Northeast and adjacent to our town lays an ancient stand of forest.The locals are sore afraid of it as no man can enter this wood and return.Some locals claim that they’d seen some women enter on occasion and return, but exactly whom these women were is not known.
His highness, the Count had assigned some of our knights to make their inquiries, but as a squire, my duties lay elsewhere.
My mornings consist of a quick breakfast, grabbed from the kitchens, which I then eat while walking to the Stables.I do this on the encouragement of Sir Bedemere.I’ve noted that he is intolerant when he finds a squire sitting and enjoying a meal.Since he takes his meals in the common mess he can’t be avoided, except by my manner.
After I’ve taken my fill, I clean the Duke’s stables and help exercise some of the horses with a brief ride.
After I have completed those duties, I find myself assisting Goodman Kalrick, the chief carpenter of the Count.Most of the time I find myself working on the most mundane carpentry projects but as occasion permits, we find time to craft arms.Kalrick is also a bit of a bowyer and though I knew much from Five Oaks, Kalrick is a Master craftsman by compare.
Afternoons are generally open for Squire studies, with the Knights engaging in impromptu classes on various weapons and combat techniques.After that we are compelled to sit and attend to book study.Being that most of us are gifted in the art of magic, this means some quality time with Baroness Shethba.
I had just finished one of these typical days and was heading up to the squires quarters when Sir Bedemere informed me that I was to report to Lady Shethba come the next morning and that I was to bring along squires Nasajaran, Jor, & Tashakina.
It kind of sounded like the prelude to one of our spontaneous conditioning days where our typical schedule is interrupted by various acts of physical challenge.
I immediately ask Sir Bedemere what the nature of my summons was and was rebuked for enquiring.Sir Bedemere isn’t the most helpful knight of the realm and his response wasn’t too surprising.
I then made way to the ladies tower and made an inquiry to see if I could speak with Aunt Shethba.She dressed me down for approaching the domicile of a Lady after hours, and I was sent on my merry way.
Early the next morning, I rounded up the four Squires, explaining what little I knew of our summons and found Lady Shethba with Lady Rashida, Gwyne, Fang, and the two Pelorite Shield Maidens eating a hasty breakfast.
I was a bit dismayed to find the women and girls all armed as though for combat and asked why they had their weapons and were adorned in armor.
Rashida began to chastise me for not having the young men prepared for combat (though such news was, well, new) and without a bit the four of us ran back to prepare for the day with no more that ten minutes preparation.Twas a good thing that Sir Bedemere had trained me on how to eat and walk at the same time.
And that's how I found myself entering the haunted woods Nor'east of Blackheart.
