Chapter 5: a day at westhall.
"So, what now man." "I am not quite sure jack, they are better equipped and organized than I thought. They also outnumber us rather handily. We can't just rush in axes swinging. And there is hans himself." the timberjack chief's face darkened "fucking viking basterds *spit*" many of these hardy men learned their trade fighting the northern raiders. Let's see,thought thunderhoof, 4 houses 18 tents 3 fires 15 allies 30 enemies a river and no artillery. We can't charge in, the trees don't extend far enough for us to sneak up on them, hmm "i have an idea"
"I.i..i… i came here to apologize for my bodyguard, he can be rather zealous" here's hoping he didn't remember the kick. Little hint, he didn't "apology accepted, you know you didn't have to come here in person." he smiled a crooked little grin. Sam didn't need to be a genius to figure out what he was thinking. Well so much for subtlety she thought. She then kicked him in the crotch and ran.
"So here is the plan, they will be over confident with their superior numbers. We will lure them into the forest." "won't they see the ruse" "hans might jack, but the men are still just bandits with nicer weapons" so the plan began. I geared up, breast and back plate, mail shirt, helmet, shoulder plates, vambraces, greaves, shield, bowie, and shete. My spear would not have the room to maneuver, and i can't hit the broadside of a barn with a crossbow. My armor was freshly polished from the night before so it commanded a fair amount of attention. The bandits knew how much armor like i am wearing costs, they are probably arguing who gets which piece. The scruffy hooligans (sorry) then started to chase me, hans is not very happy. I can't speak norse but i am sure that what he is saying is not a term of endearment. *bink* what? An arrow? Time to vamoose. The timberjacks are well hidden, the flannel in their shirts make better camo than you'd think. As soon as they get into range the troops start firing, we are atop a hill so it goes a little farther. The crossbows that are issued to auxiliary troops usually are fairly outdated, but it didn't matter. The shields that they carry though large were not very heavy and were pierced rather handily, 1 in 3 men fell with wounds or just fell. The bandits had no idea where the bolts were coming from. 30 men to 20 is not bad, outnumbered but not excessively, hans is the real danger. The bandits can be handled by the timberjack, but with the armor he is wearing he could take on 10 men. "Time to be a hero" i mumble under my breath charging forward.
"Hey, you. Yeah you xena warrior princess reject" only someone versed in pre fallout pop culture would get that. He didn't know what i had meant but knew that it was no compliment, "i am hans ironshirt, son of the chief of the Wulfings. Veteran of a hundred battles and victor of them all. Who are you to challenge me horse fucker." so he knows that i am an equestrian, lets see. I am fairly heavily armored as far as a yeomen goes, this guy is on a totally other level. Maybe… "i am just a liberal arts major with a learning condition, besides you are hardly cohen, chill out dude" he shifted his face into a grimace of confusion. There are 2 ways to hurt him, i could stab him in a chink in his armor such as his elbow. Thing is a shete is not a stabbing tool and that needs precision which is really not my strong suit. However… I swing at his head while he still staring in confusion, his head soon hit the ground. He should have worn a larger helmet "well that was a little anti-climatic" the battle if you can really call it that didn't last long. Bandits are not soldiers regardless of how they are armed. without their seemingly invincible leader they fell like a house of cards.
"Well done boss, you killed the viking " "thanks jack, i was lucky that he was too stupid to put his shield closer to his neck" most fights are over quickly, if i had not finished him fast, in all due likelihood i would be dead. The bandits hang from the branches of a nearby tree like overripe fruit. The loot from the camp is considerable, pounds of gold, beautiful fabrics, steel ingots, and various other goods. Enough to set up a man for life. The weapons were well made and should also make a good price at market. If i were a raider, this would be a good haul. The question remains though "who paid for all this?"
We returned to the fort as conquering heroes, the men filled with pride in their victory. "Sam, did you find it" she looks tired, like she had been running. "Yes then, i found an ointment like you said. I also found this" the coins were silver, nondescript circles from the british mint, the note was more interesting. It was written in rune, few people outside the north lands can read it. I murmur under my breath "good thing that i had to take a foreign language for university" it is not encouraging.
"It is as clear as the paper it is written on, this is just the beginning. The northmen intend to invade" jack was sceptical "how do the bandits feature into it" "it is simple. With our forces fully deployed we have weaker garrisons. The bandits will bleed us, and if the note of the traitor is to be believed he was going to open the gates to let them in. their plan to go by sea and land mean that they don't have the men or time to take all of the forts in the frontier. Getting past the sea wall will be difficult enough." jack is listening intently, he will be going north to defend his people soon enough. "Sam, getting you to philadelphia will have to wait" i am going with him, i am captain after all.
I will need every man i can get, i will have to recruit men from the villages along the way to the nearest rail line it is the only way to get there in time. "Wait, i am coming with you!" sam? "I may not be a fighter, but i know a little bit about how to organize a group of men." "welcome then, i need all the help i can get"
Westhall manor
I despise the gentry, they always seem to think that they are better than me, but i need a force to fight the northmen and that means money. The villagers that we recruited seem eager enough for the fight ahead, they were eager to participate in this "great adventure". Young farm lads, brave, strong, energetic, if only they had any idea what to do! Everyone has a weapon of some kind, an ax, spear, bow, a sword of some kind, even some sickles for some reason. But many of them are badly made, ill kept, old as buck, and they usually know very little of how to use them. I have been lucky enough to keep this force from disintegrating, drill, drill, drill until they are the soldiers i need. That can wait, time to negotiate with the local fat cat.
october is nearly over, which means one thing, nightmare night is nearly here. And to the gentry that means masquerade parties. I have to admit that i love this holiday, the costumes, the treats, the pranks, it is just a night to be silly. This just leaves one final question, what is going to be my costume. I decided to dress as king arthur, after all i have this sweet new armor. The armor fits a little too tightly on me for me to wear it into battle, but it fits well enough for tonight (that and the fact that king arthur wore chainmail not plate are the only stumbling blocks). There, now all i need is a longsword and a crown and i will be set. The longsword is easy enough to find, it has a bit of popularity with heavy cavalry in this part of the province. Now for the crown, i can't afford to buy one custom at short notice, hm maybe sam has some ideas.
Oh boy, it has been some time since i have been to a party, what shall i wear. Maybe jack has an idea.
"Sam, where are you" hm seems she is not here "i don't think she will mind if i look around" the room is immaculate, not so much of a piece of dirt anywhere. "Whaaa" is that a crown! It is simple gold circlet with 6 gems that are set in regular intervals, where did she get this? I will have to ask her where she got it later, when i put it on i felt something. It is a bit like a combination of a sleeping foot and brain freeze, it was gone in a flash. What was that?
Man i am beat. Following leads i got in new castle, i found that the girl is headed to fillydelphia. Not that uncommon, many a noble lady flee there seeking asylum from uncaring fathers that seek to marry them off to some charmless oaf, or from brutish husbands. What is unusual is what she carries, how did the king of iowa get the crown of harmony to begin with! That is not important right now anyway, i have to get it back before someone puts it on!
The party gets started with a orchestration of "this is halloween", followed by "ghostbusters" and other halloween fare. Strange how all of the iconography is so similar to home in iowa, witches, ghosts, skeletons, vampires, ghouls, the only strange thing is the statue in the center. A black mare in strange barding, with fangs, a horn, and ravens wings. "It is nightmare moon sam" i jump a little before i realise it is thun. "nice costume by the way, cinderella right" he looks rather dashing in his captured armor, though the headpiece looks a little familiar."how did?" "i am a major in pre-fallout pop culture, i would be laughed out of the university if i didn't recognise the outfit. As for the statue, you were staring at it." wow he answered both questions before they left my mouth, but i still have questions "who is nightmare moon" he thinks about it for a second "there is a whole story about it but here is the gist, our moon goddess has multiple aspects. There is luna, mistress of dreams, lady of the moon, and protector of children. Then there is her dark mirror, the maestro of fear, the ruler of nightmares, and devoure of the innocent. This night is about pleasing that side of her with offerings so she will never arise in the world of the living again." that is actually kind of frightening, i thought their faith was all about sunshine and fluffy thing. "Excuse me sam, i have funds i need to raise"
I have never felt this way before. I have always had a quick mind, going from thought to thought so fast that it can be a bit hard to follow. But right now those thoughts are a clear as mountain air, i have never felt so focused. Time for the speech "*cough* ladies and gentlemen of westhall, my name captain thunderhoof of dogwood and i am here to speak of serious matters. The northmen plan to invade. Now i know what you are thinking, 'how can this be, how do we know if he is telling the truth.' if the armor i wear is any indication, i am. For those that are more sceptical i have brought documentation. I will not beat around the issue, I need men, materials, and yes money. I swear to you all, as a equestrian i will make every bit of it count. Now who among you would like to die in glory!" a great cry went out "war, war, war," by shining armors shimmering shield, and others call us weak! Well to be fair, we are not exactly war like. Equestrians are peace lovers, we have no warrior aristocracy like the english or the westerners. However paraphrasing "doctor who", demons run when good men go to war. I can see it now, a great and glorious future. Wait what is that.
I recognise the headpiece now, that is the crown! How did HE manage to get it on without going mad?
The room disappeared behind me fading into stars and sky. I see a road of silver and glass. On the sides of the road are doors of all kinds, closet doors and castle gates. One opens for me, it glows with a warmth of a mother's hug. Inside is a massive park of children. A playground draped in kids of all kinds, dark and light, rags and riches. A voice cries out "greetings my child" behind me are two maidens, one is clad in white with the confidence of a queen, the other clad in violet shorter than the other with a kindness and humor to her eyes. "What is this place," the shorter of the 2 that i assume are sisters speaks "it is my garden of shadows, the home of my children of the night. So many children died in the fallout, i give them the joy that was stolen from them." it takes very little time to deduce who they are "so i am in your dream world, luna" she smiles "is it that obvious." celestia interrupts "no time for idle banter. Thun, you now wear the crown that we forged long ago. This is a great honor, we are not some other gods that demand obedience. Do you wish to be rid of this burden, if you do you will wake at the moment you left with no memory of this." this warrants thinking about, do i wish to spend my life in the service to others or live a normal life. The equestrian pantheon are not olympians who demand their heros live and die in misery, but the path of any hero is difficult. I am not one to shirk my responsibility no my fellow man. "I accept all that this will entail."