The Lady of the Castle (The Marie Series Book 2) Page 31

  Since plain soldiers and servants were turned away at the gate, upon reaching the city, Michi stepped behind a cart drawn by a skinny horse, pushing the wagon from behind as if it were his job. Since he still wore farm clothes, the guards fell for his trick, and he made it through the gate without problems. Once out of sight, he let go of the wagon and made his way through the crowd into a side alley, where he soon reached a narrow, half-timbered house. Crooked with age, the structure leaned against the city wall. He banged the weather-beaten door knocker.

  It was a while before an old, coarse-looking woman opened the door. Her voice creaked like a rusty hinge. “You again! What do you want this time?”

  “I have to speak to Timo!”

  “I’ll see if he’s in.” She turned around and shuffled back into the house. Michi stayed outside the door, since if he tried to follow her, she would rant and rave at him and accuse him of stealing. Hearing her grating voice on the floor above, he wondered yet again how Timo could bear that unfriendly woman. He had asked the one-legged man several times why he stayed, but the answers had always been evasive, just saying that she wasn’t that bad and rent was cheap.

  In truth, Michel’s former sergeant still thought it a miracle he had met Marie the previous summer. She had given him enough money to stay with Frau Lotte for several years and, provided he was economical, enjoy more than just the warm bed of his hostess. While the news of Marie’s death had saddened Timo, he now truly felt like his own master. His landlady vocally encouraged his independent attitude to the degree that he increasingly considered Michi a nuisance.

  “Hello, Michi! Why are you visiting me again so soon?” he asked rather gruffly.

  Wincing at the man’s harsh tone, Michi straightened up and looked at him imploringly. “You have to help me, Timo. The group I belong to is going to war in a few days’ time, and I can’t take Trudi with me. Please keep her with you until I return, and if I’m not back by fall, then take her to my mother in Rheinsobern. She’ll reward you for your trouble.”

  Timo nodded instinctively, feeling he owed something to Michel and Marie’s daughter. “I don’t mind, but I’ll have to ask Frau Lotte if she’ll take her in. Wait a moment.” He turned away and limped back into the house on his crutch. Since he’d left the door ajar, Michi could hear their conversation. As he’d feared, Frau Lotte started ranting, refusing to take what she called a pauper’s brat into her house. But when Timo explained to her that Trudi was the heir of a knight of the Reich and the kaiser would surely reward them richly for bringing him the girl, her tone started to change.

  Michi fought back tears. He hadn’t expected his old friend to betray him like that. Timo knew that Marie wanted to save her daughter from becoming the ward of some mighty lord, and that Michi felt bound to her words as to a sacred request.

  Listening to Timo and his landlady musing about how they would spend the kaiser’s reward for the girl, Michi finally turned around and ran away. When Timo returned to the door shortly thereafter, there was no one there. Shrugging, he limped back into the house. “The boy’s gone. Must have taken too long for him, but I reckon he’ll soon be back.”

  8.

  When Michi got back to camp, the reinforcements had arrived, among them around fifty Swiss mercenaries under Urs Sprüngli’s command. The Appenzell man had taken part in several campaigns against the Hussites, but when Heinrich informed him of their mission, he shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t be serious! We’re expected to march right across enemy lands with fewer than two hundred men? What idiot thought of this madness?”

  “The kaiser.” Heinrich’s voice was no happier than the Swiss man’s. Sprüngli’s group was about the same size as his group, and he wasn’t happy about the friction that was bound to ensue about who was in charge. “I didn’t ask for you and your men,” he added with annoyance.

  “And I didn’t ask to be sent on a suicide mission, but there you have it. In any case, we should stick together. We’ve got a long march ahead of us, and we’ll be busy enough fending off the Hussites. You’re the leader of this group, and I accept you as mine. But don’t think I’ll keep quiet if I disagree with your decisions.”

  Sir Heinrich immediately liked the Swiss for his blunt honesty. He waved to Eva to bring them two cups of wine, and he raised his cup to Sprüngli. “To success! May God and the saints be with us!”

  “If we make it back unscathed, I’ll go on a pilgrimage to Einsiedeln and light a candle for the Holy Virgin on the abbey’s feast day.” Sprüngli exhaled loudly. “But I’m not taking back what I said about the idiot.”

  He emptied his cup, took his leave of Sir Heinrich, and returned to his men. Heinrich sat down and looked at Eva seriously. “I have to agree with Sprüngli regarding the kaiser.”

  Eva refilled his cup, then poured one for herself. “I don’t like it that Michi and Trudi are coming with us, Sir Heinrich.”

  The knight shrugged. “We can’t leave them behind, or they’ll have to sit on the steps of the Saint Lorenz Church and beg. And how long do you think it would be before they get chased away by the other beggars and out of town by the bailiffs?”

  “That might be a more merciful fate than what could happen to them with us.” Eva stared blankly through the torn pig’s bladder in the window opening.

  “Don’t worry about Michi. We have servants with us younger than him. The two of you will just have to keep an eye out for the little girl.” It was obvious that Sir Heinrich had more pressing problems on his mind than the fate of two children. “Trust in God’s mercy, Eva, and remember that you and the children made it through the last campaign unscathed. We’ll make it through this one as well.”

  The knight rose to go, but Eva held him back.

  “I wanted to thank you for giving part of the new provisions to Theres and me.”

  “It should be enough to make up for your losses last year,” the knight replied, leaving the hut with a vain attempt at an encouraging smile.

  He was finding it harder than usual to prepare for the campaign, since deep down he was convinced that none of them would return. The only thing he could do was to make their defeat as hard as possible for the enemy. Therefore, he ordered his men to fix up their gear as best as they could and went to inspect Sprüngli’s men. The Appenzell men made a good impression, but he could tell they also thought the situation was hopeless.

  Lastly, he inspected the baggage train, which often slowed marching troops down. Since they would have to negotiate several steep mountain ranges and stay off the old trading routes, they couldn’t take any large, heavy vehicles. In addition to Eva’s and Theres’s sutler wagons, which were relatively light, Sir Heinrich decided to take several two-wheeled peasant carts, purchasing five carts for a hefty sum from a wainwright in a nearby town. The purchase left a gaping hole in the newly filled war coffer, but Heinrich wanted them to have every possible chance at survival. He therefore also replaced the oxen with younger, stronger animals, slaughtering and salting the older animals to add to their provisions.

  In less than a week, everything was readied, and since the snow had almost completely melted and there was little danger of winter returning, there was nothing standing in the way of their departure. Sir Heinrich surveyed his small army one last time. Then he mounted his horse and gave the order to depart, appearing as calm and confident as if they were taking a short jaunt to a neighboring town.

  9.

  Meanwhile, the icy winter holding Bohemia in its merciless grip hadn’t stopped the Hussites from raiding the milder regions of Austria. The returning Taborites bragged loudly about their deeds, and Marie heard of atrocities that made her shudder while strengthening her will to flee as soon as she could. Working for the Hussites day after day in the old barn, she overheard information that would help her escape and survive. Her plans were made more difficult because she couldn’t leave Anni or Helene behind. The young woman had
become very attached to Marie, and she was suffering under Renata even more than Marie, as she wasn’t protected by the mention of Jan Hus’s name. Vyszo’s wife vented her hatred of Germans on Helene, and many men did the same. The long years of war had brutalized the men, and Little Prokop, Vyszo, and their comrades agreed with Falko von Hettenheim that only a soldier who enjoyed plunder and rape was a good soldier, and they led their men by example.

  Though she was scared to join in a Hussite campaign, Marie also knew it was her only chance to escape, and she waited impatiently for the opportunity. Many weeks passed without anything happening. Then, suddenly, men arrived in droves to march to Saxony and Silesia under Prokop’s command. Soon the women who would go along to wash, cook, serve the leaders, and process the loot were chosen. To Marie’s great annoyance, Renata was the commanding woman, and she chose only companions she liked—who, of course, didn’t include Marie, Anni, or Helene.

  Desperate to leave, Marie went to see Ottokar Sokolny. In her eyes, he owed her a favor, and she wanted to remind him of it now. Not noticing her presence in front of him, the young count seemed a lot tenser than a few months before, a deep crease above his nose now dividing his forehead like a sword scar.

  Marie cleared her throat, and when he still didn’t react, she addressed him. “Forgive me for disturbing you, my lord. I heard they were looking for women who wanted to accompany the troops.”

  Count Ottokar shook his head as if trying to rid his mind of negative thoughts, and he gave Marie a distant look. “What did you say?”

  “I want you to take me and my friends Anni and Helene with you. We won’t be a burden, and we’ll help wherever we can.”

  “You want to go to war with us against your own people?” Ottokar stared at her in surprise. Then he noticed the pleading look in her strikingly blue eyes. “Oh, so that’s what it is! You’re hoping to escape along the way. You can forget about that right away, as they would send men after you to catch you and bring you back. And I don’t have to tell you what would happen to you then.”

  Marie was shocked that Sokolny had seen through her so easily, but then she laughed out loud, still trying to convince him. “What are you thinking, sir? I’m not crazy, but I don’t want to sweat in that stinking barn forever. Also, as a sutler, I know something about campaigns.”

  “I can’t help you, Marie. I’m in charge of the vanguard, and I don’t have any use for women there.”

  He looked like he was telling the truth, and Marie believed him, as in the imperial army, too, the vanguard usually traveled without obstructive followers, and the prostitutes and sutlers were assigned to the main body or even the rear guard.

  “I’m sorry to have bothered you, my lord.” She started to turn away, but Sokolny held her by the sleeve.

  “Don’t call me that again. To the Taborites, I’m a simple brother and no nobleman. If they hear you talk like that, both of us might be in trouble.”

  Marie looked at him with surprise, realizing he really seemed to be afraid. She just couldn’t decide whether he was scared for her sake or for his own life. Either way, she considered herself warned. She would have to be more careful, as she would rather spend another winter there than put herself and her friends in danger.

  “I understand, brother Ottokar.” She disappeared in a flurry of skirts. Ottokar Sokolny followed her with his eyes, regretting that a beautiful and proud woman like her had to work as a slave, but a few moments later he had forgotten her again over his own worries.

  Frustrated, Marie returned to her hut, crouching in a corner and trying not to listen to Renata and her friends as they drank beer and discussed the upcoming campaign in bloodthirsty tones. But Marie’s ears suddenly perked up as Renata mentioned that Vyszo, who would be leading the rear guard, was still looking for sutlers and prostitutes. Even though Marie completely detested the man, she didn’t want to miss that opportunity, and she left the hut to find Vyszo’s sergeant, Przybislav, who was responsible for choosing the women.

  The door to Przybislav’s hut stood open, and when she entered, she saw the Czech panting and moving on top of Helene. Though Marie’s first instinct was to leave, her friend saw her and looked away with embarrassment.

  Przybislav climaxed with a triumphant roar, caught his breath, and stood up with a satisfied grunt. Then he discovered Marie and leered at her. “What’s the matter, woman? Come sooner next time if you’d like a turn, too.” Shuddering, Marie vowed that she wouldn’t voluntarily give herself to that man even if her life depended on it.

  Helene had slipped into her dress and pushed past Przybislav to Marie. “Has something happened?” she asked in German.

  Marie nodded grimly. “I wanted to ask Przybislav if you, Anni, and I could join Vyszo’s group.”

  “I can’t imagine he’d object, especially if I come along,” Helene replied with an expression that told Marie what price her friend would pay for the vague possibility of escaping. For a moment she considered giving up her plan and waiting for another opportunity. Then she wondered how many times her friend would get molested if they stayed behind. She herself had been lucky so far, but Jan Hus’s alleged blessing wouldn’t protect her forever. Giving Helene an encouraging look, Marie twisted her lips into something resembling a smile.

  “Can you please talk to Przybislav about assigning us to a group? Or would you rather stay in camp, waiting for the next man to call you to their hut?”

  Shaking her head, Helene turned to Przybislav and sputtered several sentences in Czech to which he eventually replied with a few grumbled words that sounded like “fine by me.” He then slapped Helene’s bottom so hard, she yelped with fright. Not waiting for his next move, Marie darted out the door.

  Helene followed, rubbing her behind and looking at Marie curiously. “Now please tell me why you want to join Vyszo, of all people? I’ll probably have to lie with Przybislav every night from now on and end up carrying his child.”

  “I’ve got a remedy against unwanted pregnancies,” Marie replied. “Come, I’ll give you some right away.”

  Helene anxiously crossed herself, then glanced back at the hut, where Przybislav was still standing in the door, and nodded. “I guess it’s better that way. And as long as I’m serving as his mattress, I don’t have to worry about others.”

  Marie hugged her and stroked her cheek. “Let’s pray to God that you don’t have to put up with him for much longer and that we can return to our home country soon.”

  Helene lowered her head sadly. “I don’t have a home, Marie.”

  “Home is where you make it. Now, chin up, and you’ll see, everything will be fine!”

  10.

  Three days later, the army broke camp. Little Prokop had called on every man capable of bearing arms in western Bohemia, and he now led more soldiers than any Hussite leader before him. His army consisted of a good ten thousand men and was accompanied by more than a thousand horse-drawn carts. The animals were smaller and shaggier than the horses Marie knew from home, but also tougher and less demanding. Mostly acquired as booty on raids, the wagons they were pulling seemed small and fragile, but their simple construction made them easy to repair. Since most of the horses pulled the carts and were too small to carry armored men for long distances, there were hardly any mounted men. The few Hussites who did ride horses were noblemen of rank and their followers, and they received wry looks and sometimes curses from the Taborite soldiers.

  Since he wanted to travel light, Prokop had ordered only as many provisions as they needed to reach the first villages and cities in Saxony, as from then on they would plunder to feed the army. The soldiers’ simple attire was also made for speed, and only the leaders wore more than a few iron plates sewn onto leather. Yet the wagons were loaded with hundreds of the Hussites’ favorite weapons, including mighty pavises, or large, heavy shields, pikes, morning stars, and also the terrible culverins, against which neither the
imperial army nor the troops of the raided lords had yet found a defense.

  Marie had once strolled past an artillery wagon to take a closer look at the culverins, each as long as a man and forged as one solid tube. A soldier standing by had explained to her how they worked, blusteringly proud of the firepower. Apparently, the back end was closed with a complicated mechanism, which was removed before loading with a tightly twisted mass tipped with finely chopped lead or a solid missile, then backed by a parcel of compacted gunpowder at least three times as large. Once the ammunition was in the barrel, the closing mechanism was put back in place and locked, and the culverin could be fired. Marie had never seen these terrible weapons in action, but she sensed she wouldn’t be spared this experience.

  Ottokar Sokolny and his mounted vanguard left at dawn, but Prokop waited for several more hours before giving the order for the main body to march, and by the time Vyszo’s group finally left, the sun was almost at its highest point. Marie didn’t have to steer a wagon this time, but she sat next to the driver at the front of a cart. Instead of a solid box seat, there was only a highly uncomfortable board tied between the two side ladders. Inside the wagon, Anni, Helene, and six soldiers were sitting on a pile of boxes and sacks. Marie initially couldn’t believe that the little brown horse could pull its heavy load, but it had been towing the wagon for hours now and didn’t seem to tire.

  The men she was traveling with were all Taborites and thus basically her worst enemies, and yet she got on just as well with them as with the plain soldiers of the imperial army. She laughed at their jokes after they were explained in German, received their admiring looks with the expected degree of flirtatiousness, and twisted free from reaching hands. When the train stopped in the late afternoon, she looked for a suitable spot for the wagon and pointed one out to the driver. He muttered something very close to praise and steered his cart to the place she had suggested. As soon as they had stopped, Marie’s friends jumped off the wagon in agitation, and Anni used gestures more than her still-faltering voice to show Marie how the soldiers had been pinching her behind the whole time. Bitterly remembering Losen’s attack on her, she animatedly demonstrated to Marie how she’d turn into a scratching, clawing cat the next time someone tried to take her by force.