OOC Thread:<br/>l<a class="postlink-local" href="https://creativefreedomrpg.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=10055">viewtopic.php?f=23&amp;t=10055</a>l<br/><br/>The noise of the crowd echoed though the steel great-helm on his head, but Andras wasnâ€™t listening.  The long shadows that fell across the lists were visible through a narrow eyeslit, but Andras didnâ€™t see them. The smell of horse manure, sweat and sweetbreads mingled in the heavy summer air, but he was oblivious to them all. Seated atop his destrier under eighty pounds of armor, Andrasâ€™s mind was empty. He was calm and at peace.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">if you are anxious, your horse will know,</span>Lord Tonell had once told him.<span style="font-style: italic">Think of your drills, not your opponent.</span>Andras smiled as his mind wandered back to his training with Tonell, his fatherâ€™s Master-at-Arms. Andras truly missed the simplicity of those days.<br/><br/>â€œSir Ewan! To the List!â€ shouted the warden. Andras looked up and nodded, acknowledging the false name that he was jousting under. From his left he could hear some of the commoners asking one another who Andras â€“ Sir Ewan â€“ was. None of them had ever heard of him before.<br/><br/>Morningstar, Andrasâ€™s great warhorse, whinnied, reared slightly and shook his barding in protest as they approached the lists. The creature knew what to expect and didnâ€™t like it at all. This was not unusual since most horses were shy of jousting. Frankly, the ones who seemed to enjoy the sport tended to present other complications on the battlefield. Regardless, Andras was confident his horse would do its job, and together they would make an impressive team.<br/><br/>â€œEasy boy,â€ Andras said, reassuring the stallion with his free right hand as Elias approached them. From the ground, the man â€“ one of his fatherâ€™s squires â€“ raised a jousting lance for Andras to grasp. Twelve pounds of solid hemlock, the business end bowed slightly under the weight of its blunted tip. The weapon felt good in Andrasâ€™s hands.<br/><br/>â€œReady!?â€ shouted the warden after Andras and his opponent had lined up at opposite ends of the field. The murmur of the crowd grew in anticipation. To his left Andras spotted the grandstand used by the more important nobles visiting the tournament.<br/><br/>Breaking his concentration, in the stands Andras noticed a stunning, slender, light-haired woman warrior. While sword-wielding women were rare, they were not completely uncommon. What was unusual, however, was how beautiful she was. Andras blinked, unable to believe what he was seeing.<br/><br/>â€œREADY?!â€ the warden shouted once again, this time in an annoyed tone. Spotted laughter erupted from the crowd after Sir Ewan had neglected to respond to the call for readiness.<br/><br/>â€œMust be his first joust,â€ joked someone in the crowd, drawing more laughs. Andras didnâ€™t notice, however â€“ he was completely transfixed on the warrior woman.