The lifting of the Curtain: Chapter two (1)

The grey evening was almost over, and the first shadows of a long
cloudy night were beginning to show themselves as Steffanes Ingriade and
his company of twenty soldiers of Gardena, along with the wagon laden
with supplies, rode up to the tall wooden gates of the outer wall of
fort Guarav.

Fort Guarav had been built two hundred years ago, and it showed.
Constructed by General Walfrid, who had extended Gardena’s borders to
their furthest point in the north east, it formed the chain with its
sister strongholds of Bernian and Ionval of symbols of the crown
authority on this harsh frontier. It’s fairly large keep was of solid
stone, but all kinds of circumstances had resulted in the slow demise of
its inner walls, crumbling from once a towering presence to roughly the
height of an average man. This had led to the construction of the outer
wall, of thatched wood with iron reinforcements here and there. It was
obvious to anyone that this would be useless if any attacker thought to
bring a flaming torch, but the slow wits of the average bandit had been
their greatest ally up till now.

A lone sentry stood before the gate, cloaked and hooded to keep out
the cold. Upon seeing Steffanes’s column, he took two steps forward,
drawing his sword in challenge.

“ Halt! If you are friends, speak the password!”

“ Emerald skies shine bright!” Steffanes replied.

The sentry lowered his sword, and pulled back his hood so that his
face may be seen. He was a young man, perhaps around Steffanes’s age,
with short cropped red hair with freckles to match.

“ Are you the supplies?” asked the young soldier, looking up at Steffanes.

“ We are, yes, if you’ll be so good as to open the gates, my soldiers
need rest and food, and I need to speak with this forts commander”

The young man looked embarrassed, and made a swift bow. “ My apologies sir, right away sir!”

With that, he took a small horn out from under his cloak, and blew
out one long note. In a few more moments, the gates began to swing open.
The original gates where long gone of course, being utterly destroyed
in the attack of Jedan Zylb, the great chief of storms, in what had been
Steffanes’s grandfather’s day. He and the company rode around the
fragments of stone that remained in their place, and passed now into the
fort proper.

They found themselves in the inner courtyard, wherein the main
outhouses of the fort lay. Here where the stables, blacksmiths, and
outer barracks that made up the lifeblood of Fort Gaurav, spread around
under the shadow of the keep. The keep and its buildings where designed
to hold roughly a thousand troops, but the garrison rarely exceeded more
than five hundred.

As they rode in, every soldier in the fort stopped what they were
doing, and turned their heads towards the new arrivals. It didn’t take
long for them to guess that this was the supplies they had long waited
for, and a great cheer rose up all around them.

For a moment Steffanes became fearful of him and his soldiers being
mobbed, as he saw more than a hundred troops began to move with purpose
towards the column. He wandered if he should shout something, but what
exactly? Fortunately, he saw his saviour coming down the stairs from the
keep.

“ Alright, you grubby lot, give our guests some room! Yes they’ve brought us some presents, but we can’t open them all at once!”

The man who spoke these words was Major Wemyss, the long serving
commander of Fort Guarav. A thirty year veteran of Gardena’s army, he
had served twenty five of those in the harsh frontier territory, rising
through the ranks from private to major, and turning down all further
promotion after that. He was as imposing as his reputation suggested,
with a huge muscular frame and a round, bald head. His great sword was
strapped to his back, bouncing against his steel plate armour.

At his word, the soldiers of the fort stood dead in their tracks, and all fell silent.

“ Now that’s more like it! Saylor’s squad, you see to the supplies.
Anyone who sneaks something off for themselves gets extra sentry duty,
and that’s if I’m in a good mood!”

A group of fifteen or so soldiers took their commanders instructions,
and moved over to the cart, setting about unloading crates and barrels
from it. At Steffanes’s signal, his own troops dismounted and moved to
help them, in order that the work would go faster.

He and sergeant Kinloch dismounted, and made their way towards the
steps to Major Wemyss, who was on his way to greet them. As they reached
each other Steffanes put his hand to his breast in salute, as he was
bid to do for any of higher rank.

“ Junior officer Ingriade reporting sir! I bring the supplies you
require, and ask for food and lodging for my company of- ooooomph!”

Before he could say anything further, Steffanes felt himself in the
grip of the tightest bear hug he had ever felt. Major Wemyss was
laughing as he embraced the young officer, holding him a good four
inches off the ground. In addition to the squeezing pain, Steffanes
could not help but feel the weight of embarrassment on his shoulders.
What would his company think, to see their commander being treated like a
rag doll?

“ Good to see you my boy, good to see you!” Exclaimed Major Wemyss as
he released the young man from his grip, laying his hands on his
junior’s shoulders. “ When last I saw you, you were barely taller than
my boot, and now look at you! Junior officer, bringing me my supplies!

“ It’s good to see you too, Major Wemyss” Replied Steffanes, who was
amazed he could still breathe after being squeezed like that. “ My
father has told me all about you, and he bid me send his greetings”

“ Ah, good old Celas, that man never forgets his friends. Next time
you see him, tell him this from me: She liked me better!” He laughed
uproariously at that, and Steffanes was curious as to who “ She” was.
Maybe his father would tell him.

“ Now then” said Major Wemyss after his laughing fit came to an end “
junior officer Ingriade of the Aretesan Company, we do have some
business that we, as officers, need to discuss. If you would follow me,
and set your sergeant to attend to your troops.”

“ With your permission sir, I’d rather Sergeant Kinloch join us”

Major Wemyss raised an eyebrow at this, and glanced over to Kinloch,
whose face betrayed nothing of his thoughts. For a moment the Major
stood in thought, and in the end, a look of understanding came to his
eyes.

“ Very well, if that’s what you want. Come, we should get to my
chambers, I’ve got good ale within, warms your bellies up after a long
day of travel. Step lively now, we haven’t all day!”

Steffanes turned to his sergeant, who had begun following the major “
Kinloch, is there a corporal you can trust to see that everything is
done?

Kinloch turned his gaze toward the courtyard, where the work of
unloading the wagon was still going on. “ Marchell!” he shouted, load
enough for all to hear.

One soldier broke from the group, and ran towards them. She was a
tall, slender woman in her mid-twenties, with medium length black hair.
She saluted her commanders, bowing her head slightly.

“ Here sir!”

“ Corporal Marchell, I must accompany our commander for a while. What needs to be done here?”

“ The wagon must be fully unloaded, all horses led to their stables,
and the troops must be seen to their new quarters after evening meal,
Sir!”

Steffanes could not help but be impressed with her quick answer, and
nodded his approval for her to see. Kinloch too was pleased, as he
replied “ Very good Corporal, now get to it!”

Saluting again, Marchell went back over to the wagon, and set about
directing her fellows in their duties. Steffanes and Kinloch turned back
towards the keep, following the Major inside.

They followed the major through the narrow hallways of the old fort,
and Steffanes was sure that the old veteran was almost too tall too fit
through. In no time at all they reached a fairly large door, and the
major reached to his belt for the key. Turning the lock, he let them
inside.

They found themselves in what Steffanes assumed to be the majors
office, with a desk buried under a pile of paperwork taking up most of
the space. The major showed them to two chairs, and sat himself down
behind his desk.

“ Chalmers!” shouted the Major, ringing a bell on his desk. In the
blink of an eye the door swung open, revealing a blonde young soldier
carrying several scrolls under one arm.

“ Yes sir?” asked Chalmers.

“ Drop that rubbish down here, and fetch some ale for my guests and
I. the good stuff that time, not the crap we give to the merchants that
pass through.”

“ Aye sir!” replied Chalmers, shutting the door beside him.

“ Now then” said the major, turning towards Kinloch and Steffanes “
its good fortune you came, my lad. We needed those supplies, it’s been
hard getting anything with those bandits about. You have any trouble on
the way here?”

“ We did, yes.” Replied Steffanes. He told the major about the
bandits that they encountered on the road, and how they’d been driven
off without much difficulty.

“ It shows how bold they are now, if you found them strutting along the road like that” remarked the major.

“ We inspected the sacks they were carrying, and found several
bottles of wine. I can assume they were drunk, or else they wouldn’t
have charged at us.”

“ Fair enough, though if they’d been sober and ambushed you, it could
have been a different tale. Still, it sounds as though you did well in
your first action. I’m sure your father would be pleased.”

Steffanes tried not to look embarrassed, but he was sure he failed.
He wondered if every meeting with a superior would always lead to
comments about his father.

Chalmers arrived with the ale, and handed a mug to each of them.
Steffanes tasted it, and for a moment he could imagine himself back
home, with his old friends about him.

“ Good stuff, aye?” said the Major with a smile. “ Now then, if
you’re here, that means the rest of the Aretesan Company won’t be far
behind. If what I’ve been told is correct, the Deven and Oversarn
companies will be due at Ionval and Bernian any day now. When every
company reports in, we’ll start the sorties, and put this whole bandit
business to bed, eh?

“ Colonel Derhn bid me tell you that his company should arrive two
days after us. But just how large a force are we dealing with”

The major shrugged his shoulders “ Who’s to know? Theirs certainly
enough of the buggers to warrant three companies coming up here, so my
guess is a thousand or so. Of course, I could be wrong, but that’s for
the scouts to find out.”

“ Scouts are coming here?” Asked Steffanes, his eyes lighting up.
Scouts of Gardenan armies where elite soldiers, and he’d always wished
to meet one.

“ Does that idiot Derhn tell you nothing? All companies are being
joined by two scouts each, in order to assess the enemy’s numbers and
counteract ambushes. If it where up to me, I’d just smash the bastards
in one blow, but we have to do this properly. Still, I hope I get a
chance to swing my sword again, it’s been far too long since the old
girls taken some heads.”

“How did these bandits get so bold?”

“ It’s Banfrith” Blurted out Chalmers, who’d stayed in the room. “
They’re all following him, rallying to his call. He’s a demon, I swear
to-“

Major Wemyss threw his empty ale mug at the young soldiers head, missing by little more than an inch.

“ What have I told you Chalmers, what have I told all of you
maggots?! Shut your worthless mouths about this Banfrith, before I
really lose my temper!”

“ Who is Banfrith?” Asked Steffanes. Clearly there was more to this.

“ Banfrith” replied Major Wemyss, calming down. “ Is a big man in
fancy looking armour, which seems to have convinced more than a few
fools that he’s some great warrior. He’s leading the bandits, and it’s
him that’s keeping them from simply fading away. Take my advice lad:
don’t listen to anything you hear about him. The truth is that he’ll
soon be dead, either in battle or swinging at the end of a rope.”

Steffanes simply nodded at that. He was curious to see Banfrith for himself, to understand what made Chalmers so afraid of him.

“ Now then” Said the major, rising from his seat “ it’s late, and
there’s much to get on with before bedtime. You’d best get yourself some
food my boy, and make sure your troops are alright. We’ll speak more
tomorrow, if you’d like. “

He offered Steffanes his hand, who took it with a firm shake. He
turned to leave, and pretended not to notice that Major Wemyss had taken
Kinloch to one side, whispering something in his ear. He assumed it was
something along the lines of “ Look after the lad, eh?”

Earlier that day, he had felt something of manhood, in the way his
troops had obeyed his orders and seemingly respected him. Here, under
the watchful gaze of these two veterans, he felt every inch the child
again. Sure, to his face the Major and Sergeant showed him all the
respect of his rank, but he was sure that behind his back, they fretted
about the boy that was being sent to battle.

But honestly, Steffanes could not blame them, and he was sure that
he’d feel the same in their shoes. Still, he wanted to prove them wrong,
and the skirmish earlier that day had given him hope that he could do
so. It may take a while, but shirking a challenge was not a phrase in
the Ingriade family vocabulary.

He and Kinloch left together, leaving Chalmers to the mercy of the
old Major. Upon leaving the keep, they found that the cart was now fully
unloaded. He looked over the whole yard, and saw none of his troops. He
heard raucous laughter coming from what he’d guessed to be the food
hall. Kinloch turned to him with, and offered a salute.

“ May I have permission to take my evening meal, Sir?”

Steffanes nodded. “ Yes sergeant, thank you for your service today.”
He smiled, hoping that it let the old man know just how much he’d
appreciated everything he’d done for him over the last few hours. His
hope was rewarded when Kinloch smiled back at him

He felt that he should go and join his squad, so he could sit down
and eat with them. But for some reason, he didn’t feel all that hungry,
and his hands felt as if they should be doing something. Normally when
he felt like this, he’d go for a round of sword training, but he wasn’t
in the mood for that either. What to do then, if not eat.

The answer came to him when he looked over the yard again, and saw
the soldiers of the fort that where still engaged in work. In one
corner, he could see one man chopping firewood, a heavy pile of logs by
his side. Even from far away, Steffanes could tell that this man was
tired, and as he moved closer he was able to see more clearly how he
sweated and strained at his work. He was a stout man, a fair bit older
than Steffanes, and he clearly wanted to be in the warm rather than
working himself to an early grave.

“ You there!” Steffanes called out. “ You’re relieved, get to the food hall.”

The man turned about, dropping his axe as he did so. Sweat was pouring down his face, which bore a surprised look.

“ Really?” asked the man, before he remembered himself and put his hand to his breast in salute.

“ Yes, really, now get in the food hall on the double, that’s an
order. If the Major or anyone else has a problem with it, they can bring
it to me.”

Not looking to question a good deed any further, the soldier bolted
for the food hall without another word. In that same moment, rain began
to fall in the yard, at a steady downpour. Looking to the sky, Steffanes
sighed. Surely fate was meant to reward good deeds?

He divested himself of his upper body armour, leaving his mail shirt
and steel armbands on a stump. Now wearing only his white undershirt, he
set to work, the rain not bothering him quite so much now. He was no
stranger to chopping wood, and in no time at all he found himself making
swift work of the pile. Perhaps he would have time for a meal with his
troops, after all.

“ Sir, what are you doing?”