The Blighted Fortress

by David E Dresner

  A large wall sconce next to the door held an unlit torch. Just like in the movies they found there was a hidden latch. When the latch was released the torch became a lever that opened the door. “Very clever,” Glenda said, “there is a spring to bring the torch back to its resting position once you are on the other side and return the lever to its vertical position.”

  “I’m very impressed,” said Traveler. “Coordinated locking and unlocking levers. How clever were those Roman engineers! Rome ruled as much by brain as by brawn.”

  Nodding Glenda added, “When brawn fails and your life is on the line and you need a fast, undetected escape to your safe house, place your bets on ‘brains’ to stay alive.”

  Chapter 66

  Stored Weapons

  As they began to survey the room, they immediately saw it was an armory. Glenda had a worried look and asked, “Do you think we’re going to get caught? Will somebody come in looking for a sword or spear and instead find us?”

  Traveler shook his head, “I doubt it. Armories are not generally open to the guards, much less servants. Rulers kept a tight control over weapons. No weapons equals no rebellion.”

  They began to explore the large room. The ceiling went up at least fifteen feet. There were bundles of iron-tipped lances over ten feet long. Traveler pointed at them, “Punching death. This spear did double duty in protecting the man holding it. The spear could deliver death at a distance to a swordsman and it discouraged a charging horse. Warhorses are smart and prefer not to run into a long iron point.”

  They continued to walk along a long wall. Stacked against the wall up to the ceiling were hundreds of barrels. Several barrels on the floor were open and they observed hundreds of arrows inside a single barrel. Taking an arrow out Traveler commented, “All archers know that arrows must not only have straight shafts but must also have well-placed feathers for accurate flight. The feathers are called the arrow’s fletching. These containers are designed to protect both shaft and importantly the fletching feathers.”

  “Why so many arrows?” asked Glenda, “There must be thousands in these barrels.”

  “More like tens of thousands,” answered Traveler. “A skilled longbow archer could release five to six aimed arrows a minute. With a hundred archers that’s a minimum of 500 arrows a minute. You can do the math as more archers are used.

  “What’s amazing is how accurate the longbowmen were in hitting moving targets at a long distance. I’ve seen YouTube demonstrations of modern archers doing rapid firing and hitting moving objects, it’s unbelievable.

  “Modern experts believe the old archers were much better than our modern ones. The earlier archers started their serious training around age nine. Their back and arm muscles became enormously strong to pull the long bows.”

  As they walked around, they studied the massed fighting armament including swords of varying length and weight. Traveler continued his dissertation on ancient fighting equipment and its use, “Having the right sword in combat was essential. Certain swords were built to cut through shields while others were used for fighting at various distances.

  “A Roman sword, called a gladius, was only two feet long. Basically, the Romans fought up-close and personal. Their swords were intended for fast strikes at the neck and groin. The experienced sword fighter’s adage is, ‘There are old sword fighters and there are bold sword fighters, but there are no old, bold sword fighters.’”

  Traveler realized he had lost his audience and said, “Want me to continue?”

  “I’m good, but thank you,” Glenda answered. “My Viking ancestors had a simpler approach. Just hit the other guy with whatever is handy and keep hitting until the victory ale gets served either in the longhouse or in Valhalla.”

  “Yeah, that’s a good summary for your distant cousins, and it worked. Of course the Vikings created a technological breakthrough with their ship designs. They were first in their class in terms of moving men quickly into places other boats could never reach and they could cross oceans. They had a lot of brains not just big berserker muscles.”

  “Thank you for that ‘brain’ description for my Viking ancestors instead of ‘berserker’. We never seem to live that berserker word down.”

  Chapter 67

  Into the Fortress Heart

  With the hidden armory door sealed behind them, they worked their way to the main hallway door. Again Traveler cracked it open slowly. He held his breath hoping there would be no telltale squeaking. The door opened softly and Traveler peeked out.

  He came back inside and reported, “We’re in luck. This hallway takes us almost immediately outside into a huge courtyard. The armory is right at the entrance to the stable and the courtyard. That makes sense, since soldiers and mounted men can grab their weapons and be battle-ready in a short time.”

  Glenda nodded, “Let’s walk right out and act like we’re on a mission. People never question workers who seem to be carrying out some important task, just look busy.”

  With that truism she slipped into the hallway and strode confidently toward the courtyard. As she walked she tossed her hair to complete the look of a busy, disheveled worker. She was a young woman on a mission. Traveler followed her lead and they proceeded to walk across the expansive courtyard.

  Their immediate destination was clear. An enormous fountain was in a corner of the courtyard close to the stable doors. It was obviously the watering source for the horses. The fountain was both functional and decorative. In the center was a thick column rising over fifteen feet with water cascading down from the top opening.

  As the water fell it flowed into a series of catch basins. Each basin contained outlet pipes around the circumference. The pipes distributed the catch basin’s inventory into a larger basin resting below it. The final catch basin was elevated four feet off the ground level with a diameter over fifty feet across. It reminded both of them of the fountain in their Chicago sanctuary.

  Studying the water flow Traveler said, “They are not only distributing water efficiently, they are aerating it in the sunshine as a purification step. We aerate water today for the same reason. Well done again, Roman engineers!”

  Glenda was thinking about how quickly all the horses could be watered. She did the necessary mental math to find the approximate answer. Recalling that circumference is pi times the diameter she announced, “It’s a circle with a circumference almost 160 feet. They can water a lot of horses at the same time. If each horse needs three feet of standing space, they can pack at least fifty horses around the basin. Even with hundreds of thirsty horses they can all drink in a short period of time.”

  Traveler was impressed by Glenda’s fast math and her insight into the military value of fast watering. He gave her an appreciative look and said, “Strong insight, Glenda. You could have been a Roman engineer and you’re right about this watering efficiency. It looks like another example of Roman planning and engineering. No wonder they were the bosses for over 600 years.”

  Glenda accepted Traveler’s praise with a modest nod but inside she was delighted by his recognition of her fast analysis, And that’s how we Vikings used our brains!

  Needing to show there was purpose to their presence, they noticed stacks of buckets with leather carrying-straps. Acting like it was a routine task they each took two buckets, filled them with water and went into the open stable doors. Upon entering an older man pointed to an aisle and said, “About time.”

  They nodded and began filling the stall buckets. Nobody except the horses paid them any attention. The horses immediately began drinking and Glenda said, “It gets hot in here so these big guys must need a lot of water.”

  “I can relate to that,” said Traveler as he moved from stall to stall. Their buckets only filled four stalls so they were quickly in motion back to the outside basin.

  Chapter 68

  Fitting In

  After half an hour of watering a voice whispered to them, “Slow down, you’re making us look bad.” Traveler focused
on the sturdy young man around his own age who was trying to apply the brakes to their efforts. His first instinct was to tell the boy to mind his own business, then he reconsidered. He did not want to draw attention to himself by starting an argument.

  He recalled his dad telling how, when he had worked in a factory in the summer doing piecework, the older workers had slowed him down. “We do this all year and need to pace ourselves. You’re just here for the summer. We don’t need a kid raising the hourly quota that we’re paid against.”

  Traveler acknowledged the comment, “You’re right. Sorry. It’s just one of those feel-good days and I lost track of what I was doing. I appreciate that the steady tortoise wins a lot of races.”

  The boy looked relieved. Traveler was much taller with broad shoulders and projected a “don’t mess with me” look. The boy was smiling now and added, “You’re new here but believe me it gets hot by midday. Save your strength for later.”

  “You’re right about being new here. My sister and I worked on a farm several days away and came here for better food and frankly for safety.”

  Traveler continued, “We hear there are Hun invaders from the east and the farmers are scared. They all have families and feel they must stay with their homes and livestock even when they know they should run. You know farmers; nobody ever says they are adventurous. They take root and that’s where they stay regardless of the threat.”

  The boy was nodding his head, he came from a farm family. He appreciated that the bigger boy was a farmer and was sharing a bit about himself as well as a bit of philosophy. This sharing convinced the smaller boy that this new stable worker could become a friend. He subtly glanced at the nearby sister. He let his imagination dance for a moment with the idea that maybe she could become his friend also.

  “More work and less talk,” a strong voice projected across several aisles. Traveler and the boy gave each other knowing smiles. There is nothing like a shared rebuke to create immediate buddies.

  Once outside Glenda asked, “What was that all about?”

  Traveler laughed, “Making friends to influence people. We want to be invisible workers and the quicker we fit in, the easier it will be to figure out where our foe is. We can’t start asking direct questions until we’re part of a working clan, stable serfs in our case.”

  Glenda nodded, “Good thinking. For a minute I thought you were going to rough him up. I know he said something that annoyed you.”

  “You’re right, he did annoy me at first, but I got through that quickly and his advice was sound. We’re already best friends. Plus, we have an ace in the hole, you certainly caught his eye. I’ll be his best bud and the bonus for him is a chance to mingle with the princess.”

  “Great, I’m the princess of stable boys. Whatever happened to being prom queen?” Traveler laughed back.

  They proceeded to water the horses for several more hours, then the boy reappeared. “I’m getting lunch, would you like to join me? My name is Robert.”

  “Absolutely Robert, lead the way. By the way, I’m Traveler and my sister is Glenda.”

  Chapter 69

  If You Can’t Stand the Heat

  As they followed the young man their noses quickly identified their destination. The aroma of baking bread spread from the open kitchen doors into the courtyard. By the time they got there, hunger replaced any anxiety. The three walked in together as friends sharing a lunch break.

  Overpowering the smells of cooking was the jump in temperature. Upon entering they felt the heat strike their faces but Robert seemed oblivious. Working in a hot stable had conditioned him against the kitchen’s heat. On the other hand, Glenda and Traveler had to adjust to the mini-inferno.

  Glenda and Traveler took in the kitchen’s operation and saw it was a highly efficient food factory. It was in a constant state of activity. The fortress housed over 500 resident staff and soldiers. This small army ate in nonstop shifts. “M would love to watch this,” said Glenda. “It’s impressive beyond any restaurant I’ve ever seen.”

  The words “food factory” did not begin to describe the room’s frenzied activity. A dozen cooks with a score of assistants were moving small mountains of flour, meats, barrels of vegetables, and barrels of wine.

  Along one wall large fireplaces were spaced in a line. They were generating heat which challenged the cooks to prepare food without cooking themselves. Master cooks stepped in to confirm quality while apprentice cooks had to bear the heat. As the old adage went, “If you can’t stand the heat stay out of the kitchen,” and many would-be cooks were weeded out on that reality.

  The young man motioned for Glenda and Traveler to follow him. He led them to a large open serving area. Rows of tables were stacked with the freshly prepared offerings. “Lunch is usually a hearty soup, bread, cheeses, fruits, and watered ale. Dinner adds meats and stronger ale. Just take a plate and help yourself.”

  Following Robert’s lead, they piled their plates and joined him along a long table. The table was flanked on each side by equally long benches. They had just taken their seats when three more stable workers joined them.

  Robert greeted the arrivals then asked Traveler to introduce himself and his sister. Traveler responded in a casual, matter-of-fact way that implied he had been part of many work settings. The new arrivals studied Traveler to assess him as worker. They assessed Glenda but for different reasons.

  The workers responded to Traveler’s self-introduction by briefly grunting their names, then they began shoveling in food. Watered ale washed down full mouths and frequently dripped down on hands. Hands were immediately dried off on their trousers.

  Glenda looked at the accumulated areas of wiped food on clothing and thought, You can read their last ten meals. It’s like reading the age of a tree from its rings. “Ring around the collar” in this time period is replaced by “ring around the trouser”. Do they ever wash their clothes?

  Chapter 70

  How Did You Find Us?

  With the first round of food consumed, conversation started. Naturally Traveler and Glenda were the focus for direct questions. A large man who projected a level of authority had joined the table and he started the questioning. Looking directly at Traveler he bluntly asked, “What brings you here? I didn’t know we were adding to staff.”

  Traveler immediately knew that his earlier casual answers would not satisfy this man. Be direct back at him, Traveler thought. “Fear brought us. However, we are strong workers with farming skills and felt we could earn our keep here. We can work with all animals including horses and pigs. Also, my sister has a gift with dogs. We heard that Karl, the master of hounds, may need an experienced trainer so she will try to meet him.

  Robert now interjected himself by saying, “They are very strong workers.” Giving the leader an insider’s look he added, “I actually had to suggest they slow down the pace.”

  The man nodded in agreement with Robert’s comment, “Good advice. When you carry water and feed from dawn to dusk, proper teamwork and pacing is critical.”

  Listening Traveler thought, Now I understand who he is. He’s the stable foreman and his job requires setting the standards for the stable workers. He can’t overwork them or he has a mutiny. He can’t underwork and under deliver or he’s fired.

  The foreman was now relaxed. He had an understanding look on his face and his tone of voice had softened as he asked, “Tell us more about your fear, what has scared you enough to bring you here?”

  “In a word, Huns.” Traveler and Glenda both saw the mention of Huns had frozen their tablemates.

  “Continue,” was all the foreman said.

  “My sister and I lived in a remote village, named Nadrag, deep in the Carpathian Mountains. Destruction struck our bucolic lives when the Hun appeared in the spring. Our sister villages to our east were destroyed but we never received warnings.

  “My sister and I had been gathering berries on a far slope when we felt a vibration in the earth under our feet. The ensuing soun
ds of despair froze us in our place. We immediately lay flat so we were not visible against the sky. We saw our entire village destroyed in minutes.”

  Then Traveler took a deep breath, shook his head, and continued, “When nighttime came we carried our lunch and the picked berries and began walking west along paths that served sheep and goats but not a mounted army. By the time dawn arrived we had distanced ourselves from the Hun both in mileage and in terrain.

  “When we were satisfied that the Hun had passed by, we stopped and began to work at small remote farms for our food and shelter. Most of the farmers welcomed our muscles and livestock skills. From farm to farm we always moved forward and eventually found ourselves here in this mighty fortress.”

  Traveler grinned wryly, “Since horses can’t climb high walls, I believe we have found our safe harbor.”

  The foreman had quit eating and was listening carefully to Traveler’s tale. “Tell me the route you took to reach us. There is a well-traveled road that leads directly to our front gate. Is that what you followed?”

  Traveler suspected this was a trick question. The man was possibly probing whether they had crossed paths with Throbb and his men.

  “We avoided established roads. If you saw the speed with which the Hun move you would know there is no time to hide. We walked through the forest when traveling and met no one. We had been lucky once in escaping the Hun and were scared of our luck turning. We sacrificed speed to gain safety.”

  The foreman was totally relaxed and was looking at them with respect. “You are lucky and smart. Lucky to escape the first Hun attack and smart to avoid them by moving through the thick forest. As to losing your parents and village, simply accept that is the world we live in. Few of us die peacefully in our beds after a long life.”