[center][h2]Sir Garrett[/h2][/center]
[center][i]Themerlinhawk[/i][/center]


As Marianne walked away Sir Garrett chuckled to himself. The little flush at the mention of his nakedness had been a bit of a surprise. Wheeling The Ash he started towards the treeline. Reaching into his saddlebag he pulled out a single ripe apple. The Ash’s ears flicked and his nostrils flared as Sir Garrett sliced the apple against the edge of his Khopesh which had an exposed blade on the left side of the Ash’s flank. 

Whistling lowly and popping his lips Sir Garrett made for an edge of the forest that had disruption in the low brush with snapped branches. Moving The Ash into the treeline Sir Garrett continued popping his lips and whistling gently. After another few feet of riding he pricked his ears as the Ash’s flicked towards a cluster of trees. 

As Sir Garrett rounded the edge of the group of trees he could hear the sound of low fearful whinnies. Sure enough; as Sir Garrett approached he saw a mare tugging at the branches of a tree where her bridal was caught. With a smile Sir Garrett lead the Ash over and offered the skittish mare the two halves of the apple. After much prancing and snapping the mare finally calmed and took the apple from his hands. 

With a swift stroke Sir Garrett cut through the branches the bridal was caught in with a heavy axe that hung from the left side of his saddle. Snatching the mare’s reins Sir Garrett began leading her back. 

Approaching Marianne from behind he waited patiently for her to finish again. “I think I found your horse Dame Marianne.” With that he smiled and let the reins go so she could take the horse. “Please feel free to call on me if you need anything else. I’m happy to help.”

With that Sir Garrett turned the Ash and started back towards where the Iron Rose Knights were forming up.

[hr]

Sir Garrett broke from the line of the Iron Rose Knights after they entered the outer courtyard of the Candaeln. The big fortress had been his home for quite some time and he’d grown accustomed to the stone that forever impeded his view of the horizon. It was not easy since he craved the blue sky and it was forever hidden from his view save for when he went to the stables and when he sat in the window in his room. 

Leading The Ash over to the stables Sir Garrett dismounted and chuckled as the stable hands quickly made their way over to him helping with The Ash. Reaching up Sir Garrett took the big saddle and settled it so that he could begin the process of collecting his weapons. With deft hands he unstrapped the large Khopesh and tightened the leather cords hanging from it so they would not drag on the ground. Setting the weapon aside he gave it a half smile. It had been years since he’d fought solely with the weapon. Now it served purely as a cavalry weapon. Replaced by the weapons of the Iron Rose; the Maul, the Bastard Sword. [i]How I have changed. I don’t sleep under the sky anymore, I don’t fight as I was taught, and I wear armor of metal. What would my siblings think of me now?[/i]

Taking the shortbow and quiver of arrows from one of the stable hands that had removed it from the Ash’s saddle. Slowly wrapping it Sir Garrett considered the past the bow had survived through: the kills, the battles, triumph and folly. The bow had followed him longer than the damn Khopesh and still it endured. Carefully unstringing it Sir Garrett wrapped it up with the quiver and set it next to the Khopesh. Reaching over to the saddle Sir Garrett unlooped the set of four fine silk cords that ran from the pummel of the saddle to the end of four lethal looking short throwing spears which had nasty hooks that ran the length of the spear heads. They were used for running down animals and beast alike, those who fled. They were also used for unhorsing other riders. They had not been used regularly since he’d arrived as they were not considered…[i]Knightly.[/i] 

With practiced hands Sir Garrett wrapped the cords and wrapped the spears in a heavy cloth. Accepting the heavy single handed axe that the astable hands gave to him. Bundling up all of his gear Sir Garrett walked over to The Ash. With the stable hands help Sir Garrett removed his gloves and helmet before he began brushing down the horse and carefully grooming the massive stallion. The whole affair took some time and by the time Ash was fully groomed Sir Garrett was growing tired of the heavy armor. Shoulder still aching Sir Garrett collected up his weapons and made off towards the main building on foot. 

Catching the very end of Fanilly’s speech Sir Garrett simply sighed and began walking off down one of the corridors. The trek to his room was a long lonely one and when he finally got there battle exhaustion was finally setting in. It use to be that once he could ride, fight, feast and bed woman for days on end. Now with the Knights much of his time was spent training and attending social functions. It was rarer that he was in the field; not like when his clan rode from barrow to barrow, home to home and battle to battle. Pressing open the door to his room he hauled the gear into the room. The rather large room was for the large part unadorned save for his collection of weapons and armor. 
Carefully unwrapping his gear Sir Garrett looked at the walls, musing as to if he wanted to deal with his weapons now or later. After a long pause he set the pile of gear on a table and went to fetch a squire. The process of removing his armor was another lengthy session the man had to endure with a tired brain and sore muscles. Really the armor was another thing that had been a serious change. As the squire helped him removed the plate he stared off into the distance his gaze fixed on the skull half mask on the wall where it hung above his original set of armor. Layered boiled leather, segments of chain mail and small plates of metal hung from heavy straps that had held the whole of set to him. Beneath it was a set of warpaints which had filled in the gaps in his armor. 

Sending the damaged piece of his armor away with the squire to be repaired Sir Garrett sent for water. Standing in almost nothing looking out the window Garrett waited for the servant to finish drawing his bath before finally walking across to the bath and climbing into it. Funny enough he’d never had a bath before joining the knights. The warm water worked miracles on his stiff muscles and perhaps part of the reason he had grown so soft was this sort of life. Looking across the room he contemplated a pole axe head been meaning to test out. The whole weapon was banded with metal and the axe head had a wicked curve and a nasty spike on the reverse side. Perhaps next time he could make use of it and one of the flails. With a sigh Sir Garrett remembered he need to send for a new shield. 

Closing his eyes he leaned back on the tub and just as he was starting to drift off a knock at his door caused Sir Garrett’s eyes to snap open in annoyance. [i]Ofcourse.[/i]