(514-01-10) A Challenge
Summary: Aeryn and Perin have a chance encounter at the festivities in Sarum
Date: 514.01.10
Related: First Log, none yet
aeryn perin 


In the Southern section of Sarum lies the Farmer's Quarter. The prominent feature here is the Black Abbey, its dark stone bell tower rising over the scattering of permanent homes that have cropped up around it. A gentle wind carries up from the south, on good clear days, one can catch scent of the distant ocean waters in that direction, beyond Dorset. With the open space here, more kids go about daily errands and chores for their parents. Breaking from work to play about in the open fields here to the east and west; reserved for festivals and tournaments depending on the time of year. One large wooden building here is an Inn reserved for farmer's that only stay a few days after harvest to hawk their produce.

It is often that Aeryn can be found in Sarum, though it may take a few hours to get there, she was there amid the fields with her tent up and her squire on hand. Her frame is adorned in the trappings of her station, not a dress, but breeches and tunic. A chain mail is worn hiding any curves, the breeches tucked into boots, her hair is bound back in a braid. Definitely not the most feminine she's looked. Speaking with her squire, she's giving direction, a few instructions, their wooden training swords in hand." Her voice completely belies her looks, it's soft and warm yet firm.

The weather is not being cooperative though and the drizzle is keeping the ground saturated. The horses have been brushed down but Aeryn isn't doing anything to shield herself from it. Others occasionally step from their tents, some she knows, some she doesn't, but she's too intent on speaking with her squire to pay much mind. "No, not like that," she instructs, "Always watch my feet and shoulders, they'll let you know which way I'm moving."

Newly arriving himself as other knights gather near the fields, Perin sits atop his horse, wearing leather with a chain habit at least over his shoulders, including a chain hood. The hood is down while the leather underpadding hood is up. Its a light drizzle, and there is enough wetness on his head to show he's had his hood up for a while. Though only occasionally will a drop form to dot his cheeks. As he comes, with squire himself, all gear on a third horse, he turns to look, "We'll take this locatin here, before more arrive and we move further from the fields. Tether the horses, get us set up, I'm going to walk and view the competition." Said as he dismounts, leaving poor squire to hurry up and get the reigns of all three horses to set about his tasks.

He hears another addressing a squire and takes a few steps in that direction actually. Hearing what she says to her squire, it gets a chortle from him. A harrumph of understanding, the young always look at the face, miss the movements of the body, where the swing will be coming from or where they will be moving. "You'll not get much practice yourself if you have to keep instructing like that." A slight grin given at that thought, taking her for her presence, less lady like, more a knight.

Aeryn is concentrating on her squire, lifting her sword to block as the young woman swings. Immediately, she's able to block the next three attempts very easily. When the squire stops to take a breather, she swings her own, contacting none too gently to the leather jerkin style armor the girl is wearing. "Dead." The words are given deadpan. "You would now be laying in the mud and someone would be relaying to your parents your death. There's no stopping when you're in a battle."

Hearing the other voice, she looks up and offers a friendly enough look. A bow of her head while her squire dips into a curtsey. "M'Lord." The squire greets. As for Aeryn, she offers much the same, "Sir." A knight, fairly obvious by his attire and her own. "Who says I need practice?" There's amusement in her voice, and it brings a musical quality to it.

The nod is certainly returned as Perin observes, the stroke against the squire, the lesson from the knight. "Sir," he returns the same towards Aeryn, only a cursory glance to her squire. Moving further from the toils of his own squire and the pavilion on already wetting ground, he lifts a brow. Noting the amusement in her, that ring in her voice, a corner of his lips turn up in a smile to hint at interest of course. "Ah, confident, you're speaking my language." A few stride close now that their combat practice/challenge has ended even, hands folding behind his back. "Perhaps we should check in with the lists, see how soon we can start personal combats, but this no need for practice to the test?" Seems he's ready to begin issuing challenges already, perhaps his eye is on the prize, fighting with the Earl at the Wedding Tourney, or a chance to try his hand against Sir Jaradan.

Aeryn dismisses her squire for the moment, "Go get cleaned up, check the horses and then come back to me." Once the young lady has walked away, she turns back to face the other knight, both brows raised at the challenge. "Personal combat? It seems you are ready to begin the competitions already." A fleeting smile crosses her lips. "If that is your wish, Sir, who am I to back down from it?"

(Perin checks to see if he might know who she could be after the question, she measures him up the same with challenge looming.)

Failed.
You check your heraldry at 10, you rolled 14.

Failed.
Aeryn checked her heraldry of 3, she rolled 7.

Eyes turn to see where the squire goes, Perin attempts to spot colors or banners of the pavilion, perhaps personal coat of arms, or a family insignia. Spurned a little by her her question, who is she to back down. It remains an intrigue to his young mind of course. "You remain a mystery to me, I admit, but all the better for a start to challenges. I am ready" He looks up to find the tables/pavilion established to register oneself. "I wouldn't mind the company truth be told." He turns to walk in that direction, seeing if she might follow. "Do I have the honor to know her name, or shall she be my mystery challenge?"

Unknowing who he was also, Aeryn does look him over, not recognizing him either, no colors familiar or banners for that matter. "As you do to me, a mystery." Walking with him, she does offer the company, but at the question, she gives him a mysterious smile. "I think I will remain a mystery challenge. Should you win, you may ask, should I win, I may ask yours. If either wishes to know."

His feet carrying him alongside here, his heels pushing lightly into the ground. Wet, spongy, not near soaking into mud with just a drizzle. A slight chuckle comes to him, far better sounding than his chortle most likely. "Ah, you make it more interesting. We have a challenge, combat by sword, best of 3. The first to land two solid blows is the victor. The loser must accept the shame of revealing their identity." Turning from looking at their destination to look at her, noting more her features. Though she hides her curves, or simply wears functional armor that does the same, he notes the features of her face as he looks. "Double stacks, the loser must support bids for the winner on their next challenge, to hopefully move them one step closer to joining the Earl's side at the grand melee in Carlion and towards the combat with Sir Jaradan?"

Aeryn realizes her talents were more in the joust, but as she'd voiced before, who was she to back down? Walking along beside him, she considers it before offering a short nod. "I have to say there is no shame in me in admitting my identity," tilting her chin up even, she looks a bit challenging, since he had worded it such as he had. "Still, I accept the challenge and I accept the consequences should I be the one to lose." Her squire arrives again and she looks to her. "Fetch me my blade." Trading off the wooden one to her, the squire leaves again.

Success
You check your modest at 13, you rolled 2.

(Perin senses a tinge of pride at the hint of shame in hiding a name, he sees if he remains modest or his pride might come to the front)

"Truly," he says, as if a great ponderance, grin still at his lips. Perin nears the lists, is ready to toss in his name towards personal challenges to compete for those honors. They can tell the judges their challenge to track and let them deal with who is netting wins and losses of course. "Ah, you have me in that. I had meant no shame. Simply, it was the intrigue of the mystery that led my mouth astray. Accepted." Then he looks for his kid, fumbling with tent, the horses are nipping at his britches, must want to be fed too. "Bren, my sword when you can be untangled from your dilemma!" A final look to her, he registers himself, gives his information as appropriate to them, quietly to keep the mystery for her at least. Then moves to wait for sword and her to register the same.

Like him, when the time comes, Aeryn gives her own name. After it's done, she turns and faces him and nods, a thoughtful expression on her features. "It is good you meant no shame, I would hate to think someone had shame in their own name." Indeed she does seem relieved at his correction. Her own squire runs up with her sword and she fastens it in place before offering her hand to the other knight. "May the best Knight win." A dip of her head, "Sir." Adding the last to acknowledge his position.

He gladly takes the hand, inclining his head again. Not the formal sort as a lord to a lady or inversely, as if meeting her. This holds the respect of one knight to another. His sword comes secondary, Bren fumbling a bit with it. He fastens it on himself. "Yes, may the best win, Sir." No claim of him being the best in there. He looks over the fields, "Ah, a circle away from the chaos, maybe we should go there?" Further from the lists, near the wall itself, simply out of the way so as not to be a spectacle just yet.

The contact has her lifting her eyes to him, the warmth of his hand, or was it hers… in the drizzly night just warms her further. Tearing her gaze and removing her hand from his, she turns to her squire, "Meet me in the circle further," indicating it with a nod of her head. As Beth, short for Elisabeth, heads over, she glances at the Knight's squire and gives a nod of greeting. "Shall we?" Spoken to Perin.

Bren knows he needs to be on hand, spare sword that sort of thing. He grabbed that too, hence the fumbling. He looks at the squire of Aeryn and sort of chuckles nervously, blushes, then sighs and tries to be serious. Perin ignores him the moment. "You again take my words, mysterious knight," grins Perin, still like that play, moving to follow for the circle. He pulls his chain hood up at least, ready and unshielded for this test of swords. He takes to his side of the circle, draws his sword, turning it so the flat of the blade will be his edge. Its only to strike, not cut, unless an accident happens of course.

Failed.
You check your sword at 12, you rolled 18.

Success
Aeryn checked her sword of 15, she rolled 1.

Damage roll (before corrections, but shows Knockdown)
Aeryn rolls 5d6 and gets 4 1 2 4 4 for a total of: 15

Success
You check your dex at 13, you rolled 5.
(to avoid knockdown from all the base damage … its rebated, flat of sword, damage is 1/2 actual, but base is 15, which is higher than his siz attribute)

Beth is also on the sidelines, waiting, watching, likely learning. If she sneaks a glance towards Bren, she tries not to let on, but she blushes when she does. Her chain hood is tugged up and she balances herself in the circle. A smile graces her lips when he draws his own. Facing him, she also turns hers for the blunt edge, and doesn't hesitate in beginning.

Success
You check your reckless at 14, you rolled 7.

(Determining if he holds out or all out attacks, only for RP purpose, no affect in the game.)

Pulling up his blade, Perin perries some of her blows, and quickly tries to return. A quick smart wap of her flat catches him in the mid section. He stumbles back and drops to a knee with the force of the blow. Surprised even by her strength, or the speed of her attack, he pushes up with his sword and doesn't hesitate or think what he could of done better, instead rushing her to swing again, trying to even the score.

Failed.
You check your sword at 12, you rolled 16.

Failed.
Aeryn checked her sword of 15, she rolled 17.

On the sidelines, Beth remains silent and watchful while Aeryn continues to battle it out in the circle. While he parries, she swings for his midsection, hitting a little harder thank she had intended. As soon as he finds his feet again though, she goes in, sword raised, but he manages to block everything while she blocks his. It's a pretty fair fight.

Swords ring in their circle, gaining a few heads as they push a round with no blows. Bren of course glances at Beth curiously, wondering if she's that good, maybe about other things too. Matching swords in the circle, her hair on a sunny day, the stuff boys think about. Perin on the other hand continues to press attacks. Better, recovering from that blow from the first volley there, he circles and presses some thrusts.

Critical Fail!
You check your sword at 12, you rolled 20.

(its a word, he drops it on a critical fail)

Success
Aeryn checked her sword of 15, she rolled 1.

Aeryn rolls 5d6 and gets 5 6 3 3 4 for a total of: 21

(check for knockdown he ends up sword-less on his back)
Failed.
You check your dex at 13, you rolled 18.

Beth does steal glances over at Bren, a shy smile offered while their knights battle it out. Still, as it gets more heated, she watches as Aeryn counters very swing and even advances so that Perin's blade drops from his hand and he falls on his back. A soft growl is given as she raises her blade and lowers the point to stab it in the ground well away from his head. A hand is offered as she claims the victory. "Save your name," she tells him, deciding not to ask for it. "For the lists, when we meet there."

She is fast on her feet, more than capable. And he is bested, he knows it. An eye up to her, not sure what she'll do. And then she says to save his name, victory claimed by her. He does take the hand, "The lists it is. You preserve my dignity even in this loss." Then he takes the hand, letting her pull up a little, she's shown she can easily do just that. "If you continue at this rate, it may well be you we see nipping at Sir Jaradan before this concludes." In a few days time of course. He looks for his sword, digs it out of the wetting earth. "If we will not know each other by name, I shall endeavor to know you by your skill with a sword."

There is no gloating, no bragging, just a simple and modest acceptance of the win. "Next time it could very well be you the victor, you very evenly matched me in skill and prowess." Once he is on his feet, Aeryn collects her own sword from the ground and offers a slight bow, "I am honored to have sparred with you. However you remember me, please know I will do the same with you."

Removing his sword and belt, he'll hand it back to Bren, who is stll torn between watching his knight and watching Aeryn's squire of course. "Is the Pavilion up?" Bren stumbles, but its a, "No sir, you called me too …" Which Perin nods, "As I thought." Helps get the boy out of wool gathering at least. Perin will walk back towards the main area of the tents and such, with Aeryn if she intends to go that way. "At this rate, I'll be off the lists, I should brush up on my hunting skill, join the hunts for the feast while you advance?"

Fade …

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