A new group of Warriors In Black is now formed, and a beautiful border wall has been built. Will Samuel accept the new group of warriors?
NOTE TO READERS: This story is a fictional fantasy story. I write as the inspiration comes to mind. I apologize in advance to any similarity of people's names and places. Such occurrences are only coincidental.
Kingdom of Largo
Chapter 22
The Return of the Warriors in Black
Another full moon had passed, and the villagers began to see that the border wall was about to be completed, except for the final stage: another quarter portion. There had not been any more incidences of lost cattle, nor had there been crops trampled to ruins. The villagers began to feel much safer now in their own environment. They were thankful that Baldwin and his team had so selflessly helped them build the wall.
It had been pouring rain for the past several days, so on some occasions, the warriors had to stop working until the rain cleared. Today was no exception. It began with a sunny sky in the morning, but around noon time, the rain poured again. Baldwin had to call off the work and get ready for a lunch break.
While many warriors made their way back to the lodging quarters, Baldwin, the six soldiers, Richard and Gerald and four others from their team made a stop-over at a village eatery to get sheltered from the rain. They ordered some food and wine and began drinking to relax for the day. Baldwin noticed the sky was dark and gloomy. It looked as though it might rain for the rest of the day.
“Sheesh! Another day of rain again! And it doesn't look like it will stop anytime soon!” Baldwin complained.
Why can't it just go back to sunny so we can complete the wall? We only need a few more days. Baldwin thought, venting to himself.
Outside the eatery, the villagers' market was still bustling despite the rain. Baldwin set off to pick up some food from the market to bring back to his other warriors.
Upon returning to the eatery, a cheerful voice beckoned Baldwin from behind.
“Sir Baldwin?” Baldwin turned to see the smiling face of a young man who could not have been past his sixteenth season.
“Yes! That's me!” Baldwin responded, returning the man's smile with one of his own.
“I'm so glad to see you, Sir Baldwin. I want to thank you personally for what you and your team have done for this village! We are so thankful that you have come by to help us!” The young man said.
“Oh, it's nothing! We are happy to be of any help at all! Are you here alone? Would you care to join us?”
“Well, if that's okay! It will be an honor for me to sit among you and your warriors,” said the young man.
“Please do join us!” Baldwin said, pulling over an empty chair from another table.
The young man was happy. He did not hesitate to sit down at all.
“Thank you! Thank you for allowing me to join you!”
Baldwin took note of the young man's body language. He noticed the young man seemed well-dressed. He did not seem to be a farmer, nor did he look the part of a baker. He appeared poised, yet looked the part of a laborer.
A blacksmith, perhaps? No, not that either. Baldwin continued to analyze the young man.
“My name is Walter. My father works as a village councillor,” said the young man, introducing himself to the group.
Baldwin and his men nodded.
“But I'm not working at anything yet. I'm still learning and would like to become a soldier” the young man continued.
“Oh? Have you learned to use a sword yet? You will require that skill to be a warrior to fight wars,” said Baldwin, looking at the young man's un-calloused hands. “Do you work on the farms?”
“No, I'm just following my father who is a council member to Sir Conrad Jr. I attend the court affairs if there are any and watch how my father advises and judges.”
Baldwin watched from the corner of his eyes and noticed some movements from his team members.
“Tell me, lad, do any boys around your age group currently receive training to be a warrior in your village?”
“No, most young men in the village are peasants. They just work in the fields,” answered Walter.
“My dear young man! If you want to be a warrior, my men and I can train you. You will learn how to use a sword to fight and defend yourself and protect your kingdom. You will be awarded a knighthood should you show excellence in battle and obtain victory. If you are bestowed such an honor, then you can work to become a lord like Sir Conrad Jr.” Baldwin suggested.
“No, Sir Conrad Jr. is not a knight. He has not been to any wars. He became a lord by inheritance after the death of his father, Sir Conrad Sr.,” said the young man.
“He did?” Baldwin was surprised. He noticed his team also seemed to have been in awe of the information they had just heard from this unsuspecting young man.
“Listen, Walter! If you want to stand out in this kingdom you will need to train to be a knight. Nobody can just inherit a position from his father. I don't know whether or not Sir Conrad Jr. is knighted. Perhaps he is, and you didn't know about it. If he isn't a knight, the village chief's position should not have been bestowed upon him. If that were the case, there would have been an election to elect a village chief,” Baldwin explained to the young man.
“Is that so? I knew it! My father would not let me speak up! My father could have been voted and become the village leader!” exclaimed Walter.
“Oh, not only that! Walter,” said Baldwin, “had you been trained to be a knight and won some wars, you could also join the election and may become the chief. Your village chief has not been honest with its citizens if none of the youths had received any military training. In the Kingdom of Largo, a male child who has passed the age of the sixth season should begin training with a wooden sword, and any male child who is of the age of his tenth season can receive a real sword and a horse to be trained to become a real warrior. Then, the child can learn and work towards knighthood.”
“Is that so? I never knew this! I grew up in this village and had never ventured outside so I didn't know any of this. Thank you for letting me know! My father only wants me to learn to be a council member like him so I can take his place when he passes,” explained Walter.
“Are there any men who call themselves warriors in your village?” asked Baldwin. By now, he was wondering if there had been any corruption in the village. It seemed that Sir Conrad Sr. had not been honest with the town's youths.
“Yes, we do have warriors in the village, but they live in a barricaded area where it is supposed to be restricted, and no one is allowed to go there,” Walter further explained to the group about their village.
“Listen, Walter!” said Baldwin again, cautiously. He looked around and there didn't seem to be anyone except the few of them, “My team and I can train you to become a real warrior. You will learn how to use a sword. When you succeed in learning, you can be one of us too. I will teach you how to hold the sword and swing it. How to advance towards your opponent, and how to retreat. In time, you will learn the art of fighting and defending yourself. You will be assigned special missions to earn you a knighthood. Would you like that?”
“Oh! That sounds most interesting! Yes, Sir Baldwin! I would like that!” The young man smiled broadly, “I wish you were the lord of this Oakwood Village, then all our men would be strong like you all.”
Baldwin smiled back. He knew he had gained the heart and the trust of this young man already. He looked over to his team and noticed they, too, had big grins on their faces.
A bountiful feast would follow this fruitful conversation. Baldwin, his men, and his new apprentice, Walter, ate heartily. Baldwin went out of his way to be courteous to the young man. All the other team members took turns in making small talk with young Walter, praising him for his knowledge about the village. The group had a great time.
The sky had cleared by the time they finished their lunch, prompting Baldwin to escort Walter and his men to a woodworking shop, where the team met with the woodworker. Baldwin placed an order for the woodworker to create several wooden swords immediately. Once the order was completed, Baldwin presented a wooden sword to young Walter. Walter was so excited to receive his first sword and promised he would meet Baldwin and the team daily at the forest border for his training sessions.
The following day Walter came with several of his friends, all of them around his age. Baldwin and his team suddenly found themselves being the trainers for these young men. Baldwin was happy to take on this duty. He added them to his team and assigned them to chores, like maintaining and cleaning their armor and swords, arch bows and arrows. There were also spears as well to clean. The young men marveled when handling the knighthood armor and uniforms. They all dreamed of owning them one day.
The following day, more young men had arrived for training alongside young Walter. Baldwin and his team couldn't be happier. Baldwin separated a portion of his team to give training to these newcomers. The rest continued to build the wall to completion. Eventually, Baldwin had to order another lot of wooden swords.
Baldwin also had an idea. Since Samuel's warriors in black had all died, and none had survived, he thought he might as well replace those warriors. Any young lad who wanted to join the group now would thus be assigned black clothing. They would be seen and known as Baldwin's young team of warriors in training.
The first time Walter went home wearing his uniform, his father almost thought he was a stranger. He asked why Walter would wear a black outfit.
“Father! It's my uniform! All the other children are wearing them! See? I have a facemask too to cover my face,” Walter replied. He showed the old man his facemask – a black piece of cloth.
“Sir Baldwin wants you all to wear them while training to become a knight?” asked his father, Geoffrey.
“Yes! And this is just for the time being. We need to be trained on the wooden sword first, then on the real sword. We each will also be awarded a horse by that time. If any of us should become knighted, then we can have the knighthood armor and the uniform,” said Walter, “and Father, you should see those knighthood armor. They come with a shield and other weapons as well. They are really protective when going to wars.” `
“Walter, we have always had a peaceful life in the village. Why would you want to be a warrior? Why can't you just stay in the village?”
“No, Father! I want more from life for myself! I want to be a strong person like Sir Baldwin and the warriors!” Walter responded loudly, “staying in the village and never venturing outside its boundary is not what I want in life! I want myself to be more useful to the kingdom.”
“And you know what? I don't think Sir Conrad Jr. has been honest with us all. Only someone who is a knight or a noble can become a lord to a village. The position cannot be inherited unless the lord owns all the lands within the village. When a village lord dies, the position of the next lord should be voted in by the villagers, and a new lord would be elected. See? Father, you did not know all this because you have never ventured out of the village,” Walter continued to inform his father.
Geoffrey was surprised by what his son had just said to him. All he could do was stand there in total silence. He found himself in awe and rendered speechless! What his son said was true . How could he force his son to spend his whole life inside the village and never venture outside? After all, Geoffrey knew the pitfalls of this fate all too well, having never ventured outside the village himself. There were so many things within the kingdom that he still did not know about, and now, here comes a chance for his young son to expand his knowledge - to learn about himself in the process - it would be wrong for him to hinder his advancement. Geoffrey knew he should let his son seek out his own fate. It was time, Geoffrey suddenly realized, that he should let go of his son and let him spread his wings.
“Okay, then! Walter, I will be happy when you become a knight. I will not stop you from becoming one. You know I always have your best interest in my heart. If your mother were still alive, she would be so proud of you."
“I know, father! I miss mother, but you have always been a good father to me,” Walter said appreciatively.
“Father, the wall is about to be completed soon. I suppose once it is completed, I will have to leave with Sir Baldwin and his team to return to the palace. I trust you will take care of yourself well after I depart. I shall often come back to see you,” Walter told his father.
XXXXX
As Baldwin and his team were finishing up with the wall, back at the palace, Samuel was overwhelmed by stacks of incoming bills presented to him by the Treasury. He was shocked to find such extravagant spending under the name of Baldwin.
What is going on with Baldwin and his team? Why is there so much money being doled out? Is the king aware of such spending?
This was a serious matter. Even though he knew that Baldwin had always been a big spender of money, he should know that state funds should not be treated as though they were easily replaceable. He noticed the large expense for labor costs for the construction of a mysterious - at least to Samuel – wall, and the expense for the excessive consumption in the village eateries also under Baldwin's name. What most perplexed Samuel was there, amongst today's invoices, was one for 100 wooden swords. He wondered what exactly Baldwin was doing in that village with 100 wooden swords.
Baldwin is insane! He's spending the kingdom's reserve like water! I need to find out exactly what kind of wall they are building! This needs to stop before the kingdom goes bankrupt. Samuel thought. With that urgent thought in mind, he decided it best to visit Oakwood Village.
Samuel told King Aylard of his intention and was sat atop his horse the following day, speeding through the roads to the village. When he arrived he was told to meet Baldwin at the forest border. Samuel dismounted his steed and waited patiently as instructed at the border's edge. Some time had passed with no one in sight coming to greet him, and so he had it in mind to set back from where he came.
As soon as Samuel re-mounted his horse, ready to turn back from the border, he suddenly found himself ambushed by Baldwin and a group of warriors in black!
“What is the meaning of all this?” He asked Baldwin angrily, “you told me that I would not be involved in any of this, and yet here you are, with a bunch of warriors in black! Did you not say they all have died and none survived?”
“Relax, Sir Samuel!” Baldwin replied, “look closely! These are all young warriors. They are not yours. They are MY warriors! My team and I are training them.”
“What would be the purpose for training them?”
“I have my reasons, but I'd rather not tell you yet.”
“And why are you building a wall? Why should the kingdom absorb the cost of labor for building this wall?”
“Sir Samuel, we are using the material that the village provided for free to build this wall, so I think the cost of labor should be absorbed by the Kingdom. It's only fair, isn't it?
“But this is not our wall! The Kingdom has not approved to building of such a wall here. Why should the kingdom pay for this?”
“This is no doubt, not your wall. I agree. But the warriors who built it belong to the kingdom. Should our warriors not get paid for their labor? Just look at it also as a training process for building a fortress. I don't think there is a difference between building a border wall and a fortress wall.” Baldwin tried reasoning with Samuel, and he had good reasons to protect the welfare of his warriors. They all had been working very hard on this project.
“As it so happens, we are just putting the finishing touches on the wall now. It is nearly complete,” Baldwin continued saying.
“So, what is your next step, Baldwin? Please tell me now. I expect no more surprises from you!”
“We will be back to the palace within the next few days. But one of my warriors in black wants to file a complaint about Sir Conrad Jr. He may appear in court.”
“Really? What's that all about?”
“The warrior in question, Walter, is the son of a council member. He intends to file a complaint regarding the estate of Sir Conrad Sr. Following the death of Sir Conrad Sr., the village had not held a voting process to elect the new leader. Sir Conrad Jr. had just stepped up to inherit the position,” Baldwin said.
“This young man, Walter, wants to revoke Sir Conrad Jr.'s inheritance. He wants to nullify it and re-elect another leader. He thinks I should be the one to be elected.”
“Why?”
“Sir Conrad Jr. is not a knight," Baldwin continued, "he has never been bestowed such an honor and has never undergone training to become a warrior. Thus, he had never been to war. He only stood beside his father to learn how to trade. You tell me, Sir Samuel, is someone like that fit to be the lord of a village?”
"Baldwin, you are such a rat!" said Samuel.
Although Samuel secretly admitted that Baldwin was right, he would not provide an answer one way or the other.
“We have not been interfering with the politics in this village, so I am assuming whatever they have decided to do was agreeable with the villagers.”
“That's the problem, Sir Samuel! The people in the village just live here and seldom venture out of their village. They do not know the kingdom's policy, and the people in the kingdom assume that the village will do everything according to the kingdom's rules and regulations so they do not risk interfering with the goings-on in this village. But that is not right! This land is now belonging to the kingdom and this village should still follow the rules and regulations set by King Aylard. They cannot just pick a person to be a new leader after the previous leader dies. The next in line to succeed in the position has to be elected through a voting process if the successor is not a knight and does not hold ownership of all the lands in the village,” Baldwin continued to complain.
"I agree, Baldwin," Samuel nodded, finally!
“Besides, Sir Samuel! I am doing you a favor! These are all young and healthy men. I'm training them for you to replace those ones who had died. You should really welcome them into the palace and provide them with good training. These are highly motivated young men, all of them are eager to one day become warriors. I'm presenting them to you because of your loss,” said Baldwin.
Samuel watched the new generation of would-be warriors working. They seem to be a mighty tough bunch! Very enthusiastic and very healthy! Yes! He could use them. He would be pleased to have them under his wings.
Samuel began to form a smile.
“Walter, come here, Walter!” Baldwin waved to one young man. He came forward.
“Walter, I want you to meet Sir Samuel! He is King Aylard's right-hand man. Sir Samuel works as one of the king's councillors.”
“Very pleased to meet you, Sir Samuel!” Walter bowed to Samuel. Samuel was delighted. Walter has brown hair and eyes like his two sons, Drake and Durwin. He was well-mannered and did not look like a peasants' child.
“Walter's father, Geoffrey, works as a council member for Sir Conrad, Jr.” Baldwin said, noticing the surprised look on Samuel's face as he spoke, “but Walter has a lot of ambition. He wants to be trained as a warrior. He wants to go to war for the kingdom. He wants to earn the distinction of becoming a knight. As a matter of fact, all these warriors in black have one thing in common. They all want to get trained to be real warriors.”
“I'm pleased to know there are good young men in this village. Sure, the palace always welcomes those who want to learn. We have good trainers in the palace who can provide eager young men like you, Walter, to become real warriors,” Samuel told the lad.
“Thank you, Sir Samuel! I look forward to joining you and everyone in the palace!” Walter felt as though he was over the moon with delight. He basked in the seductive embraces of hope, strength and an emboldened ego.
Eager to share his news with the rest of the would-be warriors, Walter ran back to tell the rest of the young men the minutes of his meeting with Samuel.
“Okay, then?” Baldwin said to Samuel – not so much asking as telling him- “we shall be back within a few days, and the warriors will be yours, though do bear in mind I may need them again to protest in the village.”
“Protest! What do you mean? Baldwin, don't give me any more surprises! Just lay out your plan with me so I can prepare for whatever that is coming. Surely, I will train them for you, even with real swords and horses! But I need to know in advance from whom they will be taking orders!”
“Don't worry! Sir Samuel! You will not be involved. I guarantee you! It will only be between me, the warriors in black, and Sir Conrad Jr.”
“Let me show you around the wall, Sir Samuel! It's a beautiful and sturdy wall that the team has built. And believe me, once the wall is complete, the thieves will no longer be able to come through the border to steal the maple trees,” Baldwin said.
"What thieves?" Samuel gave Baldwin a sideway glance, narrowing his eyes.
Baldwin did not respond, pretending that he did not hear the question.
Baldwin walked Samuel along the border wall, showing him how sturdy a wall his team had built. He tried his best to convince Samuel that the cost of the workmanship was well worth the expense. Baldwin knew in advance when he ordered its construction that he may become the new lord for this village and that the kingdom was still responsible for financing its infrastructure.
THE SUSPENSE IS BUILDING AS BALDWIN IS NOT A TRUSTWORTHY PERSON. HE IS DIGGING A PIT THAT I HOPE ONE DAY HE FALLS INTO HIMSELF. I'M OFF TO CHAPTER 23 OF THIS GREAT STORY! LOVE IT AND THANKS FOR SHARING, SANDIE. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...HIS+INSPIRATIONS
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