Knightly Duties

A band of marauders ventures deep into Westmark

46.

Knightly Duties

 

 

Captain Lofol grinned broadly, (revealing as many gaps as he had teeth) as he held his hand up for a stop.   His weary companions gladly complied, staring in the fading light at the tiny farming community of Kendill’s Rest.   It had been an exhausting ride, but Lofol knew they wouldn’t expect such boldness.

The town below them in the slight valley was hardly even a village and would certainly not have any militia worthy to suppress even a lightly armed force.  

 

“Shall we send out scouts, boss?”  Deale asked, wiping his sweaty brow, “We need to get everyone off this road; there is no place to maneuver with those damned hedges that the farmers are using as fences keeping us out in the open.  

 

“No need; look at that pitiful little village, there won’t be any resistance.   Not hardly worthy of even raiding.   But you lads are hungry and the town looks prosperous.   It won’t take long at all.   Pass the word; short rest, then we take the town.”

Deale nodded and turned his horse around to pass the word through the company.

 

Lofol was mopping his matted hair with a much soiled lady’s handkerchief that he’d stolen half a week ago when he heard the thunder.   The men all looked up in alarm, their heads turning all about to determine the origin.  

“Ahead!” one of the men yelled, pointing, and just as Captain Lofol turned, they came into view.

 

A dust cloud covered the hoofs of the charging warhorses, giving them almost a surreal appearance in the twilight.

 

They all were armored in full plate armor with lances pointed directly at them as they bore down on them.

 

“Horsemen!”  Lofol yelled, dropping the sweat rag into the dust as he frantically turned his horse around, “Fly!  Fly! They are upon us!”

 

Before the tired company of bandits could get their horses turned, they had reached them.

 

Lofol felt the lance end his life as the Knight’s warhorse crashed into his exhausted mount, causing the horse to rear, knocking him to the ground but then continuing over him.   Six of the marauders fell to the lances of the Knights before the horsemen’s momentum was absorbed by the panicked men trying to flee back up the road.

The bandit’s horses reared and bucked, wedged in on the road, but some of their riders managed to regain control and brought out swords.  

But the Knights also pulled forth their weapons.   The two leading Knights drew great swords and struck down everyone around them.  

“Back, Back!”  Screamed the bandits to those behind them, while those facing the Knights desperately fought for their lives.

 

Eleazar’s great sword slew eight men without a weapon getting past his weaving blade.    Alvis likewise killed six and then pointed Helke at the mass of riders and let the icy gale blast them.   The roar of the wintery blast drove the horses mad with terror, which, combined with the hurricane wind threw 20 of the bandits to the ground.

 

Finally the rear of the bandits began to retreat back up the dirt road, and the column of marauders began to pull backwards in retreat.

 

But Eleazar and Alvis kept pressing forward, and were joined now by Aeric and Alis on their right, slashing their way forward through the mass, leading the rest of the Paladins in a flanking maneuver to cut off the ruffians’ escape.

 

Their strategy trapped about 50 of the bandits between the Paladins and their commanders and after 20 of them fell to their swords, the rest threw down their weapons and surrendered.   By now the men of Kendill’s Rest had arrived and Eleazar ordered them to take them as prisoners into a barn and guard them.

“We’re going after the rest.”   He told his knights and they spurred their mounts forward, rushing down the road toward the rapidly retreating bandits.  

 

***

 

They had just about caught up with the rearmost of the fleeing bandits when suddenly, from up ahead, there came the sound of horses whinnying.   Darkness had nearly fallen, but Eleazar could see clearly in the fading light.

 

The wildly fleeing vandals had ridden over a hill into a solid line of archers who rained down arrows upon them.   Forty went down with the first volley and they tried to turn back, only to be attacked by the Paladins.   Less than five minutes later, only 15 of the bandits remained, and most of them were injured.   They surrendered grimly, knowing they faced death for their crimes.   Eleazar stripped them of weapons and armor and bid them to march back to Kendill’s Rest.  

 

“You are well met,” he told the commander of the company of Dullerm archers who had ridden after them into Westmark.

 

“Lord, we regret crossing over into Westmark, but we felt the urgency warranted it.”   The young Wood Elf politely told him.

“You committed no error, for Haroldris has combined your duchy under Westmark.”

The Elf looked surprised, “I had not heard that news, my Lord.   What has happened to Duke Frampbrum?”

Eleazar explained the events and the Elf captain and his men grieved at the news.  

“What is your name, Captain?”  Eleazar asked him after they had digested the news for a time.

“I am Fenris of Fullsom Woods, my Lord.”

“Captain Fenris, I am very glad to meet you.   I am Eleazar, Earl of Coldburn, for whatever that is worth.”  

 

He gestured to Alis and Aeric behind him, who were stripping the prisoners of their weaponry, “Those two are Sir Aeric and Lady Alis; they have been appointed by Duchess Aurei to be the stewards of your duchy.   They are kind and fair knights, both of whom I and Duchess Bugley know very well.   They will be just stewards of your people.”

Captain Fenris nodded, “I am certain they will, Lord Eleazar.   I am not acquainted with Duchess Bugley, though I know she was a trusted ally of Duke and Duchess Frampbrum and is said to be quite beautiful.   I assume you know Duchess Bugley very well, my Lord?”

Eleazar smiled, “Quite well, Captain; we are to be married soon.”

The Elf was surprised, “Congratulations, my Lord; then you will be our Lord.”

Eleazar shrugged, “I guess that is so, but you will find that Aurei and I both are not too courtly in our positions.  Captain, why don’t you and your men join my knights up the road at Kendill’s Rest?  We will take the prisoners there and tomorrow they will be marched into Westmark where they will stand trial.”

 

The Captain accepted Eleazar’s invitation and within an hour all the bandits had been jailed in a large, empty barn, with the Dullerm archers and the Westmark knights encamped in a circle around the barn.  

 

“It looks like we will have about 65 prisoners”   Eleazar told Alvis, Aeric and Alis soon afterwards.

“We were fortunate that we did not lose a man.”   Alvis replied happily, “The hedges surely aided our strategy.”

 

“Yes.   I am going to ride back to Westmark tonight to check on Aurei.   I think you all will be well here.”   He looked over questioningly at the two half Elves who both nodded.

“You two are to go on your honeymoon as soon as you return to Westmark.”

“We hadn’t planned on going anywhere, Eleazar.”  Alis informed him.

“Well, you two can decide what you want to do, but you will have several days to do what you please.   I don’t want to see either one of you in armor or working in the Muddy Boot until the end of this week.   You both deserve to finish your wedding day off properly.”

They both blushed slightly at what he meant, but nodded.

“Thank you all for riding with me.”   Eleazar told them as he mounted his horse.

“Someone should ride back with you.”   Alis suggested.

“Don’t worry, it isn’t far and I can see as plainly now as if it were daylight.   I’ll be fine.   I’ll see all of you tomorrow.”

 

They bid him a safe and quick ride back and he was off in the night, his horse travelling quicker than a horse usually did in the dark, but his mount trusted his master’s nighttime vision and sensed his urgency to get back home.