Chapter 16: Rules, Rejection, Ramparts, and Repulsion.

“ ... and so we did all that to hide you.”

Ellen finished her story about the inn’s and out’s of their deception of the control of Crossroads. The ruling elite had even gone so far as to set new rules, particularly to prevent my ‘abuse’ of the system. The prevailing opinion was that my actions may have suited the letter of the system, but it certainly did not suit the intent of the program.

There was to be a limit imposed of no more than four assistants to the Hero (that rule was not in place yet obviously since Uncle had a party of six, and none had all been rejected by the portal).

They also prevented anyone from entering the portal within a ten day of their last entry (yet another rule that didn’t yet apply?). Lastly, a new Hero’s first visit to Crossroads would be purely to select a Hero’s Caretaker. Once selected, the new Hero would return to earth and would complete a normal mission path once the ten-day stand-down was complete.

They were rules specifically to block what I had been doing.

“I suppose then that I am done travelling to Crossroads and Chaos.” I said quietly. I suppose I had still harboured the faint hope I might see my Caretaker again.

“What was she like?” Ellen asked, obviously sensitive to what I was thinking.

“If we survive the day, I well tell you about her.” I said with a smile. “But you do remind me of her.” It wasn’t a complete lie but it was a small one to make her comfortable. “First things first, I will escort you to your chamber, we need to put those valuables into storage and introduce you to a new handmaiden.”

“Your sister? Diane and I spoke about her quite a bit. I suppose she just arrived back a quarter hour ago then. Where did you send her?” She asked.

“I had Steward take her to your quarters and tasked Sir Thatcher to set a guard. I suppose I need to find him next. Let us go then.” I scooped the valuables off the desk and picked up Pierre’s short sword and spear before we walked through the portal door and off to her chambers.

By the time I returned to my office, I had seen some of the preparations set in place just recently. Men I remembered from weeks and months ago from Crossroads nodded when they saw me. I tried hard to place names to faces. Hero Pierre had a smile on his face and everyone he had left with. Uncle had returned with all but one. “Sorry sir, Stewards boy was bitten by a dog and died before we even found Evelyn.” I approached Steward, he looked less stooped and haggard, still his eyes held a new sad tiredness.

“I am sorry, Steward.” I said, placing my hand in his shoulder, possibly touching him for the first time in my life. He nodded, looking down but staying silent.

“Uncle, take charge of the defence according to the plans you have made. Steward, aid him and let us lose as few of our children this day as possible.” I ordered, stepping back.

Over the next hour, Uncle’s audacious plan was set in motion. I was part of the force left in the Keep. A full two-thirds of our fighters had already sortied quietly out the side gate, lightly armoured and armed with crossbow and sword. We could have easily repelled the invasion with what trained men we had now, but Uncle had convinced myself and Sir Thatcher of a different goal. We were going to capture the rabble and conscripts, kill the mercenaries and my brother, then march to Ains (who we were sure had supplied him men, arms, and sanctuary) and take their Keep.

As I had said before, audacious.

The morning sun saw their host far outside our gates. I sortied with my original arms-men (who had never been to Crossroads) and the remaining rabble from the keep, looking exactly like what my Brother would have expected. There were about sixty men, some armed well but the rest armed with a few spears, pitchforks, or clubs. I could imagine the smug smile on my asshole-brother’s face.

There was some yelling and stamping of feet before their rabble started moving.

“Hold! “ I shouted, calming my men. We had discussed this plan, and even practiced the actions inside the Keep. Timing was crucial if we wanted to conserve as many of the rabble as possible ... from both sides of this conflict.

“Hold!” I screamed once more, gauging the speed at which they were closing on us, their men bunched together at a quick jog, the rear elements of their forces moving slower, confident that they would catch up quickly once the two sides collided and wanting to conserve their energy for the battle.

“NOW! I screamed and my men and I immediately turned and started sprinting back towards the Keep and its open gate.

As I passed the gate, I stopped and turned, still looking out towards their rabble who were now sprinting for the gate, excited by the fact that our men had been routed and anticipating an easy victory (and their own personal spoils of war). I fell back to the door of my Redoubt, looking for all intents like I was making a desperate last stand, my men having deserted me.

The rabble poured into the courtyard in one big crowd, and the first ones in couldn’t stop if they wanted to since those behind them were urging and pushing them on. They had lost track of the fact that there was now far more than a hundred yards between themselves and the mercenaries.

My men had practiced and developed a few tricks to close these gates. Dozens of long poles slammed the gate closed, and a dozens more poles with hooks grabbed it from the top, closing the Keep and separating the rabble from their support. There had been a few try to block, but archers shot them and the same hooked poles dragged the bodies out of the way.

Once the gates were shut, most of the crossbows and archers turned their attention back outside, stairways having been recently destroyed or blocked up and now guarded by my own well armed men who had dropped their near-useless pitchforks and hoes and re-armed themselves with short spears and small shields.

“Drop the weapons, we are not going to kill you!” My men had been taught to chant in unison. I wanted not to kill them if I didn’t have to, since I wanted them back on the farms of the land I hoped to take over in the next few days.