Table of Contents – (spoilers)
Captain Edison made a good show of being escorted out of the fort by Father Morrenthall and his men. He almost managed to make it look like it was his decision to go.
When the gate was shut behind them, Lieutenant Cooper and Choke, who were standing in the courtyard amongst all their men at attention, exchanged a look. To Choke, it looked like Lieutenant Cooper did not know whether to laugh or cry. He felt very much the same way himself.
“A quiet word is in order, I think. Yes?” Choke asked Cooper.
“Yes, indeed,” Cooper answered, before turning to bellow at the assembled soldiers: “All right, men! Carry on as you were! Continue at your weapons drills!”
Lieutenant Cooper and Choke stepped off to the side of the courtyard where they could watch their men training outside of their earshot.
“And now we are two,” Cooper said quietly. “Where does this all end?”
“I believe this shall be the full extent of it. How long it will take to resolve itself is another question entirely,” Choke said wearily.
“And what are we meant to be doing?”
“Hold down the fort, I suppose. Literally. We shouldn’t have to do it by ourselves for too long. The Baron should be coming here soon, shouldn’t he?” Choke asked.
“Yes, probably. Goody! That shall be icing on the cake, I am sure! He is going to be spitting mad.”
“Without a doubt. So we should try to make things look as normal as possible around here. That means we need to get Sergeant Euan and Hamon’s platoon out here and looking productive, don’t you think?” Choke asked.
“Oh, shit! I completely forgot about them!” Lieutenant Cooper slapped his forehead. “Did the Father tell you to let them go?”
“In a manner, he did, I suppose,” Choke said with a sigh.
“Okay… what does that mean? Surely he got the evidence on Sergeant Euan, right? He helped coordinate the attack on you last night,” Cooper said angrily.
Choke thought for a few seconds before answering:
“I don’t know what evidence Father Morrenthall got. He didn’t let me into his interrogation. However, he did make it clear to me that he has no interest in hurting the fighting capacity here any more than he must, and he is quite sure that the Baron will not want to pursuit it. So…”
“So, Sergeant Euan gets to slip loose after trying to have you killed. How nice for him,” Cooper said darkly.
“Yes, it seems so. However, I do tend to see Father M’s point. If they went after everyone that was complicit in trying to kill me and the rest, then depopulation of the whole region would become an issue.”
Cooper chuckled at this. “Well, I suppose that might be true. But if we are to release the scoundrel, then we should probably keep him away from your lads. For his safety, of course. Your big sergeant last night, what is it you call him? Knuckle? He was rather irate about it. It seems to me he might not enjoy having Euan around gloating at you.”
“Oh, shit! Knuckle. Yes, he can usually be relied upon to check his temper before it goes too far. But, that is a good point. Thank you, Cooper. I think, perhaps, if you don’t mind of course, you should take command of Lieutenant Hamon’s platoon and continue with your recruits’ training. I shall take my lads and continue with our work on the east slope, clearing the forest and expanding the earthworks. After all, that all still needs doing, and it will keep all the interested parties away from each other. How does that sound?” Choke asked.
“Why Bartholomew, it sounds capital! And don’t you worry. Euan may be a sergeant still, technically, but in my eyes he is the worst sort of scoundrel. Not even a backstabber! Doing the dirty work of others from behind a veil. Coward! I shall ride him hard for it, on that I give you my word!” Lieutenant Cooper gave Choke a hearty thump on the shoulder with this.
“Well, thank you, Cooper. But don’t do anything that might complicate things for you on my account.”
“Oh, don’t you worry, Bartholomew. I can thread a needle well with my bullshit. Alright, then, let’s get this show started!” Lieutenant Cooper finished with a shout.
It took only a few minutes for Choke to gather his platoon and swap out their practice weapons for the digging and foresting tools. There was some grumbling about this, but less than might have been expected. The men seemed noticeably more spirited, if not actually cheerful. The combination of improved food and quarters, actual military training, and Choke and his sergeants having been proved to be verified badasses was having an effect, it seemed.
Out on the east slope, Pekot’s Bushrats got back to work, clearing the forest and cutting rough timber for the trenchworks. Without Peep there, Choke had Pinch move into the woods to keep an eye on the lumberers. Choke stayed slightly removed with his longbow in hand, keeping an eye on everyone. Knuckle moved amongst the men, his cudgel in hand.
The sky was overcast and looked set to rain. The rain was holding off, however, making it the perfect weather for laboring. The improved morale and condition of the men was immediately apparent in the results of their labor. Many of them clearly knew lumbering, and with the experienced woodsmen, Dom and Lenny, supervising, they were doing good work.
It was not even an hour before Peep came riding over to Choke from around the front of the fort. She grinned widely at him as she dismounted.
“Fuck man! I can’t leave ye alone for a minute without ye getting yarself halfway killed! Good to see ye still breathing, fucker!” she said, giving Choke a quick punch into the side.
Choke grunted and Peep frowned. “Where’s yar fuckin mail, man? Ye shouldn’t be unarmored.”
“It’s getting mended. It should be done by now actually; I’ll get it at lunch. It had a crossbow hole in it, you know.”
“Yeah, I heard something about it. Anything I should know about it?” Peep asked.
“I assume you’ve heard just the same as Father M did, so nothing that won’t keep. How went the hunt for Corporal Butters?” Choke asked, dropping his voice low.
He and Peep were at least twenty meters from the nearest man, but there was no doubt that they were paying close attention to them. The work of those closest had now slowed right down to purely performative.
“Yeah, well, he’s out in the world now, footloose and fancy free. And it seems like he’s decided to remain a pain in our ass,” Peep said.
“Okay. I guess we’ll all want to hear this. I mean, Knuckle and Pinch, too. So why don’t we wait until the men are on a break. Do you have anything you need to be doing?” Choke asked.
Peep did not, so Choke had her go and set up the fire and get a big pot of stugroot on the boil at their watering station. After another half-an-hour, the smell of it was wafting down the hill and Choke decided the men had earned a break. He had them bring their tools up and let them lounge on the hillside. He left troopers Dom and Lenny to supervise them and pulled Choke and Pinch aside with Peep to have a private word.
Away from the men, and sipping their mugs of hot stugroot, the four took a moment to relax in each other’s company. Then a bit of banter led to Pinch regaling Peep on the attack upon Choke the night before. He did not exaggerate too very much, and Knuckle kept quiet, grinning proudly as he heard the tale yet again. When that had run its course, Choke asked Peep:
“So, what’s the story with the ex-corporal Butters? He made it out of Spitzer intact, I take it?”
“Yup, that he did. So, first thing this morning, soldier comes from the fort and tells us what happened. As soon as he did, one of them Holy Sword goons that was on night watch pipes up that he saw a man ride down Main Street in the middle of the night. Guy come down from the Callic road, past the jail tower and then down Main Street, heading west. Riding at a good clip. Struck him as odd, but he had no reason to stop the man.
“But, now that we heard that Corporal Butters is on the run from the fort, that seems a real likely clue. He’d be on foot, right? And with all his fellows banged up under the church, where’s he got to go? He’s gotta get the fuck outta town, yeah? But, he’s gonna need a horse. So me and Michal, we go and check the farrier, but no one pestered him in the night and all his stock is in order. So, then we figure that the teamster yard would probably be where he’d most likely go, and that’s up the Callic road, right? So we head up there and lean on them a bit, and, long story short, the night watchman spills that Butters come into the yard in the middle of night and took a horse.”
“He just went in there and took one?” Knuckle asked incredulously.
“Well, yeah, fuckin rights he did, man. Butters is the number three Outfit cat in town, and an army corporal. Who’s gonna argue with him in the teamster yard? So, the guard said that Butters told him to give him a good riding horse in the name of the Baron, but that’s bullshit. He’s just trying to keep the Outfit’s name outta his mouth. Anyways, Butters got the horse from there, and then rode it west outta town. So, me and Michal head out that away, and, sure enough, we pick up his tracks on the Bristlehump road. So then we come back.”
“So he’s heading to Bristlehump,” Knuckle said.
“Yeah, no shit, numbnuts. That’s just what I told ye,” Peep laughed.
Knuckle gave her the finger.
“So that’s what you meant when you said he was going to remain a pain in our ass,” Choke said.
“Yeah. And it means that the Outfit still has a hard on for us. Father M telling Wes to tell the Outfit to leave us be didn’t mean a thing. Not that that’s a surprise,” Peep said.
“Okay, I see what you’re thinking there, but I might not get the whole picture. Can you walk us through your thinking, Peep?” Choke asked.
“Sure. So, if yar Butters and ye get the fuck outta here and ye have a horse and yar coin and all that, why the fuck would ye head to Bristlehump? Yar an Outfit man, right? And now yar an army deserter wanted for trying to kill an officer. So there’s no way ye head straight for our town unless it’s to hook up with Sneed and report.
“And last night, taking that shot at Choke, Butters wouldn’t do that as his own play. Guy like that aint gonna risk everything on a move like that unless he has to. But I don’t think he coulda gotten ordered to do it from some higher up, right? As far as the Outfit goes, he was on his own, right? Who’s left? So, he had to know that whenever a higher up Outfit cat came back, Sneed or whoever, if he hadn’t a taken his shot at ye, then he’d answer for it. Tough spot for poor Butters. So he makes his move and splits. Probably was gonna spilt even if he did clip ye. But, anyways, him knowing he had to make that move means that it just goes without saying in the Outfit crowd that we’re still marked.”
“Yeah, and what else is new?” Pinch said, spitting the stugroot grounds from the bottom of his cup.
“Nothin!” Peep grinned. “Just didn’t want any of ye thinking that Father M might have scared them off, is all. There’s still gonna be plenty more fools coming our way for us to kill.”
“Well, so long as it’s not our own soldiers, I will be happy,” Choke said.
“What, that bunch?” Peep chuckled, gesturing with her mug towards the lounging Pekot’s Bushrats. “Ye think they won’t take a poke for however many gold they think the Outfit’s offering on our pelts? They’re local bushrats, man. Don’t turn yar back on them for a second. The good news is that a couple dozen of the likes of them is way easier to put down than one of Sneed.”
“And we still have Sneed coming for us. Along with whoever else,” Pinch said.
“No doubt! All kinds a fun! Buck up man, something’s gotta kill ye!” Peep laughed.
She then held her fist up into the center of their square. Choke, Knuckle, and Pinch all nodded resolutely as they met it with their own.
***
About an hour after Pekot’s Bushrats finished their stugroot break, Cooper’s man, Sergeant Neil came around from the front of the fort. He strode purposefully straight for Choke, so Choke saved him some walking and met him halfway.
“Lieutenant Pekot, sir,” Sergeant Neil said as he halted. “Colonel Hart has arrived and has requested your presence in the fort.”
“Thank you, Sergeant. You may return to the fort. Please tell Colonel Hart that I will just have a quick word with my sergeants before coming immediately.”
“Yes, sir,” Sergeant Neil saluted before turning to go back to the fort.
Choke jogged down the east slope a ways towards his laboring men, and gave a shrill whistle. He waved Knuckle and Pinch over to him. Pinch gave a whistle himself, directed into the bush, and Peep soon appeared heading their way. When they were all together, Choke said:
“Baron Hart is in the fort. He has ordered me to him.”
“Well, shit. Here we go,” Pinch muttered.
“Indeed. The men should continue the work. Do you two think you can handle them by yourselves?” Choke asked Pinch and Knuckle.
“Well, they’ve been great today. But, then, they’ve had the four of us watching them. So… I don’t know,” Pinch answered.
“What the fuck, man?” Peep interjected. “What am I here, just a fuckin scarecrow?”
“No, Peep. But, don’t you want to come along with me to the Baron?” Choke asked.
“What? Fuck no! Why would ye think I’d want to do that?”
“Well, I don’t know. I just assumed you would. I thought you’d be curious about his disposition. And, you tend to delight in needling powerful men when they’re in a temper,” Choke said.
“Yeah, well, I guess. But I also know when not to push my luck. And with me being right in the middle of army and Church, I don’t want him getting any cute ideas about picking my brain, right? Outta sight, out a mind. Right?” Peep grinned.
“Yes, I see your point. Good. Well, then,” Choke sighed deeply, “I guess I should be off.”
“Good luck, man. Better you than me,” Peep laughed as she clapped Choke on the back.
“Yeah, no shit,” muttered Pinch.
In the fort, Baron Hart was standing with Lieutenant Cooper, watching the men going through their paces in the courtyard. It took just a second to notice that it was Lieutenant Hamon’s platoon, under Sergeant Euan, that was being made to march up and down the square in full kit. Lieutenant Cooper’s own men were up on the battlements, and seemed to be showing the recruits how to properly man the defenses. Standing near the Baron were two, heavily armed, grizzled veterans in sergeant stripes who both had the look of hard killers.
“Colonel Hart, reporting as ordered. Sir!” Choke said as he stomped to attention in front of the Baron.
“At ease, Lieutenant. Where is your platoon?”
“Sir. They are clearing the woods at the east slope, and lumbering the timber to shore up the ditchworks there. Sir.”
“Ah. Good. That has needed doing for some time. And how are you, Lieutenant Pekot? I heard you took a wound, or two, last night. Are you quite well enough?” Colonel Hart asked, turning to meet Choke’s eye for the first time. The Baron’s bearing seemed friendly enough, but his sharp eyes hinted at menace within their still depths.
“Sir. Yes, sir. I was healed fully by Father Gerban last night. Praise Altas! Sir!” Choke said loudly.
“Yes. Praise Altas, indeed. Well, good, then. It seems you two lieutenants have done your best in this difficult situation. And your best seems to have been good enough. And how about your men, Lieutenant Pekot? How have you found them?” Baron Hart
“My men, sir? How do you mean, sir?”
“You know exactly how I mean, Lieutenant. You have been given a platoon of the finest recruits that could be scraped out of the gutters and whorehouses. The scum of the earth. So… how have you found them?”
“Yes, sir. I do understand. They were rough sir, in bad morale and condition. But they are shaping up. They will do their duty, sir,” Choke said, meeting Colonel Hart’s eye again.
“See that they do, Lieutenant. Now!” Colonel Hart clapped his hands sharply. “I need a private word, Lieutenant Pekot. But first, Sergeant Yoann,” Colonel Hart turned to one of his grizzled killers, “go out to the east slope and join Lieutenant Pekot’s platoon. See how they are. And have a word with his two sergeants. They are both Holy Stoner lads as well, you know. See what you make of them. I shall want a full report.”
“Yes, sir,” Sergeant Yoann said.
“And Sergeant…” Colonel Hart paused significantly.
“Yes, Colonel?”
“Don’t provoke them. I don’t want another incident. Be nice.”
“Yes, sir. I can be nice,” Sergeant Yoann smiled broadly at Choke, showing him a collection of fine gold teeth amidst the wreck of his original ones stained black by stugroot chewing.
“I know you can. Off you go,” Colonel Hart waved.
Sergeant Yoann nodded and strode off out the gate. Colonel Hart turned to his other man:
“You may as well be off, too. You have your orders. Go.”
This man briskly moved to the hitching posts and collected a fine, spirited horse that he rode straight out the gate. He could be heard riding down the road to town.
“Alright, Lieutenant. With me now. Let’s go,” Colonel Hart gestured to Choke to follow him as he strode off towards the keep.
Muse Vassal 