“The third Guard wasn’t that confident anymore, now that his friends had been slain, he kept turning his head in different directions seeking a way to escape. Realizing there was none; he gave up the idea of running for his life and faced my father, retaking his fighting stance. My father looked spent, so I backed up a few paces keeping the fourth Guard in sight in case he decided to get involved. The non-fighting Guard winked at me and grinned. I still stood at the ready in case he jumped in. Father quickly wiped his forehead of sweat with his sleeve and then got down to business.
“‘You, sorry excuse for a French Royal Guard,’ my father sneered. ‘The Royal Guards I have met before were men of integrity. You are not one of them.’
“Save me the lecture, old man, and get on with it. I do not fear you. I have been made a Royal Guard for my bravery and gallantry.’
My father snorted, “You are nothing of the sort. You are but a coward and a bully. Your reward is at the end of my blade.”
“Enough!’ shouted the Frenchman as he lunged, his sword aimed at my father’s chest. The point was parried perfectly and reciprocated with a thrust that was sidestepped by a mere inch. They both broke off and set up for their next moves. A series of thrusts were exchanged using both swords and daggers without either giving ground. A feint to the left by the Frenchman brought a determined thrust straight to center mass at my father and was barely parried, sliding off his hilt cup and slightly piercing his left side. With incredible speed, the Frenchman quickly lunged with his dagger to my father’s chest, which he deftly pushed aside with a forearm, while stepping to his right. The Guard didn’t retreat, as he smelled an advantage being within an arm’s reach, and swung his sword hilt upward into my father’s chin knocking him backward with the impact. Suddenly, Father went sprawling to the ground; he had lost his balance after stepping on a rock that rolled under his boot. He landed squarely on his back with his opponent standing over him and thrusting his blade down. You can only imagine how I felt; my heart fell into the pit of my stomach. At that moment, I believed he was surely beaten.”
Heinrich, Otto, and Diego were sitting on the edge of their chairs riveted in place and barely breathing, as Reiner hesitated. Inhaling a deep breath, Reiner continued his story.
“But he is a very experienced – and fortunately a very clever fellow – for as soon as he hit the ground, he knew his opponent would not hesitate to finish him off. The Guard’s sword point barely missed as my father rolled away. At the same time, he knocked his opponent’s weapon aside. Rolling again and came to his feet in a smooth rotation. I was amazed at his agility.”
“Vous condemner! You are a lucky man, monsieur. I had you.”
“That means nothing when I am still here and standing; you dreamer.”
In his fury, the Frenchman spat the ground.
“Once again they circled each other. Their chests heaving heavily as they took in gulps of air. My father made the next move; he feigned a thrust at the man’s face …, but changed the angle in mid-stride and pierced the man’s lower abdomen. It was not a deadly wound, but painful. He followed with a slower than normal thrust that the Frenchman easily swatted aside. It was another feint. Then with amazing quickness, which I had not witnessed since he was much younger, he twirled to his right and forward, putting him well inside of the man’s sword hand, plunged his dagger into an eye driving it all the way to the hilt. With the blade fully buried in the brain, the body crumpled to the ground, falling face down.”
Reiner gazed through the open window of the cabin as if lost in a world far away. Heinrich could only think the sailor was looking back to the past, back to the bloody scene at the tavern, contemplating the circumstances that changed his life. He didn’t realize how close he was, Reiner was reflecting on the painful incident. He and his dear father knew this day would be the beginning of the end of their lives together.
“Amigo, are you all right?” asked Diego gently.
Slowly, Reiner came back to the present, and he looked at the men around him with glazed eyes that did not hide the anguish he felt.
“Ja, ja, I am all right. I was just thinking of my father and what has become of him, it’s been many years since we said farewell to each other.”
“We are so very sorry for your loss; that you and he had to part,” Otto said softly.
Reiner nodded. “It has been thirteen years since we said farewell to each other at the manor where I grew up. It was the only home I knew until the sea became my life.”
“May I ask what happened that made you have to part with your father?” Heinrich asked. “Or shall we leave the rest alone?”
“Nein, it’s quite all right, captain. I will finish the story. In some ways, it helps me to clear my conscience of the guilt I have carried for so long; blaming myself for something that others caused. The struggle and pain within me are due to the separation from my father. Most likely I will never see him again … but back to what happened next. The sole surviving Royal Guard looked over the carnage before him; his three colleagues were dead. My father and I stood shoulder to shoulder keeping our swords at the ready and watched the Guard. The innkeeper and a handful of lodgers were gathered in front of the tavern. Everyone was gawking at the bloody scene before them. Some were whispering, and two women with their hands over their mouths and eyes bulging seemed in shock. Little did we know they had all witnessed the fight.
“Bravo, monsieurs,” the Guard remarked. “I must admit I am somewhat shocked at the outcome. Perhaps not so much that you beat all three of them in rightful defense, but more so on how handily you achieved it. They were Royal Guards in the service of the King. I will not say they were the finest of swordsmen, however. There are much better in our ranks. That is not meant to take away anything from your remarkable skills. You engaged them excellently.”
“‘Why, monsieur, did you choose to stay out of the fight and not assist your friends,’ my father asked.
“They were not my friends, monsieur. I was assigned tonight to ride along with them on routine patrol. We occasionally stop at this tavern for a break from our duties. I humbly consider myself a fair judge of character; it is part of my job. I can tell by your attire and your forbearance that you are not just anyone. And the fact that you both wear the finest of swords gave you away as aristocracy. I am Claude Lefebvre. You no doubt hold a titled position in your country as you mentioned your son’s name. You are …?’
“I am Baron Hermann von Mannheim. What becomes of this sordid situation then?’
“To me personally, they were scoundrels that needed to be taught a lesson. I didn’t however, think you and the boy would be the ones that would administer that lesson; a deadly lesson at that. And as much as I would like to merely ride off, monsieur, it is not such a trivial matter; what has taken place here, especially in front of witnesses. They are Royal Guards, after all. This incident will not be taken lightly even if I explain the circumstances. It is indeed a murky situation.’
“I understand what you say. The circumstance forced upon my son and I was of a foul and contemptible nature. It is shameful.’
“Monsieur, please walk with me. I must explain something to you,’ the Guard said in a soft voice intended for only my father and me to hear as he led us away from the crowd.
“It is not what I think that will have a bearing on what happened here. Please understand. First of all, I am no hero or else I would have taken a stand against these three for having bullied you into a fight. And I was not courageous enough to take them on by myself and be killed trying to stop them. Furthermore, I had no idea of your mastery of the sword. If I had known, perhaps I would have tried to persuade them from pulling such a stunt. Alas, the damage has been done, and it cannot be taken back. I am not the one that will judge the situation as warranted or unwarranted. Here is what I will offer you and it is unfortunately not much. I can only buy you and your son some time. You must take leave of this place at once and return to Germany; go tonight if you value your w
elfare.’
“My father was not shocked by the man’s instructions. He figured as much. It was a severe situation; it made us criminally libel on French soil. The injustice and irony were disgracefully insane.
“Although my father felt justified in the results of the duel, he was intensely angry that it had come to this end; circumstances that would play heavily against the family personally. It was not only unjust but could denigrate our family name within France where he had established a reputation of integrity both personally and for business. He would now not be able to travel to France freely. And, ultimately it would lead to the loss of his son. Having to live with these consequences would torment him the rest of his life. My father was torn by the thought of –”
Otto couldn’t stand it any longer and cut into Reiner’s story and asked, “I am very sorry, but I can’t understand how your father lost you. You had won the fight, and both of you were unhurt, and …”
Reiner replied, “When the Guard explained what would invariably happen; when the authorities found out regarding this incident at the inn, common sense would not prevail. The Royal Guards had built their reputations on being utterly spotless and honorable. The response would be to punish whoever killed three of the King’s Royal Guards no matter who was at fault. It was strictly political. It was scandalous, but we were helpless to do anything about it.
“Also, a large portion of our business was with the French, and it did not take long for that to be lost forever. It would take years to rebuild after losing access to French ports.”
“I still do not see how that forced you and your father to part,” stated Otto, who was still baffled.
“I will never know the details, but within months there was a warrant for my arrest for the murder of three Royal Guards. My father’s involvement in the incident was not mentioned, so somehow the fourth Guard had contrived a way to keep his part a secret from the authorities. I was glad that he was not a fugitive in the French government’s eyes. However, my father was furious; he went on for days relentlessly bad-mouthing the French authorities.
“Those detestable French bastards! They should have blamed me, an old man, and left my son alone. Now my dear Reiner is burdened with the weight of the outrageous assertions that he murdered those jackals. Leave it to the French to make a mockery out of this incident so they can look innocent.
“There was nothing my father, nor his friends in France could do to unravel the damage done. Our family business suffered, and I became a fugitive with a bounty on my head. Although I would never be able to set foot in France again, I was not out of danger in my own homeland for there were bounty hunters after me. They would have an easy time finding me since my family was well known. I was in constant danger from those miserable vultures out to capture me. As much as my father tried to keep me secure by surrounding me with armed guards, living a normal life became futile. I was a marked person, sought after by not only the French but also Germans who just didn’t care who they hunted as long as they stood to collect a bounty. Even for a short time under these tormented conditions, I not only loathed the way I had to live my life but also hated that my father had to spend his hard-earned money to protect me. It was a miserable existence. After much thought, I told him I would leave home and start a new life to get out from under this curse. And yet the very decision to leave my father was a curse in itself. Of course, my father was entirely against the idea, but I made up my mind and was not going to change it.
“The day finally came to depart. It will always be the saddest day of my life. I had a hard time meeting my father’s eyes; they bore so much grief. I promised him that someday I would be back, but he knew that he would most likely never see that day come to pass. I prayed for that possibility to show itself one day, but the reality faded after I went to sea. As we said our farewells and embraced each other for the last time, I left a man with a broken spirit. He had reared me, taught me life’s beauty and its significance, taught me armed combat, and most importantly taught me to respect human beings no matter what their status in life. I left as soon as dusk settled and traveled by horse north to the coast. You know the rest. For the last thirteen years not a day has gone by that I haven’t thought of him.”
Reiner stepped to a chair and dropped into it, not so much out of physical exertion but due to the mental anguish he was experiencing after recounting the story. The three men looked at him and then cast their eyes to the floorboards sadly reflecting on the gut-wrenching tale of savage depredation. For all three, having heard Reiner’s tale of tragedy and sensing the intense love between him and his father, it had rekindled their own life stories that brought them to where they were today. Every man on board this ship had his own story to tell; the events that led them to a life at sea.
“I am weary, captain. May I take my leave?” Reiner asked.
“Jawohl, of course, Reiner. Not that it makes things any better for you, but I feel we know you much better. There are some similarities in my past about the loss of family. I think it will do us all good to get some rest. There is much to accomplish here in Savannah. So, I bid you all, Guten Abend.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
SAVANNAH
The sun shone brightly through the starboard window as Heinrich struggled out of his bunk after a fitful sleep. What was bothering him? Ah, yes, Reiner’s tale had made him dream about his depressing youth, hence his restlessness during the night. He went to the armoire where Klaus had put a small basin of water and splashed his face until he felt refreshed.
After dressing, Heinrich went to the galley to get something into his empty stomach. He found the cooks and cabin boys busy preparing meals. Giggling and carrying on, the lads didn’t notice their captain enter the galley, which was stuffed with cooking utensils and several pots filled with …, hmmm, some sort of stew that didn’t look so palatable, yet it smelled good. So far throughout the voyage, the crew had been fed, and there were not too many complaints, so Heinrich figured Karl Schmitt, the head cook, and his assistant, Hugo Hartmann were doing something right. If anyone on board was the brunt of sailor’s jokes, it was definitely the cooks. No ship’s galley was a gourmet’s delight and most sustained the crew with barely edible meals. With Doctor Strobel’s assistance, however, the meals aboard the See Wolf were of better-quality ingredients than the typical ship’s fare.
“Are you lads working as much as you’re talking?” The sound of Heinrich’s voice immediately halted the boy’s conversation.
“Ja, captain,” Jan Klein answered a bit tentative as he jumped to his feet. “We are all busy preparing these vegetables that Dr. Strobel likes,” he stated earnestly, making sure he acknowledged the others by using ‘we,’ not wanting to stand out amongst the boys.
“You best work a little harder with less jabbering. If you finish on time, I’ll suggest to Herr Schmitt to let you take an hour or two off,” Heinrich said.
“Jawohl, captain. That would be a treat,” Dieter Walter said with glee. A flurry of activity ensued, in anticipation of getting time off.
Making sure the boys could hear, Heinrich asked the cook, Karl Schmitt, how the lads were doing.
“Overall, they’re doing well enough, captain. Of course, I have to stay after them constantly. A few swift kicks in the buttocks usually does the trick. They still have a long way to go,” Karl stated loud enough so all the boys could hear. Then lowering his voice so only Heinrich could hear, “Actually, captain, the lads are doing a fine job. Very little complaining, although they do gab more than three old maids. Hugo and I are quite fond of the lads.”
“Keep up the good work. I realize there is little praise given to the galley staff, but the gossip I hear is that the meals have been decent enough.”
Karl was somewhat shocked at having been complimented on their cooking. He looked over at Hugo who was beaming through bucked teeth.
“Captain, I have a request, to further improve meals, we could use freshwater fish. Since we are in port, perhaps we ca
n put together some small fishing parties. I am sure there are plenty of good fishing spots along this river.”
“That’s a very good idea. I’ll see to it right away. Karl went back to what he was doing and began whistling. The boys wondered what had made him happy so suddenly. Adler remarked that perhaps it was because he didn’t burn what he was cooking to a crisp this time. All three burst out laughing. Karl shot a hard stare at the lads, which was all it took for them to shut their mouths lest their fanciful thoughts of time off would go up in smoke.
On his way back to his cabin, Heinrich ran into his first officer. Otto began his morning report as if it was a litany. He reported on the condition of the ship and what was being done to repair broken items, the status of the carpentry work, and food supplies to be purchased.
“Most of the procurement teams have already departed. Are you going into town as well?”
“I plan to seek out a few more ship’s captains and see what the latest reports are,” answered Heinrich. “You want to come along or just lounge around?”
“Lounge? Do you know how much work there is to do aboard this big schooner of yours, Heinrich Drope?” Otto exclaimed irritated. “There’s more to do aboard this vessel in twenty-four hours than I could get done in a week.”
Heinrich grinned, knowing he annoyed Otto.
“Don’t get me started, Heinrich! Go about your easy life as captain, while your little sea scamps blister their hands.” Otto turned abruptly and left his captain standing alone. Heinrich just shook his head.
All right, Heinrich thought, “Let me see if I can find a captain or two who has recently come from the Caribbean and get the latest gossip.” He walked toward the gangplank and suddenly remembered that he promised Karl fresh fish. He turned back and searched for Otto. He found him at the bow talking with the carpenters.
“You looking to hound me some more?” Otto asked Heinrich.
Winds of Fury Page 24
