Chapter 18: Setbacks and Surprises

They made their escape from the city without further incident, and as they trudged along back roads toward home, Emil considered the events of the morning. Piper might be more useful than Emil had first guessed. "Can you use a sword as well as you do your staff?" wondered Emil.

"I've had some experience," admitted Piper. "Dentistry wasn't my first calling."

"You were a soldier?" guessed Diana.

"That I was, young lady, but it was a long time ago."

"Could you teach men how to handle a staff or a sword now?" Emil queried.

"Done it before," answered Piper.

Emil considered Piper's answer, and then made a decision. "If I offered you a job helping to training good honest men how to fight, would you be interested?"

"Depends," hedged Piper. "How's the food?"

"I'd pay you enough so that you could afford to eat well," countered Emil.

"Could I still do my dentistry?"

Emil laughed. "I'm sure there'd still be time for that."

"Okay."

And so Piper was signed on as the first professional soldier in Emil's nascent army.

The remainder of the trip to the valley was uneventful. Emil and Diana left Piper in the company of Chad's growing group. Piper would work along with Emil's other recruits in the most important task of preparing shelter for the winter. Emil's next goal would be to secure food and equipment for this growing band.

Emil hunted for a day to stock his larder and Diana took the time to tend her garden and see to household chores. After this brief interlude they were off on a "diplomatic" visit to the village. On the morning of their arrival, most of the village men and their families were hard at work in the fields. It was now late summer and harvest time was beginning. They found Clark at his forge pounding out a metal part for one of the carts the farmers used.

Clark set aside his hammer and smiled when he saw Diana and Emil. "So, my young adventurers, what brings you here on this fine hot day?"

"We've come to make you rich," joked Emil.

"Rich?" Clark opened his arms and gestured to the village surrounding him. "What more could a man ask than this?"

"Maybe a little silver?" Emil suggested.

"Or perhaps a few bottles of wine?" Diana added.

Clark laughed. "What have you two been up to that you're now in possession of wine and silver?"

"I'm the same poor hunter I've always been," countered Emil. "But I found myself a rich wife."

"You've now got two wives?" Clark smiled as he watched Diana's face for a reaction.

Diana bristled. "He'd better not have two wives. After all the work I've done to clean him up and tame him, I'm certainly not going to share him."

Clark laughed and rolled his eyes, but Emil explained. "It turns out that Diana had a little dowry hidden away, and now we've decided to spend it for the public good. I want to contract a dozen good swords from you and maybe arrange to buy some of whatever food you can spare for this winter."

"A dozen swords?" Clark exclaimed. "What on earth will you do with a dozen swords?"

Emil explained the situation with Luther in the city to the north and his fears that Luther would be a danger in the spring. He outlined his plans to move against Luther before Luther could move on the valley, but he made no mention of his personal quarrel.

Clark was stunned and surprised. "I'll gladly provide you with the weapons you need, and I think we can negotiate for some produce, but the village council will have to vote on the idea of joining you in an attack on Luther."

"They'll see the danger Luther poses," conjectured Emil.

Clark was hesitant. "The people of this village are farmers. Sometimes they can't see beyond the ends of their noses. Unless this Luther is actually standing outside our gates they may not consider him a threat."

"Once they hear the story of the mill and what Luther has done to the people in the northern city, how could they not consider him a threat?"

"Believe me," Clark said resignedly. "I know my neighbors. I'll present the idea to them as forcefully as I can, but there'll be a lot of resistance."

Clark's bleak prediction discouraged Emil but it caused him to realize that any campaign against Luther was going to have setbacks. On the positive side, the deal for the swords was completed satisfactorily, and Clark felt confident that food would be available to see all of Emil's growing clan through the winter. The village council would meet on their rest day to decide how to deal with the threat Luther posed. It had been a busy day, and as Emil and Diana made there way back to their home at the other end of the valley they were satisfied that they'd accomplished as much as could be expected.

For the next few weeks, life progressed smoothly and pleasantly in the valley. The end of September found Piper, Chad's group and Jacob's men all having completed the dwellings that would see them through the winter. Both Emil and Piper had begun drilling the men in use of sword and staff. Piper was a gruff and idiosyncratic instructor, but the men learned from him and came accept him affectionately as a father figure. The only disappointment came with the news of the village council vote. They had voted to have no part in any action outside actual defense of the village.