Haggart's Dawn Page 22

  “I'll go and settle up,” said Haggart. “Saddle up, I'll be with you shortly.”

  He walked into the bar and found the barman and his daughter in a heated discussion with three men who'd come in that morning. They were wearing fur lined cloaks and stood with their shoulders dripping in thawing snow. The atmosphere had changed. The daughter wore a look of tense anger, her father a meek, humble expression, trying to placate their uninvited guests. Haggart waited at the bar until they'd finished. The three turned and walked past him, ignoring him completely.

  “What was all that about?” he asked as he counted out the coin they owed onto the top of the bar. The barman shook his head and smiled, the daughter shook her head and grimaced.

  “Nothing... nothing...” he said.

  “Nothing?” she cried, throwing her towel down. “Nothing? They're robbing us blind and you call it nothing?”

  “They're not robbing us,” he pleaded. “If we don't pay them then what do we expect? They won't protect us...”

  “Protect us from what?”

  “From... them...”

  Haggart looked at both of them. “What is the problem?” he asked.

  “Nothing,” snapped the barman.

  “Nothing, eh?” she said. “That's all you can say, Dad. We can't let this go on!” Tears ran freely down her cheeks as she bent down to pick up her towel and she dabbed them away. “I'm sorry, Haggart. We don't mean to...”

  He raised a hand. “Who were they?”

  “They're from the ruins of a Fort north of here. We think they're pirates who escaped from the prison at Minivad a few winters ago. They took up residence in the ruins and began extorting 'protection' from the small villages nearby. Food, clothing, that sort of thing. They left us alone for a while, but it wasn't long before they came in one day and demanded kegs of mead and bread.”

  “How much?”

  “Six barrels and two-score loaves a month. Then the demands grew to the point where we couldn't pay it. They said they'd no longer be able to protect us. The next thing we know we're getting our windows smashed they even tried to burn down the stables - with our horses in it!”

  “Do you know how many there are up there?” asked Haggart.

  “No one knows. We only ever meet those three you saw. The big one, that's not their leader. We've never seen or heard of him,” the barman said.

  “How do you pay them?”

  “My Dad takes a cart up to a meeting place not far from there, but of course they won't let him too close. Someone meets him and takes delivery,” she said.

  “Is it the same for all the other villages?”

  “Yes.”

  Haggart thought it over, a plan already forming in his mind. “Mark these places on the map,” he said, unfolding the hide and spreading it out on the barn. The barman looked it over and put an 'X' where the fort was and a 'O' where the meeting place was.

  “Can you really help us? There is no one here who has the guts to stand up to them. We can't do it ourselves, we're not...”

  “Not what?” he asked, folding the map away once more.

  “Military.”

  “And my friends and I are?”

  “You are polite and pay well. Even without the weapons and the clothes you are clearly no ordinary men.” She blushed when she said this and he smiled.

  “I will go and speak to the others. I think we can sort this out.”

  Outside, Haggart had to pull his hood over his face to stop the driving snow from blinding him. It pricked his skin like a thousand needles and froze his ears into a cold agony. Talbert and the Captain were tightening the buckles on their saddles when he came over, slipping on the ice and sliding more than walking towards them.

  “Great day for a ride,” shouted Talbert over the roar of the wind.

  “We have a problem,” cried Haggart, though in his ears it sounded like a whisper.

  “What now?” asked the Captain.

  “They need our help,” he said, gesturing back towards the pub. The Captain began laughing.

  “Can no one do anything for themselves any more?”

  “Did you see a single man after leaving the docks?”

  “Aye, lad. That's a fair point. There seems to be plenty of scraped chins and pretty clothes around here. No wonder they need men like us.” He waved to the stable boy who he could barely see. “Take these back inside.”

  “Ye... ye... ye... yessss sirrsss,” he said and began leading them back towards the stables.

  The Captain had formulated a plan after the barman, Varn, went over the story again once a round of hot cider was handed out by his daughter, Frau.

  “When are you expected to pay them?” he asked.

  “As soon as possible. They must have look-outs posted all the time because there is always someone waiting for me, they must see me as I drive up the hillside.”

  “Who meets you?”

  “A man covered head to toe, only his eyes showing, it's probably very cold up there.”

  The Captain turned to Haggart. “It could be a different man each time.”

  “True. But your plan would still work,” Haggart replied.

  He turned back to Varn. “Ready the wagon but leave room for two in the back - myself and Haggart.”

  “What are you going to do?” said Varn, his face turning pale and his hands worried the glass he was holding.

  “Leave that to us. Once you reach the meeting point you will turn around and come back here, we'll do the rest.”

  “And if you fail?” said Frau. “If they find out we sent you?”

  “We won't,” said the Captain. Frau only nodded. The Captain's word was enough - the job was as good as done, thought Haggart.

  They were left alone in the parlour whilst Varn loaded up the wagon and Frau prepared the bar for opening.

  “Talbert,” began the Captain, “go find the Fort.”

  “Will do,” he said and began putting on his furs. “What do I do once I’ve found it?”

  “Come back to the meeting point and get ready to kill this man of theirs.”

  “Kill him?” he said.

  “They're pirates - they should have been hanged. There's no point taking them prisoner again only to escape. I think Varn and Frau would sleep better at night knowing they couldn't come back for revenge, don't you?”

  “Yes, I suppose so.”

  Talbert loaded his bow and checked the dirk he wore on his belt was oiled and loose in its scabbard. Then he pulled his hood up and over his head and left, letting a gust of ice-cold wind rush in and almost extinguish the fire in the hearth.

  “You think he'll cock it up?” asked Haggart.

  “I think we need to push him a bit. He never really seemed the same after his mistake with Lorrie,” said the Captain.

  “That seems like another life time ago.”

  “It was, I think. Besides, you know if it had been John heading out you would never have asked that question.”

  “True,” admitted Haggart. “He's the better of the two, sadly.”

  “Well then, we need to let Talbert stand or fall. We can't protect and carry him forever.”

  “Even if it kills him?”

  The Captain nodded solemnly. “Even if it kills him.”

  The wagon rattled up the hillside at the speed of a funeral procession and the horse that pulled it protested often enough to double the journey time. Varn, sat on top of the barrels with the reins in his hands and whistled nervously as they made their way up the path.

  Under the hide coverings, Haggart and the Captain led out on their backs, feet towards the back of the cart, with their swords drawn and lying across their chests.

  “I hope that smell isn't you,” said Haggart. The Captain chuckled to himself.

  “I can't feel my body for this bloody cold so how would I know?” he replied in a whisper.

  “I'm sure Varn is doing it on purpose.”

  “Doing what?”

  “Taking twice as long.
My arse is numb - I don't know if I'll be able to fight at this rate. And I need a piss.”

  “Me too.”

  Varn hushed them. “He's here,” he muttered. Haggart worked his muscles a little and readied himself and the Captain shuffled around in the cramped space as best he could. The horse stopped and the wagon jolted. Then there was the sound of footsteps in the snow, crunching closer to them.

  “I brought it, just like you asked,” said Varn.

  “Open it up,” was the reply.

  “Get ready,” whispered the Captain. Suddenly the hide was whipped away and Haggart sprang to his feet, sword and shield ready in both hands. But the figure before him was laughing and he halted.

  “You should have seen your faces,” it said.

  “Bloody Talby!” cried the Captain. “We could have killed you!”

  They climbed down and looked around. Talbert was still laughing. Haggart slapped him hard on his back and he stopped.

  “Well?” asked the Captain.

  “There was only one lookout,” he replied. “I killed him and hid the body.”

  “Do you know where they are then?”

  “Up that way,” he said, pointing to a narrow path between the pines. “But so far I’ve counted sixteen and they've got some nice metal with them. There could be more.”

  “Good work,” said Haggart.

  “Thanks. I'm pretty sure they're not expecting us. The weapons look like plundered gear from their pirate days and a lot of it is rusted.”

  “It can still kill,” said the Captain. “Let's get up there and get this over with.”

  “Can I go now?” asked Varn in a slightly whimpering tone.

  “Aye, but we'll be expecting food and a bed tonight,” said the Captain.

  “Of course!” cried Varn, turning the horse back around. “It's the least we can do.” The cart and its rider clattered back down the hillside.

  “Is it me,” said Haggart, “or is that horse going faster now?”

  “They're not stupid,” said the Captain.

  “Unlike us.”

  Talbert led the way through the snow and they crunched along in single file keeping the location of the fort on their right. The storm had subsided now and only a gentle cool breeze played between the trunks and kissed their wind-burned cheeks. The light from the sun reflected off the brilliant white of the snow and they winced and blinked until the tops of the broken fortress rose up along the edge of a hillside. Talbert stopped them quietly.

  “Up there,” he said, pointing to a thicker patch of pine. The Captain led out on his stomach and began crawling to the edge of the rise until he could see into the camp. Haggart followed.

  “Talbert was right. There's about 16 of them,” said the Captain in hushed words. “Most of them are in the courtyard. More are going inside.”

  Haggart saw the camp fire burning in the centre of the courtyard which could be seen through a broken down wall that yawned open where siege engines had brought it down. They all wore furs of black or brown and they stamped their feet against the cold and warmed their hands over the flames. All of them were armed.

  “Well?”

  “Let's go and say hello,” he said and pointed out that Talbert should creep around the side and clear the walkways along the tops of the walls where three archers were gathered around a brazier.

  “We're just going to walk in?” said Haggart.

  “Yeah, why not? They're too cold to put up much of a fight. They're used to warmer climates like the south seas. They'll be sluggish with those blades - if they know how to use them.”

  “Plan?”

  “See that hole? We'll just climb on top of that. They're all inside. It's a good bottle neck.”

  “I see,” said Haggart.

  They shrugged out of their cumbersome furs and piled them up behind a nearby pine, readying their weapons.

  “I already know what you're thinking. Where the hell are we going to sell all that?” said Haggart.

  “Varn will trade, I'm sure of it. Besides, there's a good chance their loot will be in coin and food. Varn can have the food back and we can take the coin,” replied the Captain with greedy eyes.

  “It's becoming an obsession, we're not in the army now. We don't need to loot every body we come across.”

  “Old habits die hard.”

  They strode out into the open expanse beyond the pines and mounted the pile of moss and ice coated stones at the mouth of the breach. At first none of the pirates took notice of them. It wasn't until the Captain performed a very theatrical cough that someone turned around.

  “Excuse me,” he began and pointed with his axe towards the only remaining building, “but is there coin in there?”

  The pirates were still dumbstruck.

  “You what?” a man stood near the fire said and pointed at them with a carving knife.

  “I said, 'do you have any coin in there?', or words to that effect. Me and my friend here would like your loot.”

  “Piss off!” the man cried. “I'll gut you slow.”

  Turning to Haggart he said, “I guess we'll have to kill them then.”

  The man by the fire - a thick set and swarthy looking individual with greasy black hair that stuck thinly to his scalp, waited until more of his friends had gathered nearby before advancing towards them. They all brandished weapons of some sort - knives, blades, bludgeons, but by their stance and clear ignorance of the obvious tactical advantage the Captain and Haggart had, they surmised the battle would only last a few minutes.

  “Shame,” said Haggart as he hefted his shield and rolled his shoulders, “I was hoping for more of a fight. These aren't the quality of pirates we encountered on the King's Bane at all.”

  “Beggars can't be choosers, or so I'm told. No doubt they were good at looting and that's all that matters,” replied the Captain with a sigh.

  “You're worrying me. There's more to life than loot.”

  “Yes, there is. But you need loot to buy it with.”

  The greasy man with the carving knife lunged once he was within range and the Captain stepped aside bringing the enormous head of his axe down on his skull. Bone and brain gave way to steel and the weapon only stopped at his sternum, the Captain wrenching it free with a spurt of blood. The body dropped at his feet and he sighed again.

  “Are they really going to come at us one at a time?” he asked loud enough for them to hear. The others, now a large crowd, had staggered back when the Captain had struck and were having second thoughts on any further attempts. This feeling of terror was made worse when the first of the three archers began falling from the walls, quickly followed by the other two.

  “I'm not sure now. Maybe they won't come at all now. Was he supposed to be their leader?” asked Haggart.

  “I hope not,” he replied. Then he addressed the pirates directly. “Was he in charge?”

  Silence.

  “I guess so,” said Haggart.

  This stalemate continued for a minute or two and during that time neither the Captain nor Haggart moved from the breach. Three more people - a man and two women, emerged from the only part of the fortress still standing and took their place on the outer edges of the group.

  “Well?” shouted the Captain. Talbert had climbed the wall and stood on the western ramparts aiming his crossbow down into the crowd. “Are you going to hand over the loot or what?”

  “There's enough of us to kill you!” said the man who'd just arrived. “Two against twenty, sounds like good odds to me.”

  “You said sixteen!” the Captain shouted to Talbert. Shaking his head, he readied his bow and fired directly at the man who spoke and tore open his throat. The bolt passed through the soft tissue and slammed into a man stood beside him. Both of them collapsed into gargling, mumbling heaps and the others decided it might be wise to attempt to fight back.

  “Finally,” said Haggart as the group began to charge.

  “All they needed was a little motivation,” said the Capt
ain.

  Haggart smashed his shield into the first man and shattered his nose. As he dropped, a second swung his sword downwards with a view to cleaving his shoulder in two. It was met with the edge of his blade and as the steel clanged Haggart spun his shield, edge on, into his ribs and they gave way. Bone pierced lung and the man fell. The Captain swung his axe in a huge arc and killed three by slicing open their stomachs. Their insides, including their last meals, spilled out onto the snow and steamed as they struggled to stuff them back inside.

  The women were already running for the safety of the building and had dropped their weapons as they ran. Talbert killed three more, Haggart another by fending off a sloppy blow from a hatchet with his shield and hacking the man's leg off at the knee. The last brave few ran for the building. Talbert toppled one but didn't have time to reload before they shut the solid oak door behind them.

  “Cowards,” spat the Captain. “I'll root them out of there. No doubt they're hiding amongst my loot.”

  Haggart, breathing a little heavily, kicked over each corpse and checked they were no longer taking air.

  “I didn't think there'd be women here,” he said.

  “We haven't killed any and I don't intend to start now. No doubt they were picked up along the way. Bad luck to have a woman on a ship even if it is a pirate ship.”

  “It would appear to be bad luck for them anyhow. They're dead now.”

  “True enough.”

  Talbert had climbed down and followed them to the door. The Captain swung his axe and the thick wooden planks began to split along the iron fittings. In four blows the door collapsed and they went inside the dark hallway into a cold and damp chamber lit with the eerie glow of the hearth.

  “I'll kill them!” cried a man, trembling in the flickering fire with a knife held to the throat of one of the women. The girl was wailing and begging to be set free and the other two did likewise, each one held by a pirate.

  “Why do you think we care?” said the Captain. The man hesitated and realised he was finished.

  “If we let them go will you spare us?” he said.

  “No,” replied Haggart. “But we will end you swiftly.”