into the Cultists or anyone else for that matter – the embarrassment would be too much to bear.’
Allowing the rest of the column to march past them, eventually Aegon adjudged the column to have opened sufficient distance between him and his three men. They left the road, and commenced trotting adjacent to it. They stayed close enough to see anything coming up the road ahead or behind them, whilst keeping a distance such as they could from the available foliage that would allow them to make for cover and remain unseen should they come across anyone. Aegon and Cockeye rode on one side of the road, Rogar Earless and the young boy rode on the other.
At length the Prince was satisfied that there was no one along the road that shouldn’t be there and he ordered his men to strike west by south-west across open country, but following what appeared to be a small trail.
“Ain’t much cover along here ser,” Cockeye called over to Aegon as they rode mainly through open fields, “If anyone’s about we’ll see ‘em a mile off.”
“Still,” replied Aegon “keep your eyes open and try to make as little noise as possible. Stay behind any little cover you might find.”
After riding ahead and scouting back along whence they had come for over two hours, there came a high call of alarm. Aegon quickly gestured for Cockeye to pull his pony over nearby, and the two jumped down from the saddle behind a large gorse-thicket. They waited, trying to ascertain what was going on, but there was neither sight nor sound of the other two men. Several minutes, before there was another shout from the other side. “Milord!” Aegon recognized the unmistakable high voice of the earless man Rogar. “Smoke!”
Aegon inwardly cursed as he and Cockeye made their way across to the source of the call, to find the earless man staring down over the crest of a small hill. Sure enough, there was smoke billowing from a small group of huts down below – and not just campfire smoke either. Several of the buildings were on fire – an orange glow could be seen emerging from the thatches. The men hastily tethered their horses in a small copse leaving the boy to watch over them, and drew their swords as they crept closer to the brow of the hill. Below them they could now see the scurrying figures of the villagers – attempting to douse the flames engulfing their hovels. Further west, Aegon could see dust and the outlines of figures – men mounted on horses - riding off into the distance. He couldn’t make the details out, but whoever they were, they were clearly hostiles and it appeared responsible for the scene below them.
“By the Seven,” Aegon whispered, partly to himself.
He signaled to the others. They would need to return quickly to the rearguard and revise their plans in light of this new development. He whistled to the boy, who came leading the horses. Mounting up he warned his men to stay quiet and alert. They moved west quickly following the tracks of the host. It wouldn't be long before they caught up.
Result
Aegon Targaryen improves his Scouting skill to Noteworthy