Legio Patra Nostra Chapter 3
Legio Patra Nostra
Chapter Three
All characters and the story are my intellectual property Ddraig 2010
I stood up from the breakfast table to peer out of the cottage's windows. What greeted my vision was a sight that seemed to have leapt from the pages of a history book about the English Civil War. There outside the cottage in the yard where the cottage's well was. A troop of horses stood all snorting softly, upon their backs, were more animals, well like Allie and Len, They were a mixed bag of creatures some I had only seen in zoos or on a documentary when I was young. There were six in total, two foxes, one white the other red, Three grey wolves. And a tawny lion who from his apparel a red shirt over which was a breast plate of armour along with a sash of blue, a pair of mauve trousers ending in large cavalry style boots. His large cavalier hat also defined him as a commander with a large crimson feather in it. His men were less flamboyant with simple brown shirts under their own breastplates along with black trousers. What made them distinguishable to me was their helmets that looked like the roundhead helmets from Oliver Cromwell's army except they had holes in the top of them for their ears to protrude.
The commander got of his horse and strode to front door, he was about six feet tall and broad at the shoulders. He carried an officer's sword on his right hip and in his sash were two small daggers. The others were similarly armed, one of the wolves even had a crossbow. The lion rapped on the door.
"Open up in the name of the Elders, they want to talk the hoo-man you have lodged" he yelled
Now i was on edge, they were here for me. Did they have malicious intent or were they benign.
Allie and Len both bore expressions of confusion and concern upon their faces
Len opened the door I was ready to escape but Allie had persuaded me not to.
"If you run they'll hunt you down, the elders only want to talk to you. They won't hurt you." She stage whispered to me.
I gulped and clenched my fist composing myself. I straightened my beret to make my self more presentable. Len opened the door and the Lion officer strode in, his boots clomping on the stone floor. He looked down at me and said flatly. "the council Elders want to speak to the hoo-man Mr Largepaw, he is to come with us." One thing that irked me was that he knew what I was. With that I stepped forward facing the captain and gave him a sharp salute. "Chef Legionnaire Gillard, serial number 10602345 reporting sir"
He was bemused at my display, he'd probably not seen such a display of respect for his rank. Or maybe because I looked so alien to him. "Quite" he said " He is to come with me and my men to the village. Can we borrow a horse and cart. Mr Largepaw, you and your lovely daughter are welcome to come as well." He gazed at Allie lecherously "Certainly Captain Archer let me go fetch it". Len lumbered out of the door. Allie went to the attic room quickly and fetched my kit. Including my FAMAS which she carried almost reverently as if it was a holy item. She handed them to me. I slung the rifle on my left shoulder whilst I checked the kit bag. Satisfied with my check I carried it out the door in my right hand just a Len brought the horse and cart round. The horse was a typical draft horse, black with white feathered legs and a white stripe down his face. I climbed in the cart and I helped Allie in. Her paw pads were slightly calloused. But felt quite soft.
As we sat down the captain mounted his chestnut horse and shouted "follow us" and we started towards the main village.
The scenery was very pleasant. In the distance to the west were snow capped mountains to the east was rolling farmland and meadows filled with different crops. I looked at Allie and she smiled at me which reassured me. As we went down this old dirt road I noticed more house near the roads I also saw more anthros. Of various species there were reptiles, felines, canines and even equines. They were mesmerised at me as I was of them. After a while I was sitting facing out of back of the cart as it rumbled slowly along almost falling asleep..
Suddenly there was a loud scream near the road "FIRE,FIRE SOMEONE HELP.!!!" It was a feline lady a cheetah to be exact she had run out of her cottage that was blazing away like..... Well a house on fire. In her arms she led a bundle a cub to her chest. The captain ordered his men to help and they scrambled off their horses and ran to the nearby well and formed a chain and began passing buckets Len also joined in as well as some other anthros from the surrounding fields. Allie went to the cheetah lady to help calm her down. I also helped with the bucket line i got a few weird looks but I was an extra pair of hand or paws whatever. We were starting to get the fire under control. When the cheetah lady's husband came up to her his face one of worry and fear "Sherie where's Tad?" he asked. She went wide eyed "Oh no he's still in his room!!!!" she screamed than turned to run into the still burning house it took Allie and her husband to hold her back. The lion captain heard this "Where is he?" he asked "upstairs" answered Sherie. He then quickly ran towards the door but the thick black acrid smoke pushed him back. Now Sherie was screaming and bawling "TAD TAAAAAAAAAAAAADDDDD My Baby!"
I left the line of buckets and ran back to the cart and I quickly rummaged through my kit bag where I found my personal respirator. I took off my beret, put on the mask, my helmet and gloves for extra protection. I ran to the house. Everyone just stared at me. I just ran through the door and into the thick smoke. I kept low even though it was a Legion respirator I didn't want to take a chance that it wouldn't work properly. I crawled up the stairs and I saw the upper floor. There were two rooms one of the doors were open it was the parents room. In the smoke I could make out the double bed and a babies crib. I turned around and kicked in the door, as I did a wall of smoke billowed past me the and the room was glowing orange from a few flames flickering in the corner "Where are you?" I yelled. "In here" came a small voice. I turned to a closet and I pulled open the door and I saw sitting on the floor the small cheetah boy named Tad I guessed he was about six or seven. I reached down and he screamed. To him I must have looked like some demon from Hell. With my strange clothes and the lenses in the respirator must have been reflecting the orange hue of the fire making it look like my eyes were glowing.
I grabbed him and we ran out of his room, down the stairs and out into the open. He was coughing and spluttering. But his mother ran to him She hugged him tenderly and he hugged her back. "Thank you for saving my son" said the father. I removed my helmet and mask and the boy was mesmerised at my different face. "Wow! What are you?" asked Tad. I smiled and said "I am a Legionnaire" he smiled and cuddled into his mother again. A few hours after the fire was out and the family was taken in by their neighbours it was our time to leave. The captain and the soldiers remounted their horses as Len, Allie and I got back into the cart Allie grinned at me and said " You were very brave Lewis" "I just did my best." I replied. She sighed and laid down going to sleep as it was getting dark my eyes gazed upon her lovely figure I pulled out my spare tunic and placed it over her. I also dozed off tired from the day's exertions. Later we arrived in a large town which was quiet due as it was dusk.
We were outside a large two story building which I deduced was the town hall. "Follow me" Archer said his men stayed outside as did Len and Allie I kept my kit with me. We walked down the hallways, which were carpeted in a maroon colour. Archer stopped outside a large wooden door, which he opend and motioned with his head saying "They are waiting for you"
I walked slowly through the door not knowing to expect but the Legion motto went through my head
Legio Patra Nostra
TO BE CONTINUED..........................
feel free to comment as it help the story making