The March

curtis is rudely awaken

Since I had a few days left to find ninety-nine men, I decided to get

some sleep. My  room was up the stairs and to the left, and because I

was tired I went straight to my bed. My bed was not much, just a straw

pile on the floor with a dirty sheet to keep me warm. I wondered if

rats would crawl on me, being so low to the ground, but decided I

really didn’t care and fell asleep.

 

I was awaken by the clatter and thudding of boots , swords and armor

 from downstairs. I jumped out of bed, grabbed my dagger, which I had

named blood-curse , and ran down the stairs.  To my surprise I found

almost sixty men men donning armor and swords. I heard the wind blowing

and watched as one man, just entering the tavern, struggled against the

blowing wind to shut the door, then placed a large stone at the bottom

of the door so it would not blow open. I also noticed another thing ,

it was still dark out. I figured I had been asleep but one hour which

meant that it was still high night and would be many hours until the

rising of the sun. I looked about for a bit until I saw Olivious

pickpocket a man of his dagger. I walked over to Olivious and grabbed

him by his shoulders. “What in God’s name is going on here!” Olivious

stared at me for a minute then said brightly “ We march!” Curtis was

dumbfounded “ We march tonight, in the blinding snow and strong winds?”

Olivious nodded his head feverishly and replied, “ Indeed , tonight we

march!” I backed away from Olivious and ran upstairs to Lord Crispin’s

office. As I opened the door I saw Lord Crispin running about in a

frenzied manner, grabbing documents and talking to the three advisors

that were in the room with him. Crispin smiled when he saw me “ Are you

ready to march?” he asked excitedly. I stared at him dumbfounded.

  “If I may lord, what in the name of saint Eli makes you think tonight

is the night to march?”

He smiled as if he had been expecting me to say that.  “ Curtis, It

will come as no surprise to you that we are being watched. Leaving

under the cover of night this storm helps protect us from those who

would watch. No soldiers knew about this so that any that may be

traitors would not have time to prepare.”

I looked over at the three men staring at me, all holding books and

wearing spectacles.

“ Men will desert on the march to your ships, men will fall overboard,

ships will sink and many lives will be lost” I proclaimed.

“the men we lose tonight will be only a fraction of what we would have

lost , had we gone in plain sight.” He declared.  And then he seemed to

remember something “ You failed to bring me one-hundred men”. I stared

at him in disbelief.

“I only had one night my lord.”

“it does not matter” he boomed “ As repayment you will serve in my army”

“that’s crazy!” I said “ I did enough as your recruiter I don’t want to

be your soldier too!”

“there you go with that disobedience again!” he yelled “ you address me

as Lord at the end of every statement and you will serve, or your blood

will stain this floor!” at this his body guard took a step towards me

and unsheathed his sword. He had done it again. Taken another man and

conscripted him into his army without the legal right to do so. But who

cared if a thieving, sniveling Peasant was taken from the streets,

London was in no shortage of peasants. And so I was conscripted into an

army with which I did not belong, by a choice that was not my own , and

all because I had taken the wrong alley on the way to buy my bow. Fait

is cruel.

Reviews

[ScarlettTheDreamer]

I think you used 'Curtis was dumbfounded' in one place when you narrate the story as curtis himself. I think the last line too should be 'FATE is cruel' and its 'awakened' not 'awaken'
love the story!!! Can't wait to see what's up next.