The Rise of la Vallée part III

My Dear Domini,

It is now the evening of 7 Quintus, and it is all I can do to find a comfortable position to write this as I have only just become conscious to find my body a mass of aches and pains, and Dandelion has cautioned me against too much movement lest I undo his good work and need to find another surgeon.

It had all seemed so simple two days ago, when we left Borstennskoldmund to climb up to the executioner's window to see what he could see as he would be replacing him at today's executions for our rescue of La Couronne's Armand la Bierê, a friend of the troublesome Dandelion (the name he seems to favour most).

We did not see Borstennskoldmund return that night, and indeed he was late rising so the first news we had of his success was Dandelion cursing as he read the 6 Quintus edition of La Plúme in which was reported a robbery at a tenement which led to a battle between 20 barbarians and a valiant but outnumbered squad of town guard, of whom only the sergeant escaped. Accompanying the article was a woodcut of the leader of the barbarians, clearly recognisable as Borstennskoldmund.

"When he returned so badly injured last night, I had no idea how much trouble he had caused!" muttered Dandelion. "The man is a fool who will come to no good end all for the sake of a few pistoles!"

At that point Borstennskoldmund appeared. Dandelion flung the paper at him, and stormed out of the room. After we explained the problem, Borstennskoldmund sheepishly told us a very different tale.

"Well, I was looking through the window when in came the executioner. As I watched, he removed his raised boots, his black beard and wig, his shirt and the padding underneath and there before me was a short, fat, bald, beardless man who then put on a silk robe before sitting in a chair to read the newspaper.

"I would have left then, but when we was putting his rummaging in his wardrobe I noticed a metal bound chest and I thought, um, that there might be, er, you know, um, something we could use." Even in the recollection of it Borstennskoldmund's eyes gleamed with a telltale hunger.

"Well, I waited for him to go to sleep, and then I tried to work my knife along the window to unlatch it, but it was stuck and I couldn't manage it. Then I noticed that one of the bricks was loose, or at least it would be if I scraped the mortar away from around it, so I removed it and climbed above the window where the executioner would not look before I threw it through the window. The executioner lit a lamp and peered out the window, but then went back to bed so I waited a while and then climbed back onto the ledge, opened the window through the broken pane, and then let myself in trying to find my way to the wardrobe in the dark.

"I think it would have been okay if the executioner had gone back to sleep, but as it was I heard a double click and barely had time to throw myself forward before a pair of pistols were fired. I took a fairly bad wound, but was able to knock the executioner down and retrieve the chest. Unfortunately, it was too heavy to climb with and there were people beating at the door so I had to hope it was strong enough to survive the fall to the ground. It is clear that these Montaigne do not know how to make good chests because it burst open from the three-story fall scattering gleaming coins all over the pavement.

"I climbed quickly down and started to gather as many as I could, since I had earned them, but a squad of the town guard came around the corner, blinding me with their lanterns.

"It was a very nasty fight but eventually I managed to knock them all down except their leader who took a parting swipe and then ran. I bent back to picking up my coins but many windows were open and the residents were emptying their chamberpots on me I guess because they wanted my coins for themselves, the filthy thieves!

"That in itself would not have stopped me but I could also hear some booted feet approaching so I thought it best to come back here.

"When I arrived Dandelion made me bathe in a nearby fountain before he would touch me. I don't know what the point of that was, because when I got out I noticed that it was filthy. So much for the famed sewers, eh? He managed to fix some of my wounds, but I am still very badly injured."

We retired to our rooms, and both Ambrose and I looked at what remained of Borstennskoldmund's wounds, but they were much to serious for either of us to able to do anything.

We were left that day with much planning to do for our rescue. Unfortunately, Borstennskoldmund was now known to the executioner so it fell to Dandelion to trail the executioner that day so we would know his way of arriving at Place de la Revolution. Some of the others went to the execution and Antonio followed the carts that took away the dead bodies.

After the cart had got some way from the square, the two men driving it stopped and began rummaging through the bodies, gleefully pulling off boots or clothes that were in good repair. A bit further on they stopped again and one of the men did something with one of the heads before ducking into a doorway, returning with some coins that he shared with his fellow.

They then proceeded to the lime pits where the bodies were tossed into the open pit and a quick shovelful of lime was thrown in before they hurried away to enjoy their gains.

And so it was that evening that we finalised our plans. Sir Robin would take the slate-coloured cloak Dandelion had helped him acquire and place himself on a roof overlooking the square. He claimed that he would be able to put La Bierê to sleep with an arrow and make him look as dead. That, combined with the diversions we were expecting from the Rye Grin would hopefully draw many of the guards from the square and cause some degree of confusion during which Borstennskoldmund, who would take the place of the executioner would pass the 'dead' body to us, who would take the part of the carters. We would then ride away in fear from all the commotion.

And so this morning we set out in our three groups. I went with Antonio, Dandelion and Sir Owain to take the place of the carters, which was accomplished with little fuss. Obviously we had all dressed in plain clothes, except for Antonio who seemed to feel that the solemn duties of carting the dead required his shiny black leather outfit. I hid my bow and sword beneath an old blanket in the cart, and the others took the hint and did the same.

As we rolled slowly into the square I could see the executioner leading the crowd in a chorus of "La Bierê! La Bierê! La Bierê" There was a man with some papers trying to talk to the executioner but he was being ignored, which gave me some reassurance that Mordred and Borstennskoldmund had probably succeeded in substituting Borstennskoldmund for the real executioner.

The wagons arrived with the prisoners, a squad of guards both before and behind the prisoners. The man with the papers spoke to the guards and they grabbed a frightened looking men and led him onto the platform of Le Coiffure. While some of the crowd continued their chant others whistled or cheered, and together with the tight expression on Dandelion's face confirmed that this was Armand La Bierê.

The slow drumbeat that had accompanied the prisoners to the square had stopped, but as La Bierê was settled into Le Coiffure a drumroll began. Sir Robin rose from his hiding place and fired a single arrow which buried itself in La Bierê's chest and caused him to slump as if, indeed, dead. Before anyone could react to that there were a number of explosions just beyond one end of the square which drew several squads of guards away.

Two of the remaining squads made their way to the building upon which Sir Robin stood, but he pulled a grenade from beneath his cloak, lit it, and dropped it among them. A number of the guards fell, and probably several spectators though it was hard to tell with the distance and the lingering smoke from the explosion. It was only the muskets and distinctive cockades of the guards that enabled me to see some of them pushing through the door into the building. Sir Robin disappeared to the back of the roof and I turned my attention to our own situation.

By this time Borstennskoldmund had hefted the body of La Bierê so I clambered onto the cart to receive it and placed it in the bed. Sir Owain clambered up beside me and we sat there waiting for Dandelion to leave. However Dandelion seemed to be lost in some sort of revery which lasted until I clipped him on the ear and motioned for him to go, carefully holding my tongue so as not to give myself away.

The cart lurched into motion behind the nag of a horse that pulled it. I was watching Antonio who appeared to be trying unsuccessfully to get near the other prisoners when the cart stopped again. A sergeant stood beside the cart near Dandelion no longer even looking in our direction, but that was apparently enough for Dandelion to stop and put his feet up.

I moved to the blanket covering my weapons and crouched to lay hold of my sword ready to leap on some guards as it looked like Dandelion would not move without us getting ourselves killed in combat, but a commotion behind me made me look around to see that Borstennskoldmund had removed the blade from Le Coiffure and was running off with it.

At this the crowd began to turn very ugly and I was preparing to abandon Dandelion if he was determined to sit there, when the sergeant turned back toward Dandelion, starting as if looking at a madman, then yelled something while gesturing emphatically at the crowd. Looking around and shrugging Dandelion urged the horse into motion and we slowly ambled from the square.

Before long we met up with Borstennskoldmund and Mordred, who had had no trouble breaking the blade and leaving it with the unconscious executioner, and Sir Robin, who still looked surprised at how easily he had eluded the guards that were erupting onto the rooftop as he quickly climbed down into the rear alley.

Cheering our good fortune, we proceeded to the Fallen Oak where we were to turn La Bierê over to some other members of La Couronne who would help him to escape. We drew into the stableyard and the windows to the inn shattered as a dozen muskets poked through. Something was said in Montaigne and the muskets erupted doing considerable damage to many of our group. I myself was hit quite badly but it was not a time for stopping as these guards seemed uninterested in talk.

Sir Owain was infuriated and with a bellow flung himself through the window to confront the guards. While the rest of us looked on in amazement, half the guards tackled Sir Owain while the rest moved into the yard. By the time I had collected my senses I could see that Sir Owain was already in serious trouble. The guards in the yard seemed to be under control so I moved inside to help Sir Owain just as he cut down two of the guards. As I lost sight of the yard Dandelion was still sitting on the cart, apparently happy to just let events continue to unfold around him.

I moved to Sir Owain's aid and managed to cut down another tow of the guards, when out of the shadows advanced a silly looking man in a top-hat with a cockade holding a sword in one hand and a poker in the other. He moved with a sinister grace but as he approached me I thought such a buffoon could not be too dangerous and turned back to the guards.

With some little flourish the man slid his sword into my side and I slid to the floor in darkness.

I have since learned that Sir Owain was also rendered unconscious in the battle, but we endured. The so-called agent of the Revolution who had finished me had fled as soon as Sir Robin confronted him directly, we later learned his name was Victoire d'Valleroix.

As for how they came to be there, it appears that La Couronne is very poor at guarding their secrets. I can only hope that our efforts in rescuing La Bierê will not be wasted by their incompetence, but perhaps they are more circumspect in protecting their own.

I wish you would return to teach me. While I will of course continue to obey my orders, I wonder whether this group is the same one I was ordered to aid when it was led by Von Tannen.

Also, you came first to Charouse in order to ensure it was safe before I arrived. I understand that other duties took you further afield before I arrived, and I am sure that as always the good of the Order is your first priority as it is mine. I just pray that you have not found me unworthy of you.

Avon Arthur,

Poor Knight of the Noble Order of the Rose and Cross