Not All Fun and Games (Laurel)

[Xalet]

50th day of Winter, 511 AV

Winter stuck hard on that day of mid-season. The snows whipped about, showering the stone and bricks with it's white, powdery residue. Xalet had been in the middle of a workout routine, utilizing a pulley system with large weights attached to one end, with a circle of rope serving as a handle at the other. A Knight approached him, tossing the perspiring Akalak a towel despite the ambient cold coming from the winter air outside. Without any hesitation the fully armored Knight spoke, his face shielded by his helm, "Squire Xalet, get dressed in your full uniform with equipment and head to the main gate. You have one bells time to get cleaned up and get your things together. Move it. If you're late your Patron shall hear of it." With no further instruction the Knight turned on his heel and took his leave. Now alone and with his tension building, Xalet immediately began getting his things together.

The squire wasn't the only member of the Syliran Knights whom had faced such an abrupt call for service. Indeed, another young female squire named Laurel was called upon too, a Knight reaching her wherever she may have been and delivering the same set of short and stern demands.

Just as described, just a few chimes shy of one bell Xalet found himself hustling upon the gates of the city, with several other squires having already arrived. Some twenty young men and women, all dressed in various types of Knight equipment stood, all similarly confused. Some meandered aimlessly, while some chatted amongst themselves as to the reason for their summons. Xalet saw his Patron, Sergeant Irine Braklin in attendance, along with two Knights that appeared to be aiding her in some capacity. They were forming a large pile to the left and the right of the Sergeant, the mound consisting of dark leather packs, heavy and bulky.

Using a loud, boisterous voice that she not often needed to wield in order to address people in more intimate situations, the Sergeant called out, "Squires! Form a line! When the Knight comes around with the helm, you will reach inside and draw one piece of paper. That is a single piece of paper. Upon that paper is a single number. When your number is called, you will come forward and take one pack from the pile. That is a single pack. You will then return to the line." turning her head, she glanced momentarily at one of the Knights, "Ser, if you would."

"Yes, Sergeant." the Knight quickly responded, holding the helm in front of him and slowly walking down the line of squires, each man or woman, boy or girl pulling out a slip of paper. Looking at the numbers, the various squires found them to range between 1 and 10, with all of the numbers having a duplicate.

Xalet, still confused as the moment he received the word from the Knight in the middle of his workout looked down and saw the number '8' upon his paper. Should Laurel look down, she would have seen the same number, even though they were not anywhere near each other in the line. Even now, they would not have known that their numbers were the same, but such similarities had all the meaning in the world.

"I will now call the numbers to receive your packs! Get a pack and return immediately back to the line!" Sergeant Braklin shouted, taking a moment to clear her throat as the snow pelted her form, some landing upon the soft locks of her hair and the fine outline of her eyebrows. "1...." she began, and two men walked forward, looking at each other for a moment before a sharp 'ahem!' came from the Sergeant, to which they proceeded straight to the pile of packs, grabbed one, and headed back into the line. The numbers continued, with all manners of pairings coming up toward the packs. A Human boy, possibly fifteen years of age was paired with an older Vantha girl. A tall man of an unknown race, disguised in his full plate was paired up with a stout Izurian male in leathers. Finally '8' was called, and Xalet moved to the pile. From inside of his helm he made a quick sideways glance at the other that shared his number, before retrieving his pack and heading back to the line.

Anyone who viewed Xalet without knowing him would see he, like the tall male before him, was similarly disguised in his full plate mail, only he was even taller. His plated figure stood nearly seven feet tall, and had a muscle tone that stood out from wiry or lithe builds. He carried a large shield upon his back, a crossbow upon his shoulder, and a short sword on his hip.

OOCAlright, there's a little bit more buildup coming, but I wanted to give you a chance to respond to some of this mess, including whatever you could have been doing when you were summoned. I also wanted to create some tension . After that, we'll be getting right into the thick of things!

[Laurel van Owain]

Laurel smiled as she read her book and sat back against the pillow in her dormitory for a very rare day off. Ser Smis wasn't one to allow relaxation and his words yesterday seemed somehow... happy. Maybe not happy but here was definitely something in those words, something in the way he seemed to chuckle when he told her she'd get a free day. Something she couldn't put her finger on. BANG! The book slammed abruptly closed in front of her, splitting her ears and smashing her smallest finger. Shiri, the songbird in the cage beside her bed, began to screech and chirp frantically from the sudden outburst. Laurel did much the same. Above her a short Knight in half-plate took the novel from Laurel's hands and put it on the end table beside the bed. The Knight's words came in strange, short gasps. "One bell. Main Gate. Get dressed. Bring full equipment." Laurel shook her head. "No, no. That has to be a mistake. My Patron promised me a day of rest." The Knight's all-metal helm remained expressionless. "He lied. Move it." The Knight turned and left after that, leaving Laurel alone to mutter a silent curse. She got her affairs in orders, dressed herself in full plate and great helm then slipped over tabard over that. She took her dagger as well and her halberd. She then said goodbye to Shiri, leaving some extra water and birdseed for her before heading to the main gate. ~~xx~~ She stood at the main gate and was almost glad to see she wasn't alone. There looked to be twenty squires here though, what could that mean? All of them fully dressed and armed as well. Why would they need such manpower and why only the squires then? Some big mission maybe? Despite her disappointment at being lied to, she had grown used to it from her Patron and the thought of adventure warmed her bones on this freezing Winter's day. She shifted in her armour, holding her helm under her arm and watched as the pile formed. Packs, a prodigious pile full of packs. Laurel's observations were cut short by the Sergeant's booming voice. "Squires! Form a line!" She shouted. "When the Knight comes around with the helm, you will reach inside and draw one piece of paper. That is a single piece of paper. Upon that paper is a single number. When your number is called, you will come forward and take one pack from the pile. That is a single pack. You will then return to the line." Laurel did as she was told and took her place far on the right end of the line. Squished between a leather-clad Isur and a lightly dressed archer, Laurel picked her number from the helm when it was presented to her. She had pulled number 8 from the helm and waited while her number was being called. It looked like every number had a pair and two at a time, squires went up and grabbed a pack each. "Eight!" The sergeant called. Laurel put her helm on and stopped forward. She looked down the line to see her partner. He was much taller than Laurel, something that nearly surprised her, but dressed in much the same way in. His equipment was different than hers but much the standard for Knights; large shield and sword. He had a crossbow too, something that might come in handy and somehow you could almost see his huge muscles moving beneath his plate and mail. She nodded to him in her helm as they picked up their packs and then she returned to her spot in line to await her next order.

[Xalet]

Finally the last pack was dispensed, and all of the squire's had returned to the line. The Sergeant looked them over, pacing slowly from the left to the right, hands moving gracefully by her sides as she moved. The Konti's grace and elegance was apparent, and it was both her appearance and regal gestures that often persuaded those she spoke to. Force and intimidation was rarely a tool in her vast arsenal of knowledge. Xalet knew that look on her face, however. He could tell exactly what it meant, a speech was coming. Sure enough the Sergeant stopped in her place and turned to face the squire's whom remained completely silent during her long pause, aside from a sniffle, sneeze, or cough here and there from the frigidity of the winter.

"On this day, you awoke not realizing that the Gods had smiled upon you. Indeed, you squire's have something in common in that you are all equally blessed to have been chosen for the very first of the Squire's Games. Like all games there are rules, and I would request you listen carefully as they shall not be repeated, and any circumvention of the rules shall not be tolerated." she began, moving between the two Knights which had done their duty, dispensing packs or numbers on paper. The Knight to her left quickly produced a piece of parchment at the Sergeant's beckoning gesture, to which she held aloft in front of her and began reading.

"The purpose of these games is to develop teamwork, camaraderie, and the skills required to become a Knight, including but not exclusively the ability to follow orders, use judgment, plan, assess, navigate, and overcome any and all obstacles in the way of your mission. All of you have been randomly selected, and as such it is possible you do not even know the squire to your left or to your right. We all serve under the same Lord, and work toward the same goal, and thus should be prepared to learn and cooperate with any and all of our brethren, whether over a period of time, or on short notice."

"The nature of this game is as follows. You and the squire that shares your number shall form a team. Your team will be tasked in traveling to the Eventide Outpost to the north. Once there within the tower you shall find a Knight, this Knight has a flag which you must procure. The first team to procure this flag will be deemed the winning team of the games and shall receive a most suitable reward." at a moments thought, the task itself seemed otherwise easy and straight forward, with many of the squires shrugging to themselves, confident in their abilities. That was until the Sergeant continued, "You will notice that there are twenty of you in attendance, this means that you will have competition. But the game is not so easy, as there are...additional circumstances and chances for further compensatory rewards. Inside of each pack you will find the same equipment, including three meals worth of food, a waterskin of fresh water, a map of Sylria, a set of toiletries, a set of dinner utensils, a tent and bedroll, horse feed for two days, flint & steel, a lantern with approximately 12 bells of oil, 2 torches, and additional cold weather clothing including a cloak and coat. You will also find a medallion. This medallion is of particular importance. All squire's shall wear their medallion upon their neck. Any squire may take, using any means necessary, another squire's medallion. Should a squire lose their medallion or have their medallion taken from them, their team forfeits the games and is to return to Syliras immediately."

"Now, being the honorable and upstanding squires you are, it is possible you are already thinking internally of making a truce to not obtain each others medallions, but to that I will say this. Any team which obtains the flag and produces additional medallions will have their compensatory reward increased at a rate of one half per medallion. To those of you good with numbers, you are correct in realizing that providing all twenty medallions will result in a reward ten times the value." immediately upon this statement various squires were already looking around, sizing up their competition, trying to access whom the very first target could be. To remove a team and gain additional rewards was quite compelling.

"From here, your teams shall be blind folded and led to the various areas surrounding the city of Syliras where each squire will have a horse tethered and awaiting them. That is a horse for every squire. A wing is on their way not to aid myself and these two Knights in moving the teams. All teams shall be separated within the Bronze Woods, but will begin at the same distance from Eventide Outpost. Once all teams are in position a grand horn will sound, designating the start of the Game. From there you squires will remove your blindfolds and, using ANY means necessary, travel to Eventide Outpost to obtain the flag. Some of you are skilled in stealth and subterfuge, some of you in wilderness survival and hunting, some of you in magic, some of you in martial pursuits. Some of you have divine marks and some of you have lore and geographical knowledge. Some of you can ride like the wind. You are allowed to use any and all of your skills or abilities in order to reach your goal, and you are allowed to use any and all of your skills or abilities in order to obtain other medallions, or prevent your medallion from being taken. Perhaps you would stay upon the main road? But also, perhaps many other squires have exactly the same idea and you may find yourself involved in a grand melee. Perhaps you would travel through the densest woods, but perhaps you may find yourself greatly hindered by the terrain and weather, it is your choice."

"However, at no time shall a squire maim or kill another squire, though this should be an obvious restriction. Wrestle a medallion away, trick them out of it, steal it while they sleep, or beat them into submission with your practice weaponry, it matters not. Any squire may yield at any time and must then forfeit their medallion and return immediately back to Syliras. There will be extra patrols specifically for this event, and although they will not aid, help, hinder, or otherwise become involved at any time in the competition, they will insure the honor of all teams and will escort any forfeited teams back to Syliras upon request. The Eventide Outpost is a days ride in favorable weather, so expect to take perhaps two or three days, which means resting at some point will be a necessity. Also you will notice you have only been given three meals worth of food as previous stated, this means that to stay properly fed after the first day, you may need to hunt, forage, or confiscate food or equipment from your peers. Ration and prepare accordingly." The Sergeant paused in order to bring a waterskin from her shoulder strap up to her mouth and take a long swig, wetting her lips and revitalizing her voice after such a prolonged speech.

"This is your goal, and these are your rules...ah, the wing has arrived." her eyes lit up as she tilted her head back to look past the squires at a group of five Knights prepared to escort the squires to their places. "Knights, grab a team and move out!" she called to her subordinates, whom responded by each selecting a squire and then calling for their teammate. Once all of the teams were together they were all unceremoniously bagged with black sacks upon their heads and made to march.

Over time Laurel could hear various mutterings and talk, but the sounds of the city eventually became less and less prominent. After sometime both she and Xalet could feel the hard, cold stone walkways replaced with the crunch of fresh snow and broken twigs, signaling they had entered the woodlands outside the city. It was probably almost a bell of walking once they were finally ordered to halt and remain as they were. Any conversations were met with an abrupt "Silence!" from a Knight leading them with a strong Fratavian accent. Then, after an unknown period of anticipation, a massive horn blast resounded across the surrounding area, "Remove your blindfolds and begin!" he quickly ordered Laurel and Xalet.

Xalet immediately reached up to pull the sack up and over his head, tossing it to the ground. Before the two squire's stood two horses, saddled and prepared to move. The Knight simply gave them a brief, "G'luck" before walking away. From their position in the woods they could not see the city, the massive trees of the Bronze Woods stretched to the sky all around them as the snow continued to fall.