The Papacy - An Alternative History

[Derek Pullem]

Ja, it had been a good day. Everyone had welcomed him into the company even if Felipe and Jess seemed a little distracted from time to time. He really had to practice his English though. Obviously German and Spanish wasn't going to help him much in the Company. Perhaps that fellow Maur could help him. He seemed to have a godd grasp of the essentials of German and English. A strange accent, it had a strong French feel to it. He must have come from Alsace or Lorraine.

He looked at the bed in the corner. It was very inviting but it would be better shared. Now what was it that Felipe had said. Ah, yes, Maria at the "Neutered Bull". A little skinny for his taste but who was going to complain after the long walk from Languedoc. And he still had some of that French Lieutenant's coin......

It was late by the time he arrived at the inn but the Company's revels were still in full swing. He crossed over to Felipe.

"Goodnight, Felipe. Have you had Maria looked at?"

Felipe spluttered and sprayed his wine around the room as he struggled to control his laughter. It was all he could do to point to the stairs.

"Felipe, what have you done" Jess whispered "Don't you know that Ryuko has already gone upstairs!".

"I know, let's see what happens" replied Felipe

Eric strode over to the stairs brushing past the new barmaid. She was older than Maria and was distinctly plumper. "Hmm...now she has a proper figure" he thought as he pushed through the throng of men from Nippon. "They seem to be enjoying themselves" he mused "... but I thought there was another one of them?"

As he reached the landing he stopped. A woman was screaming in Spanish at three men on the landing. Ordinarily they would be considered large but compared to Eric they were merely well built. One of them was carrying a heavy wooden club.

"Dirty moorish scum" cried the clubman "Leave our Maria alone!" He disappeared into the room. A moment later one of the Nipponese seemed to fly through the doorway and landed heavily against the wall in the corridor. The Spaniards closed around him.

"Ach well, a good fight is almost as much fun" Eric said to himself as he moved to defend his new comrade.

"See what you've done now!" said Jess to Felipe from their vantage point behind the heavy curtains on the stairs "You just can't keep out of a fight, can you"

"Well, I didn't tell the Nipp - he did that for himself. Hey watch out, I think that Maria's brothers have some friends too!" From further up the landing a door opened and several other locals appeared.


_____________________________________________________________________
Okay Honour_Shogun, over to you. BTW Eric's language would be German, albeit with some local dialect. And aren't we billeted in Basque country - should allow for some fiery opponents in the fight
_____________________________________________________________________

 

[Rictus]

(Ok, this takes place a few minutes before Erics scene, because he snuck in front of me, grrr )

Rictus and De Lyon were sharing a mug of ale. Sharing because neither could stand to take a whole mug each.

"I swear all they do is piss in a barrel and call it beer" Rictus said grimacing after another mouthfull.

"If its so poor, why do you keep drinking it then?" De Lyon said. Both men pored over a number of maps and articles, reciepts and plans. They were reconstructed the company, but it was long and fustrating, mostly based on guesswork and luck.

They sat at the back of the bar, trying not to gather attention, and the waitress (who was currently occupied) didn't know who she was serving. They liked it like that, for now. The casaulties had been enormous, no doubt about that, and many of those who lived were injured. They needed tending to and providing pensions for and transport back to Palermo or, if they wished to retire elsewhere, funds to make the return trip. The Company looked after its own.

"Even if we get two hundred and fifty new recruits a year thats still fourteen years to get to minimal fighting levels."

"Aye, assuming that every contract we take in that time, no one dies"

"Or retires" Both men immiedately thought of D'Sliva.

"I reckon" Rictus began "we could get four hundred a year, tops,"

"Maybe another hundred on that if we spread the word"

"The quality will go down though, and thats still...seven years."
They discussed this back and forth for some time, eventually agreeing to let Mortlock have a look at the problem.
The young Farnese burst into the bar, almost babbling. You could feel the exclamation points coming off him, they were like daggers he kept hurling across the room. It was quite amusing to see him in action.

"Funds" De Lyon said, presenting another sheaf of papers.

"How bad?"

"Very bad. Even with the pickings of the dead and our pay here, what will all these wounded to tend to and pay for, we're looking at going bankrupt in about eight months." He handed the papers to Rictus, who, with some difficulty, [semi-illiterate see?] caught the general gist of it.

"That is bad. And its not like we can take many more contracts"

"Indeed...What about the Pope? All you've got to do is glance at the Company History to see how much we've done for him, maybe he could keep us afloat till we find our feet."

"Its worth a try. Anything else?" De Lyon shuffled through the papers, which, as is the nature of all paperwork everywhere, the more you grappled with it, the bigger it got. Eventually, De Lyon found one piece and slid it across the table.

"Succesion" He simply stated.

"Congratulations" Rictus said, a tiny hint of sulleness in his voice. "You've earned it." They both knew that if Captain remained in his coma, or, indeed, died, De Lyon would be the one who took his place, not Rictus. Not this lifetime, anyway.

There was a brief, ackwould silence. Then De Lyon coughed. "Thanks. Bad luck about your eye" Again, Rictus fiddled with the bandage.

"I'll never shoot again. Depth perception or something like that, and my throwing is way off" He said, somewhat dispairingly.

"Thats nothing. You wait for the names they'll give you" De Lyon grinned. They laughed.

Because, after all, thats what life is all about, and if you can't laugh, what can you do? (maybe take up politics, - Blackadder)

____

I think Maurs accent might give his origins away but don't worry, the Company are a forgiving lot, and anyway, we need new recruits.

Don't worry DeLion, I got the Bad Writingdon joke.

 

[unmerged(2826)]

Farnese was driving to Ciudad, he followed the Navas de Tolosa. The Ciudad had to be a masterwork of castle building, Farnese wanted to know everything about it, he would need when he wuld siege Parma once!!! And then he'd drive out his evil brother Sandro!!!!

 

[Lord Durham]

At the first sign of noise from upstairs, De Lyon and Rictus eyed each other, then looked over at the next table to Mortlock.

The three senior officers resignedly stood up at once and climbed the stairs.

At the top of the landing they saw Jess and Felipe, peaking from behind a curtain.

"Figures," Rictus mumbled under his breath.

They pushed past and saw the developing fight in the narrow confines of the upper floor.

Once again the three officers looked at each other, a cross between anger and amusement. Mortlock pulled out his pistol, aimed it at the ceiling and fired. The blast echoed through the building, causing everyone to halt. Tentatively, the men looked at the officers. Eric had one of the brothers by the front of his shirt, hoisted off the ground, fist cocked. He blushed and gently lowered the man.

A few doors opened and heads tentatively poked out. Rictus grinned humourlessly at the tavern patrons. "Better go back inside, ladies and gentlemen." The doors closed.

De Lyon cleared his throat. "All right men! This is no place for a brawl. We are guests here, and I want us to remain welcomed guests, if you get my drift. So, I suggest you all go outside, take your sorry asses to that pretty little park across the way, and finish your pissing contest until the local authorities break it up." He turned to leave.

Rictus said, "And by the way. Any bail money will come out of your pockets."

Lieutenant Mortlock waited until all the translating was fininshed, then waved his empty pistol at the combatants. "All right. Everyone. Outside. Now!"

The men sullenly left.

-------------------------

Just a reminder of the Company charter here. Everyone is welcomed into the Company, regardless of origin and religion, so there's a wide cross selection of people that can cover off pretty well every language. In the past, if the Company went to war against a foe, say France, and had a sizeable contingient of Frenchmen in their ranks, they would be given the opportunity to skip the fight. There would be no reprisals. After all, war is business.

Enjoy the brawl

 

[unmerged(2540)]

Oh oh!

{Damn! And after i do this mother of a post, only to find, oops, not in the tavern anymore. Crap crap crap!And this happens just before the three men come up, at least Mori coming to help out]

Ryuko had not known that the young lady he had met had 3 huge brothers. And he certainly did not know they had contacts in the bar that watched over her. And so, when the three huge men had burst into the room, Ryuko had been caught completely unawares. Two of them had grabbed him and tossed himout the door, where he landed with a thud against the wall. A huge man came up to where Maria(that was her name, at least, that was the only word that Ryuko had understood) was. And he looked at the slumped figure of Ryuko, smiled, and moved to engage the three Spaniards. Ryuko sat for a second, and called out loudly in Nipponese:

"A little help, guys?!"

Mori got up, and motioned for everyone else to remain seated. He wanted to have some fun, and was only slightly inebriated. He gave his blade to one of the other Nipponese, and ran up the stairs even as several locals came out of some other rooms, and made to join the fight. He brushed past some of them, who took this as an insult and grabbed Mori roughly. He treid to shrug them off, but they were strong. And so, he yelled to Ryuko:

"Get up, you fool. And no blades. We fight bare fisted! Ok?!"

to which Ryuko replied:

"Yes, fine! No blades!"

And then the real fight began, almost in slow motion...
[EDIT:Grr...

The three officers had seen this coming brawl and Rictus, Mortlock and DeLyon made a move to stop it. Mortlock had raised his pistol and loose a shot, which sure as heck would not endear him to the tavern owner, and the group stopped.Eric smiled sheepishly, but Ryuko and Mori decided that they would follow these damn fools(and no one is certain if they were talking about the brothers, or the three Company men But the group headed out to the park, and Ryuko, Mori and Eric all faced the 8 men. The three brothers versus Eric and Ryuko, and the 5 locals versus Mori. Several of the Nipponese had also decided they would watch the fun, even as Jess and Felipe settled in for a good brawl. And Maur, who had been slinking around town also decided to see what the fuss was about. He was surpirse to see Ryuko, Mori and Eric there. But he decided to remain silent.He knew they could take care of things

Jess and Felipe stood in the crowd, near the front, and Jess commented:

"Ha! this should be interesting. I bet you that the Nipponese win."

to which Felipe laughed out loud, and looked at Jess:

"Bah! Make it double or nothing, and you have yerselves a bet! No way the Nipponese are that good!"

They watched, and the two young men watched on, each cheering their side as the fight went on...

The two Nipponese and Eric all took their ready as the fight began. Eric bellowed out in bad English

"Get...On...Lets...It!"

And then the fight proper began. It was strange, watching it from a distance, as it seemed almost to happen so quickly. One of the brothers threw a punch at Ryuko, who deftly dodged it, and gave a quick punch to the ribs. The brother grunted, but he was large,and that strike was like a mosquito biting him. Another brother threw a punch at Eric, while the last one readied to swing his club at Ryuko. Eric tried to dodge the punch thrown, but he was big, and dodging is easier if you are small. So he took a punch in the chin, and his lip began to bleed. He bellowed something in German, and threw the weight of his body into the brother attacking him. And he knocked the brother back a little. he followed it with a quick left-right-left-uppercut, and one of the brothers fell over, a bloody nose, black eye, loss of consiousness and bleeding lip his reward for attacking Eric.
So now, it was 7 vs 3, and Jess and Felipe turned their attention to the other Nipponese(more of a glance, as the battle really was happening fast)
Mori struck a strange posture, and motioned for the 5 locals to come at him. Due to the confines of the area, only 1 could come at a time, and so, the first decided to charge Mori. Stupid mistake. Mori sidestepped him, and gave hima kick to the backside that sent him sliding down the ground, to land in a crumple. The next one came at him more carefully, and tried to feint him left and right, then attack. But Mori was ready, and took the man and hefted him over his shoulder and tossed him behind him! The last 3 locals all took a moment to decide on their next action...
Jess and Felipe now turned back to focus on Eric and Ryuko vs the 2 brothers. The club wielding brother took a few swings at Ryuko, and one glanced off Ryuko, but the swing was so hard it actually came back and hit the other brother in the left arm. The two brothers shook off the self inflicted blow, and moved to attack Ryuko and Eric. Eric threw a few fake punches, and then just laid into the brother with the club. The club brother dropped the club, and did his best to defend himself, but Eric had caught him off guard. No one ever did something like that, attacking a man with a weapon by using their body as a weapon. It defied common sense. And so, the two struggled, and Ryuko was left with the last brother to deal with. All the while, Maria had been screaming. Jess and Felipe laughed and enjoyed their drinks as the battle went on. But it seemed that Felipe would lose the bet. And they returned to watching the fight unfold. The looked at the other Nipponese, and saw that the three locals had all decided upona plan. They would attack in waves. One after another...
Mori stood prepared, and the attacks came. The first was punched in the gut, and keeled over, the second managed to land 3 good punches on Mori, giving him a black eye, before Mori twisted sideways, throwing the second man to the ground with a loud thud. The third local gave Mori several good kicks and a few punches, actually knocking Mori over...

Jess and Felipe saw the other Nipponese man fall over, and Felipe laughed:

"Ha! Told you! See, so now it'll be Ryuko and Eric vs the three of em. The other Nipponese is out of the pictu..."

Felipe never finished the sentece, as the other Nipponese had planted a kick in the crotch of the third local, who immediately growned in pain and fell to the ground. Felipe cursed, and Jess laughed. Now it was 3 on 2, with Ryuko, Eric and the other Nipponese versus the two brothers. Jess could almos count the money in his hands. They watched the rest of the fight.
Ryuko and Eric were doing their best, but were slowing losing to the brothers. That was until the otehr Nipponese joined them. Then they all began pounding on the brothers.The battle was almost over, at least until the thirty or so men joined in the circle of battle. They were cousins of Maria. And Jess and Felipe cursed. This was going to be a long night...

[OOC: ok, doing it from the vantagepoint of Mori and Ryuko now. That stuff above was what Jess and Felipe saw. Now we see what Ryuko and Mori felt]


Ryuko had landed with a thud, and had cursed as his back gave a shot of pain. He had seen the strange man come upstairs ot where Maria was, and Ryuko silently cursed himself. He should never have done something so tupid. Oh well, guess he should teach these guys a lesson. Was he ever surprised when the new man helped Ryuko up, and aided him in battle. With a silent nod, he and the newcomer, who had grunted out a "Eric" as introduction faced the three brothers. Ryuko saw Mori rushing up the stairs, and heard as Mori called out to him:


"Get up, you fool. And no blades. We fight bare fisted! Ok?!"

to which Ryuko replied:

"Yes, fine! No blades!"

After Rictus, Delyon and Mortlock had broken up the fight, Ryuko, Mori, Eric and the others all left and headed for the park. They enetered a makeshift arean, which was really just a huge circle where the group entered. Townsfolk, including Maria were there, each cherring on a certain group.Then the battle began, but it was almost as if it were played out in slow motion.

Ryuko dodged a fist thrown his way, and gave a punch to the ribs of the attacker, but to no avail. It was like he was watching the battle in some sort of slow motion, where he could see the fist of his attacker coming before it came, and could see his own attacks as well. He thought upon this vagary, and did not notice the strike that hit him in the chin. He thought upon how Mori was doing...

Mori had rushed tohelp his new friend, and silently reprimanded Ryuko for causing this trouble. He was facing 5 men. No trouble, at all. The first fool came rushing at him, and Mori suppressed a smile, thinking on how foolish this was. He sidestepped, and gave the would-be attacker a kick in the butt, and sent him sprawling.It all seemed as if it had taken forever, but really, had only taken a few seconds.Mori waited what seemed forever for the second man to attack him, and after what seemed an eternity,the second atacker made to feint left and right, but Mori saw it, and using his legs as a pivot of sorts, grabbed the attacker and threw him over his back. Mori then wiped his hands together, and guestured for the next one to come, but they all took a step back. Mori smiled, heaved a sigh of relief,and prepared for thme to come. He was tired after this, and needed the break...

Ryuko saw the club wielding brother, and tried to dodge the blow aimed his way, and did manage, to an extent. It glanced off him, leaving a welt on his chest. But the club swing was so strong that it went back and hit the other brother in the arm. And Ryuko made a face at the two brothers of mock concern.He laughed, and saw that Eric charged the club wielding brother, and Ryuko was left with one last brother, as he tried to suppress the pain from his injuries...

Mori was ready when the first attacker came at him, and Mori gave him a punch to the gut, knocking over the would-be attacker.The man went flying to the ground, and seemed almost to bounce on the floor. The second one caught him off guard, and Mori ended up with some bruises, most noticably a black eye, but after quietly scolding himself,moved to the side, and literally sent the man flying. He landed with a loud thud, beside the first attacker who had tried to take out Mori. But the third man caught Mori completely off guard...

Ryuko saw his friend, Mori fall to the ground, and silently prayed he was ok. He had his answer when Mori gave the last of his attackers a kick to the crotch, gathering a groan from every male watching the fight Mori jumped up, and moved to help Ryuko and Eric. He and Eric were not doing so well, as the brothers had gained some extra wind, but with the addition of Mori, the battle would end soon enough. Until... until the 30 other men came into the tavern, screaming for Maria! Maria! Ryuko's face sank, and he saw Eric shrug, and Mori give a slight nod. This would be one helluva battle. As he fought on, all he could do was sigh, and yell to Mori:

"Ah shit!"

And the fight went on...

**********************************************

[OOC: ok, well, Derek, I'll let you describe how Eric sees the fight, and if others want to join in the brawl(rumble?) feel free to do so. You can use the other Nipponese if ya want Have fun all

 

[unmerged(2826)]

Bang! Boom! What was that??? A fight???? Farnese sent Da Mihi to see what was happening!!!

 

[Lord Durham]

The sun was laying low in the sky as Lieutenant Mortlock and Junior left the tavern and wandered over to the park. There was a growing number of people coming from all directions to watch the brawl.

At the moment it appeared to be a little one-sided, until some more Company men joined in.

Junior nudged his father and pointed at Jess and Felipe. A crowd of people stood around them as they took money and shouted out odds. At that moment Lieutenant Rictus joined them.

"Well Rictus," Lieutenant Mortlock said, jerking his head at Jess and Felipe. "There's one way the Company can make some money. Junior, go find out the current odds and gave them this pouch of coin."

Junior took the pouch and began to move off, until Rictus shouted. "Stop! What do you think you're doing?"

Junior returned sheepishly.

Rictus handed him another pouch of gold. "Here. You think I want to be left out of this?"

The boy departed, and Rictus said, "You know there'll be hell to pay."

Mortlock sighed. "Isn't there always?"

-------------

Thanks for the edit H_S. If it's any consolation, I've had to do it countless times in the history of this AAR. Now I'm in the habit of scanning the thread from the 'Preview Reply' segment to make sure no one has snuck in. I've caught lots that way...

BTW Derek, can you PM me some basic Bio info (age mainly) so I can update the web page? Thanks.

 

[Derek Pullem]

Hey LD, why did you spoil our fun - now we've got 30 of them to fight!

I'll skip the story of the fight from Eric's viewpoint and carry straight on from the end of Honour Shogun's post

Eric nodded to his new friends. Although the two remaining brothers had proved remarkably resilient he knew that his strength and the speed of the smaller men would quickly overcome them. Then he heard the noise of the mob and saw the circle of onlookers bulge and finally split apart as what appeared to be half the town tried to join the fight. They had to end this quickly.

He gestured to the two Nipponese to take on the remaining brothers as he moved towards the fallen third brother who had not moved since the start of the fight. Grabbing him by the legs he swung the heavy man around like a top and let fly at the approaching mob. The body hit the front of the mob like a cannonball knocking down the first half dozen and throwing the rest of them into temporary confusion. Eric turned to see how the little men were doing and stared in amazement as the smaller man (Mori) leapt over the other mans back and seemed to hang in mid air as he delivered a perfect roundhouse kick on each remaining brother before he landed. Both of the men slumped to the ground, unconsious.

For a brief moment only the Company men were standing and the square was quiet. Then the locals who Eric had felled started to organise themselves again.

"Damnation" swore De Lyon "I thought we could keep a lid on this by giving the boys some room". Gesturing to Rictus and Mortlock he signalled for some of company to draw their swords and break up the fight. "If this is all Felipe's and Jess's handiwork they'll be on hard duties for a month!".

Before the Company could intervene there was a clatter of hooves on the cobbles of the street leading to the park and a volley of pistol shots over the heads of the combatants. It was the Spanish town watch. Not wanting to pick a fight with a dozen mounted men, the crowd started to disperse dragging the comotose forms of the brothers behind them as the patrol rode into the middle of the park.

"Wat goes on here" bellowed the patrol leader in strange accented Spanish. Mori and Ryuko looked blankly on as they tried to interpret the unfamiliar language. It was Eric who responed first.

"Hans, Hans don't you reconise your old comrade Eric?"

"Eric?" retorted the rider in his native German. "How the devil did you escape from Languedoc?"

 

[Lord Durham]

"Well I'll be damned. Looks like the big guy knows the local police."

"Good thing, Rictus. Makes our job easier. We'll let him handle that. Let's get the boys together."

The three officers began to round up all the Company men. Rictus paid special attention to Jess and Felipe. He was trying to think of a really nasty punishment.

As for the Nipponese, De Lyon confined them to quarters until they could sort out all the complaints and damages.

After a while De Lyon, Rictus and Mortlock sat back down in the 'Neutered Bull' and ordered a round.

The owner himself came over and sat for a moment. "Maria's good girl, but little too friendly at times. Her boys though.. they are bullies. Many of the townspeople thank you for what happened." He got up and walked away, not bothering to take any coin.

The three officers stared blankly, until Rictus said, "Now doesn't that just beat all!"

---------------

DP: Spoil your fun? What's wrong with heavy odds?

 

[Derek Pullem]

A new start

Sergeant Hans Hoffmeister helped Eric up behind him on his horse (who turned his in disgust at the additional load) and trotted back to the Portuguese barracks.

"Well met, comrade. Here, wash away a few of those bruises with this ale. None of the local piss water, this comes all the way from the Empire. Here's to the old Kings Pikes. So Eric, how in God's name did you get here from Languedoc. Last time I saw you you were leading our verlone Haufe into the mouths of the the French cannons"

"Ach, its a long story." replied Eric "There was so much smoke that no one knew who was friend or foe. Most of us reached the gunners and had our little bit of fun. But then the Portuguese broke on the left shortly after and the battle went to hell in a hand basket! What happened to the rest of the Kings Pikes?"

"Ah it was an awful sight. When the Portuguese fled the whole of the the first battalion was exposed. A company of Gendarmes hit them in the flank and carried them away. I was with the Reiters in reserve. It was all we could do to protect the second battallion. We lost the cannon and the baggage. More than half of the remaining lads called it quits there and then.

"So how many are left?" Eric asked

"From the foot, not more than 200. Mainly pikes with a couple of dozen of your aquebusiers. Of the horse I can account for only 30. The Portuguese "lent" us to the Spanish for police duty."

"So who's in command then? Where's the Hauptman?" enquired Eric

"Gone, most of the officers died in the battle or in the retreat. I'm the ranking officer but I'm not sure if I speak for all the men. Why do you ask - you seem to have landed on your feet with your new friends. Who were those people?"

"Believe it or not, Hans, they were the Free Company - der Schwarzfahne - and I think I know someone who would like to talk to you............"

 

[Rictus]

He was trying to think of some suitable punishment and failing badly. But his bad feelings towards them were sweetened somewhat because he had earned himself a few tasty coins on that bet, so latrine duty called to the young men probably.

Now they were back in the 'Neutered Bull' and it was quickly becoming the hangout for the Company Men, most of whom were quickly getting drunk. And none of the officers tried (or dared) to stop them. They had more than earned it.

Now it was Mortlocks turn to look over the problem of the recruitment, but he couldn't think of a solution of the top of his head, so the papers remained in the center of the table, like some sort of social pariah, no one wanted to touch, look at or be associated with them.

The barman brought another trio of drinks and again left without any coin, pleasing the three men to no end. The ale was poor, piss poor, but it was free piss poor beer and that made it taste all the much better, so they tucked in healthily to the drinks.

"Any ideas about Felipe and Jess yet?" De Lyon asked with a mischvious glint in his eye. Mortlock craned to hear.

"The best I could think of was to muck out the crippled soldiers quarters. Shifting dung is one think, but human crap is altogether different, and that should keep them occupied for a few days"

"Things just keep getting better and better" Mortlock grinned.

 

[Lord Durham]

It was late evening, and De Lyon, Rictus and Mortlock were still sitting around the table at the 'Neutered Bull'. Before them were several empty mugs of wine. The owner, Alvarez, came by with another round. He sat down heavily. After the brawl, Alvarez had been so grateful that he stopped serving the 'piss' and broke out the good wine. The officers never looked a gift horse in the mouth.

The talk was long past business, and what to do with Jess and Felipe. For now there was much reminiscing.

During one story by Alvarez, Pohlman and another man walked up to the table. The conversation stopped, and all eyes went to Mortlock.

"Sit down gentlemen."

They did, and the owner waved for two more mugs.

Eric Pohlman introduced the man beside him, "Sirs, this is Hans Hoffmeister, a good friend and even better soldier. He brings with him 200 pikes, about 30 horse, and some two dozen of my old command... arquebusiers. Like me, he is without a home."

They waited while Mortlock translated. There were a few smiles, especially from Rictus.

"Well Eric, Hans, it appears you've found a home, if you wish. I can attach you both to Lieutenant Rictus here. His men suffered the worst at Roncesvalles, and that should almost bring him up to strength. The horse I'll assign to Sergeant Forster. Now Pohlman, I understand you were a Corporal with the - Kings Pikes? Yes, the Kings Pikes. From this moment on you are a sergeant. If you have any tricks to teach our arques, then be my guest. But for now, I propose a toast. The Doctor once told me of a legend about a fabled creature called a Phoenix. Now, let me see if I don't bugger up the tale..."

--------

Phew. Thank God I checked after doing the 'Preview Reply' thing. It didn't take long to edit around your post Rictus

 

[Storey]

The day after the brawl De Lyon, Rictus and Mortlock were sitting in the 'Neutered Bull' when a noise from the street outside caught their attention. The three officers looked at one another with the same thought. Another fight! They quickly moved to the door where they stopped in surprise. A long procession was snaking it's way down the Calle Mayor. Moving from one side of the road to the other the parade of people in ornate costumes made their way past the officers. At the head of this parade was the local priests and officials looking stern and proper in their bureaucratic way while behind them the towns people in their elaborate costumes were enjoying themselves while playing music and prancing around hidden by their masks, some beautiful some grotesque. It was obvious to the three men that this was suppose to be a religious procession but it had an air to it that was confusing to them. De Lyon noticed a local standing a few feet away and asked him if he knew what this was all about.

"It's the dance of the saints of course."

The old man caught himself when he noticed that the three men were not from the area.

"My apologies sirs I assumed that everyone knew about this festival. My name in Stroneger. I am a visiting scholar who has been fortunate enough to have been allowed to study the ancient texts that are kept by the priests here in Pamplona. It is because of this that I think I know even more that the locals as to what this is really about. You see every year at this time the local churches bring out the statues of their personal patron saint and parade them through town so that God can observe their faith and love. From here the procession goes to Calle Eslava where they turn and proceed to the Plaza De San Francisco. After the priests have led the crowd in prayer they leave and the people build a huge bonfire and have a party and drink and dance until dawn. Then everyone goes to early mass and gets forgiven for the sins they just committed. Everyone then goes home and sleeps it off."

Marchers walking on stilts wearing brightly colored costumes were striding by when DeLyon asked.

"Have they been having this parade for very long? It seem odd in a way?"

"Ah sir you are very observant. This event actually has been going on for as long as anyone can remember. In fact as long as Pamplona has been here is has always celebrated their love for God. In fact even before the lord God almighty was brought to this region they were still celebrating on this very day. Now don't repeat this especially to the priests but I think that the local people simply changed the names of the old gods to the various saints that they now pray to. In fact it is sometimes amusing to try to pick out which saint replaced which old god."

The marchers were now coming down the street dragging behind them large wagons which were gaily decorated and topped with each local church's favorite saint. The one going by was large and serene with a wise and lordly look to it.

"Ah here we have Saint Peter who always leads the parade. Now I believe he is really the reincarnation of Ulmo. He was believed to be the God of the seas or oceans or it might of been ponds I don't remember off hand. Anyway he was powerful and knew how to use that power. Hmm this next one coming by is Saint Perpetus who I believe started out as Manwe who was a local God known for being passionate if not a little dim witted."

As the lines of people continued by a wagon pulled not by people but by bulls came down the street. From the response of the people it was clear that it was a favorite. There in robes of flowers stood Saint Cajetan. The three officers looked at one another as if asking who is Cajetan.

"Oh it doesn't surprise me to see the crowd cheering Saint Cajetan he's loved by one and all. I believe this is the clearest indication that there is a link to the old Gods. He is based I'm sure on ONEN who was one of the most endearing of the old gods. Why some even think he was wiser and more powerful then Ulmo but that is just something that scholars argue about. The people here don't really care they just know that it's time for a great party. Be sure and tell your men that they are welcome to join the festivities."

And with that the old scholar joined the crowd that was dancing down the street heading for the Plaza De San Francisco.

 

[Rictus]

Someone was bound to do it sooner or later All we need now is a temple to Ulmo in Palermo...

Sorry about the post LD, just had to sneak in there for a few things I'll try not to make a habit out of it.

 

[Lord Durham]

Storey actually had me saying things like 'this is great', until he mentioned Ulmo. And here I thought I was reading a classic.

All that's missing is the 'running of the bulls.' I'm surprised no one picked up on that yet.

Rictus: Never apologize for a post. I just merely work around what's written. For me it's no big problem, so keep 'em coming.

Onen indeed!!

I'll say one thing, it's the most long winded post I've read from Storey yet!

 

[unmerged(2540)]

Ijiro's bad hair day(or the day his men got in deep sh..

Ijiro had laid into Ryuko when he had been brought back to the Church. And Ijiro had been shocked and suprised when he learned that Mori had also partook in the "festivities" of the previous night. And so, here was Ijiro, faced with reprimanding a legend in Nippon, and having to deal harshly with his friend. Add to that the fact Awasaki had to be brought back to the Church drunk, and it was definitely a bad day all around. Ijiro took each man in turn, and read him the riot act. He would start with Ryuko, go on to Awasaki, and finish with Mori. And with a sigh that bordered on a scream, he let Ryuko in to stand in front of his bed...

"So, you had to get into a fight? And all over some simple woman? At least tell me you were protecting her honour..."

Ryuko looked away, sadness etched cross his face. Ijiro continued:

"So, I have been told that I am to pay for any mistakes you people made?! Why the hell should I?! I have it in my mind to demote you right here, right now, and to confisctae your sword!"

Ryuko stood ramrod stiff at that last remark. As anyone knew, to take a Samurai's sword away was the greatest punishment that could be visited upon him. Ryuko stood stock still, the only movement the occasional breath comming from him. Ijiro now knew he had Ryuko's attention:

"Well, for starters, you are confined to this building until we leave. No going out for anything. If there is a fire in this building, you are not allowed to leave. Is that clear?!"

Ryuko nodded, and Ijiro continued:

"Secondly, you will have Maur contact that serving girl, and your pay for the battle goes to her. And every coin you make for the next 6 months is put aside to be sent back to her to apologize for the trouble you caused. Finally, you are no longer allowed to stand on my right side. You will be demoted to standing behind me in the field of battle. Is that understood?"

Ryuko swallowed, and nodded. He bowed curtly, and wheeled around and walked out of the room. He had been greatly shamed. It was an honour to fight on the right hand of the leader. To be moved to the back meant that you were not a capable fighter, not worthy of offering your life for that of the leaders. Ryuko would have to think long and hard on this.

Ijiro sighed, and motioned for Awasaki to be let into the room. Awasaki was still suffering from a hangover, and so had trouble standing up straight. Ijiro looked him over, and sighed. He would need to be taught the value of moderation:

"Awasaki! "Ijiro bellowed out, and Awasaki fell to the floor. He got back up slowly, and looked at Ijiro, or at least in his general direction.

"Awasaki, for your total lack of decorum, you are to mediate for 3 straight days, only stopping to relieve yourself of bodily functions. No food, save for one piece of bread, and one glass of water each day. When this time has passed, I will allow you back in. As of now, you are being punished"

Awasaki nodded weakly, and headed out. Well, Ijiro thought, at last it comes to this. Mori, the leader of the "Sun of the East" being reprimanded by Ijiro. Just great. Mori entered and bowed to Ijiro. Ijiro sighed, and began:

"Mori, tell me, why did you not stop Ryuko? Why did you attempt to calm down the brothers? And why did you allow Awasaki to continue to drink, even though he was clearly drunk already? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Mori had been slightly meek when he had first entered, but now he had a stubborn stare on him. He looked at Ijiro, and spoke queitly as he responded:

"Ijiro, tell me. Would you have let me leave Ryuko to his fate? I, his friend, leave him alone. What type of friend would I be if I did so? We are taight that friendship is a trusted thing, an honoured thing. If i had left Ryuko to fend for himself, I would have been without honour. I would have been no friend, I would have been no better than Ronin. So you will not lecture me, Ijiro. You will be glad I did not take over your company when I saw how you had let yourself fall in battle. A true Samurai does not stop fighting until death. You seemed to do so before that time. So do not presume to lecture me. Do not presume to even think you have the right to do so. I will not suffer your punishments. You will either accept me as I am, or I and my men will leave. And then, when you end your mission in failure, what will those who think so highly back home say? They will say nothing, as the dishonour will be too great! So spare me your condemnation, Ijiro. What do you decide? With me, or without me?"

Ijiro was taken aback. He had not expected such virulence from Mori. And he knew that he needed Mori to help. He had lost too many men. So he swallowed his pride, and motioned Mori to come closer. as Mori came closer, Ijiro shot out his hand and pulled Mori face to face with him. He could barely control the rage in his voice:

"You talk to me of freindship? How many friends have you lost? I lost a fair bit of my men. So shut up! Do not presume to flaunt yourself over me. Mori Nagayoshi, the great one. Well you did not act it this time. You acted like a 13 year-old boy trying to impress the other boys. So you listen to me . If you want to leave, leave. I care not. If you stay, you will fight by my side.We shall be co-commanders. And if you do not wish this, you will fight behind me! Understand one thing. You could be Shogun himself, but I care not. While we are here in the Company, you answer to me. Now get the hell out of here before I am forced to do something foolish. Get out!"

Ijiro pushed Mori back so hard he fell on his back. Mori got up, and cursed. But he also showed a slight smile. Ijiro had proven that he was a capable warrior. Mori would follow him, for now at least.

Ijiro sighed, and tried to get the previous discussion out of his head. He would have done the smae as Mori, and that worried him. It was a clear lack of discipline, but it weas also a matter of being true to friends. Ijiro fell to sleep fitfully, and only hoped that things would work out...

 

[Derek Pullem]

Sorry I couldn't resist

If we are running the bulls can we expect a visit from Corporal Hemmingway?

And that temple in Palermo - it would have to be white wouldn't it?

All together now....

"...Ulmo Palermo Blanca..."

 

[Lord Durham]

As the parade passed by, the three officers began to walk back to the tavern when they heard a shout. They turned around to see a young Company officer jogging down the street waving.

"Come on guys! Let's go see the bulls!"

Rictus said, "Who's that?"

De Lyon scratched his head. "Damned if I know."

Mortlock piped in, "That's Corporal Hemmingway. He's fairly new."

"Oh. And who's the guy beside him - the really tall guy?"

"Hmmm. I think that's Corporal Jordan."

De Lyon shrugged, and led the procession back into the 'Neutered Whale'.

 

[unmerged(4609)]

I'm back.

hello, hello I'm back everyone...if anyone noticed.

I don't have the slightest clue where I left off so I'm just going to jump right in. So everyone please kick me and cut me in any way or shape you please so I could fit in. I love being the fool of the free company.

 

[Lord Durham]

Legacy010: I would suggest you catch up, so you don't post something that's totally wrong. There've been a few changes.