Orphin's Pride

  The landscape of the castle makes it one of the most highly defensible of his majesty’s strongholds. Excluding the defensive capability of the castle itself. there were numerous opportunities for the Duke and his family to be withdrawn to safety.

  The first defense is the river. Originating from high up in the mountains, the river consisted of white water that would wash away even the best of swimmers. As boys, both Thomas and I had been warned incessantly regarding the dangers of the river. I still thought I could conquer it with a few more inches in height, but I realized that as far as an entire army was concerned we were well defended.

  The second line of defense was built into the bridge itself. Countless times in these petty war games the aggressor would be forced to take this area by force losing a large chunk of both forces. These lost forces were not just nameless, but our friends. Every piece within the board was granted a name of someone we knew personally. These were faceless men Thomas was sending off to be killed, these were our friends and loved ones. I remember on how countless occasions I was forced to send my own men to gruesome fates.

  Our lessons master was not easy. He would articulate the outcome when our forces met. They were usually a few casualties or injuries that rendered our men dead or useless in combat. We were each given men to defend our castles. These dying men represented our friends, mentors and loved ones. Thomas and I would even have to send each other to our deaths. One thing I got out of these exercises is that we neither of us ever was the victor. Most times we would slaughter our friends and families in the assault. I will be completely honest in my assessment that my stomach was not made for commanding men to their death. I was close to my brothers in the Monastery and particularly Rolphe.

  The weapons master was particularly cruel because he was making up the outcomes. I imagine that he saw the look on my face when my men died and I had to realize I was responsible for the deaths. We played this gave often and I continued to lose because I held back my men out of fear. Eventually I realized that Thomas was using this against me and I adjusted accordingly. I had actually started winning these games more often than not since then. Thomas got very upset when he lost and rightfully so. If he could not defend the castle against a servant, then how could he defend against an enemy? Deep down he saw me as more, but it was nagging him either way.

  “What the Frak is going on in here!” Rolphe boisterous voice shook me back into reality. Scrambling down the ladder to the main area I found myself face to face with him. His ears were red and that vein in his neck was pulsing again. As I made it all the way down I noticed that there was a young woman, well she was probably seven years my senior, in his arms. She must have been that whimpering sound I remembered.

  He looked up at me questioningly, but immediately moved on to lay her down on the hay bails in the back of the barn. “Grab a damp cloth and bring it here boy” his voice sprang me into action forgetting the rotten goats.

  I returned with the wet cloth and he ripped it from my hands and gently rubbed it across her bruised face with a surprising gentleness I had only seen in rare glimpses previously. He was a large man standing at the height of the Duke’s largest men. Maybe it was my peasant heritage, but this was the man I saw as a true knight. He had straw colored blond hair like most of the men of this areas, but his hair was worn uncommonly short for a non-monk. It was a bit strange around the Duke’s castle where men wore hair past their ears.

  The young woman was scared in his arms as he carried her up the ladder. Placing her in his office on a bail of hay. Her eyes were no longer closed and they were green. It was a little surprising since I had never seen anyone with Green eyes before today. Wow, they were spectacular. They pulled me in, but then I started seeing pain. There was fear and anger in those beautiful eyes and I am pretty sure I wasn’t the only one ready to kill by the way Rolphe’s was pacing his office.

  No one was talking and she was hurt. So I decided after a few moments of silence to ask her what happened. “What is your name? I am Benoit and I live at the monastery.” I was talking fast again and Rolphe was going to slap me upside the head. He wasn’t like most adults where he would not let me speak, but if I mumbled or spoke too quickly he cuffed me a good one.

  Stepping away from where Rolphe was pacing I smiled trying to disarm her and figure out what the issue was with her crying and the bruises and cuts on her face. I never liked to see women cry. One time Thomas and I were running around playing hide and go seek and his sister wanted to join us. She was always trying to do that kind of stuff, but Thomas absolutely refused to include her. She was a year or two younger and a little naive to believe she could play with us. No matter how annoying she may be, he was rotten towards her whenever she came around to play.

  It was a few years ago when we were playing swords next to the knights as they were practicing. This was something we commonly did while waiting for the weapons instructor to begin with Thomas’s instruction and I got to be the sparring partner. Stephani waltzed up in one of Thomas’s training outfits. She looked confident.

  Thomas was taking a swipe at me with his pig sticker while I used a shield three times my size to block him. He was beating on me incessantly when she came out so his stopping before I fell over in exhaustion was a big surprise. He started screaming and I couldn’t truly understand him because the sound of a metal clanging was still ringing my ears.

  Dropping my shield hesitantly I saw Thomas shove his sister onto the ground. There was a group of pages and knights there who hasn't seen him touch her, but a few were turning to see what the commotion was as the princess fell to her rear end in tears. I was angry; irrationally so considering the Duke’s son was the law in our little world.

  I dropped my shoulder, raised my shield and barreled into the Thomas with a vengeance. He flew ten feet. Striking the ground with a crunch in his chainmail that was designed less for protection and more to get him used to the weight of honor. Unable to get up under the weight he struggled and cursed with anger at my attack. I lifted the Princess up to her feet and she gave me a smile I will never forget. It is a smile that made what happened after that feel worth the trouble. Subconsciously I winced and gripped my shoulder remembering the pain. The duchess had seen me beaten senseless by the head housekeeper. She, the duchess, was a spiteful, mean spirited woman. I was consistently beaten by those under her command when I so much as glanced in the wrong direction.

  A hand smacked into my head bringing me away from my thoughts. “Hey boy. Find that goat; shut your yap and scram!” I was still in my own world, but Rolphe was someone I respected and he was probably better at helping this young lady anyway. My feet squirted out from under me as I landed upon the hay. Falling further onto another bale was a godsend, but my ten year old mind didn’t bother to stop and comprehend my own stupidity.

  A bit shaken up, but vigilant none the less, I went off in search of that goat. Goats are crafty, resilient and prideful. Much like me, they tend to fight off the chains of a simple monastery and search out yonder for something more fulfilling or exciting. Nannie was particularly partial to the tall grasses alongside the road leading down to the Duke’s Castle.

  Looking down the road I saw the sun was nearly at its apex in the sky and my day was squandered. I imagined that Thomas must have thought me chicken because I failed to show up this morning. If it wasn’t for Rolphe catching me dawdling and setting me to a task, I would have accomplished bringing in Nannie on my way home. Swatting myself on the head, I realized that this was the most excitement we ever saw and I should appreciate the change this silly goat and strange young woman presented me this fine day.