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From the Forge to the Anvil |
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Friday, 20 January 2006 |
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Page 1 of 12 The sands of the hourglass had run out and the five questors arrived, Jacques waited for introductions.
First Proofing
The five Questors arrived within two days of each other. Two were known to each other, the remaining three were strangers. They were greeted by the new Paragon of the unit, Jacques de Rochefort. He showed them to their housing at the Sentinel a barracks. He answered questions and was given respect from the other five.
Attention was drawn to his youth, to be sure, but he acquitted himself well in his knowledge of the Sentinel, the training staff and protocols. Over the next few weeks of winter he established himself as a Questing Knight par excellence.
He also became devoted to a new class offered by Lady Gandolfyn and that was in the learning how to lead commoners. Not only as part of the army, but as to the establishment of population centers, of dispensing justice and collecting taxes.. He found the areas of study to be fascinating.
And it came during the first week of spring that the Marquis had asked that a new settlement of farms along the upper Gavenie River be established as a true village and he gave the task of developing this cluster of farms to the Questors.
“There are 32 small farms along the Abergavenie River, clustered into five groups of five, seven, eight and one of 12 farms. Here are maps of their locations, of who is headman at each cluster and their location to one another.” The Marquis paused while the knights gathered the information provided. It was Poul Gaugan who drew attention to the largest cluster of farms. He studied the paperwork before him. “Little Activity?” he shook his head, “This is the largest of groups yet the smallest in product. Something amiss here.”
Jacques agreed and suggested that they divide their forces with one knight each to the smaller clusters and the remaining three would scout the larger settlement and the Marquis was very happy indeed. Before the six departed he provided them with writ of jurisdiction which allowed them to judge and bring to trial any criminal and writ of permission, which defined them as doing the work at hand for the Marquis d’Ascoyne.
The six rode out from the Sentinel in long burlap cloaks which obscured both horse and rider. They crossed the Lake at the dam. Fully supplied including two hawks for communication they journeyed without incident for three days before dividing their forces. Young de Rochefort and the remaining Questors approached the largest cluster of farms from the south and were undetected. After a day Richard the Strong observed casually, “These are no farming folk. It is spring and they are not afield clearing, tilling and planting.”
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 22 January 2006 )
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Literature 
