Sir Colton’s Recruits

"These brigands have been growing bolder by the day. At first, a few of the outlying farms lost an occasional animal or some crop, but now they have banded together and started hitting the villages. These are people who are amongst the poorest under the city's protection We can't allow a few men with evil hearts to kill them just because they can't afford to live in the city itself." The mayor of Damtown complained.

Sir Colton nodded and then replied, "I understand, Mayor Wilkins, you can rest assured our troop will clean up the forest of brigands. It is unfortunate, but when the Windsor Kingdom hardened the border to the south here, they also drove the bandits north. It is our failure to act sooner that has placed your village in danger. For that, you have my apology and pledge that we will take action."

Roger Colton walked out of the mayor's office with a complicated set of emotions. He knew his recruits needed to face real danger to make the jump from trainees to real soldiers, but was the timing, right? He had mastered the art of mounting a horse with just his left hand but was still not confident he could actually fight from horseback with one arm. If he wasn't able to be an effective warrior in even a minor skirmish against bandits, would he really be able to lead a recruit troop to become true soldiers?

By the time he was back to camp, he had hardened himself to face his fear and overcome his shortfalling with his experience and knowledge. He walked out to the training ground and called out, "Squad leader's Jones, Stratton, and Briggs, form the men up."

Instantly three squares of twelve men stood in neat rows in front of Sir Colton. Roger looked the men over and said in his gruff voice, "Bandits have started to raid the villages in great number. We will be equipping armor and weapons today and tracking them down and killing them. I want you all to look to the man to your left or your right. This is not training, one or more of you won't be coming back alive from this mission. That man you just looked at, needs you to focus, to fight through your fears, and remember your training so that he can live to fight again. I expect that each man in this unit will put his life on the line for every other man in this unit. Do you have a problem a guy in your barracks that won your money gambling? Did a fellow recruit steal your girl? Well too bad. Today, that man has your life in his hands. You had better make damn sure that you do everything in your power to make sure you have his life covered too. These men around you are no longer your rival, your friend, your bully, or your punching bag. These men are the only thing standing between you and painful death. Treat them as your family. These are your brothers in life or death. Am I clear?"

The entire recruit yelled as one, "Yes, Sir Colton!"

Roger Colton nodded his head, his face still deathly serious, "We have no accurate count on how many we will be facing, what weapons they will have, or how organized they are but we do know one thing. These men are desperate and have murdered. Most of you, have never once taken a human life so you are at a disadvantage and yet you have something that they do not. You are trained soldiers of the City. Jones, Stratton, and Briggs take your men to the armory for weapon and armor. One crossbow, twenty bolts, and a sword for Jones. One shield and one spear for Stratton. One Shield and one sword for Briggs. Return here to the square after arming in one hour."

*****

Captain Alexander decided to patch things up with Emily so he bought a bouquet of flowers and waited for her in the lobby of her residential building. He was just about to give up waiting when the Duhan Lift doors opened and out walked Princess Teslaimia. Who smiled at him and walked directly to him, " Are these for me? They are beautiful you shouldn't have."

Captain Alexander swallowed not sure what he should say since the flowers were not for her. He reluctantly handed the flowers to her and said, "Beautiful flowers for a beautiful woman."

Teslaimia laughed hard and then handed the flowers back, "You are such an idiot. I know you brought them for Emily, why else would you be here at her building?"

Captain Alexander turned bright red and wanted to find the closest hole to hide in. He choked out, "I'm sorry, do you know where I can find her?"

"Thought you were her knight? That's what she has always believed you know. That you are her knight. Shouldn't you know the woman you swore to protect by now?" Teslaimia looked at him like he was an idiot once again. "She goes to her office at City Hall every day at the exact same time. She's not hard to find if you know her. You do know her, right, Jon?"

He hung his head low and managed, "I guess I have never really taken the time to get to know her, I just assumed I knew her because I have been around her for so long."

She shook her head and then said, "Well come along if you want to see her, I am headed to her office. She always forgets to have her breakfast and likes to read the paper in the morning but they usually haven't been delivered by the time she reaches the office."

He thought for a while and then asked, "Does she still train in the sword?"

Teslaimia looked at him and said, "Since the kidnapping, she has been a little uncoordinated. She tried a few times but had to give it up. Now she just takes long walks. Alone, most of the time since her knight abandoned her to protect the villages."

He looked very uncomfortable, "I'm sorry. I don't mean to pry, but you and Emily... Are you?"

Teslaimia touched her finger to his lips and then said softly, "My relationship with Emily is not public discourse."

He nodded and then asked, "Has she ever thought of me as more than a knight?"

Teslaimia laughed, "You have known her for years longer than I have and yet you are so blind to who she actually is, amazing." She looked at him and said seriously, "Emily is a Queen. She is a leader just like any other King, Queen, Emperor, or Empress you have ever met or known. She puts the future of her kingdom before anything else. Anything she has done or does has to serve the purpose of building her kingdom."

A complicated expression crossed his face, "And you?"

Teslaimia shrugged, "Even Kings, and some Emperors want me, why is it strange that she is no exception?"

"Some Emperors?" He looked confused.

Teslaimia shook her head, "My former fiancé said to me, 'You are just a pretty flower grown in shit. You will look nice, smell nice but only ever be a flower growing in shit. Someday just like any other flower you will wilt. I don't need flowers, I need a Queen.' Then he explained to me all of my shortcomings and why I was unworthy of the title of Empress."

He made a strange face, "Is that why you came here? To find out what a Queen looked like?"

Teslaimia nodded, "He was right. I was not a Queen. I had no idea what being a Queen even meant. I thought I would use Emily to become a second wife, and instead, I found that I had become just another piece on her chessboard. Queen to her King."

"And I am her knight?" He looked at her with a complicated expression.

Teslaimia shook her head, "A knight that thinks he is the King or a Pawn depending on the situation, isn't that so?"

He nodded his head, "Wait here, I'll go grab the newspaper."

*****

Sir Colton sat atop his horse as the troops marched behind him, he would stop from time to time and check the tracks on the ground. Finally, he used hand signals to send Jones's squad to the front, with Briggs's squad to the back and Stratton's squad to the middle. He motioned for Strattons squad to move right. He pointed to his eyes and then pointed straight ahead. The Unit's Hornsman took out his horn and blew the Charge signal.

Immediately brigands came running out to fight. Most of them used simple weapons like farm tools and sticks, while a group of them were armed just like soldiers. Sir Colton called out, "Crossbow!" And pointed his sword at the men dressed as soldiers.

The recruits all fired their crossbows in a regulated manner, first the front row fired. Then the second row came forward and then fired. The third row then moved forward and fired.

The brigands that didn't die under the barrage of crossbow bolts charged at the advancing soldiers recklessly. Sir Colton Called out, "Spears!" The Crossbow squad stepped back as the Spears advanced in front of them. The charging men who came into range of the spear unit ran into a razor-sharp impenetrable wall A few of the brigands tried to get behind the soldiers but the swordsmen were already prepared with shields up and swords were drawn protecting those in front. The battle lasted for a mere five minutes, but to these soldiers who were facing their first-ever life or death fight, it felt like hours.

Sir Colton pointed his sword at the makeshift dwelling that had been used by the brigands, "Swords!"

The recruits marched in and carefully searched the dwelling bringing out a few young women taken from the village. Sir Colton rode up and said, "I'm sorry, we were late. You're safe now. My men won't hurt you or touch you that way."

He motioned for Jones to come over and said softly, "Jones, make sure to find them something to wear. Treat them with decency. They will be scared of you, but it's not you, it's what has happened to them."

After they fully cleaned up the battlefield and gave the women something to drink and clothes to wear Sir Colton had his soldiers march at a speed that was comfortable for the women, when any of them seemed tired he would rest the troop. In that way, they finally managed to return to the camp after an eight-hour march. Once his troops were back in quarters he arranged for carriages to bring the women back to their homes.

He finally made his way to the barracks and checked on the recruits. "Any injuries, even the most minor need to be scrubbed out. Make sure that you apply medical aid to each other, don't try to be a hero and tough it out. A man can die from a small cut the same as he can from having his head taken off." He walked around and looked at each of the men. He said, "I'm going to give you all the advice I was given many years ago. You just took a life and saw that life fade from a man's eyes. Don't ever fall in love with that. You are men, not animals. It hurts to take a life, but we are sworn to do so. Remember the women, the look of fear in their eyes. That's what you are here to avenge and keeping the other women of Connaissance safe from that fate is why we bear the pain of taking those lives. I want you all to talk to each other about your experiences and how it made you feel. Talk it out, don't hide it away. Today you became soldiers. Real soldiers, with blood on your hands. You have entered into a sacred brotherhood that only fellow soldiers will understand. The men in this room for having gone to battle together will now and forever be closer than any real family."

He started to walk out when one of the soldiers asked, "Sir Colton, may we drink?"

He stopped and then said, "Tomorrow, tomorrow we will get together and drink. Tonight, you are on duty. Treat this night just as you treated today's battle."