There Will Be Dragons

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

After the archery test they were served a light lunch and ate it sitting on the ground. Herzer quickly downed the strips of salty pork, which were served on flat-bread, and chewed manfully on some large crackers that were just about as hard as rocks. It seemed that all of the testing groups had been gathered together and he looked around at the figures, wondering what would come next.

After lunch his group was approached by a young man, probably a few years older than he and Deann but it was hard to tell. He was inordinately tall, taller than Herzer, which was unusual, and muscular with legs that looked like tree trunks. The man was wearing a heavy, open-faced helmet, articulated body armor, a metal-plated leather kilt, greaves and heavy leather boots. He looked at the group and waved them to their feet.

“My name is Sergeant Greg Donahue,” the man said. “You will address me as Sergeant Donahue. I do not respond to ‘Hey, you’ or ‘Sarge.’ I hope you’re all fed and watered, because we’ve got a bit of work to do. Follow me.”

He led them across the area, behind where more groups were preparing for the archery test, then westward towards the hills flanking the valley until he reached the base of a high hill that had to be near the river. On the ground were a large number of leather rucksacks arranged in a formation. On the side towards the hill was another sack, standing all alone. The young man walked to that sack and turned towards them.

“Everyone take a position by one of the sacks,” he said, standing by his own sack with his feet spread and his hands locked behind his back. He waited until they were in position and cleared his throat.

“This town is called Raven’s Mill. But since ravens are not native to this area, that begs the question: Why? Once upon a time a man lived in this area who was attempting to develop talking ravens, ones with nearly full human intelligence. In time he tired of the quest and released his ravens into the wild. Most of them died but a few of the hardier specimens survived. They tended to congregate around this hill and it, in time, was called Raven’s Hill. Edmund Talbot, when he moved here, knew of the story and named the area for the ravens who had by that time died out completely.

“However, Master Edmund liked this hill for the same reason the ravens did, from the top of it you can see for miles. As such, for exercise, he had constructed a set of steps up the hill. Four hundred and twenty-three steps, to be precise. On the up side. There are three hundred and seventy-four on the down, which takes a slightly different path.” He paused and nodded at someone behind the group.

Herzer turned involuntarily and saw the man who had been at the initial entry processing. He was easier to examine now and Herzer realized he must be about the same age as Edmund Talbot. He was tall and lean with gray, cold eyes and wearing the same outfit as Sergeant Donahue.

Herzer snapped his head around as the man snarled: “EYES FRONT!”

Sergeant Donahue nodded and continued. “We will be testing your ability to do the single most important function of the infantryman: Walking. You have been tested for adequate upper body strength and later we’ll find out if you have the single-minded aggressiveness to be functional line infantry. And if you don’t, we’ll either weed you out or teach it to you. But for now, we have to know if you can keep up. If you can ‘hang.’ ” He nodded grimly at the faces as the test sank in. “So now if you’ll pick up the rucksacks and put them on your back, we can begin. Make sure they’re comfortable. I will set the pace. Anyone who falls behind Gunnery Sergeant Rutherford is disqualified.”

Herzer hoisted the ruck and settled it on his back, adjusting the leather straps as best he could. They had buckles but it was a pain to adjust them while they were on, so he unshipped his, changed the settings and then put it back on. It was heavy as hell, probably sixty to eighty kilos. He looked up the hill and suddenly regretted even the skimpy meal they had been given.

Donahue nodded as the last pack was settled and then walked among the group checking their fit. He adjusted one or two, then walked back to his place.

“We’ll start on the flats so that everyone can become accustomed to the weight and then we’ll see if you can handle the Hill.”

He settled them in a double file and marched them back towards the main encampment, keeping to some of the better leveled roads. They marched almost down to the creek that ran through the center of the encampment and then turned to a trail along the base of the northern hills. This led in a curve back to just before their starting point and Herzer got the first look at the steps. They appeared to go straight up.

“Single file, keep closed up, follow me,” Donahue said, stepping onto the first step.

Herzer was about a third of the way back and as he reached the steps he looked up and got dizzy; the stairs seemed to be wavering and he had a moment of vertigo.

“Keep your eyes on the steps!” a voice from the rear called.

Afraid that he’d leave a gap, Herzer put his head down and started toiling upward.

The pace was brutal and it was a long way to the top of the hill. Before he was even a third of the way up Herzer was sweating and blowing again, pushing hard against the weight of his body and the pack. He barely noticed the first person to have stopped, but when another person blocked his way he blundered into them, nearly knocking them both down.

“Get out of the damned way,” he snarled, stepping around them and hurrying to catch up to the group ahead of him. Suddenly the group stopped, just as he reached the trailing person and he nearly fell over again avoiding another collision, then the group started off again, faster than they had before and he perforce had to hurry to catch up. His legs felt as if they were on fire and when he looked around he realized that they had barely come half way.

This went on and on in starts and stops as more people fell by the wayside, panting and gasping and clutching their sides. Herzer could feel a sharp pain growing in his own side but he willed it down and concentrated on maintaining his breathing and keeping up with the person in front of him. Suddenly that person fell out as well and Herzer realized there was a gigantic gap ahead of him. He struggled to catch up to the leading figure but he could barely maintain an even pace. He didn’t dare look back, knowing that somewhere behind him was that hard-faced, gray-eyed bastard, probably hoping that he’d fall out.

His vision was starting to gray and sweat was pouring down his face to such an extent that he never even noticed when there wasn’t another step. As the wind blew across his face he stumbled forward, only to be caught and lowered to the ground.

“Take a rest,” Donahue said in an even tone, clearly not even out of breath. Herzer looked up and him and the bastard was hardly sweating. “There’s water in your rucksack. Drink it.”

Herzer nodded and slipped his arms out of the pack, looking around as his vision started to clear. They were in a clearing at a lower summit of the hill with a clear view of the river on one side and Raven’s Mill at the other. Besides the stairs they had come up, there was another set that went farther up the hill. Donahue and the man he’d identified as the gunnery sergeant were to one side of the clearing, talking. Other than them, there were only three others on the top of the hill. One of whom was Deann, who was bent over retching.

Herzer slipped his arms out of the rucksack and fumbled at the closures with fingers that felt like they were the size of watermelons. Finally he got it open and pulled out a water-bag. He sipped at the contents and then took a solid swig of the water that had been cut with wine.

“Keep your seats,” the gunnery sergeant said, walking over to the group. “Quit trying to throw up and drink some water, girl. You all may be wondering why we’re trying to kill you. It’s very simple. Someday, your enemies will be trying to kill you. There is an old saying: The more you sweat, the less you bleed. We are going to sweat you like you’ve never been sweated before. Most of the people who signed up for this thought it would be a cakewalk, like the guards in town. Nothing but standing around and looking pretty for the girls. Plenty of them had been reenactors playing at being Vikings or Picts or medieval knights. But that word is: Playing. We’re not going to play and we’re not going to be any of those pansies for sure. We’re designed to be the first line of defense for Raven’s Mill; the line that nine times out of ten is the only line the enemy will face. The line that any enemy will break its teeth upon. A line that will die in place rather than give a foot of ground.

“This training is designed to produce cadre for legions. Each of you will see your fair share of fighting, but what we’re really working to produce is the future leaders of the legions. Leaders that are harder and scarier than the hardest and scariest force on earth.

“So we’re going to winnow you out. When we’re done, we’re going to have only those who refuse to quit, no matter what we throw at them. Soldiers that are so hard that they’d rather die than surrender or give any less than three hundred percent.

“And this is not the last test, or even the worst, that you will face. But only the strongest, the hardest, the most determined, will make it.

“There are two ways down from this hill. One is the way that you just came. The other is up another hill and down the far side. In just a moment, Sergeant Donahue and I will ascend the hill. From the time we reach the top, you will have seven minutes to join us. Those that join us in less than seven minutes will put their feet on the path to being Blood Lords. Those that do not may someday join the legions, but they will never be leaders and they will never be the elite.

“It’s up to you.”

With that he picked up his pack and started up the stairs at a lope.

Herzer watched the old man trotting up the stairs and shook his head. He looked around at the small group on the top of the hill, wondering who would be the first to struggle to their feet. As it happened, Deann was already there. She just kneeled down to get her arms in the straps and then, still retching, staggered towards the steps.

“Crap,” he muttered, pushing himself up. He got the rucksack up, somehow, and followed her.

Around the turn of the first bend she was bent over, dry-heaving, but still managing to put one foot in front of the other.

“Come on,” he said, taking her elbow.

“Leave me alone,” she muttered between retches. “I can make it.”

“If you’re stupid enough to keep going, I’m stupid enough to help,” he replied, hooking an arm under her rucksack.

Weaving back and forth, they both staggered upwards towards the summit and their future.

Edmund chuckled as Gunny collapsed in the chair across from him. “You look like hell, Miles.”

It was early evening and Edmund wondered how much longer he was going to be stuck behind the desk today. The supply situation had improved somewhat, between the influx from the roundup and a few caravans from nearby towns. But the demand had increased from the Resan refugees and a steady trickle of others. Getting farms into production was a top priority, but defending them, given the reputed size of the Resan raiders, was very close to the same. And spies had reported that Rowana was definitely getting some sort of support from the New Destiny Alliance. Which meant that sooner or later the two towns were going to come to blows.

“Thank you so much,” Gunny growled, leaning back with a sigh. “I’m getting too old for this shit. Running up hills is a young man’s game.”

“Don’t tell me you took the Hill?” Edmund said, startled. “I gave that up fifteen years ago; there’s only so much medical science can do without a complete rebuild!”

“Well, I had to prove to them that I was tougher than they were,” Gunny said. “I just dread having to do this with every class!”

“How’d it go?”

“Not bad, we’re going to have sixty or seventy in the first group. The team I followed had young Herzer in it. I wanted to see if you were right.”

“Was I?” Edmund asked, reaching into a drawer. “You look like you could use a belt.”

“I never turn down free hooch.” Gunny chuckled. “And, yeah, you were right; he can hang. He ended up dragging one of his friends all the way to the top. I think she would have made it on her own so I didn’t jump his ass. But while he didn’t exactly carry her, he was definitely a support. He’ll do.”

“He’s acting like the devil is on his tail all the time,” Edmund commented, pouring out two glasses. “There’s more to whatever went on with him and Daneh than she’ll tell me. But watch him; he’s liable to do something stupid and heroic. We need all the trained troops we can get; losing that one to his own stupidity would… annoy me.”

“Will do,” Gunny said, downing the bourbon. “Not bad.”

“I laid it down years ago,” Edmund replied, taking a gulp himself. “How are the rest of the recruits?”

“They made it to the top of the hill which means they really want to be here. We’ll just have to see how they train up.” He paused and frowned. “I sometimes find it difficult to remember that we were once as foolish as these young folks.”

“Yep,” Edmund admitted. “And the reality of it is that you have to have people as foolish as this because we’re no longer dumb enough to do what has to be done.”

“The scary part is that they look up to us,” Gunny said, chewing on his stogie. “We’re like Gods to them. Some of them know, intellectually, that we’re just as human as they are. And a few can even figure out that once upon a time we were Just Like Them. The better of them, sure. But not even like the best.”

“Yuh,” Talbot grunted. “It seems like the best of our old companions didn’t make it this far.”

“And when we were like them, somebody that we looked up to kicked our ass into line. We are born in imperfection, Edmund.”

“We are that,” Edmund grimaced. “And no matter how hard I have tried, I think we’re going for the simplicity of imperfection.”

“Clarify?” Gunny said. “You’re not talking about the training program, are you?”

“No,” Edmund sighed. “The Constitution of the United Free States has been drafted. It’s got provisions for both aristocracy and de facto feudalism included. No matter what I did.”

“Does it directly affect us?” Gunny said.

“Only in the aristocracy provisions,” Talbot snarled. “I managed to include a provision that local governments could declare themselves ‘serfdom free’ within their local charters. We’re chartered in Overjay, a geographical area with Washan, Warnan and a few others, including Rowana, which is not a member.”

“What about military forces?” Gunny asked, cutting to the part that was important to him.

“Well, I got an amendment that full voters have to show capability to use arms, but the feudal states got a provision that ‘secondary citizens’ are to be unarmed and they count towards their voters even if they can’t vote. Local citizenry raises its own weaponry and provides for its own defense. Professional military forces swear oath to the United Free States. And I’m pretty sure I’m going to get the Academy listed as a part of the professional military force.”

“What about the legions?” Gunny asked. “Is that going to be the main force? Or are we going to have to take whatever comes to a muster?”

“Well, the question is, who is going to be in charge?” Edmund replied with a chuckle. “The secret here is to have the best plan at the beginning and get the forces formed around yours. We’ll have more than legions in the long term, but hopefully that will be the core force. On the other hand, the Kents have gone almost entirely towards cavalry. If we can get them to join the UFS, and they’re balking badly, it would be stupid to put them on foot. On the other hand, most of the city states are concentrating on infantry. And who’s got the best infantry?”

“We do,” Rutherford said, assuredly.

“That’s right.”

“So,” Gunny said, changing the subject. “How’s Daneh?”

“Getting weird on me.”

When Edmund got home, his curtains had been replaced.

Indeed, on walking into his front room, he wasn’t sure he was in the right house. The furniture had been rearranged, two of his favorite tapestries were gone and the big table that he was wont to pile stuff on until he figured out what to do with it had disappeared.

Daneh was in the middle of the room, on her hands and knees, measuring the floor with a piece of string.

“What are you doing?” he asked, carefully.

“Measuring for carpets,” Daneh replied, making a note.

“I like tile,” Edmund said.

“I know you do,” Daneh replied, getting up off her knees with some effort. She had started to show lately and it was affecting her balance. “But, do you have any idea how uncomfortable tile is when your ankles are swelling and your feet feel like your arches are falling?”

“You’re not that far along, yet,” he temporized.

“No,” she smiled. “That’s why I’m measuring for carpets now.”

“Is this a pregnant thing?” he asked, carefully. She had had a tendency to snap his head off lately if he asked searching questions about her “delicate condition.”

“I don’t know,” she replied cheerfully. “But whether it is or not, you’re getting carpet.”

“And where is it coming from?”

“I met this nice girl named Shilan who is one of the apprentice weavers. And since the sheep dropped and we’ve got a bit of an excess of wool at the moment, and since the new powered mill is experimenting with different weaves, she thought she could get me some piled wool carpet. That’s where the curtains came from, too.”

“And my tapestries?” he asked cautiously.

“They’re out in your workshop,” she answered. “What do you want for supper?”