Niall the Beardless

This beginning may be the end of me

2005-12-09T14:44:06Z

If I've had time lately to stop and record my thoughts, I must've been too tired to notice it. There must be something brewing that they've pushed my training so hard and fast these past several weeks. They've been doing it to all of the new potential recruits for Eochaidh's guard, and even the teachers seem suprised by the intensity sometimes. Some of us think there might be a threat from or on another province. That would explain the rush to get us all ready for initiation.

You'd think that with all this manly activity I might sprout a full beard in my sleep, but no such luck. Also, it appears that a witty nickname, especially one that approximates your real name, can be very catchy. I've even caught the teachers slipping and using my new title. Something has to be done about this. I can't have my name recorded in the bards' tales as "Nia ta ul.*"

*"He has no beard"

I wouldn't call it normal, but...

2005-11-03T01:42:15Z

Things have been substantially less exciting lately, or maybe they've just gotten more routine. I haven't gotten to spar nearly as much, and haven't been challenged by too many people, either. They've had me working on cleasa*, which hasn't been too bad, but certainly not easy and often not safe by any stretch of the imagination. Stand on the point of a spear, my arse. But I gather that mastering them is a major part of the initiation.

Also, the beard project is not going well. I can't even get a patchy one to grow. It stops at a sort of fuzzy thing you can only see up close. I almost fell into a tub of water trying to get a good look at it a few days ago. The whole group seems to have decided on a single nickname to stick with. I'm not sure if that makes it better or worse. I asked a guy named Lugaid who is only a bit older than me for advice and he told me to smash up a plant I'd find on the west side of the fort, rub it on my face, and leave it there while I slept. It took me several hours the next morning before I realized it had staiend my face green. On the bright side, I think it was his way of being friendly, so I've just got to find a way to get him back and we'll call it even.

*[Author]cleas (pl. cleasa) - trick or feat, usually martial in nature, often but not always fantastical[/Author]

[LJ2ME] Fight, fight, exercise, fight, pass out

2005-10-28T01:34:20Z

Do you know what happens when you do "surprisingly well" in sparring around a place like this? Everyone wants to do "surprisingly well" against you. Yesterday wasn't even a sparring day, but every free moment I had, someone wanted to challenge me. And my family always told me you were better off losing terribly than turning down a challenge. I certainly did lose some of those fights terribly. By the end I got smart and stopped using particular weapons just because I needed more work in them.

On the bright side, I won more times than I lost, by far. Which means I've got a good standing among the men here even before I'm officially a member of the Gold Spears. Two days of winning against a fair number of trained warriors will do wonders for one's courage and confidence. Disparaging comments from losers or winners be damned.

I got to spend less time than I would have liked with my tribesmen, but we made what we could of it. They told me more about our history and I sent news with them to give to my parents. I'm not so sure they liked the decision Eochaidh handed down to them, but I didn't ask for the details.

[LJ2ME] Royal blood in the family

2005-10-25T21:59:07Z

I got done with practice fairly early today because I was doing "surprisingly well" in my training. It wasn't much of a surprise to me since it was mostly sparring and I was always better at that than general physical training. It did seem odd that I did better with the sword today than anything else. As you might guess, I'd always been better with the spear before. I can just hear that old druid laughing in the back of my head. He was even teaching his students near the practice yard today. Between him and the beard comments, I'm lucky I can concentrate at all.

Right after they let me leave exercises, I ran into a few farmers who had come to ask King Eochaidh to settle a dispute for them. I offered to get them drinks and show them to where they needed to be. It turns out they're a part of my tribe, only not my direct family. Either way, I got them some of the best food I could and threw them my own little welcome party. We got to talking and the oldest of them who'd match my father's father in years told me that Queen Cathan is a member of our tribe, as well. She had a chance at the kingship (or queenship, as it were) of Munster and originally opposed Eochaidh's bid for the throne. The story says that they gathered their armies to meet in battle, but both of them called off the charge when they got close enough to see each other because they had fallen in love. Of course, the more cynical men scoffed at that and said Cathan probably offered the marriage as a treaty after making it perfectly clear she'd hand Eochaidh his manly parts on a platter if necessary. They say she's evidence of the fire in our family's blood, a tough warrior like Eochaidh not wanting to come up against her. I wonder if this has anything to do with why I was sent for so early.

[LJ2ME] Fun nights mean tough mornings

2005-10-25T05:49:20Z

Wouldn't you imagine that they'd give you a bit of time to recover from the big party before running you ragged? If I'd eaten anything all day, it would have ended up all over the practice yard. I guess it's good that they wanted to get started preparing me for the initiation ritual, though. I really wish I knew exactly what that entailed. It seems the first exercise for it is vomitting. A lot. Or at least trying to.

I think I'll start working on some facial hair. Not too many of my foster brothers were old enough to grow any, so it was normal to be smooth-faced, but here I look as strange as apples in winter. I think I heard one of the burlier men make a disparaging comment about it. He was probably just upset because I outran him in the races today.

[LJ2ME] A party like I've never seen before

2005-10-24T00:49:46Z

Warmer welcomes than this could only come straight out of the Dagda's cauldron. I didn't know pigs got that big or that beer could taste so sweet. It was great watching the competition for the best cut of meat, even if I got laughed out in the first round. Meeting kings (and queens for that matter) certainly is a memorable experience.

I couldn't help but notice that the royal couple barely said two words to each other. I'd always heard they were quite affectionate. Maybe they act more formal in front of new people. We'll see how that plays out.

[LJ2ME] As if I wasn't nervous enough...

2005-10-23T04:37:31Z

I was a bit off in my estimations and showed up at the gates in full dark. Now, I didn't expect anyone but night guards to be awake at that hour, so imagine my surprise when I see an old man standing between me and the gates. And he whispers to me about how I'm never to enter Temair Luachra by day and to value the sword over the spear. Great, like I really needed geasa hanging over my head. Especially ones like those. What do they even mean? Oh, well. He showed me to some nice guest quarters. I'm looking forward to meeting the king and hopefully being formally welcomed by him tomorrow. Maybe even starting initiation into his guards. Hopefully I can get that sneaky old druid's words out of my head long enough to sleep.

[LJ2ME] Riding as fast as the waves is not so fun

2005-10-22T14:11:15Z

They gave me a horse to ride to King Eochaidh's fort at Temair Luachra and said Eochaidh sent it specifically for me. When a king sends a horse and calls it "the fastest in all Ireland," he means it. It is only by the grace of Lugh that I didn't fall off and break my neck. I have no doubt that the beast came from a lake and several times I thought it would return and take me with it. At least it knows to stop for meals and sleep.

By normal estimation, I'd be about two days' trip from the fortress. Which means that on this kelpie-kin I ought to be there by nightfall. If I live that long.

[LJ2ME] Off to fulfill my destiny

2005-10-20T13:56:30Z

Today I become a man. I'm leaving the home of my foster-father, Conall Finn, to join King Eochaidh's elite guard, The Gold Spears of Munster. Finally, after 10 years of training, I get to take the place made for me by my father, and his father, and... you get the idea.

I do think it's odd that I got to join so early, but rumor has it one of Eochaid's wise men had good things to say about me. I hope that was all he had to say. The less prophecy there is about me, the happier I am.

I'm sure I'll have more to say when I get there.