Protector's Curse

by Keith Walsh

  Chapter 3

  Tiredness swept over Gallant. The constant scanning of the tree line, protective glances over Princess and the unrelenting questions were taking its toll. The child had so much energy and always wanted to play. She took delight in everything around her. No more than a few moments would pass before she would be pointing out something else that caught her attention.

  Gallant had been fooled into thinking a simple answer would grant him some peace. This proved to be flawed logic as any answer he gave simply led to a long list of other questions. By the Gods it was exhausting. He would rather be back working for his father, felling trees than looking after this inquisitive child. He had always been good with children when on his terms, meaning he could leave whenever he grew tired. The current situation allowed him no such luxury and he found himself biting his lip from time to time.

  Suddenly a crashing sound coming from the trees to their left interrupted his thoughts. Gallant halted his horse and pulled on the reins of Princess’s, bringing her mount alongside his. “What is it Mr Giant?” asked Princess.

  “I am not sure child,” replied Gallant as he moved his horse around hers to shield her from the direction the sound came from. “Whatever it is, it’s moving fast and sounds big,” he continued. The crashing got louder and Gallant knew, whatever the cause, it was headed towards them. Princess’s horse whinnied followed shortly by Gallant’s. He patted his beast on the neck and spoke softly to it. “Easy girl,” he said.

  He felt slightly hypocritical asking the horse to be calm when he himself felt nervous. Princess’s horse lacked the experience that Gallant’s mount had and without soothing words it too became more and more unsettled as the crashing in the undergrowth persisted. It flared its nostrils and began snorting loudly. The ears went flat and it began stomping a hoof upon the ground. The horse’s motion frightened Princess and she tried to get Mr Giant’s attention. “I’m scared Mr Giant,” she said and unbeknown to Gallant she was stretching her little arms out towards him, flicking her hands open and closed and begging to be picked up.

  Gallant ignored her and focussed intently on the trees. He strained his eyes looking for anything that might tell him what made the sound but could see nothing. The cracking became deafening and finally he saw a small tree break and give way then another just to the right of it. Some bushes moved and Gallant judged something to be nearly upon them. He reached across his body to the left flank of his mount and pulled clear a woodsman’s axe. While performing the action he glanced at Princess and saw the fear in her eyes.

  “It’s okay Princess. Mr Giant won’t let anything hurt you,” he spoke the words with authority but could see they had little effect as Princess put her arms up again and strained to reach him. “I cannot take you Princess, Mr Giant needs his hands free to keep you safe,” he explained. He could see that this time Amber listened as she pulled back her arms and nodded but her eyes betrayed the attempt at bravery.

  “That’s a good girl,” said Gallant while turning back to face the threat. No sooner had he turned than a huge bear burst from the trees. Noticing its path blocked the beast tried to stop but momentum caused it to career into Gallant’s mount. The impact threw him from the saddle and his mount smashed into Princess’s. Her horse, frightened by the blow, tore off at a ferocious pace in the direction the bear had come from, Princess holding on for dear life. Gallant’s horse reared but stayed put.

  The bear recovered and rose to its hind legs to stand tall and imposing. Gallant climbed to his feet while snatching his axe from the ground beside him and looked to the bear. A grizzly, he thought and one the likes of which he had never seen. It stood all of ten feet tall, its fur a thick mass of golden-brown matted with twigs and leaves. The grizzly let out a fierce roar and Gallant’s horse bolted, leaving him alone to face the behemoth.

  He knew enough about these creatures to look big in the hopes of turning it away, and so he threw his arms out wide, axe held high and shouted as loudly as he could while taking a single step forward. The bear was unperturbed by this action and dropped to all fours and made a lunging swipe at Gallant. Being a man of considerable size he could not avoid the attack in time and the bear’s giant paw caught his right side, launching him through the air to land several feet away. As soon as he hit the ground the grizzly bore down on him. Gallant bit back the pain that shot through him and scrambled to his feet as quickly as he could. His axe had been lost in the fall and now unarmed he faced a second assault from the creature. His mind raced to form some sort of a plan. He could think of nothing in time and the grizzly reared on its hind legs and pulled him into a bear hug.

  Gallant had no choice but to meet the creature in this embrace of death. Although he was not a small man he knew it was madness to stay like this for long. His mind still reeling he remembered the hunting knife in his right boot. Against a creature of this size it would be near useless but perhaps it could at least get the bear to let him go.

  The grizzly’s huge maw opened and tried to bite down on Gallant’s head but he threw his left shoulder into the thick mass of fur under the snout and managed, just barely, to avoid its snapping jaws. While braced there he lifted his right knee and extracted the hunting knife from his boot. The bear swung him to the left and then right and Gallant bunched his trunk-like legs to brace against each toss, but then the bear instead tried for another bite.

  This time Gallant could do nothing – he’d been using all his focus to avoid being thrown to the ground and the bear’s jaws closed on his left shoulder. A terrible pain erupted through him and he couldn’t help screaming aloud but the agony also served to enrage him. The hapless animal had awoken the demon within its prey and would soon feel the full force of its mistake. Gallant’s scream turned to one of fury and he plunged the hunting knife deep into the stretched neck of the grizzly.

  The bear released its bite on Gallant and swung its head through the air with a roar. Not about to give up this chance Gallant launched himself at the beast. Clasping one of his huge arms around the bear’s head he stabbed again and again with the blade held in the other hand. All his strikes were aimed at the soft flesh, as he knew better then to try to breach the skull of such a powerful animal with only a knife. Blood sprayed and spurted as the knife entered the mass of golden-brown fur again and again.

  Despite inflicting several deep wounds Gallant seemed only to anger the beast and he was finally thrown clear with his blade stuck in its neck. Once the bear had relieved itself of Gallant’s grip it did not attack him right away, instead it snapped its head around to the blade and tried to bite at it. Gallant used the time to search for his downed axe, spotted it and moved toward it. The bear focussed on him again and Gallant managed to retrieve the axe just in time for a fresh charge. Although a sight to behold, Gallant felt his odds where improved dramatically with axe in hand and he waited, ready to strike. Once he judged the creature to be within range he launched himself into the air with a bellowing war cry, axe held high overhead.

  He brought it down with tremendous force in a cleaving motion and managed to land it right on the crown of the grizzly. A sickening crack sounded as the axe bit deep. Within the moment it took Gallant to land the bear died with a loud exhale.

  Gallant stood for a moment breathing heavily. He felt some sadness at having been forced to end this magnificent creature’s life, yet at the same time there was a surge of pride given that he had managed to do it single-handedly and without a spear. Killing a bear with a spear was far easier then what he had just accomplished. With a spear you simply had to provoke the bear into rearing up in attack and as it fell upon you, you would ram the butt-end of the spear into the ground and hold it firm. If done correctly the bear would be impaled and in effect kill itself.

  His breath recovered he risked a glance at his injuries. His arm was badly slashed from when he had initially been knocked flying and his shoulder was throbbing violently and blood was flowing freely from the bite. Both wounds would need attention as
soon as possible but due to his tunic he hadn’t noticed a bad wound on his abdomen. He stepped forward and bracing one foot on the split skull of the grizzly, he pulled his axe clear with some effort.

  “Well Princess, didn’t Mr Giant say he would take care of you?” said Gallant before turning and realising Princess and her horse were gone. Panic swept through him. He whistled for his own horse and sure enough within moments the mare returned. Strapping his axe back in its place he climbed swiftly into the saddle and started to shout for the girl. After each shout he would pause for a moment to allow for any reply. He didn’t move his mount for he had no idea which direction Princess’s horse might have taken off in. He cursed his idiocy. What good was he if he lost the child while trying to protect her? He shouted again and again, pausing each time to allow for a reply.

  During one of these pauses he heard movement coming from the same direction the bear had come from, and as it got closer he began to hear voices. He called out, “Hello there.”

  “Hello,” came a reply from a short distance away and with that Gallant spotted several men on horseback come into view following the path of destruction the grizzly had made. To his great relief, he saw that they had Princess with them.

  Chapter 4

  As the lead rider arrived on the scene of Gallant’s battle with the bear, he leapt excitedly from the saddle and quickly made towards the downed animal. Of average build, he wore a brown leather jerkin, a mail shirt visible underneath and brown leather leggings. His boots were black leather and around his waist he wore a black belt that held a sheathed short sword. “Impressive kill Sir,” exclaimed the man, turning to face Gallant. “You felled it single-handedly?” he continued, with an expression mixed of expectancy and respect.

  Gallant was more concerned with Princess then with any fame from his victory over the bear. He had been briefly proud but now his only thoughts were of her and as such he ignored the man’s question. Five other riders arrived and one of them had Princess sitting upon his mount. He stroked her hair, kissing and hugging her feverishly. As they came closer Gallant could see him speaking and he strained to hear.

  “Abigail. Oh my dear sweet Abigail. I thought I’d lost you forever. Don’t you ever run away from me like that again okay?” said the man and Gallant could see tears in his eyes, his expression one of relief. Upon seeing him, Princess cried out in delight. “Mr Giant, Mr Giant, you are okay!” she said excitedly while struggling to escape the vice-like grip of the man who held her. “No Abigail, I won’t let you out of my sight again,” he said while wrestling with the squirming child.

  “Let me go, you’re hurting me,” shouted Princess and tears started to flow as frustration overcame her. That was enough for Gallant and he climbed down from his saddle and made for the rider who held Amber. The man who had dismounted earlier moved quickly to put himself between his companion and the advancing Gallant. He drew his sword and pointed it threateningly. “Easy there big man, this is not what it seems,” he said calmly.

  Four of the remaining five riders dismounted upon seeing the actions of their companion and drew their weapons. They formed a semicircle around Gallant. He fully intended on going through the first man but now surrounded by five of them, wounded and unarmed, he reconsidered. He would need to listen to this man’s explanation despite not wanting to hear it.

  “That’s good,” expressed the lead man, addressing Gallant. “Lalias, the one who holds your…” the man trailed off awaiting an answer from Gallant. “Daughter,” replied Gallant, the lie coming easily. “Indeed,” continued the man. “Well, Lalias is our friend. He lost his wife Tirana just two months ago to fever, despite our village surgeon’s best efforts. Then his daughter Abigail went missing. We found her body badly mauled and half-eaten. The discovery all but broke his mind.” Gallant made no comment, keeping his eyes fixed on the men.

  “It was the second attack resulting in death in our village in five days, the first being a man called Romus, Callis’ brother here.” The man paused his speech long enough to wave his free hand in the direction of one of the five blocking Gallant’s path. The man now identified as Callis bowed his head at the introduction.

  “And what is your name?” interrupted Gallant. The man made a small bow and said, “I go by the name of Jasper, but please allow me to continue.” Despite the somewhat polite tone of the man he now knew as Jasper, Gallant didn’t figure he had much choice and feigned interest. But his thoughts were of Princess and his patience thinned. He glanced over to her and noted she was still struggling. In fear of the man Lalias hurting her as she struggled, Gallant shouted to her.

  “It’s okay Princess. Mr Giant will be with you soon. You just sit still with the nice man there for a little longer, okay?” Gallant fought to control his voice and disguise any concern, keen to avoid upsetting her any further.

  Amber paid no heed to his words and continued to struggle with Lalias. Gallant made to move forward and again was stopped by Jasper and his raised sword. Although his wounds were causing him considerable discomfort, he could feel his temper rising. He knew if it built to a rage, he would attack the five men surrounding him – sword or no sword. You are no good to the girl dead, he thought, fighting for calm.

  Jasper started to talk again. “And so, as I’m sure you know, it is said that once a bear tastes human flesh it will seek nothing else. As a result of this, a reward was put up by the village elders for the slaughter of the menace. We grouped together and thought we had the beast trapped but it managed to escape and run away through the forest and, it seems, straight into you. You have done us a great service in killing it and you are of course welcome to the reward. It is consider—”

  “You are very generous in your offer Sir but if it’s all the same to you I will just take my daughter and we shall be on our way. Please feel free to take credit for the killing yourself and claim the reward,” said Gallant, cutting Jasper off mid-speech.

  “For the Gods man, this would be so much easier if you would stop interrupting me. I am trying to explain that you are welcome to accompany us to our village, where our surgeon will see to your wounds and you will be richer for claiming the reward. Then you will be free to leave.” He had a look upon his face that told Gallant refusing this seemingly generous offer would not be acceptable.

  Gallant had enough of this. His wounds were bleeding heavily during this exchange and he was beginning to feel a little sick, his mouth was parched and he felt some dizziness creep over him. He closed his eyes momentarily to steady himself and swallowed back the salty wash that flooded his mouth. He repeated this process a few more times and Callis took note. “He doesn’t look good,” he said to Jasper. “What are you getting at anyway Jasper? This man and his daughter should be free to leave. You have stopped him from assaulting Lalias, if that was indeed his intention. Now leave them be,” he continued while stepping out of their line, placing himself between Gallant and Jasper.

  “Get out of the way Callis,” warned Jasper, casting a vicious look at the younger man. Callis did not back off. “You intend to take this man’s daughter, don’t you?” he said. The other men cast anxious glances at each other and lowered their weapons, and he could tell they did not want this exchange to escalate into a confrontation. Or perhaps it was Jasper’s uncovered plan they wanted no part in. Either way, Callis felt relieved.

  “You little whoreson!” snarled Jasper. “Lalias is our friend and this man is no one to us. Yet you would put his wants over our friend’s happiness? I have offered him our hospitality and even the reward for killing the bear, yet still he refuses, rude and aloof. And you take his side? I should kill you where you stand,” he growled, spitting the words.

  “You really have finally lost it Jasper,” replied Callis, clearly taken aback, his eyes showing derision. Just as he finished his sentence there was a thud from behind him. Callis turned to see the huge man collapsed, a dark patch of blood staining his shirt. “The man is almost dead Jasper. His wounds are obviously more
serious then they first appeared. Stop this madness now and let me take care of him. He killed the bear that took my brother and Lalias’ daughter. Please see reason.”

  “You are relieved of your duty boy,” responded Jasper. He pointed at Callis and barked an instruction to his men. “Take him, and leave the giant to die.” The men stood motionless. “Did you not hear me? Arrest Callis and let us be on our way.” Suddenly there was a scream and Jasper turned to see Lalias holding his hand, the girl leaping from his horse and rushing towards them. “Abigail, come back!” cried Lalias. “Daddy didn’t mean to hurt you. Please come back,” he continued, bursting into tears and seeming to lack the desire to chase her. He was for all the world to see a broken man.

  Jasper made to grab Amber but she dodged around him and skidded to a halt at Mr Giant’s body. She knelt down and tugged at his tunic but when he failed to move she began to cry. “Mr Giant, please wake up,” she said, her little voice shaking. Gallant opened his eyes and smiled at her. “It’s okay Princess. Mr Giant is just resting,” he lied, his breathing ragged.

  “Enough of this. Step aside Callis or I will kill you,” shouted Jasper, but Callis stood firm. “If you will not see reason and end this madness then be warned – I will defend myself Jasper,” he replied calmly.

  Without another word Jasper launched the first strike towards his opponent’s head. Callis parried the blow with a clumsy defence but which was effective enough to force Jasper onto his back foot. Several more times Jasper launched attacks and each time Callis narrowly escaped harm. The two men began circling each other.

  Jasper feigned a blow to the left of Callis’ stomach but then changed the angle of his sword to swing for the head. Callis fell for the feint and moved his sword to block his abdomen but realising his mistake he managed, barely, to move his head out of the way of the real attack. The blade caused a shallow cut across his cheek and blood began to trickle. Callis raised his arm to the wound and wiped the sleeve of his tunic across it.