The Unrested Spirit part II

Dear Lucerne,

Report from the front Second WAR of the CROSS

The blood red light of sunset bathed our faces as we crested a low rise. It had been a dry dusty trip in midsummer and the horses had started to tire. The road pushed on unrelenting and we could see its curves extend some miles to the south. A side road joined here and we could see over the shallow fertile valley a village. Its adobe houses and church tower, stained red by the setting sun, were only a mile away. One quick ride and we could rest. The horses sensed that a stable and oats awaited so they willingly carried us all - regardless of our riding skill. Soon we were at the last house as the sun's last light fled from the sky. The night was dark, no moon till later. We advanced cautiously from habit. Besides our footfalls we heard no other sound. We stopped and listened. Nothing. Not in Eisen, weather fine, no monster, horses calm..... No problem!

We started to advance. I held back a curse on the thoughtless peasants; they had left their washing strung low over the narrow road. We pushed the 'washing' aside and our blood went cold. We made light and saw the corpses of 20 peasants hanging down the street. Each had a sign reading "I am a heretic collaborator". In the village square was the remains of a huge fire. I examined the remains of four women and two men who had been burnt at the stake.

The church opposite was locked. Pistol broke some nameless instrument in the lock. Eventually I used a 14 gauge piano tuning tool to open the lock. Inside the space was open with no benches and a priest's cassock abandoned on the altar steps. We advanced cautiously noting the windows had been sealed. With a cry from the others my attention was drawn to the cassock. The priest was still in it and miraculously alive. The others plied him with drink and Eisen porridge. He ate and drank. For the uninitiated there is no better truth serum than eisen porridge.

"Dey came without warning" he rasped.

"Da inquisition" he gulped. "They came without warning. Dey kill without warning. We good castillians, we oppose invaders. We good Vaticine. Dey try to make me confess to evil things but I am an honest soul and I am innocent".

"Da children, da children, they taka da children....."

"Dey go a south, San Pablo next target.

"Beware the Cardinal's guard. Beware...." he choked his last words.

While the others scouted the village I did a quick post mortem. He had been starved for 2 days in the church. Every limb and major bone had been broken. The large bones of the legs had been twisted so that they shattered along their length. This meant as soon as the victim moved or was moved he would die from the septic internal trauma. It is the most evilly callous thing I have ever seen.

The virago's of Eisen had revenge as a motive and their results were not as exquisitly, subtle and perfectly evil. The Sieur de Agremor comes close but his torture compares like a mere savage with a grandmaster of the sword.

We buried them all and Antonio read the thean burial ceremony. It took all night and we pressed on south the next day without sleep. The road went up a narrow defile.

The peasant's ambush went well for them. In our tired state most of us responded like sleepwalkers. We still managed to cower the peasants and they surrendered. They were in fear and living rough of the land. They had seen a gang of children and a strong guard go past with a cardinal late yesterday. We gave them 2 guilders each. One called Sancho asked if he could be of service. He said the inquisition didn't know that the next bridge was out. The detour to the nearest ford would delay them many miles. A party heading directly for the willow ford could cross and meet the road where it came back. We took his advice and arrived at San Pablo ahead of the inquisition. We spoke to the mayor [Kadif Pablo?]. Some men joined us to help fight while the others prepared to evacuate. Back up the road we travelled to a copse which was a good site for an ambush. We readied two trees one to fall in front another behind so that the wagon of children would be captured.

We sprang the ambush. I couldn't get a clean shot at the cardinal so I went down and got up on the second wagon carrying stores. The three shieldmen about the cardinal blocked all approaches to him. I got a quick shot before the sheildman and scum attacked. Pistol punched the horse pulling the children's wagon and stopped it from going anywhere. Antonio and Mordred where heavily engaged.

All too soon the cardinal and his guard rode and jumped the tree at the back. The rest of the scum surrendered.

The victory feast was pleasant on the tongue and ego but I have grave doubts about the future. The inquisition's war against L'Empereur is not over. Those who sheltered out of the war have returned to kill, rob and maim.

*

Dandelion