Look What We Have Here

by **Orion Michaels** on September 1st, 2013, 3:32 am

48th of Summer, 513 AV
Outside Syliras
10th Bell

”We’ve got to ride! Go, Orion!”

---

It was more than surprising to have such an event occur this close to the walls, but sometimes people got a little too big for their own good. In situations like that it could be up to the Syliran Knights to remind them of their place in the world. It seemed that this would be one of them.

Orion, Dinah, and a small contingent of her subordinates were on a patrol between Syliras and the Mithryn Outpost. It was planned to be a basic, run of the mill patrol, one where they could practice maneuvers and show the squires accompanying them how the unit could move as one. It would have been a great experience for all the squires involved, both young and old, but it seemed fate had something else in mind for the brave knights. All plans went awry when flying down the road came a man and his horse. The shouting could be heard before he came into view, but the panic was visible to all the senses.

”Help! Help! Bandits!” It was as though that word was a trigger for some sort of response the knights had. Orion had barely had a chance to turn his head when the knights under Dinah’s command began to move. There were only six of them total. Dinah, Orion, three knights, and another squire. It wasn’t exactly the biggest of groups, but the capability of those within it wasn’t entirely lacking, at least from a knightly prospective. As for Orion and the other squire…

Dinah shouted out commands, told the knights to take up the front, and ordered the squires to bring up the rear. The knights easily maneuvered into position, while Orion found it a little bit more difficult. He grabbed the reins tightly and pulled to the left, trying to move them into position. Maybe it was a little too hard of a pull, or maybe he still didn’t have any idea what he was doing, but the horse resisted by turning the opposite way he tried to get it to go. Orion was unyielding, however. He tried to wrench the horse the other way and ended up spinning in place. Yet another battle of wits between horse and man. ”Let up, squire. Lead it, don’t force it!” One of the knights under Dinah’s command tried to offer him help. Frowning, Orion tried to comply. He let up on the tension and suddenly the beast was more than happy to cooperate, allowing Orion to easily move into place. A moment of pride. A rare moment of success. Dinah’s shouting brought him back into focus, though. They had a threat to respond to.

”Go! Ride as hard as you can, but stay in formation! We’ve got to ride! Go, Orion!” In a thundering of hooves, the contingent was off down the road. They had to get to these bandits and stop them. Orion’s hands gripped the reins tightly, as he bounced uncomfortably on his saddle. Dinah’s lessons on riding had helped someone, but he was still positive he and horses were to be at odds with one another for the rest of their existence. Orion’s feet pushed tight into the stirrups and he tightened his thighs around his mount trying to will it forward and keep it in the group. It’s a lot harder than I thought.. He’d be happy to get to the bandits without falling off the back of the horse.

by **Orion Michaels** on September 26th, 2013, 9:48 pm

It wasn't too far down the road before the scene would unfold. A wagon meant to supply the outpost had been waylaid on its way out. They hadn't stood a chance against the group of thugs who descended upon them. Desperate for food and supplies, they'd become quite aggressive; so much so that an ambush within the sight of Syliras wasn't out of the question. Ten men total, and they took down the guards with no issue. Well, at least no issue until Dinah and her contingent arrived. Until then they would unload supplies from the inadvertently damaged wagon onto one of their own. They'd intended to just steal the blasted thing, but one of the less aware bandits had destroyed an axle swinging around his hammer. Slowed, but determined, they were mostly working together to get their newly obtained supplies out of the sight of the road.

Orion leaned forward on his mount, bouncing wildly in the saddle. It was considerably more different to ride hard in armor. Each movement, each shift, each and every step took a little more out of him, requiring more and more focus, energy, and attention to maintain his balance atop the mount. He'd never road as hard as they were day day, but he'd never been in a situation where he was responding to a threat quite like this, either. He'd saved on Leo Valini from an angry employee. While that was a particularly lucky break for the squire, it was also the only life he'd saved in that manner. As a physician who frequently helped with traumatic injuries, all of his lives were saved after the injury occurred. To rescue someone before the damage was done was foreign to him. In other situations where he'd brandish a blade, he'd been the one in danger. Zith, four-armed women, thugs, murderers, bandits. He'd faced them all and lived to tell the tale, even if he was a little worse for wear. Even if he was only alive thanks to the intervention of friends and strangers alike.

Of more concern, however, was the very nature of the situation they faced. The very nature of this threat made it the first time he'd battle his own kind in this way. He was no virgin to death; that was a sacrifice made in a moment of rage thanks to the cruelty he witnessed during the aftermath of the Djed Storms. Regardless, he wasn't at ease with the idea of taking another life if another way was available. He didn't exactly expect these men would be amenable to conversation, though, and he readied himself for the spilling of blood.

Occasionally Dinah would glance back and shout a command or word of encouragement. She needed these men in fighting spirits, after all. If there were any survivors, they would have to act quickly lest they become hostages or caught in the cross fire. Orion was at the forefront of her thoughts and worries; he was far from ready for unstructured combat of this magnitude, but they had no choice. "Orion, make sure you stay back. Do not engage them directly. Use your bow and give us support. We can be more effective as a team if we have ranged superiority to give them pause. We'll be upon them soon. Say your prayers, hope for the gods blessings, and prepare to draw steel! This shall not be tolerated within the influence of the Syliran Knights! To battle!"

Orion was amazed she could speak with such clarity and control whilst riding with such haste. It was everything he could do to remain mounted. His knuckles had turned white and nerves which were already out of control were even more so. Didn't she remember they'd scarcely practice with the bow? How was he to change the tide of battle? Gritting his teeth, he squeezed his legs a little tighter to push his mount harder, the saddle saving him from a rather painful meeting with ground on several occasions. It was one thing to battle an incompetent spy, as he had bested in one on one combat a few seasons past. It was an entirely different thing to fight tested thugs who'd likely killed in the past for things less than a crate of wine. Would this be his first true test?

by **Orion Michaels** on September 27th, 2013, 9:18 pm

"Fuck! The knights are here!" They had all the luck in the world. It had started off so well. They'd taken possession of the supply carts so easily. Ever since then it had been a mess. Broken cart. Incompetent buffoons, the lot of them. Rhuric Blackstone, leader of this ragtag group, he wasn't exactly pleased with their efforts. Once they got away, if they got away, he'd tear all of them new assholes for the absolute failure here. As long as the knights didn't do it for him.

Orion was amazed at how quickly the full knights reacted to the situation as it unfolded. When they came into view, crossbow bolts began whizzing at the group of heroes, but none were phased, and even more importantly, none of them were hit. Orion's heart tried to beat through his chest. This was worse than stupid spies. This was worse than giant baboons. These were people who wanted to cause them all harm, kill, steal, maim, whatever it took to survive. A way of life that shouldn't have been necessary around Syliras.

"Ser Scott, Ser Rush, Ser Lancaster. On me! We break through their line. Squire Gardner, Orion, get into position and support us with arrows. I repeat, do not engage them in melee range. We'll mop them up and deal with these criminals." Dinah dropped the visor on her helmet and drew her longsword, prompting the other three knights to do the same. Fully armored and equipped, the four knights charged straight into the midst of the chaos.

Orion's horse tried to follow, naturally

"No! Stop it you jackass!" Orion pulled back on the reins and leaned back, and by some miracle, it worked. The training Dinah had put him through seemed to have an effect after all. Some relief came to his face though it was quickly washed away by a bolt whizzing a few inches from his head. Orion reached to the side of his mount where his bow hung and pulled it up to his side. To say he was green when it came to his weapon was a gross understatement. They were all in danger here and he'd have to do his best.

Orion reached to his saddle where the quiver was attached and pulled an arrow free, nocked it, twisting in his saddle so he could face their foes. He drew back the string, found a bandit who was reloading his crossbow.

"Piece..of..cake..." He drew the string back even further, pointed it in the general direction of his target and let the arrow fly free.

If he'd been fighting a 10 foot tall man, he'd have still missed high by another dozen. This was not going to be pretty. Orion's jaw tightened as he fumbled for another arrow. So much for that ranged superiority Dinah was hoping to have. To add insult to injury, he caught sight of the other squire sinking an arrow into the same guy he'd been firing upon. "Son of a bitch..." Blue eyes scanned the battle, finding the next enemy he'd heroically slay from afar. Okay, maybe not.

by **Orion Michaels** on October 2nd, 2013, 4:51 pm

It was complete and utter chaos. Orion had no idea what was going on, who was winning, or who was losing. Dinah had been pulled from her mount as was fighting two of the bandits on her own. Another of the knights chose to dismount so that Dinah didn't have to worry about being surrounded and overwhelmed. The other two were charging back and forth trying to slay as they passed. That left Orion and the other squire trying to do their part. Orion was hesitant to fire at and of them who were engaged in melee. . He wasn't a sure shot. He wasn't even an unsure shot. Whatever was two levels below that? Go another two and that's where the search for Orion could begin.

His eyes darted around frantically as he urged his horse into action. Slow action, but action nonetheless. Orion eased the reins to the left, both the leather straps and bow in his hand. He simultaneously added some force to the horse's side with his left leg, rotating the the beast so it was facing down the road. After releasing that pressure, Orion gave a swift kick to get his mount moving.

He needed a better angle. . . right? Something like that.

No. Maybe what he really needed was someone he could action take a shot at. Yeah, that was it.

The battled continued to rage on, even on as small a scale as this. The wounded cried for help and Orion realized he'd done absolutely nothing to aid in the moment. The other squire continued peppering the conflict with arrows. The knights continued pushing against the bandits.

Shame washed over Orion.

If a knight were to fall today, would it be because of his own inaction and incompetence? "I've got to do something..." Orion brought his horse to a stop and brought his bow up once more. One of the bandits had taken refuge behind the broken wagon and was taking pot shots at the knights. Orion laid his eyes upon this one and that soul became his every focus. The blue eyed squire reached to his side once again that he could retrieve an arrow. He'd just have to time his shot when the vagik poked his head out, that was all. Orion nocked the arrow and took aim. He drew back and waited. Then he waited, waited, and waited some more. The muscles in his right arm and shoulder soon voided their displeasure by tensing up and shaking wildly. Gods, is the bastard sleeping? I think my arm is on fire.

Orion's form was a mess. He wasn't seated properly, facing properly, not to mention he was overextending his draw by several inches. When the bastard finally poked his head out, truth be told, he couldn't have been much more safe.

Orion grinned, his target finally in sight. The arrow was loosed and the wooden projectile whizzed through the air before lodging itself into the ground a good fifteen feet in front of Orion's foe. Son of a . . .

The bad news? He'd missed once again.

The good news? He'd missed so badly that the bandit hadn't even realized he was being fired upon. Sometimes when things were going rough Orion would just have to smile at the little things and lean upon the blessings of a small victory, right?

Grasping another arrow, Orion took a deep breath, ready to give it another go.

by **Orion Michaels** on October 7th, 2013, 4:23 am

Orion tried to twirl the arrow in his fingers as he fought back his nerves, and of course that was a horrible idea. The shaft slipped from his fingers and flew off a couple feet from him and the mount. "Son of a.." He couldn't keep himself calm. It was so different than when he'd helped Dinah the first time. That time he'd had no one relying on him. He'd trusted his instincts and just completed his tasks. Then there was the time with Shiress and Hadyn in the woods. The squire had moved around with purpose and rushed headfirst into battle. It helped that he was still drunk and insanely agitated at a horse, but that was of no consequence.

Frustrated, Orion called the arrow a lost cause and went to retrieve another one. His hand was shaking wildly, causing him to unintentionally knock the remainder of the the projectiles from the quiver, the arrows clattering noisily to the ground.

Barely containing the the scream which tried to erupt from his lips, Orion tossed the shortbow down on top of the pile of arrows. He then grabbed the reins before him and twisted them to the left to turn the horse away from his ranged weaponry. The last thing he wanted was to have to replace a bow crushed under the heavy hoof of this stupid horse. He didn't make any money but was expected to pay for any equipment he damaged? The horse resisted at first, but when Orion applied more force with his left leg, it relented spinning away from the vulnerable equipment. He gave a kick and got the horse to take a few steps away. Pulling the reins back, he brought the mount to a stop before swinging a leg over the side for a rapid dismount.

He caught his foot on the top of the horse's back and sent himself rolling to the ground. It seemed as though some people were simply not meant to ride.

The former doctor put his hands against the ground and pushed himself to his knees and then crawled to his feet, muttering obscenities the entire time. If Dinah had witnessed this display, she would have dropped him as a squire that moment. After stumbling over to where his bow and arrows lay, he grabbed the weapon in one hand and a projectile in the other. He took a moment to relocate the man he'd last fired at, and was momentarily thankful that he'd not moved from his 'safe' position at the wagon. Orion nocked the arrow, pulled back on the string, brought the bow up to aim, and fired. The wooden missile flew through the air and embedded itself in the wooden wheel just beside the bandit. Spinning from the impact, the wheel redirected the bandit's focus, and Orion's heart skipped a beat when he and the man made eye contact from across the battle ground. Orion dove to the ground just in time to avoid a bolt which went sailing over him.

Shyke! Shyke, shyke, shyke!

Pulling himself along the ground, he retrieved another arrow, hoping to reengage his foe before the man could level his crossbow at him again. Orion had no idea what was going on in the battle anymore. For all he knew, he and the crossbow man were the only ones left alive. Tunnel vision had taken over but he couldn't change his focus without risking a bolt to the face. The bandit had to be defeated. Until that happened, Orion would be of no use to anyone, not that he was particularly impressive at the moment as it was.

by **Orion Michaels** on October 21st, 2013, 4:08 am

Orion crawled along the ground, trying to get himself to the arrows he'd spilled. Panic gripped at his chest as he dragged himself, waiting for the bolt to pierce his side and end him. He'd made a stupid call jumping off that horse, of that he was sure. He'd need to pray to whatever god would heed his call.

It was a good thing for Orion that the battle was going well. The bandits, despite their superior numbers, were no match for the trained knights. Dinah hadn't risen to her rank without her being able to fight. Their leader had fallen at her blade, and there were only three or four of the brigands still able to defend themselves. One of which was the bandit Orion was engaged in fire.

The squire grimaced as a bolt dug itself into the ground a few feet from his body, a harbinger of his demise. Rolling over on his back, he scooped frantically at the projectiles beside him, scanning to relocate the man trying to kill him. The arrow felt so very foreign in his grasp, but no more so than the feeling of true combat. Blue eyes settled on the man. He was frantically trying to reload his crossbow, and this gave Orion his chance. With the arrow in his possession, he pulled himself to his feet, rushing to ready himself so he could fire and defeat his foe.

Naturally, nothing would go so simply.

He notched the arrow to his string, preparing to eliminate the enemy. He closed one eye and took aim at the bandit. He drew the string back, bending his elbow until it was just past his side. Taking a deep breath, he released the arrow from his fingers. It went whizzing through the air, and the bandit dropped.

It was an odd thing, though, because he watched his arrow go sailing into the distance.

"What the petch..?"

"I got em!"

Orion's eyes darted over to the other squire as he gloated, proud of himself for finishing off another foe. He'd shown up Orion with ease, actually providing the support which Dinah had requested. The former doctor gritted his teeth together as he looked over to the squire and then back to the battleground.

Peace had fallen upon it.

The bandits were routed, they'd all survived. The knights were cleaning up the remaining foes, though he could see Dinah glancing back at him. It was like she'd watched him the entire time, fully aware of his struggles and utter failure. He didn't know what he was doing. He'd come close to hitting once as he slowly made adjustments, but when forced to rush, he couldn't hit the broad side of a building. Orion would have to spend a fair bit more time at the range learning how to fire properly, and he could tell by the look on Dinah's face he wouldn't have much of a choice. If it had been a larger threat, they'd have had a big issue if he'd put on the display he had this day.

"What am I doing here?"

by **Radiant** on October 21st, 2013, 4:31 am

Orion :

Notes :

My radiance is not bright enough?

If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, beam me a PM and we can work it out.

Skill	XP Earned
Riding: Horse	+3 XP
Weapon: Shortbow	+4 XP
Acrobatics	+1 XP

Completed Look What We Have Here