Chapter 14: Recruits

Eric worked the three men hard for the remainder of the day. Diana and Emil took the opportunity to learn about the operation of the mill and to discover more about the surrounding countryside and the mill's customers. Eric explained that the mill served half a dozen small farming communities.

The mill was a sort of bank for the neighboring farmers. Their harvest was brought to the mill for storage. Crops like wheat, durum, corn, rye, oats, barley, millet & sorghum, buckwheat, soybeans, peas, and beans were all stored at the mill and processed at different times and to meet different demands. Eric was the miller, but his wife, Millie was the accountant. It was her job to keep track of each farmer's balance of storage and withdrawals and to hold aside a fair percentage as profit for the mill. Because she dealt with farmers throughout the area she knew plenty of gossip concerning each village that the mill served. Her stories about the strange personalities and odd behaviors of some of the mill's customers kept Emil and Diana entertained all afternoon.

As darkness fell, Emil led his three new charges to one of the large storage sheds adjacent to the mill house. "You'll sleep here tonight," he instructed them. "You've worked hard today, so I'll see that you have a good meal."

Eric and Millie didn't particularly like the idea of feeding their three attackers, but Emil reminded them that they'd accepted payment for all damages. Finally, Emil's logic won them over, and Millie provided a pot of warm stew and a loaf of two-day old bread. When Emil delivered the food to the three men in the shed he cautioned them, "You're safe enough here tonight with the door closed, but I wouldn't go wandering about the yard. My dogs will be on the prowl." With a wry smile, he stepped from the shed and left the men to consider their situation in the dark.

Emil and Diana were given the children's bedroom and comfortable but narrow beds. After such an upsetting day, Emily and Johnny were happy to sleep on the floor of their parents' bedroom. The dogs did sleep in the mill yard. Emil's sword lay unsheathed by his bedside, but the night passed without incident.

At the crack of dawn Emil went to the shed and was pleased to find all three men slumbering peacefully. They'd passed the first test, whether by reason of fear or by commitment to their promise remained to be seen. Emil roused them, offered them another meal of cold stew and then sent them to their second test.

"There's a ferry about an hour's walk up the road past the mill pond," Emil informed the men. "Go there and wait for me. I'll join you later this morning."

Once the men were out of sight, Emil returned to the house to awaken Diana. He found her already stirring about in the kitchen with Millie who was preparing a large breakfast of ham, eggs, grits and bread, a meal the likes of which Emil had rarely seen. When he expressed amazement, Millie just smiled.

"Being millers, we get all sorts of food in trade. I wasn't feelin' too spunky yesterday what with all the excitement, but this morning I'm my old self. Consider this breakfast my way of saying thanks for what you did yesterday."

Emil and Diana ate with relish. The different foods, especially the grits and bread were a special treat. Millie even placed honey and butter on the table. Emil began to understand why both Millie and Eric were on the stout side. He had been curious since overweight people were a rarity in these times. It dawned on him that Eric was probably the richest man in the region, and that his storehouses probably held most of this valley's real wealth. After their huge breakfast Emil tried to strike a deal with Eric for flour, but Eric would take nothing.

"What are a few sacks of flour compared to our lives?" Eric asked. "You take what you can carry and I'll consider it more than fair."

Emil recognized that it would be fruitless to argue, but not wanting to take advantage of Eric, accepted only four, 25-pound sacks of flour, arguing that more would be too much of a burden for the horses. Once the sacks of flour were lashed to the horses' saddles, farewells were said and Emil and Diana set out toward the ferry, the four dogs coursing ahead as usual.

When they reached the ferry, they were gratified to see their three new charges lounging on the bank, engaged in banter with the two ferrymen. As Diana and Emil drew near, the head ferryman stood smiling. "Well, young sir, from the story these scoundrels tell, it seems to me you've gained three more followers, and that's not counting the Eric the miller and his family."

Emil just smiled. "At least they've followed me this far. That's a good sign."

The leader of the three men spoke. "We gave you our word, sir, and what's more, we had ourselves a long conversation last night. We've decided that sticking with you is truly the best way to get our families back again. Don't you worry, we'll follow you."

Emil was heartened to hear this kind of talk, but he wasn't totally ready to trust the men. He turned to the head ferryman. "Looks like we'll need three trips this time. Take these three first." Then he smiled. "Hopefully they'll be worth the dime they'll cost me."