55 Foolish Men
“Why are ve gathered here? Is it ‘nother attack?”
“I don’t know. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I thought you’d know somethin’ about it.’
“Say, who’s that guy, all bloody and all, tied up to a post over there? What’s he done?”
“I’ve heard that he tried to rebel. Said somethin’ about the baron and the little prince.”
“Something about the lords? What’d he say?”
“Somethin’ about how he’d make a better leader. Tell ya what, he’d make the best scum. Pooch!”
“We’re here facin’ uncertain death with no food and no water, and then there’s scum like this tryin’ to stir up the situation and cause trouble. What a bastard. Scum like that should rot in hell!”
“Hear, hear. Rightly said.”
“Say, Barnes, how’s the leg?”
“It’s comin’ along. Haven’t felt the pain since this mornin’. Gotta thank that Heinrich kid when I find him.”
“Good, good. I really thought you’d be a goner when I saw that beast clutch onto yer leg.”
“I can’t die this soon. It hasn’t even been that long since I got married!”
“Don’t worry, pal. I’ll take care of ya wifey if you ever pass on.”
“Now this is a real bastard that’s got to be tied to that post over there. The man hasn’t even died, yet you’re already laying claims to his wife. Hahaha.”
Heinrich heard the crowd of soot-faced, injury-ridden, crude-looking miners vulgarly joke about. Hiding his face under a simple cowl, he stood near the group and quietly kept to himself. Socially awkward as he was, he did not find it within himself to casually interact with the group.
Not that he even wanted to.
While keeping his face hidden, Heinrich turned around and looked at the unconscious man tied to a wooden post at the center of their large cave.
His face, bruised and bloody, hung limply while his body hung bare, stripped of its clothes and belongings. Hanging from around his neck was a crude wooden board, written upon which were the characters of the word spelling, ‘Traitor’. It seemed that whoever was responsible for tying him up, also went through the trouble of branding him. Not that it mattered, for almost 99% of the miners gathered here couldn’t read it. Heinrich and the person who had written it were the only exceptions.
Being a smart lad, Heinrich immediately realized the purpose behind such a display. ‘Whoever did this, did it to impress the lords. Smart.’ Who knows, mayhaps the lords of the town might be impressed by this display and reward the person behind it. It seemed unlikely, but nevertheless represented a chance.
Putting that aside, Henrich turned his attention toward the crowd of miners that had gathered. An order to assemble had been announced ten minutes ago, and presently, nearly all the miners –those that were able– had gathered.
Some distance away, a crude platform, constructed out of stacked boxes and barrels, was prepared to serve as the stage for whatever was about to come. Heinrich did not know what was to come but didn’t have to wait too long either.
Foreman Jason Porlicks had taken the stage.
–--
Climbing up the stage, Jason could feel his heart thump resoundingly. Sweat poured from every pore in his body and a definite feeling of light-headedness struck him. The feelings of nervousness and angst had made him slip up more than once during his climb, each accident only serving to bolster his panic.
Sure, he had done some public speaking before. Increasingly so in recent days. But never before had he appeared before a crowd like this while carrying such a weight upon his shoulders.
‘How does the little lord do it? I’m a fully grown man with a wife and two kids, yet my heart feels like it’s gonna burst at any second!’ Jason’s appreciation and respect for the little prince went up another notch.
Finally reaching the shaky top, Jason closed his eyes and took in a few breaths to calm himself. He repeatedly thought up nonsense to lessen the anxiety within his heart, and when he finally calmed down to an agreeable standard, he opened his eyes.
He saw the sight of a hundred people unblinkingly staring at him. Jason immediately closed his eyes, his angst returning and reaching a new peak. He repeatedly breathed in and out with increasing successions but did not feel that helping him whatsoever. Jason felt the gazes of the men and women before him, bore into him. He felt naked and afraid.
“Don’t think too much about it, lad. Just open yer mouth and speak yer heart. You’re our leader and we’re here to listen to you,” The elder miner stood just beneath the hastily built stage and whispered words of advice to him.
‘Calm down. That’s right, calm down. Yer the leaders and these people are here to listen to ya. Talk. I just need to tell them the truth.’ Jason repeated within his heart. A strange calmness descended upon him.
Opening his eyes, he looked straight ahead and immediately started talking, “My fello’ brothers and sisters, for the last day-and-half we’ve stayed trapped, beaten, bloodied, and some of us nearly killed under the maws of those wolves. A day-and-half has passed and we remain.”
Jason’s voice was quiet as he spoke. However, within the silence of the crowd and the sharp walls of the cave, it echoed, reaching all.
“Our stock of water ran out last night, and our stock of food ran out this morning. Right now, we’ve got no proper water to drink and no good food to eat.”
While the initial estimation of their reserves predicted that their field kitchen rations could last them for two days with proper rationing, it did not come to pass. The consumption from a large number of injured miners, and the frequent wolf attacks caused them to burn through their stock prematurely, in a bid to keep up health and morale.
“The attacks of the wolves have also gotten more and more frequent. There were no attacks last night. This morning, we were attacked every two hours or so. And within the last hour, we’ve been attacked four times. Six wolves had been killed but nearly thirty miners were mauled in return. Were it not for our Miracle Saviour, they would've died.” Heinrich felt his face burn and quickly pulled down on the cowl covering his head. He prayed that no one around him would recognize him. Fortunately, none did.
Back on the stage, Jason felt his breathing grow easier and a sense of calmness returned to his heart. His eyes, previously covered in panic and angst, were now clear.
“My fello’ brothers and sisters, I’ve had enough. I cannot sit still and watch those arrogant beasts attack us anymore! I want to do somthin!~ I want to act!”
“I WANT TO KILL THOSE DAMNED BEASTS AND MAKE ‘EM PAY FOR WHAT THEY’VE DONE TO US!!” Jason roared these words, making them echo endlessly within the cave.
Pausing to calm his breath, he then continued, “I’m not askin’ you for anythin’. I only want you to trust me. Trust me and stay here, while I run over to the town and inform them of our plight. I’m dumb and weak. I cannot save us. However, I believe that our lord can! So please, trust me and stay here.” Jason earnestly begged and even bowed towards the end.
Silence stayed its hand within the cave.
“Ya know,” a voice suddenly rang out. Following its path, Jason discovered that it was the man with a cross-shaped scar on his face. “Back when we’ere talkin’ about what we should do, that cowardly bastard stepped forward and blamed the heavens for being unfair towards us,” He pointed to the unconscious Caleb who was hung from the post.
“That cowardly bastard had the galls to blame the Gods and our lords for our fate. Traitorous scum,” The man with the cross-shaped scar loudly spat against the ground. “Not a single word of his was meaningful.”
“This man,” he suddenly turned around to point at Jason, “our foreman, knocked that whoreson out cold and said ‘I’m gonna gather a team of twenty, twenty-five men and make it to the town.’ I don’t know why he didn’t tell all that now, but I do agree with somethin’ else he said, ‘I’m tired of sitting still and watching those arrogant beasts attack us.’”
“And ya know what, I agree with him. That’s why I’m joinin’ him in the attack.”
“You–!” Jason tried to say something but was immediately interrupted by the man with the cross-shaped scar. “I’m joinin’ you, foreman.” He wasn’t going to back down, no matter what.
Jason found himself speechless.
“Aye. I also agree. It’s about time those beasts paid for their actions!”
“I’m joinin’ too, foreman. I’ve been want’in to shove it up their arses!”
“Count me in! Let’s bash some fu*kin’ wolf heads!”
A resounding response with nearly forty miners raising up their hands and stepping forward played out. Each man brimmed with spirit and battle intent.
Seeing this scene, tears brimmed up in Jason’s eyes. With a shaky voice, he slowly spoke. “You’re all idiots…”
“And men I’m truly proud of.”
Author's Note: Shoutout to those who managed to realize the easter egg that I've left in this chapter. You and I are not too different. *wink*
