[D10 EM - LA] Be vewwwy vewwy quiet...

[Giles de Braose]

Giles was saddened that William was not in a condition to come on the hunt, but he still lumbered his bow across his shoulders and headed into the forest at the crack of dawn.

The forests in this part of the land were very different to where he had hunted previously however and even with the assistance of the huntmaster it took him several hours to find a good trail.

D10EM The Search Hunting TN10: 1d20 13
D10LM The Search Hunting TN10: 1d20 11
D10EA The Search Hunting TN10: 1d20 9

And when he did ....he promptly lost it again

D10EA The Chase Hunting TN5: 1d20 19

[Cearnach]

Wandering with intent through the woods is always a dangerous thing, particularly if one happens to lose one's way. Just as Giles is beginning to feel that he has lost his way entirely, that the fearsome bear might just find him before he found it, he catches sight of a flash of white. Well, no bear for certes, but perhaps a deer might not be thought too poor a substitute, this being a royal hunt and all...

Giles can make a hunting roll at +10 to pursue the white stag.

[Giles de Braose]

Giles is almost caught off guard by the movement in his peripheral vision but drops into a silent crouch as he slowly approaches the unusual beast with his bow out in front. He'd never seen anything with this sort of coloration before but his surprise wasn't enough to subconsciously break through the tricks of the trade that his father and brother had taught him when he was younger.


D10 EA White Stag hunting TN15: 1d20 9

But he was unable to recall why it was such a unique creature.

D10 EA White Stag significance FOLKLORETN5: 1d20 16

[Cearnach]

Pursuing the stag is less challenging than you might have expected. Certainly less than tracking the bear. In fact, the magnificent beast seems to pause at the top of ridges in the woods to allow you to draw closer before dipping into the vale on the other side. In no time, you are sure you are absolutely lost, but the argent cervid continues its trek.

When you lose sight of it, you are certain you'll see it again in a few steps, but as you round the thicket, you realize with a fatal certainty that you are alone. That it is gone. That you have been suckered in by some forest spirit and left for dead.

[Philip of Cognac]

That's when you see him, perhaps the single least likely thing in the greenwood. A boy, red of hair and broad-shouldered, certainly mud-caked, but stuffing his face with a pie.

[Giles de Braose]

Pursuing the stag is less challenging than you might have expected. Certainly less than tracking the bear. In fact, the magnificent beast seems to pause at the top of ridges in the woods to allow you to draw closer before dipping into the vale on the other side. In no time, you are sure you are absolutely lost, but the argent cervid continues its trek.

As Giles follows the creature that leads him deeper into the woods, his bow feels heavier in his arms as he recalls the Lai of Guigemar and the words come to his mind -


The knight was led, by his horse,
To wander now from his course,
And saw, beneath a spreading tree,
A doe, with her faun in company,
And the creature was purest white,
Yet bore horns, a wondrous sight.

So he was both relieved and troubled when the deer vanished and was replaced by...

"Young Faulconbridge? You've caused your father no small amount of concern. What are you doing out her e alone?"

[Philip of Cognac]

The lad looks up at you, his cheeks puffed out with stale pie like an enormous chipmunk.

"Eating?" he ventures. And it does have the virtue of being true...

[Giles de Braose]

As much as GIles had the boy by almost twice the years, they were a lot closer in size that belied their difference in ages.

"Well I'm of the thinking that you can do that just as well back at Westminster as here. After all, it seems you are almost out of pie." He quips as he looks the boy over for any sign of injuries he might have incurred in his time away.

"You are grievously wounded young Sir!" Giles blurts out in a panic as he mistakes a splotch of pie gravy for a major wound.

D10 EA Assess Philip Cognac for wounds? TN15: 1d20 20

[Philip of Cognac]

"Huh?" He looks down. "Nope, that's just m'mess." He looks back up at you. "I've enough to last me a little while longer. I'm going to join the crusade. There's nothing for me in Westminster, anyway."

[Giles de Braose]

"Squiring for one of the knights?" Giles asked as he tried to lead the young noble back towards the Abbey, well aware that this was still a wildlife infested wood.

"A noble duty and a conscientious choice I am sure King Richard will be pleased for the show of support."

[Philip of Cognac]

The kid doesn't seem to be interested in going anywhere.

"Yeah, I'll bet!" he says when you mention Richard's name. "See, the way I figure it is that the best place to join up is Hampshire or Arundel, because there'll be so many people at the ports trying to get on the ships that they'll not be asking too many questions. Then it can't be too hard to find a weapon laying around, right? Hey, you think the king might be looking for a squire?"

[Giles de Braose]

Well after all that time looking for Philip the other night, GIles wasn't just going to leave him alone in the forest, so he sat down on a log near the boy and leaned his bow up against a nearby tree.

"You're planning on joining by subterfuge? You aren't going to declare?" Giles thinks carefully before he continues to articulate his thoughts.

"Well I know that if he is going to take a squire, it wouldn't be some little no name kid picked up in a random port between here and Outremer. The greatest Knights are Valorous in their ways milord, they don't sneak around like rats. You wouldn't want to set a poor example would you?"

((Trying to steer him towards a Valorous check if I can?))

[Philip of Cognac]

"Huh...well...that's a good point." He scratches his chin for a moment, and his leg starts to bounce with the energy not expended physically when he is thinking. Finally, he erupts, leaping to his feet. "Alright, you win. If I gotta see the king and join up in a straight-up fashion, then that's how it's gotta be."

He starts off. "Hey, did Hal get his Office back?"

[Giles de Braose]

"That's the spirit." Giles barks out, slapping the boy on the back in a gesture of encouragement. "Those infidels don't stand a chance."

"Hal? You mean Henry? Uh, I don't know, I don't belief His Royal Highness has made his decision yet, but Henry seems a little young for such an honor yet isn't he?" Giles asks, completely glossing over his own age and ambitions.

[Philip of Cognac]

"Well, yeah, but it was s'posed to be held in ab...ab...abbey-ance, or whatever. S'posed to be in his family so long as he's got one, right? Promised by the Conqueror or something like that. And he'll be a good Constable. He already hits pretty hard and all, which is weird, because he's a little scrawny."

50 Glory to de Braose for rescuing Philip of Cognac.

[Giles de Braose]

Giles is reminded of ethe conversation with Andre the other day about new Kings and new rules.

"Well I don't know how to tell you this milord, but King Richard isn't bound by any promises of his predecessor. There's no precedent for it at all. But perhaps, if he gets some good friends to speak on his behalf, well who knows?"

"And don't overlook us scrawny types. You never know a man's qualities until he's been tested." He adds with a laugh as he picks up his bow and sings it over his shoulder as he starts to hum and sing as they walk...

[Philip of Cognac]

"So a King can really do whatever he wants, huh?" The boy is practically leaping out of his skin with excitement as they go down the trail. "That's super neat!! I wonder if that extends to the King's squire? That would be so cool!"

[Giles de Braose]

"Yep, the King can." Giles answers before placing his hands on Philip's shoulders and looking the boy square in the eyes.

"Right up to the point where he pisses off enough people that they join together and decide he shouldn't be King no more. Noblesse Oblige young Philip. Remember it, live by it. Your life will be better for it."

[Philip of Cognac]

"People can DO that?" Philip's eyes widen. "That's...that's radical!"

[Giles de Braose]

"They can, but they should not do such things on a whim. A King should be a good Lord to all his vassals. Just and merciful, valorous and merciful. To raise arms against one's Lord, and especially one's King..." Giles shakes his head.

"No, it is not a thing to be taken lightly. Perhaps if young Henry is fortunate to be named High Constable, then he can help keep King Richard on a path that will prevent such a regrettable future."

[Philip of Cognac]

"Well, I don't think anybody'd want to start a scrap with a king like King Richard. And no one'd dare when I'm his squire!"

[Giles de Braose]

"Our redheaded King and his redheaded squire. Seems fitting indeed if you should have his back." Giles calmly replies as he tries to infuse the boy with some enthusiasm, though he doesn't seem short of it in any way.

"Yes, I saw King Richard in the melee, I wouldn't think anyone would be a match for him, except maybe for Earl Marshal."

[Philip of Cognac]

"I didn't get to see the melee." Philip sounds more than a little hurt by this.

[Giles de Braose]

"And I'm not going to get to see Jerusalem, let's call it even?" Giles suggests trying to put into perspective the huge adventure that may lay ahead of Philip.

[Philip of Cognac]

"I mean, I guess. I hope your dad lets you out sometimes, though."

[Giles de Braose]

"I am almost twenty and one, my life is nearly my own. But my spirit is not quite as adventurous as your own, this is pleasant enough for me." He answers as he gestures with his hands at the beauty of the wood they walk through.

"Besides not many can say they rubbed shoulders with the King and all the other important folks here can they? Some people have more modest goals, but they are no less important to them."

[Philip of Cognac]

"You're lucky. My dad hardly let me meet anybody. He was even upset when he saw me hanging out with Hal."

[Giles de Braose]

"Fathers only wish the best for their sons, but some have difficulty knowing how to show it. I'm sure he's doing what he thinks is best, and if you spend your time looking back, you'll never see the sights on the horizon before you."

On a whim he hands his bow to Philip. "You ever used one of these before? Had a chance to hunt?"

[Philip of Cognac]

"Um...no." Philip brightens up a bit as he tests out the string. "Kinda strong, ain't it? Like it wants to say no to you."

[Giles de Braose]

"At times, but with practice you can learn to bend it to your will. Your father is an important man compared to most, in time you will need to learn to impose your will on others and people are much harder to manage than bows." Giles admits with a laugh as he moves behind Philip and pulls out a singular arrow.

"So keep this elbow up...sight down the shaft...pull back to full extension..." He guides the boy as they work together to take aim at one ofthe larger boles in the area.

"And loose!"