‘Stotheit des Bremens’, Baltic Sea
Unlike Dahlke, Raimondo di Savoia did not enjoy the journey very much. He was seasick just about always since they left the relatively calm waters of the Mediterranen; not that he was vomiting all the time, but he did feel sick and dizzy. Moreover, he really missed the ladies’ company.
Although he would never admit that, he did begin to admire the sailors’ endurance.
His men were in much better mood, though. Most of them were peasants from the mountainous western part of the duchy (the cities of the plains of the Po usually bought their military service with money), and they were enjoying the voyage – a good tale to tell to the grandchildren, as they used to say. Calm, taciturn kind of men, they were: they were just watching the sea all day and they never got bored.
At the meals, Raimondo never talked. The only form of communication he was able to do was a morose mumbling with which he usually asked for an other glass of beer. He seemed to be more and more depressed as the weeks passed, and when the ships reached the Baltic at long last, Raimondo was just about to reach the bedrock.
He showed minimal enthusiasm when the Bremer admiral told him his orders. He listened to the alien-sounding names: Riga, Kurland, Livland; he had only the vaguest ideas about their whereabouts. To be honest, he had imagined the distance between Piedmont and this Latvia much smaller, when they departed…
“Good.” Raimondo barked, when Dahlke finished. “However, I hope that our agreement about the free plunder apllies to these… whatever… hmm… Latvian, yes, Latvian lands too. And remember, I need to pay the crew of my ships, especially if they will have to fight…”
Deep in thoughts, he looked out the window, at the misty silhouette of the coastline.
“Hmm… I wonder what barbaric hordes may inhabit these barren lands…” he said out his thoughts. But then he realized who is he sitting beside and got embarassed. “Khm… excuse me, signore Dahlke. I didn’t mean like that.”
Still a bit embarassed, he stood up.
“Well, I think we discussed everything… About the concrete procedure of the disembarkation, consult with my aide-de-camp. See you later.”
He nodded toward the Bremer and stood up to leave, but suddenly he looked at the Bremer again and said:
“To be honest, signore Dahlke, I’m eager for a fight… and for the planned reward. I hope it’s not forgotten.”
He smiled a fast smile at Dahlke and left. He was obviously in a much better mood now, this close to the land.
Unlike Dahlke, Raimondo di Savoia did not enjoy the journey very much. He was seasick just about always since they left the relatively calm waters of the Mediterranen; not that he was vomiting all the time, but he did feel sick and dizzy. Moreover, he really missed the ladies’ company.
Although he would never admit that, he did begin to admire the sailors’ endurance.
His men were in much better mood, though. Most of them were peasants from the mountainous western part of the duchy (the cities of the plains of the Po usually bought their military service with money), and they were enjoying the voyage – a good tale to tell to the grandchildren, as they used to say. Calm, taciturn kind of men, they were: they were just watching the sea all day and they never got bored.
At the meals, Raimondo never talked. The only form of communication he was able to do was a morose mumbling with which he usually asked for an other glass of beer. He seemed to be more and more depressed as the weeks passed, and when the ships reached the Baltic at long last, Raimondo was just about to reach the bedrock.
He showed minimal enthusiasm when the Bremer admiral told him his orders. He listened to the alien-sounding names: Riga, Kurland, Livland; he had only the vaguest ideas about their whereabouts. To be honest, he had imagined the distance between Piedmont and this Latvia much smaller, when they departed…
“Good.” Raimondo barked, when Dahlke finished. “However, I hope that our agreement about the free plunder apllies to these… whatever… hmm… Latvian, yes, Latvian lands too. And remember, I need to pay the crew of my ships, especially if they will have to fight…”
Deep in thoughts, he looked out the window, at the misty silhouette of the coastline.
“Hmm… I wonder what barbaric hordes may inhabit these barren lands…” he said out his thoughts. But then he realized who is he sitting beside and got embarassed. “Khm… excuse me, signore Dahlke. I didn’t mean like that.”
Still a bit embarassed, he stood up.
“Well, I think we discussed everything… About the concrete procedure of the disembarkation, consult with my aide-de-camp. See you later.”
He nodded toward the Bremer and stood up to leave, but suddenly he looked at the Bremer again and said:
“To be honest, signore Dahlke, I’m eager for a fight… and for the planned reward. I hope it’s not forgotten.”
He smiled a fast smile at Dahlke and left. He was obviously in a much better mood now, this close to the land.
