Serenity Valley

by Rocky Bills

  Bells said, “Good morning, Gamel, Basilea, Fulk. Master Ox and I were just talking about your training schedule. Come close, all of you.”

  As we neared, I could see the wide scar on the left side of Master Ox’s face. He was of medium height, with exceptionally broad shoulders that tapered to a thin waist and unnaturally muscular legs. His long black hair was braided into a tight ponytail. He was said to have served in numerous campaigns before coming to the hold some ten years ago. He was also notorious for his gruff manner and foul language.

  Ox barked, “Aye, my lady, so these be da whelps you told me about. Well, come on in closer, ya little heathens, one and all. Can’t spect the lady an I ta be yelling ta da end a hades now.”

  I assumed all in my group were fighting for control because I surely was. I noticed that even Lady Bella turned away for a moment to regain her composure.

  There were a couple long chests to the side of the lady and Ox. Ox kicked the lid open on the longest chest and reached in, retrieving a long bow and a quiver of arrows. He barked, “This here be da finest damn bow in the country 'cept fer mine own. 'Twas made right here by our little bastards in the armory.” Ox admired the bow, then braced it against his leg and foot to string it. He slung the quiver over his shoulder and took a stance with his left foot forward and feet apart but parallel with one another. He raised the bow in his left hand, and in a fluid movement, with his right hand; he pulled a shaft from the quiver, notched and shot the arrow. Without moving his left arm or the bow, his right arm continued to move in its trained fluid movement, putting five arrows to flight within a few seconds. Ox had the bow slung over his shoulder before the last three arrows found their mark on a target some fifty yards away. Even from this distance, I could see they were tightly grouped in the center ring. The lady was smiling at us as she exclaimed, “I told you Master Ox was an extraordinary archer!”

  We all were bowled over by the demonstration of speed and accuracy, and we just stood there staring, our mouths slightly agape.

  “Fulk, come here, boy! Let’s see what little makings ya got,” Ox called loudly.

  Fulk went to Ox, who showed him the proper stance, how to notch the arrow, and how to sight it. Ox stepped around Fulk as if inspecting meat on a hook, adjusting him here and there, then he said, “Well, the young bastard has the build for an archer, I’ll give 'im that. Now try and loose a bolt at da target. Aim 'bout a foot above yer point.” Fulk drew the bow to its full extent and released the arrow. In the span of a breath, the arrow found its place with Ox’s group. Ox yelled, “Well, I’ll shit a mountain of coin! Boy, you ever shot arrow before?”

  “No, Master Ox. This is my first try.”

  Ox grabbed Fulk by the shoulders and began shaking him violently. “Ya little bastard, ya be a natural, ya be! When I be done wit ye, you’ll be shoo'in' da pecker off an eagle flyin' high, boy!” None of us could stand it any longer, and we gasped with laughter; even Ox started snorting.

  Lady Bella composed herself quickly and said, “I told you he was a natural, Master Ox.”

  “Aye, my lady, and I be thinkin' more serious of yer evaluations in ta future.”

  Lady Bella bent and opened the second chest and removed a long scabbard sword of which I had never seen the like. Holding it up, she said, “Basilea, the weapons you will learn come from Asian countries. These are weapons fitting to your stature and speed. Like me, you cannot fight the close battle with heavy weapons. You must utilize speed and gracefulness as your allies.

  She handed the sword to Basilea, who withdrew it from the scabbard and said, “Oh, my lady, it is beautiful. What is this jagged design in the blade?”

  “That is not a design but marks in the blade's metal left by folding the steel over on itself hundreds, or even a thousand, times. It may take a master one to three years to produce a blade of this quality. Come, I will demonstrate how to use it.”

  We all followed the lady to a place circled by three straw dummies. Basilea started to the lady holding out the sword, but Ox grabbed her shoulder and held her back. When Lady Bella was about five feet from the dummies, she stepped forward, almost squatting low, with something in her hands. I was trying to follow her arm movements, but she was moving too fast and changing her stance. The center dummy lost its head. She pivoted on her front leg and spun to arrive in front of the left dummy. A flash of metal left the upper half of the dummy toppling to the ground. She spun and stepped at the same time, holding the blade in two hands above her head. In the blink of an eye, she was in a low stance in front of the right dummy, with blade flashing twice. She spun completely around, whirling the blade above her head, and stopped. She was almost in a squat with her left arm extended and palm held up as if to say 'stop.' In her right hand was a thin, gleaming blade, cocked back at eye level, also pointing at the dummy. She rose from her stance while her right hand went behind her neck and the blade disappeared from sight.

  In a matter of a few seconds, the left dummy had been severed at mid torso, the center dummy lost its head, and the right dummy no longer had arms. I looked at Basilea and Fulk, who stared back with open mouths. The only one smiling was Ox. Lady Bella joined us with a huge smile.

  “Well, that was fun. Feels like I was back in training as a young girl,” she said.

  I composed myself enough to say, “Lady Bella, I had no idea! You’re fantastic!”

  Lady Bella appeared to actually blush, and Ox spat out, “Our lady is by God, ta most deadly person walkin' ta earth. Hell, that last fellow ain’t got a way ta hold his pecker.” The lady turned in a crouching stance and made two flicking motions with her right arm. A death star and throwing knife stuck in the forehead of the right dummy. The head started to tilt forward and toppled to the ground. We were all astonished. Even Ox rubbed his chin for a moment before he said, “Well, on second thought, ta fella got other things on his mind dese days.” Ox’s remark had us all laughing again before he continued more seriously, “Lady, you have gotten faster. I not even see da neck cut.”

  “Thank you, Master Ox. I’ve been practicing. The death star Gamel has seen before.” She turned to us and said, “All three of you will be trained in throwing them and knives as medium range weapons. Come, children. We have not seen Gamel’s primary weapons.”

  We all followed the lady to the second chest, where she retrieved a heavy leather pouch. She opened the pouch flap and withdrew what looked like a flat metal hoop about nine inches in diameter. “This is called a chakram or quoits and is used for medium distance throwing.” She demonstrated how it could be thrown overhead to avoid allies. “It can also be thrown underhand or from the side.” The lady then loosed one from the overhead position, and it flew true until reaching a wood target some thirty feet away, where it buried itself deeply. She said, “Its thin construction allows it to fly without being affected by the wind.”

  Ox looked at Gamel. “Ya being careful when throwin' ta thing overhead or you’ll get yerself one ta these.” He said, pulling back his hair to expose half an ear.

  “Is that how you lost your ear, Master Ox?” I asked.

  Ox said, “Nah, Nah, I got meself shitfaced and fell through a window, I did.”

  Everyone laughed for a long while, then Basilea spoke up to ask a question. “Lady Bella, is it a prerequisite for great archers to have a great wit?”

  “I don’t know,” Bells said, “but I believe Fulk and Master Ox are evenly matched.”

  With that, Ox grabbed Fulk and started pounding him on the shoulder. “Aye, the boy’l do fine then, just fine!”

  The lady then produced a strange short sword that had a curved backbone, wide at the end and tapered back to the pommel and grip. The blade had an intricate inlay of polished brass in ornamental designs. In the wide section of the blade was the face of an angry man with razor-sharp teeth. Fulk examined it and announced, “Bloody gruesome looking thing, isn’t it?”

  Ox couldn’t resist the opportunity. “Make the bastards shit der britches before de
y draw a sword, me thinks.” Everyone laughed again. It was going to be difficult to be serious when Fulk and Ox were together.

  “I’m afraid I lean toward the theatrics a bit, something I inherited from my father,” Bells told us. “He says one third of any battle is won in the opponent's mind. He would make such an intimidating display on a battlefield that many would surrender without a fight.” The lady then showed us a strange-looking dagger. Instead of a handle, it had long braces on top and bottom, and the handle was in form of a grip when you made a fist. She said, “You all will have one of these. It is a katara and gives you great gripping power, along with some protection from the short sword, using the braces to deflect blows.” Next, she showed us a very unusual axe in some sort of harness system. She said, “Gamel, with your size, strength, and speed, you will be very good at close quarters. I designed this axe especially for you. Would you care to demonstrate, Master Ox?”

  Ox slipped the harness on, placing the axe at a slight angle, with handle near the back of his neck. He then walked over to where an armor dummy stood and said, “Got special clips to release when you push da handle back.” He demonstrated. “Then pull 'er up and...” With a loud clang, one side of the double axehead plunged through the armor. “When ya tire a chopping, just stick um with ta pointy end.” He withdrew the axe, then stabbed the spike on the end of the axe through the gash he had just made. He then handed the axe to me. “Get the feel of it, boy.” I looked it over closely and noticed everyone else moving in to get a look. It had blades of about ten inches in length and numerous designed relief holes cut into the thick part of the blades. The top of the axehead held a seven-inch straight spike. The axehead extended into a handle for almost two feet. A wood handle was then shafted and pinned. The overall length, with handle, was about four feet, but for all of its size, it seemed light. It also contained an intricate scrolling design of brass inlays. The entire axe was polished shiny bright.

  “My lady, this is a work of art. Surely another such as this does not exist?” I said.

  Bells responded, “No, Gamel, it is one of a kind, and my design. Master Ox had the smiths craft it.”

  “Aye, an' I believe the daft pricks did a fine job at that. They claim ta edges be of sky rock metal, hardest edge metal ta knowin'.”

  “Gamel, with your size and strength, you would be a good candidate for a long sword or axe,” Lady Bella said. “As the long sword is mostly used for clubbing, and the blade isn’t even sharp the entire length, why not give you a weapon capable of overpowering the sword? Let me show you a hidden feature.” Taking the axe in hand, Bells said, “As you can see, the handle end has a leather grip. If you twist it to the left and then right.” She demonstrated, and an eight-inch blade popped out the end of the handle. “To withdraw it, simply turn the handle left and let the blade fall, then turn it right to lock it in.”

  “Well, that would certainly give someone a surprise,” I said. “Thank you very much, my lady. It is a work of art.”

  “You’re welcome, Gamel. You are all worthy of the best that can be provided. I believe Master Ox wants to give the men an introduction to spears in the training area. Basilea and I have other plans. We will meet back at Sirates for evening meal, if that is agreeable?”

  We all agreed, and Lady Bella and Basilea took their leave, while we headed for the training area.

  The training area was vast and covered with dense grass and spotted with trees. Obvious courses were set up in the ground combat area, and more subtle objectives could be seen if one looked closely. A tree might have a straw dummy in the limbs. A wood target might be placed flat on the ground and would spring up when a secret mechanism is stepped on. It contained a maze of surprises. As we walked deeper in, I noticed Mildred off to the right. She grazed on the bright green grass under cover of an ancient tree. I asked, “Do you see Demon anywhere, Fulk?”

  “No; oh, wait, there he is messing with that straw dummy over there.”

  I looked in the direction Fulk was pointing and spotted Demon sniffing and snorting at the dummy, biting and squealing. He soon went up on his hind legs and pawed it to the ground. He then trotted around it at attention, squealing and shaking his head back and forth. He was very proud of himself. He then bent down and tore a shirt-sleeved arm from the torso. Trotting away with the arm held firmly, he squealed and shook his head up and down. Demon trotted to where Mildred was having a peaceful meal under a tree and started shaking the arm in front of her. Raising her head, she looked at the pathetic thing, unimpressed, and resumed her eating. Finding her reaction unacceptable, he started banging the straw arm against her neck. Raising her head, Mildred let out a bloodcurdling squeal and stomped her foot on the ground, hard. Demon jumped back and stared for a moment, not believing such an outburst, then trotted away. Soon he located us and came cantering over. Stopping in front of me, he shook the limp arm up and down.

  “What you got there, Demon?” I asked. “Did you kill it and take its arm?” He nickered and stood in his proud pose. I went to him. “Good boy, got that nasty old soldier, didn’t you?” I reached up and scratched behind his ear. He promptly tilted his head and leaned into the scratching. “You like this, don’t you, young man? We need to have a lesson with Master Ox now. Go find more soldiers, Demon.” Satisfied with my praise, Demon went off to find more mischief, and we continued toward the range.

  Ox said, “That be a right smart horse ya gots there. I thinkin' he understands ya likes a human.”

  “He thinks Gamel is his parent,” Fulk said. “Got imprinted at birth when his mum died.”

  “Ahh, I heard me da story 'bouts da Sirates colt. So it be true, then?”

  “True enough. Gamel is part horse, and Demon part human. It’s a mess really.”

  We all got a chuckle out of Fulk’s opinion. “Well, here’s we are then, lets me tell ya 'bout spears, then we practice some, aye?” And so our first of countless training days proceeded.

  Days usually started with a two-hour run after breaking fast in the morning. The main house turnout actually had paths worn in it from our efforts. Demon had started to join our runs, and like us, he was packing on lean muscle and growing taller. After our run, we would go to our assigned training stations and receive instruction from Lady Bella, Ox, or one of his instructors. Lady Bella decided that anyone capable of bearing light weapons were to receive instruction and be prepared to defend themselves. In essence, anyone in the hold capable of holding a short sword had one of their own. Lady Bella moved some of her clothing to the spare cabinet in Fulk’s quarters. She stayed at Sirates House when Lord Goodwin traveled. In fact, she slept there more often than the main house. Lord Goodwin traveled extensively, picking up brood mares, men-at-arms, materials, and craftsmen to fill various positions. The lady felt guilty about her personal guard spending their nights outside Sirates House, so she had a small guardhouse built with table and chairs. One of her pear-shaped stoves sat in the corner for heat. Although available to them, no more than one guard at a time could be seen in it. They preferred to post themselves in various locations in the woods around the house. Whenever the lady stayed with us, Basilea and Bells made extra bread for the guards. The guards were heard to state a preference to guard Sirates House because of the bread at night and great biscuits in the morning. Basilea saw to Roesia’s training in the bakery, and within a few weeks, she was no longer required to report to the kitchen, although she often stopped by to lend a hand. After the first night, Basilea never left Sirates house. She moved her clothing and belongings into the spare cabinet in my quarters and used the extra bed, although every so often, I would wake to find her curled up next to me. She would say, “Well, I got cold.” It was always her excuse for sharing my bed. It was our little game.

  I would take her head softly in my hand and kiss her lightly on the cheek. “Well, then, you certainly did the right thing!” I would say. With Lady Bella an important part of our group, we became a family bound to one another. By the time Demon turned
three months old, he had shed all of his feathers and was the inky blue-black everyone expected him to be. In addition to being color correct, his coat was dappled. In the sun, diamond shapes reflected perfect geometric shapes. He was very flashy. One morning, I woke to find twelve gold coins lying on my bed table, no doubt payment for the erroneous bet on his color. Work continued on the hold and facilities. It was a bustle of activity during the daylight hours.

  One early fall day, I sought out Sayer to touch base and give report on Demon’s training. I found him at the site of the new charger barn, talking to a craftsman on a ladder. Sayer saw Demon and Mildred and grinned from ear to ear. “Oye, Gamel, how goes it?” he called out.

  “It goes well, Sayer. Demon is growing well, and for the most part, staying out of trouble.”

  Sayer replied, “I’ll say he’s growing. He looks to be over fifteen hands now, the average size of most chargers.”

  “I do think he is all of that. Just think, he won’t stop growing until he’s five or six years old.”

  “What are you going to do about mounting him, Gamel?”

  “Lady Bella helped me solve that problem already. Demon, to me!” I called. Demon came trotting over to us. “Let’s show Sayer what you have learned, young man. Demon, down!” Demon put one front hoof forward and bent the other leg. He bent his rear legs and knelt to lower his chest to the ground. I said, “Demon, up.” Demon immediately rose up to full standing.

  “Oh my goodness, Gamel, that’s excellent. This not only teaches him something necessary, but shows you have good control. He’s listening to you!” Demon was standing in his stately stance, waiting to receive his accolades. Sayer moved in front of him. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you, Demon?” Demon nickered and nodded in the affirmative. Sayer laughed and started scratching behind his ear. Demon immediately dropped his head, tilted it, and leaned into the scratch. Sayer said, “You like that, don’t you, Demon?” Demon’s whole shoulder started to twitch in rhythm to the scratching. “Good, good boy, Demon!” Sayer stopped scratching. With a good shake, Demon moved off slowly. “You’ve done a great job with him, Gamel. He exceeds Lord Goodwin's and my expectations!”