The Black Sword Trilogy: The Poacher

by VanMeter, Jeffery

  “What seems to be the problem?”

  “The Mayor has stated that he will not be ordered about by, what he refers to as ‘jumped up toy soldiers,’ sir.”

  “Oh has he?” Captain Krall stated. “I want four of your cavalry ready to leave in ten minutes.”

  “But sir, it’s starting to get dark.”

  “Then get some blasted torches!”

  As the last light of day began to fade, the soldiers got a fire going in the center of the courtyard. As several of the new soldiers began seating themselves around it, Rosta, the cook started kicking at them.

  “No congregating around the fire! You’ll just make yourselves targets.”

  “Why not?” One soldier asked.

  “Because he said no!” said Sergeant Holly coming out of the Captain’s Quarters. He then pointed at two soldiers and ordered them to saddle five horses. Next he turned to Terri, who was standing near Kenner.

  “What was your count today?” He asked.

  “I lost count after ‘Hill Boy’ came up.”

  “Hill boy,” Kenner responded. “That’s original.”

  “As far as I’m concerned, Terri can call you any name in any language.” Holly said sternly. “So how did ‘Hill Boy’ do on his first day?”

  Kenner looked at Holly with a hint of anger, but then softened when he saw the Sergeant give him a friendly wink.

  “Not bad.” Terry answered. “He’s certainly not in my league; but he killed his fair share today.”

  “That’s good. He needs to be killing as many of those foul beasts as possible.”

  “Give us a couple of days Sergeant, and Terri and I should be able to clear out that whole field.”

  “Do you hear that, Terri?” Holly asked with a hint of humor in his voice. “This young man’s got some salt.”

  “He does indeed, Sergeant.”

  Sergeant Holly then patted Kenner on the shoulder.

  “Hold on to that confidence, lad. When all else fails…hold on to that.”

  As Sergeant Holly walked away, Kenner turned to Terri.

  “What was that supposed to mean?”

  “Knowing Sergeant Holly; any number of things.”

  With the horses saddled and bridled, Captain Krall, Sergeant Bobbra and three cavalry riders readied themselves to ride to Cordras.

  “Sergeant Holly!” Captain Krall called out. “It may sound a bit redundant, but you’re in charge until I get back.”

  “Yes, sir!”

  Captain Krall and his company then raced out the back gate.

  After being served bread and gravy onto their metal plates, the soldiers filed into the barracks. Each one selected an empty cot and settled down to their meal. The barracks was the long building lined along one of the walls of the fort. Inside was little more than wooden cots with straw piled on top of them and lined against the wall. Opposite the back wall, were doors at ever three feet so that the soldiers could get out of the barracks quickly. At the far end towards the back of the building was a large, wooden barrel. When one soldier went and filled a cup, the others followed suit.

  “Help yourself.” Terri told Kenner. “You get one ration a day, just like the rest of us.”

  After they had all started drinking, the company started talking amongst themselves about where they had been and what they had done to be sent to this posting. The older soldiers were “regulars” who had joined of their own free will and been posted there; some nearly as long as a year. They were meant to be posted at the fort for one year before being given thirty days of leave to go wherever they wanted and do whatever they wanted. Then they were to be posted somewhere else. The new soldiers were all petty criminals given the option of joining the Army of being more severely punished.

  As they talked and laughed, they noticed a tall soldier with a dark expression get up and pour more ale into his cup.

  “Oi!” Said Terri. “What makes you think you can have a second ration?”

  “Is there anyone here going to stop me?” He asked in response. There was a wild look in his eyes; as if he hoped someone would confront him. He sat down on his bunk, still glaring at Terri.

  “We’ll let you get away with it once,” Terri told him, “but not twice.”

  “And how do you intend to stop me?” He challenged.

  “Because there are a lot more of us than you.” Another soldier answered from out of the dark. Kenner looked and saw at least twenty of the soldiers standing and holding their spears in the dim light. The wild look dimmed from the man’s eyes.

  As the men continued to talk; eventually, one of them asked Terri, “So what did you do to get sent here? You don’t look like a regular soldier.”

  Terri laughed and finished the last few drops of ale in the cup.

  “I seduced the daughter of one of the elders of my village.”

  “I didn’t realize that was illegal.” Kenner said.

  “It is when you’re not quite what the elder had in mind for a husband for his daughter.”

  Kenner, at first seemed confused by the answer. But then, looking at the expression in Terri’s eyes, the truth suddenly occurred to him. He then nearly choked on his ale as he started to laugh.

  “I think hill boy has figured it out.” Terri said smiling.

  “Figured out what?” Another soldier asked.

  Kenner wiped his mouth looked at Terri who winked at him.

  “You’re a woman, aren’t you?”

  “Right on the first try.” She answered.

  Several of the new soldier reacted with shock while most of the older ones laughed along with Kenner.

  “That’s not funny!” The tall soldier interrupted.

  “Why not?” Another one asked.

  “It’s unnatural. It’s an abomination!”

  “Really?” asked Terri. “What’s nature’s way? Babies born with no arms or legs or blind? Women dying at childbirth?”

  “If that’s the will of the Great Lady, yes.”

  “The will of the Great Lady? What if I told you that the Great Lady has a masculine side?”

  “That’s blasphemy!” The soldier said when he bolted upright.

  “That’s enough!” Sergeant Holly said from one of the doors. “Sit your ass down!” He shouted at the tall soldier. “I don’t care what you believe or which spirit you pray to. But you will not disrespect that soldier.”

  “But she shouldn’t be a soldier.” He spat back. “Even if it were legal for women to be in the Army, they should be wives and mothers…”

  “She is here!” Holly shouted. “And I’ll take one of her over a hundred of you.”

  Captain Krall rode so hard towards the city; his escorts could barely keep up with him. In less than half the time it would have normally taken to ride the distance, he and his company found themselves crossing the bridge and into the city gates.

  “Who goes there at this hour?” Asked a man in uniform. It was similar to a soldier’s uniform; except that it had no emblem on the breast plate and a red sash across the chest.

  “I’m Captain Krall, commander of the fort. I must see your Mayor and your Chief of Police immediately.”

  “That may not be possible, sir.” Answered the policeman. “I’m afraid the Mayor has retired for the evening.”

  “Then wake him up! This is an emergency!”

  Several stable attendants took charge of the horses, and then Captain Krall and his escorts began moving quickly through the city towards the City Hall; which they could discern from it being the largest building in the city. Once inside, they found the courtroom and waited. Half an hour later, a short man with brown, curly hair and wearing a house robe entered the same courtroom.

  “I suppose you’ve got a very good reason for getting me out of bed at this hour.” The Mayor said angrily.

  “Why have you refused to evacuate this city?” Captain Krall growled back at him.

  “Who are you?” The Mayor said indignantly.

  “I’m Captain
Krall from the fort. Answer my question!”

  “First of all, I don’t answer to you. Second, there are certain procedures you must go through before evacuating this city; not the least of which is that a committee of at least five members of the City Council must be sent…”

  “I don’t have time for this!” Krall interrupted. “There are three thousand Wolfen on the other side of the Wall that could attack at any moment. If they do…”

  “That’s your problem, not ours, Captain. Now if you’ll excuse me…”

  “If those creatures attack…”

  “Then you’ll simply have to defend us, won’t you.”

  “I have fifty six men!”

  “And I’m sure they’ll all do a fine job. Goodnight Captain.”

  “Stop him!” Krall shouted. Two soldiers then blocked the Mayor’s path.

  “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

  The Chief of Police then entered the courtroom.

  “What’s going on here?” He asked, sounding confused.

  “Chief!” Krall barked. “I am Captain Krall, Commander of the defenders at the North Wall. According to article seven of the Constitution of Walechia, I am declaring a military state of emergency!”

  “You will do no such thing!” The Mayor spat.

  “Each and every city,” Krall continued, “has an emergency evacuation plan in which every citizen can be evacuated in less than two days. As military commander, I am ordering you to put that plan into immediate effect.”

  “You have no authority…”

  “Oh yes, he does!” The Chief said, cutting off the mayor. He then addressed Krall. “Do I have your permission to activate the reserve guard?”

  “Absolutely! And I’m leaving you in full command of them. I want this city completely empty within the next two days.”

  “Where are we evacuating to?” The Chief asked.

  “Post number one is less than twenty miles away and has one thousand soldiers. Try to get there as fast as you can.”

  “It will be done, sir!”

  “And whatever you do, stay on this side of the river until you get to Post One!”

  As Captain Krall began to leave, the Mayor shouted at him one last time.

  “I’ll see you hang for this Krall!”

  “If I survive the battle that’s coming,” Krall answered. “You can have me drawn and quartered if you like!”

  As Captain Krall and his escorts crossed back across the bridge, he turned and spoke to the two riders bringing up the rear.

  “Burn the bridge!” He commanded.

  Farrday’s Peace

  The time following the Dark Times and the Great War had become known as “Farraday’s Peace” after King Farraday and the peace he had brought to all four kingdoms, Walechia, Masallah, The Blackwoods and Sheyron. Walechia and Masallah were the largest of the kingdoms separated by the Blue Mountains which ran like a spine down the center of the known world. The Blackwoods were to the west and had become a mystery as it had closed itself off to all but necessary trade. And then there was Sheyron which, on land was only large city, Korsh. However, Sheyron ruled the seas and had become rich from trade with all of the other kingdoms.

  Farrday’s Peace lasted for nearly four hundred years as the four kingdoms cooperated with one another to keep such peace intact. However, eventually the old rivalries and grudges began to resurface and as the peoples of the kingdoms began to look to new lands to settle, conflict became inevitable.

  The first challenge to this peace came with the discovery of gold in the badlands to the north of Walechia. Considered mostly uninhabitable and rumored to be the home of the beastmen who were left over from the Dark Times, they were sparsely populated. Curving around the north of Walechia and eventually becoming part of the Blue Mountains, for centuries it was the home of nomads and bandits that occasionally raided the northern towns and villages. To combat this, King Thellos of Walechia built the Northern Wall; a series of military forts and stockades connected by a stone wall that stretched and curved over one hundred miles and made up the northern border of Walechia. When gold was found in the rocks and crags of the badlands, prospectors ventured therein, braving the dangers in search of wealth. For years, they stayed mostly in the unclaimed lands, but eventually, they began to venture deeper into the mountains and into the borders of Masallah.

  Trouble first began when King Crennol of Masallah had his armies begin arresting and imprisoning these prospectors. At first, King Crestor of Walechia paid no heed to these arrests, until the son of a Duke was arrested and his powerful family demanded action. Crestor appealed directly to Crennol, but like all Masallan Kings, he was stubborn and proud. Not only would he not release any Walechian prospectors already arrested; he declared that any others caught were to be arrested and executed as spies. The Dukes and Barons of Walechia demanded action from the King who, not wanting to lose face or prestige with his people assembled an army and placed them on the mountain pass leading to Masallah. Crennol did the same and war seemed inevitable. The priests of the temples warned both Kings to make peace, but both feared losing their power by appearing weak. Then one night, a winter storm the likes of which had never been seen descended on the camps of both armies killing hundreds on both sides. Both Kings saw the storm as a sign and removed the armies from the mountain pass. A peace treaty was signed that, not only would the Walechian prospectors be released, a deal was struck that prospectors of either nation would have to pay a tax on the gold found to the nation of the side of the mountains were found. The peace was maintained, but grudges remained.

  Chapter Eleven

  Broddick looked down at the degenerate bitch; the whore; the blasphemer. He thought to himself that what he was about to do to her was, not only justified, but necessary as well. She needed to be taught a lesson for her unnatural ways. She needed to be punished. The only light in the barracks was the dim light coming from the fire outside. Everyone else in the barracks was asleep and no one would know what happened. He’d make sure she didn’t make a sound and her dead body could never tell who took her life. He slowly drew his knife from under his tunic; but then suddenly, he felt a sharp blade on his neck.

  “Something on your mind big fellow?” Whispered the voice of her friend; the one they called Kenner.

  “This is no concern of yours, hill boy.” He hissed.

  “Let’s just say I’m an interested party,” Kenner whispered back at him. “And if you call me ‘boy’ one more time, they’re going to have to take us both to a doctor to get my foot out of your ass.”

  Kenner guided Broddick’s body around, removed the short sword from his neck then pushed him back in the direction of his bunk.

  “I won’t forget this,” Broddick whispered.

  “I certainly hope not.” Kenner answered. He then turned and looked down at Terri, who didn’t look as if she’d been awakened.

  “I could have taken care of that myself, you know.” She said; her back still turned to him.

  “But then, I wouldn’t have had the chance to use my favorite threat.” Kenner answered her.

  “It was rather clever.” She said.

  Kenner had barely gotten back to sleep when Sergeant Holly entered the barracks yelling. “Alright, you lazy animals! On your feet! It’s time to get back to work!”

  Kenner then quickly washed himself as best as he could then threw his clothes back on. Afterwards, Terri came up behind and slapped him on the back.

  “Come on, hill boy. I’ve got a friend I want you to meet.”

  They found the cook stirring something that looked like oatmeal in a large bucket.

  “Got that gunk ready for me?” Terri asked brightly.

  “It’s right here, butch.” The cook grunted. “Hope the old girl chokes on it.”

  “Is there another girl in this company?” Kenner asked.

  “Something like that,” Terri answered with the same grin Kenner had become accustomed to. She picked up the bucket and
carried it with her, leading Kenner behind her.

  “No one should be as happy as you before sunrise.” Kenner moaned.

  “I’m just glad to see another sunrise.”

  They walked along the length of the stables. Several soldiers were feeding the few horses sticking their heads out and the smell of horse manure was thick in the moist air. The morning fog was still glistening in the dim, predawn light. Eventually, they reached a gate at the end of the stables.

  “Can you open that for me?” Terri asked.

  Kenner untied the gate and swung the large door open when he saw two large, yellow eyes staring at him. The head and body of, what looked like a huge black cat lunged forward and then the creature roared. Kenner nearly soiled himself as he stumbled backward and fell.

  “What the hell is that?” he yelped.

  “That,” Terri said grinning even wider, “is Shela.”

  The head of the large animal was nearly the same size as Terri and she appeared to be, at least ten feet long.

  “Is that a battle cat?” Kenner panted.

  “Sure is,” Terri answered. “She’s the last of her kind, as far as I know.”

  The massive cat put her head over Terri’s shoulder and began to purr so loud, Kenner could almost feel it on his body. Terri put her arms around Shela’s neck and rubbed her fur.

  “That’s a sweet girl,” Terri cooed.

  Kenner slowly stood up.

  “Where did you get her?” He asked.

  “She came with our last Captain. I’ve had a mind to let her go, but Sergeant Holly wouldn’t allow it. She’s Army property, he says.”

  The cat moved her head off of Terri’s shoulders and began to eat the food that had been brought for her.

  “Don’t be afraid,” Terri encouraged Kenner. “She won’t bite. Even if she does, it won’t hurt as she could bite your head clean off without you feeling a thing.”