“Nonsense, Lord Thoheeks! It was your duty to command and his duty to obey.” Bard Klairuhnz seemed about to add more when he was interrupted.
Lieutenant Krahndahl had hurried into the room, helm under his arm and unease wrinkling his seamed face. The scales of his plain hauberk clashed as he rapidly rounded the high table and first bowed to Bili, then bent and whispered a brief message into the young lord’s ear. His message spoken, he stepped back and assumed the posture of attention.
Bili did not need to call for silence, for all noise had ceased upon the appearance of the officer. He stood and announced, “My people, Komees Djeen reports a spate of activity within the lines of the enemy. Such could presage an attack, so we had best to the walls.”
An immediate clatter and bustle ensued at the high and lower tables, a metallic din that commenced as armor doffed for the meal was redonned and adjusted, swordcases were snapped to belt or baldric, and helms were dragged from beneath the tables.
All at the high table had arisen. Bili caught Lieutenant Krahndahl’s eye and gestured at the armor rack which held his scarred Pitzburk. “Please help me to arm, Krahndahl.” Then he turned back to the table and its group.
“Chief Hwahltuh, you and your clansmen will report to my Subchief, Komees Djeen. He commands the walls and will place you all where your bows will do the most good.” The wiry little man nodded once, slapped on his helm, and stepped briskly toward the door, mindcalling his kinsmen.
Bili strode down the length of the table to where Ahlee and Klairuhnz, having despaired of locating a cuirass big enough, were buckling an outsize brigandine, a pair of greaves, and a set of oldfashioned armlets over the powerfully convex chest and the rolling-muscled limbs of Cousin Komos.
“Kinsman Klairuhnz, you know that I well know your value as a warrior, so I beg you not take offense at the post I would have you fill. I had intended said post for Kinsman Vaskos, he being wounded, ere I was informed of his training and skills in use of engines, of which our garrison owns little enough. I charge you with the magazines, the dungeons, and their occupants. Two of our older servingmen will assist you. Should our foes enter the hall itself, you must strongly secure the cellar entry, slay every prisoner, and set fire the stores. Do you understand?”
At the Bard’s curt nod, he turned to Komos. “Cousin, you are not trained to arms, but Sun has granted you great strength. Therefore, report you to Kinsman Vaskos and say that you are to help serve the engines. I doubt that a sixty-pound boulder will be any unchancy burden for your thews.
“Master Ahlee, summon your people and take your place on the walls.”
He continued to issue crisp orders. Ahnah Morguhn was set to supervising those women and girls who were stoking the fires under great cauldrons of oil, water, and iron trays of sand in the outer courtyard. Mother Mahrnee took charge of a half-dozen more women, putting them to fetching and heading arrows, while Mother Behrnees formed a similar group to melt lead and cast sling bullets.
Within ten minutes of the lieutenant’s entry, the dining hall lay deserted.
Klairuhnz unlocked the heavy door, stepped into the tiny cell, and thrust the butt of his torch into the wall bracket. Kooreeos Skiros awkwardly struggled to a sitting posture, his movements painfully hampered by the weight and placement of his iron fetters and chains. His black silken robes were dust stained and his hair and beard were matted; but his black eyes still shot out their message of defiance and bottomless hatred.
Leaning his saber against the wall, well out of the prisoner’s reach, the Bard put his back to the door and sank onto his haunches, then thrust a hand under his brigandine and withdrew the weapon he had taken from Skiros. Depression of a stud on one arm of the “club” caused a steel box to slide smoothly out of that arm and plop into his hand. At one end of the box was a fat brass cylinder, flat on one end and dully pointed on the other. He regarded box, cylinder, and “club” for several moments, then slid the box back into place.