0~0~0
Audrey looked at the three objects closely… A bone that could be from a saint, a vial that could be some sacred substance and a seed that could be some useful plant… Really, at this range and her lack of experience, any of these had just as much a right to be valuable as any of the others.
There is no sense in overthinking the matter then! She should go with her instincts and trust them to lead her the right way!
So of course she went for the seed!
"Ahh, a fine choice" The merchant chuckled, looking at her picking it up, and offering a small pouch to carry it in. "Fine choice indeed, I think you will not find it disappointing." He gestured widely, the remaining objects vanishing back into…
Come to think of it.
"Where did the others go?" Audrey asked, tilting her head–she still felt the slight traces of Grace on the Seed though–score! It was special after all!
"Oh, you're hardly the only youth who might need a bit of a boost at a key moment." He observed. "Can't just drop all of them in on the first Squire who happens along. God be with you, Audrey Eotenslaga." He tugged his cowl in a fashion that was not conspiratorial and began to pack up his stall.
What a nice man he was, offering her a treasure just like that!
It was only after she had left the market that it occurred to her that she had neither given her name, nor any coin to the man.
Was this okay?
Acquired Sacred Yew Seed!
0~0~0
With the inquiries of the day having come and gone, there was little else to do but to return to her chamber at the inn she was occupying–one adjacent to Master Vieux of course, because a Squire couldn't be too far off, and in the later days of the Tournament, he'd need to compete along with the rest of the Knights of Wessex, but the Youth Bracket's Melee was to be held the next day–and that meant she needed to do that most important of things.
Planning
"The two from yesterday?" Crowley bobbed on his perch, beak regularly darting down into the pouch of shredded and spiced beef she had acquired in payment for his services. "Yeah, the shiny one is definitely dangerous. Lots of people are betting on him from the Cornish delegation, and there's not any doubts in their mind that he's going to place highly."
"Margh? That would make sense…" Audrey wondered out loud, crossing her arms. The tales of the Knights of Arthur's court were well told throughout the Isles, and Gawain was one of the greatest of their numbers. It was said he had a blessing that rendered him nigh invincible in the sunlight."
"Yeah, but they're not all betting on him." Crowley's eyes sparkled as he chewed on a particularly juicy bit. "So it's not a sure thing either–if he were just unbeatable in the sun, there'd be no way he'd lose, and they'd know it."
"He said that he wanted to look into the Sun–and it was nearly noon when I ran into him…" Audrey considered. "Maybe his power is at its greatest when the sun is at its zenith? That would explain the high confidence–the Youth Melee will occupy much of the mid-day, but if he's at his strongest through most of that…"
"Hey, you're the one with the big brain here," Crowley reminded her. "I'm just sharing space with you–if it sounds about right, it's probably right!" He returned to his snack with gusto, and Audrey crossed her arms, closing her eyes.
If that were the case, it was likely that Fighting Margh either very early or very late in the Melee would be her best bet if she wanted to have the best odds of showing her superiority. In a friendly fashion of course! He was a little dumb but that was no reason to be upset with him.
"How about his brother? Jory?" She asked, the second subject of Crowley's investigation. The Storm Crow tilted his head at that, a piece of meat in his beak as it slowly moved to his gullet, the chewing and swallowing giving him a chance to collect his thoughts.
"Jory? Well, he's good and all that, but he's a second stringer compared to his Brother. No real knock on him, he's fantastic with basic techniques and great stamina, but compared to 'Pretty much just short of invincible when the sun's up high?' You'd know you were in a fight if you ran into him, and he'd turn most others his age to mulch, but he's not one of the favorites to win, given how stiff the competition is. This is the Capital after all.."
"Good to know." Audrey nodded. That… Took something of a load off of her mind. She wasn't quite sure how she'd have handled two aspirants of the Round Table who were both brilliant. Not with the two behemoths she encountered earlier that day.
Because much as she'd like to get even for that utter humiliation she experienced, it'd be a hard fight–not something she'd want to risk early on in the contest, with so much other competition and her knowing only a relative handful of the competitors. Where were all the other Squires who would be attending? She hadn't managed to see any, and there was always the possibility of a ringer from the Continent showing up for some reason–Sir Vieux had warned her it was a possibility after all.
And there was who knew how many Thanes would be participating–a chance to get the King's eye and potentially enter the ranks as one of his own Thanes? To live in luxury and ease beyond all others in exchange for being forged into a spear sharp enough to force even the greatest fighters to step lightly? Many youths would fight hard for even the chance at this.
*Knock, Knock, Knock*
Audrey did not leap at the unexpected knock at her door–but she would admit to being a little startled by it. Crowley looked up briefly and gave a birdlike shrug before returning to his lunch. He didn't seem threatened, certainly–and one of the abilities of the Greater Stormcrow was exceptional awareness of the area.
It was okay, right?
Goodness, she was getting too nervous–it was just a knock at her chamber door. What was there to be concerned with?
Nothing at all!
So she steeled herself, stood up from where she was interrogating Crowley, and made for the door, opening it up just a crack.
"There you are!"
"Cousin Osric!" Audrey smiled, finally flinging the door open. "It's been so long! How have you been!"
Osric Eotenslaga grinned widely, arms outstretched, a quiet signal for a hug–which was perfectly fine when it was between family! So she reciprocated properly. "Quite well! Things have been quiet at home–but look at you!" He patted her on the back. "Third Decade already, and some genuine achievements! You would not believe the seething of some of your younger cousins over all that!"
There was maybe a tiny trace of that in his eyes too, just a little bit–but was it that surprising? To take up the mantle of Chivalry was an expensive feat in a way that simply being a Thane wasn't, and not everyone had the knack for it either. Even the Eotenslaga–stewards of Charmouth–could only handle a single aspirant without straining their finances. Of course, Audrey would be first on the list as the child of the main branch!
Oh sure, it would have been better if they had any sons. But she still had the blood of heroes and giant slayers running through her veins, and if she continued to succeed? Maybe there will be more in the next generation.
Because that's how progress worked! Achievements stacked on achievements and used to invest in those who came after you!
"I certainly hope they're being well-behaved, especially after the troubles I had getting my post to you." She grimaced. "I still don't know what possessed the boy to put his family's reputation on the line over this, and I suppose I may never know, but at least he shouldn't be troubling us in the future."
"Who knows." Osric shrugged. "Speaking of which…" He snapped his fingers, and his aide stepped up with what looked to be a hefty, sealed bundle of papers. "Your parents got the message–they needed to have a chat with Father Sighelm to release it, but all the information you wanted for your training's apparently in there."
"What would Father Sighelm have to do with it?" Audrey asked, confused–as she accepted the bundled-up papers. Sure enough, they were covered in a burlap wrapping and sealed with both the signet of Eotenslaga–and a second one for the local parish. Very strange.
"Main Line Secrets." Osric passed on. "You'll want to crack those open when you get back to your training–the only thing they said is that it's 'Somewhat Controversial', or something along those lines, so you should strive to keep it to yourself–but Father Sighelm vouched for it–now that you're in the Third Decade, it shouldn't be a problem for you to start working with it."
"Huh." Audrey wondered what the deal with that was. It wasn't as though there was any real shame to have a pagan origin–most of the Isles did! That didn't mean it was wicked or anything–and indeed if it was, wouldn't that information have been destroyed?
'Controversial', was it?
"I'll make sure to put it all to good use then!" Audrey nodded sharply, then grinned. "So, you here to watch the Tournament? Cheer on your adorable Cousin while she grinds the opposition beneath her boots?"
"Watch?" Silly Osric, trying to hide your anticipation. "None of that, I'm here to compete." He grinned. "I've got a few years on you still Lil' Audrey, and I don't mind giving you some pointers if we've got a decent excuse for it!" Audrey pouted at that–especially when he went to ruffle her hair–she had outgrown that little bit of affection! "Still, it doesn't matter which of us comes out on top, as long as an Eotenslaga gets to the last bit of it, does it? Certainly, it wouldn't hurt if I could claim a few victories though."
"Certainly not" Audrey nodded back, fixing her hair with one hand. "I'll be eager to see how well you perform in tomorrow's Melee! Just watch out though, we've got some pretty dangerous competition so far."
"Obviously–the Winchester Circuit's always pretty spicy." He leaned back and crossed his arms. "I'll see you tomorrow with the rest of the competition. Try not to get in over your head!"
He gave a little wave as he stepped back, followed after a moment by his ever-present aide. It was lovely to know she wouldn't be without allies in the Tournament–Osric was one of the better Thanes the Eotenslaga had access to in this generation, even without the sheer endurance you could muster with the aid of Fervour, he'd be no easy prey.
Honestly, challenging him could be quite educational.
Truthfully, the Melee was going to be interesting in that sense–it would take place over a wide swath of the Winchester countryside, steadily shrinking down as the day went on. Thanks to Crowley though, she shouldn't have too much difficulty picking out a target. Sure, any other Squires present here would also likely have a similar advantage, but she wasn't concerned about Crowley getting into too much trouble–a Greater Stormcrow was a right terror to try and pin down if they didn't feel like fighting.
The real question is, should she try to chase someone down in the early phase of the Melee? Or simply pick a fight with the first stranger she could find?
0~0~0
The Melee Begins Tomorrow.
Who will you seek out first?
It will be Early Morning
[ ] Jory Grouse (Brythonic Cultivator - Gareth. Strengths: Excellent Basics, Stamina)
[ ] Margh Grouse (Brythonic Cultivator - Gawain. Strengths: Strength waxes as Midday Approaches)
[ ] Asveig Moontouched (Norse Cultivator - EXTREMELY HIGH DANGER, VICTORY INCREDIBLY UNLIKELY)
[ ] Osric Eotenslaga (Anglo-Saxon Thane - Strengths: Punching Up, Bonus: Chance to learn new Martial Style Rotes)
[ ] Leave it to God (Grace Check to determine Opponent for First Round)
0~0~0
AN: And so we've arrived at the Main Event–as far as Audrey's story is concerned! The Youth Division Melee of the Winchester Tournament!
I'm glad you all had the patience to stick with me so far because things are going to get spicy! Your objective in the Melee is to defeat as many competitors as possible without being defeated in turn!. There is a prize for making it to the end of the day, yes, but there are also prizes for each victory you can claim on the way in and a final prize for having the greatest number of victories by the end of the day.
What are these individual prizes?
Ransoms
Each defeated opponent is obligated to ransom off at least half the value of their battle gear to the one who overcame them, or you are permitted to keep it. Even if that's just a good quality mail hauberk, that's a fair amount of coin on the table! Those with more impressive gear will have that value increase dramatically, with Knightly Armor in particular being exceptionally valuable. That being said, someone with better gear is almost certainly going to be stronger to begin with, or at least harder to deal with in a melee. As the day goes on, the quality of the remaining fighters will increase–and the space you have to work with drops as well–inevitably winnowing things down to the finest competitors.
Now, you don't have to take the ransom! If you want to foster goodwill and generally look like a virtuous member of society, you can Release a defeated opponent. This gains you no monetary reward, but your generosity will be noted–improving relationships with those you Release and any allies of theirs as well.
Simply getting to the end will be enough to earn your Charger. Anything beyond that can be either stored for when your Squiredom ends and you gain your own Manor, or used to invest in more advanced Cultivation Resources in the aftermath–when the really expensive markets open up for the youths who want to blow their hard-earned treasure on foundation building materials.
Do note, that both you and your opponents can attempt to Flee at any point if you feel outmatched by an encounter. This will be an opposed Athleticism test if the other doesn't feel like letting you run away. There's no shame in doing so, part of the challenge of the Melee is to simulate an actual battle against peers to some extent, and that means showing the ability to identify who's in your league and how to escape those who are beyond you.
Normally, this is where I'd also include the rules on Retiring–but you're playing Audrey Eotenslaga, she has no capacity to step off the stage if she isn't forced off violently. This option is sealed to you!
Fight well! This contest will have a great influence on your future as a Knight!
Next Update on Wednesday
