Hand Made Mage

by James Haddock

  We made five miles the first day. When we stopped for the night, they set pickets, and mounted a guard. I for one was ready to stop, not having ridden a horse that far or that long all at once. Captain Drake was getting around better with his crutch. He had an easy way with the men. Thatcher made sure he was taken care of.

  I brushed the horses every night. The war horse, I started calling Beast, his wound was healing fine. Hound stayed with Beast when we stopped, but he started following me more and more.

  I put a blanket and saddle on Beast but didn't cinch it. I made sure it did not touch any of his wounds. He was fine with me working with him, even though everyone warned me he was a mean one. I slept in the earth for part of the night and let it heal my sore body.

  The second day we made another five miles following the same routine. After the third day we started averaging ten miles a day. I now saddled Beast every morning, getting him back to work. No one rode him, just the saddle. his wounds were now completely sealed.

  One afternoon when we stopped before I unsaddled Beast, I stepped into the stirrup and mounted him. He didn't even flinch. I just sat on him, talking to him for a few moments. Having accomplished that I took their saddles off, brushed them down, and gave each an apple.

  I started riding Beast half a day then changed over to the mare. After a few days I alternated horses, Beast one day, the mare the next.

  We had been on the road two weeks and Captain Drake was going stir crazy. One morning before we moved out, I asked him. "You've work with war horses before, haven't you?"

  "I have, some can be a handful."

  "You think the leg is well enough to sit Beast?"

  "I think I'd like to try." He said smiling from ear to ear.

  I saddled the horses, using Beast's heavy war saddle and brought Beast around to the side of the Command Wagon. I looked at Beast, "You behave." He snorted. Slow and easy we got Captain Drake mounted. Beast never moved while he was mounting. Captain Drake on Beast, me on my mare, we rode for half a day before Captain Drake said that was enough for his first day back in a saddle. Before the week was out Captain Drake was riding all day. Both horse and rider were doing well.

  It was about time to stop when a rear scout came galloping in. "That can't be good news," Captain Drake said.

  Master Sergeant Miller sent for me. I rode to his Command wagon. "Your trouble may have found you."

  "What's happened?"

  "Another company has been closing up on us for the past few days. Last scout just reported 30 light cavalry are closing fast. As soon as we reach the woods ahead, we'll deploy and face them."

  "Your call Master Sergeant, tell us where you want us."

  "In the middle and don't get killed."

  I laughed, "I'll do my best to follow those orders." We stayed out of the way and let the company do what it was trained to do.

  Wagons moved to the side of the road giving our cavalry room to move. The last two wagons blocked the road. Archers and pike men took their places on both sides or the road. Our cavalry held position to the rear, armed with short lances and shields.

  If they charged our archers would start picking them off. Then our pike men would stop their charge and let the archers work over what was left. That was what I thought, anyway.

  I looked around thinking what else I could do. Our flanks were our weak spot. I concentrated on my feet on the ground. I felt off to the sides of the roads. I couldn't let them see me raising walls, so I made potholes that looked like tree stump holes. I made a hole every two feet one hundred yards out and fifty yards back, on both sides of the road.

  I looked around everyone was watching the road for cavalry. No one noticed what I had done. The other company's cavalry came into sight. When they saw us, they came on at a charge, thinking they had caught us unaware. "Stupid," Captain Drake said.

  When they were in range, the archer's Sergeant gave the order to fire. They dropped a few. The pike men raised their lances. The charging cavalry split around them and went onto the trees. As soon as they entered, horses started falling and screaming. Riders were thrown as horses went end over.

  Some were able to pull up in time, but they had lost a third at their force. As soon as the horseless riders started running away the archers stopped firing. While their cavalry was still in disarray, our cavalry charged them. We hurt them, but it was by no means a route. They withdrew. We retired.

  Master Sergeant ordered archers into the woods to dispatches the screaming horses and bring back prisoners.

  They also striped the dead of equipment both men and horses. Against all odds a few horses had survived, and five more came back with our cavalry. We added them to our herd.

  We lost three horses and four men... So far.

  Thatcher came up, "Master Sergeant has three prisoners Sir. Says you may want to talk to them."

  "I'll be right there." He left.

  I looked at Captain Drake. "You go, I'll stay out of sight, just in case they name someone." I nodded and left.

  When I arrived, the prisoners were sitting on the ground drinking water.

  The Master Sergeant looked at me, I nodded. "So, what's this about then?" He asked looking down at them.

  "Captain took a short-term contract, a thousand gold to delay you, and two thousand gold to kill or capture your two captains. He figured it’d be easy, you being walking wounded and all."

  "Didn't work out that way did it Lad."

  He shook his head.

  I motioned for the Master Sergeant to follow me. When we were out of earshot, "We staying here tonight?"

  He nodded, "that's my thinking."

  "A delaying action means trouble ahead."

  He nodded his head, "probably a much larger force. They mean to finish you and bringing enough men to insure it's done."

  "How far to Black Stag Keep, do you think?"

  "At this pace?" he paused thinking, "between four and six days."

  "So, our options are, make our stand here. Move the company as quickly as we can and hope we make it. Or hide the wagons and make a run for it. Did I miss anything?"

  He shook his head, "that about covers it."

  "Your thoughts?"

  "If we stay here it will be bloody, but we may live through it. If we keep moving as a company, they'll probably catch us in the open, and we're done. Our best option is to hide the wagons here, well off the road. Leave the worst of our wounded as guards. We make for Black Stag Keep and hope to God there is a Keep there to shelter us."

  I thought a moment. I nodded, "tell me what happens to a company whose captain is captured and surrenders?"

  "Depends, some buy themselves out. Some disband, some fold in with the capturing company."

  "Does that happen a lot?"

  "All of those options happen during war. It just depends on their money, backing, and size."

  "OK, we keep the prisoners, let them think we are holding in place. Find a place off in the woods to leave the wagons and the guards. Issue rations for four days. We ride as lancers, and archers using our best horses. Tell the wagon guard force, if found by a great force leave the wagons. I can buy more equipment they can make their way to Black Stag Keep. We'll send further instructions as soon as we can. Plan to leave at midnight."

  He nodded and started giving orders.

  I went back to our Command Wagon and told Captain Drake what we had found out, and what the plan was. He listened nodding his head. "That's the best choice of the ones we have."

  "I will pay a visit to our neighbors and sow some chaos in their ranks. Hopefully keep them busy and off our backs for a while."

  "Don't be late."

  "If I am leave without me, I'll catch up."

  I stepped into the trees and dropped into the earth. Moments later I was at our enemy's camp. They were in a somber mood.

  I found their horses; they had a few guards out with them. I made five stone dogs. I told them to chase the herd back down the road away from us. Ten miles will be
enough, then return to earth.

  I made another four to run through their camp snapping and biting at anyone they found, but not to actually bite anyone. They were to keep it up until dawn, then return to earth.

  I concentrated on the camp, to each campfire they had. *Go out.* All the fires went out, dark and cold. I thought to the dogs. *Go.* Five ran at the horses barking and howling. Five ran through the camp barking, snapping and howling.

  The horses where running down the road as fast as they could. The camp was dark and crazy. I nodded and returned to our camp.

  ✽✽✽

  I stepped over to our Command Wagon, our lances and rations were there. I put our rations in the saddle packs.

  I stuck my head in the Command Wagon, "why aren't you changed?"

  "Into what?"

  "Your armor, it's in the other wagon." I went to the other wagon, he limped along behind me.

  "You finished with the neighbors?"

  "They weren't that far away; they were already in bad shape. I stole their horses and ran them off." At the wagon I opened the crate and started laying out our armor.

  He just stared at me a moment. "This thing you have about stealing, you're going to have to work on that."

  "It's a hard habit to break, but I'll try."

  Thatcher came up, "If you're ready Sir, I'll take the wagons."

  "As soon as you help Captain Drake into his armor."

  "Right Sir."

  I got my armor on and helped Thatcher finish Captain Drake.

  I looked at Captain Drake he nodded, "we're ready, thank you Thatcher," I said.

  We mounted; his shield attached to the war saddle, Beast was excited. "This armor is amazing; it weighs like no armor I've ever worn. The swords are the best I've ever seen. It all fits like it was made for me."

  "Maybe it was, it's yours, and Beast as well. What's mine is yours."

  He looked intently at me, holding out his hand, we clasped wrists. "Thank you, my friend, my brother in arms." I nodded. We rode toward the front of the formation.

  They covered the wagon tracks going into the wood as best they could. Everyone was there so there was nothing I could do to help.

  We numbered forty-two. Master Sergeant saw us in full armor and nodded, "Good," a man of few words. We formed up ready to move.

  A little before midnight the scouts led us out. We kept a steady pace but did not push. We didn't need for a horse to break a leg stepping into some hole in the dark.

  We walked our horses at daybreak eating on the move. Then it was back in the saddle. We kept an easy trot going that the horses could hold for a good while. We kept going all day and stopped at sundown to eat, sleep and rest the horses until midnight.

  I hoped we were getting close, and I hoped the Keep could shelter us. I needed to know for sure. When it was full dark I dropped into the earth.

  I followed the road as fast as I could. It wasn't like "fast-travelling" it was more like what a bird must feel like flying.

  I could feel the ocean was not far away. The Keep was supposed to be on the ocean, when I got to the coast I turned north. I found it, not far up the coast.

  I suppose you could call it a Keep, but it had seen its better days. The Keep itself was a combination Donjon Keep and Shell Keep. At least it still stood, and the walls were intact. The Donjon Keep part was against the back wall of the Shell. The back wall was part of the cliffs. The moat was more of a moist dip.

  I looked through the keep, no one was there, it was abandoned. I came up through the shell wall and stood atop it. It would take years to rebuild this place, I didn't have years. I sank back into the earth under the Keep. I would need more room.

  I pictured in my mind what I wanted. Where the walls need to move to. A bigger Donjon with a bigger hall. More rooms and stables for more horses. A better well. Thicker and higher walls. Thicker stronger gate and portcullis.

  I kept what I wanted firm in my mind. *Build, rebuild and restore.* The runes on my hand glowed, and the Keep started to move. Walls moved and grew. Everything expanded and grew. It restored rotten woods to new. Bedrock moved up under the whole Keep setting a solid foundation.

  The moat was now twelve feet deep, twenty feet wide and stone lined. Water began filling it. If it came from the earth, it was being renewed. Of course, everything came from the earth.

  I didn't have time to admire the work I had to get back to the men. I wanted to "fly" the road back to them to see the terrain. The Keep sat at the end of a forested valley with craggy cliffs all around. There was some open farmland, but I saw no people.

  The valley narrowed until the road between the craggs was not wide enough for two wagons to pass. This narrow section of the pass lasted for a hundred yards before opening out onto an open plain. I pictured in my mind what I wanted, *build it.* A thick tall wall grew out of the ground with a thick gate and portcullis.

  I left the gates open and flew back to the company. We weren't all that far away. I got back in time to sleep in the earth and restore my strength. When everyone started stirring, I rose from the earth and took care of the needful.

  We moved out within the hour. As usual, the scouts moved out first. We kept our pace slow, and easy. An hour before dawn, we came upon one of our scouts waiting just before we entered the forest.

  When we got to him, he gave his report. "Mix of heavy and light cavalry waiting a mile the other side of this piece of forest. The other scouts are checking along their flanks to see if they are hiding anything. Looks to be about ten heavy and the rest light, maybe fifty in all."

  "They're just sitting there?" I asked.

  "They know we are coming, I'm sure they have scouts too." The Master Sergeant answered.

  I nodded. I knew they could not have been there that long; I would have seen them as I passed. They probably pushed their horses hard to get there ahead of us.

  "I think we should dismount and rest our horses. We'll wait for the other scout's report. The sun will be up in an hour, let's wait until then before we decide what to do. Besides their heavy cavalry will probably stay mounted tiring their mounts even more. I'll take every advantage I can get."

  The Master Sergeant nodded, and ordered the men to dismount, eat, and rest their horses.

  Chapter nine

  The other two scouts returned confirming the original scout's report. Captain Drake, Master Sergeant Miller, and I walked to the edge of the wood. We could see them out in the open, still sitting on their horses. There looked to be five Knights and their man at arms in heavy armor and the rest appeared to be Lancers. Roughly fifty in all.

  "Can you tell who they are?"

  "The main banner belongs to Baronet Sir Gordon Lansford of Port West Gate. Not really a port, more like a cove but he likes to sound important." Captain Drake answered.

  "He is an ambitious, conniving little man. Someone has bought him off with money, but more like title and power. He dreams of being a peer of the realm. Not very smart, but ruthless. He will want to talk first. He will think to intimidate us into surrendering. When that does not work, he will threaten us. I must admit though he can fight and loves a one-on-one challenge."

  "I think once the talks fail, we charge them, lancers in front archers behind. When we get within one hundred yards lancers break left, archers right. Archers fire three arrows as they can, then we all break off and let them chase us. When their horses tire, we do the same thing again. When the time is right, lancers will close and finish them. Unless someone has a better idea."

  They were both staring at me. "He studies strategies and armed conflict," Captain Drake said looking at Master Sergeant Miller.

  Master Sergeant was nodding, thinking it over. "I like it."

  Captain Drake nodded, "Me too."

  "Then let’s go talk to Sir Gordon."

  We walked back to the men, and we all mounted. We explained our expected tactics so they would be ready upon our return. Master Sergeant tied a white cloth to his lance, and we three rode o
ut to meet Sir Gordon.

  Sir Gordon, and two of his Knights came forward under their white flag.

  Captain Drake and I left our face masks open as was the custom under a white flag. Our horses weren't quite nose to nose when they stopped but it was close.

  I waited until he was about to speak then spoke first almost interrupting him. "Good morning Gentleman." That put him off his prepared speech.

  "You will surrender yourselves to me at once." He snarled.

  "Will you at least introduce yourself before making demands?"

  "I am Baronet Sir Gordon Lansford of Port West Gate. You will surrender to me or we will take your bodies back, one is as good as the other. You are both imposters."

  "Did you hear that Captain Drake we are fellow Baronets." Captain Drake just smiled letting me do all the talking.

  "You will surrender," that's as far as I let him get.

  "Port West Gate? Port West Gate... What is it about them that I'm supposed to remember?"

  "Pigs, sir." Master Sergeant said.

  "Their women?"

  Pig farmers, Sir... I don't know about their women, Sir.

  "Ah, yes, pigs." Sir Gordons face was redder than I'd ever seen anyone’s. I must have struck a nerve there.

  "Your bodies it is then." He snatched his horses head around and road back to his arms men.

  We looked at the Master Sergeant, "what? I don't know about their women."

  We laughed and rode back to our men.

  Captain Drake and Master Sergeant took the head of the column with the lancers. I took the head of the archers. I strung my bow and had arrows at hand.

  We moved out columns of twos at a walk, then a trot. I could not see the exact distance I had to trust Captain Drake and Master Sergeant Miller to do their part. Then we were at a gallop. It wouldn't be long now.

  I held on with my knees and notched an arrow. Lancers broke left. We broke right. I had bodkin headed arrows to use on the Knight's armor. I fired my three arrows, and we were past Sir Gordon's men.