The Temporal Knights (20 page)

“Good night M’lady,” he said with a bow, and before she could protest he was off into the rain.

She stood watching him go, resisting the urge to chase after him; after all, a girl could not appear too willing. She might only be eighteen, but she knew that rule well enough, and she was sure it applied to everyone, including the strangers. Still she could not completely squash her disappointment, and stamped her feet once as she headed back to the stairs. She was sure he liked her...the way he looked at her made her melt inside. She hoped he would kiss her tomorrow; she would give him little choice. She would use all her feminine powers to make him kiss her. She was smiling again as she entered her room, finding her father snoring loudly in his chair, while her aunt snored in hers. Ellyn was tempted to slip into bed without waking her aunt and so have the bed to herself. Her aunt had bad dreams most every night and thrashed about, kicking or hitting Ellyn awake. But Ellyn knew sleeping in the chair would put her aunt in a bad way come morn, so she woke the old woman and helped her prepare for bed, and they slipped under the thick, warm covers together.

§

Things were not quite so tranquil in the Earl’s quarters. Sir Æthelred could not sleep, the holes in the helmet haunted him, making him toss and turn under the heavy covers. At last he gave up, dressed again and sent for the Ealdorman, and his chief knight and advisor Sir Beonoth. His anger grew as he waited. He was in great danger here. His boys, both of them, were in great
danger. His bloodline could well end because of the stupidity of the Ealdorman. God’s blood, loyal though he was, Æthelnoth was a weak minded man. He paced his room, wondering if it were not best just to flee in the night, away from these strangers and warn the King...the King. He must know of this threat, and he must know of it soon. Perhaps he would send his sons. There was a loud knock at the door, which made the Earl jump, and his anger grew.

“Come,” he barked. It was the Ealdorman, who had not bothered to dress. He looked ridiculous, a fat old man in his night shirt, certainly no warrior, no savior of the western lands.

“M’lord?” the Ealdorman asked as he stepped into the room. He was immediately followed by Sir Oldalf, who was dressed and wearing his sword. The Earl smiled despite his temper.
‘Perhaps the old fool was not as simple minded as he appeared.’

“I sent for thee, Ealdorman, not thy knight.”

“Sir Oldalf is me chief advisor, a clever and honorable man...tis me Hall. He will stay,” the Ealdorman answered defiantly.

The Earl glared at him, but finally nodded. “Tis yor right,” he finally agreed as Sir Beonoth walked into the room. He made his way to his Lord’s side, not greeting either Sir Oldalf or the Ealdorman. He stood impassively at Æthelred’s shoulder and crossed his arms. He was a large man with massive arms, a seasoned knight in his early thirties. He sported a trimmed yellow beard and hair that matched, which he kept meticulously neat. At the moment the knight’s hair was pulled back in a pony tail which reached the middle of his back. He would have been considered something of a dandy because of his good looks and cleanliness, but his propensity to kill Danes in battle kept wagging tongues still. He was a strong, hard man and completely loyal to his Earl.

“Well Ealdorman, out with it, how is it ye let these strange men on yor lands...in yor vary home?” the Earl asked, barely controlling his anger and outrage. “Mayhap ye be fooled into thinking they be Anglish.”

“They claim to be Anglish, but me knows they are
na. Ye can tell that with but a look at ‘em...but ye be wrong headed if ye think we let them take me lands. We met in strange ways, and the strange ways be tharn. But ye listen well M’lord...these be honorable men,” Æthelnoth replied strongly, defending himself and his actions.

The Earl’s face turned red and Beonoth uncrossed his arms, moving to the balls of his feet, ready for anything. “Twill judge that in me own time, by God,” the Earl responded just a bit louder.
“Out with it then. Tell me everything of the first meetin’ and all since. The King be needing to know the truth.”

So the Ealdorman told of the coming of the dragon, seeing it for himself while it terrorized his people working in the fields. And then he spoke of the hunt the following morning, then the encounter with the strangers and their strange weapons. He told of the spitting of fire, the dogs that were kilt, and finally the invitation into the camp, and then everything since then.

The Earl, for his part, remained silent during the telling, though his anger grew by the minute.

“Dragons,” he finally said quietly. “Men spittin’ fire, and sittin’ in the belly of strange beasts
...flyin’ maachenes? Ye be daft, or perhaps ye are all cunningly cowards,” he spat, almost yelling now in his anger.

Sir Oldalf’s sword was out before the word coward was fully uttered. The Ealdorman, who had no weapon just stood red-faced before his liege lord. Beonoth had also drawn his sword and hovered protectively by the Earl, whose anger dissipated with the drawing of steel, and he held up a warning hand.

“Hold Sir Oldalf…Ealdorman, with apologies,” the Earl said, reason returning swiftly. “Tis a fanciful tale, but we all know ye be na cowards...Prithee tell me how these strangers worked their spells on thee?”

“Tis magic indeed,” Sir Oldalf replied somewhat mollified, but he kept his sword out and ready until the Earl ordered his powerful knight to stow his weapon, then the old Dane did likewise. “But twas
na on us they worked their magic, twas on the vary earth and sky. Sometimes methinks they be more than men...” he admitted, thinking of this very night with Matt... “but men they be...strange men forsooth, but men.”

“Ye trust them then?” the Earl asked Oldalf, ignoring the Ealdorman for a moment.

“Yah...they be tall upright men...attack us na, when they could, and ye should see the way they treat the womenfolk...they be fighting men forsooth, but they na wantin’ to fight us. I trust them.”

“With thee Lady Ellyn?”

“Aye, with me own dottir.”

“They be gentle men,” the Ealdorman added in support, “especially with the womenfolk...rapin’, murder, thievin’...methinks that
na be what they wantin’.”

“What
be they wantin’ then?”

The Ealdorman shrugged. “Methinks they want a home.”

“A Kingdom, mayhap?”

Both the Ealdorman and Sir Oldalf were quiet for a moment, considering this new possibility. Sir Oldalf said nothing, but the Ealdorman shrugged.

“Mayhap,” he finally answered. “They be powerfully interested in the King and his whereabouts.”

“I’ll be sendin’ a rider out at dawn. The King need be gettin’ word of this, and I na want anything said to the strangers,” the Earl ordered, watching each man closely, but they agreed directly. “We be a might safer tomorrow when the rest of me fyrd arrives.”

“Ye misspeak, these be true men,” Sir Oldalf said one last time and bid them goodnight.

“Ye watch him Ealdorman,” the Earl said after Oldalf had gone. “He’s as smitten with the strangers as his own dottir.”

The Ealdorman shrugged, but nodded, then also retired to his bed chamber.

Chapter Six

T
hey woke the next morning to fog, thick fog, but no rain, and again Peebles was forced to delay the expedition. He wanted full air reconnaissance. The bugs would not suffice, and though it was entirely possible to fly the Bots in such weather, it was not without risk. The main reason the General delayed however, was that he wanted witnesses among the locals, preferably the Earl and the Ealdorman, and neither were trained to use the TVD, or tactical virtual display, which appeared on the face plate of every helmet in the force. At best they would be confused as to what they were looking at, and at worst they would suffer vertigo and nausea. No, he wanted them to see everything clearly, with their own eyes, so they would know the power of their new friends.

The fog was just beginning to burn off when the bulk of the Earl’s men were spotted by the sentries on the perimeter. Peebles allowed them to pass unmolested into the grounds around Athelney. They showed up piecemeal, in small groups, with no real formation or order to them. When the entire force finally arrived it consisted of nearly one hundred and fifty spearmen, a hundred huscarls, and nearly one hundred archers. By coincidence it was almost the exact number of men the General had under his command. The Earl was all smiles as he headed out of the Manor Hall to meet them. His eldest son Æthelstan tagged along behind and they were also joined by the Ealdorman and the Lady Merwinna. They chose the grounds on the far side of the town, forcing the refugees from Pilton to pack up and move closer to Peebles and his men, but the local peasants did not mind. The strangers had shown them nothing but kindness and understanding.

It was nearly one o’clock before the sky cleared into a deep crystal blue, and the General decided to send up both of the Bots. He also decided to go up himself in one of the ultra-lights, which was something of a risk, but he was doing it for a very good reason, peer pressure. He invited the Earl of Mercia to ride in the other plane with Lieutenant Joe Goode.

“Tis something ye never forget,” the Ealdorman said simply, and the Earl, though he loathed the very idea, could do nothing but agree to go. His honor was at stake. Leoforic was very excited by the prospect and even skipped his day at school to be with his father.

“Methinks someday I wold like to fly in an ayreplaine too Da’” he said eagerly as the Earl studied the preparations for the flight. He still could not quite believe that both the Ealdorman and his son actually expected him to fly up into the air. Twas na possible. They must be daft...or mayhap they shared the same crazy dream. But he had to admit the thing looked strange to his eyes. Evil mayhap, though twas na vary apparent. He finally even got the courage to approached one of the planes, and after a long moment, reached out gingerly and touched it. It seemed solid enough. He tried to lift it, but it was far too heavy, and he felt better. Twas na possible for the thing to fly...it was na. Much too heavy.

“Ye want to fly?” he asked his son, humoring him now.

“Oh yah. The Ealdorman and the Lady Ellyn got to fly two days past...twas varily exciting.

The Earl’s hands began to perspire.
“The Lady Ellyn?”

“Yah Da’.
She screamed and screamed at first, but later she was so happy that she kissed the Mayjor. Methinks it would be verily good to fly...with the birds and the clouds.”

The Earl frowned, his confidence dimming somewhat. His eldest son Æthelstan however, looked down at his younger brother with embarrassment, not believing even for a minute, but he was not in the same position as their Da’ and did not have to believe. Finally, the Earl made his way back over to the General, who was giving last minute instructions to the man called Curnell Lemay. The Ealdorman was close at hand, waiting.

“We’ll scout for any unlikely enemies. If it’s clear, I’ll give you the go ahead to move out. Once out, we’ll identify the positions I want you to take around the stronghold,” he added and then dismissed Lemay, who hurried off to prepare the hummers, trucks, and men.

“It’s a great day for flying,” the General said with a smile and a glance at the clear sky above. He was captivated by it, by the fact that it was free of all Skawp threats. He smiled again and gazed about at the green rolling hills, the great oaks, and the deep blue sky. He sighed feeling the slight breeze on his face, and loving life. He wondered briefly if he would ever take it for granted again.

The Earl nodded a greeting, but said nothing.

       “Your knights are welcome to try to keep up,” Peebles said to both the local noblemen. “They may succeed if the terrain is rough enough, but I’m afraid your foot soldiers don’t stand a chance. It would be best to leave them behind.”

This was the first time either the Ealdorman or the Earl realized that these men meant to leave today for the stronghold at Countisbury Hill.

“Twill na
leave me men here,” the Earl replied, taken completely by surprise, not truly believing that they meant for him to fly, nor that they meant to leave for the stronghold in the middle of the day. They should leave in the morn. It would be much more sensible.

“Tell them they have about an hour to rest then, while we scout the area by air,” Peebles replied enjoying the Earl’s shock. “Coming?” he asked with a smile and motioned to the Bots.

The Earl forced a smiled, then moved off toward Sir Beonoth rather than the planes and the two began a heated discussion.

“We’d like you to ride out west in one of the Hummers with Colonel Lemay,” Peebles said to the Ealdorman, though he was still watching the Earl in the distance. “I would leave your foot soldiers behind.”

The Ealdorman nodded, feeling privileged. “Aye, but the matter be na up to me,” he answered then shrugged. “Walkin’ won’t hurt them none me ‘spect.”

The General laughed. “I expect your right,” he answered as the Earl returned and they headed toward the planes.

“Good day Earl,” Lieutenant Goode said in greeting. He saluted his General then hopped into the Bot and motioned for the Earl to take the seat next to his. The English Lord looked about, noticing that the General was already in his place and slipping a helmet over his head. His face was now hidden behind some sort of metallic plate, but he kept his eyes pointed the Earl’s way, as if he could still see him. The Earl shivered and then noticed that his son Leoforic was standing next to Æthelstan and Beonoth. The young lad was smiling up at his father, his eyes full of pride and envy. His was the only smile in the group. Then the Earl turned back and froze; the one called Goode had slipped on his own helmet and was also faceless behind a metallic shield. It took all of the nobleman’s nerve to climb into the contraption next to the faceless man.

Goode handed the Earl his own helmet which came complete with a clear visor and headset. The IWS helmet would be lost on him, but this way he could still communicate. Joe also stowed his M18, integrated assault rifle, behind his seat. Everyone would be going in hot and
wired. They were on a war footing. The Lieutenant did not need to help the Earl with his helmet but he did have to assist him with the shoulder harness.

“Relax Earl and enjoy the ride,” he advised, further startling the Lord of Mercia, who could not see the man’s lips move, but nevertheless his words boomed in his ears, like the voice of God.

Once he was seated and secure however, Goode did not give him time to fret, but instead started the engine, accelerated and headed off after Captain Gardner, who was piloting the other Bot containing General Peebles. Once they started rolling it was all the Earl could do not to panic and flee, but somehow he managed to remain in his seat. He clenched his fists and bit off the scream that would have linked him and the Lady Ellyn together forever. At the far end of the field, the two planes turned in unison. Gardner waved enthusiastically to the excited crowd that now lined both sides of the field. Goode glanced over at the Earl, the man sat completely still, obviously very tense, but uncomplaining, so Goode pushed the throttle forward and they began to roll forward once more. Faster and faster they went, gaining speed for takeoff. The crowd waved and yelled as they rolled past and Joe could actually hear the cheering above the engine noise as they finally lifted off into the air.

The Earl, to his credit, did not scream, though it took nearly all of his willpower not to wet himself. He was absolutely terrified and gripped the airframe with all his strength and kept his eyes securely on the plane just in front and to the left of his own. His breathing was coming in rapid gulps as they continued to rise into the air. It was unreal.

“Computer,” Gardner said, and the Earl heard him plainly through his headset, though he did not know who was doing the talking. “Show map, and set direction for estimated position for Countisbury Hill.” The planes turned in unison just a bit to the south, as the map appeared on everyone’s TVD. The pilots ignored the map for a time and looped back around to the southwest to scout for any unwelcome parties before heading out to their main objective. On the ground Colonel Lemay and the rest would be preparing for their orders to roll.

“How we doing Earl?”
Goode asked and looked over at his companion. The man was gripping the airframe so tightly that Goode could see the muscles and tendons of his forearms bulging with the effort.

No answer.

“Earl, are you all right?” Goode asked again, now worried the old man may be having a heart attack.

“Yah,” the Earl managed to croak, not wanting to look over at the faceless man next to him.

“Relax,” Joe said, but the Earl did not move.

“Earl...” Joe said and reached over and grabbed the man by the arm. The Earl turned and looked at the face shield. “Relax, or your arms will be cramping.” At first the Earl did not react, then suddenly his hands sprang from the bars and he flexed his fingers.

“Just sit tight and enjoy the bird’s eye view of your country. It’s truly lovely,” Goode suggested and motioned out and down, as they passed back over the town of Athelney.

“Ye can see?”

“You’re all clear Colonel,” they heard Peebles say.

“Yes, I can see...better than with just my eyes. With this,” he said tapping his helmet. “I can see like the hawk by day and the owl by night.”

The Earl looked out and down to the tops of the trees and tensed again, but after several moments he forced himself to relax and watched the hills and valleys pass by below with morbid fascination.

‘Twas lovely, like a view from heaven,’
he thought and with each passing minute his death became less and less of a sure thing, and after about twenty minutes was actually beginning to have doubts that he would see heaven this day.

           “How’s he doing Captain?” Peebles asked.

“It was a little dicey at first, but he seems to be getting the hang of it now.”

“Good. Sir Earl...what should I call you anyway? Earl and Sir Earl seem to be a bit stuffy to me,” Peebles asked.

The Earl was unable to reason how he was able to talk to any of these men, but their voices were right in his ear, so he answered. “Wold Sir Æthelred be more comfortable?” he asked, unconsciously raising the General to his station by not insisting to be called M’lord.

“Thank you Sir Æthelred,” Peebles answered gratefully. “Have you ever been to the Hill?”

“Ey...oncet, mayhap a year after me own Da’ died.”

“If we get you to the general vicinity could you find it?”

“Yah,” the Earl answered.

“Da’ Da’...” they all heard Leoforic’s voice on the GBF.

“Leoforic!” the Earl said astonished, and instinctively looked about for his child, but of course they were thousands of feet in the air, and Leoforic was not. The Earl became frightened again, wondering just how this was possible.

“Da…is flying na wonderful?” the boy asked and Peebles silently blessed Dr. Rice for his thoughtfulness and compassion.

“Ye were right lad, tis truly wondrous. Now me knows how God looks down on us’n,” he answered smiling.

“Thank you Dr. Rice,” Peebles said. “Hello Leoforic.”

“Hello Genaral,” the boy answered.

“Clear the frequency now,” he ordered as they spotted a large structure dead
ahead, the cold Irish Sea directly beyond.

“Sir Æthelred…” Peebles said.

“Yah.”

“Directly ahead…could this be Countisbury Hill?”

The Earl shook his head though Peebles could not see the gesture. “Na…tis na possible. The Hill is over a day’s riding.”

They flew directly over it, and the Earl’s eyes went wide. It was truly the Hill and he sat speechless for a moment as he gazed down. There were people on the turrets and others in center courtyard. Everyone on the ground was running this way and that and looking upwards in terror. The planes flew past and out to sea for a quarter of a mile or so before circling back and splitting up.

“Twas the Hill forsooth,” the Earl confirmed in amazement as Goode looped to the south along the coast. Minutes later they flew over the burnt out village of Pilton and then to the east while Captain Gardner and Peebles flew north along the coast before swinging to the south.

“Lieutenant, do you have anything?” the General asked as they met up again ten minutes later.

“Negative....a few towns, but no sign of any armies.”