Galad hesitated, knowing that his actions could be seen as impertinent by Ser Corwyn, and he did not want to cause trouble for those retainers who might join him on his journey. It seemed best to share little, and assume an authority his rank of knight gave to him.

"There is some concern regarding bandit activity in House Sylvayn's lands. I am taking a small group to patrol. Ser Corwyn and Master V  left earlier in the day, and we will be ensuring their safe return to Arrowmark as well. I had intended to bring with me a small group, including my own hounds and perhaps a pair of exceptional trackers who knew the lay of the land better than I," he cracked a grin as he flattered Thaddeus. The brothers had an excellent reputation after all. "If there are any men of the garrison you consider to be competent at moving quickly over rough ground, we can add them to our patrol and be ready to move in short order."

"My brother and a handful of others went with them this morning," Thaddeus said. "While I was told not to come. They even left the squires behind uninformed. They obviously didn't want anyone to come after them."

"But I'm the best tracker in Arrowmark. I can find them. What would that be worth to you?"
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:28, Sat 22 Aug 2020.

Galad frowned. Half the reason why it had seemed so important to find the two Sylvayns was that Ser Ben had said they left without a proper escort. Now it seemed they had taken a tracker and a handful of others with them.

"Ser Corwyn left you behind and in the dark," Galad observed, skeptically "Preferring to use your brother as his tracker. Was it your discretion he doubted, or your skills?"

"There is talk that the roads are unsafe, and Ser Corwyn's party is small. There is a danger here that extends to your brother. Surely you are not bartering with me when lives could well be on the line?"

[07:14, Today: Galad Hunter rolled 10 using 3d6 with rolls of 6,3,1.  Taunt Thaddeus. (Unless you'd like this resolved as a proper intrigue)]

"I am joking with you of course Ser Galad," Thaddeus said. His arm started moving as if he was going to jovially slap Galad's arm, but thought better of it.

"And my brother might be as good as I am, but he's not currently in Arrowmark. So he doesn't count. But either way, you've come to the right place."
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:50, Tue 25 Aug 2020.

Galad chuckled as Thaddeus moved to pat him on the arm. It seemed the man was not so callous after all.

"Excellent," he remarked, "we should have little difficulty surveying the land or ensuring the safety of our comrades."

"Are there any men of the garrison you would recommend to accompany us? We should move quickly if we are to make progress this morning."

"I could certainly pick a few," Thaddeus said. "Though if you want another knight to accompany us, it would be better if you talked to them."

"Indeed. Seek out these men and make yourselves ready, for we ride as soon as we are gathered. I will seek out a knight to accompany us, and ready my hounds." He replied.

Galad thought immediately of Ser Gerold, a stawlwart knight and swordsman, but the man was one of Ser Corwyn's cadre, and might take offence to Galad's goal. Instead he wondered if a more junior knight might serve to accompany him, one more likely to follow his lead. Failing that, perhaps Ser Corwyn's riverlands squire.

He began his search anew.

[OOC - any impressionable NPC knight not in Corwyn's Cadre, or Ser Quintane's squire, would serve as an extra sword in this instance].

As Galad was looking for another sword, he saw Brynden Quintaine, Corwyn Sylvayn's 15-year-old squire around the corner from the doorway to the kitchens talking to a smallfolk girl. A 5'4" boy still preferring leather armor and further away from knighthood then he should be because of his proclivity of doing what was needed whether it was honorable or not. Winning at all costs, even if it meant fighting dirty.

His brown locks framed his face as his left hand played with the girl's hair. There was a bucket of water at her feet. She was obviously supposed to be doing something else.

That was the problem with squiring for a knight like Ser Corwyn; you were often left to your own devices while your master attended to more important matters.

"Quintaine," he barked, "gather your kit. You were not left to your own devices so that you could distract the servants. We'll be riding on patrol in less than thirty minutes."

He paused to see if Quintaine would need more encouragement. His last stop would be the kennels, to collect his hounds.

Brynden quickly looked towards Galad. "Yes ser!" He turned back to the female and said something as he untangled his fingers from her hair and left in a hurry.

About a half-hour later, Brynden was ready and waiting. And Thaddeus had returned with four archers and two guerillas.

Galad had aimed for fewer than ten and arrived at eight, and so considered the marshalling a success. Given that his mission was something of a risky venture, he was satisfied that he had drawn no other knights into it.

"Very well, Thaddeus, Brynden, Men, let's make way."

He mounted his own steed; the combined height of man and mount left him towering over his compatriots.

The others mounted too, following the example of Ser Galad. Though none of them was of his impressive size.

Thaddeus headed out first to track them. And by this time, it had begun to rain lightly. But that didn't seem to phase him. It took him a little while to find the correct tracks, but after that he made things seem easy.

The group traveled into the mountains, onward and upward for a few hours. Well, there were a few downwards too as these were not one peak mountains. It was slower than on level ground, but still traversable on horseback.

Until you heard the sounds of combat from the other side of the next peak.

Galad's pulse began to thump in his head as the clamour of battle reached him.

"Archers, dismount, you'll be claiming high ground, and covering an orderly withdrawal if it is required," he commanded.

He turned to the guerrillas, and Thaddeus "Two of you will ride with me, the other shall stay with the archer's horses, to ensure they do not flee."

Finally he turned to young Quintaine, "ready your steel, boy, and guard my flank, for today our lives are in the hands of the Stranger."

He slammed down his visor, allowed the archer's a moment's head start to cover the distance on foot, and spurred his horse into a charge over the peak.

Only Galad and Brynden remained mounted.

"We fight on foot," one of the guerrillas said as he dismounted.

"And I am a hunter not a warrior," Thaddeus said. "But I'll shoot them from up here."

The hunter and the archers hurried over the peak and stopped a short distance down on the other side so that they wouldn't leave themselves exposed with only sky behind them.

One of the guerrillas remained on the far side with the seven horses. While the other headed over the peak and down the other side on foot, getting closer than the archers had.

While the two horsemen quickly passed all of them.

Getting their first view of the other side, they charged downhill. There were perhaps a dozen bandits facing less than half of that some 25 yards or so past the peak. And of the Sylvayn forces, two were already on the ground.
This message was last edited by the GM at 21:51, Sat 05 Sept 2020.

Galad urged his mount into a canter, building up momentum as he raced downhill. As he felt precious second tick by he tried to distract the bandits from encircling the Sylvayn men.

"For House Sylvayn," he roared, "Your doom is here!"


[07:32, Today: Galad Hunter rolled 1 using 3d6-3 with rolls of 2,1,1.  Galad Hunter - Initiative.
Galad commands steed to sprint 16 yards, leaving him 8-9 yards from the closest bandits [max is 6*4=24

Galad
HP - 15/15
Fatigue 0/5
CD - 11
AR - 8
]

Thaddeus unleashed his first arrow from his hunting bow and it penetrated the bandit's eye and brought him to the ground. The second arrow penetrated their hide armor and brought a second bandit to the ground.

Brynden rode into the fray and with a swing of his sword, he brought one of the bandits to the ground.

Vardan was on his feet and with his sword, he brought another bandit to the ground.

The four archers unleashed arrows from their longbows. The four arrows of the first volley struck four different bandits, but only one of them was brought to the ground. In the second volley, another four arrows struck home, bringing another four to the ground, including the three that had been hit previously.

The guerilla who had been running down the hill for all he was worth, slowed down to a walking pace and didn't reach the conflict.

The guerilla that Corwyn had brought with him swung, but his sword was ineffective against the hide armor.

One of the bandits pulled Brynden off of his horse, but his battleaxe was ineffective against the squire's soft leather. Three other bandits attacked the prone squire wielding their battleaxes in two hands and did substantial damage.

Two bandits attacked on Corwyn, he too fighting on foot. The battleaxe of the first was ineffective against the Lord's full plate armor, but the second connected with a devastating blow, cutting through his armor.

The final bandit closed with the approaching guerrilla and connected with a good swing of the battleaxe.

Corwyn countered, but the first swing of his sword was absorbed by armor. But he swung again and this time he brought the bandit to the ground.

Now that Galad was closer and had had some time to view the wet hill, rain still drizzling as it had down since they had started this expedition, in addition to the ten bandits that had been downed since Galad had arrived, there were an additional dozen or so bandits on the grass, with two Sylvayn horses. The other three horses were missing. Josua, Thaddeus brother, and another guerilla were the two friendlies on the ground.

[What do you do?]



[Result:
Brynden took 6 points of damage. He is at 6/12.
Corwyn took 5 points of damage, but traded them for a wound. So he is at best at 9/9, but he has been damaged previously in this combat.
The Guerrilla took 1 point of damage. He is at 5/6.

]

[OOC: As your group was moving across the peak, I'm letting that movement take place before your first round of combat. Or in other words, when this round begins, Galad has already moved 16 yards downhill. You are close enough to spend a lesser action to move so that you can spend your other lesser action to attack the bandits.]

Seeing Bryden pulled from his mount and set upon by bandits,  Galad cursed at the foolish charge of the squire, and readied himself to go to his aid, but the sight of Ser Corwyn farther downhill, beaten down and bleeding gave him pause.

Instead, he bellowed over his shoulder, back up the hill "Thaddeus, safeguard the boy!" The archers would have a clean shot at the bandits assailing Brandon, for he had been knocked to the ground, and was near the edge of the fray, whereas Ser Corwyn was not.

His steed chewed up the ground to Corwyn in moment, and with a meaty swing of his greatsword, Ser Galad slaughtered the bandit circling the knight.


[07:18, Today: Galad Hunter rolled 21 using 6d6, dropping the lowest dice only with rolls of 6,6,2,3,4,1.  Charge vs Bandit 11 Damage per Degree.]

[OOC - Galad is going to rely on his confederates to safeguard Brynden for a round if they can. I also realise I rolled for a charge rather than a move-attack, and can redo if needed, but I think the attack will probably have the same result.]

The huge knight easily and effortlessly cut down one of the bandits.

Two swift arrows were let loose from Thaddeus bow, sticking in the back of one of the bandits beating up the squire, as he had been ordered, and brought the bandit to the ground.

Brynden rose to his feet and cut down another bandit.

Vardan was better at the bow than the sword, but the heir to the House was still on his feet. He moved to Brynden and swung at one of the remaining bandits, but not doing enough damage to bring him down.

The first volley from the archers stuck two arrows in each of the remaining bandits near Brynden, bringing both of them to the ground. The second volley pincushioned the last bandit with four arrows and brought him to the ground.

[Combat is over. What do you do?]

Galad dismounted his steed briskly and he offered his hand to the wounded Ser Corwyn.

"See to the wounded," he shouted to those behind him, "and gather those loose mounts," he ordered the guerrillas, before addressing Ser Corwyn.

"Can you sit a horse, Ser Corwyn? I saw you take a nasty blow as we arrived."

As it turned out, only Corwyn had been seriously wounded. Now that things were over, the others could shake it off.

"I'll help them look for the horses," Thaddeus said and whistled towards the where they had left the horses. And when the final guerrilla poked his head over the peak, the tracker waved at him to come down and bring the horses.

"I'll make it home," Corwyn said. He gave neither thanks for saving his life nor a reprimand for disobeying his orders.

When the horses had rejoined them, Thaddeus and two of the guerrillas went looking for the missing horses.

"Given your injury and the distance back to House Sylvayn, we should depart as soon as possible," Galad asserted.

"I did not believe mere bandits could gather in such numbers on House Sylvayns lands."

"You never know when bandits show up," Corwyn said. "They have a knack of showing up when and where you least expect them. And I agree, we should leave as soon as possible."

About a half-hour or so later, Thaddeus and the guerillas returned with the missing horses.

While he waited for the scouts to return, Galad did a quick search among the fallen, hoping to find some clue that might help in locating. Hideout or further information about the presence of these men in Sylvayn lands.

When the scouts returned with the missing horses, he made ready to saddle up and return to House Sylvayn. There was little reason to continue the day’s adventure with wounded in the party.

The return trip was slower. With fewer horses, not all of them could ride. But the trip was fortunately uneventful. Though it had taken a sizeable portion of the day.

[OOC: Anything in particular that you would like to do? We have a couple of new characters on the way, but they aren't quite ready yet. And the other two characters are still earlier in the day in their thread.]

Galad moved up and down the line of riders throughout the early afternoon, and soon found himself beside Thaddeus, the tracker.

"You fought well," he remarked, "though some knights might look down on the bow as a weapon, you provided House Sylvayn leal service with it today. How fares your brother"

[I might just spend some time introducing/getting to know some key NPC's on the way home, as it will make it easy to step into whatever thread needs me later].