Chapter 3: The Enemy
Chapter 3: The enemy
18th December in the year of their "lord" 869
"Chief." Liudas looked at me with anger but he kept it under control. He had to otherwise I would crush him beneath my axe. "Recently the tribe of Kurland ceased to exist. Wild men from the north came, plundered their lands, took their wifes and they have not gone. They are now directly at our border."
"To whom owe they their allegiance?" Wow, I am surprised my complicated sentence. Well I should not be. Of course I am so educated.
"They are vikings of Björn Ironside."
"Björn Ironside... A son of Lodbrok?"
"Exactly. The bards now sing how they avenged their fathers death. Their rivals are punished through a ritual that they call the "blood eagle". Even you would say that it is cruel", he says with a shivering undertone.
The blood eagle. I know this one. Liudas is right there.
"This norsemen are dangerous. How can we drive them out of our romuvan land?"
"Honestly, I do not know too. But I plea for your help, chief!", Liudas now kneels before me.
Chief Giemund who is also well-informed about the matter joins us. "It is even worse", he says.
"From the river Daugava into the bay of Riga our merchants sailed to island of Osilia to trade with the tribesmen there but now they were blocked off. The island now is under the control of King Rurik of Holmsgardr."
"Well, but they are not so close as Björn of Svipjod", I speak out my thought.
"The problem, chief, is that the kings of Svipjod and Holmsgardr are bound together through marriages. They have good relations to each other and they may form an alliance to encircle us."
"This is not good", I gulp. Can my legend be over before it ever began?
"My chief, actually we still have chances" Giemund takes a long breath before he continues. "King Haraldr "Fairhair" of Vikken has an interest in keeping Holmgardr out and Svipjod down."Yet he does not have any children to whom we could betroth one of your offsprings."
"The other optio would be... Do you want to her it? It is for the sake of securing a way to survive for Lietuva."
"Come on, tell it"
"High Chief Yelisey of Polotsk is a direct neighbour of Holmsgardr. We also would stay inside our regional reach which would make it easier to use the alliance for other purposes."
"Polotsk...", I growl. "Well, I guess sometimes a compromise has to be made."
"Very well tought, my chief", Giemund applauses.
Breksta's age is similar to the age of the heir of Smolensk. If i would betroth her to the heir of Smolensk she will soon be away from Lietuva. I think she might see it as a gift. When she does not have to see me each day. I go to her chamber. Her face immediately skews when I enter.
"I have good news for you."
"OUT!"
"You will one day marry the heir of Polotsk: Svetovid Yeliseyovich."
"You call this good news!?"
"I thought, you would be glad to be away from me."
"I do not want to spend my life with a stranger. Even if I still have five years until then!"
"But..."
"NO!"
"You will have to! Or do you want that your people will get slaughtered when the Chief of mighty Polotsk may be angered then and decides to take revenge on us if you decline. You must obey!"
"I do not want YOU as my FATHER!"
"Very well. As long as you marry Svetovid when you have grown up."
She takes up a pointed wooden bough and throws it at me. I hide behind the door just in time. My own daughter... She really wants me dead. I walk away disappointed but in the knowledge that Lietuva will live on.
19th July in the year of their "lord" 870
I have gathered some troops to make a raid on the Zemgallians but we are not enough to storm their walls. Unfortunately I must give up the task that was given to me by the Band of Medeina.
Our troops still hunger for money and so I send them to raid the province of Deltuva, weakening our once-relatives even more.
1st August, in the year of their "lord" 870
Bad luck seem to have befallen me. On the way to Deltuva I started coughing. First I thought it was minor but now it seems that my lung wants to burst out of me. I leave my troops in the hands of Visvaldis, while I return to my hall in Vilnius, willing to get treatment by Elder Azuolas.
When I arrive at the hall I feel worse. Elder Azuolas comes fast to me. I do not recognize much of the "diganoseis" or whatever he calls it but his conclusion is really frightening.
Cancer.
A single word, mightier than even Perkunas, more dreaded than the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok. The enemy from within. Azuolas starts to treat me. Can not think...
Azuolas orders me to come into a small room in his house. The room is unusual because it has only three corners and not a single window. On each corner he lits a candle and I was in the middle. He wants me to sit in some "crossing-point". Then he comes to me and he took my hands. I just want to sleep for the coughing all the time made me tired but he holds me awake with a slap of his hands. He then takes my hands again.
Silence.
Then he starts speaking in a strange language. Maybe nordic? I really cannot filter out any known words, I just hear the sound. Praising yet full of awareness. Like a litany but more diverse. After some verses he says: "Repeat my words."
I really cannot remember what he said but somehow the unknown verses come out of my mouth. My mind is fully engaged. Then I finish and he begins to speak in the unknown language again.
The hours pass by.
The candles are slowly burning down and they heat the room. I sweat but Azuolas does not let me out. I could not even get out because he let his scolar lock it from the outside. We still sit there and neither I nor he have made a mistake in this language. The sound fills the room. Echoes repeating themselves go from one side to another and weave a web of words around us. I believe, I can see the words. They are wonderfully written. It is perfect. Even the serifs seem to be carefully placed at the point where they belong to. This is the sublime beauty that mankind never is able to reach or not?
Are we still counting hours or have days passed? I do not know. Thoughts, time, everything is meaningless. Words. Words. Words. Words. The room. Room. Hands. Azuolas. Candles. Words. Words. Words.
W...O...R...D...S...
Then the door opens. Both me and Azuolas get unconscious when the fresh air streams in.
6th August, in the year of their "lord" 870
I cannot believe it. Azuolas' treatment worked out very well. I feel... clean from the inside. I still have not fully recovered but when I cough I do it less violently and I do not feel these cracks in me. I also have found out that Azuolas and I were in this chamber for five days. Five days being awake... it is no surprise that we had to rest then.
6th September, in the year of their "lord" 870
I still stay at Vilnius for Azuolas does not let me go, and he is right. Borkus, who has become lazy, visits me at my bed.
"Father, are you going to die?" Children can be so honest.
"No, not today."
"Have you then fighted this illness?"
"Like a brave warrior always does. Bravery is very important not only there but also on the battlefield or when other children try to take something away from you."
"I want to be brave then!", Borkus decides. He means it serious.
"This is good my son", I murmur and I pat his head until I sleep.
14th September, in the year of their "lord" 870
Since this day Borkus comes very often to me to ask for my guidance. At last one child loves me too, as I love them. When he is not there, I listen to the tales that the bards tell me. One with greek origin began to sing of Alexander the Great, a great conqueror. I cannot get enough of this and so I forced the bard to tell me the whole story. This is gonna take some time but I simply adore Alexander and I must consume everything he did.
On the very same day Azuolas comes to me, with no sign of joy on his face.
"You really have cancer" His face says this without any vocal coming out of his mouth.
"I cannot heal you, only slower your decline", he offers me. I can see it. He pities me. Not the feared Vikings, not the fierce believers of the dead god, not even a tribesman from here will end my legend but cancer will.
I nod. Then I stare at him and he stares back.
Then he breaks the silence. "Chief, I have some methods to handle this. One is very risky, the other one would be what I mentioned before or we could see if it is just a false alarm."
It seems that I am preaching water but drinking wine. I clearly do not have enough courage to ask for the risky method but the normal one.
26th September, in the year of their "lord" 870
I really do not know from where Azuolas takes his crazy ideas. Today he came with a goat into my chambers and I had to smell the farts of the goat. Another treatment that worked. This man is a crazy genius.
15th October in the year of their "lord" 870
I do not have much control over my realm since death hath clenched his fists around my throat. My vassalls like their new autonomy but it led to problems. I got news that marshal Galindas and Liudas first bragged about how great they were (how pointless, since I am the greatest in my realm, even if I am down) and then they fought each other. Now they are bitter rivals.
25th April to 2nd June, in the year of their "lord" 871
The cancer really bound a lot of my attention and I forget about my daughter Zvorune. She became a woman, fast with the fist but as craven as their mother so she prefers to stay in the shadows. For Lietuva is weakened when I am bound to the bed I use my her to create bonds to Pronsk, another kingdom in the lands of the Rus, ot in Ruriks reach yet, but it is always good to have connections, right?
While I was searching for a husband for my daughter I got an invitation by chief Giemund. I may have become weak but I never say no to a feast.
20th July, in the year of their "lord" 871
A weaponsmith heard of my fame and he settled in Vilnius.
21st September, in the year of their "lord" 871
I arrive at Giemunds hall and I see the meat being stapled upon more meat and I just talk of my dish! Of course they also offer beer.
8th October in the year of their "lord" 871
"Look!"
"Haha!"
"You see how easy it is to hit them?", I laugh.
"Yes. Another bottle of beer?"
"Of course."
Giemund fills my bottle and when he gives it back to me he loses the balance and the beer is spilled all over both of us. We laugh together.
"Friends?", I ask him.
"Friends!"
15th October, in the year of their "lord" 871
My still very autonomous men have plundered the viking-invasors and they returned. My commander Visvaldis is first shocked when he sees my current condition but then he hands me an axe.
"This is what we have found in the treasures of the vikings."
I look closer on the axe. A purple +2 is etched into it. I inspect the axe, test how it feels to swing it around and I like this axe. "My old axe now shall belong to you, Visvaldis", I thank him.
"I am grateful, chief", he says and then he turns away.
22nd October, in the year of their "lord" 871
The carousing is over for now. It was a nice distraction from my cancer and I even made a friend. The first real friend in my life. I am sad that the carousing is over. So sad.
14th January, in the year of their "lord" 872
Today I feel like I lost. No, noone died but I put so much effort into the raising of Borkus. I taught him how to be brave but like me he got betrayed by his body. He has become frail and because some people laugh at him when they see him he hides away. I feel tired.
I have not accomplished much in the last years for I were too focused on the cancer and my family. This is not right, why are my efforts nothing worth but waste? I should better concentrate on expanding Lietuva, even if it means death, should I? Be or not be? This question is important.
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