Abathur's (and Wynn's) Knightly Notes

[Wynn Argall]

Hereupon lie the secrets of the Knights of the Order. If you are to read these things, do so at your own risk. Knowledge, once gained, cannot be returned. Abathur Cromby, Squire to Ser Normit Syliran Knight Abathur Cromby, 3rd Wing, Yellow Company, 5th Regiment, Silver Quadron Author of this notebook and aspiring knight-in-training. Abathur is an intelligent young man who, despite his lacking physical appearance, is quite handy with a knife. He is brave, daring, loyal, and wise; and he places great faith in his friends, of which Wynn Argall counts as one. My best friend, even if he is a knight and all now. I met Abathur on my second day as a squire to Ser Normit. We were both put on kitchen duty. I've never met anyone as quick to learn as he is. Even if it didn't really carry over to his swordplay, I believe he is the most intelligent person in all of Mizahar, except for maybe Ser Normit. He's one of the only people who doesn't yell at me when I drop things or forget stuff. He also taught me how to read and write, but I'm better at writing than reading. I can't do either without saying everything out loud, so I have to write alone. Abathur doesn't mind though. We're friends, so he says he'll always be there for me, even if everyone else isn't. The second day of Summer, 514 I met with Abathur during one of my training sessions at the Grounds. He's gotten a lot bigger in the just short season since I'd last seen him! We sparred, and I'm barely a match for him at all. I can't say I'm entirely pleased, but I am happy that he's been able to become more of the knight we had envisioned as children. Still, there was a sadness about him that I find myself feeling more and more as time passes away from him. I miss spending time with him, talking about Ser Normit's though-provoking lectures, and wasting bells staring up at the stars on clear nights enjoying the company of one another. I must continue pressing myself to become a knight! Each day is another opportunity to better myself and get that much closer to joining Abathur. I told him "soon", and I believe it will be. Wynn Argall, Squire to Ser Normit A kind, caring aspiring knight-to-be, who lets nothing stand in the way of his success. Though perhaps not the most proficient of Ser Normit's squires, Wynn possesses the strongest heart out of all of us. Not a single squire in all of the companies would ever attest against Wynn's resolve, nor his strength of will. Soft spoken, he tends to communicate more with gestures rather than words, though he is not incapable and speaks with a soft tone. I believe he will become one of the greatest knights Syliras will ever see. We are the author's of the Knight's Notes. All content is hereby protected by our hearts and minds, and it is the content of such as well.

[Wynn Argall]

Linnae Stanson, Squire to Ser Normit The fifth day of Spring, 510 There's a new squire again. Her name is pronounced "Lah-nay", but its spelling is very different. She corrected me when I was trying to spell it out in the privy. She's forward, bossy, and loud, but she's one of the first squires since Abathur to treat me the same as everyone else, even if that means she's pretty rough. From what I know, she's from the Mithryn Outpost, and she's dangerously adept at wielding a sword. Other than that, she doesn't talk much about herself. Well, she talks a lot about her beliefs and opinions, but that doesn't really tell me much about her past. I do know she can't stand rats, her favorite food is anything that's meat, and she can't whistle. Also, she has a serious problem with picking fights. I can't imagine Ser Normit is going to let that continue on for very much longer. The second day of Summer, 514 Linnae joined me shortly after Abathur left the Grounds today. There was something a bit off about her, but I can't place it at all. I think it had something to do with the argument she and Tareesa had this morning, but I can't say for sure. Whatever it was, she was a lot less pushy and decidedly sad. We sparred it out, so I suppose she got better. I've always thought she might be a bit more fun to be around if she were just a bit calmer, but after today, I think I prefer Linnae the way she is. Tareesa Brock, Squire to Ser Normit The forty-third day of Fall, 510 Linnae and Abathur are currently having a discussion over whether the new squire is Ser Normit's daughter or not. Abathur says she's most certainly not, but I don't think Linnae is going to give up. Either way, it's certain she's a Brock, though she's nothing like Ser Normit at all. She reminds me of a rose, delicate and beautiful, but covered in thorns if you're not careful, which I don't think there exists a person in Mizahar that is careful enough not to be pricked by her sarcasm. I can't decide if she's terrifying or just horrible, but only time will tell, I suppose. Ser Normit doesn't seem to think she's very bad at all, though that may be because she shares his family name. Still, he's never really been one for picking favorites, and I doubt he'd start now.

[Wynn Argall]

Ser Nicholas Varner, Blue Company, 1st Regiment, Gold Quadron Despite appearances, Ser Varner is not a wizard, nor a mage, nor anything even remotely attached to the arcane. He is, however, an excellent swordsman. There are rumors about his past, all of which land on a spectrum ranging from preposterous to downright ridiculous. Perhaps the most popular is that he was once a magic wielding pirate who became so powerful, the gods struck him with memory loss and placed him into the Order themselves to keep the seas safe. While he tends to patrol about the docks more often than anywhere else, I believe it is simply a matter of preference. Ser Varner is, for the most part, in charge of much of our training as Ser Normit is often too busy to properly see to it himself. His tactics and ideologies are a bit... unorthodox, but he is far wiser than he lets on, despite his constant need to remain "mysterious". I like Ser Varner, but I'm not sure he likes me. He's always sending me off to go somewhere else and train with other squires. I don't think it's personal though. I'm much slower than the others, and I don't think he wants me getting hurt. The first time we worked on sparring, Eddard almost broke my arm. I think he wants to avoid that. Also, Abathur doesn't believe it, but I'm pretty sure Ser Varner is a wizard. Ser Titus Maximus, Brown Company, 2nd Regiment, Silver Quadron The sixty-second day of Spring, 512 Ser Titus is a terrifying man. He isn't unkind or anything like that, but he is incredibly intimidating. I've recently begun trying to learn to wield a greataxe, and Ser Titus wields a greathammer. He saw me training in the Grounds today and stopped to help. From what I can tell, I believe I've found myself another combat instructor, which is probably good because I'm not sure Ser Varner approves of my weapon choice. Ser Titus talks louder than anyone I've ever met, even louder than Linnae. He said my form was all off and gave me several pointers on how I should hold my axe and what my stance should be like. If I'm going to successfully learn to use this weapon, I'm going to need Ser Titus's help to do it, I'm just not sure I'll survive it. The fourth day of Summer, 514 Today, I managed to challenge Ser Titus to a duel. How, I have no idea, but he agreed to it! Needless to say, I lost horribly. He even knocked me straight up off the ground. My whole body hurts while I'm writing this, but the session was one of my better ones these past couple days. After thoroughly walloping me, he brought over Eddard so I would be on a bit more of an even ground. I beat him. Ser Titus even congratulated me on serving that Stanlinsa a piece of humble pie. Not only that, but I also learned a lot more about how I'm supposed to position with my axe. Also, pussyfooting is bad. I've spent so much time being scared of Ser Titus, I never really realized how helpful he actually is. I'm definitely going to be going to ask him for help again.