CWE Book I Part II Chapter VII

V11

Praetorian Genus

The trip over the sea was bad for half the men as they were not used to crossing the vast waters till this time,. We soon overcome the sickness and adapt well. Even the Lieutenant and myself was in the lower rungs of the boats gripping the fur covers for a while. We soon across the vast sea that took us more than half a moon period before we came across the first settlements of the ‘Yellow Beard’. We had split the fleet into two group with one commandeered by myself, and the other by the Lieutenant and Signar. Only my fleet of fifty boats stopped at this settlement while the second fleet sailed. We intend to leapfrog out raids to cover as much as we can, unless we hit a bigger settlement, then we will regroup the fleet to fight together. We been doing it with success and over twenty settlements was wiped out or destroyed.

Today, we raid our twenty first settlement while the other fleet moved on another. Its another village of about fifty families, and we took them by surprised without much of a fight. The men has learned well from their experienced teachers and some of them can steer the boats now. All our raids was without casualties, but we lost some twenty men in battle and another fifty To date to the wounds. The ‘Yellow Beard’ are fierce fighters and we had a hard time to subdue them.

As my men rounded up the prisoners, Braven and myself discussed on the matter of moving inland or along the shores. traveling by sea has its advantage, but we are still land people, and many still find their fighting best on the land. So we decided and left the boat with the minimum crew and the rest of us took off onto the land. We were soon joined by others from the other fleet and numbered about eight hundred on the land but they are a formidable lot these Outsiders when its comes to fighting. We also found new warriors in the slaves or captured people of ours among them, who was eager to join in the fight. Our command ship named ‘Serpent’ was transferred to the Lieutenant’s command. We travel and fight now in the parallel lines alongside the shore lines.

Soon we find some settlements are empty or burned, not by us but by the ‘Yellow Beard’’s themselves. They have retreated to their main settlement called ‘Vahalla’; a wooden fort structure at the river mouth of a wide river. There their Grand Leader, Thorian is calling for the fight to keep his people alive. From the information of the settlement survivor and slaves, we know that Vahalla can hold a large army has one high wooden wall as the main defence. But they have a place there for the boats to dock in the river mouth. I send out scouts to check on their stories and held back the raids. I also told the Lieutenant to send his own small boats to check the settlement.

Vahalla is a settlement which is split by the river as it flows into the sea; both sides of the river banks are occupied and the settlement it still growing. A bridge is built spanning at the narrow section of the start of the mouth, connected by pillars on top of three shallow sand banks. Only small boats can traversed up and down the river mouth, while the bigger boats docked on the river mouth. In the normal days, these place is filled with moving boats plying their trades to the smaller settlement or from it. But today, the river mouth is filled with all sizes of boats, as these are refugees of the small settlement seeking shelter here. Thorian has built a Clan Hall as its named by the locals, quite similar to the one which Braven has too. The Hall is situated on the right side of the river mouth inside the Vahalla fort as we faced it. Around his hall is the barracks for the guards and their families. The opposite side of the river mouth is the people’s market and where most business are done daily. It also houses the home of the people and more are inland along side the river. Its seems that they rely on the river to travel and transport their wares. They tried to avoid the inner land as their livelihood is from the sea.

Lieutenant Damai

My scouts informed me the Yellow Beard boats are tied to each other by their ropes on the right side of the river mouth, to keep them from flowing away or out of line. As new boats with refugees arrived, they are added to the ones at the outer limits and the line keep on expanding along the shore line. There are small boats which carry the warriors to patrol the limits of the boats anchorage and also to ensure order are kept within the boat’s area. Most of the men who arrived and are able to fight were moved to the Clan Hall or the barracks. There they are to await the new orders. Its mostly the woman and children who are still on the boats and await instruction from their Lord. For some reason they are not allowed to go on shore or the market side on the left of the river, for reasons known only to their Lord. We stopped our boats just round the corner to left of the river mouth, and we also await our orders. There has been some skirmish with some of the “Yellow Beards’ patrol boats but no major fight has yet to come on.

I was watching the stars that night, when I saw an amusing sight. It was the shooting star,which streak across the sky. I had seen them many times at home with the twin but this is the first time, I seen it by myself. Then it dawned on me some crazy ideas and I asked Signar to discuss with me. We did and laughed when we realized it could work. We send the news to the Praetorian. His reply was to hold on. But prepared the works on it.

I looked at the lad who stands by my side; my help in the battles carrying out orders and also my errands. He never seems to be short of energy and comments when asked for. I know the Praetorian asked that he be kept at the settlement, but he was hiding on my ship when we sailed. As we were too far from the banks, I offered him  refuge. Its was only when Signar told who he was, I regretted my action, but the this nimble youth proves his worth in battle. His flight of arrows may not often hit a target that size of a man but it can carry message across the boats. It was his idea to do that, so we can maintain communication between boats instead of shouting at each other over the waves. He also proved to be a good man to cover my back as he can still shoot a sizable man at close range of 50 paces.

Darius

I took refuge on the first boat I could find, and it turned out to be the Lieutenant. I hid among the bales of food and kept my silence until discovered by an oarsman. But it was too late to send me back so I was made a member of the crew. It was then Signar recognised me and told the Lieutenant. I was then assigned to be next to him at all times. I knew then I was safe from being send back.

I saw the way they called out to each to other and decided that written message can be send via an arrow. It was  a trick I learned when once some hunters was caught in the deep hole. We can hardly hear them when they shout, until one of them shot an arrow out with the written message. Soon, we were communicating through this mode, and all was saved.

I know my aim is not that good, but I can still shoot a straight arrow, so I tried my method with the message covered with a oil skin, although when I did shoot, most of the oarsmen on other end raised their shields. I guessed they being cautious as not to have me hurt them.

‘Heave to. We have some of them coming at us.’ The shouts rang down the column and across. I can see ten boats on the waves riding had towards us. They must be desperate to try this against a fleet of so big. I can see the archers getting their strings taut with arrows notched. It will be a massacre; go back. But the order to shoot was not given.

One of the oarsman shouted; ‘ they are waving a truce flag.’

The call was made to hold the attack. A small boat with about forty men went out to meet them. They met the first oncoming boat which was about the size that can hold fifty or eighty men, and our people boarded theirs. Soon the men returned to their own  boat and came towards my boat. I rushed to the side to assist in bringing the men on board the boat.

‘They claimed that they are a breakaway tribe, and would like us to let them through. They want no fight with us and swore allegiance to our Lord.’ The Lieutenant looked back at the ten boats holding their position on our starboard now. The Lieutenant motioned to Signar to speak to him, while I pushed my way forward to hear. Due to the crowd on the deck, I was held back before I can hear anything except this; ‘Let them through, but leave their weapons here on the deck of our boat. And I insist on their leader as hostage too. He would be brought before the Leader of the Outsiders.’

The message was sent back by the men and soon we see weapons threw onto our boat. The men cheered and a person was seen boarding the boat. The ten boats was let through the blockade. Soon the boat came to alongside ours, and I had the first hand to see to our hostage. It was a lady dressed in the amour laced tunic, beneath her dressing of a woman. The men was surprised and soon some harsh remarks was heard. But all was silence when the Lieutenant spoke.

‘Am I taken for a fool? You are not their leader. Answer me or you will not see the daytime again.’ The lady in amour spoke that she is named Lydia, the only daughter of Americh, the leader of the Fishes Cove. She has replaced her father because he is ill and needs treatment by the physician. She is as worthy a hostage as she can vouch for her father’s people. The Lieutenant was displeased and would had taken her head, if not for intervention.

‘I seek your permission to speak, Lieutenant Damai,’ my first attempt in addressing him in public and also by calling him in his name and rank. ‘I stand that this lady speaks the true and we can accept her terms as hostage. I heard from some of the far travelers that in the other continent, women are as equal with men, and they can do the works of men too. I shall be her supporter to her claim and bear her words as mine to uphold. If I fail, you can take my life in return.’ I received a slap on the back of my heard from an oarsman who said I am too young to do this and I must be mad.

‘Do that one more time, Seamua; and I will challenge you to a duel here.’ That  brought more laughter from the men and more snide remarks was made. But for some reasoning, the Lieutenant hold off the laughter and said; ‘Darius, you are a lad with foolish ideas, but I hold you as her supporter. And you can sleep with her on the deck, not outside my chamber from now.’ More laughters went up and even Seamua was the one who pat my back to show his amusement at my new care.

I took Lydia to the far corner of the deck and told her to stay there. ‘May I see my people’s boat? I want to see them sailing safe home.’ I gave here the nod and she stood up to look at the boats moving away and disappearing at the horizon.

Praetorian Genus

‘You brought me more trouble than I can think of. You were to stay at the settlement and not stowaway on some boat. More than that, you become a supporter for a person who is also your enemy and may even escaped, leaving you as the person to be hanged. Darius, what ails your mind? I should not have met you in the forest.’ I was furious at his young lad who disobeyed my order and now present himself like a fool. I will kill the Lieutenant soon, and hang his innards for the dogs.I looked back at the lad which has befriended me for one day and now plague me with his safety and foolish acts. I got a war to win and now the responsibility is added with a lad.

I looked at the hostage he has supported and see her talking to the Lieutenant. The lad and his lady friend was send over to my camp by Signar who felt the news has to reached me of this issue. If not for the intervention of Signar, I would had taken the same boat to look for the Lieutenant. How can he make such decision when we all decided to blockade the settlement both from land and sea. The stupid Lieutenant not only released the enemy but also hold a useless hostage, which is spending time talking to him now.

“Tell me, Lieutenant; how has this hostage helped us?’ I looked at the man whom I asked to act as commander.

‘She tells me the enemy is getting nervous at being driven to his settlement. They are before loose tribes of people, and now they are clustered together. Its unlike their living before. Its true they raid the other settlement, but that is to replenish their needs and also for people to work for them. They are a small nation which many has died in battles between tribes and also with nature. That is their life since the start of time. They claimed no others but as that as that is their heritage.’

‘What about Thorian? They swamped to his land for protection.’ I wanted to argue her claims on the tribes.

‘Thorian is the leader of the tribes but not for all. He is the largest, but the minor ones like her people came here as they feared our numbers. But they are not Thorians’ tribes. We drove them here like the hogs we hunt into one corner to be slaughtered. They also claimed its not them who raided the settlement but Thorian’s.’ Its obvious the Lieutenant has believed in the story spun for him. I need to convince him otherwise or we may lose this war. I send a message to Thorian the next day; ‘meet me in personal combat or I will attack his people’. The reply was ‘we will do the personal combat’.

Thorian looked to be a large built man armed with also a battle axe and round shield. His amour comprise of metal rings interlaced on his leader tunic, and knee length leather bound sandals. I am armed with my sword on my arm stub and square shield, with a dagger at my waist. My amour is only the double layer of animal skins which allowed me mobility and agility in a battle. We faced each other on a boat which can housed easily twenty men, but now is only the two of us. We traded blows with some cuts and tears on the limbs but none deadly. and our shields took the blunt of most of the attacks, with the boat as unstable as the waves hit it, we had more than or less tired ourselves in battle. He took the position at the helm, and with me at the other end. I sat there holding onto my square shield to look at him.

‘You fought well, Lord Thorian.I saluted your skills and bravery’. The man who is their Lord stared at me, as his identity was introduced to us by Lydia when he boarded the boat.

‘You are mistaken, invader. I am not Lord Thorian. I am just his appointed warrior to fight you. I never said I was Lord Thorian. You only assumed my identity.’ I knew then that a trap was sprung on me and the warriors. ‘Sound the quarters. The enemy is going to attack us. Send out the scouts now.’

My call to arms was heeded in time, as we saw the enemies coming in from the horizon on boats. A fleet of maybe twenty five boats raised by the Lydia’s tribe who left us for their settlement. It was a ruse to breakaway so they can united with the oncoming tribes on their boats. The settlement also burst out in activity, as columns of army can be seen marching out now to attack my men. With this fight ongoing, Thorian has bargained that the men will be distracted and moved from their posts to watched the fight.

‘What is your name, warrior?’

‘Nordran, of the Blood River Tribe’.

‘You done your job well. You will be remember in the funeral pyre.’ I raised my shield as the signal for the archers to released their volley of arrows at this brave warrior. He managed to block part fo the first wave, but some struck his lower limbs, causing him to lowered his shield. The second volley took his head and his death was assured.

“Nordran, like you we also learned to fight on unfair terms.’

Signar

I signaled the smaller boats to move forth with their archers on board. The boat sailed closer to the laid up boats of the tribes, and the archers released their arrows which a pouch of oil was attached. The arrows also had a burning rags on their head, so it was a deadly fuse for the fire to start. The fire spread fast and the boats started burning.

On the open sea side, the bigger boats of our fleet with its oarsmen were directed to challenge the oncoming boats. But there was a change on the design of the boats attacking that small fleet, it now attached to the helm a battering ram with a spiked end. We intended to ram the ‘Yellow Boats” before we board them. It was a clash of logs against the wooden hull of the boats, and soon we find ourselves boarding sinking boats to clash with their oarsmen. The sea surface was soon filled with men and it attracted man eating fishes.

As this was happening, foe and friends forget their differences and grab at any stretched hands to be drawn abroad. Some ‘Yellow Beards’ defied the help offered and made their peace with the fishes. I saw the Lietenant signaling the smaller boats to move inland to assist our forces on the land. From my view, its looked a like well balanced fight there but its too early to assume who is winning.

Praetorian Genus

The battle on the barricade was soon overwhelm by the Yellow Beard, led by their leader Thorian. My men was dispersed when the fight between me and the warrior. It was assumed that the warrior challenging me was Thorian and that will be deciding match. I did planned for any surprises hence my archers to intervene if need be, but I did not plan for this deception. It seems that Thorian has moved his warriors in numbers near the barricades during the fight. When the ruse was up, he ordered the attack. My handful of warriors who guards the barricades tried to hold their grounds against the estimated one thousand  enemy but was soon overwhelmed.

I rushed back on shore to see the Lieutenant reinforcing the second line of defence, while regrouping the retreating men. We lost many men in this start of the battle but we will win back. I joined the Lieutenant and was greeted with the casualties list. We lost about a third of our men here, either killed or missing in action.

‘Let me lead.’ This was the call from the Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Damai

The Praetorian is a good leader, but he is tired from his fight. And he is not versed in the battle of assembled armies. I mobilized the men into the second line of defence, and the wounded was treated. Now that the men are in place and in motivation to fight back, I called on pikemen to advance in coordinated formations. Our numbers still are a force but they fight like savages; blind to any strategy but oncoming charges. My archers rained arrows on them from above, while the pikemen held their grounds. Slowly we pushed them back to the bridge. I also got message that the some of the enemies are retreating back to their burning boats as their families are on it. As I got the message, Signar has also landed his men at the other side of the river to take the skirmishes on the enemies land. The pincer move is gaining us ground and hopefully victory. I seek the man called Thorian and saw one leader who seems to called the orders. I fought my way to confront him.

‘Are you Thorian? I am Lieutenant Damai.’ I wanted to be sure to kill the leader so that we can end his battle.

‘Thorian is our name and we are all Thorian. You fight me, Lieutenant Damai.’ He came at me with his raised sword for a downward slash but I blocked it with my shield and my sword took his left thigh. ‘I killed not for the fun, but to end the fight. Tell me where can I find Thorian.’ I looked at my fallen foe as he tries to stand up on one good leg. While holding his shield for support, he said, ‘I am Thorian, but you have to kill all of us to end this battle. Such is our way.’

He came at me with his sword and it was a suicidal effort, as my sword took on his chest and him of his life. I pulled out my sword to dropped his lifeless body. I picked up his sword and shield to lay it on his body. I also told some men to guard his body as I do want it desecrated or mutilated. True to his word, the surrounding foes dropped their weapons of seeing their so-called leader died at my sword. I send out signal for the battle to stop and end the murdering. The war took down one third of our numbers with as many wounded. But it won us a victory to the Outsiders.

I confronted Lydia on her deceit, and all she said if its my people I choose to protect, I would had done the same too. I wanted to kill her then, but this may trigger off another battle. So I told her to return to her people and remain there. After I inspected all the wounded and console some who lost their friends, I took my first step into their Great Hall was was greeted by the many tribes leader. There is the Praetorian, with his wounds dressed by the physicians. We were greeted by three Tribe Leaders,,which is also the most influential in the decision of the Yellow Beard. They are also called ‘Thorians’ as a sign of respect for their leadership. They accepted our victory and our terms; the return of all slaves and prisoners from our land. But they will not bow to our allegiance; they prefer to be considered as equal in the ranks.

The Praetorian looked at the tribe council and then agreed that they be an alliance of both people and assist when called upon. This was received by the council and talks was then on other matters. It was then I walked out of the Hall to get some air and to viewed my men, when later I was joined by the Praetorian.

‘You seems distracted, Lieutenant.’

‘I am. Actually more with you welcoming the Yellow Beard to his alliance. It seem it is you who may weave all the pieces, while we carry on fighting with our lives.I fear one day we will regret this move.’

‘Hush my friend. I know you concern. I seen them myself,. but I also see Braven strong attributes; he is a diplomat like the Lords, while we do the fighting, he sits on the peace talks and hold the councils. He asked me to represent him and I did as do what I can to end the war. But bear with me. Braven is no warrior of the sword, but of the words. A dangerous one if you asked me compared to us, but we need them to be our Lords. Those their qualities and contribution. And yes, one day we may fight like today with each other, against him. Or it may just you and me. Such is the way of life now.’