The next morning found Rolen in front of the small tower he called home. Sir Jethro’s castle was actually a stone tower surrounded by smaller wood and stone buildings, such as the stables. Surrounding the group of buildings was a stone wall or fence, about four feet high. It served as a border to the knight’s property, and had no real defensive functionality.
Rolen ran several laps around the inside of this wall as part of his Exercises each morning. Now he was finished with the first half of his laps and paused near the front entrance to catch his breath. As he was about to start running again, he saw the musician from the night before strolling down the road, humming.
“Hey! Are you the one from the tavern last night? I loved that first song!”
The man stopped and smiled.
“Good morning. Yes I am, and thank you. I do seem to remember seeing you yesterday. And what may you be sweating for?”
“Morning Exercises. Laps around the border of the wall, lifting, push ups...”
“Ah. That would explain it. This is the regimen implemented for knights in training?”
“Yes, it i- wait, how did you know...?”
“If you have the wandering life I take as a Bard, you pick up a few things. Now, I have something to add that I think you might enjoy. Unless you think it unwise, would you please fetch the knight who is training you?”
“I’ll go look for him.”
Rolen went into the tower. After a moment or two he found Sir Jethro.
“Sir, the musician from last night is downstairs. He says he wants to see you.”
“Alright, alright. I will be down in a moment.”
Rolen went back out into the gate, Sir Jethro following shortly behind. The Bard was sitting on the wall, plucking a tune on his lute. As he saw the knight approaching, he slung his lute on his back and hopped down from the wall.
“Leed Gartail, at your service, my lord. I have been talking to your squire. I have something I wish to recommend to your attention that may help with his training.”
Sir Jethro nodded. Leed took this as assent, and began digging in a pouch that hung at his side, placing part of it’s contents on the stone wall while he searched. After a brief moment of searching, he pulled out a few small, cloth balls, which were filled with something that felt like rice. He handed these to Rolen while he placed things back in his bag. He took the cloth orbs back and nodded.
“Watch closely. Ready?”
He began tossing the balls into the air and catching them. They made an arc in the air. It looked easy to Rolen... until the balls were handed to him. He tried to mimic the Bard’s movements, and promptly dropped all three balls. Leed chuckled and said,
“Juggling. An exercise in dexterity. I find it entertaining, as well as practical. I have found that the combination of strong muscle and the dexterity that I have recieved from juggling help with a sword.”
He grinned as he reached to his side. Both Rolen and Sir Jethro were sure that there had been no sword there a moment ago, but now Leed lifted a gleaming longsword as though it were nothing. Rolen normally struggled with a shortsword, and even the knight was slightly impressed. The bard re-sheathed his sword.
“Now, with your permission, my lord, I will instruct this young squire in the rudiments of the art of juggling.”
Sir Jethro nodded and sat down to watch. Rolen spent a happy hour in trying to juggle. At the end of the session he was able to juggle two without dropping them for about thirty seconds. It seemed Leed was a good teacher.
Rolen ran several laps around the inside of this wall as part of his Exercises each morning. Now he was finished with the first half of his laps and paused near the front entrance to catch his breath. As he was about to start running again, he saw the musician from the night before strolling down the road, humming.
“Hey! Are you the one from the tavern last night? I loved that first song!”
The man stopped and smiled.
“Good morning. Yes I am, and thank you. I do seem to remember seeing you yesterday. And what may you be sweating for?”
“Morning Exercises. Laps around the border of the wall, lifting, push ups...”
“Ah. That would explain it. This is the regimen implemented for knights in training?”
“Yes, it i- wait, how did you know...?”
“If you have the wandering life I take as a Bard, you pick up a few things. Now, I have something to add that I think you might enjoy. Unless you think it unwise, would you please fetch the knight who is training you?”
“I’ll go look for him.”
Rolen went into the tower. After a moment or two he found Sir Jethro.
“Sir, the musician from last night is downstairs. He says he wants to see you.”
“Alright, alright. I will be down in a moment.”
Rolen went back out into the gate, Sir Jethro following shortly behind. The Bard was sitting on the wall, plucking a tune on his lute. As he saw the knight approaching, he slung his lute on his back and hopped down from the wall.
“Leed Gartail, at your service, my lord. I have been talking to your squire. I have something I wish to recommend to your attention that may help with his training.”
Sir Jethro nodded. Leed took this as assent, and began digging in a pouch that hung at his side, placing part of it’s contents on the stone wall while he searched. After a brief moment of searching, he pulled out a few small, cloth balls, which were filled with something that felt like rice. He handed these to Rolen while he placed things back in his bag. He took the cloth orbs back and nodded.
“Watch closely. Ready?”
He began tossing the balls into the air and catching them. They made an arc in the air. It looked easy to Rolen... until the balls were handed to him. He tried to mimic the Bard’s movements, and promptly dropped all three balls. Leed chuckled and said,
“Juggling. An exercise in dexterity. I find it entertaining, as well as practical. I have found that the combination of strong muscle and the dexterity that I have recieved from juggling help with a sword.”
He grinned as he reached to his side. Both Rolen and Sir Jethro were sure that there had been no sword there a moment ago, but now Leed lifted a gleaming longsword as though it were nothing. Rolen normally struggled with a shortsword, and even the knight was slightly impressed. The bard re-sheathed his sword.
“Now, with your permission, my lord, I will instruct this young squire in the rudiments of the art of juggling.”
Sir Jethro nodded and sat down to watch. Rolen spent a happy hour in trying to juggle. At the end of the session he was able to juggle two without dropping them for about thirty seconds. It seemed Leed was a good teacher.