Motion II

The lands north of the Coral Sea were occupied by the forces of light, and were poor in natural resources.  Crops didn’t bring in much income so if you were going to prosper rather than just survive you had to take the risk of raising livestock.  Very few could afford to raise horses because there is no byproduct from horses and they were too valuable to use pulling a plow.  Because of this most horses were for knights and their squires and even then in a lot of cases the squires didn’t have horses. If the truth was known some years there was more income from the horses than from the tax on the bridges for Methuselah. 

 Methuselah thought that he had the golden touch when it came to raising horses.  He also had a reputation as the shrewdest horse trader north of the Coral Sea.  He stopped with Tess in front of the stables and signaled to one of the stable boys to bring out his present.  Tess had a confused look on her face as five perfect specimens of horse flesh fully outfitted with saddle and tack were led out of the stable.  Methuselah knew he had outdone himself this time by the look on her face. Smiling and gesturing to the horses he whispered quietly into her ear “These are for you and what you call your troops.  Now you won’t have to walk to your wedding.  Not that you need it but these should raise your standing with Hadassah.”  This was generosity beyond measure or precedent.

Tess leaned into Methuselah’s shoulder resting her head on him and murmured, “You sly old man, you know I can’t complain about the dwarfs now even if I wanted too.”  They both stood still enjoying the closeness that they felt too each other.  Then Tess stood back and slapped Methuselah on the arm and exclaimed, “And the truth is they aren’t going to be much of a problem. By the time the summer is out they will know enough about our honor that it won’t be an insult when they realize they have their freedom.”  Reaching back she pinched his arm and said, “If Cam can’t convince them to swallow their pride then Clara will.  You wanted everyone thinking how clever you are at my expense.”  Gently she said, “You are a sly old man.”

Cam, a dwarf, has been the Gabriel sergeant of arms for over two hundred years and his wife Clara follows him wherever he went acting as chief cook and camp taskmaster.  They both had a reputation of toughness and caring to go along with their loyalty to the Gabriel family.

Tess gave Methuselah a quick hug and a peck on the cheek and then strolled casually to the horse she had picked out as hers, a black mare.  She threw her arms around the neck of the horse and gave it a warm hug and then started inspecting the horse asking, “Does it have a name?”

Methuselah laughed, “Give her whatever name you want but I call her Midnight”

Tess excitedly said, “That is perfect.”

Then she called the four young ladies that were her troops to her and informed them of her grandfather’s generosity.  This earned him a hug and kiss from each one.

Luke and Silas were standing behind Methuselah watching the excitement and enjoying it.  Luke declared, “What some old men won’t do for a little affection.” Silas gave a bellowed laugh then Luke continued, “It’s time we leave I am starting to feel an urgency for us to be on our way. I think we have about six days to get up the old road to Miller’s Pass, for most a seven day journey.  My brothers will be waiting on us and I don’t like the feeling I am getting, thinking that we may be late.  Silas make it happen.”

Silas turned to finish organizing the departure.  With a few words he had the one hundred recruits that he had spent the winter training lined up and ready to march. The students all had green crosses on their shields to signify that they fought for the house of Gabriel.  They all hoped that one day they could become squires in the St. Gabriel Order, then advancing to Knights in the Order.

 It was a large expense to feed and outfit new troops for six months, but that is how long it took to teach them how to work as a team and to have some semblance of mastering their weapons.  If they were not trained or didn’t have their stamina built up before they had to fight almost half of them would never see home again.  Silas had worked the young men through long, hard days and sometimes into the winter nights to make sure that they were ready.

Each young man had come from a farm on the peninsula and almost all of them had no prospects of inheriting the family farm because they were younger brothers.  Most of the farms on the peninsula had been divided years ago to the point that they were not much more than crofts that would only support one family.

There were a few farms that would support more than just one family and might require a hired servant.  There were very few ranches and they were mainly part of an estate. Feudal lords owned estates and they were large enough to require tenants, indentured servants, or hired help. The local high lord determined the feudal lords title depending on the amount of troops he had available along with their effectiveness, and his influence on the local economy.

  Most of the young men came from families that did not have the ability to provide them with weapons to fight with unless it was an axe or club.  It was a boon to them that in return for their allegiance to the house of Gabriel and seven years of service that they would be provided spears, shields, a long knife, and chain mail for their torsos. This would greatly increase their chances of surviving the seven years of service, this and good leadership.  In addition once it was determined that they would not cut their own leg off with it they would be provided with a short sword.  Before this could happen they would have to master the use of a spear and shield and work well with a partner as a cog in a larger team or fist.

Shem and Methuselah had picked physically able young men that were young enough to still be on the croft but old enough to train in the martial arts.  These young men needed a place to go but didn’t have any prospects.  This would give Silas the troops that he needed and provide a future for someone that only had dim prospects.  If they didn’t sign on with a lord that could provide decent arms and training they would be stuck fighting for a poor lord that wasted them, and more than likely fifty percent or more wouldn’t survive the first year.  Methuselah couldn’t equip all of the young men that would come of age each year under his sovereignty and this opportunity assuaged his heart.  When Silas got to the fortress the barracks that Methuselah assigned to these recruits were full.

Now as spring came it was time to put the training to the test.  Luke and Silas said their goodbyes and started their little army on its way.  The army was headed north and at this point consisted of two mounted paladins, one hundred spearmen, six wagons pulled by oxen, their drivers loaded with supplies, and four dwarfs. Last too leave was five happy young ladies with thin lances resting in the stirrups of their saddles each pulling a donkey loaded with gear. 

The letter from the king of Norp had been forgotten by everyone but Methuselah.