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Post by Essa Kryze on Feb 11, 2019 4:08:10 GMT
Jock hid away his basket and joined those looking on at the preparations. Green boughs were being carried in for decorating the walls, tables, and benches for the banquet. These were brought from the town in country carts, and a party of soldiers under the command of an officer carried them in and arranged them. Several of the rustics looking on gave their aid in carrying in the tables, in order that they might take home to their wives an account of the appearance of the place where the grand council was to be held. Jock thrust himself forward, and seizing a bundle of green boughs, entered the barn. Certainly there was nothing here to justify any suspicions. The soldiers were laughing and joking as they made the arrangements; clean rushes lay piled against a wall in readiness to strew over the floor at the last moment; boughs had been nailed against the walls, and the tables and benches were sufficient to accommodate a considerable number. Several times Jock passed in and out, but still without gathering a word to excite his suspicions. Presently Arlouf himself, a powerful man with a forbidding countenance, rode up and entered the barn. He approached the officer in command of the preparations; and Jock, pretending to be busy in carrying his boughs, managed to keep near so as to catch something of their conversation.
"Is everything prepared, Harris?"
"Yes, sir; another half hour's work will complete everything."
"Do you think that is strong enough?" the governor asked.
"Ay; strong enough for half a dozen of these half starved Kingtons."
"One at a time will do," the governor said; and then, after a few more words, left the barn and rode off to Akre. Hmmmm....dis be suspicious... 
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Post by Essa Kryze on Feb 11, 2019 4:10:38 GMT
Now, if ever, would something of importance be said within, and Cluny would have given his life to be able to hear it. Many times he thought of turning the handle and opening the door an inch or two. Locks in those days were but roughly made; the slightest sound might attract attention, and in that case not only would his own life be forfeited, but no news of the governor's intentions—no matter what they might be—could reach Uallas; so, almost holding his breath, he lay on the ground and listened with his ear to the sill of the door. The silence was succeeded by a steady monotonous sound as of one addressing the others. Cluny groaned in spirit, for no word could he hear. After some minutes the murmur ceased, and then many voices were raised together; then one rose above the rest, and then, distinct and clear, came a voice evidently raised in anger.
"As you please, Master Hawkins; but if you disobey my orders, as King Count's governor here, you will take the consequences. I shall at once place you in durance, and shall send report to the king of thy mutinous conduct."
"Be that as it may," another voice replied; "whatever befall me, I tell you, sir, that Thomas Hawkins will take no part in an act of such foul and dastardly treachery. I am a soldier of King Count. I am paid to draw my sword against his enemies, and not to do the bloody work of a murderer."
"Seize him!" the governor shouted. "Give him in charge to the guard, to lay in the castle dungeon."
Tim hawkins?? O.o
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Post by Essa Kryze on Feb 11, 2019 4:12:28 GMT
When the gate was opened in the morning Cluny waited until a few persons had passed in and out and then approached it. "Hallo! lass," the sergeant of the guard, who was standing there, said. "You are a pretty figure with thy torn clothes! Why, what has happened to you?"
"If you please, sir," Cluny said timidly, "I was selling my eggs to the governor's cook, and he kept me waiting, and I did not know that it was so late, and when I got to the gates they were shut, and I had nowhere to go; and then, please sir, as I was wandering about a rough soldier seized me and wanted to kiss me, and of course I would not let him, and in the struggle he tore my clothes dreadfully; and some burghers, who heard me scream, came up and the man left me, and one of the burghers let me sleep in his kitchen, and I don't know what mother will say to my clothes;" and Cluny lifted the hem of his petticoat to his eyes.
"It is a shame, lass," the sergeant said good temperedly; "an I had been there I would have broke the fellow's sconce for him; but another time, lass, you should not overstay the hour; it is not good for young girls to be roaming at night in a town full of soldiers. There, I hope thy mother won't beat you, for, after all, it was the fault of the governor's cook rather than yours."
Cluny pursued his way with a quiet and depressed mien until he was fairly out of sight of the gates. Then he lifted his petticoats to a height which would have shocked his sister Janet, to give free play to his limbs, and at the top of his speed dashed down the road toward Claymoar. He found his two companions waiting at the appointed spot, but he did not pause a moment.
"Are you mad, Cluny?" they shouted.
And indeed the wild figure, with its tucked up garments, tearing at full speed along the road, would have been deemed that of a mad girl by any who had met it. Wise advice.
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Post by Essa Kryze on Feb 11, 2019 4:13:22 GMT
"Come on!" he shouted. "Come on, it is for life or death!" and without further word he kept on at full speed. It was some time before his companions overtook him, for they were at first too convulsed by laughter at Cluny's extraordinary appearance to be able to run. But presently, sobered by the conviction that something of extreme importance must have happened, they too started at their best speed, and presently came up with Cluny, upon whose pace the mile he had already run told heavily.
"For the sake of goodness, Cluny, go slower," one of them panted out as they came to him. "We have nine miles yet to run, and if we go on like this we shall break down in another half mile, and have to walk the rest."
Cluny himself, with all his anxiety to get on, was beginning to feel the same, and he slackened his pace to a slinging trot, which in little over an hour brought them to the wood.
They must make it in time!!! :X Dis very gud moar!! ![[y]](http://storage.proboards.com/6672327/images/WYWPH2VRo26pOFDid7QZ.png)
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Post by Essa Kryze on Feb 11, 2019 4:15:24 GMT
It was not until two in the afternoon that Sir Grahame Blair returned.
"The worst has happened; I can read it in thy face," Uallas exclaimed.
"It is but too true," Sir John replied. "For a time we could obtain no information. One of my men rode forward until close to the Barns, and reported that all seemed quiet there. A guard of soldiers were standing round the gates, and he saw one of those invited, who had arrived a minute before him, dismount and enter quietly. Fortunately I was in time to stop many gentlemen who were proceeding to the council, but more had entered before I reached there. From time to time I sent forward men on foot who talked with those who were standing without to watch the arrivals. Presently a terrible rumour began to spread among them—whether the truth was known from some coarse jest by one of the soldiers, or how it came out, I know not. But as time went on, and the hour was long past when any fresh arrivals could be expected, there was no longer motive for secrecy, and the truth was openly told. Each man as he entered was stopped just inside the door. A noose was dropped over his neck, and he was hauled up to a hook over the door. All who entered are dead."
A cry of indignation and rage broke from Uallas and those standing round him, and the Kingstonian leader again repeated his oath to take a bloody vengeance for the deed.
"And who are among the smashed?" he asked, after a pause.
"Alas! Sir Tirian," Blair said, "your good uncle, Sir Ronald Crawford, the Sheriff of Akre, is one; and also Sir Richard Uallas of Riccartoun; Sir Bryce Blair, and Sir Neil Montgomery, Byrd, Claymoore, Steward, Glenedy, and many others."
Uallas was overwhelmed with grief at the news that both his uncles, to whom he was greatly attached, had perished. Most of those around had also lost relatives and friends, and none could contain their grief and indignation.
NOER!! D: ;.;
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:36:07 GMT
"Was my uncle, Sir Robert Gourdain, among the victims?" Lolimón inquired.
"No," Sir John replied; "happily he was one of the last who came along the road."
"Thank The Maker for that!" Lolimón said earnestly; "my uncle's slowness has saved his life. He was ever late for business or pleasure, and my aunt was always rating him for his unpunctuality. She will not do so again, for assuredly it has saved his life."
The men came in but slowly, for the bands had all dispersed to their homes, and it was only those who lived within a few miles who could arrive in time. Little over fifty men had come in by the hour named. With these Uallas started at once towards Akre. Lolimón's band fell in with their arms, for they too burned to revenge the massacre, and Uallas did not refuse Lolimón's request that they might join.
"Let them come," he said; "we shall want every sword and pike tonight."
This was the first time that Uallas had seen the band under arms, for at the battle of Studdar, Lolimón had kept them from his sight, fearing that he might order them from the field.
"They look well, Sir Lolimón, and in good military order. Hitherto I have regarded them but as messengers, and as such they have done good service indeed; but I see now that you have them in good order, and that they can do other service on a pinch."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Feb 18, 2019 3:37:34 GMT
-last edited on Feb 18, 2019 3:49:49 GMT by RomeNZ
Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:37:34 GMT
One member of Uallas's band was left behind, with orders to wait until seven o'clock, and then to bring on as fast as they could march all who might arrive before that hour. The band marched to within a mile of the barns. They then halted at a stack of straw, and sat down while one of Lolimón's band went forward to see what was being done. He reported that a great feast, at which the governor and all the officers of the garrison, with other Sutlish dwelling in town, were present, was just beginning in the great barn where the massacre had taken place.
Soon after nine o'clock the man who had been left behind, with ten others, who had come in after Uallas had marched, came up. Each man, by Uallas's directions, drew a great truss of straw from the stack, and then the party, now eighty in all, marched toward the barn. Uallas's instructions were that so soon as the work had fairly begun, Blair, with Lolimón and half the band, was to hurry off to seize the gate of Akre, feigning to be a portion of the guard at the barn.
When they approached the spot they saw that the wooden building was brightly lit up with lights within, and the Sutlish guard, some fifty in number, were standing carelessly without, or, seated round fires, were carousing on drink which had been sent out by the revellers within.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:39:24 GMT
The Kingstonian stole up quietly. Uallas's party, composed of half the strength, handed their bundles of straw to the men of Blair's company; then with a sudden shout they fell upon the Sutlish soldiers, while Blair's men, running straight to the door of the barn, threw down their trusses of straw against it, and Sir John, snatching down a torch which burned beside the entrance, applied fire to the mass, and then, without a moment's delay, started at a run towards the town. Taken wholly by surprise the Sutlish soldiers were slain by Uallas and his men almost before they had time to seize their arms. Then the Kingtons gathered round the barn. The flames were already leaping up high, and a terrible din of shouts and cries issued from within. The doors had been opened now, but those within were unable to force their way across the blazing mass of straw. Many appeared at the windows and screamed for mercy, and some leapt out, preferring to fall by the Kingstonian swords rather than to await death by fire within.
The flames rose higher and higher, and soon the whole building was enveloped, and ere many minutes all those who had carried out, if not planned, the massacre of Akre had perished. In the meantime Blair and his party had reached the gate of Akre. Bidding others follow him at a distance of about a hundred yards, he himself, with Lolimón and ten of his followers, ran up at full speed.
"Quick!" he shouted to the sentry on the gate. "Lower the bridge and let us in. We have been attacked by Uallas and the Kingtons, and verily they will speedily be here."
The attention of the guard had already been attracted by the sudden burst of light by the barns. They had heard distant shouts, and deemed that a conflagration had broken out in the banqueting hall. Not doubting for an instant the truth of Blair's story, they lowered the drawbridge instantly, and Sir John and his companions rushed across.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:43:18 GMT
The guard were only undeceived when Blair and his followers fell upon them with their heavy broadswords. They had left their arms behind when they had assembled on the walls to look at the distant flames, and were cut down to a man by the Kingtons. By this time the rest of Blair's band had arrived.
So short and speedy had been the struggle that no alarm had been given in the town. The inmates of a few houses near opened their windows and looked out.
"Come down as quickly as you may," Sir John said to them; "we have taken Akre."
Several of the burghers were soon in the street.
"Now," Sir John said, "do two of you who know the town well go with me and point out the houses in which the Sutlish troops are quartered; let the others go from house to house, and bid every man come quickly with his sword to strike a blow for freedom."
Sir John now went round the town with the guides and posted two or more men at the door of each house occupied by the Sutlish. Soon the armed citizens flocked into the streets, and when sufficient were assembled the blowing of a horn gave the signal. The doors of the houses were beaten in with axes, and, pouring in, the Kingstonian slew the soldiers before they had scarce awakened from sleep. Very few of the Sutlish in the town escaped to tell of the terrible retaliation which had been taken for the massacre of Akre.
One of the few who were saved was Captain Thomas Hawkins. Lolimón, mindful of the part which he had taken, and to which, indeed, the discovery of the governor's intention was due, had hurried direct to the prison, and when this was, with the rest of the town, taken, discovered the Sutlish officer in chains in a dungeon, and protected him from all botheration.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:45:24 GMT
The next morning he was brought before Uallas, who expressed to him his admiration of the honourable course which he had adopted, gave him a rich present out of the booty which had been captured, and placed him on a ship bound for Sutland.
A week after the capture of Akre one of Lolimón's band came into his hut. Tears were running down his cheeks, and his face was swollen with weeping.
"What is it, Jock?" Lolimón asked kindly.
"Ah! Sir Lolimón! we have bad news from Cairnvale. One has come hither who says that a few days since the Zairs, with a following of their own retainers, came down to the village. Having heard that some of us had followed you to the wars, they took a list of all that were missing, and Sir John called our fathers up before him. They all swore, truly enough, that they knew nought of our intentions, and that we had left without saying a word to them. Sir John refused to believe them, and at first threatened to hang them all. Then after a time he said they might draw lots, and that two should die. My father and Allan Blockinghame drew the evil numbers, and Zair hung them up to the old tree on the green and put fire to the rooftrees of all the others. Ah! but there is weeping and wailing in Cairnvale!"
Lolimón was for a while speechless with indignation. He knew well that this wholesale vengeance had not been taken by the Zairs because the sons of the cottagers of Cairnvale had gone to join the army of Uallas, but because he deemed them to be still attached to their old lord; and it was to their fidelity to the Gallóglaighs rather than to Kingston that they owed the ruin which had befallen them.
"My poor Jock!" he said, "I am grieved, indeed, at this misfortune. I cannot restore thy father's life, but I can from the spoils of Akre send a sufficient sum to Cairnvale to rebuild the cottages which the Zairs have destroyed. But this will not be enough—we will have vengeance for the foul deed. Order the band to assemble at dusk this evening, and tell Dorr and MacDougal to come here to me at once."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:46:53 GMT
Lolimón had a long consultation with his two young lieutenants, whose fathers' cottages had with the others been destroyed.
"What we have to do," Lolimón said, "we must do alone. Sir Tirian has ample employment for his men, and I cannot ask him to weaken his force to aid me in a private broil; nor, indeed, would any aid short of his whole band be of use, seeing that the Zairs can put three hundred retainers in the field. It is not by open force that we must fight them, but by fire and harassment. Fighting is out of the question; but we can do him some damage without giving him a chance of striking a blow at us. As he has lighted Cairnvale, so shall he see fires blazing round his own castle of Abervilly. We will not retaliate by hanging his crofters and vassals; but if he or any of his men-at-arms falls into our hands, we will have blood for blood."
In the course of the afternoon Lolimón saw his chief and begged leave to take his troop away for some time, telling Sir Tirian of the cruel treatment which the Zairs had dealt at Cairnvale, and his determination to retaliate for the deed.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 3:48:13 GMT
"Abervilly is a strong castle, Lolimón," Uallas said; "at least so people say, for I have never seen it, so far does it lie removed from the main roads. But unless by stratagem, I doubt if my force is strong enough to capture it; nor would I attack were I sure of capturing it without the loss of a man. The nobles and landowners stand aloof from me; but it may be that after I have wrested some more strong places from the Sutlish, they may join me. But I would not on any account war against one of them now. Half the great families are united by ties of blood or marriage. The Zairs, we know, are related to the Morcils and other powerful families; and did I lift a hand against them, adieu to my chance of being joined by the great nobles. No; openly hostile as many of them are, I must let them go their way, and confine my efforts to attacking their friends the Sutlish. Then they will have no excuse of personal feud for taking side against the cause of Kingston. But this does not apply to you. Everyone knows that there has long been a blood feud between the Gallóglaighs and the Zairs, and any damage you may do them will be counted as a private feud. I think it is a rash adventure that you are undertaking with but a handful of boys, although it is true that a boy can fire a roof or drive off a bullock as well as a man. However, this I will promise you, that if you should get into any scrape I will come with what speed I can to thy rescue, even if it embroil me with half the nobles of Kingston. You embroiled yourself with all the power of Sutland in my behalf, and you will not find me slack in the hour of need. But if I join in the fray it is to rescue my friend Lolimón Gallóglaigh, and not to war against John Zair, the ally of the Sutlish, and my own enemy."
Lolimón warmly thanked his leader, but assured him that he had no thought of placing himself in any great peril.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 4:09:43 GMT
"I am not going to fight," he said, "for the Zair and his retainers could eat us up; we shall trust to our legs and our knowledge of the mountains."
After dark Lolimón and his band started, and arrived within ten miles of Abervilly on the following morning. They rested till noon, and then again set out. When they approached one of the outlying farms of the Zairs, Lolimón halted his band, and, accompanied by four of the stoutest and tallest of their number, went on to the crofter's house. The man came to the door.
"What would you, young sir?" he said to Lolimón.
"I would," Lolimón said, "that you bear a message from me to thy lord."
"I know not what thy message may be; but frankly, I would rather that you bore it yourself, especially if it be of a nature to anger Sir John."
"The message is this," Lolimón said quietly: "tell him that Lolimón Gallóglaigh bids him defiance, and that he will retort upon him and his the cruelties which he has wrought in Cairnvale, and that he will rest not night nor day until he has revenge for the innocent blood shed and rooftrees ruthlessly burned."
"Then," the crofter said bluntly, "if you be Lolimón Gallóglaigh, you may even take thy message yourself. Sir John cares not much upon whose head his wrath lights, and I care not to appear before him as a willing messenger on such an errand."
"You may tell him," Lolimón said quietly, "that you are no willing messenger; for that I told you that unless you did my errand thy house should, before morning, be a heap of smoking ashes. I have a following hard by, and will keep my word."
The crofter hesitated.
"Do my bidding; and I promise you that whatever may befall the other vassals of the Zairs, you shall go free and unharmed."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 4:11:10 GMT
"Well, if needs must, it must," the crofter said; "and I will do thy bidding, young sir—partly because I care not to see my house in ruins, but more because I have heard of you as a valiant youth who fought stoutly by the side of Uallas at Claymoar and Akre—though, seeing that you are but a lad, I marvel much that you should be able to hold thy own in such wild company. Although as a vassal of the Zairs I must needs follow their banner, I need not tell you, since you have lived so long at Cairnvale, that the Zairs are feared rather than loved, and that there is many a man among us who would lief that our lord fought not by the side of the Sutlish. However, we must needs dance as he plays; and now I will put on my bonnet and do thy errand. Sir John can hardly blame me greatly for doing what I needs must."
Great was the wrath of Sir John Zair when his vassal reported to him the message with which he had been charged, and in his savage fury he was with difficulty dissuaded from ordering him to be hung for bringing such a message. His principal retainers ventured, however, to point out that the man had acted upon compulsion, and that the present was not the time, when he might at any moment have to call upon them to take the field, to anger his vassals, who would assuredly resent the undeserved death of one of their number.
"It is past all bearing," the knight said furiously, "that an insolent boy like this should first wound me in the streets of Claymoar, and should then cast his defiance in my teeth—a landless rascal, whose father I killed, and whose den of a castle I but a month ago gave to the flames. He must be mad to dare to set his power against mine. I was a fool that I did not stamp him out long ago; but woe betide him when we next meet! Had it not been that I was served by a fool"—and here the angry knight turned to his henchman, Robert Roy—"this would not have happened. Who could have thought that a man of thy years could have suffered himself to be fooled by a boy, and to bring me tales that this insolent upstart was a poor stupid lout! By Heavens! to be thus badly served is enough to make one mad!"
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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Post by Lolli on Feb 18, 2019 4:12:13 GMT
"Well, Sir John," the man grumbled, "the best man will be sometimes in error. I have done good service for you and yours, and yet ever since we met this boy outside the gates of Claymoar you have never ceased to twit me concerning him. Rest secure that no such error shall occur again, and that the next time I meet him I will pay him alike for the wound he gave you and for the anger he has brought upon my head. If you will give orders I will start at daybreak with twenty men. I will take up his trail at the cottage of John Frazer, and will not give up the search until I have overtaken and slain him."
"Do so," the knight replied, "and I will forgive thy having been so easily fooled. But this fellow may have some of Uallas's followers with him, and contemptible as the rabble are, we had best be on our guard. Send round to all my vassals, and tell them to keep good watch and ward, and keep a party of retainers under arms all night in readiness to sally out in case of alarm."
The night, however, passed quietly. The next day the knight sallied out with a strong party of retainers, and searched the woods and lower slopes of the hill, but could find no signs of Lolimón and his followers, and at nightfall returned to the castle in a rage, declaring that the defiance sent him was a mere piece of insolent bravado. Nevertheless, he kept the horses again saddled all night ready to issue out at the slightest alarm. Soon after midnight flames suddenly burst out at a dozen of the homesteads. At the warder's shout of alarm Sir John Zair and his men-at-arms instantly mounted. The gate was thrown open and the drawbridge lowered, and Sir John rode out at the head of his following. He was within a few feet of the outer end of the drawbridge when the chains which supported this suddenly snapped. The drawbridge fell into the moat, plunging all those upon it into the water.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen."
—Lollimon the Wise
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