Sure, you can ride but can you do it like this?[ATTN:Ingtar]

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain waited in the horselines. It was noon, and he absently scratched Black Fire's nose as the horse nibbled at the carrot the young man has fed him. Across his bare shoulders was his horsebow and his full quiver balanced the broadsword at his hip. Leaning against the fence was a half-dozen lances.

 

He had told Ingtar to meet him with Dragon, bringing all his weapons. The man was almost finished his Officer Training School and soon Carnhain and Rowul would have another Sergeant under their command. This was a more intensive horsemanship class, and they would work until Carnhain was happy.

[Wretched Chaos]

Ingtar walked to the horselines, with his lance and his claymore. He wore a light shirt, and comfortable breeches, good for moving around and riding. He moved to Dragon's designated spot, and fed the warhorse a carrot. He then saddled him, making sure the straps were nice and tight. He then mounted Dragon, giving the beast a pat. He adjusted his sword to fit nicely on the side of his hip, where there was easy access to it. He picked up his lance where he had driven it into the ground, and hefted it up. He felt his smaller blade, a scimitar, on his other leg, a quick fighting weapon, only when he lost his lance and his claymore. He nudged Dragon into a trot to where Carnhain had told him to meet him. He quickly spotted Carnhain, and pulled the reins in his direction. He met up with the Lieutenant and offered a quick salute. "Howdy. Can we get started?" Ingtar was smiling, the final leg of his OTS was in his sights.

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain smiled. If the boy knew what he was planning, the broad grin wouldn't be so apparant. "Right, let's mount." When they were both up and had ridden a short distance, Carnhain took out a long bull whip and then cracked it right in front of the Dragon's nose. The horse reared, sending it's surprised rider to the ground.

 

"First thing a cavalry man needs to know: you will fall off your mount. During a charge, that's a sure way to die, but once the charge is broken up, you can fight your way back until you can remount."

[Wretched Chaos]

Ingtar hit the ground hard and rolled. What in the name of the Light was Carnhain doing? Ingtar stood up, smile completely gone.He listened to Carnhain's speech about falling off your horse in battle. Ingtar nodded and asked a question. "So, if... I mean when you fall off your horse, you fight towrds our lines?" The wording Carnhain had used were confusing him slightly. He waited until Carnhain had answered, and then Ingtar drew his sword and did some forms against imaginary opponents, like he was in a battle, working his way towards Dragon, who he remounted quickly and wheeled towards Carnhain. "Something like that?" he said.

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain nodded, the boy was smart he'd make a good cavalryman and officer in the Band. "Right, now, see this course, you have until dusk to create a course that will test your full ability using both your sword and lance. Make it wide enough for two riders in most parts, for after I watch you ride it I will ride it with you."

 

Walking away from the man, Carnhain left for the tavern, hoping to catch up with either Rowul or Kedyn.

[Wretched Chaos]

Ingtar relished in the thought of making his own course. He thought of the time space and found that he had lots of time. He mounted up on Dragon and rode to the cavalry barracks. He grabbed the rest of Silver Section, and brought them back to the course. "Alrighty then, let's get started. You two grab the dummies and set them up like pikemen. You three, set up more dummies behind for me to chop through. You four set up the dismounting device, and place more dummies after that. Now I want hedges in front and behind the course, 3-feet high." Ingtar watched them make the course and thought this would be as close to a battle without actually using real people. It looked really fun, if nothing else, and he couldn't wait to try it. He looked up at the sun and found it to be getting darker. Setting it up had taken longer then he thought. "Thanks everybody, you can go now." Ingtar surveyed the course he had created. Hedges 3-feet high to jump over, then two rows of dummies with dulled pikes to ride through. After that, there were a couple more rows of dummies to kill. Then came the dismounting device. High enough that it would not kill the horse(or him), but tall enough to stop Ingtar from jumping over. There were dummies set up to either side so that he couldn't do his dismount, run, and remount trick, or slide down Dragon's belly. That would fore him to get off Dragon or be knocked off. Then he would have to cut through more dummies to get back to, and remount Dragon. Then they would ride through a last line of pike dummies, and jump a couple more hedges. Hopefully this was what Carnhain was looking for. Now he had to wait for Carnhain to come back. Ingtar went to an inn to have some supper before he rode the course.

[Guest Estel]

ooc: can you RP Ingtar riding the course in detail?

[Wretched Chaos]

Ingtar came back to the course at the same time as Carnhain. The Lieutenant was riding slowly and met up with Ingtar in front of the beginning of the course. Ingtar awaited Carnhain's orders which were given simply by the man. "Ride through your course. I want to see how you do." Ingtar nodded and wheeled Dragon to face the beginning. He patted the warhorse's head and then booted him to a gallop. They came upon the first hedge, and Ingtar made the little kick that let Dragon know that he needed to jump. They sailed over it, and they came to a next one, which they cleared as well. Ingtar then lowered his lance to the thrusting position and came upon the double ranks of pikemen dummies. The pikes were angled high enough to knock Ingtar out of his saddle, but he swung his lance to knock the pikes away from him and Dragon. Then he brought the lance to bear on on of the dummies, and thrusted, catching it through the neck which separated from the rest of the body. He came upon the second rank, with pikes aimed for Dragon, and he had to draw his sword and lean forward to shear the pike head off, to give Dragon an opening to ride through. He brought the lance to bear again, and thrusted, catching another dummy through its chest. He flicked the tip to dislodge the dummy and rode on. There were a few more rows of dummies, and Ingtar thrust, pierced and flicked a few of of them. Then came the challengeing part. The dismounting bar was low enough to nock him out of his seat and was too high for him to jump over. He would have to dismount on the run or get knocked off. He decided to dismount, and let Dragon break a hole in the line for him to pass through. Ingtar made a small jump and roll, and watched as Dragon barreled through the dummies. Ingtar ran towards the dummies, and cut their heads off as he ran by. He passed under the bar and saw Dragon, twenty paces away. He cut and hacked, slashed and thrusted through the dummies, cutting a path towards his mount. He cut through with abandon, and reached Dragon quickly. He mounted up and wished that he had his lance. A last row of pikeman stood between him and the final part of his course. He booted Dragon into a gallop again and Ingtar leaned low on the beast's back to get him as close to the pikes as possible. He made a swing qith his blade attempting to cut through the pike's handle but he missed, and the pike bounced off his shoulder. Dragon rode through the pikemen and they came to the final part of the course. More 3-foot hedges. They galloped hard and Ingtar made his little kick, two more times clearing the hedges easily. He rode back to Carnhain and inquired. "How was that?"

[Guest Estel]

Carnhain nodded, but didn't smile. "That was good, but impossible in a charge. You can't manoeuvre during a charge, and when I ride with you, you will see how much even one other rider at your side will limit your manoeuvrability.

 

The first problem came with the first row of manakins. Where Ingtar had been able to take them all down this time, it was now impossible. There was not only the momentum of one horse and rider, but two and both Ingtar and Carnhain slammed through the lines. Lance was the only available weapon now, there was no room for sword to be swung.

 

Next was the bar. No longer was dismounting possible, so the two men were forced to take a risk and attempt to jump the bar. Luckily both succeeded- barely- and kept going.

 

They finished the course much the way they had started. Carnhain's knee sent shooting pain up his leg as it had been knocked against Ingtar's the entire ride.

 

"All done then." said Carnhain, dismounting with much difficulty. "Off you go."

[Wretched Chaos]

Ingtar thanked Carnhain for the lesson and headed off to an inn for some ale.