Conrad Starguard - The Radiant Warrior Part 21

It was in the ninth month of my military training that the worst trouble occurred.

My cla.s.s was down to three dozen men then, from the gross we had started with, since Josep Karpenski had died the night before.

It was a cold morning, with a bit of frost on the ground, so naturally Sir Conrad led us on the twelve mile run before breakfast completely naked. If the afternoon was hot, you may be a.s.sured that we would be working out in full winter armor, for he never missed an opportunity to make things as difficult as possible.

We speculated why this was so, over our hurried meals and in the few brief moments a day that we had to ourselves. At least I speculated, for the others were convinced that Sir Conrad treated us thus out of pure cruelty. Myself, I was not convinced of that, for I alone had known the man before this form of h.e.l.l began, and I knew that he never caused needless pain.

That there was some method behind this apparent wastage of time and men was obvious to me, for it was not the stupid brutality of a dumb peasant whipping a dumber beast. It had more in common with the raw pain caused when white lightning was poured on an open wound to cleanse it, before the ragged edges were trimmed away and the wound sewn shut.

That is to say, it was a precise, accurate sort of cruelty that was always on the very edge of the intolerable, but could still be survived somehow.

I think this knowledge of my liege lord helped me in some spiritual way, and gave me some advantage over the others to help compensate for my physical shortcomings.

The morning run was an everyday affair, and always done over the same course in one direction or the other.

We were running in step, four abreast and singing one of the songs Sir Conrad wrote for us, as we rounded a curve and found ourselves surrounded by Baron Stefan's men. They were all on horseback and in full armor, and there must have been fifty of them, counting the squires as well as the knights.

Baron Stefan, wearing his golden chain mail, his goldtrimmed helmet and gold-hilted sword, announced that we were on his land, that we were all trespa.s.sers and that since Sir Conrad had bewitched the duke as well as Count Lambert, it was time to take the law into his own hands and demonstrate by combat that this land was his.

Sir Conrad said that this was ridiculous. It was against all law for two knights of the same lord to fight.

Trial by Combat was not legal under these circ.u.mstances, and certainly not when he and his men were naked and the baron's were in full armor.

The baron said that he was not going to fight Sir Conrad, but only make a demonstration by killing one of his peasants, and not even a very valuable one. He would only take the runt of the litter, and he pointed toward me!

Both Sir Conrad and Sir Vladimir, who was also with us that morning, tried to talk and shame him out of it, but the baron was like one out of his mind. He said that I was marked for death! Al I thought about running, but on foot it was not likely that I could outrun a rested war-horse. I would be caught when I was exhausted and would have to fight with my strength gone. Further, if I must die, I would rather do it in as honorable a manner as possible. At least I had gone to ma.s.s and communion less than an hour before, so my soul was fit for death. I stood at attention and waited, trying to recite to myself a good act of contrition.

Sir Conrad continued trying to reason with the mad baron, but the fact was that the baron's men could kill us all if he ordered it. Sir Conrad ridiculed the baron into vowing that he would fight me alone, and had the baron's men vow that they would stay out of the fight. Then he talked the baron into at least letting me have a stick to defend myself with. A tree was pointed out, and it was agreed that I should have the use of it.

Sir Vladimir talked to one of his cousins who was sworn to the baron, and got me the temporary use of a war axe. Sir Conrad looked at me and softly said, "A pike and a quarterstaff."

The tree was a young pine, tall and straight and as big around as my wrist. I made quick work of it, leaving the bark on to better the grip. Perforce, I returned the axe and went to the center of the meadow. I threw the quarterstaff I'd made to the ground a few yards away and stood with my pike raised and at the parade rest position, with my feet wide apart, my left hand behind my straight back and my pike vertical and at arm's length from me.

I felt a bit silly, standing thus naked, but if anything was going to save my life, it would be the training I'd gotten in the last nine months. This was not the time to forget it! I found myself silently reciting every prayer I knew.

Baron Stefan had his men arrayed to the north and Sir Conrad had his to the south, almost as if this were a legitimate Trial by Combat.

Sir Conrad again made protest at the illegality of the procedure, and vowed vengeance if I was killed. I continued praying, and saluted him when he was done.

The baron went to the edge of the meadow, put on his great helm, lowered his lance and charged. The crowd was silent as that huge black horse thundered toward me. Inside, I was terrified, but I think that I didn't show it, for the habits of the last months had been beaten deep into me. Doctrine was that a knight will seldom fight fairly with a man afoot, and that a Mongol doesn't know what fair means. Therefore, a footman is under no obligation to fight back in a manner that a horseman would call fair. When you were alone and with a pike against a horseman, go for the horse! If you can kill it, you might stand a chance against the knight. But if he's up there and you're down below, the odds are way against you.

You don't always do this if there are more of you than there are hors.e.m.e.n. In that case, only the pikers in the middle go for the horse. Those on the outside go for the rider. If you can mob him, so much the better!

I kept my pike high until the last instant, so as to give the baron as little warning as possible as to my intentions. Then I stepped forward to a crouch with my pike grounded behind me and had the point lowered just in time to skewer his war-horse at the base of the throat.

And it went right in, just like a real pike does into the practice dummies! I threw myself to the side away from his lance, just like I was in a drill. The baron and his horse fell in a woeful heap right where I had been standing! The pike had gone in a full two yards before it had shattered, and the horse moved not at all.

Doctrine was to hit the downed horseman as quickly as possible, but I thought he wouldn't get up and I didn't want the baron's men calling foul on me. I picked up the quarterstaff from where I had tossed it and stood, waiting to see what the baron would do.

He tried to stand, but I could see that his leg had been broken in the fall, just above the knee. I relaxed, foolishly thinking that I had already won.

The baron was struggling to get to his feet, despite his obviously broken leg.

"Sir Conrad!" I shouted. "The baron's leg is broken! What should I do?"

"Ask him if he yields to you! If he does, or if he's dead or unconscious, the fight is over! Otherwise-it's still on, so watch yourself!"

I turned to my opponent. "Baron Stefan, do you yield to me?"

"Yield to you, you filthy peasant! You've killed my best war-horse and he was worth fifty of you! You're going to die for that!" Then he somehow got up with only one good leg, drew his sword and swung it at me.

I was so astounded at his toughness that I almost didn't get out of the way in time. The tip of his sword flashed by just grazing my throat. I actually felt it touch, though it didn't break the skin.

I leaped backward and fell in the process. I scrambled to my feet to find that the baron was hopping after me on one leg! I left my quarterstaff on the ground and backed off. I couldn't figure-out how this was possible! Did the man feel no pain at all? Or was he really so insane that he had the impossible strength that you hear of berserkers having?

I didn't know, but I continued backing up, staying out of his way. Surely he couldn't keep this up for long!

Yet he was attacking me at a remarkable speed, and had the advantage of being able to see where he was stepping, or rather hopping. I was keeping my eyes on the madman, and in the process I tripped over a tree root, again failing down. He swung at me and gave me a bad cut in the right calf. It hurt, but I didn't have much time to consider the pain. If I didn't fight him, he was going to kill me!

I had to run back and circle around the baron to get my quarterstaff, and the baron's men jeered me as I did it. Well, let them! They weren't trying to fight an armed and armored madman while they were completely defenseless and naked!

I got my staff and turned to find the baron only a few yards away. He had lost his great helm when his horse went down, and like most knights he wore an open-faced helmet under it. His face was red, his forehead was beaded with sweat and his eyes-there was no sanity in them!

He swung at me, but I slapped his sword aside with my quarterstaff. This is necessary, because you dare not use a wooden stick to fend off a steel edge. Rather you must slap the side of his blade and still make it go some where that you are not! No easy thing, but my life depended on it.

Before he could recover, I gave him a stop thrust to the solar plexus. I caught him square and hard, but it didn't stop him! I think it stopped his breathing, but the man didn't even bend over! He swung again, and again I was able to knock the blade aside. But this time, I was in position to swing a strong blow straight down on his head. It staggered him, and I could see blood run down his forehead where the edge of his helmet cut his skin, yet he was still on his feet, or rather his foot, for one was all that he had to stand on.

I waited a moment, surprised that I hadn't knocked him cold. Then his sword arm started to move, so I hit him again with all my might, this time a side blow to the neck.

He crumbled at my feet. I stood there, breathing hard, absolutely expecting him to get up and fight again.

Then a cheer went up from my fellow grunts, and Sir Conrad and Sir Vladimir were cheering with them!

Soon the applause spread even to the baron's men, whether because they did not like him or because they truly admired my performance, I did not know.

But it felt good, and it felt better yet to be alive!

Sir Conrad and one of the baron's knights came out on the field and examined the baron. He was dead. My last blow had broken his neck.

"A very good fight," Sir Conrad said, getting out the medical kit he always carried. "Let's take care of that leg."

Can you believe that I had actually forgotten that I was wounded? There was a trail of my own blood from where I was cut to where I stood, yet I had forgotten about it!

It took fifteen st.i.tches to close my wound, by which time the knights had loaded the baron, without his armor or surcoat, onto the back of one of the squire's horses. All present felt that the baron's arms and armor were mine by right of combat.

I never used them and I never sold them either, though once a merchant offered me twenty-seven thousand pence for the set, mostly because of the solid gold fittings on the sword and helmet, and the spurs were solid gold, in the French style. It seems that the gold wash on the chain mail wasn't all that expensive at all a mere five hundred pence, although it had to be renewed every year because it wore off.

No, I kept that armor and one day hung it on my wall, as a decoration and a memento of this day and all that happened because of it.

Sir Conrad asked two of Baron Stefan's senior knights to go with him to Okoitz, as witnesses as to what had taken place. Count Lambert's most powerful va.s.sal had been killed, and a party would have to go and make explanation to him.

"Sir Conrad," I said, "am I in trouble for what I did this day?"

"Not as much as you were in a few minutes ago." He laughed. "But the fact remains that you have killed a man who vastly outranked you, and I'm not sure what Count Lambert will do. The duke would probably kill you on general principles, but I doubt if Count Lambert will. He never liked the baron, or his father either. Furthermore, the baron had no living relatives that I know of. He was the last of an old line. There will be no one powerful after your blood. I don't think that even his own va.s.sals had much love, for him, so it's likely that you're safe."

"Likely" is not a comforting word when the subject is one's own life.

Sir Conrad decided that it would be just as fast to complete the run as to go back, so soon the others left running. I returned with Sir Vladimir and the two of the baron's men who stayed behind. One of them, a Sir Xawery, was kind enough to lend me his horse, so that I didn't have to walk on my wounded leg. He led it by the bridle, so I had no difficulty with the animal. Baron Stefan's arms and armor were loaded on the back, and Sir Vladimir promised to send someone out later for the saddle and lance.

Five of us went to Okoitz that day, Sir Vladimir, Sir Conrad, the baron's two knights, and myself. We were all in armor and I was riding Sir Gregor's war-horse, for my own had been given to Jozef Kulisiewicz almost a year ago. It was the first time that I had ridden a real charger, and the truth was that he scared me almost as much as the baron had that morning. A truly ferocious animal!

We stopped at Sir Miesko's on the way and he joined us, for all felt that it would be useful to have someone along who was versed in the law. Sir Miesko spent some time talking with Sir Xawery and then told me that I had little to worry about. I had been on my lord's lands and fought at his bidding, so I had done no wrong.

This relieved me considerably, and I was in a lighthearted mood as we rode past the new construction and into Okoitz.

Count Lambert was in the bailey, talking to his master carpenter, Vitold, when he saw us.

"Sir Conrad, don't tell me that you've gotten into more trouble!"

"Not 1, my lord, but perhaps my squire has. Baron Stefan is dead."

I was thrilled that Sir Conrad had acknowledged me as his squire!

"Dog's blood! Next you're going to tell me that little Piotr has killed him!"

"I'm afraid so, my lord."

"Him! What did he use, poison?"

"No, my lord, he fought the baron at that man's insistence when he was naked and had only a stick, while the baron was fully armed, armored, and on horseback. These knights can all attest to that, for they were all witnesses."

"Dog's blood! They'd better, because right now I don't believe it! Gentlemen, this is best discussed in my chamber."

Some grooms came up and attended to our horses, and we were led to the count's chamber. A pretty wench served us the count's mead, of which he was inordinately proud, and in real gla.s.ses, the gift of Sir Conrad.

It was remarkably good and had a flavor of rose hips.

Sir Xawery gave an accurate account of what happened and the three other knights attested to the truth of his statements. Sir Miesko discussed the legal aspects of the thing, most of which I could not follow, but the gist of which was that I was not at fault.

Count Lambert thought for a few moments.

"Well. It seems that Baron Stefan was cra.s.s enough to challenge a defenseless peasant and inept enough to lose the fight! d.a.m.n! And I'd always thought of him as one of the best fighters I had!"

"Cra.s.s he might have been, my lord, but my late lord was a great fighter! I tell you that he fought for a long while standing on one foot with a broken leg!" Sir Xawery said.

Count Lambert sighed. "As you will. But it doesn't solve what I am to do now! If a naked peasant can defeat one of my best knights, what am I to do? Some would say that Piotr should be hung as a public menace! Yet I must agree that he did no wrong if I am to believe you four, and how can I call four such honorable knights liars? Yet we can't have peasants killing full belted knights, can we? The whole social order would suffer!"

"Much as it galls me to reward a man, especially this smart aleck, for killing one of my own va.s.sals, I don't see anything for it but to knight the b.a.s.t.a.r.d!"

"Piotr, kneel before me!"

I could scarcely believe my ears! Count Lambert himself was about to grant my fondest wis.h.!.+ Me! Sir Piotr! I quickly knelt before him as the count drew his sword.

"Wait, my lord," Sir Conrad said. "Piotr is my va.s.sal and a student at my warrior school. The truth is that Baron Stefan picked him from among three dozen others because he looked to be the worst fighter of the bunch. And the baron picked right! Any one of the others could have done a better job than he did, and finished the matter quicker. I don't like the idea of one of my students being rewarded for dumb luck!"

My heart fell back into my knees. I was so close, yet I was being shot down by my own lord, whom I'd thought was my friend!

"Maybe they could have, Sir Conrad, but 'maybe' isn't doing it! You forget that I am your liege and I'll knight whom I d.a.m.n well please! As to the others, knight them yourself if you want."

Count Lambert gave me the three traditional blows with the flat of his sword, the last of which nearly knocked me over. Thank G.o.d in Heaven that I was still in full armor, for I think the ring around my collar saved my life!

"I dub thee knight. Arise, Sir Piotr," Count Lambert said.

I did so and all the knights rushed over to congratulate me, and welcome me to their order. Yet Sir Conrad was somewhat distant.

"Count Lambert," Sir Conrad said. "What did you mean by saying that I should knight the others myself? I didn't think that a mere knight could do that."

"A mere knight can't. But there is a second matter created by today's doings. Baron Stefan had no heir, nor any relatives at all that I am aware of. Even his mother was an only child with both her parents dead.

Therefore, all his property escheats to me. The bunch of you have seen fit to award his arms and armor to Sir Piotr, and I'll not dispute that, but all the rest is now mine."

"I'm minded to give it to you, Sir Conrad, and the baronage that goes with it, but we'll discuss the terms in private."

Sir Conrad was genuinely surprised. "Thank you, my lord. I don't know what else to say."

"Then don't say it. For now, supper will be served soon and I think Sir Piotr would like to tell his parents of his good fortune, or his 'dumb luck,' as you called it. Sir Piotr, be sure to be back in time for supper. I'll try to work some knightly courtesy into you!"

"Be a.s.sured that I shall always be the most courteous of all your knights, my lord!" I said, for I truly meant it. At last, through the oddest of chances, I had attained my goal!

Chapter Twenty-one.

FROM THE DIARY OF CONRAD SCHWARTZ.

I don't know which startled me more, Piotr being knighted or my being granted Baron Stefan's lands. That barony was huge and contained some of the best farmland in Silesia. It was hopelessly backward now, since the baron and his father had refused to allow any of the new seeds or methods to be used, but I could have it in shape in a year or two. With that land, I could easily feed all my workers and wouldn't have to buy food anymore. I could expand the school system into the area and do a lot for the people who were living there. As to the baron's knights and squires, well, if they wanted to swear to me, they'd have to go through the Warrior school!

About Piotr getting knighted, well, I was happy for the kid, but it caused a fistful of problems. For one thing, an army can only hold together if it is essentially fair. If Piotr was knighted, I'd have to knight the rest of his cla.s.s, probably at the graduation ceremony. I'd expected to have to knight my officers eventually, but these men were at the level of sergeants.

One of my long-term goals was to eliminate the gap that existed between the commoners and the n.o.bility.

At the base, it's an ugly thing. All men should be born equal. Now I was going to-have to enlarge the n.o.bility, rather than reducing it.

But maybe that was the way to remove the gap! If everybody was a knight, or could at least become one by dint of hard work, then there wouldn't be any n.o.bility, at least in the old sense of the word. What's more, it was politically feasible. My knights would be the toughest fighters in the world and no one could doubt their night to the honor. I could knight any man who was good enough, whereas it would be just about impossible to "unknight" someone who was already knighted. He'd fight before he let that happen!