Lieutenant Xanders

Xanders gave his weapons to his own soldiers and told them that only two would accompany him. The rest would return to the flat area outside the city. He became a bit curious about the slaves. In the Marshes the closest thing to slaves were the indentured servitude of criminals who committed grave crimes. He wondered if the slaves in the city ended up as slaves because of their own choices or if they were born into it. He was sure the general wouldn't care but Lord Sivareth on the other hand might want to get involved.

"The three of us will accept your invitation to lunch. The rest will get ready for General Cade's arrival." The others rode out. "On the way I would like to discuss about your slaves in this city. Are they born into their roles or did they do something wrong?" Xanders asked Tavan as he stared in awe of the buildings. They certainly showed off the wealth of the city though they didn't look like they would be very sturdy in a siege.

Vaino was speaking with Captain Glennir about the recruits. There were many soldiers being added to the reserves and he estimated that if they took their time training the recruits, the marshes could eventually summon an army of fifty thousand. This was assuming that each soldier was disciplined and formally trained as a conscript. If they truly needed to, they could rush training for an army two or three times larger. Vaino did not want that. Untrained conscripts usually died much faster than normal conscripts so the thought was unsettling to him.

Many people had been settling into the Central Forest though it was not developing as fast as he had wanted. Though small villages had been formed for the purposes of managing lumber mills, it would be years until the region would see a significant population settled on the land. The indentured servants and military recruits were creating the roads. All were paved with stone which was incredibly expensive. Fortunately stone roads took much less maintenance and could still be traveled easily on during even the heaviest of rain.

He received a report from General Cade about troop movements and the capture of the towns. Silverstone. Vaino had not been to the city in years so he did not know whether changes had been made to the city. The city maintained it's mines with slave labor which Vaino detested slavery. Cade had orders to deal with certain, injustices, even if it meant a siege.

"Yilviir." Vaino called for his steward, who quickly came from the next room. "Please send a carriage to Farfell Trading Company to pick up that Oritian. I would like to meet with him. Be sure to tell them to treat him kindly while he is being escorted here." It was time for him to strike up a proposition.

Virgil Madriach

The day slowly grew dull, a storm started to form. Slowly drifting to sleep he dreamt of the days old and new, soon the rain fell. Suddenly a messengers steps could be heard, steps in haste. "Go on." he said to the bowing man. "His 'Lordship' has arrived in Sundregn, he seeks to wonder and slumber for a day or two before formally meeting Lord Sivareth." the Messenger slid a letter from his jacket but before handing it over he did say "One particular person, which I believe has no business to, seeks your presences for matters not described, pardon me Your Majesty, I truly have no idea how this ended up in the box..." Virgil snatched it off him and gestured the messenger to back off. "Farfell..." A name that he has heard ring a time or two but it was not familiar at the same time curious while cautious. "I find it particularly frustrating with you here gawking at me, a thousand pardons, unless you have anything else to present..." he said sternly to the messenger.

After the 'annoying' messenger departed, he drifted slowly to the lands of dreams.

---

Marcus Varier

As an attempt to avoid attention to himself and being invited to Vaino's court, he disguised himself as a luxury merchant traveling town to town selling the finest of wares and being wealthy enough to afford 'protection'. The gate guards, more or so were convinced and they were let in without problem, perhaps with underhand dealings which involved exchanges of goods...

The streets were crowded to the extremes, however there was no sign of anarchy, something Langsmerth days had quite often with brawls between rival families breaking into the streets and innocent bystanders becoming guilty.

Perhaps the Vaino's reforms were indeed beneficial, in the dusty and shifty alleys did he not see the murderer or the thief but rather than the poor folk dancing and reveling in happiness. Marcus and his party neared the inn, the place filled to the rim with drunk swampmen playing merry tunes, but at this time?

Back in the Lowlands, music was a privilege only for the rich and the noble with the occasional renegade bard playing in the poor man's tavern for a free drink. He approached the counter with a bag of crowns in hand. "Aye, rooms for twenty."

Silverstone

The attack on the Marsher soldiers was sudden, brutal and ruthless in its undertaking. The heavy horse, released by their commander to return outside the city found themselves trapped on the long bridge that connected the city to the mainland, the gates slamming shut on either end. Crossbowmen appeared on the walls and within moments the stones were slick with the blood of falling men and horses, their screams drowned out by the thunder of the falls below.

Only once the last man had been shot from his horse did the Silverstone soldiers move in, swiftly killing those who still lived with a knife thrust beneath the chin. Any who offered resistance were simple shot from close range, the wounded horses quickly put out of their misery with axes. The dead Marshers were stripped of their equipment and their bodies hurled over the parapets and into the falls below where they vanished beneath the curtains of spray.

Xander and his two chosen men were simply seized without even laying eyes on the Bann and hauled away to the Mines where they were clapped in irons, stripped of everything and given simple white shifts. It took no time at all for them to simply become faceless slaves amongst the rest. In a cruel gesture the Bann ordered their tongues cut out so that they might not tell their tale to anyone.

It was as if the Marshers had never been to the city at all.


Alerk Alerkson

The Great Army they called it. The single largest force ever assembled by the Danes. A man who was good with numbers would simply count the ships that had come and even now they seemed beyond count, drawn up on every available bit of beach as far as the eye could see, naked masts rising like a forest into the sky.

Orders had come from Alerk that morning, the army was to sail and one by one the ships were slipping into the surf, long oars reaching out like insect legs to propel the craft to sea. Brightly coloured sails were raised and the fleet moved swiftly before a westerly wind that some said came as a gift from the gods, driving the invasion fleet towards its goal.

They filled the sea from horizon to horizon, a seemingly endless line of ships that swept west beneath a sky devoid of clouds. Several times small ships, pirates, fishermen, perhaps men from Hightower, would be caught in their path and were devoured, decks reeking with blood as they slowly sank beneath the waves.

Death was coming to Penumbria.

Penumbria's impeding doom was largely ignored with the news only being fishermen's tales. The realm was largely distracted, both the crown and rebels were held in a stalemate with each other unable to make a move against each other to make matters conflicts within are becoming more evident.

Marcus Varier

They headed for the palace, keeping the intrigued folks away from their wares, he planned to use what ever he had left as tribute to the Warden. Even in the morning the streets were more with life than every other city, a city that never sleeps. The wagon wheels were stuck and the whole load was almost tipped over. The men quickly clear the wheel and continued to head on. Marcus could not help himself to examining the pagan rituals, in the Lowlands pagans were executed if they displayed their ways in the eye of the public.

They reached the palace and were immediately halted by guards. Soon an official came out, the usual business conduct happened here, underhand dealings everyone was happy. The official then informed a higher authority....

The Sun crept slowly down the horizon as John stood on the wharf, gazing out across the open water. Of late he often looked upon it, as if some sort of ship would come for him and take him back to the Mainlands. He wanted to, deep down past all the atrocities, crimes, blood and ale he wanted to head back. "Back home" he thought. "You don't have a home" another voice in his head said "You're a murderer".
John turned on his heel and wandered down the street. He COULD take a ship to the Mainlands, but whether or not he'd be alive when and if he arrived alive. Most of the ships that hung around Hightower were manned by pirates or worse and others were hardly sea worthy. He pushed past a pair of men and headed for the Inn. Most nights he'd drown his sorrows in ale rather than properly sleep and contemplate all that had happened, is happening and will happen. John entered the Inn. To the right of the room a large group of men were seated along a long table, shouting and joking around with each other. "Pirates" he thought. He grabbed a bottle of ale from a serving woman and tossed her a quarter. He sat down at an empty round table and began to drink.
After some time and a lot more drinks, as John was lying facedown on the table a rough hand jerked him up by the shoulder. It was one of the pirates across the room. "Well f**k me, it's John the Cutthroat!" he said, "what d'you s'pose you're doing here ay?". Having a drink, now bugger off and take your hand off me" John replied. "I can do whatever I wants you limey f**k" the pirate said as two more of his companions got out of their chairs and headed to the table. John was drunk, and had no intention of getting into a fight, still, instinctively he reached slowly for his axe on his left hip. The pirate drew his rusted sword and smashed John in the face with his fist. John lurched from his chair and fell to the floor as the pirates began to laugh. In a fit of uncontrollable rage John pushed himself up, turned around and launched over the table at the pirate with his sword drawn, tackling him to the floor. Up close he was a rather unpleasant man and reeked of wine, the pirate grabbed Johns right arm and headbutted him in the face dazing John. The pirate pushed John off of him and struggled to his feet, then raised his sword over his head and yelled as he brought it down towards Johns head. John lurched to the side as the vicious blow came and got up and quickly split the pirates head open with an overarm swing with the axe. A pair of strong hands grabbed him, but John twisted around and hit the man in the temple, knocking him down almost instantly. By then almost all the not-passed-out pirates had gotten up and had drawn their weapons, or at least had something in their hands. A few began to rush at him and John threw his axe at the closest mans face, hitting him dead between the eyes. John headed for the door, bowling a man over and bursted into the streets with several pirates running after him.
Continuing down the street he turned down a side alley, pushing past a pair of guardsmen. Eventually the pursuers began to catch up, John tried to climb up a house but saw the pirates were getting too close, he let go of the ledge and unstrapped 'Bromhead' from his shoulder. As a pirate, yelling, ran at him with a vicious arched swing with his axe, John ducked and swung his 2-handed axe into the mans gut, another pirate tried to stab him in the eye but only sliced open his right cheek. Backing off John counted 4 more pirates approaching. The began to spread out, trying to get around him. "Too many" he thought with despair. A pirate was moving slowly to his right, trying to edge in for a quick slash, John took out his throwing knife from his right hip and threw it at the man, the pirate moved his axe up in time to stop the knife with the hilt, but was not quick enough to counter Johns savage right slash. The cut almost took the mans head off, John tried to shake the axe out of the dead man but a long haired pirate kneed him in the stomach and cracked him over the head with a sword. John collapsed and the light faded.

It had been a busy day for Vaino. First he had sent a Ranger to deliver a message to Hightower asking for the rebel to meet with Vaino so that they could discuss terms of peace. No doubt it would come at a price if be were to be made. Secondly his economic advisers showed him the print for the new banknote that the Warden was trying to create for the Marshes. It had his face on it with a sketched picture of Sundregn on the bottom half. He believed that using paper money was much easier than using coins with precious metals in them. The notes would be introduced to the Marshes overtime and hopefully Virgil would see the usefulness in it and convert the Crowns as well.

After that he spoke with more advisers over yet another of his reforms. He wanted to provide public education to even the poorest that the city had to offer. The education would include literacy and the most basic mathematics. It was not going to be cheap though he did not expect it to be. In the middle of a debate with an adviser, an official walked into the room to inform him that Lord Marcus Varier was outside to meet him. He exused himself before leaving to meet his guest.

Vaino eventually made his way outside to see Marcus. "Ah, Lord Varier, how nice to see you." Vaino said warmly. "I can only assume that you are here for business and not chatter. Come inside, we will discuss thing in my study." The Warden had many thing to do each day and he did not want to idle all his time with a noble from the lowlands.

Duermis Harbour, Bannship of Silverstone

Serena Marius stared into the roaring waves below, the white caps slamming endlessly into the cliff face as if the sheer strength of their blows might bring the entire bluff tumbling down. It had been in this same spot she had watched her husband of two years drown as his boat was carried under by the tide, not a man had walked away from it. It had been two years to the day since, four since she had married him and she still felt the connection in her heart. She had a daughter by him, a gorgeous black haired child she had named Louisee in memory of her father. The same child now played in the green grass nearby with a puppy from the town, the yips and giggles mixing wonderfully to help ease the pain in her heart. She sighed and turned from the bluff, scooping up both Louise and the puppy, receiving a kiss from both of them as she began the steep path back down to the town below.

She smiled at the thatched roofs; Duremis sat within a sheltered area of dunes at the mouth of the Deepwater River where it emptied into the sea after passing Silverstone. The fishing was good and the weather fair and kind for most of the year. The town has propsered as the chief trading port of the Bannship of Silverstone and boasted a population of nearly two thousand people, a large fort and extensive docks.

A sudden shout off to her right made her turn to see a young man hurrying towards her, a large grin on his face.

“Serena! So glad I could catch you alone for a moment, or almost alone.” The man ruffled Louisee’s hair and accepted a nip on his finger from the puppy before brushing a strand of red hair from his face to gaze at her with striking green eyes. “I was wondering if you, Serena Marius might do me, Geoffrey Pavrial, the honour of being my lady at the mid-summers feast tomorrow.”

Serena felt herself redden slightly and she struggled to say something even as his face fell at her silence, he spoke again, quietly this time.

“I know I’m only seventeen Serena but I have a future as a trader and I may not be the man…”

Whatever else he had to say was interrupted as Serena gently raised a finger to his lips, the puppy immediately licking his nose.

“I’d be delighted Geoffrey Pavrial. Come by the house tomorrow morning and we can make all the arrangements for the evening.”

The young man grinned up at her and brushed her hand with his lips, risking another attack by the puppy who had thankfully found the hem of Serena’s dress more interesting.

“Thank you!”

He grinned again and turned away as she continued into the village, smiling to herself as she heard his whoop of joy echo behind her. The shout followed her into the town and right up to the door of her home which sat closest to the heavy bluff, half built into it in fact. She set both Louise and the puppy down in living room and stepped into her bedroom, sliding open a large closet and reaching into the back to pull out a full length yellow gown that her mother had stored away. She hadn’t worn it since her husband had died but it was time to move on and so, with a shrug, she stripped down to her underwear and then slid the soft material over her head and moved to the mirror.

She was still young and lithe, her blonde hair cascading halfway down her back, the soft brown eyes shining in the sunlight that reflected from the mirror. She did a slow turn and smiled slightly, she might have had a child but it had done nothing to ruin her figure, she was still a nineteen year old beauty, a widowed one at that but she secretly thought Geoffrey Pavrial would be a fine man to have around. He was certainly a rising apprentice in the merchant world, already performing a few trades of his own with distant cities and with him as a father Louise’s future would be secure in a world that relied more on wealth then ever before.

A sudden shriek of pain followed by the piteous howling of the puppy jolted Serena out of her thoughts and she rushed into the living room to find Louise had fallen onto the puppy who had nipped her in defence and was now simply bawling to be heard. Serena sighed and scoped Louise up, moving into a beam of sunlight to gently rock her back and forth. Even as she did she couldn’t help but smile, life had at last taken an upswing.
* * * *

She attended church that afternoon and listened quietly as the priest spoke at length of god. She liked the priest, Father Mason, a man of fifty years and stout of body and mind. He had once been a warrior but the moment peace had come he had dropped his sword and taken up gods word and now presided over the entire community as their spiritual leader. He had married Serena and her last husband and would most likely be there to marry her to her next; in fact he was to perform a ceremony that very evening, a christening of two new children on white sand beach at the town’s southern edge.

“And it was from the heavens that our lord sent the great light. The light that brought us back to his true way and the way of his church! He punished us for our sins yet some of us survived! We are chosen to serve god as he demands of us and to spread his word to all the peoples of the world so that we might never again feel his wrath!”

The words echoed through the stone building, the largest in the entire town and Serena, as she did every time the priest spoke of god, felt her spirits soar and she smiled up at the image of Christ on the cross behind the priest.

“But the lord god is merciful and has brought to us fine weather and fine harvests so that we might keep our children strong and our lands free of invaders. He watches over us and protects us. He loves us as his children and we must worship him as a father for he is everything to us.”

With those words the sermon ended and the crowd began to file out, voices low but happy. A few stayed, amongst them Serena and another young woman who looked at Serena with a resentful gaze before standing and moving to sit beside her. Her words were soft and full of mischief.

“My dear Serena, I hear this strange rumour that you have agreed to accompany young Master Pavrial to the mid-summers feast. I didn’t credit it at first but seeing your happiness I can only assume the rumours are true.”

Serena turned her gaze on the speaker and couldn’t help the blush that spread across her face and the shy smile.

“I have indeed agreed to join him. I hope this will not upset you Larisa.”

The other girl smiled and laughed out loud, earning a glance from the rest of the worshippers who still remained. She placed a hand lightly on Serena’s knee and leaned in close.

“Upset me? My dear girl, I wish you all the best. It’s just a pity he saw you before me.”

She winked and with a rustle of her skirts was gone out the door to leave Serena alone with her happiness.
* * * *

The day of the mid-summers feast came with a brilliant sunrise and before Serena knew it there was a heavy knock on her front door. She hurriedly put down the flowers she was arranging fore the banquet table and hurried to the door to find Geoffrey Pavrial standing there with a smile on his face. He stepped forward and swiftly kissed her on the cheek.

“You look lovely and you even smell like an entire flower garden!”

She blushed and motioned for him to enter the house, closing the door gently behind him just as the puppy came hurtling into the room to collide with Geoffrey who picked the wriggling beast up and tickled its belly.

“Little fiends getting rather large isn’t he?”

Serena nodded, amazed at how hard she had to try to get words out when talking to Geoffrey.

“Indeed, nearly a year old next week, still going to be a terror though. Won’t you join me in the kitchen? I’m making up flower bundles for the mid-summer tables.”

Geoffrey nodded and followed her into the kitchen, eyes widening slightly at the pile of flowers, he picked one up and inhaled its fragrance. He snapped the stem off about half way and tucked the flower behind Serena’s ear and nodded solemnly.

“The picture of perfection.”

Serena smacked him on the arm and glared at him in mock anger.

“Now you stop it! It’s not even the feast yet and already you’re acting like you’re drunk. Now make yourself useful and give me a hand here.”

Geoffrey threw her a salute and slammed to attention.

“Right away ma’am!”

They stared at each other for a moment before breaking out in laughter, the puppy barking his shrill approval as the two set to work.
* * * *

All was quiet as the townsfolk, young and old, gathered about the long banquet tables set out in the town green, all sat with their heads bowed as Father Mason stood to say a prayer. Serena was sitting next to Geoffrey who was glowing with pride at Serena being his lady for the night, the stunning yellow dress by far the finest at the feast, they squeezed each others hands under the table.

“Holy Father. Watch over this blessed gathering and bless this food of which we are about to eat. Bless our children, our husbands, our wives, our sweethearts. Bless us this day as we celebrate your kindness oh lord. Amen.”

Quiet voices echoed the amen up and down, the noise immediately swelling again as everyone tucked into the food before them. Great plates of steamed vegetables, pork and beef roasts and large fish pulled from the sea. Platters of shrimp with a fine sauce made from several rare plants that grew amongst the dunes were complimented by a couple of fine Marsher wines. The laughter of all was heartfelt; the gales of giggling coming from the children’s table attracting the odd shush from the adults but no one seemed to inclined to actually stop the racket.

Once the dinner was done everyone left the tables to gather about a large wooden stage upon which a series of musicians tamed their instruments, the couples moving out onto the open grass. Geoffrey took Serena’s hand in his and slid the other around her waist as a guitar and harmonica struck up a fast paced dance. They danced happily, whirling about with the other dancers in a colourful array, mostly young couples as their elders looked on and clapped.

As the evening wore on and darkness closed in, the celebrations took a brief pause as everyone took a moment to light torches or start one of the fires that had been pre-built just for this occasion. A few small tables were moved up and a selection of wines, ales and a few casks of water were set up to keep the revellers well hydrated. A few folk had begun to drift into the dark, mainly younger couples who did so with furtive glances and suppressed giggles. Amongst these couples, just as swift tune began, were Geoffrey and Serena, the wild tune masking their departure perfectly.

Geoffrey led Serena through the darkened streets and past the sentry post on the edge of the town and out onto the white sand beach. They spotted several other couples strolling the beach, or tucked into more darkened corners together. Geoffrey smiled in the dark and cupped Serena’s chin in his face, tilting her face up and gently planting a kiss on her face. She took a step back and Geoffrey frantically searched for words to apologize but instead she wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him so fiercely he could taste blood on her lips.

Just then the moon crept from beneath the single cloud that had been stubbornly holding position to block its rays from reaching the earth. Geoffrey gazed down into the face before him and his heart swelled in his chest as she laid her head on his shoulder, the two swaying slightly to the music that only they could hear. Beyond them the waves lapped quietly at the beach as a warm sea breeze curled over the island. It was a paradise.
* * * *

Dawn was fast approaching when Serena woke, her leg thrown over Geoffrey as the two lay in the gentle grass above the beach. Her yellow dress lay nearby in a heap, discarded without a second thought the night before. She stretched, the soft sea breeze caressing her bare skin as she turned to kiss the cheek of the man beside her. He stirred slightly and his eyes opened and he smiled even as his eyes blinked shut at the sudden red rays of sunlight that burst over the horizon.

“Morning love. I don’t suppose you made breakfast already?”

She slapped his stomach at the comment and kissed him fiercely again.

“I need a man to go out and bring in some wood to light the stove first, otherwise you won’t get a damned thing.”

He grinned and reached out to touch her face, his hand halting in midair, his gaze fixed behind her, towards the beach, the grin turning to a look of horror.

“Oh sweet Jesus… no…”

His voice was hushed and there was fear in it. Serena turned and felt her heart leap into her throat. The rising sun had done more than wake the day, it had revealed a fleet the likes of which they could never have imagined. As far as they could see, from one horizon to the other, the sea was filled with ships that raced swiftly towards the shore.

Geoffrey leapt to his feet and pulled Serena to her, turning her towards the village. “Run to the church! Ring that bell for all your worth, I’ll warn the garrison!”

Not stopping to question him Serena ran towards the church even as Geoffrey hurried towards his own home for armour and weapons. Every man in the town was required to train at least one day a week with his weapon in case of an attack and for many this would have their first taste of battle.

Serena paused at the door of the church to see the leading vessels had approached within two hundred yards of the beach, sunlight reflecting off the helmets of the oarsmen, the glint of spear tips rippling like light upon water. The raiders had done well, they had used the darkness to cloak their approach until they almost upon the town and that knowledge spurred her into motion again.

She burst into the church, naked as the day she born and ran past two startled nuns who immediately took up the chase. They caught up to her in the bell tower and one tried to seize Serena about the waist but she slipped free and hauled down on the bell tower cord. The heavy bell slammed into motion, not the usual gentle toll but a frantic clamour, the nuns eyes opening wide in fright as they realized the significance of the sound. Both rushed back into the main church to fall at the altar even as Father Mason arrived at the run, not stopping until he managed to catch Serena’s elbow.

“What’s happening girl!”

Serena turned to him, tears in her eyes as she spoke.

“The Danes are coming father!!”

Father mason wasted no time as he shouted for an altar boy to take over ringing the bell. He dragged one of his spare robes from his office and let Serena pull it on before they hurried from the church towards the beach just as the first screams rent the air.