Post by The Stranger on Nov 20, 2009 10:11:36 GMT -5
A light rain was drizzling down on the Stone Hedge keep as Titus milled through its halls, readying his trip to King's Landing for this years' biggest celebration. A gust of wind blew through the cracks of the walls and window nearby him, creating a howling pitch that nearly spooked the dog by his feet. Rifling through some last minute papers he attached his seal to the list of documents insuring the safety of the castle in his absence.
As a secondary measure of internal defense Titus had started to expand on his budding network of agents, within the Riverlands especially. It was a fairly empty business, the Riverlands having become so dull and gloomy lately, that many had simply lost interest in keeping up to date. As a young lord, however, Titus found it his duty to ensure his own stability in rule. He just did not expect to find reports so soon.
There was a loud raping at his door, thoroughly startling the dog, whom he comforted and told to stay while he answered it. It was the men Titus was expecting, Ser Duncan Wode, his captain of the guard, and Coddry, his spymaster, who stood before him. When the three men stood together they looked like a motley crew whose only similarities were their shared gender.
"Gentlemen", Titus said as he waved him to come in. He looked them over. "Your faces betray a certain anxiety, have you discovered something troubling, Coddry?", Titus said with a knowing and frankly, amused, look.
"Something troubling indeed, lordship", he said, his eyes wavering. He handed a Titus a paper from his cloak. "A report from your agents, lordship. Last minute if you will."
Titus, getting a little more worried opened the letter in a bit of haste, nearly ripping the sheet as he did so. His eyes quickly skimmed the horrid hand of the letter's author, uncovering the same plot which the maker had planned: rebellion. "So Gerold has finally come to terms with his fate? He has finally decided to give in to treachery? Is he really that stupid?", Titus asked. All rhetorical questions. When Titus got nervous he asked a bunch at once.
"Ahh, yes, lordship. It's a mission bound to fail, of course, lordsh--"
"Do you have any orders for the guard?", Duncan said, interrupting Coddry. "I can have it doubled at once, lock down your side of the keep, whatever you wish."
Titus nodded, "Do that. But I'll also have something for you, Coddry. Have your agents investigate this further. I want to know details. I want to know who is plotting with my cousin, and how he many men has afforded."
Coddry nodded. Duncan nodded. The three split.
/////////////////////
Three days later the trio reconvened in Titus's chamber.
"Reports, gentlemen?", Titus said, rather collected.
"The guard has been doubled, as you've doubtless realized by now", Duncan said, "otherwise things remain secure."
Titus nodded and turned to Coddry, who spoke without prompting. "New reports, yes, lordship. It's not a very large force he's bringing to challenge you. Might be fifty men, might be a few more. He is counting on the treachery of one of your men though, lordship. Lieutenant Eddard."
Duncan's eyes widened. "Truly? He has always been true to my command and a loyal man."
"Loyal to Gerold, perhaps", Titus said with some bitterness. "How soon do they intend on striking?"
"Early morn' tomorrow, lordship, tomorrow."
"Well here are more orders as such. Just before midnight I want Eddard arrested and half of the guardforce removed from sight. I want the entire force prepared to fight however. When Gerold's company arrive at the gates, I want the second half of the guardforce to appear and all will commence firing. I will stay behind the gate with a force of fifteen knights to chase their retreat."
Duncan nodded. All three departed and prepared for the next day.
////////////////////
Coddry came to Titus just before midnight to tell him that Eddard had been seized privately in his own quarters, and that the guard stood ready. Titus thanked Coddry and withdrew to his own quarters where his squires readied armor for him.
In the early morning he walked to the walls of the keep and met with Duncan, who was also dressed in arms and armor. "Any news yet, Dunk?", he asked, putting his mailed hand on stone of the walls.
"Not quite-- Stranger's bollocks! Nice timing Titus", he said as he saw a force emerge from the horizon. Ten mounted men led a measly force of just over fifty, headed by Gerold Bracken, a dissident son of one of Titus's avaricious uncles.
As the company approached, its leader called out to the walls, "I have company for my rightful inheritance. Bring up your gates and this castle will fall without blood."
Titus then moved to Gerold's view and he saw the expression on the man's face sour. "The castle will remain in its rightful hands, Gerold. You sully the Bracken name with your treachery."
"Eddard! Now!", Gerold screamed as he simultaneously signaled a score of archers he had assembled behind him. A few minutes later he would realize that Eddard had already been dealt with.
Titus withdrew behind the wall again headed to the mounted men who lay in way for him. He heard the sound of whizzing arrows and Duncan issuing commands from the top of the wall as the skirmish commenced. Mid-way through, as victory seemed a certainty, Duncan joined with Titus.
"I wouldn't want to miss this", Duncan said as he mounted a waiting stallion and drew up his hammer.
"Crushing rebels? Who knew you enjoyed that so much?", Titus said with a smirk as he drew his sword. The gates raised before him, and when the enemy, who were already beginning to scatter saw the knights before them they panicked. Half of the horsemen, along with Gerold stayed to fight, along with a handful of the bravest mercenaries Gerold had bought. The rest scattered. Five of the Bracken knights disengaged from the main force to run down those who fled. The rest engaged in battle, with a score of guards entering the melee just after it commenced.
Titus weaved through horsemen, delivering a series of well-placed, if not lucky, blows to a knight and two conscripts who stood in the way of Gerold. Duncan was far more frightening: with his mighty warhammer held high he smote two men in just a few moments, causing four more to flee in fright. Titus engaged in melee with Gerold, matching his shield with Gerold's every blow. This was Titus's pay-off for years of practice. After weakening down Gerold's physical defenses, and after Gerold came to terms with his own loss, he subconsiously opened a few weak spots. Titus saw them and exploited the fortuitous situation, landing two quick painful blows. With a third fatal swing Gerold fell from his horse, blood pooling at his dying form.
The rest of the knights then joined chased the remnants of the would-be usurpers, taking prisoners when possible.
The day was a success, and a triumph for Titus's network. A few days later he Coddry leave to establish more bases directly in Stone Hedge and throughout the Riverlands. "These are invaluable", Titus thought.
Results:
Titus Bracken gains expert long blades
Titus Bracken improves towards master espionage
Duncan Wode gains expert warhammer
Duncan Wode gains expert land command
As a secondary measure of internal defense Titus had started to expand on his budding network of agents, within the Riverlands especially. It was a fairly empty business, the Riverlands having become so dull and gloomy lately, that many had simply lost interest in keeping up to date. As a young lord, however, Titus found it his duty to ensure his own stability in rule. He just did not expect to find reports so soon.
There was a loud raping at his door, thoroughly startling the dog, whom he comforted and told to stay while he answered it. It was the men Titus was expecting, Ser Duncan Wode, his captain of the guard, and Coddry, his spymaster, who stood before him. When the three men stood together they looked like a motley crew whose only similarities were their shared gender.
"Gentlemen", Titus said as he waved him to come in. He looked them over. "Your faces betray a certain anxiety, have you discovered something troubling, Coddry?", Titus said with a knowing and frankly, amused, look.
"Something troubling indeed, lordship", he said, his eyes wavering. He handed a Titus a paper from his cloak. "A report from your agents, lordship. Last minute if you will."
Titus, getting a little more worried opened the letter in a bit of haste, nearly ripping the sheet as he did so. His eyes quickly skimmed the horrid hand of the letter's author, uncovering the same plot which the maker had planned: rebellion. "So Gerold has finally come to terms with his fate? He has finally decided to give in to treachery? Is he really that stupid?", Titus asked. All rhetorical questions. When Titus got nervous he asked a bunch at once.
"Ahh, yes, lordship. It's a mission bound to fail, of course, lordsh--"
"Do you have any orders for the guard?", Duncan said, interrupting Coddry. "I can have it doubled at once, lock down your side of the keep, whatever you wish."
Titus nodded, "Do that. But I'll also have something for you, Coddry. Have your agents investigate this further. I want to know details. I want to know who is plotting with my cousin, and how he many men has afforded."
Coddry nodded. Duncan nodded. The three split.
/////////////////////
Three days later the trio reconvened in Titus's chamber.
"Reports, gentlemen?", Titus said, rather collected.
"The guard has been doubled, as you've doubtless realized by now", Duncan said, "otherwise things remain secure."
Titus nodded and turned to Coddry, who spoke without prompting. "New reports, yes, lordship. It's not a very large force he's bringing to challenge you. Might be fifty men, might be a few more. He is counting on the treachery of one of your men though, lordship. Lieutenant Eddard."
Duncan's eyes widened. "Truly? He has always been true to my command and a loyal man."
"Loyal to Gerold, perhaps", Titus said with some bitterness. "How soon do they intend on striking?"
"Early morn' tomorrow, lordship, tomorrow."
"Well here are more orders as such. Just before midnight I want Eddard arrested and half of the guardforce removed from sight. I want the entire force prepared to fight however. When Gerold's company arrive at the gates, I want the second half of the guardforce to appear and all will commence firing. I will stay behind the gate with a force of fifteen knights to chase their retreat."
Duncan nodded. All three departed and prepared for the next day.
////////////////////
Coddry came to Titus just before midnight to tell him that Eddard had been seized privately in his own quarters, and that the guard stood ready. Titus thanked Coddry and withdrew to his own quarters where his squires readied armor for him.
In the early morning he walked to the walls of the keep and met with Duncan, who was also dressed in arms and armor. "Any news yet, Dunk?", he asked, putting his mailed hand on stone of the walls.
"Not quite-- Stranger's bollocks! Nice timing Titus", he said as he saw a force emerge from the horizon. Ten mounted men led a measly force of just over fifty, headed by Gerold Bracken, a dissident son of one of Titus's avaricious uncles.
As the company approached, its leader called out to the walls, "I have company for my rightful inheritance. Bring up your gates and this castle will fall without blood."
Titus then moved to Gerold's view and he saw the expression on the man's face sour. "The castle will remain in its rightful hands, Gerold. You sully the Bracken name with your treachery."
"Eddard! Now!", Gerold screamed as he simultaneously signaled a score of archers he had assembled behind him. A few minutes later he would realize that Eddard had already been dealt with.
Titus withdrew behind the wall again headed to the mounted men who lay in way for him. He heard the sound of whizzing arrows and Duncan issuing commands from the top of the wall as the skirmish commenced. Mid-way through, as victory seemed a certainty, Duncan joined with Titus.
"I wouldn't want to miss this", Duncan said as he mounted a waiting stallion and drew up his hammer.
"Crushing rebels? Who knew you enjoyed that so much?", Titus said with a smirk as he drew his sword. The gates raised before him, and when the enemy, who were already beginning to scatter saw the knights before them they panicked. Half of the horsemen, along with Gerold stayed to fight, along with a handful of the bravest mercenaries Gerold had bought. The rest scattered. Five of the Bracken knights disengaged from the main force to run down those who fled. The rest engaged in battle, with a score of guards entering the melee just after it commenced.
Titus weaved through horsemen, delivering a series of well-placed, if not lucky, blows to a knight and two conscripts who stood in the way of Gerold. Duncan was far more frightening: with his mighty warhammer held high he smote two men in just a few moments, causing four more to flee in fright. Titus engaged in melee with Gerold, matching his shield with Gerold's every blow. This was Titus's pay-off for years of practice. After weakening down Gerold's physical defenses, and after Gerold came to terms with his own loss, he subconsiously opened a few weak spots. Titus saw them and exploited the fortuitous situation, landing two quick painful blows. With a third fatal swing Gerold fell from his horse, blood pooling at his dying form.
The rest of the knights then joined chased the remnants of the would-be usurpers, taking prisoners when possible.
The day was a success, and a triumph for Titus's network. A few days later he Coddry leave to establish more bases directly in Stone Hedge and throughout the Riverlands. "These are invaluable", Titus thought.
Results:
Titus Bracken gains expert long blades
Titus Bracken improves towards master espionage
Duncan Wode gains expert warhammer
Duncan Wode gains expert land command