by Alexa Aston
He studied the men in front of him. “All of you are my eyes and ears in the field. Take care of any small problems. Bring anything of serious concern to my immediate attention. And once the wheat has been collected, tied, and winnowed, I shall hold a harvest home celebration as we did in my younger days.”
Huge smiles broke out on the men’s faces.
“May we share that news, my lord?” John asked eagerly.
“Aye. It will give everyone something to look forward to. Stay here and organize your teams before you head to the fields. John, you and I will meet in this room every night after we dine so that I may hear of the progress made each day.”
“Aye, my lord.” John looked at the other men. “We’ll set the teams now and decide when to have each stage of the harvest completed.”
“Good luck to you,” Raynor told them. “I must check on my soldiers.” He exited the room, Gobert fast on his heels.
“My lord? A word?” the steward asked.
Raynor paused, though he itched to be outside. “Aye?”
“I know it’s not my place—”
“Don’t stand on ceremony, Gobert. Tell me what concerns you.”
The steward frowned. “It’s Sir Ralph. He has grown fat and lazy. Discipline has vanished in the training yard. The men simply go through the motions. I fear Ashcroft would not survive an attack with the soldiers that we have on hand.”
“I thought as much.” He placed a hand on Gobert’s shoulder. “Training soldiers is one thing I know about. Don’t worry, my friend. Give me a few days. I promise that Ashcroft will, once again, have men worthy of protecting it.”
Raynor was glad that the steward had written to him. Though much needed to be done at his family home, Raynor believed the heart of it lay with his men.
His men . . .
In truth, they were not his men. They were soldiers in service to the Baron of Ashcroft. But for now? He would claim them as his own. By the time he finished, he would be assured of Ashcroft’s well-being.
When he arrived at the training yard, Raynor was stunned that only a lone knight stood in the yard. He’d told the men when he would be here and assumed they would be ready for training with their weapons in hand. Instead, he found the one soldier present, swinging his sword. The man’s fluid moves and natural grace marked him as a talented warrior.
“Greetings!” he called out as he approached. “What is your name?”
“I am Sir Lucas Moore, my lord.”
“You are new to Ashcroft.”
“Aye, my lord. I’ve been here close to four months.”
“And you are the only soldier who cares to train?”
The young knight started to speak and thought better of it. His gaze fell to the ground.
“Nay, speak up,” Raynor prompted. “If I am to improve the circumstances, I must be well informed.”
Lucas met his eyes and Raynor saw anger spark in them. “Sir Ralph has been lax in every way imaginable, my lord. The men train sporadically and with little enthusiasm. Almost half have left Ashcroft in search of a strong leader who is serious about his responsibilities.”
Raynor studied the young man before him. “I appreciate your honesty, Sir Lucas. Where did you foster?”
“Outside Winchester with Lord Barrington.”
“I have heard he is a hard man,” Raynor said, testing the young soldier before him.
“Hard—but always fair,” Lucas shared. “He never asks a man to do something that he would not do himself. I spent long hours in training, but if I had it to do over again? I would choose Lord Barrington with ease. He made me the man I am today, in every way.”
“Yet you did not stay in service with him,” Raynor pointed out.
“Nay. His garrison had no openings. The captain of the guard told me to seek experience as a mercenary and to send word to him where I would be. He promised to let me know if Lord Barrington had need of me in the future.”
“I hope you’ll choose to dedicate yourself to Ashcroft permanently, Sir Lucas. We have need of men like you.”
The young knight studied him a moment. “I will stay, my lord, but only if you make the drastic changes needed.”
Raynor gave Lucas a grim smile. “I can promise you that will come to pass. Immediately.”
Both men turned as a group of soldiers sauntered into the training yard. Sir Ralph brought up the rear. Raynor recognized a few, but many familiar faces were missing. He assumed those were the ones who had left as things declined.
He called out, “Sir Ralph, have the men pair off. I’d like to see how they are at swordplay first.”
“You should have no worries, my lord,” the captain assured him. “These men are skilled fighters. I can handle the training yard. I’m sure you’ll be needed to supervise the harvest. And your brother,” he added.
Though his last words were uttered softly, they carried in the still of the morning.
Raynor strode toward him and slammed his fist into the man’s nose. Sir Ralph stumbled and fell to the ground.
As Raynor loomed over him, he said, “You are dismissed from service, Sir Ralph. Pack your things and leave Ashcroft at once.”
Turning, he looked across the soldiers gathered in the yard. “Your captain has grown careless. Slovenly ways and disrespect will never be tolerated at Ashcroft. From this moment forth, if you are to stay here, you will act as honorable men. You’ll accept that your role is to protect Ashcroft and its people at all costs. You will train hard on a daily basis and present a positive attitude at all times. Most of all, you will respect the baron and pledge your loyalty to the Le Roux family. Or, you may depart with this weak, sniveling excuse of a knight.”
Raynor glared at the crowd. Two fell out of the ranks and followed Sir Ralph, who’d come to his feet and stormed off. He watched them exit the training yard.
“Split into pairs,” he ordered. “We’ll train first with swords. Then axes and maces.”
He pushed them for hours, often jumping in as a sparring partner. He judged how skilled each soldier was with various weapons. By the end of the session, sweat poured from everyone, including himself. His own limbs trembled from such intense use.
Another two men had quit during the exercises. They informed him they would leave immediately. Raynor was happy to see them go. It was easier to remove less desirable soldiers now and forge ahead with a smaller, determined crew.
Calling a halt to the activity, he pushed a forearm across his forehead to mop the sweat from his brow. He called for the men to assemble around him.
“You have done well today. I see raw talent in many of you and natural skill in many more. I’ll also look for loyalty and leadership.”
He gazed at the men as they listened to his words, pleased to see eagerness and determination on their faces.
“I hope you will find it an honor to serve at Ashcroft.” Raynor pointed at Lucas. “Sir Lucas. Come forth.”
The young knight approached.
Raynor placed a hand on the soldier’s shoulder. “This man—though young in years—has the heart of a lion and fighting skills that many would envy. He is your new captain of the guard.”
The knight’s eyes widened at the announcement, then a huge grin spread across his face. The remaining warriors gave him a rousing cheer. Many slapped him on the back, congratulating him on a job well done. Raynor was happy to see his new captain was well liked.
“Continue with the men, Sir Lucas. I have other tasks to see to.”
“As you wish, my lord.”
Raynor eyed the men and said, “Keep up your hard work and you’ll earn an extra measure of ale and meat tonight.”
Another cheer went up.
Lucas turned to Raynor. “Thank you for your confidence in me, my lord. Not many would choose to put someone as young as I am as captain of their guard.” He chuckled. “I hope you know what you are doing.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” Raynor declared. “This change will be one of
my best decisions, mark my words.”
Chapter 10
Beatrice’s refused to be overwhelmed with all that needed to be done inside the keep. She went to her chamber and removed the beautiful yellow cotehardie she had dressed in this morning since she didn’t want it stained. For cleaning, a smock and kirtle would suffice. She met with Cook first, who provided her with an apron and showed her the location of the larder. Cook already knew what to do to prepare for the lean winter months. The stout woman seemed to be one of the few at Ashcroft who had kept about her business without the need of anyone hovering over her.
The grain stores were severely depleted. Once the wheat harvest came in and the milling occurred, though, Ashcroft would be set for bread for the next year. Salting and smoking meats would also occur during the autumn season, and hunting would pick up in earnest after the harvest had been collected. She wondered if she would still be present when that took place.
Cook showed her where the herbs were stored and Beatrice skimmed through the contents quickly. She found ample amounts of lavender and chamomile and smaller bits of fennel and rose petals that could be used to scent the fresh rushes she wanted placed in the great hall. Finding plenty of shave-grass delighted her since she’d noticed the trestle tables and benches had grown worn and rough in some spots. She even had to pick a splinter from her palm after she broke her fast this morning. If the head table was in such poor condition, she assumed the rest of the furniture in the great hall was the same. They could use the shave-grass to smooth out the oak benches and tables.
For rougher patches, they could apply the skin of a dogfish and smooth the wood using a plane and scraper to finish the job. Finding Cook again, Beatrice asked about the castle’s carpenter since she would need his tools and strength to do much of the work.
“Donaldus is our carpenter,” Cook informed her. “But he’s in the fields with the harvesters now, my lady.”
“I have need of his services. Send a servant to the fields to retrieve him.”
Returning to the great hall, Beatrice gathered all of the servants that worked inside the keep. There were eight women to help her, though Cook said some would need to return to the kitchens to help prepare food later in the day. Feeding the hungry workers, especially at harvest time, took top priority.
Beatrice told them, “There’ll be many tasks to carry out in order to return this room to its natural beauty. The tables and benches need smoothing. The tapestries must be removed from the walls so the dust can be beaten from them. But our first job is to clean the floor. The molding rushes. The dung. Anything you find lying on the floor must come out. Once it’s gone, we’ll scour the stones with soap and hot water multiple times and then wash the walls, as well.”
She asked each servant for her name and designated Hilda to help organize the women and keep things running. The servants joined Beatrice as they removed every despicable piece from the floor, while Hilda saw to massive amounts of water being put on to boil. As she swept together and lifted the rotting rushes, Beatrice found herself breathing from her mouth because of the stench. Moving the heavy trestle tables away from the walls in order to reach every corner proved to be the hardest challenge for the group of women. She chastised herself, wishing she’d thought to have the men remove the furniture from the room before they left for the fields.
With so many workers involved, the floor was soon bare and the real backbreaking work began. Hilda brought in pail after pail of hot water and carted back the empties. Each woman had received a brush for scrubbing and plenty of soap. Beatrice divided the room into sections. Once a section was completed, she inspected their work before they could move on to a new area.
“My lady? You have need of me?” A bow-legged man with a scraggly beard and kind smile had entered the great hall.
“Are you Donaldus, the carpenter?” she asked.
“I am.”
Beatrice explained her concern regarding the condition of the benches and trestle tables and how she wanted all bumps and ridges worked out.
“I found plenty of shave-grass. I placed it on that table in the west corner. You may use it and retrieve your plane and scraper to smooth the surfaces of every bit of furniture in the great hall.”
He nodded. “I’m happy to use it. If I run out, cattails also work on oak. Sometimes, I’ve used rotten stone as an abrasive before I scrape and smooth. Let me retrieve my tools and I’ll start at once.”
“Thank you, Donaldus. It will be a nice improvement to sit and not be rewarded with a splinter in my rump.”
The carpenter chuckled and excused himself.
After a few hours, more than a quarter of the stone floor had been given a thorough cleaning. Beatrice allowed the women to rest before they returned to their buckets and brushes. She sent them to the kitchens for something to eat but cautioned them to remain there. She wanted no food brought into the great hall until she was ready.
Hilda lingered after the others left. “My lady, it’s time to bring the meal to the fields and the training yard. It’s been the custom in the past to take the midday meal outside while the harvesting goes on. Sir Raynor has asked that we continue with this practice. Then, when dusk falls, the farm workers and soldiers will return to the great hall and dine. That’s when Cook will need to borrow some of the servants to help her prepare the food.”
“I’ll speak to Cook, Hilda. She’ll need to send the evening meal outside for the next few nights. The serfs and soldiers can eat in the bailey until the great hall has been cleaned thoroughly and the furniture completely restored. Once we’ve transformed the room, I think everyone will be pleased and take proper care in the future. In the meantime, while the women deliver the food to the fields, you and I can go to the herb garden so I may see what’s been planted and what should be picked. We can also check the supply of rushes.”
“I can show you where both are, my lady.”
After seeing both places, the two women ventured back to the great hall. Beatrice noted the servants had also returned. Once again, the group of women began scrubbing the grime from the floor. They worked diligently for the rest of the afternoon, only stopping to help with the evening meal, which Beatrice had served outside.
“The people are hungry. They have put in a full day of work in the fields and the training yard,” Raynor said when she joined him on the steps of the keep.
“The servants inside have done the same, my lord,” Beatrice told him as she surveyed the crowd gathered as they ate their meal without conversation. “Everyone has worked diligently. We should be able to dine in a much-improved great hall soon.”
She excused herself once she finished eating and returned to the bedchamber Gobert had assigned to her and fell into a dreamless sleep.
After a good night of rest, Beatrice was up and hard at work the next day, repeating the actions from the day before. It took a third day of backbreaking work before the women finished cleaning the floors and walls of the great hall to her satisfaction.
Beatrice instructed all but two of the servants to go with Hilda to retrieve fresh rushes and then assigned the two youngest girls to gather the specified herbs. Donaldus was working tirelessly. It seemed as though he’d finished with most of the furniture. If he continued at this pace, he would complete his task before night fell. The carpenter gave her a bright smile and continued scraping and whistling.
Beatrice supervised the laying of the rushes and sprinkling of the herbs atop them. It only took a few minutes with so many pitching in to spread the straw. Soon, a sweet scent filled the air. She thought to remind Raynor that no untrained dogs should be allowed in the room. She intended for these floors to remain in good condition. The people of Ashcroft would no longer live as animals.
After that, two women were sent to retrieve ladders. Once they returned, each of the four tapestries was lifted from the walls. It took the strength of every woman present to haul them outside.
“I want you to beat the life out of these tapestries,�
�� she demanded. “They look as if they haven’t been cleaned in years. Hilda, please see to this and let me know when it’s done. I’ll be back to help you.”
“Aye, my lady.”
Before Beatrice turned to leave, she decided to watch as one girl lifted a stick. She gently tapped the tapestry and a small cloud of dust wafted from it.
“Nay, that won’t do,” she told the servant. “Give me your stick.”
The girl handed it over, a hesitant look on her face.
“Step aside. Let me show you what a true cleaning involves.”
Taking the stick in both hands, Beatrice whacked the tapestry as hard as she could. Dust flew from it. She struck it a few more times for good measure and stepped back, grinning in appreciation of her own work.
“That is what I ask of you. Layers of dust have settled upon the surface. These tapestries are thick and woven very tightly. I promise that you won’t hurt them if you strike them hard.”
Beatrice returned the borrowed stick to the girl and brushed her hands together before she wiped them on her apron.
*
Raynor left the training yard, his muscles tired from the activity of the past few hours. He’d put off riding the perimeter and inspecting the various structures on the property in order to work with the soldiers during training exercises the past few days, and he still planned to do that later today. For now, he knew it was important to go to the fields next to see how the harvesting progressed. He’d left everything in the hands of John for the past three days, allowing the worker to report to him each evening after they supped. Raynor had been pleased with what John told him, but it was time to see for himself how much the workers had already accomplished.
He came closer and saw that harvesting had come to a halt. All the serfs sat on the ground, finishing their midday meal. Raynor snatched an apple from a nearby wooden basket and munched on it as he surveyed the fields.
John came up to him. “All goes well, my lord. Everyone is cooperative and in good spirits. Much has been accomplished in the last few days.”