“When we drop you off, I’d like you to return and find out who owned that wagon so we can make it up to them,” Peebles said to Three Toes, who found such an attitude odd, but he still nodded in agreement. Whatever this magic man wanted, he would try to give.
Shocked to his core by the speed these roaring metal monsters were able to maintain mile after mile, Three Toes was in awe of the General and had a healthy and growing respect for all the strangers. Even through his fear, he was beginning to actually enjoy the ride back through the countryside. He waved to many of the frightened peasants who were either too panicked or did not have the time to flee. Erdwine grinned through the open window like a fool at them all, and even called out a name or two of those he recognized. Each time he spotted someone he knew, Three Toes would roar with laughter at their fearful expressions. Even Sir Oldalf and General Peebles laughed on occasion when some local took to stumbling away in fear.
‘One thing was for sure,’ Erdwine thought, ‘travelin’ like this was much easier on the backside than riding a horse.’
They’d been on the road for just over an hour, and were nearing the outskirts of the large village of Epsom, when Lieutenant Goode came over the GBF.
“General, you may have a small problem,” he reported.
Peebles frowned and glanced over at Sadao, before swiveling back to study Three Toes. Whatever his name, the man seemed to be adjusting nicely to all the chatter taking place in his helmet. At first the rider was sure the voices were from the heavens or mayhap hell, but after a time he realized that they were coming from the men around him. He found it no less magical though, as if the very angels were talking to him.
“Details,” the General replied.
“There’s a carriage heading your way, escorted by eight men on horseback. I’m afraid I’ve spooked them, so they’re closing fast.
“Range?”
“Two klicks, but they’re really moving.”
“Slow to ten miles an hour,” Peebles ordered, then looked around the open countryside for any additional threats. They’d just emerged from a heavily forested area, which continued on to the south but at present they were in relatively open region of grasslands. There was a large hill directly in their path, rising up gradually and blocking the view beyond.
“Lieutenant Goode, will we beat them to the top of the hill directly ahead?”
“Yes, but I’d speed it up a bit.”
Peebles did not even have to utter a word before Sadao increased his speed. The rest of the convoy followed suit and they raced to the top of the hill.
“Come to a stop at the top, and we’ll wait for them. Colonel, I’d like two squads of men down on either side of the road just in case.”
“Yes, Sir.”
They topped the hill within a minute and pulled to a stop. The carriage and its escort were not in sight, but the General immediately spotted a Bot banking in the distance. At the very bottom of the hill, perhaps a quarter of a mile away was a small cluster of trees. The General focused his attention there and less than a minute later two sets of horsemen flashed into view. The group rushed up the road at a full gallop, followed closely by a carriage, and then four more horsemen in the rear. They charged up the steep hill, clearly in a panic, and even at this distance the General could tell that the Bot was garnering most of their attention. They were obviously much more concerned about the plane than what might be waiting for them on the road ahead.
Closer and closer they came until finally one of the lead horsemen spotted the American convoy directly ahead. At first he did not slow down, but then his companion noticed the strange vehicles and pulled up. They did not stop entirely, panicked by the Bot as they were, and continued to move slowly forward, glancing up and back every few seconds. They even picked up the pace a little as a second winged monster appeared over the horizon. Thankfully however, both dragons kept their distance.
As they neared the General’s position, the horsemen from the rear moved forward and joined their comrades in front of the carriage. They rode on slowly, each man studying the strange wagon like contraptions blocking the road in front of them. As they drew nearer they finally heard the rumbling engines, like a contented purr of a great beast. The horsemen paused for a moment then tried to push forward again but their horses shied from the noise and smell. The party finally came to a stop not fifty yards from the top of the hill, still keeping a close eye on the circling planes behind them.
“I know ‘em,” Erdwine said immediately. “Tis Brocklin of the King’s guard.”
“Yo Brock!” He yelled, sticking his head out the window. There was no immediate answer, so Erdwine stepped out and moved to the front of the hummer.
“Yo Brock!” he yelled again and held up a hand. “Tis me Three Toes!”
“Who’s in the carriage?” Peebles asked still in his seat. Erdwine, who was wearing a headset turned at the question and shrugged at the General.
“I canna say,” Erdwine finally answered and turned back to the guard he knew.
“That be ye Three Toes?”
“Aye,” Erdwine replied and walked forward.
“Who goes with ye?” Brocklin asked, clearly nervous despite the distance of the rumbling beasts. Plus, the strange large dragons that continued to circle in the distance did nothing to calm his jumpy nerves. They were an ill omen, and made him very uneasy.
“These be the Ammericaans, the strange and wonderful men of Somerset. Surely ye have heard of them. They be on their way to fight aside our own good King.”
A man briefly stuck his head out of the carriage and said something to Brocklin, who nodded and turned back to Erdwine.
“Off the road with ye. Make way for the King’s Royal Magistrate,” he ordered forcefully, hoping to be obeyed, then with a deep breath he signaled his men forward.
“Colonel,” Peebles said making a snap decision. The ground on either side of the road looked to be firm enough, with few rocks, and nothing of any danger to the rugged vehicles. “Let’s move off the road.” Immediately all the vehicles dropped into gear and pulled out into the grass and mud. The men that were spread out in the fields in full camouflaged gear, stood and moved out of the way, further startling the magistrate’s escort. They’d been so intent on the strange wagons and the dragons in the sky that the soldiers surrounding them had gone completely unnoticed. At first, the sounds of the revving engines spooked the already startled horses of the guardsmen, and for a moment they could not be coaxed any closer, but it was the faceless apparitions that now held the attention of the royal guard. Brocklin was not altogether sure that these figures were truly men and not some demon come to claim them, and he wondered briefly if he would live to see the sunrise. But once the noisy beasts were well off the road, the horses came to their senses on their own. They started gingerly forward on their own accord, anxious to be passed these strange, smelly creatures. The group rode right through the center of the strange growling beasts, and as they trotted by nearly all of the guards gave the sign to ward off evil. Brocklin glanced briefly at Three Toes as he rode past, his face full of pity. They caught no glimpse of the Royal Magistrate. He stayed well hidden behind the curtains of the carriage as it rolled by and down the far side of the hill.
“The road ahead is clear,” Gardner reported.
Peebles sighed and ordered the men back to their trucks. “Let’s move out,” he said. “Should we rethink the decision to stop at Winchester?”
“I’d say so,” Lemay answered almost at once. “We’d waste valuable time just trying to calm the locals down, and I find it very unlikely that we would even be allowed near the Queen.”
“Yah tis to Kingston ye need to go and join up with the Lady of Mercia,” Erdwine commented.
“The Lady of Mercia is as brave as any man,” Sir Ceorl added, confirming his thoughts, but Sir Oldalf only snorted and said nothing.
“Ethelflayed is in Kingston?” Peebles asked and Ceorl cringed at the pronunciation.
T
hree Toes nodded. “Alfred na want to be moving down the Lizard with Eadwulf all alone at his back. His sister was ordered to guard against any treachery.”
Peebles silently considered this new tack for a moment.
“It’s a healthy detour to the north,” Lemay responded.
“We need a tower in Winchester if nothing else,” Sergeant Moore added.
“Me dottir is with the Queen, she will be talkin’ well of ye forsooth,” Sir Oldalf chimed in.
“From the histories it’s said Ealhswith was very influential and has the ear of her husband,” Rice added from back at Rochester. All the men left behind in the fortress were following the events very closely by radio. Sir Ordmere nodded his agreement from his bed, still not over the wonder of being able to talk to those men that were already so far away. Twas indeed a wonder.
“All right, we’ll continue on to Winchester, but let’s get there and get out,” Peebles finally decided as they roared through the frightened town of Epsom.
They had just passed through the small, deserted town of Hatch Warren, and were about fifteen miles northeast of Winchester when the Bots overflew the large wooden castle of King Alfred. This time however, the fortress was large enough to be considered a town on its own. It was massive…a true wooden castle fortress. It was far larger than Rochester.
Surprisingly, there was a large contingent of men and horses camped just outside the walls to the west and when his plane flew overhead Gardner spooked a number of horses. By now the Americans were accustomed to the reaction their presence caused in the frightened and uneducated locals, but surprisingly the army of men outside the walls held it together pretty well and even sent out a rider, sporting a large red flag. Both pilots watched as the man rode only a short distance before dismounting. He gazed up into the sky while waving the flag vigorously, clearly trying to signal them.
They flew on past a short distance, then circled and flew over once more. This time there were a number of people on top of the castle walls, both women and men. There was no mistaking the women, they were dressed in their colorful finery gazing up into the sky, and two were even waving long strands of colorful ribbon.
“General,” Gardner said as they once again flew over the man with the flag. “I believe we may be welcome here. There’s a man with a red flag signaling us, and several ladies from the castle walls were also waving.”
“Sighting confirmed,” Goode said smiling.
“I believe they may be expecting us,” Gardner added.
“Me dottir!” Sir Oldalf exclaimed, suddenly very anxious to see his child.
“Understood Captain,” Peebles said with a nod to Oldalf. “Maintain altitude and keep me informed of any changes. We should be there in less than fifteen minutes.” Then he immediately turned to Erdwine.
“Will they feel threatened by the number of men and vehicles we bring?”
Three Toes shrugged. “I be just a rider Sir, but if the Lady Queen knows of ye and be signaling, then I think na.”
“Tis true,” Sir Ceorl added from his place behind Lemay, wanting to say something constructive and help these amazing men. The idea of a radio was completely foreign to him, and for the longest time he could not follow the almost continuous babble of information that was thrust upon him through audio means only. He could tell neither who spoke or from where. But early this morning, the idea clicked in his brain, and he began to follow what was being said, and who was saying it with greater ease. “Ye have friends at court.”
“Yah...” Sir Oldalf began.
“We have knights on horseback coming out of the castle,” Gardner reported. “Two abreast...thirty of them and an open carriage, containing three women.”
“Confirmed,” Goode echoed.
“They’ve stopped and are flanking the main road leading to the castle…the man with the flag is still signaling.”
“They know we’re coming,” Lemay remarked as they veered off onto the crossroad that would take them to the castle. “I think we may be in for another celebration.”
The General grunted.
“General Peebles,” Rice said weakly; his signal was beginning to break up. From Rochester he followed everything that was happening over the GBF, though it was getting harder as the distance grew. The signal was now cutting in and out and he was only getting sporadic fragments of what was happening.
“Yes, Dr. Rice,” Peebles answered and there was a pause and he wondered if his message had gotten through.
“....rom Major......ane.”
“You’re breaking up,” Peebles answered, and some instinct told him this may be important. “Stop the vehicle now,” he said and Sadao did so immediately. The General climbed out and walked swiftly to a nearby hill hoping the reception would be better.
“Say agai.....I have a.....essage from....jor Thane.”
“Go ahead,” Peebles replied.
“The ...hip is online.”
Peebles stopped in his tracks. “Say again,” he said and looked over at Lemay who shook his head and tapped his ear.
“The ship is onl...”
“Online?”
“Yes, online.”
“Received doctor...stand by.” He moved back to his vehicle at a slightly faster pace, grinning broadly and trying not to piss himself for joy.
“What is it?” Lemay asked.
“The alien ship is online,” Peebles answered, smiling though no one could see it behind his faceplate, and an enormous cheer erupted over the channel. Even Sir Ceorl and Sir Oldalf were caught up in the excitement though neither knew exactly what was going on.
“Let’s go,” the General finally said, feeling a wave of happiness, “and let’s be very diplomatic. I want that tower built quickly. I need to talk with our Major.”
“Aye Sir,” Lemay said also smiling.
§
In the open-air carriage the Lady Ealhswith waited with her daughter Æthelflæd and the Lady Ellyn, and though her two companions were confident the approaching Americans meant no harm, she was far from it. The Queen’s outward demeanor did not reflect her nervousness however, but she’d never been more fearful, despite the assurances of the ladies of the north. Regardless of their claims that these Americans be honorable men, there was something strangely magical, mayhap evil about them. The flying beasts that circled overhead kept drawing her attention, but they would not come down despite the constant signaling by her man. Of course the Lady Ellyn reassured her that there were men in the flying dragon boats, but their continued indifference unnerved her. These strangers dealt with strong forces and it made her feel weak, which she did not like. She gazed up once more as a roaring beast flew overhead. If she squinted she could just make out the small figure of a man leaning over and looking down at them. It made her stomach flip about to even imagine riding in such a thing. The horses out front stamped about nervously, a feeling she could well understand.
“Mayhap tis Matthew up there,” Ellyn exclaimed just a bit breathlessly. The girl continued to wave her ribbons at the beast, for all the good it did her. Sir Gospatrick, Captain of Lady Ealhswith’s guard, watched Ellyn with a frown from horseback. He could not mistake her happiness and it crushed him. Apparently Ellyn had become more than just a target for the plucking.
“Ye truly rode in such a flying beast?” Ealhswith asked her daughter, though in fact both her companions had experienced the honor.
“Yah Mother,” Æthelflæd answered and Ealhswith noticed the smile of wonder that came over her face. “Tis a hope it be Mayjor Thane up there, M’lady. Ye wold like him verily much, tall and fine to look at,” she said teasing the young woman behind her.
Ealhswith smiled. “Tis said that our own Lady Ellyn be much enamored with this man…and he to she,” she teased along.
“Yah he is, but he is still a fine looking man, and wears his trousers well,” Æthelflæd commented.
“Ah,” was all that Ellyn could utter.
“Flæd!” Ealhswith scolded with mock shock
, but smiled when she realized just how astutely her daughter was easing her nervousness.
Ellyn was only slightly vexed that the two women were talking so about her main love interest, but then she remembered that Matthew was leaving and her heart began to hurt all the more. “It matters na how his trousers look. He’s soon out to the vary stars,” she said but the statement only confused her companions.
The Lady of Mercia frowned and swung around to study Ellyn, because she realized that Ellyn’s offhanded claim might be true.
“Forsooth?”Flæd asked.
“Tis wot he told me, afore...afore I came to court,” she replied and bowed her head.
“I be vary afeared,” Ealhswith said softly, having no difficulty admitting her emotions.
Her daughter took her hand. “I have left me youngest among them,” she said, “yor grandson,” she added trying to be reassuring. She did not mention the fact that Leoforic would not return to Mercia no matter how she insisted or even threatened. Such disobedience was not like Leoforic, especially where his mother was concerned.
“I know,” Ealhswith answered and this convinced her more than anything, knowing how Æthelflæd felt about her boys, especially with one of them missing so long and her husband recently killed. She patted her daughter’s hand, then she gripped it and began to squeeze tightly as she first heard and then spotted the approaching caravan. The strange vehicles were moving very quickly up the road toward them. Ealhswith was afraid again, and would have taken little comfort in the fact that every knight in her guard was feeling much the same way, some even more intensely.
‘So quickly they come,’ she thought, dimly aware of the horses pulling on their traces in front of the carriage, shuffling about, wanting to run. Several of the knight’s warhorses were also nickering and stamping about nervously, becoming very difficult to control despite their great training. Even so the roaring wagons came on. A few of the horses were near panic when much to everyone’s surprise the wagons of the Americans stopped a small piece up the road. Two men got out of the lead wagon and another two out of the one directly behind it. Some were faceless men and Ealhswith gasped softly. But then the men all pulled off their strange looking helms and began to walk forward. The horses were still jittery and finally caught the Lady’s attention.
The Temporal Knights Page 50
