A Rider's Story

[Squall Leonhart]

((This a LOTR story I decided to do while I play through a mod of mount and blade. The mod, of course, is LOTR themed. If this one winds up being an enjoyable read, I may continue with others, who knows! Clickable image links will be marked with a (I). Also, feel free to comment between entries. Depending on how much interest this gets i'll release entries more often!))

Entry 1: Departure


My name is Alric, and everyone I know is dead. There is no time to grieve, no time to exact revenge...only time to seek out a new life where I may find myself able before these monsters find me. My village was raided, you see, and with the Riders of Rohan preparing for war and spread so thin as it is, we received no help. It was all I could to grab a spear from a nearby militia rack to try and fend off the orcs and strange new beasts- i've been hearing them called Uruk-Hai- but my efforts were in vain. I am too inexperienced to be of use or aid, and I was forced to flee my poor people. It is to this end I have decided to head South(I) to Edoras, where I may request an audience with King Theoden. Hopefully he will grant me permission to prove myself and in time I can become trained and protect my people where I have failed once already.

The trip is not a long one, and I can only muster up my deepest hope I don't encounter any orcish stragglers along the way; I am lucky to remain with my life, but I fear that may change if I am spotted. Night is beginning to fall, so perhaps under the cover of darkness I can make my way to Edoras safely.

I've waited until nightfall and safely made my way to Edoras, even though I could hear the orcs patrolling the plains around me on the other side of the hills. They're planning another attack i'm sure, but i've made myself scarce. I'm going to stay a night at the local inn of Edoras(I), and in the morning I will see if the King will hear my request. I'm sure with war so close on the horizon, he will find a great need of soldiers and leaders alike; hopefully I possess the mettle to become both. Though young and inexperienced as the son of a farmer, I have drive and I have spirit.

[Squall Leonhart]

Entry 2:


I awoke the next morning with very few hours of sleep, finally able to calm my nerves but not find peace with myself. After all, what kind of man flees his people instead of staying to fight? Maybe that's why i'm here in Edoras, and maybe that's why I want the King to grant my request so badly. The Riders are a very prestigious branch of Rohan's military; I need that influence and prestige if i'm going to help do what's best for this country. I collected myself and went to see the King, leaving my spear at the door with the guards; I must have looked so pitiful in my peasant's rags. I approached King Theoden and the entire room went silent. I bowed to him and kneeled before my King, and humbly told him of the situation.

He smiled down to me and asked me to stand, saying how deeply sorry he was that nothing could be done to save my village. He spoke many apologies and assured me the least he could do was give me a chance to fight, but in exchange for my training I had a job to do. Once my training was completed, I was to scout around an Orc patrol camp not so far away to gauge their activity; the King needed to know if they were planning another attack so he could stop it before it began. I went with a veteran footman to the training grounds inside Edoras and trained for what seemed like hours. At first he was beating me senseless, but after long enough I began to adapt.

The final exchange of the session was a decisive blow from me to the footman, following a successful block and parry (I) that threw him off his balance. After a few more days of training and many bruises later, I spent a day of recovery before my mission; it seemed that I had learned faster than they would have figured, and granted me permission to draft and pay willing soldiers from the townsfolk among the various towns and villages in Rohan. I planned to only take a few with me to the Orc camp on my scouting mission, and all I had to protect myself was that shoddy spear of mine and peasant rags; it seemed I would have to work for any of my equipment.

I set out around Edoras and stopped into the tavern near the end of the day, finding a few men seeking work occupying a table near the bar. Upon offering them a fair price for their service, I was able to band together a ragtag group of fighters who were hopefully worth their salt. It seems as young as I am and combined with my inexperience, i'm going to have to teach them the things I barely know to keep them from being killed.