Snippet #1491371

Jamie watched Nuala take off then went to search for a spear amongst his belongings. He had brought numerous weapons with him, which surprised no one really. Eilis knowing exactly why his charge was digging around in the near armory worth of weapons the nobleman had brought with him smiled and shook his head. It was true House Winsler would need all the help it could get and the wildling while most likely only a year or two older then Jamie was also likely a very good addition to their forces. His brother, a ranger with the Night Watch spoke highly of the unorthodox method the wildlings waged battle with, saying that the wildlings always struck where you thought yourself the strongest. And the Warrior knew House Winsler would need that kind of thinking, not that Jamie did not have his fair share of tactical tricks. Jamie had thrown out every lesson taught to him about tactics, a event that angered their master of arms. But Jamie then wrote his own tactical manuals, the originality of which caught off guard nearly everyone. They worked which was even the bigger surprise, these tactics devised by a seventeen year old.


" Hmm...what do you think Eilis." Jamie said holding out a glaive, the shaft was nearly 2 meters long and crafted of ash. The head was 45 cm long, curved ever so slightly with a hook on the reverse side. The head was crafted of castle forged steel and shone from it's polishing. Jamie took care of his weapons for he trained with them all, believing only a fool relied on a single weapon. As a result Jamie himself was a master of arms, able to wield spear,sword,bow,lance,axe, and any weapon you cared to put in his hand with equally deadly skill.

" I think it may be a bit too long Jamie, a man's spear should not be any longer then they are tall. " Eilis replied although he knew this wasn't strictly true. Jamie's lances were eleven feet after all but a spear meant to be used on foot shouldn't be all that much longer then you were tall. "Besides her last spear looked more the thrusting type the slashing a glaive is."

With a shrug Jamie put the glaive back in his wagon before digging around once more, coming out with a spetum. Like the glaive it was 2 meters long featuring a 45 cm blade. Though the shaft was crafted of dragonbone reinforced ash this time and the same castle forged steel head. Jamie looked vaguely bothered by it's length, being 6 feet 6 inches the knight had weapons of comparable size made to fit him. Unlike the glaive though the head featured a straight and wide head designed to punch through nearly any defense with side prongs sticking out at the base of the main blade. The side prongs being only sharp on one side were well suited to knocking aside blows and parrying sword thrusts. The spetum was favored among those with the strength to wield it effectively as it's efficient design was suited to both single combat and the rank and file of battle. It was a somewhat hefty weapon designed for the brutes that found themselves front and center of every charge were their strength and the spetum's design enable smashing through shielded infantry. With practice it was also a deadly anti-calvary weapon able to knock a man out of the saddle or kill the horse itself.

Jamie was still holding the spetum when Nuala came riding up on a sorrel mare.

"Good choice that, mares are good riding horses. Calm and easy to control but I've always preferred stallions myself. A proper war horse should have a bit of fire in it's belly." Jamie said indicting with the spear he held his black horse. It was most likely a Percheron, though the breeder he had it bought from could not say with any certainty it's exact breed. The horse had been wild stock caught out in the plains of the south. But it's black coat, lacking any other color, combined with it's features gave it the image of the Percheron. Although it's size standing at 19 hands and weighing nearly 2200 pounds meant there was likely some other blood in it's veins.

He also took in the wildling clothes which obviously had been someone's spare clothes, most likely a man judging from the loose way they hung over her frame. Though was also apparent the man whom had given up his spare clothes was not much bigger the wildling woman. Though with the rain coming down it seemed pointless to change one's clothing as the soaking they were all receiving would go to the bone soon enough.

"Where in the bloody hell are they." Jamie muttered to himself as rain dripped off his direwolf cloak and soaked his black leather breeches. He was only glad that he was not wearing armor, for this soaking would mean a sleepless night polishing the rust off it. But he wanted to be gone from this accursed place before his disgrace came back to mind. "You there, Harold was it." The servant he called to nodded his head." Send word to my family that we are ready to depart right now and make sure they understand." The young boy nodded his head before running off to his appointed task.

"You and You." Jamie said shouting at a couple of his personal guard a distance away checking last minute details as ordered. There was always much to do when departing with such a large crowd as they had brought with them despite his cracking the whip to make the useless lords and ladies of the Vale hurry up. The men clad in partial plate and wearing surcoats with the Winsler sigil looked at him awaiting his orders. " Get a litter prepared and get Kervall on it and into a wagon."

The Winsler men at arms saluted him before rushing off amid much clanking of metal, they had little time to pad their armor with the cloth all soldiers did to stop the noise. " I can't leave this place fast enough." Jamie muttered once more to himself although the sight of Nuala did much to comfort his frame of mind. At least all the work involved was keeping his mind off the events so recently happening. He could find no pity for the Damian children though, they knew the crimes of their father. As far as Jamie was concerned the Damians were simply reaping what they had sown, Lionel was the spark true enough but a mere spark did not start a blaze all by itself. King Damian had played with wildfire as it were for so long it was only a matter of time before it burned him to cinders as it was now doing.