Iny Lorentz - The Marie Series 02 (34 page)

The Taborites cheered loudly. Wanda, standing next to Marie, began to squeal like a stuck pig. “They’re Hussites! Now we’re finished!”

Clenching her fists, Marie stared at the leather surcoats and the pointed helmets of around five hundred Czech knights, who were now all lowering their pikes, ready to attack. Marie swore if she had to lose her life that day, the attackers would have to pay a high price for it. But then she recognized the coat of arms of the horseman in front and cheered. “They’re not enemies!” she shouted as loudly as she could. “It’s Ottokar Sokolny and his group, and they’ve come to help us!”

At the same time, she saw Vyszo, who’d been flung from his tent by the explosion, crawling out of a bush and scrambling to his feet. He hadn’t yet realized that it wasn’t friends who had appeared, as he staggered toward the horsemen, bent double with pain and naked from the waist down. Stopping in his tracks, he tried to shield himself with his arms. Ottokar Sokolny galloped toward him, decapitated him with one swift motion, and then raised his bloody weapon high above his head.

“Come on, men! Death to the Taborites!”

“For Sokolny!” his men shouted, spurring their horses on.

Michel swung his sword as their enemies stood still in surprise. “Come on, men! Go! Our time has come. Let’s beat the Taborite swine, or Falkenhain will fall!” He stormed toward the nearest Taborite, Sir Heinrich and Heribert von Seibelstorff staying at his side as they mowed down rows of enemies with their long swords. Urs Sprüngli ordered the surprised foot soldiers to move ahead, and they attacked the enemy in relatively good order, pushing them against Sokolny’s knights, so that Vyszo’s men found themselves penned in and beaten down.

After only a short while, the battle was more like a rout of the surviving Taborites by the allies. Only a few random groups of weakened besiegers tried to withstand the united forces of the defenders, but they were quickly scattered. Those enemy soldiers still able to walk took off like scared rabbits. Later, no one could tell how many had managed to escape into the forest, but the slain bodies told of the high death toll Little Prokop’s men had to pay outside Falkenhain’s walls.

Ottokar Sokolny and Michel stopped their men at the edge of the forest, not wanting to sacrifice them in pointless pursuits. Václav Sokolny caught up with them, jumped from his saddle, and hugged his brother, tears running down his cheeks. “By God, Ottokar, never have I been happier to see you than today!”

“A man who’s secretly a Calixtine found me three days ago and told me about Prokop’s and Vyszo’s plans. Thanks to him, I could rush to your aid, and I believe I arrived just in time.” Count Ottokar broke away from his brother’s embrace and pointed at his companions. “We’re all loyal Czechs, but we’re no friends of the Taborites and their reign of terror. If that mob isn’t stopped, they’ll turn our beautiful country into a graveyard.”

Surprised, Václav Sokolny stared at his brother. “You really want to take up arms against the two Prokops and their followers?”

“Want to? We’ve already started!” the man next to Ottokar Sokolny said grimly.

Count Václav raised his hands, trying to calm him down. “Forgive me, Pán Sebesta. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

“No offense taken.” Sebesta Dozorik patted the count’s shoulder and glanced over the battlefield. “It’s good to see that pack of peasants getting a good hiding for a change. They need to put down their weapons, till our fields, and leave warfare to those of us who know what we’re doing.”

Michel was tempted to tell the Czech nobleman that Prokop and his Taborites probably knew more about warfare than most noblemen of rank, including the kaiser, but he didn’t want to pick a fight, and he turned instead to the younger Sokolny.

“Let’s first return to the castle and care for the men and animals. We’ve earned a breakfast and a good jug of beer. We can come back and clean up later.”

“I’ve got nothing against a decent sip of beer, and I bet the Taborites have left us a few barrels as loot.” Sebesta Dozorik thirstily eyed the barrels in the deserted camp, but Michel chuckled and shook his head.

“We’d better not touch the beer until we know which barrels my wife poisoned with Wanda’s brew. Or do you want an aching belly?” The others laughed, but Junker Heribert stared at Michel in confusion. “Your wife? But the woman performing that heroic deed was Marie, our sutler.”

“Yes, Marie, my wife. She never believed I was dead, and so she set out to find me. Little did she know I’d lost my memory and couldn’t remember who I was. The only things I recalled from my past were her face and her name.”

Michel’s beaming face showed his love for Marie and his anticipation of their reunion, but the Junker only felt an aching pain in his chest and a sudden urge to run the other man through with his sword. A firm hand on his shoulder brought him back to his senses. Turning around, he found Heinrich von Hettenheim standing next to him, with a look that conveyed both sympathy and a sharp warning.

Junker Heribert forced a smile. “It was a wonderful battle, don’t you agree, Sir Heinrich? All those who fought on our side will forever be our friends.”

Sir Heinrich nodded at him in relief. “That’s what I expected to hear from you. Now let’s go! The others have already gone ahead, and I don’t want to wait until sheds and cellars are empty.”

7.

While most of the women stayed on the wall to watch the end of the battle, Marie couldn’t bear to wait any longer. She rushed down the stairs, squeezed through all the wagons in the yard, and ran to Eva’s cart. Michi gave her a cheerful smile, and Eva looked eager to greet her. But Marie merely gave the woman a quick wave, as she had spotted her daughter, who was crawling out of the wagon and stumbling toward her, and she shouted with joy.

“Trudi! Oh God, I’m so glad to have you back!” Catching her daughter in her arms and holding her tight, Marie felt tears of joy running down her face.

Trudi pulled back a little to get a better look at her mother and tried to dry Marie’s face with her hand. “Mama, don’t cry! Trudi here!”

Eva also wiped her eyes and nose. Exhausted, she had been struggling to hold on to her wagon, but now she pulled Marie and the child into her arms. “Miracles never cease! When we heard about your death, we were overcome with grief. It is such a joy to see you alive and well!”

“Yes, I’m alive, and I know someone who won’t like that at all. I’ll make sure he’ll pay for it.” Marie stared into thin air for a moment.

She wasn’t able to continue her thought, however, as Wanda, Zdenka, and Jitka were bringing up the first small barrels from the cellar and pouring cups for the women who were slowly gathering in the courtyard.

“Come and refresh yourselves before the men return, as we’ll be too busy then!” the cook shouted, handing the first cup to Marie. “You’re the woman who poisoned the Taborites’ beer, aren’t you? Well done! I’m proud my brew upset their stomachs.”

Marie smiled appreciatively. “What was in the potion?”

“Oh, I just threw all the herbs, roots, and mushrooms I use to kill vermin into one pot and hoped the brew would teach the Taborites to run.”

“It sure did!” Marie raised her cup and emptied the bitter beer. She would have preferred wine, but she was so thirsty, she could have emptied a whole well. Zdenka refilled her cup, and while the women drank, Marie introduced Anni and Helene, praising their part in confusing the enemy.

Standing nearby with a thickly bandaged arm, Helene looked at her admiringly. “Without your setting the example, we’d never have done it, Marie. By God, it was nice to see those damned Taborites run like hares.” She fell silent for a moment and looked through the open gate. “You might think I’m crazy, but I hope Przybislav and Hasek managed to escape. In their own ways, they weren’t bad fellows.”

Marie didn’t have a chance to reply, as Wanda started shooing her maids into the kitchen and assigning the other women assorted tasks, since, as she told them, a hungry mob of soldiers would soon turn up at the castle.

Wanda had barely finished talking when Marie saw the men returning who were still able to walk. When she spotted Michel covered in blood, her heart ached and her fears threatened to spiral out of control. But to her relief, she then noticed that he was comfortably sitting on the bare back of a shaggy horse, which he’d probably caught and used to pursue the enemies.

As he rode through the gate, she instinctively slipped into the shadow of a wagon, worried about their reunion. Michel slid off his horse, dropped his helmet next to the trough, and washed the blood off his face and hands. Straightening up, he searched the courtyard with his eyes. Marie’s legs trembled when his gaze fell on her, and she felt too weak to move toward him. Staring at her for a few moments, Michel slowly started walking toward her.

“It is really you! I was worried you were just a dream.” Reaching her, he went to pull her into his arms, but he remembered his bloodstained armor and tried to wipe his cuirass on his leather sleeve, which was equally dirty. Marie pushed his arms aside, put her hands on his cheeks, and started to sob.

Holding her head against his shoulder, he looked down at her with tears in his eyes. For a while, neither of them could speak.

Junker Heribert had watched their reunion with a heavy heart. He had grieved deeply at Marie’s disappearance, but now that she was alive and in another man’s arms, he wasn’t sure he could bear it. Finally forcing himself to turn away from their overjoyed faces, he caught sight of Janka Sokolny nearby, lividly staring at the couple, and he realized that someone else was also watching her hopes and dreams shatter. In that moment, he saw Janka’s hand closing around the hilt of her dagger. Rushing to her side, he grabbed her arm. “You love the knight, don’t you? But Lady Marie has the right to him!”

Janka’s first reaction was to want to claw at Heribert’s face. But then she noticed the pain in his eyes and the sympathy in his expression, and her burning hatred suddenly collapsed, leaving her shaky and drained. She clung to the Junker to stop herself from falling, and she didn’t object when Heribert held her and whispered soothing words into her ear. “There’ll be a new love for you, mistress, and perhaps, if God wills it, even for me.”

Sir Heinrich and Eva, who’d been observing the Junker with worried looks, exchanged a glance. Two people seemed to have found each other in their suffering, giving each other strength.

Meanwhile, upset that her mother seemed to have forgotten about her, Trudi tugged at Marie’s skirt. But not until she started to whine did her mother take her arms off Michel and look down at her daughter. “But, my darling, what’s the matter?”

With a jolt, Marie realized that the child didn’t know her father and was simply jealous. She picked Trudi up and proudly presented her to her husband. “This is our little Hiltrud. We call her Trudi to distinguish her from her godmother. She was born nine months after your departure.”

Michel was deeply moved as he gazed at her, while his daughter scrutinized him distrustfully. “How beautiful she is! By God, this is the most wonderful gift you could have given me.”

Trudi wrinkled her nose. “Mama, who’s that man?”

“He’s your father,” Marie replied, suddenly realizing that the word had no meaning to her daughter. But that would soon change.

The younger Sokolny had watched Marie and Michel’s joyful reunion somewhat impatiently, and he now walked over to them. “Forgive me for interrupting, but this is not yet the time to celebrate. We have beaten only one of several Taborite armies. The survivors will carry the news of their defeat to the two Prokops as fast as they can, and then we’ll have to deal with at least three times as many enemies. The way things stand, we have no chance of holding Falkenhain, so we must discuss what to do next.”

Michel reluctantly let go of Marie. “You’re absolutely right, Pán Ottokar. But why did you turn against your former allies? Was it just to save your brother? Starting today, you’re not safe anywhere in Bohemia!”

With a bitter laugh, Ottokar Sokolny replied. “I haven’t been for a long time, Nemec! The Taborite leaders have declared us Calixtine noblemen their enemies, saying we’re just as depraved as the German lords we used to fight together, and their preachers are likewise stirring up hatred against us.”

Sebesta Dozorik stepped up to Michel and rested his hand on his shoulder. “These men don’t care about faith or the liberation of our people, but only about their own power, and they are trying to secure it through bloody terror. We have therefore decided to take up arms against the Taborites, rather than wait until they kill us one by one. But we’re not strong enough to defeat them on our own, and we need to look for allies.”

The younger Sokolny turned to his brother, whose shoulder wound Wanda was dressing. “Václav, you can’t stay here! Take all your people to the Reich before the Taborites have gathered a new army to destroy you. Go to King Sigismund and tell him the Czech nobility of Bohemia is ready to discuss an alliance. Tell him it’s the only way for him to keep the crown of Bohemia and put an end to the devastating campaigns of the Taborites once and for all. Everything has its price, of course, and we’ll give you our terms in writing.”

Count Sokolny looked at Michel, asking for help. “What do you think, Sir Knight of the Reich?”

“You should heed your brother’s advice. The Taborites have left enough wagons and provisions behind, which when added together with our own, will be enough for a long march west. Order the men who can still walk to take stock of the loot and assign sufficient guards. We have to expect that the odd survivor of Vyszo’s army will return to set fire to their camp. Everything needs to be ready for departure in three days’ time at the latest. I hope Marek will be able to lead us west without being noticed, just as he so ably brought Sir Heinrich and his men here.”

Marek grimaced as if he’d swallowed vinegar. “No, don’t count on me. I’m staying here to fight with Pán Ottokar against those destroying our country.”

Michel glanced at the count, who spread his arms helplessly, and then thoughtfully looked at Marek. Michel understood his friend’s convictions and loyalty, and he knew that an unwilling leader wasn’t a good leader. So he nodded and placed his hand on his shoulder. “Stay here and fight. You’re a cunning old fox and will be a valuable help to Pán Ottokar. I wish you all the luck in the world, Marek, and may God allow us to meet again. But now, let’s get to work. We’ve got a lot to do.”