The High Road (On Hold)

Chapter Four

          When the sun rose at Inverness, you could hardly tell dawn had broken. The barracks had no windows, not even the officers' quarters. This was done in an effort to protect the castle's troops from enemy attacks. The English, however, embraced the opposite way of thinking. The longbow was a highly favored weapon of the English army. To make the best use of it, castle walls in England were strewn with window slits just large enough to fit a longbow through. This was done much to the dismay of invaders, especially the Scots, who preferred to fight on foot and hack away at opponents with melee weapons rather than from a distance.

          Stéaphan usually woke up just as the sun was rising. This morning was no different aside from the obvious nearing of winter. The stone walls of his quarters insulated the room, keeping it warm only if the fires continued to burn. Seeing that his fire was almost extinguished, Stéaphan leapt from his bed and carefully coaxed the flames back to life. He added some extra logs to the pit to ensure it would stay lit throughout the day. The pit was situated on the side of his room with a stone chimney rising to the roof to let out the smoke his fire made.

          There were five officers stationed at Inverness, Stéaphan being one of them. The three melee infantry officers commanded units of seventy-five each, or as close to that number as they could get. The two missile infantry officers commanded only fifty each. This was a fairly small garrison compared to most castles, but there was no real need to fortify Inverness with an abundance of troops due to its position relative to where the fighting was taking place. Each officer had his own room in the officers' quarters complex next to the castle courtyard. Although it was technically a fortress because it had two sets of walls, one outside the inner castle to protect the residents that worked for the governor and one inside to protect the castle courtyard, officers' quarters, and governor's home, Inverness was always just referred to as a castle.

          After ensuring his fire would continue to burn throughout the day, Stéaphan stumbled to his wardrobe to don his blue officer's tunic. The spearhead pattern on the right breast indicated he leads a melee infantry unit, specifically spearmen. He stepped outside and embraced the chilly autumn air, stretching his sore muscles and massaging his tense shoulders. Not a moment later, a sharp pain struck his right thigh. A small stone tumbled to the ground next to his feet as he looked up to a familiar face.

"I hope you slept well, lad", said Meriadoc, tossing another stone between his hands. "I heard O'Connor has special news for the lot of us."

"News? We've not had any new word for weeks. Surely the war hasn't been won yet", said Stéaphan, rubbing the throbbing spot on his thigh.

"I certainly hope not! The boys up north haven't had a go at the enemy yet. The only real fighting we get is when Protestants show up at the castle gates!" yelled Meri, a wide grin on his face.

          Meriadoc was correct, there was news to be shared with the troops at Inverness. Later that morning after the soldiers had eaten and readied themselves for the day's drills, Governor O'Connor called the men to formation in the courtyard. Despite minor grumblings from the men about the need for a meeting and how pointless it seemed, all ears were firmly attuned to the governor.

"Alright lads, a courier from Edinburgh came through the castle yesterday and gave me an important message to tell the lot of you, so I'll make this quick."

O'Connor reached into the pocket of his trousers and pulled out a small letter. He opened it and began to read loudly for all to hear.

"To the garrisoned troops of Inverness castle: this letter is to inform the men of Inverness that Malcolm, King of Scots, is to attend the castle in five days' time with the purpose being to ensure His Majesty's troops are able-bodied and ready to combat all foes of our proud country. His Majesty will also ensure the facilities of the fortress continue to run without falter or hindrance."

The men stood silent, knowing exactly what was to come next.

"Well then, lads, we have five days to convert this midden of filth into a castle worthy of His Majesty's presence. Officers are to meet in the great hall to receive their orders for their troops. The rest of you lot, return to your barracks and await instruction."

Thus is the passing of information in the Scottish army. Formality only wastes time to these men.

As ordered, Stéaphan went to the great hall and spoke with O'Connor about his unit's assignment. Because he belongs to a spear unit, his men are assigned to be the fortress's guards, ensuring public order and peace for the duration of the king's visit.

"It may not seem like much, but this is an important task. Do not take this lightly or the king will think unrest brews in the north", said Governor O'Connor to Stéaphan. "The petty squabbles the commoners have cannot interfere with the king's visit."

"Of course, my lord. Nothing of the sort will happen under my watch, sir", replied the young captain.

          That afternoon, Stéaphan relayed the information to his men. Despite its mundane outward appearance, guard duty had some perks. They would be issued the finest armor and the brightest of spears. Some men might even speak to the king himself. Although this also meant that if a citizen had a problem, they would go straight to the men of his unit.

"If I were you, I wouldn't even give the boys any weapons while on duty. They'll probably end up slitting their throats out of boredom before the first day is done", joked Meriadoc soon after Stéaphan gave him the news.

          While the other officers readied their men for their respective tasks, Stéaphan spoke with the blacksmith and quartermaster about proper armaments for his unit. The process of issuing better equipment to seventy-five men was lengthy and tedious at best. But despite all this, Stéaphan was satisfied with his assignment. This gave him an opportunity to show his quality to his lord and perhaps bring about promotion to a higher officer grade. But for now, all that could be done is to wait the arrival of the king.