The Robber Knight's Love

22. The Rathole

“We've found it,” were Captain Linhart's first words, as soon as he was close enough to be heard. “Come.”

He led Ayla, Burchard and Isenbard along the battlements, until they reached a section that was out of sight of the main tower. The perfect spot for an attack. Between two of the crenels, a strange metal object was fastened: hook-shaped and sharp, like several giant serpent-teeth fastened together, it looked like it wanted to bite its way right through the stone of the castle wall. In the very center, a rope was attached, falling down on the outside of the wall.

“What is that?” asked Ayla, aghast.

“It's called a grappling hook,” said Isenbard darkly. “They're not as common in sieges as they used to be. As the walls of castles got higher, it's been getting harder and harder to throw them high enough—that’s why armies use siege towers nowadays. I wouldn't have thought a grappling hook could be thrown this high, or I would have mentioned the matter. They must have a man in their army with an arm like Hercules, or they have one of those confounded new machines, like a giant crossbow on wheels. I've heard they can shoot grappling hooks incredibly high.”

Slowly, Ayla approached the thing and viewed it from different directions. “So... it's thrown or shot up, over the wall. And then? How do the people down there know it will catch on something?”

“They don't. If it slides back over the wall and falls, they have to throw again. And it's a quite dangerous way of climbing a wall, because you never know whether whatever your hook is holding onto will be strong enough to hold your weight. You can pull at it, test it to a certain extent, but in the end the rope might still give way, and you will fall to your death.”

Ayla shivered.

“All right. Have that grizzly thing removed immediately. Is there any way we can prevent these from being used again?”

“Apart from keeping a closer watch? No, Milady, I'm sorry.”

“Don't be sorry, Uncle,” she told curtly. Saying that there was no need to apologize wouldn’t be any good. He wouldn’t believe her. Better work in the penance he thought he deserved. “Just make sure it never happens again. I hereby declare you fit to serve me again and reinstate you as commander of my guards. I am sure you will keep a good watch and prevent such a thing from reoccurring.”

The old knight bowed.

“As you command, Milady!” Then he hurried off, shouting orders to some nearby guards.

I will have to force him to sleep regularly, Ayla thought with a wry smile. But it was worth it. If I'll see another grappling hook in my lifetime, my name is Rumpelstiltskin.

She looked over the wall. It really was very high up—so high it was hardly credible that any human could have thrown that massive metal hook all the way up here. Had they used a machine? But there were no tracks of any such machine down on the ground. Squinting, she stepped closer to the breastwork. Suddenly, the distant ground seemed to move all on its own: it fled backwards, then rushed forwards again.

Reaching out to grab the wall, she missed, and grasped empty air instead. She stumbled and grabbed again, just managing to get a hold on one of the crenels to steady herself. Burchard jumped forward and grabbed her by the shoulders.

“Milady! What's the matter?”

“Nothing. I just feel a bit odd... Maybe it's the height.”

“You've never been afraid of heights. What is really up?”

“Nothing, I...”

Her stomach rumbled, both interrupting and betraying her.

Behind her, she could feel Burchard stiffen. The hairs of his mustache tickled her neck as it bristled, dangerously.