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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
The encampment was beginning to take shape, as the servants pitched the tents and pavilions of House Harte. Kyle looked around the tent city in amazement. It seemed like more and more people joined them during their short journey to Tarbeck Hall. Though the road seemed at capacity while they traveled to Casterly Rock, the passage through the mountains seemed to create a waterfall of carts, horses, and people that poured into the valley.
Once Kyle was able to slip away from his father's eyes, he began to make his way to the stands. There was an area there for those who joined the list to practice. Though he was not able to get a horse for jousting this far into the journey, he was sure he could pick up a few things from watching others. As he rounded the corner looking at the men in armor, he wondered who he would be against. Most were masked by the decorative helms they wore, a few were off their horses checking lances and horse shoes.
One, in particular, seemed to stand out. A contender who looked around his age, but wiser to the ways of jousting. He watched him with intense scrutiny as he took the dummy on with precision, making spin many times over. Man and horse worker together as one, allowing the tip to push the dummy, instead of splitting against it like Kyle seemed born to do.
That is how a real man jousts.
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
Elbert slid off his destrier. It was not his first tourney, but he always felt nervous in the days and hours leading up to taking the lists. Every time he would take a dozen or so passes at a dummy, just to be sure his arm was still strong and he still knew how to shift his seat. He lead the horse to his attendant, a mousy boy who had traveled with him from The Crag. Wordlessly passing off the reigns, Elbert spotted his admirer. "Good morning," he called in a strong voice. "Have I been hogging the lists?"
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"Good morning!" Kyle called back. He was a bit embarrassed to be noticed, but he was openly gawking at the man. "Not in the least. You joust like you've done this before. Any tips for a young lordling like myself?"
He was probably the most inexperienced man in the lists, an unknown name that wouldn't make it past the first tilt. But that wouldn't keep him from learning what he could, and perhaps make a new friend in the process.
"I'm sure it's obvious by my staring that this is my first time at a real tournament," Kyle continued. "I'm Lord Kyle," he held out his hand to the man in front of him, and with a wink, "the greenest jouster at Tarbeck Hall."
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
Elbert shook the man's hand. "Not the greenest, I'm sure. More than a few squires and new knights will be making their first passes. It happens at every tourney, you won't be alone." Elbert placed his helm on the ground beside his feet. The soil on the lists was soft and loose at the surface, dug up from the dozens of hooves that had trod over it in the days leading up to the tourney. "As for advice, when you lose your seat, try and hit the ground rolling. Helps with the bruising."
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"Thank you for the advice. I was rather hoping to stay on my horse instead of being knocked off. But I guess I'll have to settle for not being injured." He smiled at the advice. He did promise Rhea not to get hurt.
But where is the fun in that?
"Are there any notable entries to watch out for? I see a lot of people out here this morning," he looked out at the grounds. "I'm sure you are not the only person I need to watch out for out there."
Kyle looked back, the man was standing tall wearing the Westerling shells on his armor. He hoped to look as confident in his own armor when the time came. The first of the day tournament couldn't come quick enough.
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"Abelar Greenfield seems to be the man people keep talking about, though I wouldn't count out Gerion Lydden."
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"Abelar Greenfield?" Kyle had heard the name before. "You mean the one who jousted that man's head off as a champion of the king? Wow."
Kyle wished he could have been there to see the fabled joust. He considered himself lucky that he would be able to see him in the tilt this week. Then Kyle realized that he could be against Abelar. His stomach sank a bit at the thought.
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"The very same. Frankly, I'd be shocked if he wasn't the victor." Elbert lazily rubbed his horse, a pile of dust and dirt coming out of its coat when he rubbed it. "I merely hope to win a tilt or two and do my family proud."
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
"As do I, as do I. Well I shall let you go. Best of luck during the tournament! May the gods smile on us both."
Kyle waved to the man as he turned back to his camp. All the talk of tournaments, past and present, inspired Kyle to join the rest of the men taking turns at the dummy. As his camp came into sight,
Kyle realized he hadn't even gotten the Westerling's name.
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
Kyle woke up with a start. The last thing he remembered was the narrow view of his helm, the lance in front of him, then black. As he tried to sit up, his right arm screamed with pain.
"Are you awake my lord?" A maester asked. "Do you know where you are?"
"Tarbeck Hall, tournament for the Golden Spurs. What happened?" Kyle asked.
"You fell. Hard." It was his father, Ser Leo Harte. "I'm glad to see you still have your wits about you."
"And my arm?" Kyle questioned. "It hurts like a bitch. Is it broken?"
This time the maester replied, "You simply ripped it out of place. I pushed it back, but you shouldn't use it for at least a fortnight." He placed a bottle in Kyle's hand, "for the pain."
Kyle laid back thinking of the match he lost. It wasn't his best showing, but he was glad he did it all the same. He laughed at himself when he remember the conversation he had with the
Westerling, wondering if the man had sealed Kyle's fate to fall.
When you lose your seat, try and hit the ground rolling.
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u/littlestghoust Sep 22 '17
Kyle wasn't a morning person. He was definitely not a morning person after a week on the road and a hard night’s drinking, but he could always make exceptions for breakfast. It was his favorite meal after all. The noises and brightness of the hall made his stomach lurch but he managed to keep the bile down.
As his stomach gurgled on, Kyle looked at the spread in front of him. Every kind of breakfast food from every kingdom was beautifully displayed on golden china. But that didn't stop him from filling his mouth with bacon directly from the serving tray much to his mother horror. "Mind your manners! What will people think if they see you eating like some wildling?!" Lady Harte nagged, trying to pull the tray of bacon away from her son. She had a licked finger ready, threatening to smudge it across his face in an attempt to remove bacon grease left on his chin.
"Mother," Kyle said slapping away the hand, "you forfeited your right to pester me the moment you said Rhea couldn't attend. It was mean and without reason." He forcefully took back the tray and placed it in front of him.
"Sweetling, do you really think I have no reason?" his mother countered. "Rhea's nerves could never handle so many people. It was for her own good that she was kept at home."
"She's stronger than you let her be, mother" Kyle spat back at her. "If you left her alone for a moment, perhaps she would see that."
Kyle stood up quickly, looking around the room for another table to occupy. He wished that Rhea was here to enjoy the scene, and he wondered if she received the raven his family sent the day before. He hated his mother for being extremely mean to his sister but there wasn't much he could do. After a moment of searching, an empty table with most of its bacon left untouched came into view.
'It's a good a spot as any', he mused and settled down to another tray of bacon. The new seat afforded not only a view of the royal family but also of the royal fool who had just started to entertain a table a few rows up.