The Chronicles: Notomol Ch. 03

We all fired together. It was hard to miss. At least three of the enemy were hit. Two of those fell to the ground and did not rise.

The Izumyrians realized that there was no threat to their front. Our three shouting, running men (Motekin, Ermanar and Valarav) threw away the shields they'd been carrying, and dashed off the path into the shelter of the trees. One of the soldiers began to yell - a sergeant, perhaps.

Some of the enemy turned to face us, shields up. Some tripped over their fallen comrades. We fired another volley of arrows.

Only two of them hit - but one was a killing shot, taking a man in the throat. I heard Yadha grunt "Heh!" - he was clearly pleased with himself.

Seven of the Izumyrians soldiers were down - including the two dead officers. There were still 11 men standing, but at least two of those were wounded.

That one man began shouting again. I have no idea what he was saying, but the enemy surprised me completely. They began to trot, and then to run - back the direction they had come. Within a few short moments, they had passed us, and they continued to run away with their backs to us.

Had the sergeant panicked? Or did he see no other way out of their predicament?

We came out of the trees, to fire into their rear. Our only concern was not to hit each other. Again, some of us shot at the same targets. Still, three more Izumyrians fell.

Several of the running men tossed their shields aside. One even dropped his spear, so that he could run faster.

We pursued. I saw Notomol make a spectacular shot, striking one of the soldiers in the back of the neck. I regret to say that I missed twice. Others were luckier, though, or more skilled: at least four more soldiers were wounded. One of them fell. His companions didn't stop to help him.

Notomol called off the pursuit. We weren't about to chase them all the way back to Dienik's steading. Instead, we recovered as many arrows as we could, and looted the bodies of the dead. Cinna and Cirola finished off a few that weren't quite dead. Aunam helped them.

***

Journal #17, Autumn, 937

Notomol has recovered my esteem. In a single day, we slew 3 officers and 14 soldiers, with almost no loss to ourselves. It was a masterstroke, a brilliant blow.

We suffered no casualties, but we did lose one man. Heik ran away, instead of joining in our feigned charge. There was almost no risk involved, yet he still could not stomach it.

Yadha Snakehand was very curious about the identity of the one Izumyrian who seemed to have given orders even after the officers were dead.

- "Brave man." said the old man. "Not sure if he kept his head, or lost it, there. May have saved half of them, though, when you think about it."

I was minded of a treatise attributed to Berand of Adhicar (an Izumyrian - I didn't mention that little fact).

"Out of every one hundred men, ten should not even be there. Eighty are just targets. Nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one - one is a warrior ... and he will bring the others back."

"Sounds about right." said Yadha. "You lot are pretty lucky to have me."

This sally was greeted with laughter from many of our band. I suspect that the old man was merely making a jest.

***

"I swear, I hate fletching." said Senderra. Then she shook her head. "I know, I know - I keep saying that."

- "I lost quite a few arrows in the fight. I was down to nine decent shafts, after that." I said. "How about you, Evane?"

Senderra's friend barely looked at me.

- "Hunh." she said. Or maybe it was a grunt. She put down the arrow she'd been working on, and stood up. Then she turned on her heel and left.

It wasn't the first time I'd tried to talk to her. But her reactions remained remarkably consistent: she simply wasn't interested in anything I had to say.

- "I'm sorry, Kolasovets." said Senderra. "She's just ... not very good with people."

- "I didn't mean to offend her."

- "I know. Evane is ..."

- "Shy?"

- "Yes. No. That's not it." Senderra sighed. "Please don't tell anyone - and don't say anything to her. See, Evane grew up with me. I'm just about her only friend. And Notomol is the only boy she knew that she wasn't related to, or that wasn't ... a threat."

- "I understand." I said. My grandmother had told me many stories about her youth, and about Borna. She'd never spared me any of the details. For example, I knew that she'd been raped the very day she first met Borna. I also knew that she'd killed another man who tried to rape her - a friend of Borna's.

I never understood how such things could happen so often, or how women could be violated and abused by the very men who were supposed to protect them.

I felt a tear forming in the corner of my eye, and beginning to trickle down my cheek. I turned my head, so that Senderra wouldn't see it.

- "Yeah ... Evane's been hopelessly in love with Notomol since she was about ten years old." she said.

- "Does he know?" I asked.

- "Of course. She never hid it very well. He's always been very kind to her. Maybe he should have told her off, but he couldn't be that cruel. Evane thinks that her looks are the only obstacle to the two of them being together. But ... they're really not suited for each other, you know? I've tried to tell her: she doesn't see it. Or doesn't want to."

- "That's ... very sad."

- "Life is sad, sometimes." said Senderra.

I was reminded that she had only recently lost her mother. I felt for her. But I could never tell her all that I felt - because as hopeless as it was for Evane to hope for Notomol, it was even worse for me to dream of Notomol's sister.

***

We moved again. Notomol felt that we should strike another blow, if possible. We also needed more information about how the Izumyrians were reacting to what we'd already done. Had they changed their habits? Had they brought in more men?

The answers to those questions were yes, and yes.

Yadha slipped off on his own, but Ermanar and Valarav also did a little investigating.

That led to two new men meeting with us in the woods. Adser was a big man - tall and strong. Bakhva was shorter, but stocky, with powerful arms and shoulders.

- "Heard you was a Guardsman. That right?" said Adser.

- "I was." said Notomol. "So were Motekin and Kolasovets here."

The big man was less than impressed. "I was, too." he said. "So was Bakhva."

Notomol was polite. It was quite clear that these two men were testing him - measuring him, in a way. He submitted to their examination.

- "How many men do you have?" asked Adser.

- "There are eleven of us." said Notomol. He didn't use the word men - that would have excluded Senderra and Evane.

- "Right." said Adser. "Well ... there's a group of us who might - might - be interested in joining up with you."

- "Might?" said Yadha. He didn't sound pleased.

- "I'm just the messenger, old man." said Adser. "Don't get all pissy with me."

- "So this is just a scouting expedition?' said Notomol.

Adser nodded. "Let us talk to our friends. Could be there's more than two of us come to join up with you."

- "Let's hope so." said Yadha.

Adser and Bakhva left.

I wasn't entirely comfortable with the two men. It hadn't escaped my notice that neither of them carried a bow. I said as much.

- "That's true." said Notomol. "Who were they, Yadha? Why did you bring them to us?"

Snakehand looked slightly abashed. "They're fighters." he said. "From the Ban's druzhina. I thought they could help us."

- "Let's hope that they can." said Notomol.

***

The leaves were just beginning to turn when Yadha returned to camp with a large group of men. There were eight of them.

- "These fellas say they know you." said Snakehand.

- "You're a hard man to find, Notomol." said their leader.

- "Doreg!" said Notomol, delighted. He stepped forward to take his hand.

Doreg was a survivor of the disastrous battle of the Gut. He'd been fascinated to learn that we intended to keep fighting on our own. I believe he was even tempted to join us, but he wanted to get home, to Hvad town, to make sure that his family were safe.

- "I brought some friends." said Doreg.

- "You are most welcome -" Notomol began to say. But I had caught sight of the man standing directly behind Doreg.

- "Dubek?"

It was him. There was no mistaking that broad forehead, those heavy brow ridges, and those powerful arms and shoulders.

- "Dubek?" said Notomol. "How? We thought you were dead."

- "Not dead." said Dubek. "Just embarrassed. I can swim, but the current was too strong for me. Took me a long way downriver before I could get to shore. By the time I got back to the ferry ... it was all over. Long over."

- "I can hardly believe it's you." said Notomol.

- "I told them we'd feed them." said Yadha.

I couldn't stop staring at Dubek. He saw me looking.

- "I remember you." he said. "The one who believed in women warriors."

Doreg introduced their friends, all young men from Hvad town or its environs. Two had trained with the town militia, and had some experience with weapons. Two had no skills whatsoever. They were physically fit, and willing - that was all.

But the last two were former Guardsmen - one from the year before ours, one from three years earlier. That last fellow, Ille, had a bow - and knew how to use it.

Notomol introduced all of the members of our band. Doreg remembered Motekin, and the brothers, Cinna and Cirola.

- "I took your story to a friend." he said. "There are at least twenty copies circulating around town. It's been read aloud in a few taverns, too."

Cinna was visibly touched. His entire family and all of his friends and neighbours were dead, but at least the memory of Dusova would live on.

- "What's going on, in the town?" asked Notomol.

- "Occupied." said Doreg. "The Duke's wife is in the castle, with a few retainers. Tregarev and old Prosquetel are with her. The Izumyrians have surrounded the place. They'll starve her out, in time. There are thousands of them, mostly camped outside the town."

- "They're playing nice. For now." growled Dubek.

- "That's true." said Doreg. "They seem to be trying to win over the people. They brought Duke Richwin's body back, and buried it with honour. There's also been a lot of talk about lower taxes, and increased trade with Izumyr."

- "Horseshit!" snapped Dubek.

- "That's true, too." said Doreg. "People in town have kin in the countryside. We've all heard the tales: the Izumyrians send out large patrols to gather in food. They don't pay for it - and they take everything. Anyone who resists is killed. There have been rapes, and some women have been taken."

I glanced across the fire at Aunam. He was listening intently.

"So far, the soldiers who come into town have been on their best behaviour - for the most part. They pay for drink in the taverns, and they haven't stolen our food."

- "Yet." said Dubek.

- "Yet." agreed Doreg. "But you can see it in their faces: they have nothing but contempt for us. Some of them spit on the ground when they see us."

- "They call you 'Fatty'?" asked Yadha Snakehand.

Doreg nodded. "They do. They scowl at the men, and leer at the women. There were two rapes, in town. The Izumyrian commanders marched 400 men into the main square, and made an official pronouncement - that this sort of thing wouldn't be tolerated - and then they flogged a single soldier, as an example."

"That's why the story of Dusova is so important. People in town are frightened, and they're worried. But too many are hoping that things will get better."

- "They're going to get worse." said Dubek.

- "Is your family safe, Doreg?" asked Notomol.

- "I convinced them to go to my uncle, in Mahuc. That was about all I could do. I realized that if the Izumyrians came to our house, I was probably going to die fighting. That's what made me decide to come and find you."

- "We heard your name on the way here." said Dubek. "People are talking about Stonje. But what's this thing with cutting off toes?"

- "And we heard that you had fifty men." said Doreg. "Where's the rest of your band?"

Old Yadha laughed so hard that he began to choke. We had to pound him on the back to clear his windpipe.

***

Doreg was stunned to learn that we'd achieved so much with so small a band. Dubek, for his part, couldn't believe that we had two female archers, who were treated as equal members of our party. He wasn't blind to Senderra's beauty, though; I don't know whether he changed his opinion, or simply stopped voicing it.

They brought us more news, too: the Izumyrians had also heard of our doings. Several hundred reinforcements were being prepared to be sent to Stonje. The food 'patrols' now numbered 20 men or more. There was also a special force of 100 men under a Baron Harke, charged with finding and eliminating us.

- "We need more information." said Notomol. "We have to know where this Baron is, before we try to ambush another patrol."

That meant sending out Yadha, Aunam, Valarav and Ermanar, to find out what they could. Meanwhile, the burden of hunting fell more and more on my shoulders, along with the brothers Cinna and Cirola, plus Senderra and Evane. With almost twice as many mouths to feed, we were kept awfully busy.

I had just returned to camp, with only a hare and a pheasant to show for my labours. I was just in time, though, to witness a very strange conversation.

There was an unusually tall woman in our camp. She was big, and broad-shouldered. Her dark-brown hair was tied at the nape of her neck, in a long ponytail. She was wearing an ancient set of leather armour: a jerkin, of sorts, with shoulder guards attached by leather straps, and bracers upon her wrists. She also held an enormous boar spear in her hand, the butt resting on the ground.

The woman would have towered over me, had she been standing close. The spear alone was a foot and a half taller than me.

- "I am looking for the man called Notomol." she declared.

- "I'm Notomol." said Dubek. He was grinning.

The big woman looked him up and down.

- "You're not him." she said.

- "C'mon, sweetheart. What makes you say that?"

The woman frowned. "Because I've heard that he isn't a complete ass."

Dubek couldn't help himself: he burst out laughing.

Someone had already gone to fetch Notomol. When he arrived, it was to find this tall woman and her enormous boar spear standing in the middle of our camp.

Her name was Dusca, and she had a simple request: "Will you let me fight?"

***

Journal Entry #20, late Autumn, 937

We are now 20.

Notomol's fame has spread. They have heard of him in Hvad town. The Izumyrians now have a name for their tormentor.

It is plain that I misjudged his intent, earlier on. He does not seek fame for its own sake. This is no mere sop to his pride. He gives heart to the Hvadi, and inspires fear in the Izumyrians. Men - and a woman - have come to join us, and our numbers have swelled. This would not have happened if they had not heard his name, and of our doings.

Doreg and his friends seem to be powerful fighters. We are no longer simply a band of archers. It may influence what we do next.

Yet I must admit that I am somewhat out of sorts. With so large a band, Notomol no longer has the time to confer with me every day. He listens to old Yadha, to the brothers, and now to Doreg and - of all people - Dubek.

Thus I am further isolated, along with Kolasovets. He seems content to cozy up to the women. We are granted some small consideration, as friends of Notomol, but my opinion now carries little weight when discussions of strategy take place. There are simply too many of us for every man to have a say. The majority mostly remain silent as the more forceful speak their minds.

I can take solace in the fact that my rendition of the story of Dusova is circulating in Hvad town. My contributions may prove to be of lasting value - and this journal may someday become my greatest achievement.

***

Notomol was planning something. Something big. But the hand of fate intervened: Adser and Bakhva returned.

They were members of the Ban's druzhina - that much Yadha had told us. The Ban himself had gone to Hvad town, where he submitted to the Izumyrians. But there were many among his followers who could not take that step.

- "We've returned, Notomol." said Adser.

- "I'm glad to hear it."

- "This is Vidrik."

He was a deceptively big man, this Vidrik - broad-shouldered, and powerfully built. He'd shaved his head some time ago - now he had thick but short stubble across his scalp. He also had a wen just under one eye. But he had presence.

He was an intimidating character - but not terrifying, nor quite so daunting as Dubek.

- "I've heard so much about you." said Vidrik.

- "Have you come to join us?" asked Notomol.

- "I think that we can work together." said Vidrik, with a smile.

***

I didn't much care for Vidrik.

Of course, it was good to have 11 new men join us, and experienced fighters at that. But they were swordsmen, or axemen. Only one was comfortable with a bow. Our numbers had increased, but the composition of our band had changed.

The archers - now a minority - were busy every day, hunting and finding food for 30 people. The men who'd come with Vidrik - with only a few exceptions - took it as their due.

- "They don't even say thank you." I grumbled.

- "Did you expect them to?" asked Senderra.

I didn't know how to answer that.

- "It's ... disappointing."

- "Agreed - disappointing ... but not unexpected."

That saddened me. I tried to find the words to express why it did.

- "Not all men are ... like that." I said.

- "No." said Senderra. "Not my brother. Not you. I think that Aunam is a decent fellow, too. And I'm not frightened around the brothers. After that ..."

- "Really?"

- "Tell me I'm wrong." she dared me.

I thought of my grandmother Kanni. She'd been raped multiple times. Why had she married my grandfather? Because he wasn't like that? Had she had a real choice?

Senderra saw my mood shift.

- "Hey - never mind that." she said. "Tell me about - " her eyes ranged about, and she chose a tree at random. "That one."

I looked where she was pointing. "Walnut. Domestic bliss."

- "Really?" Senderra seemed genuinely surprised. "What about ..."

- "Honeysuckle." I said. "Fidelity."

- "No - not the honeysuckle. The ivy, over there."

- "Permanence."

- "Where did you learn all of this?"

- "I'm a forester, Senderra. These are the tales I was told when I was still a child."

- "I'm a forester, too, but I've never heard any of this." she said. "It must be some Yeseriyan thing. What about that one - alder?"

- "Ah - that was Borna's tree, back home. Kingship."

- "Really?" Senderra shook her head. "Alright - last one - there. Birch."

I didn't think about it: I simply answered her.

- "Love."

I shouldn't have said that one. But it was too late to take it back.

***

Journal Entry #22, late Autumn, 937

I should be happy, to see our band so swelled. What began as three men (or perhaps five, to be fair) is now potent force of 31.

But many of the latecomers have not shared hardships with us. They consider themselves apart, separate ... and superior.

I have heard them talk. They consider Notomol too young to be the leader. They say that he is too inexperienced. After all of the fighting we've done - too inexperienced!

Of course, they do not say such things to me. They know that my loyalty to Notomol is without question. I am derided, just as he is. They call Notomol 'the boy'; I am 'the Clerk', and Kolasovets is 'the dwarf'.