Sean clutched his longpike with nervous unease. He’d only been out of training for three weeks, and already he’d been assigned an active regiment. To make matters worse, the latest gossip running through the barracks was that a madman was heading for the capital city. And it was Sean’s rotation for duty outside the capital walls.
His patrol marched in a double column from the North Gate, to start their morning patrol beyond the city’s main entrance, and Sean wondered again why he had signed up for the king’s army. While he needed the money, soldiers weren’t particularly well paid. No, it had been the allure of adventure and excitement that had swayed his decision.
Sean pushed such thoughts aside and focused on the patrol. The twin columns of his companions were marching just a few feet a
