even archers armed with state-of-the-art bows.
The castle was expecting trouble.
Towering above the walls was the keep. The keep was the last resort, a castle-within-a-castle. If enemies breached the outer walls, they then had to start all over again to take the keep.
From the top of the keep fluttered a black and sky-blue banner. There was some sort of symbol on the banner, but Grimluk couldnât quite make it out.
Far below, crouching by the foot of the hill, was a village, a few dozen thatch-roofed buildings.
âLetâs go to the village,â Grimluk said. âMaybe we can sell some milk and get a room for the night.â
âWe donât have reservations,â Gelidberry pointed out.
But Grimluk didnât care because reservations hadnât yet been invented, let alone Priceline and Expedia and hotels.com. In fact, if there had been any such thing, it would have been called inns.com or even stables.com.
They reached the edge of the village just as night fell. They parked the cows and carried the namelessbaby into the first inn they found.
It was crowded with drunken men and a few drunken women. But it was quiet for a room full of drunks. People were more sullen than rowdy. When Grimluk and Gelidberry came in, every eye turned toward them, appraising the tired family.
âHow many in your party?â the innkeeper asked.
âTwo adults, one child,â Grimluk answered.
âWe donât have a kidsâ menu,â the innkeeper warned.
They elbowed their way to the end of one of the long tables. Grimluk ordered a tankard of mead and three bowls of gruel. It was a Tuesday: gruel night. Grimluk felt a little disappointed. If heâd come on Monday, it would have been fish and chips.
Across the table sat a burly, older man of perhaps sixteen years. He had a full beard studded with bits of food. Little pig eyes stared out from beneath a scarred, tanned brow. The man had an ax slung over one shoulder. Grimluk fingered his own hatchet and winced to realize that the ax was maybe three times bigger.
âHi,â Grimluk said. âHowâs the gruel here?â
The man made a deep, grumbly sound that mighthave been a sort of restaurant review. Then he said, âYouâre a stranger, as am I. Do you come to join up?â
âJoin up?â
âThe Army of Light,â the man said. âTheyâre hiring. If you have the right stuff.â
âWe have two cows,â Grimluk said. âAnd this spoon.â He showed the spoon.
The man laughed, a sound that seemed totally out of place in a room where people were mostly whispering and glancing nervously over their shoulders.
âWe have no need of spoons! Spoons will not defeat the Pale Queen!â
The whispering came to a very sudden stop. The man winced, clearly embarrassed, as if heâd farted or used an offensive word. ( Soap was one such offensive word.)
âSorry. I meant to say, âthe Dread Foe.ââ
The people in the room went back to their slurred whispers.
âThis Army of Light,â Gelidberry said, âdo they pay well?â
âHey, Iâm not looking for a job,â Grimluk protested.
âYou have a family to feed,â Gelidberry snapped. âAnd in case you havenât noticed, youâre not doing very well at that.â She pointed at her ribs. âI can count these clear through my clothing.â
âAll right, all right,â Grimluk said. He pointedly turned back to the man, ignoring Gelidberryâs reproachful gaze. âI used to be horse leader to the baron. Now Iâm a fleer.â
âEveryoneâs a fleer nowadays,â the man snorted. Then he held out a fat-fingered hand. Grimluk shook it.
âMy name is Grimluk.â
âWick,â the man said. âI came to join the Army of Light as a pikeman. I could get you in to see the pike captain.â
âI have no experience with a pike.â
Wick