Chapter 12

Donald and the others finished training for the day. It had been an exhausting and tiring, but a somewhat satisfying day. The men had worked well and were coming on. Donald had them working in their squads, one squad against another. They had finally figured out that by working together they could defend against a much larger group. Peter had been working with Nathaniel in the office.

“That lad of yours is a little genius. He has a real head for figures. I’d like him to work with me on the books,” Nathaniel told Paul as they packed up for the night.

“I’m sure he’d love that. Farming is all right, but it can be a hard life. If he can better himself then it’s all to the good.”

Nathaniel turned to Donald. “Those shields work well. They seem much better than any I’ve seen before.”

“They are, they are not cheap, however. I told you that good equipment costs, the best costs even more. These are the best I’ve ever come across. There is a family that would like transportation to Bridgeport. I have agreed they may accompany us. These shields are to pay for their passage. It is a very generous donation.”

“Yes, very generous indeed. How much were they going to charge for them?”

“His opening price was a gold crown each. I think I could have had them for half that. This is how much I think they are worth. They really are works of the shield maker’s art.”

“Yes, but that shield of yours, well, it’s fit for a king!”

“Yes, it is, isn’t it? I guess we all have some vanity in us, somewhere. When he brought it out, I just had to have it.”

“I can believe that.”

They formed up in the now usual way, the men with their shields on the outside, the women within and made their way home. As they approached the house, they saw some men waiting for them. Donald loosened his sword in it’s scabbard. He tightened his grip on his shield.

“Okay, let’s see what they want; but if necessary, be prepared to form a shield-wall.”

Samuel watched as they marched in tight formation towards him. He recognised Donald. He would have recognised him anywhere. He felt a strange sense of pride in the way they kept in formation, in how they protected each other from attack from any direction. It was just as he had taught Donald, all those years ago. Donald looked at the man awaiting him. He recognised him at once. He wanted to run up to him and embrace the man who he looked upon almost as a second father, the man who had taught him so much, who had done so much to keep him alive during those early years.

“Donald.”

“Samuel.”

“You’re looking good. I hear you’ve just got married.”

“Yes, I have. How about yourself? How has the world been treating you?”

“Very well. Married with two children.”

“Are we hear to talk or fight? Let me tell you now it would hurt me to have to kill you and your men, but, if I have to, then so be it.”

“I feel the same. I just want to know about the Lady Isabella. Is she safe and well? Also what happened last night at the White Swan?”

“I am safe and quite well. I am also tired, hungry and in need of a bath. Could we please continue this discussion inside?”

Samuel looked with astonishment at the woman speaking. She stood in the middle of their group, but where as the rest were being protected, she was armed with a bow, already knocked, to give covering fire if needed. Donald was watching all around as he always did. Suddenly, he saw a movement. It was an archer.

“Ambush!”

The shields came up in an instant as arrows rained in. The arrows struck the shields. Samuel had turned when Donald shouted. It saved his life. An arrow hit him in the shoulder. Two of his men were also hit, one in the leg and the other in the arm. Ten men then charged out from hiding. Isabella shot one of the men as he ran towards them. He screamed and collapsed holding his belly.

“Forward six! Defend the wounded!” Donald shouted

They moved forward six paces, placing the shield-wall between their attackers and the fallen town guard. Donald grabbed the uninjured man, and threw him to the rear. The wall stretched across the street. They all crouched down behind their shields. Isabella managed another shot. She was rewarded by hearing another scream. Donald smiled, the adrenalin was up and running. This was what he lived for, this was when he felt so alive. He waited until their attackers were almost on top of them.

“Now, thrust!”

The spears were thrust forward. More screams as men were impaled. He watched the man in front of him slowly slide to the ground. He pulled the spear from the man. He looked up and down the line. Four more men lay on the ground. The others seeing that the attack had failed, turned to run away. Isabella got another one as he fled.

“Get the wounded inside. I’ll check these to see if any live. If they do I’ll find out who they are, who they work for, and what the fuck is going on!”

“Get my wife. Send Rupert to get my wife. She’s a healer. Get her now and the children,” Samuel gasped.

Rupert who was the only one of the guard not wounded, immediately ran off in the direction of Samuel’s house.

“All right, my friend. We have you now. Let’s get you inside.”

The wounded were brought in. They undressed them as best they could. Donald went to check on the wounded attackers. He saw Alan approach one.

“Alan! Get back!”

As Alan jumped back, the man lunged at him, dagger in hand. He missed. The man groaned with the effort and pain.

“Thanks for that, how did you know?”

“Seen it too many times. Look, get your shield. I’ll show you how to approach a wounded man.”

Donald held his shield, keeping his shield between him and the wounded man.

“Right then, are you going to try any more of your tricks?”

“Fuck off, you bastard.”

Donald pushed his spear into the man’s wound. He screamed. The blood flowing even more freely from his wound.

“That looks bad, bet it hurts. Now I’m going to ask some questions. Answer them, and I’ll give you mercy. Don’t answer them, and I’ll make sure your last minutes are filled with torment. Your choice.”

“Fuck off! I’ll tell you nothing” he gasped, the pain even stronger.

“Very well, you had your chance.”

Donald picked up the man’s fallen dagger and jammed it into the man’s leg. He screamed and wept with the pain.

“Don’t want you wandering off, now do we? Let’s go and see I any of the others want to talk.”

They moved to the next man. He had been hit in the leg by one of Isabella’s arrows. He was trying to crawl away. Again, Donald approached him, keeping the shield between them.

“I’d stop if I were you. I want a word.”

The man continued to move. Donald shook his head and brought his spear down, pointing it at his face. He shook his head.

“Who sent you?”

“I can’t. They’ll kill me!”

Donald laughed “And what exactly do you think I’ll do after you tried to kill me, my wife, and my friends? I’m going to count to five. If you don’t tell me what I want to know, I’m going to start sticking you with my spear. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.”

The man lay there shaking his head. Donald stood and rammed his spear through the man’s hand. He screamed.

“Please, please. Have mercy, they’ll kill me!”

“Who will?”

“Roderick. He paid Garth, our leader. If I say more they’ll kill me.”

“I wouldn’t worry about them, if I were you. Unless you tell me everything, right now, I’m going to geld you, and you can bleed to death right here in the street. You tried to kill my wife. Do not expect any mercy from me.”

“No, we were to capture her. Kill you, yes, but capture her ... and any other women and boys. Roderick particularly asked for the boys.”

“Well, that’s a start. Now then, why did they want you to capture my wife, the other women and the boys?”

“I don’t know. They do say that Roderick has a liking for young boys. He uses them as a man would use a woman. He likes to hear them scream and plead. He is one sick fucker.”

Donald could feel his anger rise as he snarled, “And knowing this, you would willingly deliver these children into his clutches? Are you completely without honour?”

“I don’t know for certain. It’s only what I’ve heard.”

“Well, let’s go inside and ask someone who might know, shall we?”

They picked the man up and took him inside.

“Keep him here. We need to check on the rest of the wounded.”

Donald picked up his bow. Alan accompanied him. Donald approached the next wounded man. He drew his bow and shot him from a distance. He rolled him over.

“See, another one with a knife in his hand. He’s knows he’s finished but wants to take one more with him. If they try to move, and show they have no weapons, then I might help them. When they lie doggo like that, then I shoot them before I approach them. I don’t take any chances.”

They repeated the process with the remaining attackers. They searched their bodies for anything useful, other than that left them lying in the street for the dogs and other scavengers. They brought what was useful back in. One had a good pair of boots, another an adequate sword. They all had purses full of coin. Donald went back out to the first man he had questioned. He was still lying in the street. He looked up at Donald.

“Mercy, please mercy, I beg of you.”

“I told you that if didn’t answer me, your last minutes would be filled with pain and anguish. You and your fellows wished to rape our women and children. This is what I do to rapists.”

He rammed the spear into the man’s genitals. The man’s eyes went wide. The pain was so great he could not even scream, all he could do was gasp.

“You’ll bleed out in a few minutes. It’s a shame for you that you are so strong, most would have passed out before now. I promised you your last minutes would be filled with pain and anguish. I am a man of my word.”

Donald could hear the man whimpering as his life-blood flowed out onto the street. He returned to the house.

Isabella was waiting for him. She threw her arms around him.

“Oh, my darling. I was so scared. Why did those men attack us and who are these other men?”

“First we are going to question the one I brought in here. The other men are the town guard come to talk to us. One of them is an old friend. I want to hear what he has to say, before I decide what to do with him.”

They went into the kitchen where the men were sitting. Miriam was cleaning their wounds.

“I got the shaft out, but the head is still in. He said not to touch it until his wife got here. We managed to get the other arrows out. I’ve cleaned the wounds as best I can.”

“Okay, thanks.”

“Hello, Samuel. It’s good to see you again, but it’s not how I’d have wished it. What’s all this about?”

“That’s what I came here to ask you. I had a report that someone was holding the Lady Isabella hostage. There is also the question of four men killed at the White Swan last night.”

“As you can see Lady Isabella’s no hostage.” She stood next to him, her arm holding him tightly. He looked down at her, she had turned pale, she was starting to shake.

“Sit down. Miriam, hot sweet tea and a bucket. Now!”

Donald sat her down. He pushed her head between her knees. Miriam brought a bucket over, just in time. Isabella was violently sick.

“First time?” Samuel asked

“Yes. I had the same reaction, remember?”

“Yes, and you’d pissed yourself. But you stayed in formation. You held the line.”

“He was a big bastard. I thought I was dead. I remembered what you had told me. I waited ‘till he raised his sword to strike, and then stuck him with the spear. I still remember the look on his face, can still hear his scream, still remember the smell. It never leaves you, does it?”

“No. No, it doesn’t,” said Samuel shaking his head.

The tea was brought, Isabella drank slowly.

“So what about those four men last night?”

Donald sat next to Isabella, holding her as she recovered.

“Oh, that was easy. I heard they were looking for us, and offering a reward for information. I went there to tell them to leave. They chose to attack me, instead. Their mistake. One of them was a skilled swordsman, a true professional. I had them call an undertaker to take care of the body. He was a messenger for the Baron. He had some papers on him. I’ll ask the Bishop to read them to you.”

“The Bishop?”

“Yes, the Bishop Rathbone is one of our party. Either he, Carlos or Isabella can read them to you. They tell an interesting story. We’ll be leaving at the end of the week. If we don’t I’m afraid the body count will rise dramatically.”

“Why, what’s going on?”

“Well, it’s the fact that the Earl is not really in charge any more. It’s a man called Ebenezeer. He has made a deal with the Baron to carve up Lord Blackmore’s land between them. He is in league with Lady Blackmore. Ebeneezer’s taken a liking to Isabella and wants her as his slave. If we stay much longer, there will be a few less rulers, or one less ex-mercenary. Things could get very messy. Just one thing, do you know a man called Roderick?”

“Well, we did wonder. Things have been changing just lately, nothing you could put your finger on, just a feeling. We’ve been around long enough to sense these things. In answer to your question, yes, I do know a man called Roderick. He’s the leader of the town council, why?”

“Did you know he likes young boys?”

“WHAT!! No, I did not! Who told you this? Does he have proof? If it’s true I’ll geld the bastard!”

Donald looked over to the man they had taken prisoner. “Well? You better tell Samuel what you told me.”

The man swallowed. He had heard what was said. He knew that his life hung by a thread.

“We were told to capture the women and any young boys. Garth told us that Roderick had especially asked for them. Told us that he liked to use them like a woman. He loved to hear them scream and beg. He’s a sick bastard he is. The Lady Isabella was to be given to Ebenezeer, and we could do what we wished with the rest.”

Donald sighed and said, “This is my wedding night! I was hoping to spend it with my bride! It looks like another late night. Where does this joker live?”

“No, that’s not how to handle it. That would simply make you an outlaw. Let me handle this. My wife will be here soon. I will ask that you and your companions take her and my children in. Once this is over, I don’t think this will be a safe place for them. Exposing their plans will throw them into confusion. It will either force them to act before they are ready, or give up completely. I don’t think people like those will give up easily.”