Chapter 10: The Knight's Dream

Chapter 10: Knightly Dreams

On the morning of the second day, they encountered a small Druchii sloop. Upon seeing the *Winter*, it immediately veered away, showing no intention of communicating—perhaps fearing a "dog-eat-dog" situation.

On the afternoon of the third day, they encountered a Druchii schooner, which likewise turned tail and fled the moment it spotted the *Winter*.

It was then that Druchii realized his Druchii barque was truly a bit overpowered. This type of ship was designed as an escort for Black Arks, much like a destroyer in a carrier strike group.

On the fourth day, taking advantage of the cover of night, they bypassed the city of L'Anguille and its surrounding islands, sailing north toward the city of Sorel, intending to find a place to make landfall.

More than twenty Bretonnian knights came to a halt, their horses’ hooves kicking up turf. The evening sun filtered through the woods, dappling their armor with shifting light.

On the hills to the north, they could smell the sea and hear the distant sound of crashing waves. The squires were returning from the hills; their pace and demeanor indicated they had found what they were looking for.

The lead knight removed his helmet, shook out his hair, and revealed a young face. As he turned to look at his standard-bearer, a smug, self-satisfied smile hung on his lips. He said proudly, "It seems we have found our prey, hmm? My dear Bastien."

Bastien lifted his visor, revealing himself to be another young, handsome, and dashing knight. He said in a low voice, "Perhaps so, Jaufré." But the expression on his face was equally triumphant. Because they both knew they were about to become heroes once again.

Less than two hours' journey to the north lay the village of Avignon. Since the beginning of summer, it had been under constant attack. Of course, the village contained only a few hundred old peasants and nothing of value worth plundering. But it was every knight's duty to protect the weak, and the young Knights Errant had quickly seized the opportunity to prove their worth. Now, it seemed, Jaufré and Bastien, the best of childhood friends, were about to become the saviors of Avignon.

The captain of the squires dismounted not far in front of them, trotted over, removed his helmet, and knelt before the two noble knights, reporting to Jaufré with wild joy.

"We found them, my lord. It is a group of Druchii, about ten of them, on foot, no mounts, wearing armor, and they have a small camp."

Jaufré asked, "Druchii? Are you certain?"

The squire captain replied, "Yes, my lord. I am certain they are Druchii, not Norscans."

Jaufré and Bastien exchanged a glance, and then Jaufré said to the squire, "Good, well done, very good. Prepare for battle."

Jaufré drew his sword and said, "Are you ready for battle, my friend?" With that, he squeezed his mount with his legs and began to trot.

Bastien said wisely, "Let us not be impulsive. Think about it: we outnumber them more than three to one, and we are all cavalry; we will crush them directly! Of course, if we can capture these Druchii alive, we could earn a handsome reward, and Duke Repanse would be very grateful to us."

Jaufré understood Bastien's implication and laughed, saying, "Hahaha! Bastien, you undoubtedly have the mind of a lord. No wonder I am in command of you."

Bastien flashed a brilliant smile and said, "As you wish!" He then turned to the squires and said, "Squires, we are going to catch some Druchii pirates now. They will regret setting foot on the lands of L'Anguille!"

The sound of hooves was like thunder as the Bretonnian knights charged forward.

The squires' reconnaissance had been accurate. As the sun set over the bay, Druchii and the brothers Takaya were camping, lighting fires to cook their meal with a squad of Black Ark Corsairs.

A large black-purple tent stood behind them, the banner atop it fluttering in the wind, and a small boat lay stranded on the beach.

Druchii was picking wild berries when that familiar sense of unease returned. He frowned and asked, "We did send out our sentries, didn't we?"

Vraneth put down the berries in his hand and said, "My lord, they were sent out two hours ago."

Druchii cursed, "Damn it, this is strange."

Bastien looked at the Druchii in the distance and said, "They don't even have bows or polearms. I can already see the Lady of the Lake smiling upon me."

Jaufré smiled at his standard-bearer and said, "The noble ladies will surely love our story, and then they will be impatient to fight us."

Bastien quipped, "My dear friend, the ladies fight harder than any warrior I have ever encountered in battle!"

The two laughed heartily, and at Bastien's command, the squires galloped over the hills in unison, charging toward Druchii and his men.

Seeing the Bretonnian cavalry surging toward them from afar, Druchii and the brothers Takaya jumped up from their chairs.

The Black Ark Corsairs immediately dropped their tasks, drew their weapons, and formed a defensive line around Druchii.

Vraneth said urgently, "My lord, you go first! We will fight to the death to hold them off!"

Reyn also said quickly, "Yes, my lord, you go first, we will buy you time!"

Druchii laughed angrily, "Damn it, what kind of nonsense is this? There is no reason for me to leave first!" He then gritted his teeth and said, "Stall! Stall for time! Drop your weapons! We surrender!"

Druchii stepped outside the formation, raised his hand in a Bretonnian-style military salute to the charging cavalry. Under the captain's orders, the Black Ark Corsairs also dropped their weapons.

Seeing the Druchii raise their hands in surrender, the Bretonnian knights slowed their horses. Jaufré stopped elegantly in front of Druchii, pointing his lance at him; if the tip had moved any further, it would have touched his nose. Druchii did not retreat a single step, holding his head high and meeting Jaufré's gaze.

Jaufré retracted his lance and pointed it toward the sky, then removed his helmet with his left hand. Lifting his chin, he said haughtily to Druchii, "You are now the captives of Jaufré de Valance, Baron of Valance, Savior of Grolon, and Savior of Avignon. You shall be judged for the crimes committed against this land. I guarantee you will not be mistreated before the trial."

Druchii looked at the Knight Errant before him and thought, "What a pompous ass, his head is full of nothing but knightly dreams." He then smiled politely and said elegantly in Bretonnian, "Respected Baron, please forgive us. They are well aware of their crimes, and so am I. I am a scion of the Thousand-Maw family of Karond Kar, and my name is Baldeq Blackblade. I offer my sword to you. We are willing to submit to your authority, and there will be no more disputes today. Tomorrow, we shall face judgment with equanimity." As he spoke, he skillfully unbuckled the noble curved sword from his waist and held it out to Jaufré with both hands.

Bretonnian and the Imperial tongue, aside from a few differences in vocabulary and grammar, were as similar as High German and Low German.

(End of chapter)