The Chronicles: Notomol Ch. 15

- "She wasn't a child, Guenna. She made her own choices." said Giedra. "And we avenged her two nights later. We killed Velik and three of his henchmen, and put them in the lake."

- "Good." There are those who believe that life is sacred. I'm not one of them; as far as I'm concerned, there are some people who don't deserve to live. My uncle. My cousin. Velik the boatman. He may have had some redeeming quality, but I doubt it. We certainly never saw it.

- "It wasn't going to be hard to figure out who was responsible. Adrastas helped us get out of town - on two of the boatmen's own vessels. But the Bans put a price on our heads. We're outlaws, Guenna."

- "You'll be safe here."

- "I know." she said. Then she chuckled. "Looks like I got my second name after all: Giedra Wolfshead."

There were sixteen in their party: Giedra, Rion and Liesma, plus five more Uplanders coming home (three men and two women), and Dubek with seven of his friends, all male.

***

We had to build more houses.

My father was delighted to have Giedra and Rion back, and he mourned Eliv as much as we did. He didn't warm to Dubek quite so quickly. For a man who had fought so many times, my father was essentially a gentle man. Dubek was loud, and uncouth - you might have been forgiven for thinking that he was the Uplander, while my father was the townsman.

But he made an effort to understand Dubek, and get along with him, for Giedra's sake.

Giedra surprised me by settling in very easily. She and Liesma began helping Yevna and Nameless to train our fighters - males as well as females. Giedra was also shameless about trying to make matches between Dubek's friends and single women in the vale - of which there were many.

We deliberately didn't tell her about Nafni's new song. The first time she heard it came as a complete surprise.

- "I call this one 'Guenna and Giedra'." said Nafni. Giedra whirled to look at me. I just smiled.

The song itself reduced her to tears.

***

Yevna and Nameless gave up the house they shared with Dengelle, but only in order to build a much bigger one, so that they could invite Liesma and Rion to join them.

We heard, finally, that the Hvadi army had moved west, into Adarion.

I would like to say that everything in the Vale of Nareven was absolutely perfect - but life never is. There were personality conflicts. Some of the male Uplanders didn't like the fact that Dubek's friends were getting so much attention from female Uplanders.

Rion understood that Giedra needed space, to spend time with Dubek. Rion became very close to Yevna - which made Dengelle jealous. Despite how much she had they had in common, Dengelle and Rion just weren't going to be best friends. Nameless had to play peacemaker.

Meanwhile, I couldn't have been happier with my man. Notomol may not have been a poet, but I knew his quality. I also discovered that he had some extra sense which told him when I needed a back rub, or a few more kisses.

He always seemed to have time for me, no matter how hard he worked, or how often he answered Nafni's questions. My father had always relied on Hedyn and Vingoldas. Now Vingoldas had more responsibility. Tanguiste was pregnant, and people increasingly saw her husband as the headman of the future - they brought their problems and concerns to him on a daily basis.

That led my father to lean on Notomol more often. They grew closer, and it warmed my heart to see it.

A year passed, and then another. Relationships were formed. Relationships failed. Children were born. Old people got older.

And then Obran the guslar came to Nareven.

***

The Hvadi army, swollen to over 2500 fighters, slowly made their way west, into Adarion, led by Prosquetel and the four Bans. Beghel, the Northern Duke, was not at all eager to fight. He sent out feelers, offering to negotiate.

His prisoner, the Ban of Yeseriya, was exchanged for Beghel's son, Meldoi. We knew that the Northern Duke didn't care for his son - or, at least, that he hadn't been prepared to make any exchange a few months before that. But what else could he do - carry the Ban of Yeseriya into Izumyr? This was a face-saving gesture.

The Ban of Adarion was no captive - he had been collaborating with the Izumyrians since his brother had been killed at the battle in the Gut. Now he finally joined the Hvadi army, bringing 200 men with him.

Prisoner exchanges were carried out, and then the process of ransoming Izumyrian horsemen began. The Northern Duke didn't stay to see these concluded: he withdrew across the Grey river, back into Izumyr, taking the bulk of his troops with him.

Many Hvadi had been considering the question of a new Duke. Temara's child (even if it had been legitimate) was too young. But the Duke had to be from Borna's bloodline. That narrowed the list of possible candidtes down to three: the Bans of Adarion, Yelsa, and Yeseriya. Unfortunately, the three men cordially detested each other, even though they were first cousins. Adarion had succeeded his brother, who had been killed at the Battle of the Gut. The same was true of Yelsa. But Adarion had cooperated with the invaders, which would not make him popular with the army. Yelsa's war record was also sketchy; he had disappeared for a considerable length of time. Yeseriya had the strongest position in that regard, since he had been captured in the battle and held prisoner by the Izumyrians. But none of the three would become Duke unless they could gather support.

It was Ban Lemek of Mahuc who played Kingmaker. He won over the young and impressionable Ban of Pitve, and then persuaded the Ban of Stonje to join them (everyone suspected that the 'persuasion' took the form of some kind of bribe). The three Bans threw their support behind Mirko, Ban of Yelsa.

Mirko married Duchess Temara, and formally adopted her son, Borna. In a related agreement, Ban Lemek married Yelsa's sister.

Prosquetel led the negotiations with the Izumyrians, and even got the Northern Duke to sign a pledge that he would never again invade Hvad. Old Whitehair was at the peak of his power and prestige. Duke Mirko made him Seneschal of the castle (an Izumyrian term), effectively ending Prosquetel's influence. He was trapped inside the castle by his duties, which were not especially onerous, but kept him occupied - and out of politics. Prosquetel was completely sidelined - just as he had tried to do to Guenna and Notomol.

Duke Mirko preferred to rule from his home province, and rarely visited Hvad town. His new wife, Lady Temara, he kept by his side. He also kept her pregnant; she bore him five sons and a daughter over the next ten years. Three of her boys died in infancy, including her firstborn, Borna, who was carried off by a summer fever.

The new Duke was arrogant, tight-fisted, and would tolerate no opposition. A series of new taxes were imposed, and the penalty for quite a few crimes was changed from corporal punishment to a fine.

Adrastas was at the peak of his popularity. Unfortunately, some of his most popular songs were appropriated by those who chafed under the Duke's taxes and new laws. Adrastas was suspected of fomenting revolt; he was arrested and imprisoned in the castle dungeon. He died there three years later, of pneumonia.

Obran disappeared when Adrastas was arrested. He was seen in various parts of the Duchy (most frequently in Stonje), sometimes performing for small audiences. He was eventually declared an outlaw as well. He was rumoured to have fled to the Uplands.

Thuruar Honey-Tongue wrote a flattering but unsuccessful song about the new Duke. He eventually found a place as the court guslar for Ban Lemek of Mahuc.

Mailis of Yeseriya was not confirmed as Hospodar, despite her excellent record in the war. The Ban of Yelsa put his own nominee in her place.

Nelime became a Hospodar, and married Orsho the Loyal. They ruled together, and had three children.

Eiven Cloudy-Eye became a Hospodar in Pitve, and married a cousin of the Ban.

Aldur the Wall became the Hand of Ban Lemek of Mahuc.

Heras Koymil served as an officer in the castle garrison, under Prosquetel.

Paksyalta and Tugan lasted only a year before they split up. Paksyalta eventually married one of Dubek's friends from Hvad town.

Liesma the Anvil helped to train fighters in the Vale - both male and female. Nearly ten years later, she married a much younger man.

Marmos and Evane had a strong, loving relationship. Neither one ever had a harsh word to say about the other. They had seven children.

Giedra and Dubek, by contrast, had a loud and tempestuous marriage. They stayed together, though, and had four children. She was already considered a hero in the Vale of Nareven, but the song 'Guenna and Giedra' made her a legend.

Guen Nadesti lived to see her grandson Branimir's ninth birthday. Tanguiste and Vingoldas had three more children. Tanguiste continued to be one of the most important (and essential) people in Nareven.

Yevna never married. Nameless had a few relationships, but never settled down with one of them. Neither Dengelle nor Rion ever married. Some traumas are life long.

Senderra had many suitors, but kept most of them at a distance. She eventually chose Obran the Guslar, and shared a house with him until the end of their days.

Kolasovets and Inita had one child - a daughter. It was very difficult birth, and took a heavy toll on Inita's health. It was some time before they could resume hunting together.

Sulcen aged gracefully. Veran seemed to age more rapidly after the passing of Guen Nadesti. He wasn't as mobile as he had been, and reluctantly allowed Vingoldas and Notomol to take over many of the tasks that had formerly been his.

Notomol was a hero - everyone knew that. But he wasn't even the most famous person in his own house. Guenna, too, was a legend. She had led fighters to the wars, and returned home afterwards. Giedra and Liesma and Paksyalta were champions, but it was Guenna who had been their captain. Many in the Vale also remembered that without Guenna, they might not have escaped from Prospal Hill, to find safety in the Vale of Nareven.

Notomol was not at all jealous of his wife's fame. He smiled a great deal more. He hunted with Kolasovets, and helped to train the next generation of archers. Notomol also had a knack for assisting and supporting his father-in-law and his brother-in-law without ever seeming to usurp even an ounce of their authority.

Guenna and Notomol were unable to have children. Many folk wondered if the problem was hers, or his, but Guenna and Notomol simply came to accept it. They took it as a sign that they should focus primarily on each other, and also be available whenever their friends needed them.

After many lengthy interviews, Nafni the Chronicler wrote a song about Yadha Snakehand, another about the battle in the Deadman's Bog, and a third about the first fight at Norwood. He also wrote a Chronicle of the Nadestis, so that their name would not be forgotten.

Then he began the Chronicle of Veran Hammerfist. Veran objected - strenuously - to that title.

- "But are you comfortable with the story?" asked Nafni. "Is it accurate enough?"

- "It's not a story. It's a record of what happened. But my daughters had just as much to do with that as I did. Or more."

Nafni changed the title of his chronicle to 'The Three Sisters."

Veran was much happier with that.

*****

The End