by Gian Bordin
"Rough, rough," she said. Both dogs barked furiously.
"Quiet." They stopped.
She counted to six. "Rough, rough." She let them bark a bit longer, until she heard somebody swear inside the kitchen.
Bolts creaked, the door opened slowly, a guard, holding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, appeared on the door sill, swearing at the dogs under his breath. She raised her hand to throw the knife, when she was distracted by a man rushing forward from behind the cypress with a wild shout. Oh, no, no, she cried silently, too late to stop her hand from completing the throw. The guard had jumped back inside and slammed the door shut. Her knife embedded itself in the wood. She heard him yelling: "Attack, attack, attack."
She was fuming. She would have liked to kill the fellow who ruined it all. All her men now came out into the open, shouting too. I should have known that they lack discipline.
"Quiet!" she shouted over the hubbub. "Shut up, all of you! … The next one who goes against my strict orders can find himself another landlord. I have no use for fools."
The men fell quiet, avoiding her gaze, looking to the ground, embarrassed.
More clamor came from inside the castle. She heard the familiar scraping of the shutters of her old room. Almost by instinct, she readied her bow. When a head appeared between the half-open shutters, she let go. There was a low groan and the man slumped onto the window sill, slowly slipping down inside.
She pointed at three of the men. "You guard the main entrance. If the doors are opened, whistle immediately and prevent anybody from getting out. Got that? Beware. They might shoot at you from inside." She pointed at three others. "You stay here and do the same… Luca and you two, follow."
She ran to the spot below her open window. "Stand against the wall." She shoved two to the wall. "Luca, help me up."
"Lady Chiara, you can’t do that," he said.
"Luca, do as you are told! Your hands!"
Reluctantly, he held them together. She stepped up and a second later was on the shoulders of the other two.
"You all stay below and catch me if I fall."
As fast as she dared, she found the hand and foot holds that she had burned into her mind almost four years earlier and climbed up to the window. Before going inside, she searched the darkness. The man she had shot lay lifeless just inside the sill, the arrow sticking from his head. He was alone. She entered and went to the door, opening it slowly. It took her a moment to recognize the smell. Then she saw the glow at the bottom of the stairs. Niccolo’s men had set the house on fire, which meant that they had withdrawn to the safety of the keep. As she rushed down the stairs, the smell of smoke grew stronger. At the bottom, she carefully looked into the hall. It was empty. The cupboards on either side of the kitchen entrance were ablaze. Through the open kitchen door she could see flames.
The servants? Are they still in their quarters or did they take them into the keep? Should she look for them first or open the main entrance? She ran to the impressive iron studded front door and slid the bolts away, opening one side. She had the presence of mind to stay behind the door, just in case one of her own men mistook her for one of Sanguanero’s.
"It’s Chiara da Narni," she shouted, before she showed herself. "You there, get all the others, then fight the fire."
The other two immediately ran to the bucket next to the kitchen entrance — as was the case in most houses, buckets full of water were kept in all rooms for just such an emergency — and threw their content into the base of the fire.
"Knock the shelves down," she shouted and then ran to the servants quarters. The door was locked. She banged on it. "Open up, for heaven’s sake. The castle is on fire. Bettina, I’m Lady Chiara da Narni, open up!"
The door opened and eight frightened people came out. By then all her men were inside.
"Help fight the fire. Get buckets from upstairs. Quick!"
She called Luca and another to follow her outside to the kitchen entrance.
"Break it down."
While she watched them attack the door with their axes, she also kept an eye on the small top window and firing slits of the keep, an arrow ready in her bow. She perceived movement two windows up.
"Hide," she shouted, taking aim at the same time. A second later they heard a scream, quickly joined by swearing. "It’s clear again."
She now concentrated on watching the keep, just in case somebody else might try again. It seemed to take an interminable length before the kitchen door finally split open, revealing a raging fire inside. It seemed hopeless. Luca arranged a bucket relay and bucket after bucket of water was thrown into the flames. Later he reported that the fire in the hall had been extinguished and that two people were keeping a watch that it would not reignite from the kitchen. The floors of the rooms above the kitchen, her brother’s and her grandmother’s old rooms, were also regularly flooded with water to prevent the floorboards from burning through.
Chiara foiled a second attempt from the keep.
* * *
There was a hint of dawn on the eastern horizon when the kitchen fire was reduced to smoldering ruins. Water dripped through the cracks of the floorboards of the rooms above. She guessed that they, as well as most of the beams and parts of the walls in the kitchen would have to be replaced, and all because of one fool who wanted to be brave.
She ordered everybody to avoid being in the firing line from the keep. Four of her men were guarding the entrance to the keep, which was covered by a stone slab that could only be removed from above. Another two kept the tower under observation from outside. All had strict orders to call her if anything happened.
As dawn broke, she was finally able to greet Bettina and four other servants who had served under her father. From them, she learned that only the steward and six of his people had remained behind. They also told her that one man had been found bled to death in her room. With one wounded, that left only five able-bodied defenders.
She was resting near the fountain in the garden, wondering how to flush out these six men, while absent-mindedly stroking her two dogs who had barely ever left her side, when Luca approached, cap in hand.
"Lady Chiara, I’m sorry about what happened. I had my doubts about the man, but took him because he is the strongest in the village."
"A good head beats strength most of the time, and it only needs one fool to ruin the best plan. We could have overpowered them easily. Instead, I now face a mess and my home is badly damaged."
"Lady Chiara, we’re but simple men and most only remember you as the young girl who always rode out with her father. Maybe if they had known that it was you who killed the two men, it might have been different."
She did not answer, swallowing the bitter words on her tongue.
"It will be different from now on. I’m convinced of that."
"I do hope so. When the Santa Caterina returns, we can’t afford another mess like this one. First, though, we must take the keep."
"Couldn’t you simply starve them out?"
"That’s one option, but I’m an impatient woman. I’ll think of something that works faster."
However, it reminded her of another thing she could do right away to make life in the keep difficult. She could cut off the water supply. It would also cut the castle and garden’s supply, but she had to risk that. The water trough was again full and they could always carry drinking supplies in. She asked Luca to come with her and showed him the hidden water intake. They disconnected the intake pipe from the source.
At daylight, she went from room to room with him, more and more appalled by the dirt and neglect she found everywhere. A large patch of partially coagulated blood marked the place where the man she had shot had lain. It did not feel like her castle anymore. The only room that still had some wall hangings was her father’s old bedroom, the biggest of all the upstairs rooms. From the clothing in the chests and cupboard, she guessed that it was used by Niccolo.
In the armory they recovered a number of weapons, swo
rds, pikes, and half a dozen crossbows with a score of arrows. In their hurry to withdraw to the keep, Sanguanero’s men had failed to take some of their best defensive weapons along.
After that, she sent Luca to Nisporto to tell the people there what had happened, to calm wives, mothers, and children, to announce that she was back and in charge of things, and then bring a dozen men up to take over from the nine. He should also send one of his children to get the horse and her things from Simone’s hut, as well as the horse in the quarry.
She checked with the four guards on duty and drilled into them that they were not to leave their posts, except for one to report to her if anything happened.
Luca was back about an hour later and with him most of the people in Nisporto and Sant’Anna, it seemed to her. When some ventured into the garden, she ordered Luca to keep them out. It was not safe from the keep.
Whether she felt like it or not, she had no choice but to address them.
"People of Nisporto, I am Chiara da Narni." The actor took over, carrying her voice, she hoped, even to the ears in the keep. "The daughter of the late Seignior da Narni." The news that her father was dead drew gasps. "Yes, my father died two years ago and it took me that long to recover what once was his, or rather what is left that was once his." She could not quite keep the bitterness out of her voice. "A tribunal in Piombino has awarded ownership to me, and if Signor Sanguanero is apprehended, he will stand trial for attempted murder."
"I know that you have suffered badly under his rule and I will try to make up for some of the things, at least those that can be remedied with money. I will not ask for any tithe from you for this and next year. But in return, I expect to get your full loyalty."
The crowd broke into cheers.
"The fight with Sanguanero is not over yet. We must still take the keep, where the steward and five of his men have taken refuge. And when the Santa Caterina returns from piracy, we have to take that ship too, including their master. And for that I need your full cooperation."
A low murmur swept through the crowd.
"There are twenty-four experienced fighters on that ship, in addition to the coward Sanguanero. We will only have one chance. We must not fail. Nor can we expect to get help from the Governor of Elba. We must do it by ourselves. Therefore, everything needs careful planning as well as complete secrecy. It must not become known outside Nisporto that I have retaken the castle. If the crew of the Santa Caterina gets wind of it, we lose the advantage of surprise. And a plan can only be successful if everybody follows my orders strictly and without questions or else it may put everything in jeopardy. You may think how can a young woman be in charge of a fight where some men may die?" She paused for effect. "Battles are not won by physical strength, or big muscles, but by having a good leader with a good plan, by cunning, by surprising the enemy, and by courage. I have all of that.
"For the next ten days, I expect every able-bodied man, and I hope many courageous young women to practice for that battle."
These last words were met by renewed cheers of "Lady Chiara".
"And now, I ask all of you, except all men willing and able to fight to return to your homes. Do the urgent work you planned to do over the next few days right away. You may not find time later on. Also, as you might know, unfortunately the castle kitchen has been destroyed by fire. There is no food for the servants. So organize to feed them. And remember, secrecy is of utter importance!"
Some people heeded her call, others lingered on. Luca’s men were congregating next to the castle entrance. She went to them.
"Luca, will you point out to the people that cooperation means following orders and requests, even simple ones like going home."
He hurried to the center of the courtyard. "People, Lady Chiara asked for your cooperation. She asked you to go home and do your urgent work. Why are you still staying around here?"
That seemed to have the desired effect. The stragglers hurried away, leaving only about four dozen men, a few in their mid-teens and a dozen with grey hair.
She now addressed them. "Men, as you have heard, this fight isn’t over yet. We still have to take the men in the keep, and as long as Sanguanero and the crew of the Santa Caterina have not been captured, Nisporto is not safe. I have a plan to take each, but for that plan to succeed I must rely on your absolute obedience. Last night, one of the men went against my strict orders and that’s why we now have the steward and his men holed up in the keep, that’s why part of the inside of the castle has been badly damaged by the fire they lit." Again she paused. "Nothing of this sort must ever happen again. If you’re not willing to follow my orders, then I don’t want you with me. You’ll be of no help. You’ll only endanger the rest. You may go back to your farms and tend to your things."
She let her gaze slowly sweep around, trying to meet the eyes with each man. Most of them looked at the ground.
"Look me in the eyes so I can see that you are with me."
She let her gaze again roam from man to man. Some averted their eyes after briefly meeting hers, other held hers, except for one young man who kept his head lowered. She took two steps toward him.
"What’s your name?"
He briefly looked up and replied: "Carlo."
"Carlo, why do you avoid looking at me? Would you rather not be here? Nobody will force you, nor will I hold it against you."
Another young man cheered: "He is afraid of girls."
She locked eyes with the interjector, a hard expression on her face. After a second or two, he lowered his head, turning red.
"Please, my Lady, I want to help!" Carlo said softly.
"Good." She again addressed all of them. "Over the coming weeks or two I will call on all of you to prepare for the tasks ahead. Right now I only want the twelve that Luca has assigned for duty today. The others now go home and also do all urgent work. You will not find much time later on." She turned to Luca. "Luca, you and the eight of this night are now ordered to eat and sleep and to be back by the hour of dusk."
* * *
While four stood guard, the others were put to work for the coming night’s assault. Their task, to search for straight green rods and shape them into arrows. She planned to smoke the fellows in the keep out, even if it meant to burn the wooden platforms of the four levels.
Then she placed herself in full view of the keep and called the steward’s name. He responded after the third call, not showing his face.
"Get lost before Signor Sanguanero and his crew crack your heads."
"Ser Molina, I’m Chiara da Narni, the owner of Castello Nisporto —"
"Casa Sanguanero owns Nisporto. You injured one of my men—"
"I did more than that. I caught the two found down by Rio Marina trying to rape the daughter of one of my tenants and killed them on the spot." He shouted again, but she continued. "Do not interrupt me. What I have to say, I will say once only. I have the documents to prove that I’m the master of Nisporto, whereas your master is only a common criminal, accused of attempted murder. I have nothing against you. I offer you your life. If you and your men surrender, I will guarantee to hand you over unharmed to the Governor of Elba. If you don’t, I decline any responsibility for what will happen to you and your men. I know all the secrets of this castle. You’ve already seen how easily I got armed men into the grounds. If you haven’t discovered yet, I’ve cut your water supply. I could simply let you die of thirst, but I’m an impatient woman. So I’ll give you until tonight to come out voluntarily. Mark my words, it will be hell after that for you and your men."
"Go to hell, you whore! You’ll never get us," came his angry reply.
She retreated away from the firing slits. Angela was just riding over the drawbridge with a second horse in tow. She slid off the horse, bashfully adjusted her skirt, and again unsuccessfully curtsied. Holding a bundle, she said: "Lady Chiara, here are your things."
"Thank you, Angela," she answered smiling, taking the bag from the girl. "You don’t have to curtsy to me; you ca
n show respect even without that. And how are you?"
"Fine, my Lady. Thank you."
"Could you sleep last night?"
"I could have, but I was so worried about father … and I didn’t want anything happening to you. I prayed much of the night." A little smile lit up her face. "That is, until I fell asleep."
Chiara chuckled.
"Lady Chiara, I want to help. You said you needed help. Please, let me help. My father said it was fine with him."
"Thank you, Angela. You were the first to help me and have helped me again by bringing the horses, and I’ll think of some other ways. In fact, you could take the horses down to the stables and let the stable hands look after them, and I’ll be looking for you tomorrow morning."
After eating some of the food left in her bag, she told her men that she was going to rest for a few hours and that she wanted to be woken if anything happened. She started going into the castle and then stopped in disgust. She would not be able to sleep there until everything had been thoroughly cleaned. Instead, she withdrew into a safe corner of the garden, spread out the cassock and lay down on it. The two dogs immediately joined her, keeping her warm.
* * *
At sundown, Chiara was again in the garden, hailing the steward.
"Ser Molina, the time has come. What’s your answer?"
"Go to hell." This time he showed his head. "You’ll never get us and when the Santa Caterina returns, Signor Sanguanero will make short shrift of you and your rabble."
"Have a good night, Ser Molina, if you can."
She assigned Luca and five men to be ready at the keep entrance.
"Luca, you’re in charge here. None are to get away alive, but if they surrender, don’t harm them. Put them into irons. There should be a dozen or so in the armory."
In a corner of the castle hidden from the keep, the others set up four dozen arrows, each with a thick woollen piece of cloth securely attached to its tip, half of them soaking in a jar of lamp oil. Each knew exactly his task. When the moon illuminated the upper part of the keep, she brought out glowing pieces of small peat squares from the kitchen. Then she started her attack. She whistled sharply. This was her signal for Luca’s men to bang kitchen cauldrons to the keep entrance, the racket intended to hide any noise her arrows would make when they landed at her targets.