Serenity Valley (32 page)

“Good to see you again, Master Ox. I
can’t really tell if I’m cut yet, still high from the
fight.”

Ox grabbed Fulk and gave him a bear
hug. “I’m glad ye made it, son!”

Fulk hugged him back and said, “So,
you are my father!”

They both started laughing. When they
separated, Ox said, “We got a big problem here.”

Fulk let his gaze travel in the same
direction Ox looked. Gamel was walking among the dead and dying
attackers, and he would kick them to see if they groaned. If they
did, he shoved the spike end of his axe into their forehead. Ox
said, “Ya know, he’s havin' the right idea. Come with me, son.” Ox
and Fulk went over to a group of soldiers milling about, still
excited from the battle. They couldn’t stand still. Ox yelled,
“You, men, come here.” Still full of adrenaline, the men ran to
where Ox stood. Ox took out his dagger, walked to a corpse, turned
the head to the side, and plunged the dagger in the ear to the
hilt. “You men do this ta every piece a vermin on ta field. Send
runners to ta nother end an' have ta sames thing done, an' don’t
ferget them's been put down in da woods by da mounted.”

One soldier asked, “If they be dead,
why’s we be doin it?”

“'Cause a had me a dead un come back
ta life once, kilt me best friend, and ah gots ta blood rage likes
Gamel there.” The last statement was enough to get the men moving.
A couple men took off for the other end of the field, and some
headed for the woods. In a short while, every invader would have
one more hole in them.

Ox looked at Fulk and asked, “Where be
yer bow, son?”

Fulk looked at the ground and said,
“It’s gone. Sorry, Master Ox.”

“How ya comes ta loose it?”

“Well, first I broke it hitting people
with it. Then I lost the pieces of it.”

“How ya loose da pieces?”

“Well, part of it’s in a fellow’s
neck. Another part is up some guys arse.”

Ox looked shocked. “Up he’s
arse?”

Fulk smiled wide and said, “Yeah, it
came as a surprise to him too!”

Ox let out a loud belly laugh they
could have heard at the other end of the field. Fulk was laughing
too. Handing Fulk his bow, Ox offered, “Here, Master Archer Fulk.
Take mine.”

Fulk said, “Master Ox, I couldn’t take
your bow. By the way, I’m an apprentice archer.”

“Ya took out two snipers hangin'
upside down from a tree. Ye be the master; made me
proud.”

“Thank you, Master Ox, but I couldn’t
take your bow.”

“It mean a lot ta me if'n ya takes it,
thoughts ta give it to ma son one day.” Ox was crying now; huge
tears formed in his eyes. Fulk also had tears running down both
cheeks. Both men looked away from each other, ashamed to have the
other see them cry.

Fulk finally spoke. “It’s a great
honor for me to accept your bow. I wondered how long it was going
to take you to admit sleeping with my mum!”

Ox and Fulk chuckled and gripped each
other’s forearm. A moment later, Ox broke an awkward silence. “Son,
where be our girl?”

Fulk just started walking, with Ox
following. Soon they came to where Basilea’s body lay on its side,
still clutching her locket. A bolt was sticking through her thigh,
and another was lodged in her back. Neither man had anything to
say. They just stood there and looked down at the tragic picture.
Water coursed down both their faces.

They hadn’t noticed, but Gamel had
walked up behind them. He twirled his axe one revolution and
plunged the spike into the ground. He sheathed his kukri and
released his axe harness, letting it fall to the ground. He
unbuckled his belt and let it fall, sat down, crossed his legs, and
put his arms in his lap. He spoke in a low tone, “My princess, the
sunset light dances on your hair like fireflies on a June summer’s
night. All the things are gone now, my lovely. I’ll just sit here
with you now. Everything is going to be just fine now.” After that,
Gamel didn’t speak, move, or blink his eyes. He just stared
straight ahead at nothing.

Fulk knelt down in front of Gamel.
“Oye, best friend, rest now. Ox and I will take care of your girl.”
Fulk looked into Gamel’s eyes. “Gamel, Gamel!” He waved his hand in
front of Gamel’s face a few times, with no response.

“He not being here wit us, don’t be
sein ya, nor hear ya.”

“What do we do, Ox?”

“Not'in' fer now. Try gettin' some
water in 'im later.”

Ox went to his knees next to Basilea’s
body. With his dagger, he cut off the feathered end of the bolt
lodged in her leg. He then grabbed the pointed end and pulled it on
through. Fulk got down next to Basilea, facing her body. Ox moved
to the arrow in her back. Fulk held her body while Ox braced one
hand on her back and pulled the bolt out with his other
hand.

When it was out, they noticed Mildred
arrive with Ivan. Mildred stopped and knelt so Ivan could dismount
without sliding down her side. He patted her neck. “Good girl you
be, Mildred, best horse.” He walked over to where Fulk and Ox were
attending Basilea’s body. Ivan asked, “Gamel? He be better now
after battle?”

“He’s not with us anymore, Ivan; he’s
gone somewhere else.”

Ox and Fulk took off Basilea’s harness
and weapons belt, placing them gently on the ground. They rolled
her over on her back and placed her legs together. Holding her
locket, she looked like she was praying.

“I better take the locket. If Gamel
wakes up, he would want it, I think.” Fulk tried to open Basilea’s
fingers, but they wouldn’t budge.

“They just death froze, have ta pry
'em open,” Ox said.

Fulk tried one finger. He got it open,
but when he took pressure off, it snapped back around the locket.
Watching closely, Ivan spoke now. “That not right to be, please, I
be checking.” He got on his knees and drew his curved dagger and
placed it under Basilea’s nose. The three men almost stroked out at
the sight of moisture forming on the blade, evidence of short,
shallow breaths. “She be living, not too much, but living!” Ivan
exclaimed.

Ox barked out, “Fulk, fetch a
healer.”

Before he could say healer, Fulk was
twenty feet away at full speed. Fulk was fast, but right now was
the fastest he had ever run. He pumped his arms and legs. He drew
his dagger and cut his weapons belt away. He threw the dagger away
and ran faster. Fulk felt the tremors, then heard the pounding as
Mildred closed on him. Mildred slowed, but not much. Ivan was
leaning over to the side with an arm out. Fulk grabbed the arm and
jumped at the same time, with Ivan lifting. Fulk dropped in behind
him on Mildred’s back, and Mildred was back at top speed in two
strides. When they neared the group at the stage area where Goodwin
was, Ivan steered Mildred with his legs to miss people. “Mildred,
must slow now, people too many.” Mildred slowed to a fast
trot.

“Go to where Goodwin is; the best
healers will be there.”

Mildred was guided through the people
and bodies until they reached Goodwin, who was sitting down on the
back of a wagon. Fulk jumped off Mildred and ran to where Bells
stood next to her husband. An excited Fulk raced to her. “My lady!”
Bells grabbed him in a bear hug. “My lady, we need a healer.
Basilea lives, barely, but she lives.”

Goodwin bellowed, “Warin, go with
them!”

Warin sputtered, “B-b-but, my
lord!”

“You already told me I’ll live. Now
get!”

“Yes, my lord, of course, my lord.” A
mounted soldier moved up with his charger. He threw his
gore-covered lance to a nearby soldier and said, “I’ll take you,
Master Warin.” He reached down to help Warin mount behind him. A
path had been cleared, and in a few strides, the horse was at full
running speed.

Goodwin looked at Bells. “You go with
them, my love. I expect updates every half hour. Send a
runner.”

“Ira!” Renald yelled.

“Sir!”

“You heard the man, every half
hour!”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

A mounted soldier dismounted from a
huge strawberry roan charger and said, “Ira, takes Whip; he’s only
thing we got faster un you!”

Ira mounted Whip and said, “May I give
you a ride, my lady?”

Bells looked at Terric. Terric just
tapped his fingers on Screamer and nodded. Bells said, “Wait one
moment, please.” She walked over to a corpse, reached down, and
pulled one of her eight-inch hair pins from the dead man's ear. She
wiped it off on her dress, then carefully stuck it back in her hair
to complete her new comb set. “Now we are ready.” She mounted
behind Ira, and they were gone in an instant.

Terric said, “My lord, the missus is
both deadly and beautiful. That one she kilt is standin' before
Lucifer now tryin' ta explains how he was murdered by a woman with
a hair pin!” Everyone laughed, although their hearts really weren’t
in it.

Ivan, who was still mounted on
Mildred, spoke up. “I go get my Giselia, she knowing healing; she
may help!”

“Thank you, Ivan. I appreciate that,”
Goodwin said.

Ivan spoke to Mildred then. “Good
Mildred, we go Giselia, take Giselia to Basilea.” Mildred trotted
through the crowd. When she was clear, she accelerated to a full
run.

Watching her fade in the distance,
Goodwin asked, “Fulk, how is Gamel?”

Fulk lowered his head and said, “My
lord, his body remains, but his mind is elsewhere. We don’t know if
he can come back to us.”

“Where is he?”

“He is with Basilea and Ox. He sits
next to her. He doesn’t see or hear people, just stares into
nothing.” With that, all of the kitchen staff started trotting
toward the other end of the battlefield. Fulk asked, “Could I get a
ride back?”

Three mounted soldiers moved forward.
Renald addressed them. “Take Fulk back, and see what else might be
done.” Before he finished, Fulk was mounted behind a soldier, and
the three horses were gone at a run. Fulk’s horse stopped and
picked up two of the kitchen ladies who were running. The other two
horses picked up two kitchen staff each.

Goodwin’s wagon slowly pulled away,
escorted by a mixture of guards and foot soldiers. On either side
of the foot soldiers were mounted riders. Renald walked with Terric
behind the wagon. Renald asked, “Captain, what makes Screamer sing
its song?”

“When 'twas formed, defects embedded
in the metal. In final polish, the defects fell out, leavin' these
small holes.” Terric showed Renald, then spoke again. “The smithy
was a sad one ta, informin' me he needed ta start over. I told him
the small holes would be okay. So he made it scream. He almost
stroked when I give 'im an extra gold.”

“Damn fine blade, sir. It sang plenty
today.”

Captain Terric started barking out his
orders. “This is the way it’s going ta be. We takes Lord Goodwin
straight through the main hall to his chambers, right out the back,
through the kitchen, and ta Sirates House. I want four guards at
his chambers an' two inside at ta main house as a cover. Renald, I
want ta woods around Sirates House swept wit mounted riders. I
wantin' sneaky bastards scattered rounds da house an' surrounding
area. Set up a small camp down by da brook. I want a strike force
set dere, just in case a trouble.

“How many guards do you want at the
house itself, Captain?”

“You’re competent. Set whats ya think
appropriate. If'n I don’t like it, I’ll yell at ya! How’s dat
appeal ta you?”

A smiling Renald answered, “It’s nice
ta know you have confidence in me, Captain.”

Terric replied, “Confidence hell!
Personal Guard an' Regular Soldier alike, it’s been an honor to
step foot on ta field a battle with every damn last jackal of
ya!”

All the men let out a horrible battle
cry. Goodwin added, “Each of you men-at-arms served your lord,
hold, and home true to your oaths. Honorable men, every damn one of
you!” Another battle cry rang out that could be heard for two
miles.

As the procession slowly moved toward
the main house, Renald could be heard barking out his own list of
orders to subordinates.

Ox was busy trying to get Basilea’s
battle gear off. Every time he tried to move her arms or hands, she
resisted. He feared if he forced her, it might kill her. She must
be using what strength she had left to clutch the locket. Ox used
his dagger to cut the lightweight outer shirt away. When he got
down to her chain mail, he had an idea. He called over several
mounted soldiers and asked if they carried hoof nippers in their
pack bags. He explained the problem and told them cutting the mail
would ruin the nippers. Three men were dismounted in moments with
the cutters in hand. Cutting the mail was tough, but they had the
mail off of her by the time the healer arrived. Ox explained to
Warin the problem with her clutching the locket and the fear of
overexerting her by forcing her. Warin agreed that he was doing the
right thing. Ox used his dagger to cut away her heavy padded shirt.
Down to just the tight-fitting linen shirt, Ox slit it all the way
up the back. A couple of mounted men had bedrolls tied to their
saddles, so they placed one under her and one over her to keep her
warm. Half a dozen men gathered wood and started a fire next to her
to add warmth while the healer examined the wound. Ox thought it
ironic that thirty minutes earlier, they had butchered men, and now
they did all they could to save a single life. Warin examined
Basilea for a long time. Ox held her up so Warin could put his ear
to different spots of her back while tapping with his fingers. He
examined the back wound. Ox carefully lowered her back to the bed
roll. Warin lifted her shirt and listened to her lungs, tapping
with his fingers again. During the examination, Bells arrived and
was on her knees next to Ox. Fulk arrived with a load of kitchen
staff, who clustered around Ox and Bells. Warin sat back and
crossed his legs. With his head down, he began to speak. “The bolt
missed her ribs and entered the chest cavity from the back. The
point punctured her lung. The lung collapsed and no longer works.
Air escapes into her chest, putting pressure on the remaining lung.
In cases such as this, treatment is to dress the wound and see if
the body can repair itself before the heart fails. The heart works
harder because of lack of air, you see.”