The Stonegate Sword

by Harry James Fox

  Basic sword and shield drill was interspersed with introductions to their mounts and grooming lessons. It was a shock to learn that the horses “outranked” them, and would be given first consideration always. It was particularly hard to remember this when a dozen or so were kicked when trying to clean their mount’s hooves. Several were dragged the length of the parade ground at the end of a halter rope. But no bones were broken, and after the mounts were properly fed and cared for, sunset found all the recruits lining up to get bowls of hearty stew. It was still February, and the nights were bitter cold. But the rigors of the weather also served to begin hardening the recruits.

  Training quickly fell into a routine. Don and Robert had developed the training schedule following the Stonegate model. A dozen experienced men served as leaders of groups of about ten, called “mounts.” Each group worked together to practice what they had learned.

  Of course, not all recruits were cut out to be horse troopers. They rejected five by the end of the first week. Most of these were overweight town dwellers. That turned out the be the average for each subsequent week, as well, which meant about one out of five did not graduate and get the bonus. But they did attract some old veterans from past campaigns who more than made up for the losses.

  On the third day, Don was sparring with a big, beefy recruit named Bud—a blacksmith from Glenwood. He was immensely strong, but his reflexes were ponderous. They were all practicing dismounted shield and sword drill, using cavalry kite shields and wooden swords. This kind of shield provided good leg protection, but only if held properly. The tail of the kite shield had to be kept in front of the knee of the forward leg. Bud kept turning the shield so that his leg was uncovered, and Don repeatedly hit his knee with a sharp sword stroke. The fourth time it happened, the watching recruits began to laugh. Bud seemed to be goaded beyond endurance, threw down his sword and shield and went for Don with his fists. Don noticed the chinstrap on his helm swinging freely, so as he sidestepped Bud’s blind charge, he knocked the helm cleanly off. When Bud turned to charge again, Don gave him an overhand blow to the top center of his head. He dropped as if his legs had suddenly been turned to water.

  Don turned to the watching recruits. “Two points to remember. First, keep your chinstrap fastened! Your helm does you no good on the ground. Second, never lose your temper. If you lose it, you will lose the battle, too. Now some of you carry him to the shade and pour water on him.”

  Don had to struggle a bit to stay ahead of the recruits. As dawn touched the mountain tops to the west, he led Snap out of the stable and across the parade ground. He mounted and cantered down to where the lance course had been set up. The main feature of the course was brass rings tied to thread, as well as straw dummies with wooden shields. Don rode to a rack of wooden practice spears and pulled one free.

  Then he ran the course at a slow gallop, bent low over Snap’s withers. He ignored the dummies, and tried to collect as many brass rings as he could. He went down one lane and back again on the opposite side. Reining to a halt at the spear rack, he counted the rings. Only four! He smiled a twisted grin and kneed his horse sideways until he could snap the polished wooden shaft back into place. He knew he was going to have to do better, but the knack would come back, of that he was sure. He rode back in time to see the troopers lining up for breakfast.

  Finally, the first week with individual weapons drill, horse care lessons, and physical fitness drew to a close. The second week began with riding lessons. It was well that most of the recruits were at least passable horsemen. Those that had ridden little (or not at all) provided quite a spectacle for the others. Don thought that Robert would pull out the rest of his remaining hair. They paired a dozen of the worst with good riders for one-on-one instruction. Don ordered them to go over the basics again and again until it became second nature. The sight of recruits hitting the ground soon lost its novelty. After awhile, no one even looked up to see what caused the thud!

  But gradually the horseflesh explosions became less frequent and the parade ground changed from chaos to something approaching order. Robert and Don made no attempt to form mounted units. The goal was simply to end the week with horse and rider moving together in some semblance of order. Most of the recruits succeeded in accomplishing that much.

  Don was pleased to see that the bounty had finally begun to bring in experienced soldiers. Nearly a score more had drifted in over a two-week period. The experienced ones were all in their forties, though most had been scouts or mounted infantry. None had actually served in a true horse troop after the Stonegate model. Yet, they had seen combat in the skirmishes of a generation before. Some bore scars to show it. They would help stiffen the ranks. He knew that a few experienced men could make all the difference when these new units were to be put to the test. More horses were coming in as well.

  The third week introduced mounted units with ten men and ten horses learning to work together. Both rider and horse had to learn to operate as part of a larger group. Hand signals, voice commands and bugle calls were patiently explained and then rehearsed over and over.

  The major formation they practiced was the column. Whether single file, column of twos, or column of fours, the column formation worked well to rapidly move across country. Weapons drill included spear and sword, and practice began on the bow. There was no time to make archers out of the recruits. It would take months to do that. But every man had to learn the basics, and even if he could not pull a heavy longbow, he could at least put arrows in the air from a bow of medium draw-weight. Archers had always formed part of the basic Stonegate strategy that involved using horse troops sometimes as cavalry, sometimes as mounted archers, and on still other occasions as mounted infantry. This flexibility made the Stonegate horse troop a versatile unit, but added greatly to the training demands.

  Samuel had questioned that. “Why not just build a cavalry unit?” he asked. “That is what I always had assumed you were doing. We don’t have time to make archers out of them, too. I suppose they should learn to fight in a shield wall, the same as any village militia would, since it might be useful as a last stand. But we only have four weeks. Why not spend it all on horse tactics?”

  Robert patiently explained again, for the third time. “Samuel, I did not know that you were such a slow learner. We can’t afford a pure cavalry unit since we are going up against the Raiders. Let me remind you that they are well mounted and are used to fighting from horseback. They have battle experience and plenty of it. I know very well that they don’t really practice cavalry tactics since their favorite maneuver is simply to cut down unarmed civilians from horseback. But they have been on many hit-and-run campaigns. Those little ponies have great endurance and are surprisingly fast on their feet.”

  Robert sounded like he was giving a familiar lecture. “These Raiders are lightly armored, and so we can expect that they will move faster than we can. They have experience, and that goes far to cancel out their lack of training. On the other hand, our training will be minimal, and for most, their experience is nothing. So we need archery to tip the odds in our favor. And if we can tempt them into charging into our spears while we are in a dismounted shield wall, we can teach them a very expensive lesson. Unarmored Raiders cannot ride over disciplined men with war spears! Yes, indeed! That is a lesson I would like to teach them. But to do that, these recruits have to learn to fight mounted and dismounted.”

  “I suppose that I am a slow learner, as you say,” returned Samuel. “But it seems to be still better to do a few things and do them well, than many things poorly. What do you think, Donald? You are in charge of training.”

  “He is a lot more than that,” said Robert. “I have made him my executive officer and second-in-command.”

  Samuel looked at Donald with raised eyebrows. “Now this is interesting. You seem to have shed your—whatever held you back, a few days ago. But I still want to know what you think. Am I
right or is this elder gentleman?”

  “I have always been willing to help. I thought I had made that clear! And no one could argue with you, the way you framed the argument,” answered Don, ignoring the sarcasm. “But it is even more accurate to say that it is better to do three things poorly than one thing poorly.”

  Samuel looked skeptical, while Don continued. “A few more hours of cavalry training would not help all that much. They are still going to be green, half-trained, and fit for only a skirmish with or without another week’s training. But time spent on infantry tactics, and particularly spear defense against a horse attack, is time well spent. It might save their lives. And archery training will let us harass the Raiders at hundred or more yards away.”

  Don paused to see if Samuel wanted to break in. But he only stared at Don, thoughtfully, hand on chin. Don continued: “Some of the Raiders carry bows too. Their bows are light and they are not disciplined, but they would be a threat if we have no archers to answer them with. Archery is another option that we must have, and even poorly-trained archers can make the enemy think twice.”

  “Oh, very well,” broke in Samuel, impatiently. He stood up to go. “I know that you are following the Stonegate doctrines. That is fine, I suppose. Just don’t let those doctrines lock you in chains. Think for yourselves!” He and Abel rose and left the headquarters.

  Abel had said little but stopped as he was going out the door. “Let me add this one thing,” he said. “You are in charge here. Anything we might say is only a suggestion. Your recruits have come a long way, even if they are not troopers yet. Thanks for all your hard work. We will not forget!” With a smile he closed the door behind him.

  That was the last they saw of Samuel and Abel for the rest of the third week. As the fourth week commenced, they began to gather the recruits into larger mounted formations. During this time they began practicing in full troops of fifty. Half of the recruits would drill on the parade ground, while the other fifty or so would go out on short patrols, sometimes breaking up into groups of ten.

  These patrols were the first exercises that actually had practical benefit. They systematically swept every drainage to the south of the Kolaroo River, just to make sure that they were free from enemy forces. They made no contact with the enemy, but the trainees gradually learned every hill, spring, creek and valley within fifteen miles of Ariel.

  Some of the recruits had started calling their camp “Fort Baldy,” and it was clear that the name was going to stick. It was obvious that it was an allusion to Robert’s bald spot, but he took it in good grace. He even chuckled when he heard the name though most were afraid to mention it in his presence. He commented that the mesa was pretty bald, but he said it with a twinkle in his eye.

  The last major exercise was to be a full patrol of all recruits, cadre and scouts. Samuel and Abel were in the process of moving in to take charge of the headquarters. They would see that the workmen, the garrison, and the stable keepers were all kept busy. A steady stream of water wagons would be transporting water from the stream in the valley (called the Roaring Fork). They would dump their loads in the new cistern near the stable. It would hold enough water to last horses and men for three weeks.

  Another project to be completed while they were gone was the assembly of a ballista. It was identical to several that were being built in Bethuel and Ariel. The ballista was interesting. Don knew little about it, except that it would be able to throw a dart well over a quarter-mile, quite accurately, it was said. It was designed to harass enemy forces, and discourage them from coming too close to the walls. Unfortunately, it could only fire once every five minutes. It would be of little use in a mass attack, of course. Don hoped that they would never have to defend Fort Baldy. A horse troop was of little use in directly defending the walls of a fort or town, unless used as infantry. He would rather use the speed of movement of his troopers to harass the enemy rear and avoid being penned within walls.

  That made him think of the walls of another fort. The camp of Balek Brown. “It won’t be long now, Balek!” he whispered under his breath.

  Chapter 22

  †

  A Beginning

  A horse is prepared for the day of battle, but victory comes from the Lord. Proverbs 21:31 HCSB

  They began the patrol on Friday morning. Each man was responsible for saddling his own mount and drawing the supplies for three days. They stood in formation, while Don performed the inspection. He was not concerned about spit and polish. This was a ready check. Don stopped to see how sharp the sword of this man was. On another man, he checked the keenness of the spear, on another, the arrows in his quiver. The gear had to be fastened so that it did not rattle. Each man had to have five quarts of grain and a feedbag. Horses’ hooves had to be clean and well shod. Anyone who did not pass had to double-time around the parade ground, leading his horse, and then fix the discrepancy. The armorer was there with files, and the farrier was available to tighten loose shoes. They soon found themselves busy.

  The bugler played “Boots and Saddles” as dawn broke. Don reported the three troops ready, and Robert gave the order to mount. They departed in a column of twos. Half of the scouts had already gone ahead, and Don led the way, following their tracks. The air was crisp, with a strong breeze from the west. They headed southwest, but they eventually planned to climb and proceed west along the higher benches along the south side of the river valley. This was the area that the Diné had faithfully patrolled for months. Don had wanted to see it for some time, ever since he had heard there were overlooks that allowed one to see into the Prophet’s dominion—the Junction Valley. They would not go that far on this first trip, however.

  The sky was brilliant and clear, and would be warm, for March. The snow had been melting the last few days and had settled. Bare patches were appearing on south-facing slopes. A first hint of spring seemed to be struggling to be born.

  A small baggage train brought up the rear. One of the pack horses was Red, carrying Don’s and Robert’s personal gear. Red had been getting fat and lazy, and it was time for him to earn his keep. They brought a large tent to use as a headquarters in the field and several canvas flies to put over the camp kitchen. They planned to be out three days; one day to ride to their campsite and set up a field headquarters; one full day of field exercises, and a full day to break camp and return to Fort Baldy.

  They divided the recruits into three under-strength troops of thirty to forty men each. An experienced veteran was put in charge of each, as acting troop leader. Abel of the House of Healing had agreed to come along as an official observer, and he could also serve as a healer, if necessary. Philip would also accompany them, which puzzled Don when Robert told him of the plan.

  Don crossed the Roaring Fork to the south of Ariel, and just as he did he saw two riders approaching them from the north. He reined to one side and greeted Philip and Abel. Robert joined them and Don made the introductions. They sat on their mounts and talked as they watched the recruits ford the swift stream. Don smiled at Philip. “Good to see you again,” he said. “Have you been able to help Abel?”

  Philip returned the smile. “That is for Abel to say,” he returned. “But it is good to see you, Lord Donald.” He ignored the little play on words.

  “Malcolm had the idea, Donald,” answered Abel. “He suggested that I might be able to use a helper in the armory. And, he was right, I do need some help. Philip can read and write and has been keeping track of who’s been issued arms. But I also have been teaching him something of healing. I think he is going to make an excellent medic.”

  “I want to help,” said Philip, eagerly. “That is why I want to come along. I can carry messages and help the medics, and scout, and …”

  Don raised his hand with a laugh. “Very well! I understand you want to come along. Show me how well you can ride. Maybe we can find a place for you.” Don caught Robert�
��s eye and saw a wink, just for an instant. Then they turned and followed the column.

  The ride to the camp that day should have been easy. All the recruits had been on several short patrols, so nothing was new. But it was not easy. One recruit’s saddle turned and threw him on his head within a mile after fording the stream. The helm saved him from serious injury, except for a cut on the bridge of his nose. Philip bandaged the cut under Abel’s watchful eye.

  Robert called a halt and ordered the troop leaders to personally check each man’s girth. Several more were much too loose. It was a wonder that more saddles had not turned. All three reported back to Don and Robert of what they had found. “If another man’s saddle turns, he will walk the rest of the way carrying it. Pass the word!” Robert glowered at the troop leaders. “It is your responsibility to inspect each man and his equipment. I don’t want to have to tell you again. Now get back to your units.”

  On top of that, the baggage train lagged. Several packs had to be reset, which held up the entire column. One horse had “spooked” and bucked down a steep hillside. The recruit had ridden the crow-hopping horse, but when the excitement was over, the horse pulled up lame, favoring a front foot. Again Abel and Philip were pressed into service, but Robert himself had the last say. “Put a wrapping on that fetlock, soak it in water to take the heat out, and give this man a remount.” Robert turned to the recruit. “Nice ride. It is hard to stay aboard when they go downhill like that.” And so the morning went.

  Lunch was a half-hour break on the trail. The men ate dried meat and biscuits and drank water from their bottles. The horses were allowed to graze, picketed at the end of their halter ropes. They pawed at the slushy snow and found weathered clumps of grass to chew on. Those troopers who had forgotten to draw rations went hungry, which was a lesson hard to forget.