Cavalry Courtyard III - Mud and Games

Where now are the horse and rider? In here, probably.
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The Cavalry Courtyard

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The Cavalry Courtyard is bustling with activity. Cavalry members of all ranks are enjoying the summer weather in the Courtyard, taking advantage of the lack of rain to practice skills such as one-on-one combat, archery, and spear throwing. Words of instruction and encouragement can be heard as experienced officers work with and train the new recruits.

Some are at work grooming horses, others rubbing down tack or polishing armor. There is an air of pride and duty about the courtyard, as well as congenial rivalries between riders as training continues and friendly competitions break out. As the day wears on, riders will come and go about their duties and training, and the daily life as soldiers in service to their King.

This is the Cavalry Courtyard, where cavalry members can experience daily life as a member of the elite Cavalry of Rohan. Here cavalry members can RP training, healing, tracking, maintaining armour, weapons, and tack, care for their horses, or any other tasks or daily activities related to their service in the Cavalry. From time to time the marshals will update the Courtyard with orders for specific riders, or other new events
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The main Courtyard itself is located in Edoras, and the majority of training takes place there. The Westmark and Eastmark are fortresses, and do not have the extensive training facilities that are in Edoras. However, please also feel free to RP being in the Hornburg or Aldburg.

Edoras
The Meduseld Éored’s courtyard location is just outside the walls of Edoras, offering close access to any supplies, weapons, or food they may require. They are responsible for guarding the King, and the protection of the Golden Hall. While this is a high honor, they are also the closest to the King, and more visible than the other éoreds, meaning they must be ready for any eventuality, and always ready for inspection.
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The Westmark
Protected by the mountains, the Westmark Éored makes their home at the citadel of Helm's Deep. Here they deal with the ever-present threat of roaming orcs, wolves and bandits as they protect the Westemnet farmsteads, and occasionally face even Uruk-hai parties coming from the mountains beyond Rohan's borders. Patrols take up much of the cavalry's time here. Free time inside the Deep is rare, but all the more treasured for it.
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The Eastmark
Removed from the happenings of the Court in Edoras, yet a lively town itself, Aldburg is the home of the Eastmark Éored, and is a pleasant place to spend time. However, the threat of Orcs and wolves is just as high here as at Helm's Deep, with roving bands threatening the farms and people of the Eastemnet. This leaves little idle time, as the cavalry members here are usually kept busy.

Areas of the Courtyard:

The Barracks: Where cavalry members sleep. A low, long building consisting of several large, open rooms lined with bunks for dryhtgumas and sperewigends, with small adjacent rooms which house the Aethelwigends, who sleep two to a room. Feldmarshals have their own small quarters at either end of the barracks, and marshals are afforded private, larger rooms in an adjoining but separate wing of the building. While some riders prefer to live in the barracks, others sleep here only when required for duty, preferring their own homes outside the Courtyard.

The Mess Hall: A large room next to the Courtyard where the kitchens and mess are. Cooks bustle about making and serving the cavalry their meals, and most times of day any number of Riders can be found congregated here eating and socializing at the long trestle tables that fill the mess. An adjacent room serves as the office of the quartermaster. Behind the Mess Hall are the stores, several small buildings and sheds that store the provisions for the cavalry.

The Courtyard: The open area in the center of the compound, where any combination of many activities happen.

The Stables: Located against the wall of the Courtyard, the stables houses the cavalry's prized horses. Stablehands bustle about caring for the animals, and riders go in and out on various tasks. The tack room is a smaller building attached to the stable where equipment and tack for the horses is stored. There are two large paddocks attached to the stables for horses to roam and enjoy fresh air.

The Infirmary: The realm of the Hӕlends and overseen by the Bealdorhӕlend, this is where the healers can be found. A wooden building with beds lining the walls, with tables set up at intervals holding supplies such as bandages and splints. A small room in the back holds the various herbs and medicines these renowned healers use when treating the injuries of the cavalry. Those who are not healers tend to avoid the infirmary, unless forced to enter.

The Armoury: A building near the barracks that stores weapons and armour. The Armoursmith runs the place with an iron fist, doling out equipment grudgingly. He keeps his armour and equipment in pristine shape, and woe to the soldier who treats his armor poorly! Attached to the Armoury is a small forge used for making and repairing equipment.

The Stockade: A sturdy building with a heavy wooden door and barred windows. The stockade houses cavalry prisoners and the occasional drunken rider. Guards stand outside the door, and only those on guard duty or on official business are permitted entry.

Training Fields: Outside the walls of the Courtyard are the training fields. An archery range, sword ring, practice field, and riding arena are here, close together. This is where new Sperewigends are to be found, receiving their training, as well as fully-fledged cavalry members honing their skills. Marshals, feldmarshals, and experienced officers oversee the practice and training, instructing and encouraging those in on the training field.

The Memorium: A small area with a simple stone marker dedicated to Cavalry fallen in battle. Set aside from the bustle of the rest of the Courtyard, this is a quiet area with several benches to sit quiet and reflect.


Rules:
~All Plaza and Cavalry code of conduct guidelines apply
~Please put your location at the top of your post if you are not in the Edoras Courtyard (ex. Westmark, stables)
~If you are posting as a secondary character, please place your character name in bold at the top of your post as well
~No godmoding
~Please post in the appropriate color for your Eored: Eastmark Blue - #000080; Westmark Red - #BF0000; Meduseld Green - #008000; New trainees post in BLACK
~Updates and announcements will be posted in PURPLE
~Cavalry members and trainees only. Signatures on please.

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As the Cavalry wakes up and the Courtyard comes alive just as dawn creeps over the horizon, the order is passed to gather outside in the courtyard. An interesting sight greets those who head outside.
The courtyard area and training field has been transformed. A large training course has been set up out in a field, with walls, rope nets, pits of water, quintains, spear walls, platforms at various levels and more scattered in a pattern. The stables have been emptied of all the regular mounts and tied to the hitching posts is a herd of 20 or so unfamiliar horses, covered in mud, their tack sitting on the racks beside them. In one area a deep pit filled has been dug, with piles of random equipment on one side. The slight breeze sends a foul smell wafting from the pit and creates ripples in the....something...the pit is filled with. Other equipment like a long rope, shields, balance beams, and what appears to be random paraphernalia is scattered in different places through the courtyard and training field.
Given it is spring in the Mark, it has been raining consistently leaving the whole land muddy and wet. The Courtyard has not escaped this. A light drizzle falls and the ground squishes and squelches under people's feet.

Standing on a platform in the middle of the courtyard is Marshal Shivased. Dressed in basic leather armour over a simple grey training tunic, she waits for everyone to gather. Good morning! she says eventually. Given that we have people from all three eoreds stationed here in Edoras now, it has been decided that we will conduct some team-building exercises! She gestured at the sky and shrugged. The weather has not been very cooperative, but given that we need to be ready and able to defend Rohan in any weather conditions, it is perhaps fitting that we will conduct todays training in the rain. Each Cavalry member's performance in these activities will also go towards consideration for promotion in the future, so while we intend to have some fun, I expect everyone here to remember this is training.
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Welcome to the Edoras Cavalry Team-building Exercises
Today's training will feature a series of exercises designed to test the Cavalry's ability to work together and handle unexpected and expected situations. They will be conducted as both individual and team activities, and Cavalry members will need, at times, to determine whether to work alone or in groups.
These activities will be done in a sort of free-RP with structured prompts and updates at regular intervals. Each activity will last approximately 1 week, before moving on to the next one. (This can be lengthened to accommodate slower posting rates, as needed) Throughout each activity smaller prompts may be given to move the activity along or provide situations to overcome.
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To begin, please report in with name, rank and Eored, so that the First Marshal knows how many are present to participate.
The first activity will begin on SUNDAY.

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Bealdorhælend Amadhrill, she was not sure how she felt about the promotion. The last promotion. In one way the highest she had ever dreamed and aimed at, but a promotion she had not even thought about when she returned.

Was it already a year ago? Ama looked at the boots, no longer clean and the trouser under the tunic had mud beginning to fasten behind her heals and on the inner side of her ancles. She was curious as to this training excercise, with the weather as it was she considered for a moment if this was a place to point out her rank and cite it in hopes of returning to the warmth of the infirmary. Really, it was a bunch of things she needed to take care of and find out about. She laughed a little at the thought, and so it was that her green eyes sparkled in merry laughter as she saluted to Marshal @Shivased

"Hæ... Bealdorhælend Amadhrill of Meduseld éored ready for the training, Marshal!"

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

The training! She should not be late for the training! Though the glance outside told her that it might not be all that nice and sunny. Hadassa made haste to throw on her uniform, slip her feet into the boots and put on the old leather jerkin that she used as a sort of training armour, even though it did nothing to protect her.

Leaving the room that now served as her home, she ran across the courtyard, mud splashing everywhere since she did not much care for where she put her foot; after all there did not seem to be any dry spot in the whole courtyard.

"Dryhtguma Hadassa reporting for training, Marshal!" she declared, coming to a sliding stop next to Amadhrill. "Bealdorhælend!" she acknowledged the head healer with a serious nod. She was still rather concerned more concerned about appearing serious and business-like, so there was no hint of smile yet on her face.
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Looking out at the faces surrounding her, noting excitement for some and dread for those who knew what was coming, she grinned. The new ones being excited for their first training day was always fun, but they wouldn't be so excited later! It was a bit perverse, but after years of training new riders, it was something she found funny. Now that you're all here, we'll begin! We'll start with a very common spring situation we face when out on patrol or campaign. Muddy horses!

First Task
You are to pick your mount and get it saddled! All horses are generic Cavalry mounts; they are not special in any way, do not stand out in any way and have no unique skills. They each have a saddle, bridle, chamfron and peytral. They and their tack must be cleaned and prepared, and they must be saddled and ready to go! Sounds simple, but here's the kicker: you have the (very muddy) horses, and (equally muddy) tack. What you do not have is the brushes, cloths, combs and picks to do so! You must improvise and think of ways to get the tack clean without proper equipment!


@corlisswyn @Eldrith @Dimcairien Luiniel @Aethelu feel free to jump in and join!

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Dicun, charging into the courtyard

“I’m not late,” Dicun muttered to himself as he ran towards the courtyard. “I’m not late.”

As much as he tried to convince himself, he was indeed late. He had only meant to close his eyes for a couple more minutes. It had been a mistake, when he’d finally woken up again, he’d found the barracks empty. He’d rushed to get dressed, only to then find the mess hall empty too. It was a terrible day to sleep in, they’d already announced that there was going to be training today. As he ran, he’d been trying to think of a good excuse for the Marshal. So far, he’d only managed to come up with ‘a chicken attacked me’ but he wasn’t sure how well that would go over.

As he arrived into the courtyard, he stopped dead in his tracks. The whole place had been transformed for the training. It was very impressive he had to admit. Marshal Shivased was standing in the middle of it all presiding over the already gathered cavalry members. It looked like she was already giving out instructions. Dicun started running again, not quite taking into account the wet, muddy ground. Reaching the gathered group, he tried to stop himself. His boots found no grip and he went skidding across the mud. With a yelp, he did manage to come to a stop just inches from the Marshal.

“Erm,” he began, trying to salute without hitting her in the face. “Dryhtguma Dicun reporting for training.”

The first task had been set, cleaning up muddy tack for muddy horses. Hurrying over to a pile of tack, he looked around to see what he had at hand. He couldn’t see anything he could use at first. Then he caught sight of the water troughs by the tied-up horses. For a moment he considered dumping all the tack into the water to get it clean, but that didn’t seem very fair for the horses left to drink. If only he had a cloth of some kind. If only he’d put on a scarf or something, this was what he got for sleeping in.

Looking down at himself he considered if he could use his tunic as a cloth. It wasn’t exactly long enough to start ripping parts of it off. Taking the whole thing off was just going to leave him cold, even colder if he got it wet and put it back on. He definitely wasn’t going to start stripping off his breeches. But there was one last thing he could use. Balancing as carefully as he could, he pulled off one boot and removed the sock, tucking it into his belt as he put the boot back on. Dipping it into the water, ignoring the biting cold of it, he set about cleaning up the tack the best his could with the wet socks.

It took some elbow grease, but at last, the tack looked clean enough to get it on a horse. Now there was the matter of the muddy horses. Dicun tried to pick out the least muddy looking one, though that wasn’t much of a competition. Once again, he managed to carefully balance and pull off the other sock. He wasn’t going to get a lot of mud off with just a wet sock, but it might be enough. The horse seemed less than impressed by his attempts to clean him with just a sock, but it was working. Somehow, with even more elbow grease, he had a mostly clean horse and some mostly clean tack, and two wet, mud-soaked socks.

At last, he had his horse saddled up and ready to go. Now there was just the matter of where to put the socks. There was no way his was going to put them back on in their current state. He tried to ring them out the best he could and tucked them into his belt. Hopefully there would be enough of a breeze to dry them off. He might even be able to put them back on later.

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Sighard


Sighard thought he'd been done with Edoras for a good long while after the hassle with the dead and missing children. But no, somehow he found himself back here, and somehow he'd overslept and was running late for the training exercises the First Marshal was running.

He ended up slipping in right behind another dryhtguma. Sighard, though, was not rushing despite his lateness, and so managed to avoid nearly running into the First Marshal.

He grimaced at the mud, and the rain falling from the sky, but schooled the irritation off his face and stepped up just behind Dryhtguma Dicun and saluted Marshal Shivased. "Dryhtguma Sighard reporting," he said, and then went to stand with one of the unclaimed horses.

As the first task was relayed, he sighed and scowled a bit. The weather was cool and wet, so he'd worn his Cavalry cloak, and he now reluctantly stripped it off. In ideal circumstances, he would have waited till the mud dried to rub it off the horse, but... it was still raining. So he was going to have to wipe the horse as clean as he could, and he wasn't going to bother with its legs. There was no point as the mud would just splash back up the next time it took a step.

"What have you been doing?" he crooned softly to the horse as he began to wipe down its back. Making sure to use the outside of his cloak as much as possible--because even wet wool would still keep you warm--he slowly made his way from shoulder to hips and then down its belly, careful to keep an eye out so he didn't get kicked. Once he'd gotten as much mud off the horse as was possible, he put his cloak back on, then went to check the horse's hooves.

With the lack of a pick, he used his fingers to clean mud and debris out and check that nothing was inflamed. It was an inferior job, but once Sighard was satisfied that he'd done as well as he could, he moved on to check the tack.

It was filthy. Of course. It looked like someone had left it out in a mud pit all night, and knowing the reputation of the First Marshal, Sighard wouldn't be surprised to find out it had.

With yet another sigh, he retrieved sorted the pieces from cleanest to dirtiest, and once again removed his cloak and began to clean, this time with the clean inside, though he made sure to work from the hem up, hoping to keep at least the upper half of his cloak somewhat clean.

It was trickier this time, too, because now his hands were muddied from the outside of the cloak, but eventually he managed to clean the bulk of the mud off the tack, though it wasn't perfect by any means. After that it was short work to slip the bridle on the horse, then saddle blanket--fortunately not muddied and damp, it seemed the First Marshal drew the line somewhere, even if only for the sake of the horses--and saddle. He tightened and checked and re-tightened straps and buckles, and then finally peytral and chamfron in place.

At last, he stood at the horse's head, his hand on the reins, and waited patiently for the Marshal to inspect his work.


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Eastmark Dryhtguma

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The new Bealdorhælend returned the serious nod from the fresh-faced dryhtguma Hadessa with a friendly smile. For a little she stood waiting, contemplating what was to happen, the last big training had been rather... interesting, yes, interesting, she decided on. Idiotic, possibly dangerous, others might say, but time had passed and the memory turned into more of another camp story to tell.

Ama was a little on edge, though it would not be easy to spot it. She was a little uncomfortable in her new position as bealdorhælend, though she held her head high and tried to look both authorative and friendly and approachable, not an easy task. Her train of thoughts were interrupted by the speech of Marshal [metion]Shivased[/mention] and her green eyes went over to the cavalry mounts. She had found a favorite, one she had used on a few occasions now, where was he? The marshal must've gotten word about it, for he was nowhere to be seen. She swore silently under her breath as the task dawned on her, there were a number of dirty, muddy horses and their tack, and not a brush or cloth to be seen.

There was no reason to pick one horse over another, so Ama shrugged and approached the closest one, a brown, plain, good war horse. Well, a brush for the horse and a few rags was part of what she packed when off on some cavalry business, but she had not expected it to be necessary for the training. After all, the training was to take place in the middle of Edoras, not out on the plains of Rohan. «Now, deor, what do we have that can be used to clean you?» Her voice was soft and a low murmur, a hælend's habit of explaining and comforting her patients, and a mother's habit too. Grass, of course, hay or grass would work to rub off quite a lot of dirt, so at least she could leave the clean rags in her hælend's bag there for a while.

Where there are horses, there are usually also grass or hay, and Ama was lucky to find a mix of dried and new grass. With gentle movement she began to clean the muddy horse, focusing on the places that would be covered by the saddle, bridle, chamfron, and peytral. The grass removed much of the wet mud from the horse's coat. «Would've been better with a brush, I know, but I'll do my best...» She looked around to see how the other's fared, and felt her heart sink a little. What if they looked to her, with her high rank and the expected experience...

«I usually come prepared...» she muttered to the horse as she rubbed away at the mud, using her other hand to brush away the grass and mud that had loosened. Not too far away she saw Dicun remove his socks to clean the horse and tack, it seemed to do the work intended, but the hælend could not but worry about the conditions of his feet by the end of the training completed with wet or no socks. She made a mental note to demand to see his feet by the end of the day and hoped for the best.

«That's as good as you get.» she finished the horse, well, she would need to do a check once the tack was clean and placed, to makes sure that no lingering dirt would chafe the horse. Ama used more gras to clean off most of the mud. Then she unbuckled the belt around her tunic and shifted the leather armour around to get the bridle properly cleaned with the tunic. Replacing her clothes she simply put one leg carefully inside the petrayl and used the trouser leg to clean the inside. She sighed a little, it would be a hard day's work to clean her clothes after this, but there was nothing to be done with it. The inside of the chamfron was cleaned on the other trouser leg. The bridle, chamfron, and peytral was carefully put on the horse, rubbing away as much as possible of what mud and dirt was left on the horse's head and neck with her tunic sleeve.

The saddle was more of challenge, but she rubbed it as clean as possible with grass, taking extra care to clean underneath, around the edges, and the seat. It wasn't exactly spotless and shining as after a good polish, but it was cleaner. And the horse should have no discomforts from the mud at least. She took a step back, in time to see Sighard check his horse's hooves, of course, she thought to her self and she took the round to clean the hooves as well as she could with grass and bare hands. She took another check of the tack, mentally going over everything to see if she had missed something, after all it had been many years since last she prepared a horse for cavalry training. Eventually she found herself as satized with her work as she would ever get with the lack of equipment, and she took her place among the other's waiting for an inspection.

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

The task seemed difficult to Hadassa, since she assumed that it was usual to always have equipment at hand when in cavalry - but perhaps she was wrong in assuming that. After all, it could be that equipment was lost in battle or something. She stood around for a while, observing what solutions the others found, and then moved towards the horse that looked rather dejected and was something of chestnut colour in spots that were not covered in a thick layer of mud.

"What do we do?" she asked the horse who didn't as much as flick his ears. "They must've rolled you around in mud to get you into this condition." The young woman reached her hand up slowly to let the horse sniff it before she proceeded to run it over the horse's face gently and then rub the mud off his neck.

The grass seemed to be a good option, but where they stood it was already trampled down and muddy and would not be of much use. With a deep sigh, Hadassa took to cleaning the equipment with the sleeve of her shirt - she'd get all muddy anyway seeing that there seemed to be no dry spot in the whole training grounds. At least there were two sleeves, so she could use one on the tack, and the other to brush down the horse. Not that this was in any way easy, as she could not remove the shirt and had to do a fair bit of acrobatics to go along with the mentioned sleeves which now clung to her arms and made her feel a bit cold.

Yet, there was only that much she could do with the limited resources, and neither the horse, nor the tack looked particularly clean, though Hadassa definitely hoped that it would be clean enough so that the equipment would not grate against the horse's skin and make it sore. With the utmost care possible she set about tacking up the horse, and in the process removed any loose dirt that she could still spot.

When she thought she had done her best, she stood by the horse, stroking its neck and awaiting the judgement expecting that her best would still not be enough. After all, nothing was clean to perfection.

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Éomund, Dryhtguma of the Eastmark

Was life never to be normal? Éomund felt that he had barely gotten used to being out in the middle of nowhere in the Eastmark when he and nearly everyone else was recalled back to Edoras. He arrived in the Courtyard, without his horse as ordered and stifled a groan. The courtyard was full of muddy horses and nothing else. He just made out the first marshal saying something about needing to clean the horses and the tack without using the proper gear. "Who would go out with the horse without the proper cleaning gear," he muttered under his breath. His horse was one of his most prized possessions and he took great care of it. Perhaps even more so than he took care of his own clothing, though now that he had a uniform, was far less threadbare than it used to be.

He shivered slightly in the chill and brushed some wet blonde hair out of his face. Since he was back in Edoras he needed to find the time to once again cut his hair into the cavalry standard. Barbers were a bit lacking in the Eastmark and he had not fancied using a knife to try and hack his unruly hair into submission.

After listening to the instructions he got to work. By the time he made his way over to the pile of tack, most of the less muddy pieces had already been claimed. With a cursory glance at what the other members of the cavalry were doing, he made his way over to the water trough. While he knew better than to dunk the tack into the water (sumberging leather was never a good idea) he also knew that he'd need the clean water to actually get anything clean. Placing the tack on the ground next to the trough, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his canteen. He then picked up the bridle and slowly began to pour some water over the worst patches of mud, making sure that the water ran off into the ground, not the trough. As he poured, he slowly rubbed at the caked mud with his thumb gradually flaking off the worst bits and filling up his canteen with fresh water as needed. Knowing that it would be impossible to get the tack completely clean with the limited resources, he paid special attention to the bits that would be in the horse's mouth or in other areas that would cover a sensitive bit of the horse. "A little mud won't kill the horse as long as I get a chance to properly clean everything in a day or two," he thought. Once the tack was a clean as it was going to get, he hoisted it over his shoulder as setting it down would guarantee it to get dirty again and set about to gear up a horse.

Luckily, these were cavalry horses, so even if he did not personally know each of them, they were used to being approached and bridled by strangers. The poor horse had a fair amount of mud on him as well. "Hey there boy," Éomund said gently as he reached out with his free hand to stroke the horse's nose. Balancing the tack on his shoulder, he poured some clean water out into his hand and using his damp hand, rubbed the worst of the mud off of the sensitive places along the horses face, neck, and back. Cleaning the legs would be useless at the moment considering the damp in the air and the mud throughout the field.

Before putting the bridle on though, he took the corner of his cloak and dried the worst bits of the horse, though it was a bit futile as his cloak was already slightly damp and the bits of the horse did not stay dry for very long, but at least a few areas were mostly mud-free.

At last, he got the horse all geared up and it looked at least semi-presentable, though he was still very disgruntled about the lack of supplies. But then, by this point in his time in the cavalry (even though it had only been about a year) he should have expected the unconventional training from the First Marshal. He still had nightmares about the horrible training event right at the start of his career. Joining the others who had completed the futile task he stood waiting to find out what ridiculous thing would happen next.

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Shivased grinned widely as the Cavalry members gathered were told their first task. The looks on some of their faces was priceless and she felt very proud of herself for deciding to start this way. They were all so used to having supplies on hand that figuring things out and doing without (in a safer situation than being dropped in the middle of Rohan, of course) was good for them. As she watched they got rather creative, from Dicun using his socks to to Ama using what dry grass she could find, or Eomund just pouring water on things and rubbing with his hands. Each of them did manage to get their horses relatively clean, at least. Once they were all finished and waiting, she climbed back on the platform so she could be seen over the horses. Well done, everyone! Now that you have your horses, you'll need equipment! Time to go find some! Then the real training can begin!

Second Task

Scattered around the training grounds are piles of.....things. There are training weapons scattered in these piles. The weapons are basic weapons - swords, spears, and bows/arrows. As with the horses they are nothing special, just basic but well-made and well-balanced training weapons. Your job is to find yourself a spear or sword and a bow and arrows. You may look anywhere in the training field EXCEPT the piles of equipment around the pit and in the training course. Any other pile anywhere in the field is fair game. You are welcome to help others or work together. Once you find your weapons return here, ensure they are clean, and wait for your next task.

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Amadhrill stomped her feet lightly and drew the cloak tighter around herself to keep out the chill and rain. The head scarf she usually wore over her hair was already quite wet, but at least it was wool so it did it's job at keeping her head and ears a bit warmer. Reminded of the scarf she shook her head and wondered if the horse would have been cleaner and better off had she used that instead, it might have been easier too. Her train of thoughts were luckily, well, perhaps not luckily but they were cut short as Shivased again climbed the platform and set them about with their next task, to find equipment.

She left the horse tied besides the other horses and went in search of training weapons, at least this part she had expected when the order came not to bring her own gear. And this she didn't mind, though she prefered her trusted sword, the training weapons were good weapons that she knew well. After all she had made sure to spend at least a few hours on the training grounds most days since her return to the cavalry, to brush up on her skills and remind her farmer body of the soldier she had once been.

Now, the weapons were usually stored together, brought forward for these kind of days in an orderly fashion, the hælend looked around the grounds. Piles... piles upon piles of... she approached the closest pile...stuff. Broken spears, a shovel and a pitch fork, a cracked bucket. Ama sighed, so this was how it was going to be today, nothing coming easy. She squared herself, brushed the cloak unto her back so her arms were properly free to dig through the pile. Underneath the cracked bucket she found a pair of very large knitted socks, they were damp but not soaking, so she tucked them in her belt. Wedged between another pitch fork and the remains of a broken weel barrow she found a sword. At least she was now getting warm while tossing the items in her selected pile into a new pile to free the sword.

Still, she needed a bow and arrows, and a way of getting the socks to Dicun. Ama turned to another pile, well, it must have been a cart filled with all sorts of sticks, planks, and all sorts of wood and then they had simply turned the cart upside down over it. She could definately see what looked to be bows there, perhaps some arrows too. «Dryhtguma Dicun!» She called, «I think I see bows here, perhaps arrows, but I need help with moving the cart.»

The Bealdorhælend looked around, they might need more then just the pair of them to move the cart. Now, to remember the names of those close by.

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

Apparently the horses still looked rather worse for wear, but at least they did not look like some kind of marsh monsters, and at least the Marshal did not scold them for not getting the horses and the gear perfectly clean. Yet Hadassa did not quite fancy sitting in the saddle, as it might still be somewhat slippery for all she knew. Not yet, as they were given another task.

The young woman looked around the messy courtyard which looked as if some sort of warehouse after explosion; and where in all that could she find something useful? There was nothing but looking if you wanted to find something, so she walked over to one of the piles and began sorting through it. Could she use a spade as some sort of impromptu glaive? The thought definitely played in her mind, as she looked at the mentioned tool, but then again it would most likely not do. She lifted aside and pushed various other farming tools, and when she had nearly given up any hope she spotted the head of the spear sticking out of the remaining pile.

Hadassa worked more eagerly now that she had spotted something she could use, and even put the tools she removed into a neat pile next to the messy one. There it was! The spear was not overly long, just about her size, but it would do. Again, she ran her sleeve over the weapon to get some of the mud off of it, and paid closer attention to cleaning the handle.

Overhearing Bealdorhaelend say something about bows and arrows, Hadassa looked up and at the toppled cart. Was there a possibility that there'd be enough bows to accommodate several people? She drifted towards Amadhrill and asked quite simply: "Should I lend a hand here?"

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Finding weapons seemed to be taking longer than cleaning the muddy horses and tack, which surprised Shivased a little bit. She had thought searching through a few piles of rubble would have been far easier. Still, a few were done, so they might as well move on to the start of the real games. Raising a hand to get everyone's attention she waited until most eyes were on her. Now that you are all armed and have your mounts, let's get on to the fun! It's time to show how creative you can be in overcoming obstacles in the wilderness. You'll have to work together to figure this one out!

Task Three


It's time to show your ingenuity and creativity in overcoming obstacles. It's time for the Pit. Situated on the end of the training ground closest to where everyone is gathered, partially under the boughs of a large tree, is a pit. Full of foul-smelling sludge and too wide across to jump, it isn't something you want to fall into. There are various items scattered around it - a variety of lengths of rope, some split wood beams (though none are long enough reach the other side), two swords, a crossbow and several bolts, a bucket, blanket, two canoe paddles and a hay fork. Working together you must get yourselves and ALL the equipment to the other side of the pit. If you fall in you are considered "dead" and will have to sit on the sidelines for the remainder of the task.

This task will have mini updates between now and Sunday, approx. every 2 days. Based on whoever posts and what is attempted to get across the pit, will determine the outcome of the mini-update. This could include falling in the pit, loosing equipment, or succeeding.

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«Yes, please!» Amadhrill was pleased to accept Hadessa's offer for help. «If you grab a hold there, I think we can lift and push it off. I am sure I saw several bows there, perhaps even arrows...»

It took them quite a bit of heaving and pushing, but eventually the cart was moved enough for them to start sorting through the items underneath. The pushing and heaving had made Ama a little sweaty, and she pushed the cloak out of the way. In her eagerness at getting to the weapons she forgot any sense she had at the start for trying to behave calm and dignified, as she thought befitting her new rank. Instead, she flung herself onto hands and knees as soon as the cart was moved and started to shift through the rubble and whatnot as quickly as she could, no longer caring much about the mud starting to gather all over her. A rather triumphing exclaimation escaped from the healer's mouth as she managed to lure out several bows and arrows with the help of Hadessa and raised them victoriously out of the heap only in time to see the raised hand of the first marshal Shivased.

Task three
With her weapons gathered she approached the Pit and looked into it, the smell and temperature did not make it very inviting to jump into it and it was definatly too far for her to jump. Around her there was silence as the other seemed to ponder the obstacle as well. She began talking aloud, mostly out of habit but also to see if her thoughts perhaps gave someone else a better idea.

«Perhaps we can manage to make bridge? If we can make holes... with the hay fork perhaps and then use the sword as a hammer to force the bolts into the wood... or we can use the ropes to bind the wood beams together into a bridge, then, if we are able to get a long enough lenght of rope, shoot it over and somehow fasten it something we can perhaps use it as a railing to hold onto when we cross, the paddles can perhaps be put across a part of the beams to make them stay on top of the sludge...» She picked up one of the paddles.

«If it is firm enough perhaps I can simply drape myself in the blanket and roll over to the other side and fasten the rope there somehow...» She tested the sludge with the paddle very carefully so as not to fall in, «nope, so bridge it is then...»

Ama put the paddle down and started to tie rope around lengths of split wood beams to make the beams long enough to reach to the other end.

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

They had barely had the time to deal with the cart to see what was hidden underneath when the Marshal called for their attention to explain the next task. If anything, it only seemed all the more daunting.

Walking to the edge of the smelly pit, Hadassa touched the goo with the toe of her boot and wrinkled her nose as she imagined falling into it. While she only stood around trying to think of some useful solution, the Bealdorhaelend had already set about the work, so Hadassa joined in, gathering a couple of pieces of beams that were further away.

"Think we could use the cart and push it into the pit as a type of safe bridge?" she asked Amadhrill in whisper. "It would be stable and... but perhaps we are not allowed to use stuff from the other tasks?" Setting down the beams she had brought, the woman looked around for other ways to help them get across.

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Task 3 Update

Though it might seem like a good idea to build a bridge across the pit, nothing is quite long enough, and even tied together the boards aren't enough. As soon as they are settled onto the muck they sink right into it in the middle, bowing down so low that only an inch or so on either side sticks out. It's like the muck is sucking them in, almost like a really stinky quicksand.

Now you've lost the boards, lost some of the rope......the pile beside the pit is growing smaller as drips from the branches overhead splash onto you.

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Æthelwigend Grimthain
@Shivased @Pele Alarion @Amadhrill
OOC - If I arrive with muddy horse and weapons already, can I jump right in? (into the exercise I mean, not the pit, yeurch!)

It felt good to be back in his cavalry uniform, although the embarrassment of his last time on duty still made him blush uncharacteristically. After the long but companionable journey to Helm's Deep with Taethowen and all his assurances that he would help search out the trouble-makers there, within minutes of his arrival he had been so hurried in packing up his belongings and mid-way through changing his shoes when the alarum call had gone up. He'd responded instinctively but momentarily forgetting he was not as spry as he used to be, and with bootlaces caught beneath feet had tumbled head over heels to daze himself on the bedpost. The only comfort had been that he had retained some dignity in the whole endeavour; there being no immediate witnesses. He had - perhaps unwisely - adopted his own self-care, far too embarrassed to have any of the healands, especially the lovely Amadhrill, who he respected so much. With vision swimming and stomach lurching, unable to walk more than a few feet, he had excused himself to his old quarters - quiet, private - to rest away the mild concussion, waving away any offer of help with the foolish idiocy of a bruised ego, and by the time his symptoms had abated the drama had subsided and he carried a new burden of guilt that he - once respected officer and Watchmaster of Helm's Deep - had been useless during the hours of peril.

He'd taken his leave of absence humbly, not even managing to find the courage to face the injured Taethowen - that would be a reckoning for another day he was sure. A season or so working Leigh's farm had eased his remorse a little, but now he had returned back to Edoras he could feel its claws trying to sink in afresh.
"No!" he told himself firmly. "I will not succumb to regret once again; I've spent too many years burdened beneath its heavy yoke to willingly accept that burden again" And with a renewed sense of determination and confidence, he strode into the Courtyard leading a muddied Norman behind him.

They were both coated with a thick layer of grime from the road, and in his haste to make the city Grimthain had only made a cursory cleaning attempt this morning, neglecting to brush out the very worst of the knots and caked on mud from his loyal mount's coat, anticipating an opportunity for both he and his horse to properly clean off on their arrival. And so as he arrived and spotted none other than the First Marshal Shivased herself conducting some sort of training exercise, he hesitated and glanced about, momentarily wondering if perhaps there was a convenient horse-shaped hiding place he and Norman could slip behind until they'd had a chance to neaten up a little. It was hopeless, of course; the keen Marshal's gaze spotted him a second later, and he quickly stepped forward to salute sharply in the hopes she would not recognise any hesitance.
"Æthelwigend Grimthain, report for... erm... what is happening right now?" he finished somewhat bewildered as he spotted Hadassa and Amadhrill apparently feeding pieces of wood and rope to one of the stinkiest pit's Grimthain had ever seen.


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Amadhrill spoke a long string of curses as the beams started to sink as she tried to push the tied together beams out. She was, at least figuratively speaking, out on deep water, luckily at least she was (so far) not litterary up to her head in the grime. She brushed a stray hair away from her face, leaving the once white head scarf even dirtier and her face to. She felt miserable, her efforts had not given the results she wanted, she was sweaty, soaking wet, muddy... her green eyes shot dark looks at the marshal as she stood up and straightened her back.

Deep breaths, she reminded herself, and consiously took three deep breaths as she studied the pool and miserable attempt. She looked as Hadessa and listened to her whispered words, before glancing again at the Marshal. The she grinned, her green eyes sparkling with determination in her grimy face. "I don't know, but a good rule is to use what is at hand, so why not?"

Ama glanced over to the marshal, "if we aren't suppose to use anything else, this might be the best opportunity to do it, while the marshal is hopefully busy with the Æthelwigend..."

Was this one of those excercises there was simply no answer to? Made to test their ability to endure when all seemed hopeless and the task hopeless. Ama gave the thought only a very short time before pushing it away, there was always an answer or an option not yet tried out. And when all seemed hopeless, there was usually something untried that could work, she reminded herself sternly, and in any case, her part was to give it her all until there was nothing to be done, save those she could save, do what she could in the task given her.

She braced herself, squared her shoulders and set to labouring with Hadessa on moving the upturned cart.


@Pele Alarion @Shivased @Allacan ob Burzum

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

She had helped as much as she could, and even tried to save the would-be bridge from sinking; in her hearty effort Hadassa had stepped too close to the pit, and now almost all her boots were extra muddy and stinky. "Oh no..." She groaned, eventually having to give up any hopes of saving even an end of rope from the greedy pit. As she looked back at Amadhrill, the young warrior decided that it was not worth it feeling bad about being dirty, since the respected haelend herself was rather not too clean.

Glancing at the Marshal, she felt as if she was a child doing mischief in front of their parent's nose, and yet she ran to the cart. "I wonder how deep that pit is," she said aloud, as she tried to find a firm foothold that would help her put more strength into pushing without constant danger of landing on her face in the mud. "It might eat up the cart too after all."

If this failed, Hadassa did not know what else could be done except for trying to swim through the thing, if there was no way to sneak around it. That was absolutely the last thing though, only if everything else failed.

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Æthelwigend Grimthain
@Shivased @Pele Alarion @Amadhrill

As Marshal considered his question, Grimthain's keen eyes were watching the proceedings over her shoulder with growing understanding. He'd been an Æthelwigend for some years, and had once held the post of Watchmaster at Helm's Deep, so he was experienced enough to recognise mischief and guilt when he saw it. Hadass and Amadhrill's furtive glances in their direction and hasty movements were enough for him to discern they were trying to achieve something while the Marshal's back was turned, and he wasn't about to let them get caught mud-handed.

As Marshal Shivased went to turn and casually glance over his shoulder, he interrupted her motion hurriedly by stepping to her side and companionably throwing an arm about her shoulders, positioning his body between her gaze and his two Meduseld comrades.
"My good Marshal, I always heard you had an exceptionally keen eye for fine horses, and if my experiences with Marshal Gwai are anything to go by, our beloved cavalry commanders do love to admire the finer steeds of the Riddermark. Would you humour me by providing your honest and..." he glanced over his shoulder towards his comrades, and subtly gestured to them to hurry up with their shenanigans "...frank opinion of my fina and loyal mount, Norman?"

Poor Norman! The 14 years old Fresian cross would look a little long in the tooth for cavalry duties on his best of days, he was looking much the worse for wear after his muddy journey; his thick mane, tail and fetlocks were caked with mud, the white star on the forehead almost completely obscured by dirt and sweat-grime. He turned his wide, doleful eyes were gazing at the pair of them and, realising that they were inspecting him, tried his best to throw out his chest and stand up straight, before sagging tiredly a moment later as the weariness of his journey re-asserted himself.
"A proud and noble steed, I'm sure you'll agree" Grimthain volunteered, desperately buying as much time as he could for his comrades.


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Task 3 Update


Note: this will be the final task 3 update. It will be considered failed if everyone does not cross the pit.

Momentarily distracted by Grimthain's arrival, Shivased almost missed the attempts of Hadassa and Ama to use a wagon from a pile not part of the pit exercise to cross the pit. She was just opening her mouth to instruct Grimthain to join them and help solve the task, when she caught sight of them out of the corner of her eye. She couldn't help but grin. Of course they would try something when her back was turned, she expected nothing less!

STOP! She called in a commanding voice, though it quivered slightly with laughter. Nice try, but you can only use what's in front of you! No stealing from other piles! Motioning for the two women to move away from the wagon, she grinned at Grimthain. Now you're here, you can go help them. They need to get themselves and all the supplies piled next to the pit, over to the other side, without falling in. To the group at large, she waved at the tree and the large branch hanging over the pit area and providing some relief from the rain. You're lucky! I'm standing out here in the pouring rain and you guys get some protection!

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

They had made a bit of the headway with the cart, leaving behind some deep ruts, when the marshal called out to stop their attempts at a safer way across.

"But it is not that far from this pile, Marshal!" Hadassa responded, while snapping to attention at the same time and splattering some mud around her with the hearty movement of her hand to perform a proper salute. However, she knew that this attempt should not be continued, lest they receive some punishment for it.

Walking back to the available supplies, the young woman lifted an oar, then set it down again, choosing a crossbow and a bolt instead. At the mention of the tree, she glanced up to evaluate the provided 'roof', though rather for any ideas of how to use it as means of getting across the gross pool than the umbrella against rain.

"Could we somehow secure a rope over that bough and make a makeshift swing?" she suggested, glancing at Ama and also at Grimthain, since he would have to join them anyway. She was not sure of how a rope over the bough would help them, or if it would be useful at all, so she looked for ideas that would either supplement hers or suggest something different.

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Having managed to get the horse somewhat clean, the next task assigned was to procure some weapons from various piles throughout the grounds. "At least weapons are involved this time," Éomund muttered under his breath. He would never forget the disastrous training event from his early Cavalry days. He brushed some plastered blonde hair out of his eyes and marched across the field towards one of the piles. Whoever had put them out seemed to have been assigned to clean out the excess weaponry from the storage shed as none of the items would pass muster. Éomund grimaced slightly at the sight of all the items haphazardly scattered about and began digging in one in the hopes of finding a sword and set of bows and arrows that were not too badly damaged. At last he managed to find a sword that wasn't too damaged. It was a bit duller than he would like, and while it was a bit muddy, a rub down with the outer edge of his cloak showed that it was not rusty.

His search for a bow and arrows was interrupted by the arrival of another member of the Cavalry. Éomund spun around when he heard a familiar voice. "Grimthain," he murmured, not entirely certain how to process the arrival of his surrogate uncle. It had been some time since he had seen him. But, now was not the time to great his uncle, especially as it appeared he was here in his official cavalry position. And the majority of the cavalry still did not know of their relationship, though that was likely to change due to the recent restructuring of the Cavalry, which was yet another reason for why they were all in the middle of yet another ridiculous training exercise. At last Éomund was able to procure a bow, which by some miracle had not gotten soaked through, and a quiver with about a dozen arrows in it. Weapons in hand, he returned to the rather ominous looking pit.

At the announcement of the next task, Éomund barely managed to stifle a groan. He had been avoiding the pit like a plague, and it honestly wouldn't surprise him if there was a plague somewhere in the pit considering the smell. How on earth were they expected to cross the damn thing? he wondered. He watched from the sidelines as Ama and a new recruit Hadassa attempted to build a bridge with the beams and rope and was not surprised when it collapsed. Then much to his amusement, they set upon the cart that had held various supplies for earlier tasks and attempted to push it into the pit. That got a scolding from the marshal and by that point he was fed up with everything that was going on and stepped closer to the pit.

He heard Hadassa contemplate making a swing by throwing some rope around the overhanging branch, but she sounded a bit unsure of herself. "I…I think a swing would work," he stuttered. He barely knew the woman, but he recalled Ama and their ability to work together in rather unconventional situations. Without waiting for either one to respond, and honestly surprising himself with the firmness of his voice, he continued, "We need to get ourselves and our weapons across this pit. If we can throw one end of the rope over the tree branch and then secure the two ends to each other, we might be able to make some sort of swing. Granted, it would be easier if we still had some of the boards …" His voice trailed off as he noticed the bucket.

Grabbing the longest piece of rope he could find, he quickly tied the handle of the bucket to one end. The bucket was of a decent size, and if it was sturdy enough, could at least make for a decent way to carry some of the items over. But for now, it would make a suitable weight to bring the rope down, provided he could throw it high enough to get over the branch. Taking the handle, he looped one end of the rope through and tied it as securely as he possibly could. He carefully took the weighted end of the rope, eyed the distance to the branch, swung the rope in circles a few times to gain enough momentum, and then let it fly. The rope flew over the branch, and he caught the loose end just in the nick of time. The weighted end swung back towards him and the bucket nearly clobbered him in the head, but somehow he managed to duck, though he stood up a bit too early and the bucket managed to make contact with the back of his left shoulder. "Ouch!" he exclaimed, turning his head slightly and glaring at the culprit.

He gingerly took the loose send of the rope that he still held in his hands and tied it to the handle of the bucket as well, using the same knot from earlier. "There," he said, turning towards Ama and Hadessa, "a swing. Who wants to go across first?" He could hardly believe what he had done and tried to look towards Grimthian without actually turning his head or body. Even though he had been a member of the Cavalry for many months, a part of him still desperately needed the older man's approval.

@Shivased Tried to incorporate task 2 as best I could. Sorry for falling of the rails.
@Allacan ob Burzum Feel free to recognize Éomund or not. I have absolutely no idea where this adventure fits into our rather complicated narrative, so I left things a bit vague for now.
)


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She was sweating and panting as silently as she could so not to draw any attention to herself and Hadessa, the small sign from Æthelwigend Grimthain gave her hope a little lift. For all the creaking, perhaps they could still sneak it past marshal @Shivased .

"STOP!" The commanding voice of the marshal boomed across to them, though Ama detected the small laughter and grin half consealed, so she braved a smile and shrug as if to say, "it was worth a try."

Somewhat momentarily defeated Ama again surveyed the pile, only half listening to the marshal's talk of shelter. Tree. Shelter. Her mind seemed to work slowly in the damp. And she looked at Hadessa who seemed to grasp the marshal's hint before herself. How had she failed to see it? The tree! It must be possible to get a rope over.

"BRILLIANT!" She exclaimed and gave Hadessa a firm pat on the back. She surveyed the pile, at least they hadn't wasted all the rope on the failed attempt of making a bridge. Ama was ready to grab a coil of rope and start climbing, even if recent years had seen her grow more afraid of falling down, she still enjoyed to climb everything she could. But Éomund was quicker, well the youngster did have the advantage of speed and light movement, she had the advantage of years of training and experience, or so she comforted herself.

"Ouch", the youngster's exclamation and the thump of bucket meeting shoulder made her start moving. "Good work. How's the shoulder, wigend?" Ama smiled and eyed the bucket/swing closely. "I think we better secure it to keep it... not balanced, but perhaps more stable on the branch."

She untied one end of the rope from the bucket and made a larger double bowline knot, before passing the bucket through the hole and thuging at the bucket end until the knot had fastened securely around the branch.

"I suspect one should go first, jump off and get to the other side. That way we can fill up the bucket and whoever is on the other side can empty it..." she started to coil the some of the extra rope loosely over her shoulder, she didn't want it to slow her down. "Don't leave me hanging if I can't make it over!" She said firmly. Her stomach made a jump as she made up her mind, took a few steps back while holding the rope in her hands. Then she jumped, the rope swung nicely over the pit and she let go when she was as far over as she would get. The rope around her shoulder tightened somewhat, but not too bad.

"I'll give you guys as much rope as possible, then if you tie things safely I can get it here! Perhaps if we are two to a side, it'll go faster?" She called over to the other side.


@Shivased Not sure if you want to throw a dice or something to figure out of Ama gets across, pr can we simply write it as we want to? If you need her out in the pit, a simple slip will take care of that...

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

It seemed that the team considered her suggestion rather workable, and Hadassa was happy for it as she still had a mindset that she'd have to work much harder than others to achieve something within the Cavalry. Before she figured out exactly how to go about actual doing of the suggestion, Eomund had already snatched up the rope they still had and thrown it across the branch - with a bucket at the end no less.

"Careful there!" Hadassa exclaimed, holding back a laugh, as the bucket 'attacked' the young man's shoulder in a seeming revenge for being tied to a rope this way.

Standing back, she observed Amadhrill take the task further and actually use the swing to get across the smelly pit.

"Well... I could join you perhaps and take some material along?" Hadassa said and glanced at the equipment they still had. At any rate, she already had a crossbow in hand, and might just as well grab a few other things if that did not prevent her movements and make her land straight into the pit.

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Task 4


Shivased was relieved to see that they were figuring out how to get across the pit. One after another, some with materials and some sending them across to be caught by the others, they managed to slowly get themselves and others across the pit with none falling in. She grinned widely at them. Excellent! Now, you have made it more than halfway! We have three or so more tasks to do, and you'll be done and able to get out of this rain!

She pointed to the final obstacle, a giant obstacle course. Now we get to have some real fun, and put your nice clean horses to good use! Let's see how many of you make it through the fun that is to come!

S
The obstacle Course

The course is large, but not TOO large, obviously it fits in the courtyard! A series of obstacles face you, many of which can be completed on horseback or foot. At the end a good number of ceorls, wigends and any other combat-able Cavalry member not participating in training, waits, eager to try their luck against fully-fledged Cavalry. Be nice to them please, no serious maiming or killing. We need them.

Please complete this in as many posts as you wish, but no more than 3. The next update will be in approximately 7 days (I promise this time, it will be!) so the course must be completed by then.

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OOC ALL: (I'm so sorry for taking so long! Broken wrist mainly has kept me away, it's my right wrist so typing and whatnot has been really hard! After this will be 2 or so more activities, then we will be done!)

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Somehow they managed to get everything and everyone over, with nothing lost in the abyss of... whatever the ditch contained. And now the bealdorhælend stood facing the obstacle course. Once again she dried sweat, rain, and dirt away from her face. Her feet were planted on the ground as she stood and waited for her turn in the obstacle course, her green eyes quickly followed what she could see of the course ahead as her hands tied the headscarf tighter around her head. Then she straightened her muddy, wet clothes to make them hang as comfortable on her body as possible. For a moment she pondered upon abandoning the cloak, it was already heavy from the rain and muddy from the previous tasks. The cloak, though wet and muddy, did keep her warmer and drier, but so would the excersise ahead too.

Amadhrill's green eyes surveyed the first obstacles, at least three walls, each one higher then the previous. The cloak, however warmer and somewhat drier it kept her, it also made her heavier. She took off the cloak, folded it and put it on top of the paddle oar, at least it would stay cleaner than if directly on the ground. A brief check of herself revealed nothing else she could remove to make herself lighter and hopefully swifter. She found the horse she had made ready in the early morning, he didn't look much happier after hours in the rain, the bealdorhælend noted. With the rutine of an old cavalry soldier and Rohirrim, she quickly checked to see if the horse and his gear was ready and as it should be. Satisfied it was as well as could be, she mounted the horse and rode towards the first obstacle.

Though the cavalry horses were well-trained in combat situations, short sprints, and long rides, she was not one to risk the health of the horse and herself by trying to make it jump over the walls. Instead she halted the horse in front of the first wall and jumped off. She led the horse along the side of the first wall as she jumped lightly so that she could lay her upper body on top of the wall and swing her feet over to the other side. Inwardly she coursed her rather short build as she approached the second wall, but with a set face she used the stirrup to give herself the extra height to once again lay her upper body on top of the wall. She removed her foot from the stirrup and guided the horse to the other side of the wall before swinging one foot after the other over the wall and letting herself down.

She mounted the horse and led him so that the horse and her side was against the last wall. She removed her feet from the stirrup and placed first one knee, then the other in the saddle. Her movements were soft and gentle as she place one foot in the middle of the saddle, holding one hand flat on the wall and the reins with her other hand. She moved as quickly and gently as she could, eventually standing up and managing to get her arms, head, and shoulders above the wall. She inched herself up on her toes, felt the toes leave the not so solid «ground» of the horse saddle. But eventually, with a lot of huffing, puffing, and wiggling around she managed to get her stomach up on the wall and carefully swung on leg over the wall. Still laying flat on the top she moved herself to one side of the wall and used the reins to lead her horse around the wall. She swung the other foot over and lowered herself down on the other side, hanging on for a moment with just her head and shoulders before letting herself go.

She made the fall down as soft as she could, softening her knees to take off some of the momentum from the fall. Then she was back on the horse and sped towards the next hurdle, a water pit. Well, it was optional, horseback or not. So, again she dismounted, this time handing the reins over to a wigend by the start of the pit. She stopped at the edge of the pit, bent her knees, placed one hand over the other and both arms over her head (as well as the leather armour would allow at least), and then dived in. It wasn't a very good dive, and a good thing her thighs were protected by the armour or it would have hurt even more. She wasn't a very good diver, and the clothes made her even more unbalanced. The clothes threathen to keep her under, and she struggled more then she had anticipated to get to the surface. Sharply she drew her breath as she resurfaced and then swam to the other side of the pit. She shivered from the cold water as she climbed out and received the reins again.

Up on the horse again, she wondered if she wouldn't have done better without the horse as she came to a tunnel neither heigh nor wide enough for her to ride through. Again she dismounted, ignoring the now soaking wet clothes clinging and dancing around her body as she walked first with the horse behind herself. With on hand she felt the wall of the tunnel, the other she held in front of her face, then she shuffled her feet along as quickly as she dared, leaving as much room between herself and the horse as she could in the hopes of not getting trampled if she tripped. A few turns in the darkness later and she could see the light in the end of the tunnel, and with the gradual increase of light, so her steps quickened.

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Ama was keen to jump unto the horse again once outside of the tunnel and sped towards the next obstacle. She tackled the rubble piles mostly by avoiding them, steering the horse this way and that to avoid the pile. The horse jumped over the smaller piles, as they approached the end of this obstacle and could again speed up.

«You'll get the horse back later!» A wigend firmly took hold of the horse as the Bealdorhælend approached the balance poles. The horse stopped and Ama could only agree to the wigend and get off the horse again, she was no longer sure taking a horse had really done her much good, other then working on her skills of mounting and dismounting. Making sure her clothes, armour, and sword hung in balance, she then proceeded to jump the first four poles before controlling her balance and taking the balance beam in as quick a walk as she dared. The last four poles had her speed up again as she could see the end of the obstacle.

She was hardly back on firm and (somewhat) dry ground when she saw the next task, the mud pit crawl! Not bothering to hide her displeasure, she moaned loudly as she dived down onto all four. If she had thought she had mud everywhere before, now it became absolutely true. The feeling of cold, wet mud slipping in through every opening was unmistakable, she felt mud and water tickle up her arms and legs and down from the neck opening. Remembering the pain killing effect of swearing she muttered curses as she crawled through the mud, finally standing up at the end and leaving a trail of mud after herself as she hurried on.

The climb at least made her warmer, yet the climbing net took all her concentration. She focused on every move so that she could move quickly and without the sword getting caught or her hands or legs slipped into the holes of the net. The height made her somewhat uncomfortable, as she chanted softly to herself «Slow breaths! Hands! Feet!» on repeat. At least it was a relief not to have to keep the neutral face that she had been trained to keep and trained her hælends to keep, never let the patient see your worries! She reached the end of the net and climbed down, taking the last few feet in a jump.

«Your horse, Bealdorhælend!» There was the wigend again, handing the horse back to her. She swung herself up and approached the gauntlet of soldier. This time she was glad to be on the horse, even though they had the advantage of number, she had the height and strenght of the horse. She drew the blunt practise sword and started to fight her way through, making sure she never hit the sword in a way that could injure the soldiers. After all, she was not keen on seeing them all in the infirmary once the training was over. She swung her sword, left, right, left, right, hitting the men as she approached them. She was sure to create a few bruises, but that she was okey with. Once the last wigend was passed she found that she was at the end of the obstacle course and (again) dismounted the horse. Now, to watch the others come after her...

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Note: Give there have only been 2 posts, I obviously haven't updated. I'm going to give it 3 more days (until Wednesday, August 18) for anyone who wants to get a post in, to do so. Then we will move on.

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Hadassa, dryhtguma of Westmark

One way or another they had managed to overcome the nasty pit without falling into it, at least avoiding getting stinky in addition to being wet and muddy. Hadassa felt grateful for that, though her gratefulness subsided somewhat when she saw the obstacle course. She could not oversee it all, and it seemed to stretch out all over the courtyard.

"Right. Better get to it then," she mumbled to herself. The sooner she would start, the sooner she'd finish. The course seemed to include all sorts of climbable things, so she decided to take a horse only to the obstacles where it was a mandatory requirement.

The walls rising up before her did not seem much of a problem to Hadassa; as a child she had enjoyed climbing trees and so she thought that this would be no different. While she did manage to get herself over the first and second walls with some jumping and pulling herself up - with some effort, as there were no footholds and her wet boots slipped along the boards, the last wall rose well over the reach, and she could not reach the top no matter how high she could jump. Having spied on how Amadhrill dealt with the problem, she decided to take the same approach. Leading the horse to the wall, she climbed up on the saddle which made her feel uncomfortably unstable as the horse refused to stand calmly and shifted under her. Somehow she managed to get herself up and over the wall before she fell from the horse as it decided to move away from the annoying rider who stood in the saddle instead of sitting.

Next came the water pit. The rain had already soaked her, but Hadassa still frowned at the idea of getting properly wet. With a few choice words muttered under her breath she jumped into the water feet first, and her breath caught for a while since the water was not exactly warm. Steadying her breathing, she swam across the pit and dragged herself out on the other side. She took a few moments to wring out the dripping wet from her clothes and jumped around on one foot as she emptied water first from one boot and then the other.

"You need to take your horse in there," came the instructions from a wigend who had taken it upon himself to care for Hadassa's horse while she took on the obstacles. Hadassa nodded in agreement and led the horse towards the tunnel, hoping that the beast was not afraid of dark and narrow places.

For a while the light still helped to see the way ahead, but soon everything became dark, and Hadassa moved forward painfully slowly, as she stretched out one hand to feel out the surroundings while speaking to the horse in a soothing voice: "Come, my friend, we must get through this together. Don't let me down..." A few times Hadassa felt the lead tighten when the horse stopped in response to her uncertain guidance, but with some effort both of them somehow made it through without serious incidents.

"Could you take care of her for me please?" she said to the wigend who stood near the end of the tunnel. "I'd rather take on the course by myself." As far as she could see, there were elements that would not be fitting for a horse, so she might just as well do the remaining course on foot.

Slowly she picked her way along the part of the course that was littered with piles of rubble, placing her feet carefully so as not to stumble. She was aware that perhaps speed would be preferred, but then again she did not want to split open her knees on any sharp edges - the rubble was not a carpet!

When she got to the balance poles, Hadassa set off with confident jumps across the initial section, and began running along the horizontal beam. However, both the wood and her boots were wet, and she slipped - unbalanced, she jumped off the pole to save herself from a fall. Rolling eyes at herself for being careless, she went back to the start and resumed the task, this time paying more attention to her footing and stretching out her arms to help with the balance.

The next task was a mud pit, and as Hadassa got down on her belly to crawl through it, she wondered why the water pit was not set up after this - it would have been great to wash off the mud. Yet, she did not express her thoughts out loud and patiently made her way through the mud, and looked like some sort of a scarecrow when she stood up at the end. Not only her clothing was all muddy, but also her face and hair.

And so she left a wet and muddy trail on the net, as she set about climbing on it, but then again she was glad that she was one of the first to go over and could choose clean netting to grab unto. The others would have to do with slippery muddy ones she left behind though if they chose to follow right where she went.

Then again, all the previous obstacles seemed easy in comparison to the last one. Hadassa stared at the soldiers lined up along the track and took a deep breath. Drawing her practice sword she simply ran for it, and found that it was easier said than done. She fought off the attackers as best she could, but soon found herself rather overwhelmed: she could feel the weapons of her opponents make contact with her. She was sure she'd have bruises on her thighs and sides, and someone landed a painful blow to her right elbow making her clench her teeth to avoid crying out.

Somehow she managed to get out of there alive and dragged herself to what she assumed was a finish line of the course looking bedraggled and feeling sore. And what had the Marshal said - more tasks after this one? Hadassa opened her mouth to complain, but quickly shut her lips tightly again deciding against sounding like a spoiled brat that couldn't take proper training.

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Update


Shivased alternated between laughter, approval, curiosity and several other facial expressions as she watched the Cavalry complete the obstacle course. It had been a task she'd left to the Larmagister, with the caveat that he needed to make sure the field could be turned back to normal easily. He'd definitely gone the extra mile to give the Cavalry a challenge. She was also very happy to see them meet the challenge. Ama and Hadassa using their horses to get over the jumps without having the horse jump them, the last of which she would consider too high for the horse to do.

Finally, everyone finished and were standing, bedraggled and wet, around her again. Good job! That was done very well, I think you rose to the challenge! We'll have a bit of an easier task now, or rather I hope so, as the Bealdorhaelend is going to lead some first aid training. I'll hand it over to her and join in the activity! Gesturing to Ama she stepped off the podium to let the head healer take over.

@Amadhrill

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It felt as if she had barely managed to find the cloak and put it on again when the last cavalry member had finished the obstacles and the first marshal spoke. She could imagine how she looked when the attention was brought over to her. Her face was covered in mud, as was the once white head scarf, the strands of hair visible clung to her face, thought the cloak now covered her muddy, soaking clothes, the cloak hung wet and heavy around her and it was clear that she was clutching the hems shut while also not wanting to move so as to disturb the wet clothes. Even if she prided herself in being stronger and more fit in many ways then when she was younger, now her body ached and shivered. She looked and felt rather miserable.

But she squared her shoulders and lifted her chin and forced a grim smile to the wet and miserable group around her as she stepped towards the podium. Quickly she bent as if to pick up something, then stepped up on the podium. «Thank you, Marshal. I know you are all tired, wet, hungry, and cold. We would all rather get inside, get a good scrub to see if the mud our Marshal so kindly provided us with, can be removed. However, that must wait. When the battle is over, the healing must begin.»

Ama took a breath, unclenched her hands, and pushed the cloak somewhat open to display the green leaf she had picked from the ground, a common weed and highly regarded healing plant. «The hælends of Rohan, be they cavalry or not, refer to our sacred herbs, I expect many of you to know at least some of them. Wegbrade or plantain [Latin: Plantago], the healing leaf.

Where the foot has walked,
where the cart has passed,
there the healing leaf is found,
bottom down and pus be gone
upper side and wound is none


Now, that is your first clue. Each will come into the hælends' tent beside the infirmary, one at the time, for your next task.» Then she stepped down from the podium.

Inside the hælends' tent a fire was burning and a pot filled with steaming water hung over the fire. As the first cavalry member entered, the bealdorhælend, looked up from one of the beds, she had a clean headscarf that covered her hair completly, her face, hands, and arms were clean and over her clothes where a clean apron. A wash basin was placed directly inside the tent on a bench, beside the basin was an empty mug, some clean towels and aprons. Beside the bench where to buckets, one with clean water and one empty. «You are fresh from the battle field, sent by the marshal to assist the hælends. What should you do first?»

Ama watched and listened carefully. Then walked over to a table laid with various herbs, fruits, and berries, some dry and some fresh. She pointed at them and listed their names. «Marigold, plantain, mint, nettle, chamomille, belladona, crab apple, blueberries, mugwort, lingonberries, lamb's cress, betony, chervil, and fennel. Some of these may heal poison, one may poison you. Do you know which is poisonous?»

«Now, the wigend has been so unfortunate and gotten a rather deep cut, you are far from the hælends, but you may use anything in this tent to make sure she makes it to the hælends. And you may also decide where the cut is.»

«Last, but not least, when the battle is over or a long ride or march is done, what should you make sure you do as soon as possible to assure yourself that you will be fit for the next battle?»


OOC: So to sumarize;
1) What do you do first thing when you enter the tent?
2) Identify the poisonous plant(s)
3) Perform first aid, you decide where and how deep, big, etc. the cut is, you may use anything listed in this post or on your character, the tent is not a fully equiped hælends' tent.

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