The Chronicles of Hvad Ch. 03

And we raided them.

Isolated farms, small hamlets ... we stole everything they had that was of value to us. Borna was ruthless, in terms of thievery. Food, clothing, salt, furs, grain for animals. We took as much as we could carry.

But there was no killing, no burning, and no rape. Khoren felled one farmer who protested, with his fist. And Lovro finally lost patience with a shrewish wife who was abusing us, both verbally and physically, once she realized that we weren't going to kill her. So he tied her up, and locked her in a byre[1].

We gained more than loot, on this expedition. We learned that Mushtal was back at his steading. He had some new warriors in his druzhina, too. Several of Gosdan's warriors, men who should have been with Borna, had joined our enemies. We didn't know to what degree they had been coerced, or compelled.

There was one more tidbit of local gossip, too: Mushtal had taken his father's concubine, Lulalme, as his own mistress.

We never saw one of Mushtal's warriors, and were gone long before they even knew we had plundered his lands. It was a completely bloodless raid. We laughed all the way back to the forest.

Berit wasn't entirely happy, because she and Shant had been relegated to the position of horse holders. But there had been no fighting, beyond Khoren punching that farmer.

- "Besides," I told her, "you and Shant are the least experienced warriors. Who do you think holds the horses?"

She grumbled something inaudible.

"Berit." I said. "You fired a bow in the ambush. And now you've participated in a raid. Can't you admit that that's something?"

- "Fine." she said. "You're right. Now shut up."

Berit wasn't really angry at me, as she showed the very next night, when she put her blanket down next to mine, just as I was preparing to go to sleep.

This was odd enough for me to raise both eyebrows and give her a searching look.

- "You're not sleeping with Asrava's daughter." she said.

- "No."

- "Khoren does."

Every night, we had to listen as Khoren climbed atop Garine. She cried, he grunted, and the rest of us closed our ears - or tried to. Borna and Kanni were much quieter, more considerate.

- "I'm not Khoren." I said.

- "I know that." said Berit. "You're protecting Noyemi. And you couldn't be Khoren if you tried. That's why I'm lying next to you."

- "Berit ..."

- "Look, Ljudevit: I know the difference between you and Khoren. I also appreciate the fact that you spoke up for me. But this is just one warrior offering to lie with another."

"Do you want to - or not?"

I'm not a complete idiot. Berit shared her warmth with me. She was more passionate than I'd expected, and much too urgent.

- "I'm glad we never married." she said, the next morning.

- "What?" That's not something a man wants to hear, the morning after.

- "If we were married, you wouldn't want me to fight. I'd rather be a warrior than a wife."

I could accept that.

***

We raided Mushtal again, a week later. This time, for good measure, we stole a flock of sheep on the way back. We drove the beasts back to the clearing behind the blueberries, and slaughtered them there, by torchlight. Then we carried the carcasses deep into the forest.

Once again, we hadn't seen a single warrior of Mushtal's. It simply isn't possible for a Hospodar to patrol all of his lands. He can't prevent raids - but he can retaliate. Typically, attacking a rival's farms is counter-productive, because it brings swift retribution.

But novice warriors need training, and a wise druhtinaz lets his younger hotheads blow off steam - the farther away from his own steading, the better. Of course, the rival will strike back. That's just the pattern of things.

Except that for Mushtal, now, there was no way to retaliate. The farms which should have belonged to Borna had been taken over by Vazrig. Mushtal couldn't very well raid his own ally. We all enjoyed picturing his reaction when he learned that we had visited again.

Then the snows came, and the winter truly began.

*****

[1] A cowshed.