8

You nod and take a mental note to make Sir Robert's armor as shiny as possible the next time he competes.

The next day, you say goodbye to your family, as you'll soon be on your way with Sir Robert and his attendees to travel to various tournaments throughout the land. Your mother makes you pack a variety of clothes and extra supplies. Your brother wishes you good luck, and you can tell he's hoping you bring him back something, like your father usually does. Finally, you visit your father, who's still in bed resting.

"Dorn, be sure to listen to everything Sir Robert says. He may be a bit sarcastic and act silly at times, but he's quite a smart fellow. Most importantly, you can trust him. Be sure to do what he says and stay close to him." You nod and say a few other parting words. Your father gives you some last-minute tips on how to handle Midnight. He also hands you his sack, which contains various supplies including food for Midnight, a dagger, and a map. You say your goodbyes and leave through the front door.

Varys is waiting outside. "Hey Dorn, thanks for talking to Sir Robert for me. Did you convince him to give me a job?"

You nod. "Yep, you'll be cleaning the stables." Varys looks back at you in surprise. "Seems a bit rudimentary, but I'll take it. I can use the money." You suddenly feel a bit bad; perhaps you should have tried to get Varys a better job.

Varys starts walking away, then turns around. "Are you coming, Dorn? We don't want to be late, do we?" You catch up with him shortly. You arrive at the wagons where Sir Robert's men are loading supplies. There are two wagons, one for Sir Robert's personal belongings, and another for general supplies. Most of the attendees are either on horseback or riding on top of the wagons. You decide to find a good spot on one of the wagons. You see Sir Robert up ahead on Midnight. He waves you over, along with your friend. You walk up to him.

Rather than saying hello, he gets right to the point of why he called you over. "How good are you and your friend at riding horses?"

You and Varys glance at each other. "We're pretty good, as we've been riding since we were kids."

"Good," responds Sir Robert. "I want you to ride these two horses here. Even though I always prefer to compete with Midnight, I figured it might be good to have some backup horses just in case. You'll ride alongside me in the front. All right?"

"Yes, sir," you both reply, almost simultaneously.