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« on: May 28, 2003, 09:11:46 pm »
\" ahh my blood still boils when i recall that day. i need a stiff drink. how about a liquour? \"
\" thank you \"
you see killing slaves wasnt allowed, torments and beatings where fine, but the dragging was out of orders.
also delaying the progress of the horde was frowned upon. if a serious delay was caused the culprit could be killed out of hand
by the khan order. a flight of several dozen arrows finishing the matter in a minute.
there was a meeting, next great camp, the matter had been decided.
as we had sworn to kill each other, and a valid grudge was my right we would be allowed to duel. even a slave has the
right if he was wronged.
honour was such that i wouldnt be allowed to be just slaughtered, atulka would be dishonoured if he killed an untrained slave
his family would be shamed, i had toi present a viable challenge, their family honour depended upon it.
it was his families duty to train me!
not as a warrior mind you, but in the weapon, of choice that the troop leader decided. a weapon that would provide
a fair challenge, a just battle. and untill I was deemed worthy of the fight the duel would postponed.
now i was allowed to train in a weapon!
i was the centre of attention amongs the workers. gossip was rife, what willi be trained in? would i kill atulka? and
gain right to his teams and weapons? people i had never seen smile , smiled at me. troop leaders who never paid heed
to me other than to ask about their monts came up and inspected, made comments on what i should be trained in.
inspected my wounds, and inspected my bones and muscles.
\" Too weak for horse bow, tooo old needs to be trained younger \"
\" he as good frame, more muscle would make him right \"
\" long arms long arms good pull, no muscle \"
the blade i say the blade, good reach, he handles the horse well , a duel by blade on horse back \"
A shifty looking old man came thru the crowd. \" Daggers make it quick, he\'s a slave i say daggers \"
the gathered men laughed.
i had seen all their trainings, daggers was done in loin cloth and naked, training with dull blades, and grazings
marked wounds, in duels amongst wariors blood drawn; a major arterry, was called a victory. and honour served.
for me it would be to the death. i dodnt like daggers.
the bow was like a life long skill, many a journey was brokne up with 3 teams.
a lead team that dropped leather balls, a middle team that shot arrows into the balls at the gallop ,
and a rear team that collected the balls with lances.
the rear team would charge forward and to the front with the collected balls. the middle team would store their bows
and fall to the rear. drawing lances. and of course the lead team would fall to the middle drawing the bows.
of course slaves where resposible for collectiing any missed balls, and we made a game of it too.
seeing who could collec the ball. there where never many balls left for the slaves to colect,
and derision was laid upon any troop that missed a ball , or left arrows for the slaves to collect.
accountoing was done when at the end of the day , arrows where counted and the troop that lost the most
where generally derinded and jeered at.
everyone of the warriors participated at this sport, more like training. and competion got feirce.
I didnt quite understand the whole honour thing yet, but being the best warriors was the pinacle of this societies
accomplishments. or so i thought.
I would dearly have loved to take part in the running training. usually at a good speed as well. i was sure if the bow was the decided
weapon they would have to let me participate, they almost never train in bow at camp.
as i lay there fntasysing about how wonderful it would be for the bow to be the weapon for the duel, the decision had been made
I was the lance.
\" he is very agile on the horse, the lance is best, \" the troop leader called out \" IT IS DECIDE THE DUEL SHALL BE DECIDED
BY LANCE . I MATULKA DECREE \"
\" he bellowed at me , you boy heal up, you will collect balls with a lance from now on. heal up. Oh and you ride with me \"
\" thank you \"
you see killing slaves wasnt allowed, torments and beatings where fine, but the dragging was out of orders.
also delaying the progress of the horde was frowned upon. if a serious delay was caused the culprit could be killed out of hand
by the khan order. a flight of several dozen arrows finishing the matter in a minute.
there was a meeting, next great camp, the matter had been decided.
as we had sworn to kill each other, and a valid grudge was my right we would be allowed to duel. even a slave has the
right if he was wronged.
honour was such that i wouldnt be allowed to be just slaughtered, atulka would be dishonoured if he killed an untrained slave
his family would be shamed, i had toi present a viable challenge, their family honour depended upon it.
it was his families duty to train me!
not as a warrior mind you, but in the weapon, of choice that the troop leader decided. a weapon that would provide
a fair challenge, a just battle. and untill I was deemed worthy of the fight the duel would postponed.
now i was allowed to train in a weapon!
i was the centre of attention amongs the workers. gossip was rife, what willi be trained in? would i kill atulka? and
gain right to his teams and weapons? people i had never seen smile , smiled at me. troop leaders who never paid heed
to me other than to ask about their monts came up and inspected, made comments on what i should be trained in.
inspected my wounds, and inspected my bones and muscles.
\" Too weak for horse bow, tooo old needs to be trained younger \"
\" he as good frame, more muscle would make him right \"
\" long arms long arms good pull, no muscle \"
the blade i say the blade, good reach, he handles the horse well , a duel by blade on horse back \"
A shifty looking old man came thru the crowd. \" Daggers make it quick, he\'s a slave i say daggers \"
the gathered men laughed.
i had seen all their trainings, daggers was done in loin cloth and naked, training with dull blades, and grazings
marked wounds, in duels amongst wariors blood drawn; a major arterry, was called a victory. and honour served.
for me it would be to the death. i dodnt like daggers.
the bow was like a life long skill, many a journey was brokne up with 3 teams.
a lead team that dropped leather balls, a middle team that shot arrows into the balls at the gallop ,
and a rear team that collected the balls with lances.
the rear team would charge forward and to the front with the collected balls. the middle team would store their bows
and fall to the rear. drawing lances. and of course the lead team would fall to the middle drawing the bows.
of course slaves where resposible for collectiing any missed balls, and we made a game of it too.
seeing who could collec the ball. there where never many balls left for the slaves to colect,
and derision was laid upon any troop that missed a ball , or left arrows for the slaves to collect.
accountoing was done when at the end of the day , arrows where counted and the troop that lost the most
where generally derinded and jeered at.
everyone of the warriors participated at this sport, more like training. and competion got feirce.
I didnt quite understand the whole honour thing yet, but being the best warriors was the pinacle of this societies
accomplishments. or so i thought.
I would dearly have loved to take part in the running training. usually at a good speed as well. i was sure if the bow was the decided
weapon they would have to let me participate, they almost never train in bow at camp.
as i lay there fntasysing about how wonderful it would be for the bow to be the weapon for the duel, the decision had been made
I was the lance.
\" he is very agile on the horse, the lance is best, \" the troop leader called out \" IT IS DECIDE THE DUEL SHALL BE DECIDED
BY LANCE . I MATULKA DECREE \"
\" he bellowed at me , you boy heal up, you will collect balls with a lance from now on. heal up. Oh and you ride with me \"