Mission; Find Checkers

[Simon Danvers]

“Checkers! Gods be damned, where are you?!” Simon bellowed,
yelling as loud as he good. The boy sighed, folding his arms across his chest
as he looked around the marshland. People that lived in Avaleur their entire
lives had a hard time getting around the Marshes; it was said that they changed
as the day went on. Simon had been in Avaleur for a few months. But he was a
stupidly brave and headstrong boy, and decided to go into the marshes on his
day off of squire work.

Recently he had finally become squire to one of the Knights;
Sir Walter Grace. At first, Simon was ecstatic. He wanted to be the squire to
one of the first Knights after all. Roland would have been better, but Walter
was second best. And besides, Walter was a demon. It couldn’t get any better
than that.

Simon was wrong. Walter hated Simon, and Simon hated him.
None of their qualities matched, Walter was too harsh of a teacher, and Simon
did not like orders. In the castle, their yelling and arguing would often be
heard throughout the corridors. Walter had even requested for Simon to be
transferred; but he was denied. ‘Learn to like each other’ they had said.

It was not working.

So on his days off Simon wished to get as far away from
Walter Grace as possible, taking his best pal with him. Bringing the border
collie was probably a horrible idea; Checkers loved to run off and cause
trouble more than Simon though possible. And today was no exception.

“Sir Walter’s gonna kill me…” the boy jittered, nerves
getting the best of him as he looked around. Deeper and deeper into the marshes
they went. Simon did not realize the dangers of the marsh; many deadly
creatures there hunting others. Many people evil enough to kill a teenage boy
that had done no wrong.

But he was in bliss.

“Gods be damned…” he muttered once more, giving out a sigh
as he slumped down against a tree. A runaway dog was not easy to find. But
Checkers always came back. So for now, Simon waited.

[Deleted]

"You do that and they just might damn you back." Roland said as he neared the boy.

He had been catching up to the man for some time, walking behind him at a much faster pace. It had shocked him in a way, to know that he was following, and in a way chasing, the man and yet he seemed to not notice in the slightest. His unawareness seemed utterly stupid in such an environment. He would move quite quickly for a short time, then stop and look around, never noticing him. He had wondered how long that it was going to keep up before he caught him. And until he sat down at the tree, he had figured it wouldn't have.

Roland wore some lightly plated legging and no shirt, although the leather straps that held a sheath for his blade across his back and a latch for his shield was stripped over him. At his hip was a large leather canteen filled with water. His well muscled upper body gleamed when the light, what little light, shone through the trees. His pecs were nearly covered in sweet from the marsh, and training he had done a bit earlier. Training was in fact what brought him out here today as well. His red hair was also quite moist.

Roland smirked for a moment as he nodded and passed the boy, moving his head and gesturing with it for the lad to follow. "You are that Squire, are you not?" He asked as he kept his original pace, not slowing down fro Simon. As he walked, he made sure to pay attention to the dangers of the marsh, stepping over wet ground and ducking under a branch that had fallen nearly to the ground.

[Simon Danvers]

The boy nearly shot right out of his skin, jumping to move up. But upon spotting the Knight commander, he relaxed a tad more.
How long had he been following him? Simon could not tell. And for that Simon was impressed. After all, he could hear Walter's footsteps from a mile away.

But that was usually because Simon had done something to piss him off.

Despite his happiness at seeing the Knight, squire was still slightly embarrassed; rubbing at the nape of his neck as his cheeks flushed a pinkish colour.
He covered it up with a smile.
His embarrassed state only grew once he realized that at the beginning of his journey into the marsh he had been bad mouthing Walter.

The Knight walked past him. Surprised, the squire followed the commander's instructions to follow. Soon Simon was walking just behind him, now following his every move.

"Yes sir," he responded, gesturing a salute. Though the Knight could not see it. Red in the face, he spoke again.
"Simon Danvers."

He wondered if he was the only reason Roland was out in the forest in the first place. The sweat on him made it apparent that either Simon was fitter than he, or the Knight was doing something else before he saw the squire.

Simon continued to look around even while studying what Roland was doing, examining the area for his poor missing mutt.

[Deleted]

"Walter's Squire... that's right." He chuckled lightly, "Once you get used to him, and him you, he won't be so bad. The trick is getting used to him." Roland joked as he adjusted the strap over his chest and looked over his head for a moment. I remember his temper... it sure was a difficult thing to get used to. One moment he is kidding, the next I thought he literally wanted to tear someone's head off. He thought to himself as he looked at the boy and the sounds of Walter yelling through the castle seemed to reply in his mind. That was when he remembered that Simon had a dog.

Roland faced front again and continued walking as he thought of the companionship he once had with Gabriel, sure they were still old friends, but their relationship had drastically changed.
"You leave your canine behind?" He questioned and chuckled again for a moment. "You didn't leave him to bother Walter did you?" He turned around and stopped for a moment with a smile on his face. "That would have been something actually! Ha, perhaps I'll remember that if I want to play a joke on the man." He said as he shook his head just thinking about it. It would be funny. "Unless you beat me to the punchline of course. Where is... Chester?" He asked, guessing the name.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon could not believe he would ever get used to Walter. The man wa sa demon; and he didn't mean it in the literal sense! A harsh teacher, a harsh sparer, and an even harsher person. It was a wonder why Simon hadn't quit already, in his own humble opinion.

He didn't want to correct the commander; he had gotten the dog's name so very close! He thought to himself, No Simon, this could crush a man. Don't do it! But he did. He did it anyways.

"Checkers," Simon said with a smile, hoping that the man did not take offense. But Roland seemed to not own a temper. He did not need to watch himself as much as he did around Walter.

An ironic thought indeed, Roland being the commander.

"Actually, he ran off. Usually he's well behaved, but something must have caught his eye!"
A slight lie; Checkers was well behaved. Half the time. And he had chaced after something of interest; a mere butterfly.
"Don't suppose you know any dog calls sir?" Simon asked, going red in the face once more. Asking the Knight for a favour made Simon a bit nervous. How would he respond?

[Deleted]

"Checkers? Well, I hope you didn't take offense to my mistake." Roland said as he nodded his head. Yes, Checkers sounded much more familiar from what he had heard around the castle and squire quarters. When he found out that the dog was lost, well, he kept his thoughts quiet. There was no need to tell the man what he probably already knew, that this place was not a place to be lost in, especially not a small dog.

"Dog calls?" Roland said as he thought to himself. He kept walking and placed a hand on his chin. He didn't think he did, in fact he thought that only an owner or master would be able to call a dog or at least know the calls. "I don't think I do. But if you need help searching for him, I will help." he said with a smile as he looked at Simon.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon shook his head rapidly; of course he took no offense! He was impressed the man got it even half right.
He was surprised the man was even talking to him in this tone of voice. After all, Dawn sounded more rough than this guy.

Roland just seemed...nice. Like the kind of hero that would travel from town to town, saving damsels and villages, and killing dragons.

"I would appreciate the help very much, Sir," Simon responded, gulping down a lump in his throat. Did he always do this for people?
"I'm just not quite familiar with these marshes yet, otherwise I'm sure it would not be a problem."

[Deleted]

Simon was a young and inexperienced man. As much as that was certain. Roland had to play the possible outcomes in his head. Reproach, was needed, yes, but to do so without injuring the boy's spirit. To venture out into unknown lands is foolish, but also inspiring and courageous at the same time. He wanted the boy to know how dangerous it can be, but not make him such a coward. There is a fine balance between foolish courage and idiotic rashness. One was, or should be that is, prepared, the other not.

"You have my aid then, Simon, and also my guidance and instruction if you want." He said as he scanned the area for a moment before looking down at Simon.

[Simon Danvers]

Surprise took over Simon, and he smiled wide. Finally, some useful guidance! Sure, although Simon loathed Walter, the man was a good knight. But he certainly was not a good teacher.

And Roland was both a great knight, and, from what he had heard, a great teacher. This was the opportunity of a lifetime.
"I would be honored Sir." and that he was. Excitement filled Simon to the brink. He would probably never get an opportunity like this!

He wished he had parchment and something to write with.

[Deleted]

Roland nodded, a smile growing on his own face as he saw Simon's. It was good to see his enthusiasm. "I am glad to hear your acceptance of advice." He held up his hand for a moment, demanding silence, only to keep up the search for any signs of the dog while he instructed.

He heard nothing out of the usual, although for anyone inexperienced with the marshes, the sounds may have very well sound odd. With nothing to note, he continued. "Although inspiring to hear and see of you adventurous spirit, coming out here into the wilds, there is a fine line between courageous exploration and careless exploration. Both are dangerous, one is more suicidal that the other. I am afraid that today you teeter towards carelessness. Saying that thought, I do have faith that this mistake will lead to your success in the future. Coming out into any new and unknown area without preparation and knowledge is difficult, out here, it would have been deadly. Always learn the area before entering the area. Ask the natives, compare the environment to places you have been before, check the creature guilds or hunting stores to see what sort of pelts and trophies you can expect to find alive and ready to strike. That, Simon, is the first step."

Roland stopped, to let what he had spoken so far begin to sink in, and then remained silent as he walked up to a tree with a lower hanging branch and quickly found his way on top of it. He continued to scan the area. "While in the area, different perspectives can be useful, always know where you are heading. Being lost and being blind are different. One is defenseless, the other has a chance at survival." He explained and jumped down from the branch, coming to a soft landing as he began to walk towards what he had saw.

"Did you bring any supplies with you?" He asked, seeming to momentarily change the subject.

[Simon Danvers]

He was silent as Roland raised his hand, excitement coursing through him. He felt as if he were in a spy production at the theater!

Soon Simon was slightly scalded, and he stared at the ground, going red. If it were Walter scalding him, he would be yelling back. But this was different; this way he felt embarrassed.

Though perhaps it was because of his denial of Walter's scolding that he had been so careless in the first place.

He was about to appologize for his stupidity, in fact, when the Knight seemed to switch the subject. He looked up at the man, before going back to listening carefully.

He stared up at the Knight, looking at the sturdiness of each branch he climbed up. He noted that, although he had moved quickly, Roland had chosen the perfect branch each time.

Simon moved out of the way when Roland jumped down, also taking note on how he landed onto the ground.

"Ahh, yes. I have my weapons of course, and then a few herbs and remedies just in case. Bandage."
For a moment he was silent, before he went a bit more red.

"I had more with me. Some water and apples. But they were in the bag that Checkers had. The bag's probably long gone now, I made it easily detachable so that if he got lost and hooked onto something it would come right off."

[Deleted]

It was good to hear that he had some sense at least. But even so, he did not feel as though Simon was a lost cause. How to live in the wild, how to prepare, what to bring, how to protect himself, all of that was teachable. The spirit of courage and bravery and willingness to adventure, that was a quality much harder to find; nearly impossible to teach. "I'm glad to hear you had some supplies. Only you can judge if they were the right ones. The next step in going out into the wilds or adventuring is often times the easiest to think about. You have to be able to survive the wilds. Sustenance, shelter, and security. Those lead to survival. Sustenance, you should always be able to make a fire, have, find and cleanse, or bring water. Be able to hunt, or bring food. Depending on how well you know the area and how long you plan to spend in it determines the amount of that. Shelter, you must always have a plan on how to make it, find it, or bring it. Weather can change, and if you don't adapt, it can be difficult to deal with. Security, you must be able to protect yourself somehow. This comes with skill and training. Only you can know if you upheld all of those." Roland said as they neared the place that had interested him. On the mushy ground of the marsh, in the muddy weeds, were clear marks from some animal either rolling or digging around. What they needed to find in order for it to be helpful was something that would point to Checkers.

Once again, Roland momentarily changed the subject. "See anything familiar?" He asked Simon as he looked around as well.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon listened as if he were in a trance. This was the most he had learned since they had been there! Walter never thought before he leaps, so Simon was never able to learn any of this stuff.

He was becoming rather glad that Roland had found him.

Simon looked around the area, searching for any life forms before approaching the markings carefully, trying not to step on them.

Now Simon was no tracker; he could find animals, but could not distinguish them unless there were clear differences. A bear and a deer? He could distinguish from. A deer and a moose? Much more difficult.

However there was one set of tracks and markings that Simon could always determine; Checkers'.

"This was him," he stated, bending down and looking at the tracks.
"Not all of them, but he was here. And it looks like he was here the latest out of the majority of these tracks."

He followed the trail with his eyes, until it lead to a path through the marshes. The strides were short.
"It looks like he walked that way," Simon stood up, pointing in that direction.

[Deleted]

"Agreed. I would say he did as well." Roland said and then pointed to other tracks in the mud. "Marsh rat, that is reassuring at first, but it is prey to many dangerous beasts in these wilds. Your dog is tracking it, hopefully nothing else is." He explained and began following the tracks and signs left by the dog.

"There are many aspects of adventuring, yes." Roland continued his lesson again. "I'm not going to pretend as though I am telling you all of it, but these are what I have found to be the basics. The final step is to have a good partner. Eventually, yes, you may be able to skip over this, but it is always good to have a good partner. If you fail in one of the areas, they should fulfill it. Also, they need to be dependable, cooperative, and preferably equally as brave and courageous although that can be tweaked with. If they are a pet, they should be protective, obedient, and trained." He paused for a moment and looked down to Simon, stopping momentarily as well. "Checkers, was perhaps not quite ready, but in your defense, one often does not know the extent of their abilities until they have tested them." He repeated words he had heard from Namesiwa and then put a hand on Simon's shoulder. "Let's get your dog and supplies eh?" He asked as he looked forward and there was the supplies tangled in vines with thorns. They were getting closer to Checkers.

"Look around the area again."

[Simon Danvers]

He studied the tracks of the marsh rat carefully, before standing up again and following the Knight. Searching for any signs of Checkers as well.

The teenager looked up as Roland continued on speaking as if the conversation had not gotten interrupted, and he couldn't help but feel amused. Though this was a day of learning; he refused to smile at his own amusement, and continued listening carefully. Stopping as Roland stopped, admitting how Checkers was probably not ready.

He thought about how Checkers was sort of a companion; and the dog was very protective. And very well trained. Obedient? Only if nothing else had caught his eye.

Simon spotted the supplies and jogged over, gently examining the bag and the tracks near it. The bag had been taken off as if Checkers had bumped into the vines. Looking at the tracks they were long strides; Simon recognized two tracks, one being his dog's and the other being the marsh rat.

He smiled; he felt as if he were getting the hang of this.

"It looks like he was chasing one of them," he stated, standing up again, watching the tracks.
"The rat nearly got away here, with the sharp turn, but Checkers didn't stop. There's a bit of blood over there, but not enough to even say Checkers caught it. If it's the rats blood. One of them might be wounded."

The tracks were all over the place, difficult to read. But in the distance, Simon could have swore he heard a bark. Hoping to hear it again, he stayed silent, but pointed in the direction that he heard it. Looking at Roland.

[Deleted]

There was strong evidence for a small scrap between the two. The broken limbs and rustled vegetation as well as the blood helped point to that. "No I'd say he caught it, but probably only by the tail or leg. Not a good enough hold to keep it." He stated as he bent down and began to untangle the supplies for Simon. He continued to look at the tracks as he tried to imagine a possible confrontation.

Checkers nearing the rat, grabbing onto its tail just before it was lost in the thorns. It was a desperate attempt to snatch it before the rat was lost, but it wasn't a good hold. The rat perhaps would have turned around and slashed at him with its claws purely defensively to try and get away. Checkers may have yelped, possibly being hit in the snout. The rat would have gotten away and fled into the thorns, but the clawing would have enraged Checkers. The dog wouldn't have minded the thorns, he too would have dashed into them, where he would have lost the bag but continued the chase.

Roland looked up to where Simon pointed, he too hearing the bark. It wasn't in the direction in which the trail led, but it was certainly a short cut to the dog. "Go, I'll follow you." Roland stated as he freed the bag. "Checkers should see you first, otherwise I might frighten him." He explained.

[Simon Danvers]

Simon saw what Roland meant, slowly nodding as he was directed to go find Checkers. The buy went off, pushing through bush and vine to where he had heard his pup.

Just as he was about to call the dog out he heard another bark, and then a snarl; Simon immediately ducked down, moving forward towards the noise. His heart quickened in worry for his dog.

He was about to go into a clearing when he spotted the dog; unharmed, except for a scratch on his nose. A dead marsh rat behind him.
And a bear a few feet ahead, pacing in front of the dog.

Simon went wide eyed, nearly gasping. His heart raced faster and faster, not knowing what to do. He needed to get Checkers out of there; but how? He did not want to anger the bear by hitting it.

He placed his hand on his leg to rest; when he felt something in his pocket. Eyebrows furrowed he took it out and scowled. His dog whistle, which he had thought he had lost weeks ago.

He supposed he should be thankful, and gave it a blow. Simon did not hear a thing, being human. And the bear did not seem to take notice either. Checkers, however, perked his ears up, still staring at the bear with his teeth bared. But finally seemed to give up, and ran in Simon's direction.

Then, he ran right past his owner, the cuts on his nose making it difficult to smell.

Simon nearly cursed and yelled at the dog to come back, but remembered the bear was just behind him. Simon was about to move, when from the corner of his eye, the bear moved, now at the rat. Simon froze; if the bear just looked to the right, it would see him.

Simon froze, praying that dumb dog would run into Roland.

Which, Checkers did. He ran through the path, waiting to hear another whistle, until he spotted the Knight. It seemed to recognize the strong scent of Simon in the area, as he trotted over to the Knight, tail wagging and tongue hanging loosely out of his mouth.

[Deleted]

The Knight Commander leaned against the trunk of the tree that the vines stretched over to and crawled up its side. He was careful to avoid the thorns of course, as he waited. The supplies sat on the ground by his foot.

While Roland sat and waited, he thought of his early years in Avaleur; his young explorations. Sometimes he was amazed himself at how he had survived. The Dragon Hunt, the scraps with Hydra... hunting the Kraven pack in order to try and capture its malevolent alpha. Even relatively recent dangers like the Pythago Pack and other viscously dangerous hunts came to mind. He had to smile slightly. These dark marshes had done good for him, despite their dangers. He wondered what they would do to Simon...

He looked down once Checkers ran through some bushes before spotting him and heading over. He raised his eyebrow, "Hey... where's Simon?" He asked, of course not expecting a reply. He leaned over and patted the dog's head and scratching his ear while he looked him over and chuckled to himself. Scratch on the nose, he knew he was good at predicting things but even that was pretty good. He looked up and followed with his eyes the direction it had come from. Simon could be in danger, but he would wait a little longer. That was what he thought, but decided against it as he remembered who he was talking about, and where they were. Roland looked down and pointed to the dog. "Stay." he ordered but then smirked. "Ya there isn't any way that would happen is there?" He asked and bent down and lifted the dog up and into his arms, walking the path it had come from slowly and quietly.

[Simon Danvers]

Checker's ears perked up as the man told him to stay; he stopped wagging his tail and his tongue flew back into his mouth. But a second later his tail was wagging even more, tongue hanging out.

And Roland was right; there was no way Checkers would have stayed.

So the dog was pleased as the nice man picked him up. Checkers found it relaxing as well; the man smelled like the castle. Feeling in safe hands the dog rested his head on Roland's shoulder, tail wagging very slightly as he watched from behind.

To Checkers, this was the best day ever. A walk with his owner, a butterfly to chase, a marsh rat to eat, and now he was being carried!

Best. Day. Ever.

Meanwhile, Simon stayed as silent as a mouse, trying to slow down his heartbeat. What was a bear doing so deep into the marshes, anyhow?! Perhaps it had a disease or something. The boy shuddered as the bear stopped eating, sniffing the air. The beast lifted itself onto its hind legs, letting out a grunt.

Simon bolted silently to the nearest tree, and looked back at the bear. It seemed not to notice.

A different perspective.

The lesson clicked in Simon's head, remembering what Roland had said. Soon Simon was climbing the tree, nearly slipping at one point but kept going. Once he was high enough up he looked back down to the bear.

With any luck the beast would leave soon, and he would not have to deal with it.

[Deleted]

Roland shifted Checkers over so that the dog was completely and firmly held with his left arm as he drew his blade and continued to walk. With a bear in the area, Simon was not the only creature attempting to stay quiet and still; hidden. Because of this, the whole area seemed quiet, an attribute that Roland knew how to read. He cautiously continued on until he found another good vantage point.

In a flash, Roland had sheathed his blade and quickly scaled the tree until he was standing on a lower branch. He looked out among the mashes again as he drew his blade once more, prepared. He looked down to Checkers for a moment. "You didn't give him the slip did you?" He asked, hoping that the young man wasn't simply wandering deeper and deeper into the marsh. It reminded him of what Namari had done long ago, only to eventually run into a dragon. Roland didn't feel like saving Simon from a dragon today...