The Robber Knight's Love

10. Commanding Confusion

Fritz the Soldier was sitting at a campfire in the middle of the Margrave's camp, keeping watch, and at the same time trying to keep warm. To the latter purpose, he employed not only the campfire but also a bottle of honey wine he had brought with him from his tent. He had already emptied half of it and was just beginning to feel slightly woozy when he heard the voice.

“Help!”

He cocked his head. Had that been what it had sounded like? A cry for help, from inside the camp? But who would cry for help in the middle of a well-armed force such as theirs? If anyone had cause to cry out for help it would be the people in the beleaguered castle.

“Help! Help! Help me!”

This time there could be no mistake: someone was yelling for help. Sighing, Fritz abandoned his post and followed the sound of the voice. His steps were a little unsteady because of the wine, but following the continued cries for help, he found his way through the tents well enough. To his utter surprise, his steps led him to the commander's tent. Apprehension flooding through him and mixing with the alcohol that was already there, Fritz stopped in his tracks.  This couldn't be right, could it? Why would the commander cry out for help in the middle of the night? Fritz hesitated. Sir Luca wasn't someone to disturb in the middle of the night out of pure fancy. The soldier was suddenly unsure what to do.

So Fritz was relieved when he saw his commander in his brilliantly red armor step out of the tent—praise the Lord, there was no need to wake him!

Fritz studied the impressive form of his commander in the devilish red suit of armor. He really cut an impressive figure. Why, Fritz could have sworn that he was a foot taller than when he had last seen him. But it was probably just the light from the campfires that made everything seem taller by throwing long, dark shadows on the grass and tents. Or maybe it was the wine.

“Help! Damn you all, doesn't anybody in this godforsaken camp listen to me?” came sir Luca's enraged voice out of the tent. “Help me! Now!”

Fritz frowned, his befuddled brain trying to grasp the situation. If Sir Luca was inside the tent and needed help and Sir Luca was standing in front of the tent in his red armor... that made two Sir Lucas, which was one too many…

Good Lord! Did that mean that in future he would have to take orders from two commanders at once? Fritz didn't relish the thought at all. One commander was difficult enough, but two? What if they disagreed about a battle strategy? Or what if they wanted to use the commander's bathtub at the same time? Fritz could already see multitudes of problems arising.

“Help me, someone!” the Sir Luca inside the tent bellowed. The Sir Luca outside the tent motioned with a thumb for Fritz to enter the tent. Fritz thought that was an excellent idea. Maybe the Sir Luca inside the tent would be able to explain what the other one was doing outside. Or maybe, by the time Fritz left the tent again the effects of the wine would have worn off and there would just be one commander again.

With that cheerful thought in mind, he stepped past the armored Sir Luca into the tent, not forgetting to bow respectfully, of course. The figure in red armor answered his greeting with a curt nod and strode off towards where the horses were tethered.

*~*~**~*~*

At the back of the tent, Reuben found both his black stallion Satan and the mare Eleanor tied to a rope between two tent poles. With a swipe of his sword he cut their bonds, and then whistled once.

“Satan! Come here!”

Only when the black stallion didn't move away from Eleanor did Reuben look more closely and saw what the horses were doing. The black horse was standing closer to Ayla's mare than Reuben had originally thought. In fact, a lot closer. And they both appeared very busy.