Eir Haraldsdottir: The Chronicles of Mattias

By Douglas Roff

About the Book

 

The collapse of King Harald's family at the end of The King of the Northern Fells is now in the past, and new fates and fortunes have been fashioned for all. Princess Eir Haraldsdottir is now banished from the Northern Fells and has led an army over the mountains and has invaded the Southern Kingdom. If she ever hopes to return to her native land and reconcile with her father, she realizes she must make her way south to defeat the Pagan Alliance and its king in Avil Baden. Joined with her, though not a part of her army, is King Harald's old friend, Inga Sigursdottir, a general commanding the small frontier force of the Northern Fells. 

 

Also fleeing the wrath of King Harald is the much maligned former Prince of Thornburg, Mattias Denson. He has come south not for war and plunder, but with the Lesti and Bjerne of the Fells who have joined the expedition to set their southern cousins free from the tyranny of the pagans of the Southern Kingdom. The Lesti are enslaved and abused; the Bjerne have been killed and scattered as pagans have encroached on the Bjerne natural habitat on the plains and in the birch forests. 

Mattias soon realizes that the pagan army of Eir Haraldsdottir and the northern army commanded by Inga Sigursdottir have no intention of freeing Lesti slaves and Bjerne beasts; they want to use the two factions for unknown reasons but mostly to serve them as they make war on Avil Baden and the Pagan Alliance.

They and their armies have come south for plunder and riches, the fruits of war and conquest.

 

There soon arises a split, and the armies begin to break apart as a new faction, the wiccans make their presence felt. The witches and spirit folk of the south soon become known as the armies break apart, one going south along the western mountains, pillaging as they go, while another army goes east to explore the mountains where they hope to find Lesti runaways and mountain Bjerne. 

 

Betrayal, intrigue and duplicity stand on every corner; friends are not always that, and people are often not who they seem. 

 

The second novel of the Chronicles of Mattias series, Eir Haraldsdottir, follows the exploits of the major characters from The King of the Northern Fells as they follow fate and their destinies into war and the unknown.

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Douglas Roff
• Release date: May 24, 2023
• ISBN: 9798223852254

Douglas Roff

Douglas Roff is a retired corporate executive. He has lived around the world working in various capacities for government and industry.  Doug has written twenty-nine novels to date, mostly in the mystery, paranormal and fantasy genres, but not exclusively.  He currently resides in Latin America, speaks Spanish, and is a dual citizen of the United States and Canada.  

Book preview

About the Book

The collapse of King Harald’s family at the end of The King of the Northern Fells is now in the past, and new fates and fortunes have been fashioned for all. Princess Eir Haraldsdottir is now banished from the Northern Fells and has led an army over the mountains and has invaded the Southern Kingdom. If she ever hopes to return to her native land and reconcile with her father, she realizes she must make her way south to defeat the Pagan Alliance and its king in Avil Baden. Joined with her, though not a part of her army, is King Harald’s old friend, Inga Sigursdottir, a general commanding the small frontier force of the Northern Fells.

Also fleeing the wrath of King Harald is the much maligned former Prince of Thornburg, Mattias Denson. He has come south not for war and plunder, but with the Lesti and Bjerne of the Fells who have joined the expedition to set their southern cousins free from the tyranny of the pagans of the Southern Kingdom. The Lesti are enslaved and abused; the Bjerne have been killed and scattered as pagans have encroached on the Bjerne natural habitat on the plains and in the birch forests.

Mattias soon realizes that the pagan army of Eir Haraldsdottir and the northern army commanded by Inga Sigursdottir have no intention of freeing Lesti slaves and Bjerne beasts; they want to use the two factions for unknown reasons but mostly to serve them as they make war on Avil Baden and the Pagan Alliance.

They and their armies have come south for plunder and riches, the fruits of war and conquest.

There soon arises a split, and the armies begin to break apart as a new faction, the wiccans make their presence felt. The witches and spirit folk of the south soon become known as the armies break apart, one going south along the western mountains, pillaging as they go, while another army goes east to explore the mountains where they hope to find Lesti runaways and mountain Bjerne.

Betrayal, intrigue and duplicity stand on every corner; friends are not always that, and people are often not who they seem.

The second novel of the Chronicles of Mattias series, Eir Haraldsdottir, follows the exploits of the major characters from The King of the Northern Fells as they follow fate and their destinies into war and the unknown.

Dedication

For my son and co-conspirator in life,

Jacob Roff

About Names, Places and Things

Names: Many of the names used in this novel and its sequels derive from the Nordic and Icelandic sources. Others are pure invention, while other names suggest other peoples and ethnicities in other cultures. There is no particular rhyme or reason for the use of specific names and no inferences should be drawn from their use.

This is a work of fiction.

The use of Icelandic surnames for people may seem confusing as names do not follow Western European, American or Canadian styles.

If a father has the first name Thor, and his full name is Thor Gunnarson, his son’s surname would be Thorson (not Gunnarson), as in Lars Thorson; Lars, son of Thor.

Similarly, if a father has the first name Thor, and his full name is Thor Gunnarson, his daughter’s surname would be Thorsdóttir (not Gunnarson), as in Emma Thorsdóttir. The Icelanders use accents in their language, shown here, but accents are omitted in this work of fiction.

Places: There are many cities, kingdoms, rivers and mountains named in this and related novels. Most names are invented; some are named for real places in the real world.

Languages: As used in this and other novels, the world created is composed of various kinds of beings, nominally referred to as factions. The principal factions in this and related novels are the Bjerne (Mammoth and other; see below), the wiccan (witches and warlocks; see below), Immortals (see below), pagans (see below), Lesti (see below), Leston (see below), the Fell (see below), and the Bestianari (see below).

The language common to all (much like ancient Aramaic) is called common tongue or Ismer, though each faction has its own unique language. For example, the Bjerne have two languages in addition to Ismer, Old Bjerne and New Bjerne.

Things:

Mosh – a fictional fruit, nut, berry and seed confection, usually in tart form, the filling wrapped in a baked crust.

To Collar – A magical spell disabling Wiccan supernatural powers.

To Raven – The ability to communicate telepathically.

Glossary of Terms:

Lesti – Women who live only among women. They are genetically distinct and are born Lesti and are not considered pagans. The Lesti are considered unclean by pagans. The Lesti have virtually no rights, and are often enslaved then used for physical labor or pleasure.

Pure Lesti – Women who only have physical relations with other women. They rarely produce children.

Bjure Lesti – Women who prefer to have physical relations only with women, but who have relations with men too. They are the Lesti designated to produce Lesti children, which are only female. Pure Lesti deem themselves superior to Bjure Lesti. Pagans couples cannot produce Lesti, neither is being Lesti a chosen lifestyle.

Leston – The male counterparts to the Lesti. They remain warlike and xenophobic, and live apart from all other factions. They mate only with Lesti.

Bjerne – The Bjerne People or Beasts are mammals who are as large as buffalo, have tusks, and multicolored furs. They are highly intelligent and sentient beings with languages and cultures of their own. The Bjerne are fierce warriors with paws rather than hooves.

Mammoth Bjerne – An ancient form of Bjerne, all but extinct.

Wiccan – The warlocks and witches of the novel are not to be confused with Modern Wicca. The wiccan of this and related novels are a fictional characterization and no inference about Modern Wicca is either expressed or implied. The wiccan have supernatural powers and may practice white and/or black magic. The wiccan do not consider themselves bound to any mortal for any reason. They are arrogant and consider themselves superior to all other mortals.

Witch – The female wiccan. Most often are by themselves without the male company of a warlock. They can only mate with a warlock, but not a pagan.

Warlock – The male wiccan. They live apart in most cases, with few witches that they only tolerate for purposes of procreation. Warlocks prefer the company of Lesti slaves to witches. Warlocks do not take part in rearing witches, only warlocks.

The Fell – A dying faction of many different beings that are not large enough to be considered a faction. They are rejected everywhere and by most factions. They are ancient creatures, long lived and living in isolation.

Immortals – A major faction of very long-lived beings. They are immortal but may still be killed as in war, which most immortal peoples avoid. They are arrogant and xenophobic, considering all mortals to be inferior.

The Farai – Powerful ancient spirits; few remain in the physical world.

The Spirit Folk – Powerful ancient immortals that can no longer take physical form.

The gods – Loosely based on Norse mythology.

PART ONE

EAST

PROLOGUE

Prince Mattias Denson arrived at the far eastern frontier of the Southern Kingdom with his untrained army of female Lesti warriors and intelligent Bjerne beasts, remaining on the north side of the border on the Plains of Orr.  The camp was adjacent to the Great Trier River, and not far off in the distance was the northern terminus of the Eastern Cordillera mountain range of the Southern Kingdom. It was a perfect place to camp and an even better place to train.

His Lesti and Bjerne army initially lacked weapons and armor to train with, but Mattias had foreseen the problem, sneaking arms and armor out of Eir Haraldsdottir's camp; he then supplemented his needs by raiding nearby cities and towns, or finding arms suppliers willing to accept his meager reserves of gold and silver from his treasury. Many weapons, including bows, arrows, spears, lances as well as training swords and daggers, were made from the wood of the nearby forest.

Neither Mattias nor his Lesti and Bjerne companions were confident in the two pagan armies, composed mainly of hardscrabble men, to respect boundaries and not abuse the Lesti for pleasure, or the Bjerne for hard labor and sport. Most pagan warriors still kept to the practice of riding horses; the Lesti warriors from the Fells preferred ‘riding the mane’ of their beloved Bjerne beasts.

Mattias told Inga Sigursdottir and Eir Haraldsdottir, We will train first here along the northeastern frontier as an army, then rejoin you along the northwestern frontier if you’re still in camp. Otherwise, we’ll remain here in the east and work our way south along the Great Trier River. I’m sorry that we had to part in this way, but both Bjerne and Lesti leadership were uncomfortable with your future plans for them.

Eir said, You’re paranoid. We had no such plans for anyone.

Mattias turned to Inga, And what have you to say, General Inga? You’ve been on the frontier for a very long time. Are my people safe?

I've no idea what others may have been thinking; I was personally unaware of any plan to do harm to anyone in our army, including you.

That's the poorest excuse, and an even worse dodge of my question. I’m sad to say I don’t trust or believe either of you. But no matter, you may leave and go back to your pagan armies now. I have no further use of your nonsense. We’ll be in touch when we’re ready to move, if we decide to come back your way.

Eir returned to her army in the west the next day, and began training her men while waiting for Mattias, the Lesti and Bjerne to rejoin the main forces. Inga decided to remain behind with Mattias to assist in training. Many months later, the new army agreed to return west.

The Lesti were opposed to the move; the Bjerne were not, and were willing to give the pagans an opportunity to prove themselves. When Mattias returned to the main western camp, he was inexplicably welcomed back to Eir’s tent, along with Djara, a witch of the Fells, who traveled with him.

Mattias assumed this was an example of Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer. Mattias was unsure whether he was friend or foe to Eir or Inga, but assumed, in each case, that he was considered by both as someone to be watched.

There was now a third, albeit lightly trained army in camp.

They gathered at the western frontier camp, then moved south to meet the enemy.

Within a matter of months, the combined armies were now two hundred miles deep into southern territory and had encountered little resistance. The reason was obvious; soon after Mattias returned west, twenty thousand newly trained Bjerne troops from all over the kingdom of the Northern Fells had arrived in a steady stream. They were there to join the holy quest to reunite with, and free, their cousins in the south. Every Lesti then capable of travel, some ten thousand strong, left hearth and home in the Fells for a similar reason; they were told that the Lesti were continuously being rounded up in the south for sale in the slave trade. They came not as camp cooks or washer women, or servants and pleasure girls, but as trained soldiers and warriors who had long prepared for this day in secret. Most were elite Lesti Ishen from the Eastern and Western Cordilleras of the Fells.

The Lesti also came out of respect for Mattias. They respected him as the one man capable of making them equals in a society that had always discriminated against them, treating them at best as second-class citizens, and, at worst, as common whores and criminals with no rights. None were whores or criminals; that fact had long been evident and obvious to Mattias from his youth in the mountain kingdom of Thorsburg where his father was the king. He valued Lesti skills and dedication, their work ethic, and their bravery.

And they came for another reason.

They would find their sisters in the south and unite under the banner of Mattias Denson, a king without a kingdom, a general without an army. Under his banner, a new kingdom would rise, dedicated to the Lesti, Bjerne and all free peoples who wanted to join their movement.

What was true for the Lesti was equally true for the Bjerne, though many, perhaps a third of their number, remained absolutely loyal to the King of the Northern Fells and to his daughter, Princess Eir. But since arriving in the south, Eir had been reluctant to commit to making contact with the wild Bjerne in southeastern birch forests. The Bjerne were scattered along the whole of the Eastern Cordillera with their cousins far to the south in the great birch forest near the seaport of Dura Mar. Rumors were circulating that the pagans of the Avil Baden were hunting the wild Bjerne, fearing, as the pagans did, a rebellion from within as the invasion from the north was underway. The pagans’ fears may have been justified, but the mass murder of the wild Bjerne was not the solution, though it was the one the pagans chose.

The Bjerne and the Lesti were anxious to at least send an expeditionary force to the Eastern Cordillera mountains to search for remnants of the two now allied factions. They wanted to see if there was any merit to the rumors that their brethren were still alive in numbers, but harassed and subjugated. They hoped the rumors were false; the anecdotal evidence, however, pointed in the direction of brutal unannounced pogroms the likes of which, and scale of which, were unimaginable.

The Lesti, it was said, had been scattered too, and their ability to move freely restricted. They were increasingly confined to specific cities, to specific kinds of jobs, and forced into labor for their overlords. Very often, most often in fact, they were enslaved. There were few free Lesti roaming the Southern Kingdom. The Bjerne fared no better; they had been hunted and forced from their birch forest homes, their forests set ablaze, and the Bjerne scattered into the eastern mountains. The Lesti who escaped the cities, when not captured and returned to the masters, made for the Eastern Cordillera mountains with the help of daring Bjerne who risked their lives for their Lesti comrades.

The Bjerne and the Lesti pleaded with Eir and the pagan generals to lead the mission; Mattias volunteered to take command.

Eir and her generals flatly denied the request citing the loss of critical manpower and skills, and Mattias’s lack of command and combat experience.

You’re not qualified or ready for military leadership. Should you be confronted with a trained army, you would likely be decimated. We will honor our pledge to our comrades; just not right now.

The pagan forces were split between those who wished to follow Eir and her generals, and those who chose to follow Mattias. Inga’s army, being King Harald’s regulars from the Fells, was always loyal to Inga, though if given the option, many were sympathetic to Mattias and his cause.

There were divisions and discord.

The officer corps in Eir’s army were mostly loyal to Eir, while the rank and file would have chosen, if given the chance, to follow Mattias. The reasoning was simple. Eir chose to use strategies and tactics used in the Northern Fells, while Mattias insisted on new strategies and tactics better suited to conditions in the south, and the makeup of the three united armies. Eir wanted brutal frontal attacks and fights in open fields that never materialized, while Mattias wanted to use Bjerne warriors to terrorize the fortified cities and sappers to tunnel under walls rather than attempt to scale over them. Losses from these siege attacks were staggering; only the constant flow of fresh recruits from the north made up for troop losses.

Mattias argued that the losses were unsustainable. He was eventually asked to leave the war councils and not return; his was always the outlier voice in the room.

Stick to your engineering and what you do best; we’ll run the war.

The war had at first proceeded quickly with victory after victory until they reached a fortified city called the Gal Citel. There the advance ground to a halt. Eir and the generals explained that, at two hundred miles deep into enemy territory, they would slow the advance and lay siege to the city to test new strategies and tactics. It was nothing more than an old-style siege; surround the city, cut off supplies and escape, and starve the inhabitants into submission. The generals said they wanted to wait for resupply and fresh troops, and provide additional training and rest the veterans from the recent conflicts.

It did not seem an unreasonable plan.

Then Eir ordered Mattias to build siege engines for the assault; Mattias demurred.

We don’t have enough skilled woodworkers to even build siege ladders, much less battering rams, siege towers, and range weapons like catapults. The timber we need is not too far away, but the skill to prepare the lumber and construct the siege engines is unavailable, as are the proper tools.

Eir told Mattias, You should go west to the mountains to find the nearest source of timber in preparation to begin construction. We won’t be stuck here forever. We need to be prepared.

Mattias had a different take on the request; Eir apparently wanted to get him out of camp for a while. No doubt when he was away, Eir and Inga would try to subvert his authority and create dissension in the ranks of the army that followed him. The army was really traveling as two; one formally commanded by Eir and Inga, the other informally commanded by Mattias. Eir and Inga led the two armies of pagan men; Mattias commanded the Lesti and Bjerne. Whether it was just the issue of command or not, Eir was furious that she had to ask Mattias for support and to approve any plans of attack in order for his army to siege. She schemed, but still kept Mattias and his witch sorceress close by in her tent.

Mattias couldn't get a straight answer when he asked how long the generals were willing to lay siege.

That’s up to General Eir. When she says it’s time to move, then we move. The Bjerne need washing and grooming; we're building pools at nearby streams and springs. For now, it’s time to rest, recover and resupply.

Mattias was dissatisfied with the progress and reasoning for the stop. It had taken only a few months to get to Gal Citel; they had been parked there for over three months undertaking a siege that was going nowhere, and the prosecution of a war that was stalled. Mattias, the Bjerne and the Lesti all wanted to start sending scouting parties east while they waited outside the city.

Within weeks of their arrival at Gal Citel, things began to change in camp too. Eir had never gone out on reconnaissance more than a few times, and that was simply to bolster flagging morale; she wanted to show her troops that she led from the front, not the rear. Now she was gone almost every night from after evening meal to just after dawn. She slept the morning and began her day in the war tent at noon, taking her midday meal with her generals and their staff.

Mattias had once been invited to various pagan councils; he was no longer.

Mattias, it’s no reflection on you. The generals value your skills as an engineer and wish you to build siege engines for the inevitable attack that is coming. You have little experience in war; we have much experience.

And your scouting missions? You’re gone a lot.

I've long suspected that there is an informal, secret supply line bringing food and supplies into the city that makes the city elders disinclined to surrender. I mean to find that means of supply and cut it off.

In three months, you’ve found nothing?

Not yet. But we're finding footsteps in the mud along the river. I think they’re covering their tracks by entering the water.

"Isn’t this kind of scouting best left to the Bjerne? If they’ve found no spies or means of resupply, perhaps there are none."

I doubt that, and so do my generals. I will continue my search by night until this riddle is solved.

Then I’ll see you in the morning.

I may be gone for a few days. We are extending the search beyond the river.

Then happy hunting, Lady Eir. I wish you well.

If the Bjerne scouted and found nothing, then there was nothing to be found. Mattias knew that Eir was lying. The only question was why.

Mattias was up at dawn, as was his custom, leaving Eir to her slumber after returning to camp under the cover of early morning darkness. They no longer shared a bed, just a very large tent. He took morning meals with the men, women and beasts who worked on his projects, and who shared his discomfort with the explanations given by the generals. They were restless and ready to bolt if something didn’t change and soon.

On his way to the mess tent, he was greeted by the witch Djara and her friend, the Lesti warrior Minca. The daily sparring of words with Minca and Djara were friendly, but becoming sharper on many counts, as what was obvious to Mattias was also obvious to them.

Sneaking in early to first meal to avoid us, Mattias Denson? That seems a cowardly act given we are two slight women unable to defend ourselves against a manly bulk of a man like you. When will you finally give in and seduce us? We’re willing victims. Are we not pleasing enough, pretty enough, or randy enough for you? We’re desperate, Lord Mattias; please hear our pleas.

Mockery will not earn you a place in my bed. You ambush me daily, insult and mock me, then disappear. Where exactly do you go?

To our tent for female pleasures since there is little else for us to do to pass the day. We’re bored and wish to have your company, as do many of the Lesti girls; let us ease the pain of your abstinence.

I’m with Eir. What abstinence do you speak of?

Yours, Lord.

I am not a Lord now, if I ever was one.

You are to us. The Bjerne are calling you Great Father. My girls would like to make you a father. There is only one way for that to happen. Still, you reject us.

I am cared for by my woman, thank you very much.

He lied, as the girls well knew.

That’s a lie. First of all, you share her tent, but not her bed. Second, she is never in camp after evening meal; she eats little, saving her royal appetites for later. That’s the speculation anyway.

How do you know any of this?

The moans of ecstasy were loud for three months until we arrived here; now there is silence. As to her appetites, it is clear to every woman in camp what she does at night. Only you refuse to acknowledge the facts.

You know something; something concrete?

We do not. Do you?

Sadly, I don’t either.

Have we finally beaten you down to change your mind? Pleasures for the Lesti and one witch?

I will say this. We’re going to conduct an investigation and then, if it is as I suspect ...

And us ...

"And you, then we shall revisit your requests both for evening amusement and ... an expedition east."

Djara said, Finally. We will move east soon?

We will. I’ve secretly and quietly spoken to all camps. At least half will join us. We need supplies and gold; then we march.

You mean you march right to our tent first. My girls wish to watch while you pleasure us. They have graciously agreed to assist if invited.

Mattis ignored the women.

We leave tonight, after evening meal. We’ll follow Eir, Laya, and Inga to see what they’re up to.

You know already, don’t you?

May-be. May-be not. I need to confirm my suspicions, then take action only after I have proof. To that end, I need fifteen Lesti warriors, riding the mane. I need only your most loyal and reliable warriors.

Djara asked, Am I invited?

You are. You will ride with me, if you wish.

Minca said, No, papa. She’ll ride my mount while I ride with you. In front, so I have a view. You may wish to explore me as I will be helpless in your big strong arms.

You’re far from helpless and can cut down any man who shows untoward behavior to you. I would fear for my life.

Pish posh, papa. I invite you to have your way with me. I won’t resist, unless you find great sport in resistance. Then I can play that game too. You need only ask.

Your mind is disturbing for such a beautiful young woman; after all, you are Lesti, are you not?

I am Bjure Lesti, yes. I dabble in both realms. Why are you so surprised?

Mattias said, You seem so innocent otherwise; I expect such talk from my witch, but not from you.

I’m standing right here, and my name is Djara. Please feel free to use my actual name from time to time.

Everyone calls you the witch. We love you; it’s no disrespect.

And, still, I lust for you and yearn to hear you call out my name in the throes of ecstasy.

Really?

Something like that. I’m also comfortable with a quickie, if you have little time.

"What happened to lust, and yearning, and ecstasy?"

Overrated. Right now, I am not interested in romance.

Nor am I, papa.

Must you call me that? Please?

All the girls call you papa, papa. We love you. We look up to you.

I guess. I hope I’m not a father figure, am I?

Not for us; we see you very differently than that kind of papa.

Oh?

"We need someone to be the papa to our children, if you catch my drift. We need seed."

In that case ...

Good, said Minca. "Now, let’s get naked; I promise to misbehave. I mean be-have."

I’m hungry and I have work to do. We’ll meet later today at the near spring at the fourth hour. Bring your Lesti and their mounts, at least fifteen. We’ll go for a ride, make our plan as we go, then we’ll dine on the plains and wait for Eir and her co-conspirators to depart the camp and follow them. I’ll kill two birds with one stone, then return to your tent, and attempt to fulfill your urgent requests.

Can we have a preview, a taste this afternoon on our ride.

I’m worn down, defeated. A taste only, then to work. Promise?

Hell no. We’re consummate liars.

They assembled at the mess tent for evening meal, then watched as Eir, Laya, childhood friend of Eir’s, and Inga mounted their Bjerne to leave, heading southeast.

We’ll wait an hour, then follow.

Mattias was riding Gnar, a very large and ornery Bjerne from the far north birch forests of Sunderland in the Fells. The Bjerne in that region were known for their antagonism toward pagans, and, for that matter, all other creatures they enjoyed consuming, though pagans were now off the menu. Mattias toyed with the idea of making an exception during these wars; the use of Bjerne as elements of terror was effective against native civilian populations and hostile foot soldiers. Mattias, unlike Eir and her generals, was not averse to winning without fighting and spilling blood. He wanted to force surrender with cities intact. True, he would strip them of their gold and wealth, but they would live and could start over again. War was expensive, and he was not a wealthy man. There were certain practicalities that had to be met, like an army needing to be fed, clothed and housed.

Mattias had planned the entire series of events starting back in the Vale and leading up to this very moment. He had needed to survive when it looked as though King Harald Gunnarson was about to have him executed for being a pain in the ass. Djara and her spirit mother, Kjaya, had saved Mattias, fabricated Eir’s plea to reunite with him, then sent him on his way with Djara close behind to keep him company. The witches knew his mind, having entered it, and approved of his plans for the southern campaign, at least the wiccan part.

Mattias knew from the beginning of the expedition that Eir’s generals only wanted riches and plunder, while Eir wanted power and domination. Riches for her would come later after making herself queen by conquest, though she would take a taste of every piece of gold, silver and copper that they acquired from looting treasuries along the way. The officer corps enriched themselves after every conflict; the troops barely saw table scraps.

Mattias accepted little coin, not wanting to be a party to the obvious corruption and scandal from cheating the troops. The troops saw the results and noted that Mattias was as poor as they were. He secretly told his followers to bide their time; their day was coming and soon.

Mattias finally addressed his troop leadership.

Tonight, we ride to catch Eir in bed with her new lover, threaten him and his parents, the king and queen, then loot their very healthy treasury. They will likely try to give up a small chest of silver claiming that it's all they have, but when we coerce them and threaten terrible things, they will eventually give up the location of their treasury. Not the king and queen, mind you, but the prince for sure. Would I actually harm them? Probably, to make a point, but let’s hope it doesn’t come to that. War is an ugly business; an ugly business indeed.

How do we get inside? The gates will be closed, the walls are high.

Minca will change into a peasant dress, and feign needing urgent assistance. When the gates open to let her in, we’ll rush the guards. I’ll then put a dagger to a guard’s throat, and ask him to lead me into the palace, then be shown the way to the prince’s bedroom. You will locate the king’s quarters and assemble the king, his wife and their two young daughters.

How do you know all this?

Spies. How else?

Who?

Inga Sigursdottir, of course. You think she trusts the generals and Eir? Hardly.

What if they’re waiting for us? What if it’s a trap?

That’s why we have fifteen Lesti Ishen warriors, of course. We’ll fight our way out and live to fight another day. I don’t expect that to happen, though. Trust me.

We trust you; we wish we didn’t.

This will all be over soon. Let’s get going.

They arrived just as the king and his family were preparing to retire for the evening. The plan was working; Inga met the group as they entered the palace.

Inga said, Post two guards here at the door, lock it, and bar entry. Up the stairs to the left is Eir and Prince Parno; they like to get right straight to business, so she’s likely already naked and in his bed.

Mattias asked, Will he struggle?

No. He’s a fop, though a snake; he may hide a dagger. Get him out of bed and naked. The large rooms to the right are the king’s quarters, though his wife and daughters sleep separately. He’ll have a consort warming his bed, though that’s about all she can do for him these days. I’ll enter his rooms and we’ll collect him first, then the queen and the girls.

Where are Jax and Nurin, the Bjerne mounts?

Sleeping in the great hall with my mount. I’ve locked them in for now. Jax will struggle, if given a chance. So will Nurin, to protect Lady Eir.

Kill them, said Mattias. I don’t want them around anymore. They’re a liability moving forward.

Inga heard the words, but would not carry them out. Jax and Nurin were long friends of King Harald, and had been the first to allow Eir and her sister Frida to ‘ride the main’.

Inga said, They have treasure in each room as a decoy, but the biggest treasury I’ve found is in the basement behind a false wall. I’ve arranged for carts and horses. We’ll load up quickly, then leave. Be ready for a fight outside the gate. It’s the wealth of the city, and the source of wage payment for the guards and townspeople.

How do they create their wealth?

Weapons. Arms and armor. Their smithies are talented and in demand. The entire city profits from the trade. We’ll relieve them of those treasures too.

Others to worry about?

There are rogues and marauders in the surrounding hills waiting for unarmed travelers. Have you allowed for them?

Two hundred Bjerne scouts and warriors. If the marauders aren’t dead already, they soon will be.

Well then, let’s light this candle.

Inga led three Lesti warriors into the king’s chambers where he was already fast asleep. He was roused, then bound and taken downstairs to the sitting room where the palace guards were also now being held.

No one had raised the alarm.

Upstairs, Mattias, Minca and Djara listened at the door and when the moaning started, they forced the door and entered, swords drawn.

The prince, naked and enjoying all the delights that Eir had to offer, did not recognize the three.

How dare you! Get out of this room this instant, or I’ll have you flogged.

Eir saw the situation for what it was; she was found out and now caught in flagrante delicto. This time there would be no dissembling and talking her way out. Mattias had caught her red handed, and he had two witnesses. Not that she was worried; there was nothing any of them could do except cast her off.

That, however, was never Mattias’s plan.

He had long known of her infidelities, if you could call them that, since the very beginning. He wished to use her promiscuity at the right time to yield what he really needed; coin. She had never planned to have him on her expedition, and once he entered the picture, she thought he could be manipulated into behaving as a nice compliant engineer building things and making plans. She would pretend to still want him, but only to keep his skills around. She didn’t need or want him for anything else.

Her interest was primarily in the female gender.

Once the troops were in the south, Mattias began secret planning to hive off as many troops as possible, leaving the rest behind, and then go his own way, that is, east. Eir and her pagan generals would proceed south to their fate; he would move east in search of friendly kingdoms, the lost Bjerne, and the Lesti he was certain had fled with the Bjerne to the eastern mountains. Once found and made safe, they would find and free the rest of their kind, then move on the powerful Pagan Alliance, with allies and tens of thousands of new troops. Not that his plan wasn’t flawed, it was. His intelligence about the Bjerne and Lesti in the east was sketchy at best. But the journey of a thousand miles begins with the first step. Mattias needed gold and arms, and this walled city had plenty of it.

He just had to dig it out. Literally.

Get up, young prince. Put your britches on and come with us. You too, Eir.

This means nothing, Mattias. The generals will deal with you as soon as we get back to camp.

Which camp is that, Eir? The one you left, or the one I’ll return to. I’ve moved my people out of your camp and into my own. All the Lesti, fifteen thousand Bjerne, and more than a few pagan men from the Fells have chosen to follow me. Those are just the ones with me now; when I relieve this city of its treasure, more will come along. You’ll go back to an empty camp with a bunch of generals who will have no one to lead. I wish you well.

We’ll see. I think when I show myself at camp and speak of this rough treatment, they’ll turn on you and come back to me.

"Maybe, maybe not. No matter, I’ll have the gold and will share it with my followers; you had gold and kept it to yourself. The troops know all about it. They aren’t happy with that division; you screwed them. Now, where do you think they’ll go?"

The pair got dressed and were guided downstairs, their hands bound. When they arrived, the rest of the royal family was on their knees, waiting for Mattias.

Well, you folks have seduced my woman, which offends me greatly. My woman has cheated on me, and not for the first time, but certainly for the last. But the prince, your son, Lord King, has wounded me the most by bedding my woman, and for that he, and you as conspirators, must pay a price. Now, where is your gold and treasure? All of it. Pretty please?

The king