OOC:
So apparently, rolling a d10 under 5 is almost impossible. Starting to think I'm doomed.
Face Danger -> miss -> pay the price -> 1 damage
Resist harm -> weak hit -> press on
Action & Theme: Defeat Dream
Aspect & Focus: Defended Equipment
Looks like Dolk's dream might be cut short already...
A sharp pain shoots through Dolk's waist. He looks down as he struggles to take control of Flash and spots a tear in his shirt, red liquid is starting to ooze out of it. All he can think about is how tragic it would be if he falters here. Not even a full day from home, his first hurdle. And he's already too unprepared to deal with it. Was this a fool's dream? Should he have stayed home, safely? He surely didn't think it would come to this! Flash staggers, throwing his rider off onto the ground and everything goes black for Dolk.
A splitting headache is what wakes him up. By the looks of it, it's dark outside. To his surprise, this implies that he is inside. He rubs the pain away from his eyes and tries to sit up. Something tugs at his wrist.
"Careful there, sonny." A voice calls out from across the room. Looking at his wrist, Dirk sees a chain fastened to an iron bar embedded in the wall. Such a bar is usually used to tie horses to. But I suppose it works for humans just as well.
"My head." Dolk says softly, rubbing his hair. A painful bruise makes on the back of his head him wince.
"Yeah, you hit your head pretty hard." The voice, now closer, tells him. In the dim torch light, Dolk can see his face now. It's the second guard. The one who hadn't talked. An older man with white hair and a thick mustache. Probably the one who had the crossbow. Dolk tenses.
"Let me go!"
"Oh, I don't know about that yet." The man says.
"You see, we caught you trying to sneak past. We would have been well within our right to outright kill you, sonny." Dolk's expression changes to disbelief.
"Why didn't you then?" He asks.
"Well.." Says the guard.
"I still can. But it will depend on you. You see, though I might not look like it, I'm the captain of these guards. And unfortunately, I lost a good man the other day on my way here. So... To finish the task I've been given, I need a replacement. And then you came strolling by, already owning a horse, well equipped for travel." He smirks.
"Now, I'll leave the choice up to you, sonny. Either you swear your allegiance to me and join us on our way to Fellmire, or I leave you here. You'll surely find a way to escape, but by then your horse and belongings will be long gone."
Dolk thinks for a hard minute before answering. He could get out of here alive and free, but he would lose everything he's worked for the past months. Or he could join this troupe. Come to think of it... Fellmire rang a bell. Wasn't that one of the stops on his way to Shellsbrook? That wouldn't be all that bad. But who's to say he'll be let go once they get there?
"So if I agree to this, and we get to Fellmire, I'll be free to go?" He inquires. The captain shows him a grin with fewer teeth than most people Dolk knows.
"If you do your job well enough. So, does that mean I have your word? Swear it on that amulet, boy." He says as he points to a piece of iron hanging from Dolk's neck. It was an amulet given to him by his mother a week ago. She was adamant that it would protect him in rough times. So much for that promise... It had failed him on the first sight of danger. Nevertheless, Dolk nodded and grabbed the amulet in his hand.
"I swear to join your ranks and serve to the best of my ability until we get to Fellmire and have repaid my debt."