[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on November 30th, 2010, 6:13 pm

Timestamp: 60th Fall 510 AV

Markus exhaled a deeply, that ricocheted off of his helmet and the warm air hit him in the face again. He realized then that he had a pretty nasty breath. Almost knocked him out. This was far from his first time tending a horse or getting up on a horse. But it would be the first time he did so while wearing a helmet. His masters orders. Because his master was the hugest jerk around. ’It will prove useful later.’ … Whenever Ser Mason said that, Markus knew he was going to do something insane. But today, those words had been accompanied by something a lot less dire. Just horse practice. That was going to be easy.

Or so he thought. For helmets, practical as they were for protecting a mans face from being squashed, did obstruct a mans vision. That was what Markus had to learn to cope with first. He found the horse he had been designated and did a check of the saddle. Making sure that it was secured to the horse so he wouldn't fall off. - Again -. It was hard to move his fingers with their usual dexterity with the steel leaving him without the sense of touch to feel difference in the layers. He would often have to lean down and look at it to see if everything looked alright. He turned to look at his metal heater shield - borrowed with the courtesy of the knights and his own bastard sword. He let the shield stay but strapped his sword around his waist.

With that secured. He would just have to find a way to get his 250+ lbs body up on the horse without damaging the horse and without falling off again. Markus struggled for several chimes. Making zero progress. Then he finally remembered an old lecture and looked around for the reins. Soon finding them and securely gripping them. Then he looked for the stirrup. Finding it he tried to lift his foot up to get it in, but to no avail. Then he gripped the saddle and tried again. Almost falling to the ground when the saddle moved. Then he tried again, grabbing the wither instead. And boom. Markus managed to drag his heavy ass up upon the horse.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 10th, 2010, 2:26 pm

With the problem of heaving a very heavy metal suit, with a knight inside, up on the horse, Markus had succeeded in completing the first task. The next task was ten times harder to accomplish. He had to find a way to stay seated on his horse while reaching down and grabbing his shield. He really should have tried to climb the horse with the shield. Might have been harder, but it would have saved him from the risk of falling off the horse. He grabbed on to the saddle with his left hand. Made sure his grip was secure. Then leaned down and reached out for his shield. Just outside reach. He would have to lean further down. Just a little more. Just a little more. And then it happened. Markus... Got a grip on the shield and through sheer upper body strength pulled the shield to him and with his left arm pulled most of his body up in a sitting position again. It had been quite the struggle and he could feel the strain upon his left arm - But that was nothing compared with what he had tried earlier training with his master.

Markus breathed easily and slid his arm into the straps and held onto the shield tightly. He didn't want to go through the hazzle of picking up the shield again in case he accidentally dropped it. Rather fall off the horse altogether. It was time to get the horse moving. Markus took the reins with his right hand. Looked down and made sure both feet were in the stirrup. Then Markus squeezed with his legs as he had been taught and the horse began to move forward at a slow pace. Markus loved horses. Not always that they loved him back, but still didn't change the fact that he liked them. The horse slowly walked out on the training course Markus had spent the better half of the morning to prepare. It was a rather poor training course, just 7 wooden poles plus some assorted targets like those on an archery range.

Markus drew his sword. With that, he realized why his master had wanted him to train like this. It had been ages since Markus had been training in controlling a horse, without using his hands on the reins. It required a lot of control over a horse to be able to only use one's legs to navigate at full speed. Right now, the horse was going at a very slow speed and Markus had been constantly trying to make it go to the right - in the direction of the of the first pole. After several seconds of just walking forward, the horse seemed to pick up and turned toward the first target. This wasn't the awesome attack one might expect from a heavy armored young squire. This was a horse slowly walking past a large wooden pole or trunk, rather. And smacking his sword into the pole with all of his might. Sending splinters in every direction.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 16th, 2010, 12:59 am

Despite the horse moving quite slow, it was thrilling to hold such power in one hands. The power he struck the log with sent shock waves down his body. Markus smirked as he with a jerk pulled the sword free of the log and continued the ride. The next log was coming nearer and Markus performed the same trick, only he kept a somewhat lighter grip on the sword. Letting it move a little within his palm so the power of the strike didn't force it out of his hand. Shrapnel of splinters exploded from the log as Markus' sword struck the weaker material. Splinters hit his body and bounced harmlessly off of the metal Markus was clad in. He was almost invincible wearing this armor. Such thoughts his master had told him to be wary of, as these thoughts often made one make mistakes.

- Like thinking about a masters advice while riding, making the poor squire head no attention upon the next log on the route. Now too far on his left for him to steer the horse around the left side. Leaving him with the option of just bypassing the log without bothering to strike at it, backhand strike with the sword (which would be very dangerous should the sword stick to the log - probably tear him right off the horse or dislocate his right shoulder) - and then the final choice. Use the shield which he so favored as an offensive weapon. It was a heater shield, it was clad with steel. Thus as he rode by, he swung the shield backwards, so that the tip at the end of the shield was aimed down at the top of the log. It nicked the log, which Markus was satisfied with. For any man at arms without a helmet would be dead from such a blow. Dead or dying. This time, Markus would not let his mind wander.

He nudged the horse to move further to the left, he had arranged the first 4 logs to come in a tighter and tighter circle. Forcing him to steer more and more to the left. So he could practice turning while swinging. Something that was best to learn before he came into a fight and just charged in a direction with no enemies. The horse had been well-trained and it followed his orders. Albeit only when Markus had made the signals a couple of times. The third log was awarded with a slash across the side with the tip of the sword, as Markus had overdone the left turning and had had to lean to his right to reach with the sword. Hardly a mortal wound had it been a human being, but he should be incapacitated by such a slash.

Markus gasped when he was safely seated in his upright position. The blade has almost slid from his grasp then, but he had managed to hold on to it.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 16th, 2010, 2:06 am

The fourth log came up and Markus was prepared to strike it with all his might. He sent some signals to the horse with both his tongue and with leg movements. Stroking the horse's side or rubbing it. Nudging it. To go the left. But he would have to be careful not to encourage the horse to move faster. For then Markus would be in deep trouble. As the horse could easily throw him off at a higher speed if he didn't have anything to hold on to it with. He had his sword, but the stable-master would have his head if he hurt the horse. The fourth log got a good whack across the front with the sword. Sending another explosion of splinters in every direction from the point of impact. Markus wondered, for a short moment, what it would be like to strike a man wearing full armor with all of the force he could muster from a horse back. Would the sheer power in the clash force the weapon from his hand? Or would he have learned some special way of holding the sword so it would have a harder time falling from his hand?

Then Markus arrived to a place where he had placed a trio of logs with some distance. So a horse could stand between them. Markus had planned that he would train fighting from a stationary horse there. Train hitting a target while moving on a horse, now train to use the sword effectively from a horse back. Get used to the lack of foot work and instead be using them to give signals to the horse. The first thing, was to remember how to make a horse stop using only the legs. Markus gave up on that and instead opened his shield hand and grabbed onto the reins and made the horse stop that way.

Markus and his horse stood perfectly. A log on both sides of Markus. Both within sword reach. The third log was in front of him. Slicing at the one on the right. First a slash across the log, then a reverse swing at the back of the log. Then he swung his shield back as he twisted his torso around and stabbed the tip of his sword into the log on his left. Pulling it out with a violent jerk and a motion with his lower body that made the horse turn. Not something Markus had wanted it to, but he rolled with it anyways and attacked the third log with a backhanded swing.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 16th, 2010, 5:07 pm

Markus kept up this constant swinging around with his upper body for almost a bell. Swinging and slashing with his sword upon the wood. Cutting deep lines into the tough material. Getting lost in the frenzy of unlimited strikes. The sword striking from above, cutting deep into the log. Markus feeling that it had pierced too deep. For when he tried to retrieve the sword, it stayed put. He pulled harder again and the sword didn't budge, at all. He tried to move it up and down to slowly get it free, but that didn't help much either. It was as if the wood was holding on the the blade with all its might to disallow Markus to attack him and his siblings.

It was a strange idea, but Markus did not have long to ponder about it, for in his eagerness to get the sword out, he had not minded his shield. And after a particularly strong pull where his hand slipped. The sudden lack of grip swung his body around and his shield smacked the horse on its rump.

Initiating something Markus was not prepared for. The horse began to gallop forward. Markus, being far from good enough to ride a horse while it was galloping. Or rather, riding it gracefully, was clinging to the horses neck. Looking like a total buffoon. It would be almost a chime before Markus' desperate yells made the horse stop galloping and Markus felt like he was going to die when the horse slowed down again. Markus, eager to get off of the horse, slid his right leg over the backside and let himself fall to the ground. The armor protecting him from any serious damage. Markus was maxed out on adrenalin, so he didn't even notice if he had any injuries. He just lay there and tried to breath heavily through the slits in the helmet.

It would be chimes before Markus got up again. Looking how far he had ridden in the time. It wasn't so bad. Just a couple of hundred yards. Which he would trot back on foot with the horse in tow. He sort of needed a break from riding too. The horse had been active for quite some time. Surely, he needed a break too.

Markus tied the horse to one of the logs and then began to fumble with getting the sword free. After hitting it from below with the shield a couple of times, the blade finally came free and Markus continued back to the stables.

Not because he was done. No. He had one last thing he had to try now that he was out there. Combining his terrible riding with his perhaps worse short bow. But it was expected of him to be able to use both at the same time, so it wouldn't help him if he didn't know anything about it.

When he got to the stables, he replaced his sword and shield with a quiver of arrows and a composite short bow. Then struggled up on the horse again and rode out to where he had prepared the last couple of targets. Not just mere logs this time, but targets. Markus urged the horse forward and it began to trot. Closer to where Markus had put the first target. He withdrew an arrow form the quiver. Stringed it. Pulled the string back. It felt very strange to be doing all that while wearing heavy armor. Perhaps heavy armor and archery weren't supposed to be mixed. Markus' arrow flew over the horses head and far to the targets right side. Hitting the ground.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 16th, 2010, 5:21 pm

Markus quickly withdrew a second arrow and put it on the strong. Turning his torso to face the target as he rode by. He was only 10 feet away from the target when he let this second arrow fly from his bow. But still. The up and down movements from the horse threw his aim off and the arrow flew over the target and too far to the left this time. He over compensated for the forward motion of the horse and had let the arrow go too early.

His master had once told him that a great archer would be able to let 3 arrows go as he rode past a target. One arrow before he reached the target. The second arrow as he rode past and then a third arrow when he had passed the target. Markus, couldn't for his life turn his upper body far enough around to fire a third time. The armor wouldn't let him. Besides, riding with his head turned away from the path would spell certain doom to Markus at this time. So he would have to settle with training the two first shots and make those 2 lethal. Or at least let those 2 hit the target. Markus swung around on the horse and approached the target again. Taking out an arrow from the quiver. Carefully placed it on the string and letting a slow exhale leave his lungs as he let the arrow go. It hit the upper area of the target. It was a hit! It was a hit! Markus let out a victorious howl as he rode past the target. Not caring for that second shot. He had managed to hit a target on his third shot! From a horse back! And he had been an amazing 30 feet away.

Markus felt awesome at that moment and he turned the horse back around and prepared for a third ride by.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Markus Andres on December 16th, 2010, 5:48 pm

With his spirit high in the air and his confidence soaring even higher, Markus approached the target for the third time. Arrow on the string. Right arm pulled the string all the way back. His left hand stretched out to keep the bow from whiplashing back into his face. The arrow left the bow with a powerful whoosh sound. Something Markus could barely hear through the helmet. But he knew that the arrow would be lethal. He followed the arrow with his eyes. He saw how the powerful arrow punched through the ... earth. Markus cursed and took out another arrow. Turned his torso as he pulled the string back. Aiming down the arrow. At this range, it would not drop fast enough for him to bother taking into account the distance.

This second arrow fared as well as the first arrow. All of its power was sent into the ground and perhaps inflicting some massive damage on a worm underground. 1 solid hit out of 5 arrows. Those odds were far from ideal. But he was combining two things he absolutely sucked at. Perhaps it was to be expected?

Markus let out an angered growl. Not wanting to let such facts bother him. He made the horse turn around and then trot at the target. Unleashing an arrow at it, it graced by the target. But the second arrow Markus unleashed struck the target close to the middle. Naturally, the second arrow had been unleashed from a distance of 6-10 feet away. If he had been standing with both feet firmly on the ground. He could probably have hit the bullseye each time.

- Markus would continue these ride-bys until he was out of arrows. At which point he would get off of the horse and gather all the arrows into the quiver again. Then take off his right glove and feel the horses chest. It was quite warm. Of course. So Markus would have to cool him down. Easiest done by just walking around with the horse until it had cooled down. After that he would return to the stables with the horse and finally, he would have to return his borrowed bow and arrows to the quartermaster.

- The End.
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[Training] Steel, wood and bone. [Solo]

Postby Leviathan on December 26th, 2010, 3:14 am

Thread Award!
Markus
 
Skills
Skill Gain Info.
Body Building 1 Using physical strength to maintain an armored self on a horse
Riding 3 Basic uses of a horse for riding purposes; training for combat on horseback
Weapon (Sword) 3 Constant use of a sword on makeshift opponents
Weapon (Shield) 1 Basic use of a shield on makeshift opponents
Weapon (Shortbow) 2 Basic use of the shortbow on makeshift opponents

 
Lore
How to be a Squire in Shining Armor
Losing Your Knighthood Virginity
Learning Combat from Horseback (Basic)


Additional CommentsMerry Christmas!
Bad News Everybody. School is picking up, Exams are beginning to happen, homework is growing time consuming, I may soon be evicted from my apartment, I'm dealing with severe and physical fights among several of my best friends, and I can't seem to find a time to get much needed sleep. I'm terribly sorry, but don't expect to see much of me for a long while.
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