The Temporal Knights (23 page)

For such a small crew, the Danes had their vessel ready for departure in record time. There were ten men in all that were completely free of injury, and eleven others whose wounds were superficial and would heal quickly. The rest were out of action and Peebles knew that most would eventually die considering the amount of medical knowledge of the day. The Danes left, without a backward glance for their leader Ubba, who looked on stone faced as they launched and moved out into the shallow bay. Several of the American soldiers watched through high magnification as the boat bobbed through the waves. They were shocked when the Danes began to dump their wounded into the sea.

Several started to protest but the Ealdorman just shook his head.

“Yah, at least they kept the women,” the Earl added with a grunt, then realized that they probably needed the women to help man the oars.

“We’d have killed them yet if they’d dumped the women,” Colonel Lemay replied with a scowl and yanked his helmet off. Ubba stared at the man in complete surprise.

“They
be men,” the Viking leader said and shame washed over him. Lemay ignored him and walked off. The Earl also ignored the man, but the Ealdorman pushed him to the ground and he fell hard, unable to use his hands to break his fall.

“They
be men...and ye be for the fire,” Æthelnoth spat with glee, feeling very satisfied when his enemy’s face went blank once more.

§

The rider pounded through the gates of Maiden Castle in Winchester a full twelve hours after the Earl of Mercia had ordered him on his way. He pushed three horses to the limit and as he pulled to a stop in front of the inner stables the fourth was blowing hard.

Nagby, the Earl of Mercia’s top messenger, was well known in Winchester. He spent most of his adult life on the road between Oxford and Maiden Castle. He was the best, or so he thought. Many considered Three-Toes, the King’s top rider to be better, but he had the ugly habit of killing his mounts. Nagby took great pride in the fact that through all the years and miles of road, only three horses had ever died beneath him, and one from a bad heart. Hell, the beast only ran a mile before it squealed, tossed Nagby into a ditch, and dropped dead right in the middle of the road. That one could hardly count against him. Nagby knew horses; he could speak to them with only his thighs. He could sense their strength through his backside, which he liked to
brag was the firmest in all of Angland, and he was more than happy to give a handful to any lass that doubted his boast.

The guards stepped aside just as Elhert, the castellan appeared.

“Need to see the king straight away,” Nagby explained and held up a sealed roll of parchment. Elhert nodded and led Nagby through the maze of corridors and stairways.

He was shown into the King’s council without introduction and limped, legs and back sore from his travels, to King Alfred. Nagby bowed low, handed the King the parchment and
then was unceremoniously ushered out, his job complete until such a time as the King composed a response.

Alfred did not even wait until the messenger was gone. He checked the seal absently and then ripped open the parchment. He read silently, Asser and Helmstan, his two top advisors, looked on anxiously. Ealhswith, the Queen had been bored to the point of sleep, but was now wide awake and watching her husband closely. There were strange rumors coming from the west…an invasion by the faery people, if the common talk could be believed.

Alfred read slowly and carefully, and then reread the message once more before glancing up.

“Tis true,” he finally spoke. “Sir Æthelred tells of a small army of strange men invading Somerset and takin’ up with me Ealdorman Æthelnoth.”

Asser frowned, for it was well known that Æthelnoth was very loyal to his King, after all he was the first Ealdorman to come to his aid when all looked lost against Guthrum.

“We should move on the Lizard at once,” Helmstan said, but the man was overly aggressive and always looking for a fight…but then he was verily good with the sword and spear, an accomplished warrior, if a somewhat challenged diplomat. 

Alfred frowned.

“M’lord,” Asser, a Welch monk and good friend, interjected. “I suggest caution. Tis said the Boneless has sailed from East Anglia and is camped on Wight; tis well known his brother Ubba has a hold down on the Lizard.”

Helmstan coughed loudly to show his displeasure but Asser ignored him and continued.

“The west is most likely a trap.”

Ealhswith held her breath, curious as to what her husband would do. Alfred was a contradiction, at times he was thoughtful and cautious but when the situation warranted he transformed into a lion.

The King remained circumspect for a long moment and then glanced up. “Tis a curious thing, the Earl reports that the strangers…Ammericaans he calls them, have
na the look of the Boneless and his men, and they be all afoot.”

“A foot?”
Helmstan asked with a frown. “If’n they be afoot how did they get so deep into Wessex?”

§

It was after dark before the knights of Somerset regrouped and approached the area around the Stronghold, and they only did this after Sir Elid rode in first. Once he was in safely the others followed. The General had a powerful radio transmitter placed atop the highest point on the Stronghold in an attempt to communicate with Major Thane back in Athelney. It took several hours to assemble and by that time there was a large fire burning downwind two hundred yards to the south of Countisbury Hill. The locals were burning the bodies of the dead Danes,
since they did not have the right to a Christian burial. The majority of the soldiers stayed well away from the fire, and sympathized with their buddies who’d drawn the nasty detail of aiding the locals. To a man, none of them could stand the smell of burning flesh; it brought back terrible memories of those horrid, early days.

“Peebles to base,” the General said through the transmitter in his helmet. He was standing on the ramparts of the Stronghold, just below the large antenna array and looking out over the darkened landscape. The fires burning the dead illuminating the fields nearby, and overhead a large, nearly full moon was peeking out from behind fast moving night clouds before being quickly hidden once more.

“Base here,” Thane answered back immediately.

“Objective taken...no casualties.”
He reported and a cheerful roar filtered through his helmet’s speakers, testifying that the entire camp was present. The men left behind had undoubtedly been on edge the entire day waiting for news, since the reception on the GBF turned spotty during the battle.

“Congratulations General,” Thane replied, smiling down at Ellyn, who stood by his side. The Lady Merwinna was in camp, as were many locals, peasants and high born alike.

“Thanks...monitor the store Major. We’ll stay here the night and then swing over to Pilton tomorrow morning. We’ll probably visit Crook; a small village Sir Æthelnoth says is on the way back. Expect us around 1600 hours or so. We’ll report in if running behind...out.”

The crowd around the command tent immediately erupted with more cheers, and Merwinna joyfully ordered the celebration to begin. Matt, who was as happy as anyone, quickly pulled aside his officers and insisted on doubling the guards. He even positioned the sentries himself, ensuring that all the remaining hummers were arranged to cover every possible way into the camp.  Everyone else was free to socialize, but he set up quick relief for those who’d drawn guard duty so that everyone would have a chance to join in the fun. There were a good many local men about, most being refugees from Pilton or huscarls, peasants, or stable boys, but it was the soldiers from the future who attracted the attentions of nearly all of the ladies present.

It did not take long before someone appeared with an instrument, and then two, and then three, so that music quickly filled the air. Most played lutes, or flutes, but there was also a small horned instrument which reminded Matt of his own days long ago with the clarinet. John Garraty also joined in, playing the guitar, though not nearly as well as Goldstein, who was off at the moment killing Danes.

Many of the soldiers were dancing, or at least trying to learn. They were completely open and danced with noble women and peasants alike. Word quickly spread among the eligible ladies in the vicinity that the strangers did not necessarily prefer noble over commoner, that, plus the fact that the men showed all members of the gentler sex great respect and adoration, attracted the women-folk like nothing else. It didn’t seem to matter whether it was girl of five or a elderly matron of fifty, the men always reacted with a strange kind of reverence for any female, comely or not. Needless to say, the strange soldiers were very, very popular with the female locals, of course it didn’t hurt that they were all very large, in excellent shape and smelled absolutely divine. Compared to the local men, nobleman or commoner, the soldiers stood out starkly. At the moment the women outnumbered the soldiers by a healthy margin, but that was not something any of the soldiers seemed to mind in the least. 

The Lady Ellyn monopolized Major Thane however, and showed him many of her favorite dances. She kept him very close with knowing smiles, and fleeting touches. It was obvious to all that she was quite taken with him, something even he could sense. He was worried that she was so young, and that his time here could end at any moment, but he loved to talk with her, learning of her life and her world. She was beautiful, and intoxicatingly different from anyone he had ever known.

They danced into the wee hours of the night, and as the festivities continued many of the soldiers and ladies of lower breeding began to wander off into the surrounding darkness, where they entertained the nearby sentries who could see everything very clearly. Those of noble birth however, stayed at the dance with their chosen partners, or if they decided to go for a walk they were always chaperoned. Ellyn’s watch dog was her Aunt Eldreena, whose eyes never wandered long from her niece.

“Teach me a dance from yor land?” Ellyn finally asked as they rested among a group of dancers while the musicians took a break between songs.

Matt shrugged trying to think. “I don’t know any dances from before,” he admitted rather sheepishly, since she’d taught him nearly a dozen or so this very night.

“Na,” the girl said with a toss of her head, and a smile. “Ye tellin’ me that there be no dancing where ye come from? Methinks that a might hard to believe, fine as ye displayed yorself tonight.”

Matt laughed helplessly, and shrugged again.

“Come...come,” she insisted and grabbed his hands, pulling him out onto the makeshift dance floor. “Show me a dance.”

But again Matt could not think of a single dance. Oh, there were dances he remembered from long ago. The type women and girls would do in large groups at weddings, but he had never taken the time to learn...he was not a big dancer back on old Earth. Here...now, however, he liked it very much. It gave him a chance to hold Ellyn, to touch her, and to swing her around, to look directly into her eyes, and in a way, to become intimate with her even under the eyes of her watchful elders. Yes, he liked dancing very much.

Lieutenant Wells came to his aid by unknowingly asking Garraty to play some fast country songs, and after a quick demonstration, immediately began to teach everyone some boot slapping, high stepping, country dances. The Lady Ellyn loved them, and Matt had to admit he enjoyed it as well, though he’d always been indifferent to country music. Even Dr. Rice joined in with the Lady Merwinna.

The moon was now high overhead and the night was crystal clear with thousands of stars filling the sky as the musicians continued to play. After a few more quick tunes they followed with a much slower waltz to give the dancers’ time to catch their breath. Everyone was smiling and having a good time.

“I’d like to see ye tomorrow,” Ellyn said still breathing rapidly. She looked up shyly at the tall man at her side, knowing only that many days went by while Matt was tied up with the “ship,” or other official duties she did not understand. On those days she missed him terribly even though she enjoyed studying with Dr. Rice and his assistants Osage and Guon. She also feared that she would be leaving soon. With the defeat of the Danes at the Hill, she would be returning to their home in Bridgwater along with her father and aunt.

Matt looked down at her and smiled, remembering the soft touch of her
hand, and the feel of her tiny waist as they danced.

“Would you?”

“Verily,” she admitted, no longer shocked by her own boldness. Something deep inside her heart told her that she wanted this man and no other. “Mayhap ye wold go riding with me along the river?” she asked innocently.

“All right,” Matt agreed happily. “But no laughing at my riding skills,” he added, feeling a touch of guilt come on. If and when they finally fixed the ship, he was gone...and that meant gone for good. Though the trip would only seem to take about six years his time, nearly eight hundred years would have ticked by on Earth. Ellyn’s great, great grandchildren would long be dead. It was a very sobering thought, but not one he could readily dwell on with her shining face smiling up at him.