The Warrior Maiden

by Melanie Dickerson

  Though he’d treated her badly, had even tried to hurt her after the archery contest, she never seemed to resent him for his harsh treatment. And there was just something about her that inspired confidence and respect. He imagined the other soldiers felt the same way.

  She ate rather more daintily than she was wont, seeming not to notice that everyone in the room kept staring at her. Again, she glanced his way. This time she didn’t avert her gaze but smiled—a ghost of a smile, but it lit up her eyes. His breath rushed out of him.

  She was beautiful.

  Duke Konrad’s captain of the guard stood and commanded everyone’s attention. When the noisy room quieted, the captain spoke. “As you all have probably heard, the grand master of the German Order, Rusdorf, disguised himself and managed to enter the castle. He found Duke Konrad at his prayers in the chapel, and during his moments of piety, the wicked Rusdorf sneaked up behind him and, coward that he is, grabbed the duke around the throat and choked him.”

  Growls and murmurs sounded from the crowd gathered in the Great Hall.

  “The duke would have been strangled to death, but just at that moment, two brave soldiers, who are with us tonight, came to his aid.”

  The cheers were loud and sincere. Of course, they’d all heard the story by now. But it was part of the ceremony of the feast to allow the duke and his captain to tell the official account.

  The duke now stood, and a hush fell over the assembly.

  “Friends, these two soldiers Captain Bogdan has spoken of, responsible for saving me from my adversary, are among the bravest, cleverest of soldiers. Wolfgang Gerstenberg”—the duke motioned for Wolfgang to stand—“is from an old and noble family of great integrity, and his courage is truly laudable. And the soldier known as Mikolai of Lithuania will be praised for ages to come, notable as one who fights against injustice as well as against the limitations placed upon her. She pays limitations no heed, just as she pays none to the devil’s schemes. This extraordinary soldier is”—he motioned for Mulan to stand—“Mulan, a woman of great credit to all of us united in our fight against the oppression of the German Order.”

  The crowd of mostly men must have already heard that Mikolai was actually a woman because they roared her name without hesitation, stomping and applauding. Mulan held her head high, but Wolfgang may have been the only one to notice that she set her hand on the table, as if to steady herself. As she calmly turned to look at the men cheering for her, she could have easily been a queen observing her subjects, that ever-so-faint smile on her lips.

  He was so proud of her.

  But an uneasy tightening in his chest alerted him to some unwelcome emotion. He wished they were alone together in a tree, talking about their childhoods or fighting side by side. Anywhere but here where all these men were shouting for her.

  His gaze roved around the room, warning them with his glares that she was his friend, not theirs. But no one was looking at him. They were all staring at her.

  Mulan did her best to hide the surprise she felt at being the object of the cheers and honor of her fellow soldiers.

  And though she enjoyed the acclamation, she’d rather hear Wolfgang speak his approval. Was he proud of how she’d conducted herself? Did he think she was brave? Or did he resent her getting extra attention just because she was a woman? After all, he’d been at least as brave and heroic as she had.

  But she was foolish if she let herself think of him as anything other than a friend. For many reasons they were unsuited to . . . She couldn’t allow herself to even think about the possibility of marrying him. She didn’t even know how to read.

  All the shouting and stomping and clapping made her heart pound. As soon as it seemed appropriate, she sank back onto the bench. She wished they had seated her beside Wolfgang instead of across from him. He had a strange look on his face, and she wanted to know what he was thinking.

  A few men approached her while she ate. They were all respectful but obviously curious. Wolfgang seemed hardly able to eat, his eyes never straying from them until they moved away. His glare was nearly palpable.

  The duke asked her many questions about her childhood and her family. Eventually she told them how the two men of God, the friar and the priest, had predicted her future as a warrior. He and his wife, Duchess Katarzyna, plied her with even more questions, their eyes wide.

  They consumed all the food they wished, and the men were left with only wine and strong drink. Wolfgang spoke to the duke and duchess, then came around the table toward Mulan. He leaned down to speak near her ear. “We have permission to leave and go to our chambers. May I escort you?”

  Should she take his arm? He was holding out his hand as if to assist her, but she saw it too late. She was already standing. In the end they simply walked side by side from the Great Hall, shouts of approbation following after them.

  They were alone in the corridor and on the stairs as they began climbing to the next floor.

  “I—”

  “You—”

  They stopped on the steps and nervously waited for the other to speak.

  “What were you saying?” Wolfgang asked.

  “I just was thinking, you’ve never seen me in a woman’s gown before. I must look strange.”

  “Strange? No. You look beautiful, the fairest of the feast.”

  “You learned your smooth talk from being a duke’s son, I suppose.” But she smiled up at him to soften her words.

  “I was taught only to speak the truth. And you look exceedingly fair. Not like any soldier I’ve ever seen.”

  She checked to see if he was smiling. He was not.

  “You do seem a bit tired.” He moved so he faced her. “How is your wound?”

  “It has been paining me a bit, but I am well enough.”

  “Do you have your mother’s infamous salve with you?”

  “I can send for Andrei and he can bring it, especially if you need some. How is your shoulder?”

  “Your salve has nearly healed it.”

  “‘God heals; we only assist.’ That’s what my mother always said.”

  “That is a good saying, I think.” Wolfgang’s brows drew together as he glanced down at the floor, then back up again. “I should let you go to bed, to rest. I—”

  A loud commotion of voices made them turn their heads behind them. Wolfgang started down the stairs, holding one arm out as if to protect her from the danger below.

  One of Duke Konrad’s guards came running up. “The duke wishes to speak to you.”

  “To me?”

  “To you and to Mulan.”

  Her heart crashed against her chest. She and Wolfgang hurried down the stone steps. The duke was standing at the bottom, a dark expression boiling.

  “Rusdorf escaped.”

  “How?” Mulan’s breath left her in a rush.

  “He must have had his own men inside the castle. We found two of my men dead, their clothing stolen, in the back of the dungeon.”

  “Then let us go search for him.” Wolfgang stepped forward.

  “I’ve got men searching. It’s dark. I shall send you out tomorrow. Tonight you rest. It is enough that you saved my life.”

  Wolfgang seemed as if he would argue. Finally he nodded. “In the morning, at first light, I shall be ready.”

  Wolfgang awakened before dawn with a servant standing over him.

  “What is it?”

  “Duke Konrad says scouts have spotted Rusdorf’s army coming downriver on ships. They could arrive within the hour.”

  Wolfgang leapt out of bed and dressed with haste. Would he have to meet Steffan in battle? He wouldn’t have had time to get back to board the ship, probably. But it made sense that they would also attack on land. After all, Rusdorf had brought more men to join the army they already had in the area.

  He met Mulan on the steps as they were both rushing down. They joined the duke’s soldiers outside. The air was cool and moist, mist rising from the river, as they moved across the castle courtya
rd and through the front gate. The duke’s entire army moved quietly behind them.

  A message had been sent to their camp, and Gerke and Andrei and their horses were to meet them just outside the gate.

  Captain Bogdan emerged from the mist wearing his battle gear, a gambeson and a metal helmet. Wolfgang and Mulan were dressed similarly, as were the rest of the soldiers. A few of the knights on horseback wore full suits of armor.

  No one spoke as they moved closer to the riverbank. The Teutonic Knights would almost certainly outnumber them, especially if they all attacked at once. Would they finally seize the castle and kill everyone inside? They’d already ravaged so much of the countryside.

  Wolfgang and the duke’s forces followed the river upstream, moving quietly. Even the horses made no sound as everyone watched for the ship to emerge from the fog.

  Duke Konrad, dressed in full armor and his surcoat emblazoned with his coat of arms over his breastplate, rode his horse near them. He and Mulan nodded to each other. Everyone who met her seemed to love her, and now that they all knew she was a woman, they were in awe of her. It stirred an uncomfortable feeling inside him, and he began to suspect that feeling was jealousy. And possessiveness. He’d never felt this way about a woman before—wanting her all to himself, worried she might not feel the same.

  But no one knew her and cared for her like he did. Except for Andrei. Perhaps he knew her better, but he was just a boy.

  Instead of mounting their horses, most of them remained on foot, as they were so near to the river. They crept along, tiny water droplets forming on his eyelashes and clinging to Mulan’s hair. She wore her black tresses unfettered, a short curtain falling over her neck. Her shoulders were taut and rigid.

  They were about a mile upstream from the castle now. His feet were wet and a chill ran down his neck. If they could defeat the Teutonic Knights, then they could save Duke Konrad and the Polish people. But he’d never heard of a battle fought between an army on land and an army on water. Would the enemy have the advantage since they wouldn’t be able to get to them?

  A ship suddenly took shape on the river just ahead, emerging from the fog and mist, silent and hulking. Wolfgang, Mulan, and their fellow soldiers halted and watched the ship as it slowly made its way down the river toward them.

  Mulan’s hands moved with lightning speed as she reached for an arrow and nocked it to her bowstring. Wolfgang and the others in their company did the same. Gradually the shapes of men standing on the deck of the ship came into view.

  The men behind them, the trained longbowmen and crossbowmen, scrambled to light their special pitch-coated arrows with fire. Captain Bogdan looked left and then right down the lines of soldiers. Then he shouted, “Strzelać! Shoot!”

  Wolfgang and Mulan let their arrows fly at the same moment, and the rushing, wispy sound filled the air. The sky was thick with them, as if flocks of birds had descended from the heavens. The flaming arrows came next. They struck the ship, sending the soldiers on board scrambling to extinguish the many fires that broke out on the wooden deck, the mast, and the rolled-up sails.

  Wolfgang reached for another arrow, also with a prickling sensation on the back of his neck, because if the Teutonic Knights still in the area were to attack now from the rear, they’d be caught between the two enemy companies.

  Mulan was to his right, and as soon as they both released their third arrows, the man to her right fell to the ground with an agonized cry. They kept shooting as arrows flew past them from the enemy to the front, and forward from their friends behind.

  After several more rounds of arrows, it became clear that the enemy was sending fewer and fewer arrows their way. Wolfgang paused for a moment to see what was happening. Mulan lowered her bow as well. The enemy soldiers, their ship burning, were shedding their armor and jumping into the water. They were swimming to the other side of the river and getting away.

  Mulan looked behind her. “Where’s Captain Bogdan?” She stared up at Wolfgang with a fierce expression.

  They both glanced around before spotting him lying on the ground, an arrow through his neck.

  Mulan felt sick when she saw Captain Bogdan and his fatal injury. But there was no time to think about it.

  She grabbed the reins of his spooked horse and yanked the leather bag off the back of the saddle. She and Wolfgang had discussed with Duke Konrad and Captain Bogdan Wolfgang’s idea of something that would enable them to board the ship. The duke had supplied iron implements, called grapnels, and a couple of long wooden boards. Captain Bogdan had been entrusted with as many grapnels as they could find.

  Mulan leapt onto the captain’s horse. Then she held up one of the iron hooks with the thick rope tied to it. “Throw the grapnels!”

  Wolfgang quickly distributed the heavy four-pronged grapnels to the men who ran forward. Then he and Mulan each took one and swung it around and around over their heads. In a few more moments Mulan and Wolfgang threw their grapnels toward the ship, ropes trailing behind them.

  They landed on the deck, and Mulan yanked the rope, pulling the grapnel until it stuck fast into the wood of the railing. When there were ten grapnels gripping the railing, Mulan yelled, “Pull!”

  They hauled the ship through the slow-moving water. As soon as the vessel was near enough to the bank, two men threw a long plank of wood across the divide. Wolfgang and some other men ran onto the ship.

  A cheer rose and swelled louder. Mulan slid off the captain’s horse, feeling a bit foolish for that bit of impulse, though it had seemed necessary to get everyone’s attention.

  All the Teutonic Knights who were still alive on the ship surrendered. Wolfgang and his fellow soldiers led their enemies, tethered together by their wrists, as captives onto Polish soil.

  Suddenly an arrow flew past Mulan’s ear. She turned around to see Rusdorf himself atop a horse in the midst of a company of his mounted knights, their white surcoats and caparisons with the black cross in the middle, looking like a horde of locusts descending on them.

  CHAPTER 16

  Wolfgang spotted the band of Teutonic Knights descending the hill above the riverbank, Rusdorf in the midst of them. But another figure caught his eye. Steffan, he was sure of it, wielding his sword as he rode a black horse near the front of the company.

  Wolfgang’s heart seized. Not his brother. With all the archers turning to aim at them, he’d surely be slain. His entire family’s faces appeared before his eyes. Would he have to tell them Steffan was dead?

  His company’s archers quickly launched a volley of arrows at the advancing knights, so thick it took down nearly half the horsemen charging toward them. Had Steffan fallen? Such a melee of tumbling men and horses, such confusion and loud cries of both man and animal ensued.

  And then Mulan ran toward the new battlefront. Was it his imagination, or was Rusdorf aiming his charging steed straight at her? If he managed to reach her, she’d have to fight hand to hand with him, and she didn’t have her sword.

  Wolfgang left the captives with his comrades and ran toward Mulan. As he did so, Steffan burst through the tangle of horses and men. His gaze was pinned on Wolfgang. Would his own brother attack him?

  As he ran, Wolfgang looked from Steffan to Mulan and back again. Whom would he reach first?

  Steffan looked bent on beheading him, a sword raised over his head. Wolfgang sent up a silent prayer to God—desperate and wordless.

  One of Duke Konrad’s men on horseback came out of nowhere and cut him off, causing his horse to rear and scream. The soldier struck Steffan’s sword and knocked him off his horse.

  Wolfgang focused his attention away from his brother as Rusdorf continued to charge toward Mulan. On foot and without a sword she was defenseless as Rusdorf raised his weapon over his head and prepared to strike.

  Mulan quickly nocked an arrow to her bow and aimed at Rusdorf. She might only get one shot, so she waited. As he raced toward her, his face was contorted, his eyes black to match his hair. His black mustache and goat
ee were like a stained glass window she had seen once of the devil tempting Jesus in the wilderness. She aimed as carefully as she could and released the arrow.

  It struck and bent Rusdorf back over the rump of his horse. But when he straightened, her arrow protruded from his upper arm. She had missed her target, and now his thin lips grinned menacingly.

  Mulan grabbed another arrow, trying to launch it without aiming, but Rusdorf knocked her bow out of her hands with his sword. He launched his body from the saddle toward her. She sidestepped. He smacked her shoulder with the flat side of his sword blade.

  She turned her head and braced for the next blow, but when it didn’t come, she found Wolfgang standing over her, slamming his blade into the grand master’s.

  Wolfgang’s heart nearly exploded as he threw himself between them and blocked Rusdorf’s blow.

  A roar erupted from his throat as he beat Rusdorf back, each step making Mulan a little safer. But he feared she would never be safe while Rusdorf lived.

  Rusdorf was shorter and was wounded besides, so Wolfgang continued his onslaught. If he was patient, he could decisively defeat and disarm the man. Wolfgang could end his reign of terror on Mulan as well as these innocent people whose land had attracted Rusdorf’s greed.

  Though he parried each strike, Rusdorf was weakening. His wounded arm must have been seizing up because he stopped using both hands to hold his sword and let his left hand dangle by his side.

  Wolfgang’s spirit rose as Rusdorf’s face lost its arrogance. His expression went from grim determination to outright fear as he stumbled backward. Just as Wolfgang disarmed him, knocking his sword from his hand, Rusdorf fell onto his back on the grassy riverbank.

  Wolfgang pressed the tip of his blade against Rusdorf’s chest, over his heart. He wasn’t wearing armor, so he could kill him with one thrust. They would never have to worry about him again. But it would not be the knightly thing to do. He had defeated him in a fair fight, but to kill him now . . . Tempting, but it went against everything he’d learned about nobility and chivalry.