As it must be
They ate their breakfast over a low hill north of Torbah, while the warband woke up and began to prepare for the gathering. It was the last day of the moon, last night two hundreds heavily armed and armoured horsemen came from Singal with chests, full with silver. From Turkmani tribe came a large herd of fine horses. The warriors knew, that the time for rewards has come. Some of them were ready to leave their service and to return to their yurts with their loot and their slaves. Another would have merely rest for a while with their families before the war horns to summon them again under the green banner. Many died, and their flesh become feast for the vultures, but those who lived become rich. The wounded, who could be saved, were property put under the constant care of their healers. The newcomers from Burilgi`s warband were corralled and put under heavy guard. Volunteers began to flock since it become known, that the warband will remain around Torbah for several moons.
Rambulhwa hug Sharam and offer her a pillow next to him. During the moons, while she recovered from an axe strike, she become pregnant and they kept her away from the fight. The others sat around the low table, still breathing heavy from the morning`s exercises.
"It will takes whole moons to watch over the drug addicts. Jatu will not sit on their arses all that time. The end of the spring is ideal for invasion in Ravenstern. The northern tribes holds grudge against Gregory and they will not wait for us for long. You know that, but you chained yourself here."
She look at the warlord with expectation. As usual, Sharaz spoke before him.
"We lost too many veterans, dear. The people can not fight every day. The veterans needs time with their families, we need new blood, but the young warriors needs some training too. The new Omen Seekers and the others with them needs time to clean themselves under constant guard."
Sharaa sat more comfortable and bite a tasty morsel.
"The other chieftains will watching us closely. They will not trust us, that the little brother doesn`t want to proclaim himself for a new "Bahadur". Sitting right here, doing only training and healing at the same time, when it is clear, that we can do a lot more ..."
"I get it." Sharas took a warm horse sausage. "But if we want new blood, we must send messengers around. And the sooner, the better."
"Good thinking." Sharaf looks at her with approval. "You have some wits behind all your savageness. We will reward our veterans, and we will send them back at their yurts. Loaded with plunder. Their tribesmen will see them, and they will hear for their battles. The young warriors will come."
"The stories made our blood to boil." Sharad took some kumis from Sharab. "We don`t bleed from it. We don`t worn your boots from it. The stories and the songs for glory make us to want more and more. And later we bleed for it. We die for the next story and our bones becomes a way for the next generation."
"If you want to lay down and to become a brood mother, you are free to go." Sharak offers her another cup.
"Piss off! It was just a thought!" Sharad take it and drank. "For blood and loot!"
The warband began to arrange beneath them. The veterans in the centre, Burilgi`s people stood a bit aside from them, under Singalian`s guard. They finish their breakfast and walk down to them.
They walk between the ranks. All men and women, survived from the battle with Marius and his force were there, weapons in hand, the helmets brightened on the sun, the armours repaired and clear. When the inspection was over, Rambulhwa climb over his horse.
"Brave warriors of "Honourable guards", he began with strong voice. "Murderers, throat slitters, head hunters, blood drinkers, looters and marauders! It ..."
"Oh, come on!" A tribesman from the second rank spoke with annoyance. "Stop that "noble tribesman" pose, chief! I know you like your old cloak, you grew up in the next yurt for Vata`s sake!"
"What are you talking about, Kirahal?" The warlord wrinkles against him.
"You are exactly the same like me and the rest here, that`s what I`m talking about."
The warlord sighed with bored expression.
"Of course, that I`m not "exactly the same" as you, Kirahal. It is painfully obvious for everyone."
The warrior didn`t gave up.
"How so?"
Rambulhwa explain with stone-like face.
"Since I`m your warlord, it means, that I`m better murderer and marauder than you. I thought, that it was obvious."
The more brave grinned. Laugh came from here and there amongst the back ranks. Kirahal bows, defeated.
"Fine, you are right! I`m sorry."
"It`s nothing." Rambulhwa continue as if nothing happened. ""Brave warriors of "Honourable guards!" Murderers, throat slitters, head hunters, blood drinkers, looters and marauders!" His eyes moved slowly over the ranks. "It pleases me to see, that so many amongst you are just like me!"
The warriors grinned and hit their shields with their weapons in approval.
"You followed me for years. You killed for me all over Pendor. You made the "Honourable guards" the most famous mercenary warband and now my name is spoken as the Hero, from the Prophesy of Madigan. Today, I - Rambulhwa, son of Barzubai from Turkmani D`Shar, decide to fulfil that Prophesy! Today I will raise my blade and I will summon all warriors who are willing to support me! Are you still with me!"
War cries and clashing of weapons over shields torn the very air apart. That was what they wanted to hear! They would have fight and winess with their own eyes the fulfilment of a true Prophesy! And their children, their grandchildren would grow up proud with the heroics of their deeds! There would have blood and loot for all of them!
Rambulhwa raise his hand for silence.
"Commander Donavan advices me, to distribute an additional reward for the distinctive victory over Marius imperator. Although I lost many fine warriors, the victory was ours and that was the end of Baccus. Today, all of those, who were there with me will receive a year`s worth of payment and five more horses for each warrior, including the fallen. Tomorrow you will return to your own yurts to bring your loot to your families to make your wives pregnant again. When you are back to your tribes, you will bring the share of those, who fell in battle to their families. They were our comrades-in-arm and killed for me fearlessly! Their families will nor starve, nor sell themselves. Their children will grew up knowing, that their parents went in battle for me, and did not made a single step back!"
Another clash followed and Rambulhwa continue.
"I take what is owed to me, and I give what I owe to the others. If someone is tempted to take a single horse hair belonging to another, his skin will be nailed to the chest of our scribes, and his family will die, slain with my blade. Go and tell everyone, that after three moons I will ride against Ravenstern! And I invites all warriors willing to join me to ride with me!"
Uladai, Ganir, Sherkan and the other senior infantry commanders surround Donavan, who walk toward his own yurt. Jebaru spoke first with low voice.
"How did you manage to do that?"
Donavan look at them.
"It is quite common to receive a reward after such an important major battle, Jebaru. All of you knew that."
"We arranged a mutiny, commander! We all expected no reward for that, but execution!"
"No, no, no!" Donavan waive a hand dismissively. "What are you talking about? Do you forget, that I gathered all of you before that?"
"Yes, we do remember!" Ladani nod. "I do remember, that you said ..."
"... that once when I served under commander Remar Limertal, he hold a feast after his victory over his rival, and during that, an assassin, hidden amongst his own men used the opportunity to stab him in the back." Donavan interrupted him casually. "So I suggested all of you to watch the warriors closely, and to provoke them a little. No doubt any enemy spy would have used the opportunity to assassinate the warlord and we would have hack him into pieces."
Beshrak pull his thick braid.
"I`ve never heard for such ..." He stop and thought again. "Ah, yes! Yes, indeed! I do remember well! We did that! Fortunately, there were no enemy spies amongst us!"
The others weren`t fools and understood him with ease. Donavan spread his hands and hold the shoulders of the nearest two men.
"The warlord is actually quite grateful, that we are so concerned for his safety. So he decide to reward each one of us with additional 500 denari and five horses from his personal herd. I suggest, that you choose them now, and go to the Doomguides for your coins. Now, if you excuse me, I want to visit my wives."
They bowed to each other and separated. Donavan enter into his own yurt and sat next to Messahi Vashat. He gently cleared her wounds. Her left hand was missing, and she wore a wide scarf over her eyes. Messahi was out of danger for her life, but terribly slim and exhausted. Donavan kissed her gently.
"When I saw you in the wagon, I thought that my heart will stop from worry for you! We were so frightened, Eshari and I. Finally, you are here! I`ll ask the warlord to send for his father-in-law."
Messahi smiles briefly.
"I`m both cripple and blind. I have no family, and no one to care for me. What can you possibly may want from me?"
"I said, that I want to marry you!" Donavan began to unlock her dirty kaftan. Her ribs were clearly visible under her thin skin. She didn`t ate well and several new and ugly scars crossing her once beautiful body. He took a clean piece of soft fabric and wide cup with warm water and began to clear her. "You do need to eat more red meat. You must be strong for me and for our children both."
"What children?" She snorted roughly. "I have nothing to live for."
"You have me and Eshari." Donavan`s hand moved over the place, where her left hand finished with uneven piece of flesh. "And you will become pregnant soon, after your body recover from that disgusting seed that you took to prevent pregnancy!"
"While I was Omen Seeker I was someone! Now I`m nothing! I wanted nothing else but to touch you once more before I die." Messahi raise her only hand toward the sound of his voice.
Eshari took it within hers.
"You won`t die. We will live together, just as we intended. I lost a leg, but with some help I`m still able to ride. You too will become accustomed. I wanted to die too. Now you are here again. Everything will be better, if we are together."
"I will never see you again. I don`t want to ..."
"You didn`t send a single word trough all the messengers! We thought you for dead! You can`t left us just like that!"
"Don`t pretend that my wounds are meaningless. It wont work. Most of the cripple warriors prefer to finish themselves. Otherwise they will finish as beggars."
"You will become my wife!" Donavan finish with her legs and dried her with large towel. "Our share from the victory will be enough for ten people to live well to the rest of their lives. And more."
"The horses will not bring back my eyes. Or my arm. What reason ..."
"Reason! You want reason? Fine, I`ll give you a reason!" Donavan throw aside the towel. "I waited for you to return long enough!"
Messahi suddenly felt his familiar weight over her body and moaned when he enter into her.
"When we have a dozen children, you will have a reason good enough!"
Her legs hold him with strength and her only hand hold him tight.
When the camp turn silent, and the breathing of Donavan and Eshari turn soft and even, Messahi`s arm moved around until she found his belt. As all warriors, he slept with his weapons at arm length. She draws his knife.
"It isn`t a true life, Drillmaster, to ... exist like that." Her voice was just a weak breeze. "Not all tales have happy ending. I don`t want to exist at any cost. No matter what you may say to me, it isn`t a life. Not any more. When I see the gods, I will ask them only to see you in the next life. Nothing more."
Her hand moved the blade over her own throat.
On the next morning the desperate howl from commander Donavan`s yurt send the nearest patrol on the run. When the ten warriors and their arban-u entered with weapons in hand, they saw him clutching in the corpse of a mutilated woman. Her cold dead hand hold a knife still covered with half-dried blood.
Rambulhwa hug Sharam and offer her a pillow next to him. During the moons, while she recovered from an axe strike, she become pregnant and they kept her away from the fight. The others sat around the low table, still breathing heavy from the morning`s exercises.
"It will takes whole moons to watch over the drug addicts. Jatu will not sit on their arses all that time. The end of the spring is ideal for invasion in Ravenstern. The northern tribes holds grudge against Gregory and they will not wait for us for long. You know that, but you chained yourself here."
She look at the warlord with expectation. As usual, Sharaz spoke before him.
"We lost too many veterans, dear. The people can not fight every day. The veterans needs time with their families, we need new blood, but the young warriors needs some training too. The new Omen Seekers and the others with them needs time to clean themselves under constant guard."
Sharaa sat more comfortable and bite a tasty morsel.
"The other chieftains will watching us closely. They will not trust us, that the little brother doesn`t want to proclaim himself for a new "Bahadur". Sitting right here, doing only training and healing at the same time, when it is clear, that we can do a lot more ..."
"I get it." Sharas took a warm horse sausage. "But if we want new blood, we must send messengers around. And the sooner, the better."
"Good thinking." Sharaf looks at her with approval. "You have some wits behind all your savageness. We will reward our veterans, and we will send them back at their yurts. Loaded with plunder. Their tribesmen will see them, and they will hear for their battles. The young warriors will come."
"The stories made our blood to boil." Sharad took some kumis from Sharab. "We don`t bleed from it. We don`t worn your boots from it. The stories and the songs for glory make us to want more and more. And later we bleed for it. We die for the next story and our bones becomes a way for the next generation."
"If you want to lay down and to become a brood mother, you are free to go." Sharak offers her another cup.
"Piss off! It was just a thought!" Sharad take it and drank. "For blood and loot!"
The warband began to arrange beneath them. The veterans in the centre, Burilgi`s people stood a bit aside from them, under Singalian`s guard. They finish their breakfast and walk down to them.
They walk between the ranks. All men and women, survived from the battle with Marius and his force were there, weapons in hand, the helmets brightened on the sun, the armours repaired and clear. When the inspection was over, Rambulhwa climb over his horse.
"Brave warriors of "Honourable guards", he began with strong voice. "Murderers, throat slitters, head hunters, blood drinkers, looters and marauders! It ..."
"Oh, come on!" A tribesman from the second rank spoke with annoyance. "Stop that "noble tribesman" pose, chief! I know you like your old cloak, you grew up in the next yurt for Vata`s sake!"
"What are you talking about, Kirahal?" The warlord wrinkles against him.
"You are exactly the same like me and the rest here, that`s what I`m talking about."
The warlord sighed with bored expression.
"Of course, that I`m not "exactly the same" as you, Kirahal. It is painfully obvious for everyone."
The warrior didn`t gave up.
"How so?"
Rambulhwa explain with stone-like face.
"Since I`m your warlord, it means, that I`m better murderer and marauder than you. I thought, that it was obvious."
The more brave grinned. Laugh came from here and there amongst the back ranks. Kirahal bows, defeated.
"Fine, you are right! I`m sorry."
"It`s nothing." Rambulhwa continue as if nothing happened. ""Brave warriors of "Honourable guards!" Murderers, throat slitters, head hunters, blood drinkers, looters and marauders!" His eyes moved slowly over the ranks. "It pleases me to see, that so many amongst you are just like me!"
The warriors grinned and hit their shields with their weapons in approval.
"You followed me for years. You killed for me all over Pendor. You made the "Honourable guards" the most famous mercenary warband and now my name is spoken as the Hero, from the Prophesy of Madigan. Today, I - Rambulhwa, son of Barzubai from Turkmani D`Shar, decide to fulfil that Prophesy! Today I will raise my blade and I will summon all warriors who are willing to support me! Are you still with me!"
War cries and clashing of weapons over shields torn the very air apart. That was what they wanted to hear! They would have fight and winess with their own eyes the fulfilment of a true Prophesy! And their children, their grandchildren would grow up proud with the heroics of their deeds! There would have blood and loot for all of them!
Rambulhwa raise his hand for silence.
"Commander Donavan advices me, to distribute an additional reward for the distinctive victory over Marius imperator. Although I lost many fine warriors, the victory was ours and that was the end of Baccus. Today, all of those, who were there with me will receive a year`s worth of payment and five more horses for each warrior, including the fallen. Tomorrow you will return to your own yurts to bring your loot to your families to make your wives pregnant again. When you are back to your tribes, you will bring the share of those, who fell in battle to their families. They were our comrades-in-arm and killed for me fearlessly! Their families will nor starve, nor sell themselves. Their children will grew up knowing, that their parents went in battle for me, and did not made a single step back!"
Another clash followed and Rambulhwa continue.
"I take what is owed to me, and I give what I owe to the others. If someone is tempted to take a single horse hair belonging to another, his skin will be nailed to the chest of our scribes, and his family will die, slain with my blade. Go and tell everyone, that after three moons I will ride against Ravenstern! And I invites all warriors willing to join me to ride with me!"
Uladai, Ganir, Sherkan and the other senior infantry commanders surround Donavan, who walk toward his own yurt. Jebaru spoke first with low voice.
"How did you manage to do that?"
Donavan look at them.
"It is quite common to receive a reward after such an important major battle, Jebaru. All of you knew that."
"We arranged a mutiny, commander! We all expected no reward for that, but execution!"
"No, no, no!" Donavan waive a hand dismissively. "What are you talking about? Do you forget, that I gathered all of you before that?"
"Yes, we do remember!" Ladani nod. "I do remember, that you said ..."
"... that once when I served under commander Remar Limertal, he hold a feast after his victory over his rival, and during that, an assassin, hidden amongst his own men used the opportunity to stab him in the back." Donavan interrupted him casually. "So I suggested all of you to watch the warriors closely, and to provoke them a little. No doubt any enemy spy would have used the opportunity to assassinate the warlord and we would have hack him into pieces."
Beshrak pull his thick braid.
"I`ve never heard for such ..." He stop and thought again. "Ah, yes! Yes, indeed! I do remember well! We did that! Fortunately, there were no enemy spies amongst us!"
The others weren`t fools and understood him with ease. Donavan spread his hands and hold the shoulders of the nearest two men.
"The warlord is actually quite grateful, that we are so concerned for his safety. So he decide to reward each one of us with additional 500 denari and five horses from his personal herd. I suggest, that you choose them now, and go to the Doomguides for your coins. Now, if you excuse me, I want to visit my wives."
They bowed to each other and separated. Donavan enter into his own yurt and sat next to Messahi Vashat. He gently cleared her wounds. Her left hand was missing, and she wore a wide scarf over her eyes. Messahi was out of danger for her life, but terribly slim and exhausted. Donavan kissed her gently.
"When I saw you in the wagon, I thought that my heart will stop from worry for you! We were so frightened, Eshari and I. Finally, you are here! I`ll ask the warlord to send for his father-in-law."
Messahi smiles briefly.
"I`m both cripple and blind. I have no family, and no one to care for me. What can you possibly may want from me?"
"I said, that I want to marry you!" Donavan began to unlock her dirty kaftan. Her ribs were clearly visible under her thin skin. She didn`t ate well and several new and ugly scars crossing her once beautiful body. He took a clean piece of soft fabric and wide cup with warm water and began to clear her. "You do need to eat more red meat. You must be strong for me and for our children both."
"What children?" She snorted roughly. "I have nothing to live for."
"You have me and Eshari." Donavan`s hand moved over the place, where her left hand finished with uneven piece of flesh. "And you will become pregnant soon, after your body recover from that disgusting seed that you took to prevent pregnancy!"
"While I was Omen Seeker I was someone! Now I`m nothing! I wanted nothing else but to touch you once more before I die." Messahi raise her only hand toward the sound of his voice.
Eshari took it within hers.
"You won`t die. We will live together, just as we intended. I lost a leg, but with some help I`m still able to ride. You too will become accustomed. I wanted to die too. Now you are here again. Everything will be better, if we are together."
"I will never see you again. I don`t want to ..."
"You didn`t send a single word trough all the messengers! We thought you for dead! You can`t left us just like that!"
"Don`t pretend that my wounds are meaningless. It wont work. Most of the cripple warriors prefer to finish themselves. Otherwise they will finish as beggars."
"You will become my wife!" Donavan finish with her legs and dried her with large towel. "Our share from the victory will be enough for ten people to live well to the rest of their lives. And more."
"The horses will not bring back my eyes. Or my arm. What reason ..."
"Reason! You want reason? Fine, I`ll give you a reason!" Donavan throw aside the towel. "I waited for you to return long enough!"
Messahi suddenly felt his familiar weight over her body and moaned when he enter into her.
"When we have a dozen children, you will have a reason good enough!"
Her legs hold him with strength and her only hand hold him tight.
When the camp turn silent, and the breathing of Donavan and Eshari turn soft and even, Messahi`s arm moved around until she found his belt. As all warriors, he slept with his weapons at arm length. She draws his knife.
"It isn`t a true life, Drillmaster, to ... exist like that." Her voice was just a weak breeze. "Not all tales have happy ending. I don`t want to exist at any cost. No matter what you may say to me, it isn`t a life. Not any more. When I see the gods, I will ask them only to see you in the next life. Nothing more."
Her hand moved the blade over her own throat.
On the next morning the desperate howl from commander Donavan`s yurt send the nearest patrol on the run. When the ten warriors and their arban-u entered with weapons in hand, they saw him clutching in the corpse of a mutilated woman. Her cold dead hand hold a knife still covered with half-dried blood.