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The Bow of Haladan Part VII
"Giffard, Giffard, come on Giffard, you're not dead. Wake up."
A voice called.
Giffard opened his eyes but everything was dark. Something hovered
above his face and blotted out the stars, it turned and the lights danced
in pairs and made Giffard feel all queazy as if he stood upon a rocking
ship at sea. He closed his eyes and groaned.
"He's awake", the voice called.
Kyle spoke to him then. "Giffard, come on hero, there's a knight
that wants to speak to you."
"Ohhh..." Giffard moaned, "leave me alone, my head feels like I
drank a skin of that brew Herluin makes out of potatos."
"Best then if you stay awake." said Kyle
"Ouuch!" Giffard yelled and sat up suddenly, Kyle had reached down
and touched the apple sized lump at the back of Giffard's head. "What hit
me?"
"You are in a state if you can't remember being kicked by a
giant." Kyle told him.
"Now I remember." Giffard tried to open his eyes again but the
world spun even more. "I'm going to be sick."
"Well stay awake but keep your eyes closed." said Kyle. "And if
you're going to be sick turn your head to the left."
"Which way is left?" Giffard asked groggily.
"Maybe I better have the knight come over to you." said Kyle.
"Here, Fridrek, keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn't sleep."
"Sure thing Kyle." the trooper came over, one of the few
squadmates of theirs that had survived the battle.
Kyle left his friend and made his way through the bustling
soldiers. Giffard lay where he had been thrown, within the yard of the
ruined inn. Nearby the two dead giants were being guarded by squires,
the knights of the watch had sent a patrol up to see why the
reinforcements had not arrived, they kept the slain monsters from being
hacked to further bits by irate soldiers and trophy seekers. These bodies
wouldn't be sold to any merchants thought Kyle.
The dead around the inn had been removed, of the thirty-eight who
had followed Giffard only twelve remained. Most were hale, those the
giants hit, they killed. All told between the boulders and the giants
fists they had slain two score and seven, but only eighteen had run. The
captain had died beneath a flung stone, both sergeants had disappeared,
and monitor Swegen had a broken jaw.
A horse whinnied up ahead. An armored knight stood speaking with
a man in woodsmans garb, but though dressed in worn leathers died forest
green he bore both bow and sword, a ranger no doubt.
"Sir." Kyle spoke and waited at attention for the knights reply.
"So, what of this trooper who saved the day?" the knight turned
and looked at Kyle.
"He has a head wound Sir, still too injured to stand." Kyle
reported. "If you would like to see him he is just this way."
"That will have to wait." the knight said grimly. "I had hoped
that such a man would be able to join us in the fight to come."
"Matholwch, this is the one they are speaking of." the ranger
said to the knight.
"Is he indeed." Sir Matholwch looked over Kyle in a different
light. "So you are the one who lead this charge."
"Well...I...." Kyle stammered.
"Hah," the knight gave a small laugh. "And good, that was a bold
move, but presumptuous in a common trooper."
Kyle bit back a reply, but his face flushed red and he scowled
with anger.
"I see that life in the Gran March has not diluted your Geoff
blood." said Matholwch. "Even better. Fintan here, another Geoff born,
will lead your company, but it seems that your sergeants are nowhere
to be found. Your monitors seem to have made it through, with one
exception, but they all say that it was you who kept the company from
running and were first across the wall."
"I just got the hornsman to sound the charge and I am quicker than
most." said Kyle.
"Well, Fintan will need someone to help him get this company back
on its way." said Matholwch. "Those beasts are out in force tonight.
They've sent out warbands from the city and are harassing our advance,
we need to sweep them from the fields tonight and send them back or
better yet, destroy them outside the walls."
"Ahem..." coughed Fintan.
"Yes, yes,...I do get carried away." said Matholwch. "So I'll
ask you once, you are a brave man but you look young, can you do the
job. I want an honest answer, do you have it in you to be a sergeant?"
"Yes Sir." Kyle replied without hesitation.
"Good." said Matholwch and gave his shoulder a rough shake in his
gauntleted hand. "You are now a sergeant of the eighth company, provisional,
Fintan... Captain Fintan here, and time, will make that a permanent
promotion. Now start rounding up the men and get them marching. We will
leave the walking wounded to watch those too injured to move, but we must
get this company on the roll again."
* * *
(To Be Continued...)