The Homecoming 22.

A Field...

Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy turns around and says "Here she comes" in his native language when he spots Lisell Maera walking across the field towards them.
Riley Hait the mercenary ranger looks back and spots the orphan teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury approaching them and the other competitors in the archery event, or to be exact, the ranged weapon event.
"Thought you weren't going to turn up" quietly says Riley Hait the mercenary ranger in elven "I thought about not" is the quiet reply of Lisell Maera in the same language as she stands beside the mercenary from the elven principality of Envadarlen and the spy from the elven principality of Alínlae.
There's more than a few looks in their direction from the other competitors, mostly soldiers in the army of the fief, and a handful of commoners, who are huntsmen and foresters.
And though some are eyeing up the attractive near eighteen year old young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury, who is the only female competitor, not just in this event, but any event in the tourney that celebrates the late winter festival.
Lis is pretty sure most of them are looking at the bows of the ranger Hait and the spy Tanith. The elven made longbows are something you don't exactly see that often, and the locals know that you have to be an expert archer to use one.
"I've got no show against you two" quietly says Lisell Maera in elven as a sergeant at arms in the army of the fief explains the rules in the event.
"They've got a separate crossbow class that you can go in" quietly says Riley Hait in the same language, who continues with "You don't have to go in the hunting bow and longbow class".
The attractive teen looks quickly at the spy Tanith, who notices her look, and tells her in elven "Don't worry, I'm not going in the crossbow class" he continues with "It'll just be you and the locals" Dalin pauses for a brief moment before adding "Seeing some of them shoot over the last week or so, i reckon you've got a good chance of winning".
As the ranger Hait nods in agreement with what Dalinvardél Tanith just said. Lis breathes a sigh of relief, as she knew she would have no chance of winning against the elven spy with his light crossbow and it's extendable stock and bow arm.
"Hell it's not that difficult, there's the targets and we have to hit them" dryly says Riley Hait in elven as the sergeant at arms who is one of the judges of this particular event continues to explain the rules.
The targets are at one end of the field, the hay bales have a circular target painted on them with whitewash. With a center target or bullseye painted in the middle of that.
Each competitor is given an allocated number of shafts to shoot at the target. And with the highest number of shafts hitting within the circle on the target, or on the bullseye. You progress to the next distance in the event. Those with the lowest number of shots on target drop out of the event, while the others progress to the next distance. This is repeated until there's a winner.
"No speed competition, pity" murmurs the mercenary ranger from Envadarlen who is really a hordes outrider the southern tundra by the name of Zubutai Timaginson who just happens to inhabit the body of Riley Hait.
Dalinvardél Tanith the elven spy nods his hooded head in agreement with the ranger Hait. As a speed competition is the only thing that would push his and the mercenary ranger's ability with a bow.
"At least his royal thiefness isn't here" quietly says the spy Tanith, who then adds "He'd kick our ass in this competition if he was". "That's for sure" quietly says the mercenary ranger, who then says to Lisell Maera "Looks like you and the crossbowmen are up first".
The teenage orphan from the coastal city of Brattonbury nods her head, and she moves forward with the other competitors who are in the crossbow class. There's less than twenty of them, all of whom with the exception of Lis, are soldiers in the Lé Dic army. Since it's frowned upon for commoners to have a crossbow in the kingdom of Druvic.
The attractive teenager from the west coast of the Southlands looks away to the right as she walks when she hears her name get called out. She slightly grins when she spots Shur Kee the monk who waves to her.
The short, statured monk who won the unarmed combat event earlier, is standing with Dorc da Orc at the edge of the gathered crowd. The large ork who is drinking some of his winnings from the strongman competition in the games first thing this morning. Just nods to Lis as she walks by.
The young woman from the city-state of Brattonbury is definitely getting most of the attention from the crowd, and those sitting in the stands on the otherside of the field.
Which is a given really, since she's the only female competitor in any event in both the games and the tourney, that's held over two days.
Lis looks back and to the left, and spots Tamric Drubine sitting next to sir Percavelle Lé Dic in the stands where the nobility and others of importance in the fief are sitting.
She wonders if the two of them have placed a bet on her in this, the crossbow class in the ranged weapon event. She kind of hopes they have,
She figures they'll definitely bet on either Riley Hait or Dalinvardél Tanith, or probably both when it comes to the bow class. It's a sure bet that either one of them will win that event.
The crossbow class of the event starts at distance of twenty five yards, and you have to shoot half of your quarrels in a prone position, which is on a knee.
This is what Lis and three other competitors first up do, as there's only four targets in the event to shoot at.
As the teenager from the city-state of Brattonbury fires off shot after shot, far quicker than her competitors as her crossbow doesn't need to be wound back into firing position due to a clever sliding design, created by Dorc da Orc for Shur Kee the monk, whose weapon it originally was.
Dalinvardél Tanith quietly says in elven to the mercenary ranger from the principality of Envadarlen "She's far better than those three she's shooting against at the moment".
The elven spy from the principality of Alínlae whose eyesight is far superior to anyone else's continues with "Every bolt of her's has hit the bullseye or near it".
"She should take this event out with ease" quietly says Riley Hait in the same language as they stand with the other bowmen about twenty yards behind the crossbow competitors, on this clear winter's day, that's warming up as it nears midday.
"As i want her too" quietly says the mercenary ranger who is really a hordes outrider, the spy Tanith glances sideways at the shorter human, and quietly says to him "You sure this will make the point you want it to?".
"I hope so" quietly says Riley aka Zubutai the barbarian hordesman, who then turns slightly to the left, to look back to the otherside of the lists, to where the stands are located on that side of the field.
"Let me rephrase that" quietly says the elven spy who continues with "Do you think it'll make a point to those that will count?" as he too looks to the stands where the nobility and those of importance in the fief are sitting watching the tourney.
"That's the question isn't it" murmurs the mercenary ranger who was raised and trained by the elven warders of Envadarlen, as they look at some of those sitting in the front row of the stands.
"Any of the others know?" quietly asks the elf who was once in the service of one of the more prominent noble houses in the principality of Alínlae.
"Lis might" is the quiet reply of the ranger Hait, who continues with "Tam certainly does". "Shur Kee?" asks Dalinvardél Tanith, Riley Hait shakes his head no, and the elven spy asks him "Percy?" followed by "Dorc?".
"Really?" dryly says Riley Hait who then adds in that same dry tone "Those two?". "Sorry, dumb question" murmurs Dalin, who like the ranger Hait is looking at who is sitting directly infront and below sir Percavelle Lé Dic and Tamric Drubine.
The young girl who rules the fief, lady Linara Lé Dic and her grandfather, lord Milburn, who is effectively her regent.
"Well Lis has got his attention" quietly says Dalinvardél Tanith who watches lord Kievar Milburn who is frowning in consternation while watching the crossbow class in the ranged weapon event.
"He looks more annoyed than when Shur Kee was beating the crap out of everyone who came up against him earlier" adds Riley Hait, the spy Tanith nods his hooded head in agreement with the mercenary ranger, who continues in a slightly dry tone with "Doesn't help that Percy is probably talking crap to him as well".
"There is that" says Dalin who listens carefully hoping to hear what's being talked about in the stands on the otheside of the field. He can hear it, but there's too many conversations going on for his naturally enhanced hearing to pick up what's specifically being talked about.
Then he grins as he suddenly hears the oh so familiar voice of sir Percavelle Lé Dic loudly place a fairly decent size bet on Lisell Maera to win the crossbow class of the tourney event that's taken place at the moment.
"What is it?" quietly asks Riley aka Zubutai Timaginson when he sees the elven spy grinning "Percy has just placed a large bet on Lis to win" replies Dalin "No wonder Milburn looks like he's just bitten into something rotten" says the ranger Hait.
Who rubs his chin, then looks sideways at the taller elf standing beside him, then says to him "Want a bet on who'll win between me and you?".
Dalinvardél Tanith turns and looks at the ranger Hait, who like him, has come to the conclusion that either one of them will easily win the bow class of the ranged combat event of the tourney.
Both the elven spy and the mercenary ranger are expert archers. Though they don't have the ability and superior skills of Helbe the elven thief who is after all a master archer. They're better than most other bowmen you'll likely to encounter. With the ranger Hait having pure naturally ability to go along with the elven longbow he wields.
While the spy Tanith, who is actually better with his crossbow than he is with a longbow, has years and years of experience at his disposal to go along with his weapon, which of course is elven made.
The two are evenly matched, who on any given day, could best one another in a shooting match. Which has often been the case when they've practiced the bow together.
"Whoever loses babysits Dorc until lord Farque turns up" says Riley Hait "Fuck that, I'd rather lose a hundred gold coins than do that" says Dalinvardél Tanith "I know, same" says the mercenary ranger, who then grins before he adds "So it's a bet then?".
"Hell" mutters the elf from the principality of Alínlae, who then grins himself, and says "You're on". The two shake hands, then after a slight pause, the ranger Hait says "I hope I'm not going to regret this". "It's your damn bloody bet you came up with" says Dalin with a shake of his head who then adds "You can't go back on it now".
The two of them after seeing that Lisell Maera has finished shooting all her bolts in the first round of the crossbow class. Turn and look at the crowd on this side of the field. Where Dorc da Orc, who is standing next Shur Kee the monk, is easy to spot.
The mercenary ranger and the elven spy wonders if that is pretty much the most stupid bet that either one of them has come up with, and the other accepted. And that they now regret as they watch the large ork down an entire barrel of ale in one go . . . . . .