Chapter 12

How Hal found favor with Leo, the trader’s factotum, and Bully Billy and his friends came to find their just desserts.

The old bard paused, and wheezed, and meaningfully tapped his empty leathern jack, that his audience might know ‘twas time to refill his cup with foaming ale. Waiting for but a brief moment, the old man smiled beatifically when not one but five containers of the foaming brew appeared!

For bards and tale-tellers know that men await scenes of manly combat and bold doings, and will loose their purse-strings that they hear the tales continue; aye, the largesse earned by the telling of the doings of heroes is exceeded only when the tale also involves much swiving of maidens and women no longer deserving of that description!

The bard drained the first of the jacks, licked his moustache where a few droplets yet hid, and prepared to continue his tale.

Billy regained his footing with the help of one of his many sycophants ere he turned to face Hal. Limping now he was, for Hal’s kick had done sore hurt to his knee! Perchance this was the reason for his action, or it might have been simple rage; for he had equipped himself with a poniard during his stumble, snatched from the scabbard of a supporter who’d picked him up and turned him about that he might continue the fight to conclusion.

Clearly he had forgotten the rules enforced so strictly by Leo, the trader’s factotum. Know ye that Bully Billy need fear no man when naught but fists faced him, yet Leo fought but rarely in such wise. Well had he learned weapons lore, and willingly would he use such in the service of his master, Lord Padraic, called the Bold. Yet Leo’s use of weapons invariably led to fewer hands to do the caravan’s work, and now and again, the need to pause while the company buried one or more who forgot Leo’s rule. Or, as Billy had done, ignored it, to their rue.

Hal recognized the threat and skipped back, attempting to avoid the needle-sharp blade; but hands reached forward to thwart his efforts, and some might have tried to hold him in place that he not escape the vengeance of Bully Billy. Their efforts failed; Hal squirmed about, and suddenly men released their grip upon him with anguished howls. The rat-hands might be too light to use as fists, but those long fingers were equipped with strong rat-claws! Bloody were Hal’s claws now, and the source of the blood did reveal itself in long, exceedingly deep scoring of hands and faces; for ‘tis not wise to corner a rat and leave it without means of escape, as all smart men know!

Hal then stepped forward, gory fingers extended toward the face of Bully Billy. He but sought room to evade another rush, my word upon it, but Billy knew this not; he quailed and switched the knife from hand to hand, and paused. Know that the blade was as long as a man’s forearm and needle-like of point, yet did Billy bethink himself of better places to be than facing this youth who’d suddenly revealed a side like none Billy had seen ere this day! So ‘twas Billy who stepped backward now, seeking to mingle that he but one among the watchers!

Alas, ‘twas too late, for another had come to observe. Leo stepped forward into the clearing around the two, and shrewd were his eyes, knowing from long experience what had transpired in this place. “Poniards, Billy?” said Leo softly. “I had not thought that ye could find the courage in your liver to face me with such.” While yet he was speaking, Leo drew his own poniard from the scabbard, leaving his long sword sheathed for the nonce. Smoothly he moved the long knife from hand to hand, point up, hilt down, his free hand held forward between such moves. In such wise did Billy see his doom approaching.

“My lord Factotum, I have no quarrel with you!” Billy squeaked, and dropped the poniard onto the ground, that the needly tip stuck into the dirt while the hilt quivered above it ere the knife came to rest. One among the watchers looked at the knife longingly, for ‘twas his poniard that he’d offered to Billy without thought for future events! Bully Billy now faced death, instead of administering a beating as he’d oft done ere this day. In sooth, ‘twas not a view Billy enjoyed!

“An ye will not fight a man armed as were ye but moments agone, Billy, ‘tis clear you would be useless should we be attacked by bandits on our way south! Ye shall draw such coin as Trader Lord Padraic deems fit to offer and go, to seek ye such employ in Two Palms village as may be found.”

“Here, my lord Factotum?” protested Billy. “Where the only enjoyment a man might find comes from the objects that have given this pesthole its name? Where ‘tis almost impossible to escape without a caravan to travel with, because of the waterless desert and the fell creatures and worse men who infest it?”

“Just so, Billy,” Leo said softly, “an ye thought so ill of this place, ye should have taken care ere ye broke my simple rule!”

Bully Billy was truly caught betwixt the bad and the worse! Maddened, he bethought himself of what awaited him when the few coins he might expect from Trader Lord Padraic had vanished. Bawling his displeasure, he bent down and snatched the poniard from where it stuck up from the ground. Know ye that the act ‘twas much as that which Arthur of great renown did with Excalibur, saving only that his wondrous blade had been inserted into stone instead of bare dirt; and besides, Arthur’s was a longer and magicked brand!

Boldly, with liver strengthened by the fear of being abandoned in Two Palms, Billy advanced upon Leo, prepared to do murder. There were others among the watchers who had seen their leader humbled, and who now looked to a future with little hope after Billy had gone. So it was that poniards out, four men moved forward to stand with Billy e’en as he advanced. Leo spared them but a glace, then looked he forward. Catlike he crouched, the perfect image of warlike manhood, boldly facing five as readily as he’d faced one.

But ‘twas not to be, for Hal could not stand idly by and see Leo face such odds alone! Leo it was who had offered him employ, food when he had hungered, and finally a job among men. Aye, a debt of honor was assuredly owed to Leo! Hal stepped forth to stand at Leo’s side. Poniard he had none, nor even the common belt-knife that men wear, for both now lay discarded along with his jerkin. Yet did his liver fire his courage, such that he could not stand idly by and see Leo outnumbered so greatly!

Many remarked after that the muscles that rippled on Hal’s manly body were but little smaller than those Leo himself had displayed on occasion! Leo gave him a glance and a smile, before turning back to confront Billy and his gang of miscreants.

Ah, pale now were their faces! Ahead stood a youth, unknown, yet one who had nevertheless demonstrated pluck and a fearsome ability to use the hands that Billy had sought to shame him with! And Leo, a fighter of renown such that even bandits sought him not!

Victor in a thousand fights and more was Leo, if tales of lesser bards are to be believed! The which they are not, as all men know! Leo had emerged victorious from perhaps a hundred fights, hardly more than that! For know ye, bards are prone to lying, all those others! ‘Tis I who tell ye this, and I am renowned for my truthfulness, as all men know!”

The old man picked up a jack and drained it, puffing his satisfaction. He looked pointedly at the empties, but as there was one yet remaining that held ale, none volunteered to leave the table and fetch refills.

Thirst quenched for the nonce, the old man judged his audience shrewdly, and did not insist. A belch, a squirm, a noise of even lower origin, and then did he continue with the spinning of his tale.