Brothers Campfire Throwback Thursday 4/9/2020

Hello Friends! Here is a throwback Thursday for you! Sit back and toast a marshmallow while I spin a tale from the Land of La Longi!

Everyone settled in? I did not change any parts from the last time I told them other than the images!

I have given further direction to fortify the camp. An extra watch has been placed in rotation.
It has been brought to my attention that a lot of things are coming up missing.

There have likely been thieves slipping through our watch. This needs to stop.
After this morning, I have had enough.

It is starting to make sense now.

Last week, a thin man with a balding head and nondescript clothing came to camp.
He did not have anything with him other than a long shepherd’s crook.
The Man with the Shepherds Crook is welcome here. It was so calm when he came by.
He had words of wisdom I did not fully comprehend. He asked about an old stone building that used to be a place of worship and offered to purchase it. I informed him that at this point, he could utilize the structure.
I have been directed and encouraged to develop this area economically using my own judgement. I believe he will be a fine addition to Northwich.

When we met, the Man with a Shepherds Crook spoke of thieves.
He said they go around attacking the weak. They do not directly attack.
I did not pay much attention until it faced it. These thieves thought that I was weak.

I was surprised when he told me to send armed men out to completely destroy the thieves on sight. After this morning, I understand the intense hatred he has for the thieves.

He believes an example needs to be made and I agree with him. I will listen to the wisdom of this man. I have already sent several scouts to look around. So far, not much has been seen other than a few tracks.

I will leave the kettle of coffee out and I have added logs to the fire.

I am off to work with the scouts. I want to help locate these brigands and thieves and stop this.

Meanwhile,

I watch Brother lurk in the forest. He listens for sounds, feels in the darkness. He follows his senses.

I am Beast. I am bitter. I am anger. I eat the flesh of the predator. There are brigands. I saw them come.
I was weak. It was day. I felt tired and weak. The moon is not that big.
It is night. I feel strong. I smell the man who threatened Brother. I follow the smell.
Brother went the wrong way.
I am angry at the sword man on the horse.
I want to hurt him. I want to hurt his friends. They tried to hurt Brother.
I run fast. I am Beast.
I run to the smell.
I watch. They are not Brother’s friend.
Aggggghhhh!!!!!!! Pain!!!!!!! Trap! Silver! Nooo! Agggggggggggggg!

Brigand: ha ha, what did I tell you? Put silver on the spikes,put your sweaty shirt on it and you would capture a Beast. We are gonna get pay and payback all in the same night. Ha ha! Too much!

The Next Morning……

“Brother, that is your title if I am not mistaken.
My name is Larry. You welcomed me to camp the other day. You went out last night looking for brigands, no?”

“That is correct. Come, sit down and we will have a talk beside the fire.”

Larry sits down. He puts stevia leaves in his coffee. It is a sweetening substance.

“LR and SG is marked with a branding iron on convicts from Last Rites and Silent Gallows.
You must have a dozen men here from the prisons. You have a lot of thefts in this area.
What are you going to do about it, Brother?”

“Larry, you are welcome to the camp. I told you this the other day when you came to the fire asking lots of questions that I really cannot give the answers to. Let me give you a quick rundown of what is going on here.

My friend Jeptha Berengar who I adopted as kin was in trouble in La Longi. I appealed to the king himself to let me take my friend who is also known as Beast to the Northern Lands for a fresh start and he consented.

The King gave direction for me to go to take prisoners and resettle Northwich and has sent the means for me to get started.
Bluntly, I have absolute authority of Northwich by the King’s word.

Larry, I will be honest. I do not know what more to do. I will say that yesterday I actively engaged in reducing assaultive behavior in the camp and last night I began looking for Brigands.

Now let’s discuss LR and SG brands. At this time I have 16 men on my payroll that have narrowly avoided the noose or worse. They have brought their families. This is an opportunity for them. Upon completion of the projects I have given them, they will be granted parcels of land.

Any misconduct on the part of these men would result in expulsion of the offender and their family. I am just the man that would follow through and they know it.

Larry, where does a man with such a mark as they have go if they do not make it here? Do you think it makes sense to steal for the most part?”

Larry: What I hear you saying in a nutshell is the thefts are from outside of the camp. Come now, there is no one around for miles.

Where did you come from, Larry?

I don’t wait for an answer.

It’s time to assemble some men.

Brother: I am going to take out some brigands and it is not going to be pretty.

“James Rainport reporting as requested sir.”

James of the House of Rainport, How is your patrol?

“All is well sir.”

James, you are the son of a high ranking noble.
Do you know what I am going to do?

“No, SIR! “

Your tone is irritated. You can’t stand me James.
I understand that.
You probably have a hard time with a freedman telling the Heir to the House of Rainport what to do.

Take a seat beside the table here. We will listen to a report together. Have a cup of coffee.

“I don’t drink Heron brew. I am of the House of Rainport. Sir, With all due respect sir, I do not trust you.

One day I will be your overseer, Brother.”

You know, James Rainport, I agree. Guess what? I am going to help you be my overseer. You lack experience and you are going to get it soon. Now let’s sit back and hear the scout report.

Scout, what is your report?

Brother, there were enough tracks to find a camp with several bedding areas. Perhaps 5 or six. There was blood and lots of dark hair in what appears to have been a pitfall trap of sorts.

Brother: Jeptha!

They were on horseback, Brother. There were more than 5 horses but I could not distinguish exactly how many. The tracks proceeded east.

Sir, they left in a hurry. Remember a while back when we had to bury an old crippled man with a cane?

Brother: yes

The scout pauses.
“They left hastily and umm…. We found gold teeth and the old man’s cane with a silver tip.”

I look at the items.
These items belonged to a crippled man we buried days ago that was brought to our camp. In fact, the Bard gave the parting words at the funeral we held. We had buried the man’s belongings with him. Sickening.

Scout: I walked to the place we laid him and sure enough, the grave was dug up and hastily robbed. On my way back to the Campfire, an elderly lady approached me and stated she had been robbed by several men. They went through her house and took her things. She said one looked like he had been kicked in the head.

Brother:Thank you scout. You are dismissed.
Scout: Sir, if I may be so bold,
Brother: You may

A wry grin spreads across the scout’s face.

“another scout found the encampment of brigands….About 5 miles east of here.”

James, we are going brigand hunting. Get some men ready!

The Next morning……

Welcome to the Campfire.

There was a fight
last night. The guards and scouts went out and attacked the brigands while they were in camp, catching them by surprise.

The brigand camp they attacked is no longer inhabited. I will write about James Rainport and his valor in battle in my account to the king. He led the attack on my direction. He exceeded expectations in leadership on this one. I will tell him this myself.

The wet behind the ears guards and scouts that followed James into battle can tell the story when they return to the Kingdom on rotation.

It is their story to tell.

It was bloody…. For the brigands. There were a few injuries on our side. Small wounds can get infected. I will give direction for appropriate sanitation and wound care.

It was over as quickly as it began. It is good that we had a win.

I told the guards we need more of a challenge next time and they laughed. They are in good spirits.

One newer soldier will be titled Sir Brown Bottom for a while. Oh well, fear motivates at times.

epilogue

( prior to the battle last night)
YOU DID NOT LET ME GO WHEN IT WAS LIGHT. I TOLD YOU WHEN IT IS DARK I WILL BE STRONG. YOU HURT MY LEG WITH A TRAP. YOU STABBED ME WITH SILVER. YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS TORMENTED ME LAST NIGHT AND ALL DAY TODAY. YOU THOUGHT YOUR CORDAGE WOULD HOLD ME.

NOW I HOLD YOU.
“I… I am sorry”
WHO IS LARRY?
“He…. He lives in Northwich”
BROTHER WOULD BE UPSET IF I TORE YOU APART. YOU ARE TENDER MEAT. YOU ARE A TENDER LITTLE MAN.

RUN IN TERROR LITTLE BRIGAND.

(A terrified brigand runs.)