The Horns of Kern
*
Octavius and Gertrude met Andre down at the main castle gate. Heavy snow was still falling. Octavius had already instructed Andre, but asked further, “Andre, did you manage to keep the town folk away from the storehouses while you were carrying out my orders?” Octavius was purely ‘business at hand’ now. “Andre, I want you to tell all of your men that Gertrude is with us. I do not want my friend injured by my men.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.” He turned and walked over to a small group of soldiers and they left to tell their men.
“Octavius, what is your plan?” Gertrude asked
“All of our storehouses are huge block buildings. There are no windows and only one main entrance to each storehouse. We have guards sitting at the entrance with a fire burning in front of them. They are instructed to appear to be asleep. It will be easy for the raiders to overpower them and enter into the storehouses. I had all of the real stores removed and hauled to the castle. We placed dummy stores all the way in the back. That will lure a good majority of the raiders inside to bring everything out.” Octavius motioned Gertrude to follow him. “Look, Gertrude. Do you see all of those small pines covered in snow?”
Gertrude surveyed the area around the storehouse. He could barely make out the trees that Octavius was talking about with the snow coming down so fast. “Yes I see them, but why are they important?”
“Those trees were not there this morning. We have five men under the branches. After the raiders enter the warehouse, they will charge the door. Anyone outside shall be dealt with in combat. The others will be locked in the warehouse.”
Gertrude smiled and shook his head. “Your plan may work, but are you sure the whole force will come in at once for the stores?”
“Of that I cannot be certain. In every battle plan you must have give and take. There are extra men standing ready in case we do meet with more force. Come, my friend, we must take a hiding place and wait.”
Everyone was quiet. Sitting, waiting, in the snow made it seem far colder. Huddling next to the other soldiers gave little protection against the blowing wind.
Time dragged. The men were getting colder. Octavius was ready to cancel everything when a couple of figures were seen skulking through the shadows. The soldiers roused from the mind-numbing cold, suddenly put on alert.
Those guards at the doors of the warehouse did an excellent job. They were easily overtaken as planned. The trolls opened the doors. One waved his hand, and it seemed as if an army of ants was swarming towards the doors. Into the warehouse they ran. Octavius swiftly stood up and motioned the men forward. Gertrude could only see about twelve trolls outside by the sledges. The men quickly closed the doors, trapping at least a hundred trolls in the warehouse.
Something seemed odd to Gertrude. Why was it just trolls looting the warehouse? Gertrude looked around and saw Octavius about ten feet to his left. He launched himself through the air, just as the arrows started to fly. Octavius and Gertrude rolled over in the snow.
An arrow intended for Octavius embedded itself in Gertrude’s shoulder. Gertrude hollered out a command. “Counter human attack to the rear!” To his surprise, Octavius’ men followed his order. Arrows were flying in both directions. A bugle sounded and soon the whole area was alive with men fighting men, crossing swords. Gertrude threw himself into the melee, showing his deft ability with a sword. He saw Octavius fighting two men by himself, he also wielding his sword with precise thrusts. Suddenly all was quiet. They had managed to beat off the attack.
Octavius shouted some orders. “Attend to the injured and secure the warehouses! Where is the corporal in charge?
“I am here, Your Highness.” A figure lay in the snow not too far away, a gash in his arm bleeding badly. Gertrude went over and bent down next to the corporal. He took his scarf off and tied it in a tourniquet above the wound.
“Gertrude, you are bleeding, too.” Octavius came over and hoisted the corporal up over his shoulder as if he were a child. Together, they walked to the castle.
As they approached the castle, they were greeted by the castle staff and the remaining guard. Once inside, the injured were segregated to one corner of the armory where the apothecary was stationed. Octavius saw his wife helping the apothecary as well as others to help with the injured.
“Gertrude, go and get that arrow taken out of your shoulder.” Octavius looked around and spied Andre. He walked through the cold crowd of soldiers over to where the commander stood. “Andre, were there any casualties?”
“No, Your Majesty. There were no casualties. Twenty-five men were injured, but none too seriously. After they are stitched up and rest, they will be ready for duty.”
“How many casualties did the other side have?” Octavius queried.
“As soon as the fighting began, the trolls outside the warehouse fled. Some time during the skirmish, the doors were opened and all but one of the remaining trolls escaped. My men found him sitting on a bale in back of the warehouse.”
“Where is this troll now, commander?” Octavius looked around as if expecting he might find the troll amongst them.
“I have two men guarding him in the great hall. They are waiting for you. We did not have to tie him up, and he never put up a fight of any sort.”
“Curious...and why do you think that the trolls ran rather than fight?” Octavius furrowed his brow in wonderment.
“My men said that they did not see the trolls carrying any weapons. Whoever sent them without weapons must not have trusted the trolls, which means that we may have some allies in the raiders’ camp.” Andre looked at the king and noticed a hawk’s feather sticking out from underneath the collar of his coat. “Your Highness, do you know that a bird has left a feather in your coat?”
Octavius turned his head, reached up and pulled the feather from its resting place. “Ah, I know who this belongs to. It belongs to a friend of mine, and I shall go return it to him now. Commander, I shall meet you up in the great hall as soon as you are finished with the task of seeing that your men are warmed and fed.” Octavius looked at Andre. “Wait one moment, Andre.” The king suddenly jumped on the top of a long table.
Andre shouted, “Quiet!”
A hush flowed through the armory as if one by one someone had touched each soldier on his shoulder. All eyes turned to Octavius. “Men, and my friend Sir Gertrude of Tinker Hollow, I commend you for your bravery and your allegiance! The night has been long in the bone-numbing cold. Thank you for your effort this evening. Extra rations of ale for everyone!”
Hundreds of voices erupted in chorus, “Hail to the king! Hail to the king!”
Octavius jumped down from the table and strode over to where Gertrude was being treated by the apothecary. “Stitch him well, Apothecary. This troll is a close friend of the king.” He winked at Gertrude.” I shall meet you up in the great hall when you feel ready to join us. Thank you, Gertrude.” Octavius turned quickly to hide tears springing forth, walking through the tangle of soldiers in the armory, stopping briefly to chat with a few. Then he disappeared from the room.
“So I see that I did not kick you hard enough!” Gertrude turned his head towards the voice. He smiled.
Winifred walked over to Gertrude and examined the wound that the apothecary was stitching up. She had heard how the apothecary had acted when he was told to administer his medicines to her when she had been poisoned. “Stitch him well. I do not want to see a bad scar there when my son heals. Remember, I have the king’s ear.”
The apothecary grew red in the face and grumbled something incoherently. Gertrude could not help but smile. “Mother, you sure do have a way of getting your point across.”
Queen Emmaline must have heard some of the conversation. She walked over to the threesome. “Lady Winifred also has the queen’s ear, Apothecary.” The apothecary smiled wanly at the queen as he quickly looked down.
Gertrude saw the hidden sneer on the man’s face. “Are you almost done, Apothecary?”
He r
ealized that Gertrude had seen his expression and feigned a smile. “Yes, I am, Sir Troll.” With a quick cut from a short knife, he finished the suture, then poured wine over the wound and wrapped it in linen. “Watch for infection.” With that, the apothecary turned and started working on the next man needing his services.
Gertrude stood up and looked around the vast room.” I do not see Norman. Does she not have the stomach for the blood?”
“Norman volunteered to help Harriet, our cook, to feed all of the men and serve them.” Emmaline pointed over to the far wall where the men were lining up for food. “Come, we can eat up in the great hall. Harriet has been busy all night preparing food.”
Chapter Seven