70th Day of Spring, 514 AV
Between 10th and 11th Bell
Finally, after many bells of searching, Bitt spotted The Anthonius Fighter's Pit. The Stormhold Citadel comprised the majority of Syliras, and although several facilities existed in the surrounding areas, Bitt hadn't been to a single one; except for The Windmount Stables, of course.
Earlier that morning Crowe, Bitt's patron, had ordered him to go to the fighter's pit. His task was was to watch how the common citizens of Syliras handled themselves in a fight, and learn what he could from the experience. Bitt took to the task with gusto. Unfortunately, the older knight had some 'business' to attend to that day, so Bitt was left on his own, and given the young squire's horrid sense of direction, what happened next was inevitable:
Why do I always have to get lost? the young squire thought to himself and sighed. A rough location, and a description of what to look for... that was all he was given. If not for the few kind strangers who were willing to offer him directions, Bitt suspected he wouldn't have ever found the place.
Using his quarterstaff as a walking stick, Bitt motioned to close the final piece of distance between himself and his destination. Compared to The Windmount Stables, the ground was relatively barren: dirt, mostly, and with each of the squire's steps a small cloud of dust was born. It would linger in the air, for a time, before once again settling down to the earth. Bitt rubbed his brow with the back of his arm, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated there.
It's starting to warm up.
Summer was just around the corner, Bitt knew; already he could feel the days growing longer. He had been with the knight's for almost an entire season. A season of pain. A season of struggle. A season of having Crowe push his limits to their breaking point. When he thought back to the person he was when he arrived in Syliras, and the person he was starting to become, the young squire grinned.
I sure have come a long way.
Within a couple of chimes, the dull clash of metal-on-metal could be heard, and Bitt quickened his pace. It was a familiar sound, a sound he had heard countless times at the Antinous Training Grounds; it was the sound of combat. The squire had been searching all morning, and now that he'd finally found The Anthonius Fighter's Pit, he didn't want to miss seeing anything useful. The edge of the pit came into view, and Bitt started running, his excitement getting the better of him. In that particular section, there was a six-foot drop between the the wall and the ground. The squire transferred his quarterstaff to his left hand mid-stride, and pushed himself to a sprint as he closed the last handful of yards. Bitt pushed off of an old piece of masonry and leapt forwards into the air. As he fell, the squire positioned his body so that his right shoulder would hit the ground first. Then, using the momentum of the fall, Bitt rolled into his landing, thus avoiding injury.
Ouch!
Well, that's not entirely true. Bitt landed on an unfortunately positioned stone, and as the squire climbed to his feet, he rubbed his sore arm absent-mindedly.
"So, this is The Anthonius Fighter's Pit." Bitt muttered to himself. There wasn't anyone in his immediate vicinity, which he was grateful for. In hindsight, jumping announced into a fighter's pit was a rash decision. While the earth was graced by the occasional patch of dry-looking grass, the majority of the floor was still dirt. Noticing this, Bitt made a poor effort at dusting himself off, slapping his hands randomly against the studded leather armour he wore. He sighed;
Well... I was probably going to clean it tonight anyway.
Retracing his steps somewhat, the squire took a seat a few feet away from the wall. Bitt didn't want to get in the way, after all. He sat with his legs crossed, his hands resting palm-down on his thighs, and his quarterstaff laying across his lap. After taking a moment to dislodge an irritating pebble from beneath his rump, Bitt turned his focus back across the fighter's pit.
Compared to the Antinous Traing Grounds, it was a rather shabby affair. With the exception being a few weapon racks, Bitt couldn't discern any noticable equipment, and the pit itself wasn't the prettiest looking thing either.
I suppose it gets the job done, though.
Bitt was able to acknowledge that much, at least. Already, several people were spread out across the large, open space. Some of them practiced on their own, striking at invisible opponents in the air. Some of them sparred with a partner, testing each other's skill. One pair of fighters even had a couple of mats-
Oh, so there's mats as well.
-spread across their section of ground, and they grappled fiercely at one another. Bitt found it interesting, but eventually his eyes settled on two of the fighters - both of them men - sparring with weapons. Each was equipped with a short sword and wooden shield, and they were particularly fierce in their exchanges. Bitt furrowed his brow in concentration and watched.
If Crowe asks me about this, I'll need to have some answers ready.
Finally, after many bells of searching, Bitt spotted The Anthonius Fighter's Pit. The Stormhold Citadel comprised the majority of Syliras, and although several facilities existed in the surrounding areas, Bitt hadn't been to a single one; except for The Windmount Stables, of course.
Earlier that morning Crowe, Bitt's patron, had ordered him to go to the fighter's pit. His task was was to watch how the common citizens of Syliras handled themselves in a fight, and learn what he could from the experience. Bitt took to the task with gusto. Unfortunately, the older knight had some 'business' to attend to that day, so Bitt was left on his own, and given the young squire's horrid sense of direction, what happened next was inevitable:
Why do I always have to get lost? the young squire thought to himself and sighed. A rough location, and a description of what to look for... that was all he was given. If not for the few kind strangers who were willing to offer him directions, Bitt suspected he wouldn't have ever found the place.
Using his quarterstaff as a walking stick, Bitt motioned to close the final piece of distance between himself and his destination. Compared to The Windmount Stables, the ground was relatively barren: dirt, mostly, and with each of the squire's steps a small cloud of dust was born. It would linger in the air, for a time, before once again settling down to the earth. Bitt rubbed his brow with the back of his arm, wiping away the sweat that had accumulated there.
It's starting to warm up.
Summer was just around the corner, Bitt knew; already he could feel the days growing longer. He had been with the knight's for almost an entire season. A season of pain. A season of struggle. A season of having Crowe push his limits to their breaking point. When he thought back to the person he was when he arrived in Syliras, and the person he was starting to become, the young squire grinned.
I sure have come a long way.
Within a couple of chimes, the dull clash of metal-on-metal could be heard, and Bitt quickened his pace. It was a familiar sound, a sound he had heard countless times at the Antinous Training Grounds; it was the sound of combat. The squire had been searching all morning, and now that he'd finally found The Anthonius Fighter's Pit, he didn't want to miss seeing anything useful. The edge of the pit came into view, and Bitt started running, his excitement getting the better of him. In that particular section, there was a six-foot drop between the the wall and the ground. The squire transferred his quarterstaff to his left hand mid-stride, and pushed himself to a sprint as he closed the last handful of yards. Bitt pushed off of an old piece of masonry and leapt forwards into the air. As he fell, the squire positioned his body so that his right shoulder would hit the ground first. Then, using the momentum of the fall, Bitt rolled into his landing, thus avoiding injury.
Ouch!
Well, that's not entirely true. Bitt landed on an unfortunately positioned stone, and as the squire climbed to his feet, he rubbed his sore arm absent-mindedly.
"So, this is The Anthonius Fighter's Pit." Bitt muttered to himself. There wasn't anyone in his immediate vicinity, which he was grateful for. In hindsight, jumping announced into a fighter's pit was a rash decision. While the earth was graced by the occasional patch of dry-looking grass, the majority of the floor was still dirt. Noticing this, Bitt made a poor effort at dusting himself off, slapping his hands randomly against the studded leather armour he wore. He sighed;
Well... I was probably going to clean it tonight anyway.
Retracing his steps somewhat, the squire took a seat a few feet away from the wall. Bitt didn't want to get in the way, after all. He sat with his legs crossed, his hands resting palm-down on his thighs, and his quarterstaff laying across his lap. After taking a moment to dislodge an irritating pebble from beneath his rump, Bitt turned his focus back across the fighter's pit.
Compared to the Antinous Traing Grounds, it was a rather shabby affair. With the exception being a few weapon racks, Bitt couldn't discern any noticable equipment, and the pit itself wasn't the prettiest looking thing either.
I suppose it gets the job done, though.
Bitt was able to acknowledge that much, at least. Already, several people were spread out across the large, open space. Some of them practiced on their own, striking at invisible opponents in the air. Some of them sparred with a partner, testing each other's skill. One pair of fighters even had a couple of mats-
Oh, so there's mats as well.
-spread across their section of ground, and they grappled fiercely at one another. Bitt found it interesting, but eventually his eyes settled on two of the fighters - both of them men - sparring with weapons. Each was equipped with a short sword and wooden shield, and they were particularly fierce in their exchanges. Bitt furrowed his brow in concentration and watched.
If Crowe asks me about this, I'll need to have some answers ready.
To bad it didn't get finished. I hope you two can have another go at it sometime in the future! Enjoy your grades. 
