Knighthood
His office was large, as befitting his status as Battlemaster for the castle. Maps of the fief hung on the walls, along with a huge one of the entire kingdom. His desk was in the far corner, away from the door and the fireplace. A small door was set into the wall to his right, leading to a small changing room and bed. The wall opposite him boasted the giant map of the kingdom, across the room from his desk. Further on the wall, away from his desk, was the door to the rest of the castle. The heavy door was wooden, but it was reinforced with iron strips along it and iron hinges. The fireplace was set into the next wall, a huge fireplace big enough to heat the entire room easily. Banners with his crest, a boar’s head, hung on the war around the fireplace. A ceremonial shield, painted with his boar symbol, hung over the fireplace.
On the wall to his back, a window looked out over the training fields. He had it closed, but he could still hear the clanging of swords as he looked over the papers for the graduating apprentices. Flipping through the papers, he made a list of the apprentices who would pass. Finishing the list, he got a fresh piece of paper and started another list, making the groups that the knights would work in and giving them their assignments. All of the groups received teaching assignments, training the youngest classes of apprentices. He glanced through the groups again, looking for the group he would give the extra assignment to. He stopped at Ben Culver and Marcus Kendall. He smirked. He knew who they were, and he remembered the first time he met Culver years ago, in the village. He had been a little boy, and he had wanted a little girl to try out for the knight training too. He knew which girl it had been, and he knew she still lived in the village. She would be the perfect way to hurt Culver if he and Kendall looked like they would be able to stand their ground in the upcoming battle.
Julius knew of his lord Occido’s plans to attack the kingdom, and he knew that Occido was waiting for a weak defense to punch through. Assigning a pair of new knights the task of preparing a defense against a rumored threat of Skandians and then having Occido’s armies come would be the perfect entrance. He wrote “border defense” next to Culver’s and Kendall’s names, capped his inkwell, and took the piece of paper down to the barracks where the new knights would be waiting.
*****
The barracks were full of food and young men. Marcus stood by the wall, drinking the cheap ale the kitchens had brought down and watching the excitement as they waited for Sir Julius to announce who had passed their training.
The barracks were long buildings with bunks along both walls. Trunks sat between each set of bunks, holding extra clothes and any personal belongings. If they had been sleeping, there would have been swordbelts hanging from bedposts, but no one was sleeping, and no one was willing to take their sword off. Tables ran down the middle of the room, and the kitchens had filled half of them with food and drink. The other half of tables were surrounded by the apprentices, eating and talking about whether or not they thought they had been made knights.
Ben joined Marcus by the wall, holding a piece of bread wrapped around a piece of meat. “Enjoying yourself?” Ben asked between bites of bread and meat.
“I’ll enjoy myself once we get the results,” Marcus said.
“Relax. You’re going to pass.”
“That’s what we think, but do we really know he isn’t going to hold me back again?”
“Marcus Kendall, you are one of the best swordsmen I’ve seen, you get excellent grades on all your classwork, and he hasn’t held you back since the dancing thing. You are going to pass,” Ben said seriously.
Marcus grinned. “Thanks.” Taking another sip of his ale, Marcus asked, “When are we walking down to get Grace and Cecily?”
“I’m walking down to get them as soon as Julius posts the results. You’re welcome to join me if you’d like.”
“I will, assuming I haven’t died from shock or waiting.”
Ben grinned. “You’ll be fine.”
Someone at the door yelled, “Here he comes!” and Ben and Marcus joined the group of men surrounding the door. Sir Julius walked in, looked around, looked down at his paper, and started reading. He read off the groups that the new knights would be working in, and cheering followed each one. Marcus cheered for his best friend as their names were read together.
“All of the groups have received teaching assignments. Day after next, you will begin those classes. One of the groups has also received an additional assignment. They must prepare a defense of the castle against a possible Skandians attack and have it approved by Lord David.” Julius took the piece of paper and hung it on the board full of papers by the door. He left without another word, and the new knights surged forward, some climbing over the tables, to find out which classes they had and who had the extra assignment.
Someone else shouted it before Marcus and Ben got close enough to read the paper. “Marcus Kendall and Ben Culver got the extra assignment!”
Cheers erupted from around the room, people clapped them on the back, and raised their mugs.
Marcus stood awkwardly as people cheered and congratulated him. He noticed Ben slip behind him, and make his way to the door. Marcus wanted to follow him, but he distracted the crowd for Ben.
*****
Sitting in front of the fireplace in Cecily’s house, she and Grace fixed their arrows. The fletchings would come loose after too much use, and fixing them before they fell off was easier than hunting down a missing arrow when a fletching fell off and the arrow flew off course. Arrow shaft pinned between her knees, Cecily stuck the brush for the glue between her teeth and took the feather Grace handed her. Holding the new feather to where the old one had been, Cecily set the brush back in the glue jar.
Picking up the thread, Cecily wound it around the fletchings, binding them again to the shaft. Tying it off at the end, she looked down the shaft to the arrow head, checking that each fletching still had the slight angle that would help it spin in the air and stabilize it. Satisfied that the fletchings were placed properly, she pinned it between her knees to wait for it to dry.
“What do you think we’re supposed to be doing?” Cecily said quietly.
“I don’t think we were told to do anything,” Grace replied.
“No, I mean in life. We’re twenty-three and we haven’t done anything.”
“Cecily, we regularly feed people. Isn’t that doing something?”
“But no one remembers your name doing that. Knights are remembered for years after they die for leading a battle, but we won’t be remembered for giving people a couple rabbits.”
“I’m pretty sure that the little Edwards girl is going to remember you.”
“She’ll be the only one.”
“I’ll remember you. I don’t think anything could make Ben forget about you. You’re like Marcus’s little sister, so he’s never forgetting you either. Lana will remember you, and Polly will too.”
Cecily smiled. “Thanks, Grace.”
Grace was using her knife to make a new shaft. Leaning forward, Cecily rested her head on her knees and watched as Grace smoothed the ridges from pulling the bark off. Cecily didn’t realize she had closed her eyes until she heard someone run up and burst through the door. Jerking awake, Cecily was on her feet, knife in hand, before she fully opened her eyes. Grace laughed as Cecily realized that it was only Ben, out of breath and grinning. “Hi, Ben,” Cecily said, sheathing her knife.
“We did it! Marcus and I, we’re going to be knights!” Ben said, almost bouncing with excitement.
“Congratulations,” Cecily said grinning. “I knew you guys would be able to do it.”
“Did Marcus not come down too?” Grace asked, standing up.
“We got the extra assignment too, so he stayed up there to distract people while I slipped out. We’re kind of famous now.”
“Did the party start?” Cecily asked.
“Yes, and you two are invited if you’d like.”
Closing the lid to the glue, Cecily set the arrow she had been holding on her quiver, which had been lying by her feet. Glancing over to make sure nothing would get messed up, Cecily grabbed her cloak from the hooks by the door and tossed Grace her cloak. “Well, it won’t do to be too late,” she said, grinning.
“Will there be any food left when we get there?” Grace asked, grinning.
Slinging her cloak over her shoulders, Cecily followed Ben out the door, Grace a step behind her.
*****
There were more people in the barracks than there had been when he left, and Ben was pretty sure most of the newcomers were girls from the village. Once they found Marcus, they stood by the fireplace, their backs to the wall. Cecily and Grace stood between them, and Ben would have been content to stand there all night. However, some of the trainees had pulled out their instruments and were pushing the tables to the sides. Two lines of dancers formed, on either side of the room.
Grace pulled them into the lines, and Ben found himself facing Cecily. She had left her cloak on his bunk, and she looked stunning. Her tunic was a dark red, cinched around her waist with the belt that held her saxe and throwing knives. She wore leather cuffs on her forearms, protecting her arms from her bowstring. Brown leggings tucked into her boots, and she danced lightly enough to not make the floorboards squeak under her. The trainees started playing a jig, and Ben linked arms with Cecily as the two lines joined and the partners spun.
Cecily was grinning, the torchlight shining in her hair and making it look life fire. Ben barely took his eyes off of her as they danced. When they finally stopped dancing, Cecily sat down on one of the tables, breathless and laughing.
“That was fun,” Grace said as she and Marcus joined them.
“Much more fun than fixing arrows,” Cecily replied.
They sat and watched as some more dancers fell out of the lines, and more who had fallen out earlier joined the line again. Once they had caught their breath, they made their way to the tables of food, piling some in the wooden bowls at the end. Making their way back to the tables where they had been sitting, they ate while watching the dancers more.
“I really enjoy not having to hunt and clean my food all the time,” Cecily said, her mouth full of bread and meat.
Grace laughed at her. “Did you notice that this isn’t even some lowly rabbit or squirrel, but is actually beef from the baron’s own fields?” she said grandly, giggling.
Ben looked at Marcus. “I think they spend too much time in the woods.”
“Definitely. We should start bringing them to all of these parties.”
“We’ll only come for the food,” Cecily said, laughing.
Ben laughed with her.
Setting their bowls in the pile at one end of a table, they joined the lines of dancers again. They were moving in a circle, and Ben was separated from Cecily. He found himself dancing with Grace, and then a line of girls he vaguely recognized but didn’t know. He grinned as the line got back to where they had started, and Cecily smiled back. “What, miss me? Don’t tell me the string of girls here wasn’t enough for you?”
“No, I was just looking for my friend,” Ben replied, stumbling. Cecily laughed before the lines shifted again and she was gone.
Ben saw Cecily twice more before they pulled out of the line again and went to sit down. Stifling a yawn, Cecily rested her head on Ben’s shoulder. He noticed the look Marcus gave him over Grace’s and Cecily’s heads.
“You know, if you guys are tired, you don’t have to stay until the end. They’ll probably keep going until people start falling asleep standing.” Ben said.
“Have they actually had people fall asleep standing?” Grace asked.
“There are rumors of it happening, but I haven’t actually seen it,” Marcus said.
“I think we should probably head home though,” Cecily said. “It’s already cold, and it’s just going to get colder.”
“Also, we didn’t exactly tell anyone we were leaving,” Grace added.
“That too,” Cecily said.
“I’ll go grab your cloaks,” Ben said.
“Thanks,” Cecily said, smiling at him.
*****
The room was huge, with maps and tapestries covering the stone walls. A table sat in the middle of the room, with a huge map of the kingdom in it. Occido looked at it, moving clay figurines that marked armies. Looking at the map, he could already see his plan unfolding. Attack the border fief of Bridgeacre, where David was baron, then spread through Araluen. He would finish by taking over the castle of the king, and there he would slowly kill the man who had refused to give him help to find his wife.
Someone opened the door and he turned around, hand already on his sword and the call for blood running through his veins. He stopped as he saw Ganuhay, who was standing well out of reach of Occido’s sword. “You know, that’s not my favorite sword,” Ganuhay said, stepping closer towards the table. He looked at the map. “Do you really think you’ll be able to manage that battle with only three battalions?” he asked, looking at the first battle.
“Julius has told me that it will be led by two inexperienced knights who have just been knighted. We will have nothing to fear from them. And, if they do get a good plan together there are abduction plans already in place.”
“You’re putting too much faith in Julius. You should send that Camryn man in to make sure Julius is telling the truth.”
“There’s too much risk of him being recognized. Anyway, we will punch through their defense. They’ve been told to expect only a small band of Skandians, so they will not have the men they need to defend against us.”
“A small band of Skandians is a small army.”
Occido turned away from the table and went to the desk by the fireplace. Brushing up against the desk, he noted the half-moon shape dents in the wood. He picked up a quill and make a note to get someone to smooth them out.
Looking through the papers, he found the list of trainees Julius had been considering for the defense assignment. Handing it to Ganuhay, he said, “These are the people we have to be ready for. Julius is coming soon to tell me who was selected, but all of them have weaknesses we can use.”
“What are these weaknesses?” Ganuhay asked.
Occido smiled mirthlessly. “There is a village where many of the trainees spend their extra time. They have friends who they won’t want hurt, and those are their names. All we have to do is threaten their loved ones, and they will be ours. We can make sure there was nothing Julius didn’t tell us, and then we might give them back if they’re good.”
“How do you plan to check Julius’s information?” Ganuhay asked, handing the list back.
Occido dropped a hand to the whip on his belt. “I planned to have some fun with them.”
Ganuhay grinned. “You have everything planned out, don’t you?”
Occido walked back to the table. “Yes, but I like hearing people say that I do.”
Ganuhay grinned. “Well, you’ve planned out the troops very well. You know that they’re all going to die and aren’t planning on having any left other from previous battles. Do you plan on having me stay to train more, or should I have a replacement ready?”
“I think I’d like you to come. It will be winter by the time we’re done, and it’ll be cold.”
“I’ll begin looking for a replacement, then.” Ganuhay said.
“Would Camryn be someone you could use?” Occido asked.
“Maybe. Training the soldiers isn’t really his skill set though.” Ganuhay said, thinking about the man.
“We will be attacking his old fief first, so we could grab his wife and daughter to control him.”
“I think your whip does just fine, but that may work.”
“I’d like to talk to him,” Occido said, looking meaningfully to Ganuhay.
“I’ll get him immediately,” Ganuhay said, leaving.
Occido went back to looking at the map. He could see the entire plan falling into place. Finally, after twelve long years of planning and waiting and changing plans, he would be able to get revenge for Marina’s death.
Ganuhay came back quickly, with Camryn on tow. “My lord,” Camryn said, dropping to one knee.
“Camryn, we are proceeding with the plan. Ganuhay will be coming with the army, and we will require someone else to stay behind and train new soldiers, as well as handle the other aspects of Ganuhay’s job. You will follow him to make sure you can do it, and you will take over while we are gone. Do you understand?”
“Yes, my lord. Thank you, my lord,” Camryn stuttered, still on his knees.
“Leave us,” Occido said, turning away from Camryn. He got up and left quickly, closing the door behind him.
Ganuhay turned to Occido. “He doesn’t get to do what I do with you, does he?” he asked, setting a hand on his shoulder. Stepping even closer, he whispered into Occido’s ear, “You won’t get any more of what you got yesterday if he does.”
Occido turned to him. “I could command you to do whatever I wanted,” he replied quietly.
“I’m not one of the girls in your Rooms. You know that doesn’t work as well on me.”
Occido put a hand on Ganuhay’s neck and slid it down to his shoulder, pushing his tunic out of the way. He felt his nails leaving marks, the same marks on his desk. Ganuhay raised an eyebrow. “I could take it off if you want, but I wouldn’t want to mess up your maps and papers.”
“The papers can be replaced, and the desk needs to be fixed anyway,” Occido growled. “I think you’re getting ahead of yourself. There are other things that need to be dealt with first.”
“What exactly?”
“The troops need to be prepared, and the kitchens need to be alerted. War things.”
“Yes, my lord,” Ganuhay said, stepped back and bowing slightly. “I will inform the kitchens immediately.” He left Occido alone, who walked back to the table and looked at his plan again. Soon, he thought. Soon, Marina, your death will be avenged.
*****
Six Years Ago
The hall was lit up and filled with people. Most of the people from the village were there, and all of the knights and apprentices at the castle. Cecily smiled when she saw Ben walking toward her. “Thanks for coming,” he said.
“Hey, I had a personal invitation from a prodigal Battleschool apprentice. It’s not like I could turn it down.”
“You don’t have to be here if you don’t want to,” Ben said quickly, looking down.
Cecily laughed. “I’m teasing you.”
Ben smiled. “I’m glad you’re here.”
The musicians tuned their instruments one last time, and started playing. Baron David circled the dance floor with his wife, Lady Hannah. The knights followed him with their partners, then the apprentices started dancing. “Um, would you like to dance?” Ben asked nervously, holding out his arm.
“As long as you promise to not step on my feet,” Cecily said, smiling. She took his hand and they walked out onto the dance floor.
One hand in Ben’s and the other on his shoulder, Cecily noticed how nervous he looked. He put his hand on her waist, and they started dancing.
Cecily kept time to the music easily; hunting in the woods had made her light on her feet and it wasn’t too difficult to match Ben’s steps. He didn’t step on her feet, although she noticed the line between his eyebrows from him concentrating. She smiled. “Relax a little bit, Ben,” she said.
“I’m trying to not mess up.”
“You’re doing fine.”
He looked at her. “Thanks, Cecily,” he said.
Cecily felt her cheeks warm and looked down quickly. She knew that some of the girls in the village were her age and married or soon to be, but she had never shared in their interest in the various Battleschool apprentices. She would have rather talked to Ben than watched the other apprentices.
Cecily noticed some of the pairs leaving the floor for drinks and food, and she was almost relieved when Ben led her off the floor. They made their way to the food, and Cecily was drinking a mug of some fruity drink when a group of Battleschool apprentices joined them. “Hey, Ben, we’re wanted for something,” Daniel said. Ben looked back at Cecily. “I’ll be right back,” he said.
“Go have fun,” she said. Ben left, and she wandered over to the side of the room. She leaned against the wall and watched the dancers.
“Don’t feel like dancing?”
Cecily looked at the girl standing next to her. She was a bit taller than Cecily and looked about her age, with black hair bound in a braid that fell over her shoulder.
“My friend had to go do something,” Cecily said.
The girl leaned up against the wall next to Cecily. “I’m new.”
“I’m Cecily.”
“Grace.”
*****
The hedge around the Women’s Rooms was high and thick, but it was twelve years old and a few holes had been worn in it through the years. Thomas slipped into the one behind a rose bush, hissing as the thorns caught on his skin and clothes. Crawling through the tunnel, he listened for anyone on the other side. He knew his mother spent most of her time in the grove on the other side of the tunnel, and he hoped he would find her. If he was even luckier, he would find Anya too.
He stayed in the tunnel while he looked around the grove, checking to make sure he was alone. Seeing no one but his mother, sitting on one of the benches, he crawled out of the tunnel and walked over to her, sitting behind a tree, out of sit of any guards.
“Ma, I’m here,” he whispered, sitting by the bench she was on.
“Hello, Thomas,” May said dully, without turning to look for him.
“How are you doing?” he asked.
“I don’t know, but I don’t think they’ll be keeping me for much longer,” she said, already sounding like she had given up. “I didn’t get a new dress when they handed them out a few weeks ago, and I keep on losing babies,” she finished, looking at her swollen belly.
Thomas had never gotten used to the thought that he had brothers and sisters he didn’t know about, had never even recognized. He knew that the whole idea behind the Rooms was to build an army, the women being bedded regularly by Lord Occido and any other men who earned the privilege, as soon as the girls had their first bleeding. He had seen too many broken bodies buried though, broken from rough men and too many babies. He feared for his mother, and for his friend, Anya, who was his age but pitifully small and trapped behind the walls of the Rooms.
“Maybe they’re going to make you one of the nannies soon,” he said, trying to comfort his mother.
“They won’t. They use us until we’re broken and then toss us out.”
“Don’t say that, Ma. They’ve still got some use for you.”
“I told Anya about this place,” May said abruptly, changing the subject. “She said she would come today.”
Thank—“ Thomas said, cutting off as he heard someone come up. May stood up as a soldier walked into the grove, his chestplate clinking with each step. “You’re wanted by the doctors,” the soldier said, standing in front of May. Thomas could only hide as he heard his mother say, “I’ll be along shortly.” He heard her gasp in pain as the soldier said, “You’re wanted now.”
Hearing the soldier walk off, Thomas turned so he could see her. The soldier was pulling her along, walking just faster than she could and leaving her off balance as he pulled her forward. Thomas bit his tongue and went back to waiting behind the tree.
He woke up to someone whispering his name. He looked for the voice, and found Anya, blonde hair tangled. He stood up, and Anya saw him and smiled, walking over to him. Sitting next to him, he could see bruises on her arms. “Anya, what happened to you?” he asked, brushing his fingers over the bruises.
“Oh, well, I had my bleeding and the man who was here was a little rough,” Anya stammered.
“You got a baby?”
“I think so. The doctors looked a little worried when I told them though.”
“Just be careful for me, okay?”
Anya smiled at him. “Of course,” she said, resting her head on his shoulder. She played with the fallen leaves as they talked quietly, their plans of escaping to somewhere else. They were still sitting there when the shadows got long and the sun started to dip behind the trees.
“I need to get back to the barracks soon,” Thomas said, standing up and brushing leaves and dirt off his pants.
Anya stood up too, arms wrapped around herself in the chilly air. “Will you come back soon?” she asked.
“Of course. I’ll come back in three days and we can sit and talk again.”
Anya hugged him quickly, and he hugged her back before letting go and heading for the tunnel. Headed out of the Rooms, he crawled through the tunnel again. He ran for the mess hall, hoping he wouldn’t miss the food.
*****
Grace wrapped her cloak around her tightly against the wind that blew leaves across the road as they walked down to the village. Ben and Marcus were walking them home, and even though she was between Marcus and Cecily, the wind was still bitterly cold. The moon was high in the sky and full enough to give enough light to walk down to the village easily. Clouds scuttled across the sky, shining with silver edges as they danced in front of the moon.
Fields stretched out in front of them, the river cutting through them.
“Remember that time we went swimming and Ben pulled Cecily under?” Grace asked, looking at the river, reflecting the silver moonlight.
“I’m pretty sure she almost killed me,” Ben replied, laughing.
“You deserved it,” Cecily said, fighting to not laugh with him.
Cecily shivered as they walked over the bridge, and Grace pulled her cloak even tighter. Ben and Marcus, apparently unaffected by the cold, held their cloaks shut but didn’t look as cold.
“I think we’re having dinner together soon,” Cecily said, breaking the silence.
“All of us?” Ben asked.
“All of us and our families. Oh, and Polly, Diana, and Tom if he’s feeling better.” Cecily said.
“We’re going to have some fun fitting everyone at one table,” Grace said.
“Yeah, how exactly is that going to happen?” Marcus asked.
“That is something for the adults to handle. Grace and I have been tasked with making sure there is enough food for everyone.”
“Cecily, we are all adults,” Ben said.
“Don’t remind me,” she said.
They stopped at Cecily’s house first, a light still glowing from the cracks around the door.
“I’ll bring you your things tomorrow, Grace,” Cecily said before she opened the door. “Good night,” she said before she went inside.
Grace’s house was a few doors down. Saying good night, she went inside, wondering if her father was still awake.