Lucy crept along the rough stones of the arrow loop. The light illuminated the stone wall but was blinding the closer she came to the narrow slit. The space was narrower than she thought towards the end; it was just big enough for her slim body. She had no idea how a grown man fit in the arrow loop to rain arrows down at the enemy. She paused, squatted down and leaned her head towards the opening as she lifted her skirt up and pushed it backwards. She squeezed in further.
‘What do you see? What do you see?’ her Clem asked from behind her.
‘Will you be quiet for just a minute.’ Lucy said craning her neck further towards the light.
‘Are they coming? They’re going to kill us all, aren’t they?’ Clem began to pace and down the walk between the castle walls, clenching and unclenching his hands.
‘I can’t…I can’t see enough.’ Lucy said.
‘They’ll break in…maybe from underground. Or swim the moat. Scale the batter at the bottom of the castle wall, shimmy up the stones and over the top and onto the wall walk and then boom…arrow after arrow…they’ll take down every defender until they get to us and…’
‘Will you stop talking. I can’t hear.’ She said calmly.
Clem stood still with his hands behind his back like his father, like he was in control. He looked down at the stones and counted them from one side of the wall to the other as his mother told him when he felt the panic rising. He had wished he had taken a knife from the kitchen and looped it in his belt like the men, but when he went to put his arm out, it froze to his side as if it was tied to his body with the strongest leather.
‘Nothing. There is no one attacking from this side of the castle. It must be from the other side.’ Lucy said as she crept backwards. Stepping down on to the walkway, Lucy stood up straight and said, ‘Come on. Let’s run to the other side.’
Lucy grabbed Clem’s hand, her twin and Gemini, alike in many ways except she was older, but only by a minute or two which gave her a commanding nature. She was stronger, but only because she was taller. She was quicker, but only because she practiced racing against the fastest soldiers when she was allowed. She pulled him along the castle walkway. Lucy loved this part of the castle was because instead of filling the whole space in between the walls with rubble, they build a walkway halfway up, so you travel all around the castle walls and still be inside and access to the first level of arrow loops. Most of the men went up to the walk at the top of the castle to prepare for the attack. But a few stayed back and took up positions near Lucy and Clem.
A door crashed open behind them. Stopped abruptly, they held their breath and waited for the arrows to pierce their backs. Nothing. Strong fingers curled around their necks.
‘Lady Lucinda and Prince Clement. What do you think you’re doing?’ The hands shook their bodies and their heads wobbled in a strange detached way.
‘Nurse!’ They said in unison relieved and frightened at the same time. Clem was sure that being captured by the enemy would be far better than being caught by Nurse.
‘Nurse indeed. Your Mother will have your heads if you two are not upstairs in the tower immediately.’
Nurse pushed them through the door and up several flights of steps. Screams came from below. As they reached the tower, the noise below grew faint, and Nurse let go of them long enough unlock the large oak door to the top tower room with the key that always hung from her skirt.
‘Hurry.’ She said stepping aside.
They crossed the threshold. Mother turned to greet them, a sword in each hand.
All pictures and writing are my own unless otherwise credited. Permission must be obtained before any image reproduction and credit must be issued in any image reproduction or quotations.
The Gold Shoe Writer 