Enfants Perdus

 

Messidor, 6589

 

Airday, 15th of Messidor

The three knights supervise the defense and fortification of Les Tourelles, while the selfsame towers are hammered with cannon fire from Vádère's towers. A band of light horsemen, including Pierre Dupont and Farrand, are ferried over, and head south, scouting. Making a sortie to search the south bank, the knights find alchemist's fire, a cask of strong spirits, and some unidentified vials of liquid.

In the evening, the riders return in great haste. They report that Tartor outriders are in hot pursuit, and that the Tartor vanguard is coming from the south. The scouting parties barely have time to get onto the barges ferrying them before their pursuers come down upon them. The frustrated Tartor riders send a hail of arrows and quarrels over the departing barges, inflicting some casualties.

The knights and their men watch grimly from the towers

 

Earthday, 16th of Messidor

In the afternoon, the Tartor van arrives. Comtet Hercules, the giant of Aramé approaches Les Tourelles along the Old Road to parley. He halts an arrow's shot away.

Under white flags, the three knights of the defense meet with the Comtet. They parley, and it is agreed that Barberouge and his two companions will meet with Comtet Hercules de Aramé and two knights of his choosing, to duel over the fate of the earth. After glancing pensively to the heavens, Aramé agrees to leave Les Tourelles alone for 18 strokes if Barberouge should prevail, while Barberouge promises to surrender the fortifications without battle should Aramé be victorious. The duel is to be fought with weapons no longer than the wielder's arm, and shields.

After finishing the parley, the knights return to Les Tourelles, to talk of the events. Barberouge sends a courier crow to Colonel Raphel. He talks with Ours-de-Fer of the matter at hand, and confides that, should they lose, he will break his word rather than surrender the towers to the enemy. Coeur-de-Grandcourbeau is silent as always. In the evening, there is a feast at Les Tourelles, though Barberouge gives orders to keep a strict watch. Both of the elder knights are sorely tempted by drink, but manage to restrain themselves. There is godless talk betwixt the two.

 

Fireday, 17th of Messido

Waking a stroke before dawn, the knights sup lightly, don their harness, and arm themselves. Each is followed by a shield-bearer and a servant as they walk down the Old Road, their sorrelets ringing on the Cargan paving. The air is cool and moist, the grass on either side of the road pale with dew. The moon is but a patch of light in the massive clouds to the west, while the dawn bleeds red on the mountains in the east. The knights meet Comtet Hercules de Aramé, his two knights, their six followers, and the herald.

Aramé is resplended in a colossal suit of burnished plate, a golden lap dog crest on his helm, and a surcoat in his family's red and gold. He wields a mighty mace in his left hand. With him is a large knight of Lombé, wielding a warpick, and Sieur Hubert of Molbert, a knight of a lesser family, armed with a morningstar. The Lombean knight is faced by Ours-de-Fer, while Molbert squares off with the Clemencian knight-mercenary.

The herald reads out the rules and conditions of the duel. Then he blows his horn to signal the commencement of the duel, as the sun clears the mountains to the east, and the bells of Vádère peal out the first stroke of the day. Wasting no time, Aramé attacks with a shield rush, which Barberouge fails to dodge, and the red-bearded knight is knocked prone. Simultanously, Coeur-de-Grandcourbeau hacks his warpick into the cheek of Molbert, hooking him, while avoiding his whirling morningstar. The Clemencian attempts to free his weapon, and the hooked knight attempts to retreat, but the warpick remains where it is, as does Molbert. Ours-de-Fer retreats from his opponent, whom declines to follow, and stands ominously still. Neither makes an attack.

Barberouge rises under a flurry of blows from Aramé, aimed at his face. One strikes perilously close to the face, striking sparks off the knight's helmet. The two knights trade blows, neither hurting the other, until Aramé makes a masterful feint. Just as he is about to strike home, Barberouge makes a desperate attck, stiking him squarely in the chest, denting his plate, cracking a rib, and sending the comtet flying backwards, landing prone on his back. The hulking knight and his heavy armour hit the ground with a tremendous noise. However, the Comtet is able to rise just as Barberouge did at the beginning of the fray. By the end of the first engagement, Aramé's shield is half gone.

The knight of Lombé and his opponent eye each other, until Ours-de-Fer rushes in, frustrated by his enemy's restraint. The Lombean attempts to hook his leg to trip him, but misses, and is forced on retreat, frantically trying to block the hammering mace of Ours-de-Fer. The fight turns as the Lombean halts, stands his ground, and strikes his warpick into Ours-de-Fer's right elbow, striking clean through the armour and the joint, halting only as the spike meets the coutier. Ours-de-Fer makes a desperate attempt to shield rush his opponent, but is blocked and knocked off his feet. Hooked by the warpick, he falls flat at the Lombean's feet. The Lombean drops his shield and grapples with his left arm, Ours-de-Fer struggles vainly to free himself as the knight of Lombé pins him with his left arm, lets go of the pick, and readies a rondel with the right hand. Pinned and facing the prospect of having the rondel plunged through eye and brain, Ours-de-Fer reluctantly accepts the opportunity to surrender.

The Clemencian deftly pulls Sieur Molbert of his feet with his hooked warpick. The fallen knight manages to roll away, taking the warpick with him. Coeur-de-Grandcourbeau attacks the squirming Molbert, trying to kick, knee and finally shield bash his head before he finally regains his footing, the warpick still dangling from his face. He then retaliates, smashing his morningstar horribly into the face of Coeur-de-Grandcourbeau, breaking his nose and cracking his upper jaw. Flailed by the bloodied morningstar, the Clemencian knight draws his sword. The two gasping knights, both lower faces a ruin of blood and bone face each other, Molbert trying to wrench loose the warpick from his face.

The field of the melee is quiet for the first time since the first engagement. The combatants hearts have beaten less than sixty times since the fray began (20 seconds ago).