772-773 The Conquest of Borovichi
772-773 The Conquest of Borovichi
Kardaz sent out a call to arms to his vassal, Chief Vechkas of Torzhok, who was standing right next to him, asking him to join him in the conquest of Borovichi. Vechkas readily agreed. So the war banners were raised and the armies moved west to rally with Vechkas' tribesmen in Torzhok. Meanwhile, Paksyut Paksyutid, who had just married Songul Yabuid, the daughter of a Turkish Khagan, was tasked to build up Kardaz's legend and raise more warriors to join the war.
As the troops gathered, Kardaz's son Viryay came of age. He had not been a very promising student, but his education had made him a tough soldier, and after Vechkas, he was the best military leader in Merya. So Kardaz made him a commander. He also arranged Viryay's betrothal to Ordava Okivid, the daughter of Chief Pinyas of Naro-Fominsk and Mozhaysk, who was still grateful for the Merya saving his tribes from the rebels and wiling to form an alliance.
Unfortunately, Chief Pinyas was murdered a month later by Yalgava Yalgavid, the wife of High Chief Parush of Meshchera, ending the alliance before Pinyas could officially join Kardaz's war and send troops. Ordava became an orphan and her father's titles went to High Chief Parush, but as she had strong claims to both tribes, Kardaz didn't break the engagement.
The first Battle of Borovichi took place in late winter, and turned out to be less of a Battle than had been expected. Kardaz led 1,400 from Torzhok north into Borovichi. High Chief Rodislav had just over 1,000 men there but was not ready to face Kardaz, so he lead the bulk of his army east into Veps, and left 200 men to cover his retreat. Rumors circulated that when Rodisav had been taken prisoner a few years earlier, his enemies had cut off his balls, making him a eunuch, and he had lost his courage along with his manhood. The men Rodislav left behind fought a running battle through the forest, losing almost half their number before they broke contact and fled west across the frozen Volkhov River. Kardaz and his men broke off pursuit and lay siege to the Bororvichi Tribe.
Meanwhile in the east, the steward, Paksyut Paksyutid had managed to convince 300 young men of Kardaz's legendary status and called them to muster in Merya before sending them west to join the main army. But these young men got a taste of battle much sooner than expected. High Chief Rodislav and the 850 men of his main army had continued east across Veps and then turned south into Uglich territory, racing toward the Merya tribal lands. Both armies were surprised to find the other when they arrived at Merya. The Merya volunteers were camped haphazardly outside of the Merya Tribe and had not set up a proper military camp. Only the fact that the Ilmenians had not known they were kept it from being a complete slaughter. Even so, only two thirds of the volunteers survived. They fled west toward the safety of the main army at Borovichi. The Ilmenians lost only 22 men. High Chief Rodislav set up a siege camp around Merya.
By late spring Borovichi had fallen and Kardaz's scouts had reported that Ilmenians that had fled west that winter had gathered reinforcements and were heading east through Torzhok to join up with Rodislav. Kardaz headed south in pursuit. Neither Kardaz or the Ilmenian reinforcements knew of the 210 Meryan volunteers entering Torzhok from the east. The volunteers fleeing from one battle ran right into a second when they ran right into an Ilmenian ambush. They were pinned down and taking heavy losses when the cavalry arrived in the form of Kardaz and his main army. The Ilmenian reinforcements were scattered.
Approximately 100 of them fled east and joined up with High Chief Rodislav at Merya, warning him of Kardaz army close behind. Rodislav again fled from battle, breaking off the siege of Merya and heading north into Yaroslavl. But Kardaz was hard on his heels and knew this area like the back of his hand. The Meryan army gained on the fleeing Ilmenians and brought them to battle on the banks of the Volga River outside the Yaroslavl Tribe.
The Ilmenian army put up a fight at first inflicting some heavy casualties, but Rodislav panicked, the line broke, and the slaughter began. Rodislav fled the battlefield, leaving over 200 dead men behind. Kardaz stopped to bury his own 50 dead and burn the enemy bodies, before he turned back west heading toward the Ilmenian tribe at Kholm.
Before winter started, Karzad sent his son Viryay back to Merya. Ordava Okivid was coming of age and needed to be made welcome when she arrived in Merya for the wedding. Viryay would spend the winter in Merya with his new bride and then could rejoin the army in the spring. Ordava had matured into a fearful young women skilled in diplomacy and intrigue which wasn't surprising as she had spent the last few years trapped in the court of the Chief who's wife openly boasted of having murdered Ordava's father for her husband's gain. Ordava burned with an ambition to avenge her father and reclaim her people's lands.
Kardaz expected the both armies to settle into winter camps and resume fighting when the thaw came. But it was mid winter when the Ilmenian army reappeared, trying to free Borovichi. Kardaz broke off his siege of Kholm, leaving the warm siege camp to march north through the dark cold forest. Just after the new year began, The Meryan and Ilmenian armies met outside the tribal village in the second Battle of Borovichi. For the first time, flight wasn't foremost on the Ilmenian mind and the outnumbered Slavic warriors stood their ground. The fight was brutal as the winter sun soon set and a bone chilling cold descended on the battlefield, the snow underfoot turned black in the moonlight from the spilled blood. In the end, the Meryan numbers won the night, but at a heavy cost. Close to five hundred men were killed that night, more than half Meryans. The cold had killed as many as the enemy warriors. But dawn found the Meryans once again holding the field as the surviving Ilmenians had fled at first light.
The Meryans found one man who had been left behind, tending to some wounded enemy warriors. But he wasn't Ilmenian, he was a German and a Christian. The wounded Ilmenians were killed and the German was brought before Kardaz in the Borovichi village longhouse.
Karadaz got up and limped around the German looking him over, his gout had flared back up making him wince with every step. He hadn't seen a Christian in years, not since some traders had come up the Volga one summer.
Nyalku Ngayid, a Nenets Fledgling of the Followers of Otso who had become friends with Kardaz and joined the war against the Slavs spoke up. "We should sacrifice him to Ukko, to give thanks for our victory and ask for a speedy end to the war."
Several of the other warriors in the lodge voiced their agreement. Kardaz was inclined to agree, thinking Ukko may have never received the sacrifice of a German Christian before.
The German appeared to understand their speech as his eyes grew fearful. Struggling to find words in the Mordvin language he protested, "Wait, my name is Dietpold, I can help you, I'm a doctor." but at the blank looks around him, he tried again, "a physician.. a healer."
Kardaz spoke, "We have our own healers and shaman."
The German Dietpold, looked around at the Meryan faces, looking for a way out. Kardaz walked back to his seat and sat down, taking the weight off his foot.
"Find one of the shaman, we'll prepare a sacrifice to Ukko."
Dietpold blurted out desperately, " I can cure your gout... You do have gout? Don't you?"
"How did you know that?"
"I can tell by how you walk and favor your toe, and how elevating it helps relieve some of the pain."
"You can cure it?"
"I can treat it and make the pain go away... for awhile. Your humors are out of balance, causing an inflammation in your foot, I know ways to restore the balance. It may come back later, but can be treated again."
Kardaz considered for a moment and then said, "If you can treat my affliction successfully, you will not be sacrificed and will be given a place in my longhouse as a healer."
Under the watchful eye of several Meryan warriors and shaman, Dietpold performed bloodletting from certain locations on Kardaz's body and applied compresses made from peat moss and other medicinal plants to Kardaz's inflamed foot over the next few days as the army recuperated at Borovichi. Within a few days, Kardaz found the pain had receded and he could walk without limping, so Dietpold was spared and joined the Meryan army as they marched west across the still frozen Volkhov River toward Novgorod, Rodislav's capitol.
In the spring as the siege continued, the Meryans began to here terrible rumors involving the Ilmenian army. With Borovichi captured and Novgorod under siege, Rodislav and his army had been cut off from any resupply all winter and now tales began to spread of cannibalism among the Ilmenian army during the worst of the winter months.
Just before the summer solstice, Novgorod fell to the Meryan warriors and they celebrated Ukon juhla on the shores of Lake Ilmen, a celebration of the god, Ukko, which was mostly singing, dancing, and drinking heavily before jumping over bonfires to gain luck and prosperity for the coming year.
The Slavic temple of Solsty was sacked soon after. But while the Meryans were sieging Solsty, Rodislav's army snuck back to Bororvichi and recaptured the village. More tales spread that Rodislav and his men had eaten the Meryan garrison that had been left to hold Borovichi. Kardaz quickly led his army back across the river, wading and swimming as the river was no longer frozen. Rodislav fled again at their approach and with a quick assault, Borovichi was back in Meryan hands. And there it would stay.
Rodislav soon sent word that he had had enough and surrendered title to the Borovichi lands to Kardaz. Kardaz had completed the task set to him by the Followers of Otso.
Kardaz sent out a call to arms to his vassal, Chief Vechkas of Torzhok, who was standing right next to him, asking him to join him in the conquest of Borovichi. Vechkas readily agreed. So the war banners were raised and the armies moved west to rally with Vechkas' tribesmen in Torzhok. Meanwhile, Paksyut Paksyutid, who had just married Songul Yabuid, the daughter of a Turkish Khagan, was tasked to build up Kardaz's legend and raise more warriors to join the war.
As the troops gathered, Kardaz's son Viryay came of age. He had not been a very promising student, but his education had made him a tough soldier, and after Vechkas, he was the best military leader in Merya. So Kardaz made him a commander. He also arranged Viryay's betrothal to Ordava Okivid, the daughter of Chief Pinyas of Naro-Fominsk and Mozhaysk, who was still grateful for the Merya saving his tribes from the rebels and wiling to form an alliance.
Unfortunately, Chief Pinyas was murdered a month later by Yalgava Yalgavid, the wife of High Chief Parush of Meshchera, ending the alliance before Pinyas could officially join Kardaz's war and send troops. Ordava became an orphan and her father's titles went to High Chief Parush, but as she had strong claims to both tribes, Kardaz didn't break the engagement.
The first Battle of Borovichi took place in late winter, and turned out to be less of a Battle than had been expected. Kardaz led 1,400 from Torzhok north into Borovichi. High Chief Rodislav had just over 1,000 men there but was not ready to face Kardaz, so he lead the bulk of his army east into Veps, and left 200 men to cover his retreat. Rumors circulated that when Rodisav had been taken prisoner a few years earlier, his enemies had cut off his balls, making him a eunuch, and he had lost his courage along with his manhood. The men Rodislav left behind fought a running battle through the forest, losing almost half their number before they broke contact and fled west across the frozen Volkhov River. Kardaz and his men broke off pursuit and lay siege to the Bororvichi Tribe.
Meanwhile in the east, the steward, Paksyut Paksyutid had managed to convince 300 young men of Kardaz's legendary status and called them to muster in Merya before sending them west to join the main army. But these young men got a taste of battle much sooner than expected. High Chief Rodislav and the 850 men of his main army had continued east across Veps and then turned south into Uglich territory, racing toward the Merya tribal lands. Both armies were surprised to find the other when they arrived at Merya. The Merya volunteers were camped haphazardly outside of the Merya Tribe and had not set up a proper military camp. Only the fact that the Ilmenians had not known they were kept it from being a complete slaughter. Even so, only two thirds of the volunteers survived. They fled west toward the safety of the main army at Borovichi. The Ilmenians lost only 22 men. High Chief Rodislav set up a siege camp around Merya.
By late spring Borovichi had fallen and Kardaz's scouts had reported that Ilmenians that had fled west that winter had gathered reinforcements and were heading east through Torzhok to join up with Rodislav. Kardaz headed south in pursuit. Neither Kardaz or the Ilmenian reinforcements knew of the 210 Meryan volunteers entering Torzhok from the east. The volunteers fleeing from one battle ran right into a second when they ran right into an Ilmenian ambush. They were pinned down and taking heavy losses when the cavalry arrived in the form of Kardaz and his main army. The Ilmenian reinforcements were scattered.
Approximately 100 of them fled east and joined up with High Chief Rodislav at Merya, warning him of Kardaz army close behind. Rodislav again fled from battle, breaking off the siege of Merya and heading north into Yaroslavl. But Kardaz was hard on his heels and knew this area like the back of his hand. The Meryan army gained on the fleeing Ilmenians and brought them to battle on the banks of the Volga River outside the Yaroslavl Tribe.
The Ilmenian army put up a fight at first inflicting some heavy casualties, but Rodislav panicked, the line broke, and the slaughter began. Rodislav fled the battlefield, leaving over 200 dead men behind. Kardaz stopped to bury his own 50 dead and burn the enemy bodies, before he turned back west heading toward the Ilmenian tribe at Kholm.
Before winter started, Karzad sent his son Viryay back to Merya. Ordava Okivid was coming of age and needed to be made welcome when she arrived in Merya for the wedding. Viryay would spend the winter in Merya with his new bride and then could rejoin the army in the spring. Ordava had matured into a fearful young women skilled in diplomacy and intrigue which wasn't surprising as she had spent the last few years trapped in the court of the Chief who's wife openly boasted of having murdered Ordava's father for her husband's gain. Ordava burned with an ambition to avenge her father and reclaim her people's lands.
Kardaz expected the both armies to settle into winter camps and resume fighting when the thaw came. But it was mid winter when the Ilmenian army reappeared, trying to free Borovichi. Kardaz broke off his siege of Kholm, leaving the warm siege camp to march north through the dark cold forest. Just after the new year began, The Meryan and Ilmenian armies met outside the tribal village in the second Battle of Borovichi. For the first time, flight wasn't foremost on the Ilmenian mind and the outnumbered Slavic warriors stood their ground. The fight was brutal as the winter sun soon set and a bone chilling cold descended on the battlefield, the snow underfoot turned black in the moonlight from the spilled blood. In the end, the Meryan numbers won the night, but at a heavy cost. Close to five hundred men were killed that night, more than half Meryans. The cold had killed as many as the enemy warriors. But dawn found the Meryans once again holding the field as the surviving Ilmenians had fled at first light.
The Meryans found one man who had been left behind, tending to some wounded enemy warriors. But he wasn't Ilmenian, he was a German and a Christian. The wounded Ilmenians were killed and the German was brought before Kardaz in the Borovichi village longhouse.
Karadaz got up and limped around the German looking him over, his gout had flared back up making him wince with every step. He hadn't seen a Christian in years, not since some traders had come up the Volga one summer.
Nyalku Ngayid, a Nenets Fledgling of the Followers of Otso who had become friends with Kardaz and joined the war against the Slavs spoke up. "We should sacrifice him to Ukko, to give thanks for our victory and ask for a speedy end to the war."
Several of the other warriors in the lodge voiced their agreement. Kardaz was inclined to agree, thinking Ukko may have never received the sacrifice of a German Christian before.
The German appeared to understand their speech as his eyes grew fearful. Struggling to find words in the Mordvin language he protested, "Wait, my name is Dietpold, I can help you, I'm a doctor." but at the blank looks around him, he tried again, "a physician.. a healer."
Kardaz spoke, "We have our own healers and shaman."
The German Dietpold, looked around at the Meryan faces, looking for a way out. Kardaz walked back to his seat and sat down, taking the weight off his foot.
"Find one of the shaman, we'll prepare a sacrifice to Ukko."
Dietpold blurted out desperately, " I can cure your gout... You do have gout? Don't you?"
"How did you know that?"
"I can tell by how you walk and favor your toe, and how elevating it helps relieve some of the pain."
"You can cure it?"
"I can treat it and make the pain go away... for awhile. Your humors are out of balance, causing an inflammation in your foot, I know ways to restore the balance. It may come back later, but can be treated again."
Kardaz considered for a moment and then said, "If you can treat my affliction successfully, you will not be sacrificed and will be given a place in my longhouse as a healer."
Under the watchful eye of several Meryan warriors and shaman, Dietpold performed bloodletting from certain locations on Kardaz's body and applied compresses made from peat moss and other medicinal plants to Kardaz's inflamed foot over the next few days as the army recuperated at Borovichi. Within a few days, Kardaz found the pain had receded and he could walk without limping, so Dietpold was spared and joined the Meryan army as they marched west across the still frozen Volkhov River toward Novgorod, Rodislav's capitol.
In the spring as the siege continued, the Meryans began to here terrible rumors involving the Ilmenian army. With Borovichi captured and Novgorod under siege, Rodislav and his army had been cut off from any resupply all winter and now tales began to spread of cannibalism among the Ilmenian army during the worst of the winter months.
Just before the summer solstice, Novgorod fell to the Meryan warriors and they celebrated Ukon juhla on the shores of Lake Ilmen, a celebration of the god, Ukko, which was mostly singing, dancing, and drinking heavily before jumping over bonfires to gain luck and prosperity for the coming year.
The Slavic temple of Solsty was sacked soon after. But while the Meryans were sieging Solsty, Rodislav's army snuck back to Bororvichi and recaptured the village. More tales spread that Rodislav and his men had eaten the Meryan garrison that had been left to hold Borovichi. Kardaz quickly led his army back across the river, wading and swimming as the river was no longer frozen. Rodislav fled again at their approach and with a quick assault, Borovichi was back in Meryan hands. And there it would stay.
Rodislav soon sent word that he had had enough and surrendered title to the Borovichi lands to Kardaz. Kardaz had completed the task set to him by the Followers of Otso.
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