"No, my lord, I haven't. But the new mill should give some protection. It will have a water tank higher than the church. I plan on having a fire hose long enough to reach any part of Okoitz."
"Then see to it."
Dismissed, I went out to the bailey just as a strange procession was coming through the main gate. Sir Stefan was riding proudly in the lead, followed by a dozen peasants holding on to strong chains. Between the peasants, snarling, tugging, trying hard to get away, was a fair-sized brown bear chained around the neck.
"What on earth-" I said to Stefan.
"A bit of sport, Sir Conrad," he -said, getting down from his horse. "We were a month trapping him and most of the day getting him chained and out of the pit. But he's a beauty, hey?"
"But what would you want with a live bear?"
"Why, to bait him, of course! Look you, Sir Conrad, what would you say to a gentlemanly wager? I'll bet you a thousand pence that that bear can kill six dogs before it's brought down. What say you?"
I heard someone behind me whisper, "That's a sucker bet. That bear is good for a dozen, easy." But I ignored it.
"What do you mean, bait him?" I asked.
"You don't know the sport? Well, we'll chain him to that post and turn the dogs on him. A good bear like this one can go for hours before he's ripped apart."
"That's horrible!" I said, meaning it. "What a disgusting, brutal, ugly thing to do."
"Well, damn! If you don't like it, don't look!"
"But you can't do this! There are children here!"
"What of it? They've seen bear baiting before. Anyway, how do you dare tell me what I can or cannot do with my property?"
"Then I'll buy it from you! What is a bear worth?" I poured some silver out of my pouch and into my hand. "Is a hundred pence enough?"
He swatted my hand aside, spraying my money onto the snow. None of the peasants dared touch it.
"It's not for sale, damn you! Anyway, what would you do with a bear? Make another warlock's familiar out of it?"
Actually, discounting the stupidity about familiar creatures, Stefan had posed a good question. What could I do with a bear? I couldn't possibly keep it-it might break loose and kill somebody. I couldn't let it go-as angry as it was, it would surely kill somebody.
By this time, the bear had been fastened to the post, and a large crowd had gathered in a wide circle around the animal. It was on its hind legs, straining at the chains trying desperately for vengeance.
I walked into the circle. "Blood sports are cruel and wicked!" I shouted. I looked to the priest for support, but he just looked away. "If you won't think about the bear, think about the brutality to your dogs!"
"What else are the dogs for?" Stefan smirked. "Sir Conrad, you look as funny as the bear."
The peasants had sense enough to keep quiet, to not get involved. But they didn't want to miss the action, either.
"Laugh if you want to, but I won't let you do this."
"Just how do you plan to stop it?" Stefan had an ugly laugh.
Another good question. Once the bear was chained to the post, he couldn't be unchained without getting past him, and that bear was irate. The only thing I could do for the animal was to give it a clean death.
"Like this," I said. I drew my sword and stepped close to the beast. On his hind legs, he was taller than I and must have weighed three times as much, swatting at me with his massive paws.
I timed his swipes and swung at him when both his paws were down, catching him horizontally at the neck a centimeter above the chain.
The head flew clear in a spray of blood, and the suddenly freed body lunged at me, almost falling on top of me. As I leaped aside, it brushed my leg.
"All right!" I shouted, trying not to show the pity that was welling up in me. "I want that carcass skinned and the hide tanned. And I want the meat served up for tomorrow's supper."
As I turned to leave, sheathing my sword, Stefan shouted, "You bloody bastard! You filthy scum. You blow by of an incestuous-"
"That's enough!" Count Lambert shouted, running up to us. "You two are supposed to be knights, not kitchen dogs fighting over garbage! We will speak of this in private! Come with me, both of you."
"Yes, my lord," I said, following him to the castle, trying to control my emotions.
"It's not over, Conrad!" Stefan shouted, but I didn't turn.
Something heavy hit me square in the back, knocking me flat on my stomach in the dirty snow. I looked up to see the bear's head bouncing down the path toward the castle. Rage enveloped me as I got up.
As I turned toward him, Stefan hit me square in the face, almost knocking me down again.
I was too angry to fight efficiently, but Stefan didn't know anything about unarmed combat in the first place. For a few seconds we swung at each other wildly, and I gave a lot more than I got.
Suddenly, a naked sword divided the space between, us. Lambert's.
"I swear, the next one of you who strikes will get this in his guts," Lambert hissed. "My own sworn knights fighting in the dirt, in front of the peasants no less! Now, to my chambers, and this time both of you walk in front Of me."
In his chambers, Lambert ordered us to sit on opposite sides of the room but was so angry that he couldn't sit down himself.
"Dogs blood! My own knights! Men who are supposed to enforce the peace, fighting each other like squalid beggars! You shame me, the both of you!"
"First you, Sir Conrad! I saw you deliberately destroy the property and sport of a brother knight. I fine you two hundred pence for that and order you to pay Sir Stefan another fifty in damages."
"Yes, my lord."
"Is that all you have to say? Just why did you do such a despicable thing?"
"My lord, he was going to torture that animal, chain it to that post, and turn the dogs on it."
"So? Bears kill our people and our cattle. We have the right to vengeance! You don't like our sports? I know you don't like our holidays. Very well! You can sleep through them, doing night guard duty before every one of them from now till Easter."
I groaned. Lately one day in three had been a holiday of one sort or another. Stefan smiled.
"Wipe that damn smirk off your face, Sir Stefan," Lambert said. "Your sins are worse than his! On slight provocation, you struck a brother knight with a dishonorable weapon-a bloody bear's headwithout proper challenge and in the back! You did it when I had specifically ordered you to follow me immediately! Some lords would have you hung for that, and were it not for your father I'd be sorely tempted. Instead, I'll be lenient. I fine you, three months' additional guard duty, from Easter to midsummer, on the night shift."
"Now I want no more bad blood between you two. Knights of the same lord should be like brothers! Stand up and give each other the kiss of brotherhood, then get out of my sight!"
As I kissed the smelly bastard, he whispered, "It's not over!"