The Homecoming 31.

The Knight...

Kicking the knight of Delving Groves in the back of the legs, then hitting him in the side of the helm with one of his hammers. Sir Percavelle Lé Dic takes out another competitor in the grande melee.
The heavily armoured knight who is the former earl of Lé Dic, has taken out more of his fellow competitors in the final event of the tourney, than anyone else.
It's why the remaining competitors in the grande melee are giving him a wide birth. And have been trying to do so ever since the several failed attempts to gang up on him.
At first there it was just too crowded in the roped off area amongst the lists on the tourney field, for anyone to gang up on anyone else.
Most people got in the way of each other as they tried to attack Percavelle Lé Dic in unison. Some took each other out in their attempts to gang up on the former paladin.
Who easily took on the numbers that were against him early on in the grande melee.
Those competitors with more experience, and those with a bit more wisdom. Have kept away from their former earl since the get go.
They know their best chance against him, is to take him on with just a couple of others. When they've got more room, and most importantly, who are sure not to turn on one another as they take on the heavily armoured knight in the order of Saint Mar-che.
As a trio of soldiers with a stretcher and a healer with them enter the lists, and the roped off area to check on the unconscious knight of Delving Groves behind the former earl.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic sees that there's now less than ten others remaining in the grande melee, which started off with nearly forty competitors.
The former earl of Lé Dic sees that amongst those still in the final event of the tourney to celebrate the late winter festival. Is a number of fellow noblemen, including sir Galmot the army commander.
As well as sir Parvin, who gained his knighthood around the same time as Percavelle. And like the former paladin, he's been the center of much attention in the grande melee so far.
For though he's overweight, and isn't as quick as he once was. He's still a handful in melee, taking out more competitors in the grande melee than anyone else with the expectation of Sir Percavelle Lé Dic.
Also amongst those still left in the grande melee, is lord Milburn, as well as one of his grandsons, Jared Milburn. A cousin, on her mother's side, of lady Linara Lé Dic.
The former earl of the fief, lifts up the visor of his full helm, there's a wry looking smile upon his face. As all the other competitors who are left, are all at the other end of the roped off area of the field.
The heavily armoured knight slightly snorts in derision, then pulls down the visor of his full helm.
"Oh well, i suppose I'll have to wander over there and get them" sir Percavelle Lé Dic says to himself, though in a loud enough voice that those in the nearby crowd who hear him, cheer him.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che, turns and waves to them. He ignores Dorc da Orc who he sees scowling at him, and loudly muttering something in his totally incomprehensible language.
He does a flourishing bow to those seated in the stands, though in particular for his niece, the lady Linara Lé Dic.
Then he turns and starts making his way across the muddy field, which is in a far more churned up condition than it was when the grande melee began earlier in the afternoon.
The former paladin of the first class, whose snowy white cape is in pretty good condition considering how muddy things are. Steps carefully as he makes his way through the lists to the end of the roped off area where the remaining competitors are.
Sir Percavelle walks around one of the posts in the ground, and heads towards the nearest competitor to him. Who has just eliminated an officer in the fief army, by throwing him over the rope behind them.
The former earl of Lé Dic briefly pauses as sir Parvin, who is hunched over, hands on knees, after eliminating another competitor. Looks his way while breathing heavily, then flips the visor of his helm up.
"Oh piss off Percy" says the near breathless sir Parvin, who then adds "Give me a chance why don't you".
The former paladin rolls his eyes, then shakes his head as he looks at the nobleman who he grew up with. And has fought many a battle beside him. And many a tourney event against him, especially in their youth.
"Sorry old chum" says sir Percavelle Lé Dic who continues with "You've got to go". The former earl also wants to get rid of sir Parvin, for he's the only other person, in his opinion, who could win the grande melee.
Sir Parvin darts a look towards the other competitors, a few of whom are looking their way. While the others are busy trying to bash one another into submission.
The overweight nobleman slightly frowns as he notices something. It's not the first time he's noticed it so far this grande melee. He's just about to say something about it to sir Percavelle, when his former earl comes at him at speed.
The heavily armoured knight rushes sir Parvin, who basically dives out of the way, and luckily avoids getting clobbered by one of Percavelle Lé Dic's hammers.
The former paladin has to come to a sudden stop to avoid falling over the rope that marks the boundary of the grande melee. He turns and sees sir Parvin scrambling to his feet.
The former knight of the first class in the order of Saint Mar-che knows that he has to be a bit more circumspect taking on sir Parvin. Who has got to his feet, clutching the heavy wooden mallet he's been using so far in the grande melee.
"Narille!" swears sir Percavelle who ducks to one side as his contemporary throws his heavy mallet at him. That former earl of Lé Dic winces as the handle of the large weapon clanks off his right armoured shoulder.
The heavily armoured knight stands upright, to find his fellow nobleman, standing there grinning at him. Holding his other weapon, that he's taken from the sling on his back.
It's a heavy hammer, long handled, basically a sledge like a blacksmith uses. The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che knows it's the weapon that sir Parvin prefers to use in actual battle.
And if it were to hit him, it'll definitely break bones, and possibly kill him if he got whacked in the helm hard enough.
Sir Percavelle grins back at sir Parvin, then says "Very well me old mate, let's do this". "Right you are you old blighter" says sir Parvin, just before the two of them attack one another.
Two combatants, either on a tourney field, or on a battlefield. Fighting one another with hammers, is often a brutal knockdown affair, and today in the grande melee, between sir Percavelle Lé Dic, and sir Parvin Dé Gorveré it's no different. Both competitors hit the ground a few times, only to get back up again, to swing their weapons at one another once more.
Sir Percavelle who has fallen over twice, once by slipping over in the mud. And the second time because sir Parvin, who is the same height as him, but at least fifty pounds heavier, charged him, bowling him over,
Ducks a swing of the sledge by sir Parvin that would definitely of caved in the side of his heavy helm, even though it's the thickest, and strongest part of armour he wears.
Crouching as he is, the former earl swings his square hammer down, right on the top of the steel left boot of his fellow nobleborn opponent. Sir Parvin Dé Gorveré howls in pain and drops to the ground, falling on his back.
"Percy you damn cheat!" growls sir Parvin whose left foot is definitely broken "Sorry old chap, can't have you thumping me with that dirty big sledge you use" says a grinning sir Percavelle Lé Dic who has lifted the visor of his full helm as he stands over his opponent after kicking away the long, handled hammer the local nobleman uses.
"You broke my foot you prat" says a wincing sir Parvin "Yes i did, didn't i" says the former earl who is still grinning, while his downed opponent lies there, sourly smiling at the predicament he's in.
The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che waves to some of the attendants outside the roped off area the grande melee is taking place in, to see to the nobleborn knight he's just eliminated.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic who is just about to turn and walk away, looks back down at sir Parvin who says to him "Percy old blighter, look yonder". The former earl of the fief looks to where his fellow nobleman points, at the other competitors remaining in the last event of the tourney.
The heavily armoured knight hears sir Parvin say "Galmot, on his belt, you can just see it". Sir Percavelle Lé Dic frowns as he looks for what the lord of Dé Gorveré range has just mentioned.
The former knight of the first class then blinks in surprise as he spots a small wooden handle sticking out of the top of sir Galmot's belt. That's all you can see of it, but Percavelle Lé Dic knows what it is.
It's a metal rod, sharp at one end, shaped like a poinard. It's an implement originally used to help loosen tight straps of armour. But has been sharpened at one end to pierce the weaker spots in heavy armour.
It's something hedge knights, or sellswords would often use in battle. Not nobleman. Even Percavelle, who without doubt is a dirty fighter, on both the tourney field, and the battlefield. Wouldn't stoop so low to use such an unscrupulous weapon. A weapon even the most low of noblemen, wouldn't bring onto a tourney field.
The former earl glances at sir Parvin who also adds "Young Jared, and Kievar too". The knight in the order of Saint Mar-che looks at lord Milburn and his grandson Jared, who have briefly teamed up to take on one of the last army officers remaining in the grande melee.
The former paladin spots the handle of the same weapon in the belts of lord Milburn and his grandson as well.
"Careful old blighter, i think they wish you harm" quietly says sir Parvin Dé Gorveré to his former earl.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic nods his full helmed head to that, and quietly says "I shall be careful old friend" to sir Parvin, who sourly mutters "And old friend wouldn't break my damn foot in a melee" causing the former earl of that fief to grin once more.
Then as the attendants get to the lord of Dé Gorveré range, who yells "Watch it you damn idiot!" as one of them grabs his smashed left boot.
Sir Percavelle Lé Dic turns and heads towards the last of the competitors in the final event of the tourney to celebrate the late winter festival. As he does he looks closely at three of the remaining competitors in the grande melee. Sir Galmot the army commander. Jared Milburn the grandson of lord Milburn. And lord Kievar Milburn himself . . . . . .