Blessings of a Curse 2015 Usa EditionChapter 19
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The prince's unarmed men were all against the wall in a group but not shackled or even tied. They looked dispirited but I knew that this could change in a second. They were brave men and had a code of honour that made them do some stupid things.
I walked through our line of defenders with Albrecht. I too had to show no fear but there were also a lot of armed Frisians very close. I said, "The Franks and the Frisians along with all the tribes that speak our language are of the German people. That makes us all brothers in a way of thinking. I know that most of you are honourable men. You are brave, strong, good with weapons and sometimes too stupid to come in out of the rain."
A scowl was presented to me because of this last comment. "You are good people but you react first and think second. Your prince is a man that beats and threatens women. I know that this is not true of most Franks, just a few. My own people are the same.
"I have come to you with a proposition. You give your word that you will keep the peace and not leave the castle unless the king or I bid you to do so. You can lie but when we catch you, you will be hung like a thief and your body thrown on the refuse heap."
These men believed in Thor and they would not get into Valhalla if they didn't do it as warriors. "When your prince awakes, I think he will demand that you attend him then help him escape. You will then be in a conflict with your king or to any oath to me. The prince will not be allowed the choice that you get but he will not be kept in the dungeon. I now want Albrecht to talk to you."
Albrecht didn't know what to say but he finally said, "I will give my oath not to leave without permission provided our prince is kept safe and we are not threatened. You can choose for yourselves. Let me tell you that if you give your oath and run I will know you for an oath breaker. When I get back to my king I will tell him and everybody else what I know. It is better to spend your time in the dungeon and keep your word than to give it and run."
This was good because it seemed that Albrecht had the strong German sense of what is right. It was Albrecht that asked his men one by one and I took note of who he asked in order because these would be the man that he trusted to answer the way he wanted.
With all the men agreeing, Albrecht got on his right knee and gave his oath to me and called both Woden and Thor to witness this. Albrecht needed something extra I thought and I put my hand on his shoulder and said, "Arise brother and welcome to our house. May your stay be enjoyable and informative." This seemed to work with variations for everybody else too and they smiled at what they had done after the ceremony.
I said to Fálki, give them back their knives and sheaths. Put them up in the barracks and begin training as if they were new soldiers just in from the field. Make sure that it is Albrecht that you give the orders too and he will get them carried out. Put their horses in with ours. They eat what we eat and get a ration of beer. They will get paid too even if it is only for the time they are here. This will start tomorrow. Talk to Albrecht to get this straightened out before they fall into old and bad habits."
"You want me to give them their knives back? They just tried to kill us."
"They are babes in the woods compared to you and your men. Teach them what a man should know and better yet how he should act."
"They may be attacking us later."
I assumed he meant their army. "A few men will not get the rest of their nation to fight like we do. All Germans are much too stubborn to take anybody's word for it. They have to be shown and then shown again. I think that our king must have boxed the ears of a great many of you to get you to do what he said."
I got a half smile then it was gone again. "It will be as you order milord."
With one more thing to do, I went back to Clovis' chambers. There was no guard and I didn't think one was needed. The door was open and all of my sisters and half sisters were running about tending the wounded. Two of the three were conscious and the prince was still enjoying some much needed beauty sleep.
I went to those awake and said, "I talked to the rest of your men. They agreed to keep the peace and not leave the castle. They now have their knives back. I will ask for your oaths after you talk to your friends. I am going to keep the prince away from all of you so he cannot encourage you to break one oath because of a previous one."
One said, "I am not going to give my oath to you."
"Then don't. You would be put under guard then. I ask you to talk to your commander and the rest of your friends before you make any further decisions."
Astrid came to me with Elfrieda and Sieglinde clinging to her. "What have you done about these men?"
"They swore to not fight and to stay to hear what our king has to say in this matter. Beyond that they are our guests. They may drink our beer but not so they act stupid. They may chase the serving women but only if the women choose to be chased. They are to stay with our guards. We may learn something from them and I know they will learn something from us."
"When are you going to get them removed from my room?"
"I will see if I can get them transported to the barracks. The prince will have to stay in the castle someplace and away from everyone of his men."
"I heard what you said but I think his men will know what he wants and do it. We are all in danger."
"The Franks are German. They have a code of honour. I think most or all of them follow it. The prince seems to be a different matter. They will not be a problem but if you want we can bar your door and post a guard too."
Astrid was not happy with this. "I am the queen here and I want them all to go."
"The prince has a broken arm and a mangled face. If he goes home to his father now without our king's knowledge there may well be war. We are fighting the Gauls and the Romans. Why do you want to fight the Franks too?"
She pursed her lips and stood tall. She had no response and pulled her two girls away.
Dagmar was close and I walked over to her. She was still seething. She said, "You should have let me kill him."
I smiled and said, "You would make a great warrior. You have bravery and a good swing when it comes to a stool."
"Don't forget I am good with a bow and a sword too."
The Frisians and the other Germanic tribes took their women and families when they went to war as a nation. The men fought harder because they knew that their families would all be put to the sword or made slaves if they failed. "You are a very passionate women. You do nothing by half measures. You would make a good shield mate if you would control your temper. In a battle it is better to be determined not foolish with your safety."
"I am not foolish."
I kept up my smile and said, "You are right, you are not foolish. I would be foolish to argue with a woman like you. Were you hurt?"
In a quieter voice, she said, "No. He slapped me and twisted my arms. He cut my hair though."
A woman and a man had a lot of pride in their hair. Cutting hair was done in the case of a thief or a woman caught in adultery. Dagmar's hair was really butchered and there was little that could be done with it other than trim it all to the same length. Perhaps we could do something with what we had and make a new hairstyle in the process.
"I have an idea. Just think about it before replying. Your hair is long and beautiful but now it will not hang properly. Women can cut their hair shorter. It has the benefit of staying out of the way and is easier to take care of. If you draw your hair over a hot piece of iron or copper, it will curl. That can make your hair beautiful in a different way."
The women in the room were all ears but pretended to be not interested. "I will have to make this tool for you. It has to go into a fire but only to get hot enough to do this without burning the hair. It will have a wood handle. I would like to curl your hair for you if you want."
I got a nice smile now and she said, "I will think about it."
"Save the hair that was cut and that which will have to be cut."
"Why?"
"You can test what I make on it for one. Hair like yours is valuable. Some women with hair that is falling out could have yours made into a wig. They would look much better especially with your hair."
I got another smile and added, "Dagmar, I need to ask you something as a warrior."
Her smile disappeared. "What?"
"The prince has to be watched. He needs to be fed. Guards will be at his door day and night. You should talk to him and find out what he knows. You need to see what makes him what he is. If we understand him we may understand his father. This is not a job I could give a girl and he would not talk to a man as well."
"You talk to him then. All I want is to drive a knife between his ribs."
"Look at it as if he is your slave. You took him in battle and he is yours. You can inflict a lot of small indignities on him to make him remember you. He was raised to think that women were people he could abuse. You need to teach him that he is wrong."
A smile formed again as Dagmar thought on the idea. "He will be my slave?"
"He will have to go back to his father someday soon. When you are asked what you have done to a prince of the Franks you will have to reply. Make sure what you say is the truth. Egill will twist it around to make you seem like a tyrant that tortured him. It has to appear that he is our guest and he cannot be chained."
The smile got brighter. "Will I be in complete command of him?"
"As long as he is not allowed to communicate with his men. He is not to be allowed to hurt himself or to escape. And most importantly, he is not allowed to hurt you or any of us."
"I will do it."
Now I smiled. "Where are you going to keep your guest?"
"I haven't decided yet."
Forni was in the doorway and I waved at him to enter. I took out his knife and handed it back. "Thanks Forni. It came in handy but I didn't need to put it to use other than a threat."
"Did you do all this?" He was referring to the wounded men.
"Oh, no. Our guards did this. The one over there has a hole in his arm and a broken bone because of me. His damaged face is courtesy of a warrior maid by the name of Dagmar. She is not a person that you would want to face in a battle."
"I know."
I guess he did. We walked over to Gudrun and I saw that she was over much of the trauma of the incident here in the room and of the young man dying. The people of this time were strong. Brigitte was talking to her and stopped as we approached.
"Were any of you hurt?"
Gudrun shook her head and Brigitte said, "No we weren't. How did you learn to do all that? I never saw you act that way. I knew you were good with a knife but you knew exactly what to do."
I understood her now and also understood the way her eyes glistened. She looked excited and to a lesser extent so did Gudrun. "I was not the same after the accident. A part of the boy in me left and I seem to have grown up, at least a bit. Giving orders was not hard. Our father's men are well trained and the rest was just common sense."
"But you acted like Father."
"I am his son don't forget."
We had our meal later than usual and I saw some of the Franks sitting down with our men though most of them ate in the barracks. I would have eaten with them but Astrid and Dagmar insisted I stay at the head table as fitting.
Jón was anxious now to get his body back and I gave him pointers on what to do. Basically he had to act more like me and I had to act more like him to keep this charade going.
The land around the city was tilled and the smaller trees used to provide fuel were at a distance. Woodcutters sold what they cut to those in the city. Some of it went to pay taxes. Barter was much more common than the use of money.
When the meal was over, Jón then Forni got up and many people stopped to watch. It was not like the king standing but something remotely like it. Jón was aware of this but took it well. He spotted the officer of the watch and approached. There was room almost across from the man and Jón took a seat. The men respectfully gave him more room.
Jón said, "Tell me about the Franks gaining a private talk with my family."
The man was leery but not too upset. "Your mother, the queen, dismissed us. She said the prince could have a talk with her. She saw his attendants following and only scowled. If it were me I would have at least an equal number of us to go to the talks."
"What would my father have done in similar circumstances?"
"Probably told the prince to come alone or leave. The prince would have been safe while he was with us. More could come as long as they left their swords behind."
"Who else heard the queen order you to leave?"
"Are you doubting my word?"
"Father will be asking questions when he gets back. My questions will serve to only help you."
"There were six or seven. That is most of the men around this table now." The men were nodding their heads in agreement with their officer. The Germans were simple people but could still intrigue if they were pushed but it was out of character for them.
Jón asked each the same words and they gave back their own words of what had happened. "Thank you for your help. I will make sure my father hears of this. On another matter I want the Franks treated as our brothers. They are not Gauls and I do not want them to be seen like our enemies."
The officer said, "They are not our brothers though. They act different and speak out language with difficulty."
"Treat them like brothers anyway. They only have the misfortune of having a poor prince and perhaps a poorer king."
Close to the doors Fálki was talking to some of his men. When we got near he stopped and asked Jón. "What are we doing now, milord?"
"We are going to make weapons that will make you want to attack the nearest Roman legion to test them out."
"Then I should get a good horse ready now."
"The weapons will take a few days but there are other devices to make first."
"Something more important than weapons?"
"Weapons are what we need to stay alive but tools are how we are going to change. Instead of sitting around all day talking and drinking beer, you will make some of these. Part of it will be for silver but most will be for your children." Jón seemed to have absorbed some of my goals and I still didn't know how he was able to do this. I was locked out of his memories.
"What do my children need? I can provide anything they require."
"I want roads far better than any Rome ever built. I want bridges of metal and liquid stone that will make you stare breathlessly at them in their beauty."
"That is noble but of what use is it?"
"The use is like the saddle. It helps in time of war to kill an enemy but also lets a man wander much farther than his legs would allow him. The road and the bridges will allow us to see other places. We can learn from our friends and enemies alike. Perhaps we can even teach them."
I said to Jón, "Do not push this. Your people like to do things their way and go to war once in a while to show that the young men are brave. Take away their chance to fight and they will fight you."
"But they can fight better."
"It doesn't matter. We make the steel and we change what can be changed and to do this we do one small job at a time."
Fálki said, "The saddle is good and so is the collar. The other things are interesting but why would a man bother himself with that?"
"The same reason you bothered yourself to learn how the fight. It was a challenge that you could not refuse. Wars will never end just the way to fight them. It all takes bravery. A sword no matter how good it is, needs a man to wield it."
"Let me see your tools then. I will wait for the sword."
"The tools will make the smith do anything to keep them for himself. You will be much like him when you see the sword. That may be fun to watch."
We took the cart from the stable and moved it to the small smithy in the castle. Jón did the inspection but I did my own too. It was barely adequate in size and the metal supports for the charcoal bed were gone.
Jón said for me, "We need a lot of wood and someone to tend the fire. Do you know of anybody responsible enough to take on this task?"
Fálki said, "My men will do it if it will gain them the use of your weapons. That is if they are as good as you say."
"We have to find people that will continue with this task for months. The iron we make will be called steel. I cannot make all that is necessary. I need people to learn and carry on."
"Like an apprentice?"
"Not quite like an apprentice. They will learn a task that a smith does not even know but soon it will be old and they will learn a better method. After that they will learn a better method until they start to work on their own."
"Why not teach them the best way first?"
"I need more iron than this castle weights. As it is produced, it will be used to make a better way. Now more iron can be produced to make a bigger device. It has to grow and change as it gets big. We will make new tools like the sword and then we will make better tools. We can start here but we will have to move to other places so that we do not have to carry what we need as far. Boats are good but so are roads."
"I can find some boys if you want. If you have money to pay them then they will do what you need."
"Boys are good but I need boys that are quick with their minds and not afraid of work. I need men to guide the boys and hold them to what is right. This would be something like your officers guiding your soldiers."
"There are some men that have not come back from a battle whole. They are without some of the things the rest need."
"They may find a place but I need a smith or somebody that has had some training. One of the smiths in town already think they know everything and they will not be much good if they will not listen."
"I do not know if there is such a man or boy. If a master releases an apprentice, then there is usually a reason for doing so. I see no other way of finding a smith that is not a smith."
"Ask Yngvi and the other smiths. They may know of such a person."
"They may not want to mention a name. You will take work from them."
"There is so much work that we will have to use every single Frisian and then have to hire those from other peoples."
"You need that much iron?"
"I need iron but I also need miners to gain many different kinds of metals. I need carpenters but they have to work my way and not through their guild. The guilds have to change too and they will only grow if they do. I need leather for my saddles and collars. I need stone cutters to make strong buildings. I need the smiths too so they will work the metal that I make."
Jón was going to say more but he was digging his own grave. "You are talking of change again. Fálki will not want to follow if he knew where it would lead."
Fálki said, "I will do what I can. The smiths may not want to talk but I might be able to talk to those that work with the smith."
We stacked the iron and the bags of charcoal nearby and Fálki took the cart and horse back. Forni and Jón walked to see the potter because he had an important part to play in this.
Sander was pleased to see us and quickly found a seat then after seeing Jón's look found another for Forni. "Greetings milord. How may I be of service to you today?"
"I would like to have some of the jars with lids I asked you to make."
"Surely my lord. There are many already complete and more are in the kiln as we speak."
"Good but I need information too."
"What is it?"
"Your clay is good for jars and many vessels. The heat you have put to them is hot to you but is not really that high. I need a clay that can take a heat far beyond what you have ever heard of."
"My clay can stand the heat of the forge."
"The forge is a cool place. I need jars that work in a forge that is so hot that iron will run like water. It will glow so bright that it will be hard to see your container."
"I am sorry my lord because I only know a few places where clay can be found."
I knew this was the logical outcome and said, "There are many potters in the city. Would you consider learning something new. It has to do with these new jars I just mentioned. Nobody in the world would make their equal."
"I would not give up my craft?"
"You will be learning much more and then pushing your craft far beyond what any potter has ever done before."
We had to wait a few moments and he said, "I will try but many people depend upon me including the king."
"My father will agree. This is a fact."
"Then tell me what I must do?"
Jón and I explained about his jars and lids containing the iron and charcoal in a hot wood fire. The time the jars had to stay in the fire, was not very well known but we could find out with some experiments.
"This is what a smith would do. How is this like the clay you require?"
"I will make a forge that is lined with thick clay. A special kind of black rock called coal burns hotly if it is prepared correctly. The fire will be hotter than anything you have ever seen before. You will help me line the forge with clay.
"We will send people all over to search for the right clay. They will bring back samples for us and they will go into this furnace. One day we will find what we need."
"I can see that is the only way. So I have to make a forge for a smith?"
"That is true but I need a potter to make containers like we did for bushings. The liquid iron is poured in the same as bronze was done. We can make many wonderful tools."
It took only a second for him to state, "I will make your tools."
"I need more than that for a while. I have no men to watch a fire that needs to stay hot for days until the iron changes to steel. Fálki may find some but that is not a sure thing. A man can only stay awake so long. A man though can sleep near the fire and get boys to do most of the work. Every few hours he makes sure the boys are doing what they are supposed to do and then he gets some sleep himself. I am basically looking for responsible adults. Boys will not do what is necessary. They will just fall asleep or wander away."
"You should get more adults then."
"I agree but who can I get. Fálki has his duties and now that we have the Franks here he is even more important. Who would you recommend to have a watch around the clock for at least two to three days?"
"I see what you mean. My wife Geiri could be one but she also watches our children."
"Both of you can take turns. You work, keep the boys occupied and watch your children. If you want you can still do your pottery making and teach the boys that are not working at the moment."
"Then there will be too many potters in the city and most will go hungry."
"Those same boys can look for the clay you need. You can teach them what kind of things to look for."
"I may be able to do that."
"Do you know of any other adults that may do this and remain sober through the night?"
"There is a neighbour. He has a sickness but he can still work."
"What is his sickness?"
"He has pains shoot through his belly nearly every day. He has trouble in the fields. His wife and family work hard to do what is necessary. We all do our part but he does not like to accept our help."
"Do you think he will die soon?"
"We think that but he may last another year or maybe two."
"Does the sickness cloud his mind?"
"No. He is very stubborn though."
"Everybody I know is stubborn. If he stays awake through the night I will pay him a penny per day and provide food for him."
"Thank you milord. I know he will do his best for you."
The potter gathered those that he thought might work and I talked to them expressing the need for vigilance even though the work was not strenuous. We began right away by gathering enough pots and lids and taking them to the forge. I showed them how to layer the iron pieces with crushed charcoal. It turned out that three containers were enough to hold all the iron. More iron that would remain untreated was put aside for later. Not all of the tools I made needed to be steel but only the edge.
We contacted two different men to supply wood. No fire was started until I knew that there would be enough. In the meantime we gathered a great many rocks. They were a scarce commodity because the castle was built of stone and all those around were used in its construction. Their purpose was to contain the fire so the heat would be concentrated where the clay vessels were. Sander went one better and got his clay and used it for mortar.
Fálki came to the forge and assisted us to put the heavy pots in position. Wood taken from the kitchen was put in place and we talked about what we needed to do to keep this as comfortable as possible. Chairs were brought and there were three beds nearby that would get a good work out in the coming days.
Wiebe was the new man. He looked thin but that could have been from his sickness. Forni and Jón raided the kitchens and brought enough food for all of us. Jón went over to his employees to tell them what was expected of each person and what we wanted to accomplish. Questions were asked about the priests and they meant the local variety that tried to rule the people in their own way. Clovis had kept them under control but that was a difficult matter when it came to these people.
Jón had to say that the priests didn't know of his work but it was all done to save our people from our enemies. The logic that superior weapons were not a bad thing to have should have been enough.
The wood started to arrive after an hour of inactivity. There was more than enough to last us until noon tomorrow so we began the process. Forni ran to get some coals. He put them in a clay pot with a long handle and a lid with a few holes in it.
Fálki started the fire and I heard him saying a prayer to Woden then one more to Thor to assist us. The rest of us fell silent and we made our own prayers including Jón. I still didn't know about magic but I still could not accept the idea of a Devine being.
Forni was the first to use the bellows and he worked the device slow enough to get the fire burning brightly. After talking to Jón for a moment, he ordered Forni to bring blankets and pillows from our room. We were going to camp out and at the same time make sure the first shift at least went without a hitch.
Geiri brought her two young children and found a good place for them to sleep. They were wide eyed though at the fire and the new surroundings.
We told stories of our lives but there was little that Forni or Jón could talk about other than the assassins and the prince. This was more than enough though and they all wheedled out more information out of him. Jón had to say how he felt and all the emotions that went through him each and every moment of both times. What he didn't know he made up but this was ok because he was still a boy. He sounded much like the men in the dining room when they talked about their battles.
The rain had never come but the night got cooler. The children drifted off to sleep and soon Jón and Forni curled up together and did the same. I would be listening all night to listen for what should and shouldn't be there. Everybody took their turn and threw wood on the fire and pumped the bellows to get the new pieces burning the way they should.
We would get relief the next day as some boys would arrive to learn to do this and perhaps learn something more important as well. Sander knew what to ask and what to demand because he was given authority over the new hires.
When the morning came we found that we had burnt more wood than we planned and had to rob the kitchen again. Sander went to get some other woodcutters to deliver more fuel. An extra supply would not hurt us. Besides we had to pay back the kitchen. Sander, Wiebe Forni and Jón went for breakfast. This was Wiebe's first time in the hall and he seemed to be impressed.
Dagmar was not there to eat with us and Astrid was apparently still in a snit about keeping the prince. Jón was polite and talked to each of his sisters and the girls were nice in return. There was still no word of Clovis though.
Food was taken back to Geiri and her two young girls Letje and Sytje. They ate very well. It was good that we brought lots. Food at least was fairly plentiful but I didn't know how long that would last with the harvest not in yet and the Romans changing their strategy. A scorched earth policy is what they used most of the time.
With the steelmaking well in hand, Jón and Forni went looking for another carpenter. Two very important projects had to get started. Even if the Romans would be approaching, the soil should eventually be tilled in preparation for next years crops. This would take time. I had to remember what a single furrow plough looked like and then how to pull it with one or two horses.
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