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Post by Sam on Nov 17, 2009 10:56:54 GMT -5
This road, constructed primarily during the reign of Jaehaerys the Conciliator, stretches from the Gates of Storm's End to Castle Black, first passing through King's Landing itself before running north to the Wall. The portion of the road in the Stormlands winds through the Kingswood and banditry, though not as common as it once was, is still a danger for smaller groups of travelers.
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Post by Sam on Nov 17, 2009 11:01:02 GMT -5
Ser Rodrick Baratheon rides out of Storm's End on a black courser, having elected to arrive late to the celebrations in King's Landing. He is dressed plainly and his warhammer is slung into its harness on his horse's saddle. He rides slowly north from Storm's End, soon entering the Kingswood.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 17, 2009 19:41:03 GMT -5
Rodrick is about three or four days out from King's Landing, and trotting along the well marked path with his courser, when further up the road he notices a series of large cloven hoof prints leading to a large wallowing puddle, which would easily submerge twice the largest boar Rodrick had ever seen.
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Post by Sam on Nov 17, 2009 19:49:37 GMT -5
Ser Rodrick stops his mount curiously, pausing to examine the prints, and the point at the puddle's edge where they stop.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 17, 2009 19:55:37 GMT -5
They prints appear to go directly into the puddle.
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Post by Sam on Nov 17, 2009 19:59:44 GMT -5
He dismounts, and takes his warhammer out of its holder on the saddle of his courser. The haft of it is nearly four feet long, made of solid steel, studded and bound with black leather at the handle. The massive head of the hammer consists of a large heavy hammer-face, more than six inches square and solid steel. The top of the hammer is a vicious steel spike, reminiscent of a spear-head and on the opposite side of the hammer face is another spike, this one curved and bladed. The weight makes a blow from any one of the three weapons potentially into a killing blow, and also makes it into a useful tool.
Ser Rodrick reaches out attempting to hook the spike around whatever lies in the puddle, and drag it out onto the road.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 17, 2009 20:07:14 GMT -5
There is a sudden shrill squeal as three large piglets, each about the size of a domestic hog, come raising out of the mud wallow, running in up the Kingsroad, and into the bush. There is a sudden rustling from the brush off to Rodrick's left, and suddenly he feels a smashing force of hundreds of pounds hitting him in the blind side.
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Post by Sam on Nov 17, 2009 20:19:57 GMT -5
He tries to roll with the blow and get out of the boar's way before its tusks sliced him open. He attempted to leap to his feet and defend himself with the warhammer.
[Apprentice Warhammer]
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Post by Sam on Nov 18, 2009 2:24:34 GMT -5
Ser Rodrick dragged himself over to where his horse still stood, and pulled some cloth out of one of the saddlebags with which to bind his wounds. He realized it was his nice doublet, but since the alternative was to bleed to death he used it anyway. The boar's tusks, though long and sharp, and not done any crippling damage, merely cut long gashes across the inside of each of his thighs.
The wounds were painful, but not the worst pain he'd ever felt, and after several tries the young man was able to sling himself back up into his horse's saddle. He spurred it forward, wincing in pain with each step the beast took, and he wondered if he would survive the four-day ride to King's Landing.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 18, 2009 11:12:16 GMT -5
(OOC: it is in fact the worst pain he's ever felt, check Fight Thread for Details on wound)
Within two hundred yards, Rodrick slipped off the horse, and blacked out.
He awoke, some time later, and it was dark, and he was looking up at a sod roof. He could hear metallic clinking off to his left, but when he tried to turn to look over, it hurt so bad, he gasped.
"Don't try to move," said the female voice, "You have no idea how lucky you are to be alive, and I'm still not sure I'll be able to keep you that way."
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Post by Sam on Nov 18, 2009 13:41:50 GMT -5
Rodrick mumbled something unintelligible and tried to get a view of the woman who was tending to him.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 18, 2009 13:46:29 GMT -5
Eventually the woman comes over. She is older, perhaps in her sixties or even seventies.
"You don't know how lucky you are that there is a large truffles patch near where you were gored. That's what I was doing out there. Of course, that's probably why the boar was there also."
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Post by Sam on Nov 19, 2009 2:28:43 GMT -5
"Who are you?" he croaked, his voice hoarse.
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Post by The Stranger on Nov 19, 2009 9:59:12 GMT -5
"Marge of Greencreek, this is my home. I live here in the Kingswood, collecting mushrooms, and selling 'em to the highborn at the markets." She held his head up and poured some wine down his throat.
"Try not to move around so much."
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Post by Sam on Nov 19, 2009 14:22:09 GMT -5
Rodrick drank thirstily and coughed as the wine burned on its way down. "Rodrick," he said, trying to take her advice. The slightest movement sent shooting pains up and down his body, and he was still quite woozy from having lost so much blood.
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Hope you all are well and happy.