Stronger than Bone (8 page)

(Present Day: 237 Cycles into the Light)

“I understand that we need to move” said Lynn. “We need to do something, and I agree with every argument you’ve made, except for one” he said. “Your brother can’t be moved. Not yet. A wound like that is dangerous, and even if we had horses; which we don’t, we couldn’t help jostling him about. Swelling within the head could kill him.”

“You’re right,” said Chase as he put another log in the fireplace. “I just know more trouble is coming and we’re down to two men. Besides, you misunderstood me. I am not saying we should all stay. Sergeant, take your daughter and find someplace safe. I’ll stay here with my brother and we’ll make our way to the nearest military camp if…when he gets better.”

Lynn turned from the window, where he had been keeping watch. He stared at Chase for a long moment before saying, “Lieutenant, your brother is going to recover. It’s going to take some time, but he will get better. As for me and my daughter, we have a friend to bury. We aren’t going anywhere until that is done. After that we might as well stay and help you look after your brother. I’m not saying I think staying here is the safest thing for us to do right now, but I like having someone around I can trust.”

Chase was about to say something when he stopped suddenly to listen.

“Do you hear that?” he asked Lynn. “Horses, at least three.” He swiftly picked up his crossbow and stepped out the door.

“Charity, stay down,” Lynn said. He strained to see into the tree line, but it was twilight and he couldn’t make anything out. He picked up the other crossbow and checked to make sure the bolt was knocked properly before pointing it out the window. His axe was resting against the wall within arm’s reach, and his sword was still slung over his back. He was impressed with the young officer, whom he noticed had also kept his sword slung and his crossbow within arm’s reach since the trouble earlier that day.

The horses were getting closer, but Lynn still couldn’t see anything. He could tell they were coming from the southeast though.
“There”
he thought.
“One, two, three, four, five….six. Six armed men on horses.”
He counted.
“Shit.”

Lynn aimed carefully at the last rider and began slowly squeezing the trigger.

“Wait!” called Chase from outside. “I know these men!” He said in an excited voice.

Lynn stopped squeezing, but kept his finger on the trigger and tracked the rider until they were close enough that he could see their armor. He immediately relaxed and lowered the weapon. These were men of the King’s Royal Guard. His daughter would be safe tonight.

An hour later Lynn, Chase, and Corvis sat in front of the fire talking. Charity and her puppy, and Guy slept on pallets nearby. Corvis’s men were taking care of the horses and rotating watch. One of the Privates found the mother dog and her litter in the shed and made sure they had plenty of food and water. Lieutenant Brente assured Lynn that his men would maintain a three man watch through the night.

“Things are pretty straight forward for me,” said Chase, “but I still don’t understand your situation.” He was looking at Lynn. “The men you killed were after me, but the others, including the one that made it in here, were after you. Why?” He asked.

They had shared the story of the last day from each man’s perspective, and now they were trying to make sense of it. Lynn shook his head and kept staring into the fire. “Rumors and old stories I suppose.”

“I don’t follow,” said Corvis. “You mean stories of your soldiering days? Do you think it has something to do with an old grudge?”

“Something like that,” said Lynn. “And then again, maybe not.” He shifted in his seat and glanced at the doorway before looking back at the fire. “I’ve met that man before, the one that Charity killed. You won’t believe this, but…I killed him myself, many years ago.”

Chase and Corvis looked at each other. Chase turned to Lynn, who was still staring at the fire, and asked, “Bloody Beach?”

Lynn turned his head to look him in the eye and nodded. “But I’m not sure that isn’t just coincidence. I mean, obviously he survived that battle. I don’t know how, but he did. What I mean is, I think he was hired to come here. He carried an awfully lot of money on him for a mercenary.” He turned back to the fire. “Ah, who knows…”

“Yes, but why and by whom?” Chase asked.

Lynn didn’t offer and answer. He just looked into the fire as his mind drifted back to a night many years ago, when he was much younger.

“Tell me about my father, please. I have only heard rumors and pieces of stories, but never the whole truth.” Sergeant Hayes sat with the old man who raised him and took care of him for as long as he could remember. The old man’s head and hands shook with palsy, and his eyes were watery as he looked at Lynn.

“Son, I am glad you’re home.” He said with a warm smile.

Lynn could see the old man was working up to tell him something, so he waited patiently.

The old man looked down at the ground and said, “I’ve been waiting to tell you something for a long, long time.” He looked up at Lynn again, who was intrigued and confused. He had hoped for a story, but now it seemed that there was some kind of mystery to be revealed.

“Your father was not the man that brought you to this village.” And he paused again, letting that sink in. “The man who brought you here, William Hayes, was a brave man. He was a good man, but he was not your father. Understand, son, I don’t know who your father is. All I know is that William was tasked with protecting you. Your father must have been a wealthy or important man to take such measures, but that is only a guess. As for William, perhaps he was an uncle, or a hired man. I…don’t know.” The old man looked sincerely sorry he didn’t know more. “Before he died, he told me that if you ever need help, or if you are in danger, you should find a Swordsman named Kelly Turner. He warned me I shouldn’t tell you any of this unless it was absolutely necessary. I figure, I won’t be around much longer, and you being a soldier, well I may not get another chance.”

“Sergeant.”

Coming back to the present, Lynn rubbed his eyes and shook his head. “I’m sorry, what did you say?” He asked.

“I said, you should get some rest. My men are on watch.”

“I think I’ll do that. Wake me up in four hours and I’ll help stand watch,” he instructed. Without another word he went over and lay down next to Charity and her puppy.

Chase leaned closer to Corvis and whispered, “I don’t know what sort of trouble has been stirred, but I trust this man. Whatever else happens, we must ensure that he and his daughter make it off this mountain alive.”

“Agreed” said Corvis with a nod. “By the way, he looks familiar. I know I’ve never met him before, but I can’t shake the feeling.”

“I was thinking the same thing. There’s something about him. I’ve noticed it in the girl too.”

The next day, Corvis gave Lynn and Chase a situation report. “Two of my men are camped at the entrance to the valley. They’ll be able to see anyone approaching hours before they can get here. We’ve also found trails on both sides of the valley the horses can run on, so sending word, or making a hasty exit should be possible in any situation. There’s an old cart we’ve managed to hook to a harness to use as an ambulance if necessary, but it will only be useful to the edge of the valley. The hill is too steep for anything but walking. One of my men has some mountaineering experience and thinks we can belay the cart down in stages from above.”

“Good work Lieutenant,” said Lynn. “In the meantime, we need to improve our defenses while we wait. With two at the south end of the valley, that leaves six men. That’s a pretty good work crew. I’d like to clear some more trees along the tree line, and limb the trees we don’t cut down. If we can take away as much cover from the enemy as possible and extend the range of our crossbows, it will be to our advantage. I’ve also noticed there hasn’t been much rain these past weeks. The wood is dry. It’s risky, but we could also set piles of tinder among the trees that we could light as a last resort, or to take away the enemy’s advantage on a dark night.”

Chase and Corvis nodded agreement. “I’ll take one man and get started on the tinder piles,” said Chase.

“I’ll take two and get started on the trees,” said Corvis.

Lynn traded the battle axe for the woodsman’s axe he had been using before the fighting had begun, and set off for the tree line as well.

Charity was already at work preparing food for the midday meal. She was also looking after Guy. He was still unconscious, but sometimes he talked in his sleep. He would start out mumbling and become agitated, and then he would say the name of a girl, “Gretchen” and he would calm down and rest again. It was very strange, and Charity hoped he would wake soon so she could ask about the mysterious woman who calmed him.

(Present Day: 237 Cycles into the Light)

“I understand that it takes time, but you promised me that I would have at least SOME word by now!” snapped an old thin man with sharp features and silvery shoulder length white hair. His tunic was red with silver stitching. It was very fine and immaculately clean. As always, he wore a large necklace with silver medallions over the tunic as a sign of his high station.

The sound of his boot heels striking the stones of the long hallway echoed as he walked, and he drove them in harder to further demonstrate his displeasure. He and his footman, a middle aged man with dark brown hair, fine black clothing, and a green cloak, were headed to the stables. They had been summoned to the castle for an audience with the King, and in these turbulent times, that could mean any number of things. Lord Dennison was a contender for the crown if the King died without an heir.

The footman, who went simply by the name Shane, kept silent. He knew that platitudes and excuses were of no use. When Lord Dennison, the Hawk, was angry there was nothing to do but endure it.

He had dispatched no less than four gangs of cut-throats and killers to find and eliminate the man his master wanted dead. They all seemed quite capable. One of the gangs was led by the most fearsome man the footman had ever seen. There was something unnatural about him. He seemed more like an animated corpse than a living man, and his hat…his hat was enough to turn your stomach.

So far, two months later, he had no reliable word back. Each of the gangs had been paid handsomely up front, and the promise of an even bigger payday once the contract was fulfilled should have been enough to ensure the job would get done. He knew they were trying because his spies sent him reports of their brutality regularly. They found the village where he was hiding, and now they knew the name he used. He was also told that the man had a daughter. No matter, she would be killed too, and anyone else they found with a relation to him.

In the stables, Shane privately spoke to one of the groomers as others helped the Duke onto his horse. Nodding in agreement and understanding, the man set off at a run while Shane mounted his own horse and followed Lord Dennison out. Six of the Duke’s armed and armored soldiers, also mounted, met them as they left the estate grounds and escorted them on their journey to the castle.

The groomsman slowed his pace once he was inside the manor. He did not want to draw unnecessary attention to this business. He took an indirect route to his destination and then knocked on the Duchess’ door, looking side to side to ensure no one else saw him. One of the Lady’s maids opened the door slightly, and held out her hand. It was a delicate hand, and quite familiar to him. The groomsman gave a coy smile and handed her the note he had been tasked to deliver. She flashed him a similar smile and quietly closed the door.

“My Lady, a message has come for you,” Vanessa said as she held the note out to her mistress. She was one of the few people her employer trusted with private matters, and she took great pride in that. She was entirely loyal to Lady Evelynn, and although she was much younger than the Duchess, she had been her confidant for many years.

The Duchess took the letter with a polite, “Thank you, Vanessa,” and walked to the window to read it.

Vanessa stayed and waited patiently for the Lady to share or not, as she saw fit. After a few moments, Lady Evelynn walked to her desk and began writing a message of her own. She carefully blotted it and then folded the paper before sealing it with green wax.

“Vanessa, have this delivered directly to the King’s Master of Swords. It is very important that it goes directly to him and no one else.” She looked her maid directly in the eyes as she said, “Paying my husband’s footman to keep me informed has been quite valuable. It is some of your best work."

(Present Day: 237 Cycles into the Light)

“Lieutenant!” A soldier shouted as he ran toward the tree line. Corvis and Chase both turned, and then looked to see if the other had turned around also. Chuckling to himself, Corvis stepped forward to meet his man.

“Sir, smoke! There’s a column of smoke at the south end of the valley!”

Corvis jogged farther out from the tree line until he could see to the south. There he could see a column of thick white smoke: a signal.

Just then he heard the pounding of hooves and a rider came bursting out of the forest toward the house. Recognizing the rider as one of his own, Corvis began running toward the house as well. Chase was right behind him.

Jumping down nimbly from the horse before it had stopped completely, the rider turned toward his Commanding Officer and snapped to attention. With a quick salute he reported, “Sir, a company of rebel infantry has started an ascent. They will be at the entrance to the valley by nightfall.”

“A company!” said Corvis.

“Private, return to your post and hold fast until they are within an hour from the top. Then both of you report back here as quickly as possible by the center route,” instructed Chase.

The soldier glanced at Lieutenant Brente, who nodded, and then he re-mounted his horse and raced back to his post.

“Corvis, get the rest of your men together,” said Chase. “We don’t have much time.”

Inside the house, Chase, Corvis, and Lynn sat at the table discussing their strategy. Guy, lay on his pallet, awake and listening quietly. Charity had just finished helping him eat some dinner and was outside with one of the soldiers getting the cart ready for him. It had been several days since he was injured and he was healing quickly, but wasn’t able to walk reliably on his own yet.

“We have enough men, and thank God for the horses, but it is still a huge risk. It might be best to head to the mouth of the valley and hope they pass us by. Waiting seems like too much of a risk, and the way we plan to do this is…brutal.” Chase had already made the argument, but he felt that duty required him to try one more time to persuade the Lynn to go with another plan.

Corvis shook his head and said, “Chase, we have a plan. It’s a good one. We have enough men to start the fires. We have the routes mapped out and we have horses. The only problem with your plan is that it leaves the enemy alive to follow us. There is risk to everything, and yes it’s brutal, but this plan is solid. I’m with Lynn.”

With that they both looked to Lynn.

He was silent for a moment, and he looked each of them directly in the eyes before he spoke. “You and your men are not mine to command. But together we CAN win. We don’t know yet, why these rebels are coming up the mountain. Could be after you,” he said to Chase. “Could be after me,” he said to Corvis. “Either way, they are part of the same rebel army that indiscriminately kills our families, and burns our villages each year. I have no reservations about being brutal. There is no dishonor in killing the enemy before he kills you. What I know from experience is that the best plans are usually very simple. I also know that for a smaller force to overcome a larger force, it needs a significant advantage in weaponry or terrain. We have superior knowledge of the terrain, and we know the forest is dry. Fire is our weapon.” He looked at Corvis, then over at Guy and then back at Chase, “We can all make it out of this…but only if we’re willing to completely destroy the enemy.”

Chase looked at Corvis and nodded solemnly.

“One last thing,” Lynn said to the two men. “When this is over, I need to find a swordsman named Kelly Turner. Have either of you heard of him?” he asked.

Chase and Corvis started to chuckle. “Kelly Turner?” said Chase. “He’s the King’s Master of Swords.” The two men traded a mischievous look. “You can find him in the capital, usually at the castle. Why do you need to find that crazy old man?”

Lynn shook his head and refused to say more. The conversation went no further.

At the opposite end of the valley, a company of rebel soldiers searched for signs of the escaped prisoner. “Sir, it looks like someone was camped here. There are horse tracks as well. We believe at least two men were camped here for several days. They were probably lookouts for a larger group farther up the valley. I’ve sent a few men ahead to make sure, but there is a path through the center of the valley that may be the shortest route. I suggest we set up camp here and maneuver up through the valley at first light tomorrow. We can send a squad up each side of the valley like pincers while the main force moves down the middle.”

The rebel Captain shook his head and laughed. “Sergeant Major, you are always so cautious! We are after one man. So what if he has a few others with him? We have an entire company of the best fighting men in the Rebel army!” He said that last part loudly enough for anyone to hear. Some shouts of approval were heard among the resting men. “No Sergeant Major, we will not wait. We will march into these woods tonight, and we will capture this man as he sleeps. Or we will kill him when he tries to escape.” He turned to face the men and shouted, “One hour! Catch your breath and be ready to march in one hour! This ends tonight!”

Turning back to the Sergeant Major he said, “I want the company spread across the valley on line. We will walk through the valley, like we are a giant net dragging the ocean for fish. It will be a slow process, but we will be sure to catch our prey.”

With a quick salute the Sergeant Major turned to deliver the instructions to his Sergeants. He mumbled to himself as he walked. “Officers…just once I’d like to meet one that wasn’t a complete idiot.”

An hour later they were walking on line through the forest. The light was fading, so the men had to stay close or risk breaking the formation. The company was big, but it still didn’t reach all the way across the valley. As it got darker the men had to move closer to keep on line, and they condensed farther and farther in to the middle of the valley.

The scouts had not reported back, so no one really knew what lay ahead.

At the cabin, a rider stopped his horse suddenly. “They’re about half way up the valley,” the private said as he dismounted. “I ran into a few scouts on my way back, but they seemed lost. They’re not much farther than the main body.”

“This is it men,” said Lynn. “Whatever God you pray to, now is the time.” He stepped out of the doorway and one by one, he put his hand on each man’s shoulder and looked him in the eye. “Move quickly and be brave. We have every advantage tonight. Keep moving and don’t look back.” Then looking at Chase and Corvis he said, “Lieutenants, you know the plan. Execute.”

Without hesitation, Lynn and Chase mounted their own horses. Charity rode with Corvis, and the private who had been riding scout pulled Guy’s cart. The rest doubled up on the remaining two horses. The last man to mount handed each rider a torch. Without a word, they split into two columns and raced for the southern tree line.

As they approached the dark forest, they slowed and turned; one column right and one column left. They lit the dry piles of tinder and brush as they went. At the edge of the valley each team headed south, continuing to set the forest ablaze as they went.

It was slow going, but they met no resistance. It wasn’t until the forest began to really burn; and it did, that they began to hear the rebels yelling in fear. Soon the cries of fear turned to screams of pain. When they passed over the crest of the hill and began their slow descent the screams finally died out. Lynn thanked God for that. Burning is a terrible way to die. He set his jaw and continued leading his horse carefully down the mountain.