Another fairy story! Fit the sixth

The Captain led her across a small exercise ground to a long, low hut outside of which sat a small group playing dice. “Toad, Bull, present yourselves. Now!” he cried as they approached the hut. Two elves immediately sprang to their feet, turned to face the direction of the incoming bellow and stood shock straight as their commander closed the gap between them. “Toad, Bull, I have work for you. This is the Princess, daughter of the King, and she returns home. You will ride with her and protect her and woe betide if you do not. Pray that you die in the attempt for I will surely make you wish for the rest of your miserable lives that you had! Princess, Toad and Bull, your, some say gallant, protectors. Those are of course not their real names, but they have had them so long that most here have forgotten their birth names. Toad? ‘Tis easy to see why. Bull? I pray you never find out!”

The Princess took in the two soldiers before her. It was easy to see why Toad had acquired such a use name. His face was marked with a myriad of scars, indentations, two mildly suppurating abscesses and half of his left ear was missing, the remaining edge ragged, as though bitten through. “Do not ask after his scars, my lady,” the Captain said, “for he will regale you with a tale longer than the creation saga for each and every one, those that you can see, those that you cannot and those that you should not see. If you wish for sleepless nights in the days ahead, ask! But I do not counsel it!” Toad wore a broad grin and was obviously used to such joshing from his Captain. Bull, however, was more difficult to fathom. He had no horns, no hump to his back not even a ring through his nose. “No doubt all will become clear in time,” the Princess thought to herself.

Toad stepped forward and with a wide, sweeping bow said, “We will serve you well, my lady, to the best of our strength and to the limit of our courage and endurance, none of which I shamelessly say are small. It will be a pleasure and an honour to acquire further blemishes to my already marred features in the service of such beauty.” The Princess blushed a deep crimson. “I thank you, Sirs, for your service,” she quietly replied, her head slightly bowed. “Serve me well and the King shall hear of it, and you also, Captain. I will have no fear on the road with these gallant elves to protect me. I believe you have chosen well!”

“Come then, my lady,” the Captain said, “we will dine while these two rapscallions prepare for the journey. Toad, Bull, be at the main gate at 2 past the fourth watch and be prepared!” He paused as though thinking and then said, almost as an afterthought, “You will stay with the Princess during her sojourn and will return with her if she returns. If she chooses to stay, you will return as soon as she dismisses you.” Taking the Princess’ arm, he turned and walked away. After ten or twelve paces, the Captain turned his head back sharply to the two soldiers and said, “Please, Bull, no more accidents. Keep it in your tunic.” Bull and Toad both smiled and breathed in unison, almost soundlessly, “As if!”

As they sat on the opposite sides of a small table in the Captain’s quarters, a dish of mutton stew with rosemary and garlic before them, the Princess asked, “Captain, what must Bull keep in his tunic? Perhaps I can help in that respect, if I know what I must look out for.”

The Captain laughed. “My lady, that which Bull must keep hidden is so attracted to beauty that I fear he will have to exercise all of his discipline on the journey to the castle.” He smiled. “But have no fear, my lady, Bull knows the difference between right and wrong, more than most, he will not falter.”

The Princess creased her brow and said, “I am confused. You speak as though this were a living thing. Perhaps a pet? Surely such a thing should not be kept in a tunic. Surely all living things have a right to sunlight and freedom? Why should Bull’s pet be deprived so? Is that not needless cruelty?”

The Captain smiled again. “A living thing? Aye, too true does it live! I had hoped that I could avoid this but I see that I must be frank. You have seen bulls in the field, with their harem, Princess?” The Princess nodded. “And you have perhaps seen the excited bull’s pizzel as his harem gathers around him?” The Princess flushed. “That is how Bull acquired his use name,” the Captain continued. “It would be no more than a curiosity if he were not so apt to father children which he cannot, will not, support. I doubt that Bull would consider a noble to be fair game but perhaps you might advise the lower ranks of castle staff, or their overseers, of the dangers of meeting Bull in the stable to view, in his own words, ‘this glorious wonder’.”

The Princess flushed once more but smiled. “I understand you, my good Captain. Warnings shall go before me as rose petals before a Queen! Have no fear!”

It was a little after the second hour of the watch when the Princess and the Captain arrived at the main gate. Bull and Toad were astride two roan horses heavily laden with saddle sacks across their broad rumps; the Princess’ horse between them. Toad rose in his stirrups and bowing said, “Greetings, Princess, my good Captain! We are, as you see, here at the appointed hour. We live to serve!” The Princess laughed. “Well met, Toad! Bull!”

The Princess walked briskly to her horse. The Captain heaved her into the saddle. “Remember, you two, if one hair of her head is harmed, you will be dining on your own tackle ere long. Guard her well!” The two elves nodded and wheeling their horses in the direction of the gate, bade the Princess to follow.

As they passed through the shadow of the gate tower, Bull turned to the Princess and asked, “Do you have haste, my lady? Although we are heavily laden, we still can make good time, if you have need.”

“No,” the Princess replied. “I have no need to hasten towards this meet. There is time enough to prepare myself for what must be done. We will amble and take in this sun for a while.” Bull smiled. “Well said, my lady. There is an inn some ways ahead which we will make by nightfall at this pace. We can rest there tonight and still make the castle gate by the morrow’s eve.”

To be continued.......