Edrich of Haluken

Ranulf joined his new school at the end of the spring planting. There was an old tradition of cleaning the school house and grounds when the children returned to class, and so it became a new tradition in the new school. 

Ranulf cheerfully joined in and took the rake and began to smooth the gravel walkway between the gate and the steps of the school.

It was considered the hardest job and most boys tried to avoid it. Senna let him rake for a while and then stepped in to help. That simple act won both Senna and Ranulf the respect and admiration of the other boys.

He adjusted quickly to the new school and made friends quickly. He had some boys that were not as welcoming but his friends outnumbered them and the unfriendly ones left him alone.

Ranulf was no pushover. He could get te better of older boys and had done at some of the parks in Halla.

My first address to the Haluken council of citizens was well received. I wasn’t there to tell them their business and they were making progress as a group. The monks were still contributing to the city’s wellbeing and Father Michael had made Lutheran services as common as Catholic. He had reached a balance between the two communities and there was little strife in the city. I stopped in at the mine on my way home and Gunnar greeted me once I got past the guard.

“I wanted to discuss something with you my lord, we have several married men who would like their wives closer by, is there a way we can help them?”

“We could build a group of houses, preferably away from the noise of the mine. Are there enough men in that situation to justify that effort.?” I asked.

“Between fifteen and twenty, some have children, but we can send them to the school in Haluken,” Gunnar answered.

Do we have an area with the necessary requirements for home building. Water and places for privies and the like?”

“Yes my lord, there is a glade not far from here and you can’t hear the mineworks unless there’s a problem. There is a central spring and everyone could draw water from there,” Gunnar confirmed.

“I will consult the architect for a design, shall we allow for four children per house?” I asked.

“That’s about average. Some have less but four is the usual number,” Gunnar agreed.

“I made notes and inspected the prospective building site. It appeared to have room for thirty or forty cozy cottages. I told Gunnar to grade for the first twenty and I would get the plans going.

I toured the mine which was in full production for both ores and coal. The coal was for use in smelting. The wind rarely blew towards Haluken, but I gave instructions that if the wind shifted that direction, smelting operations would be suspended. The copper ore was interesting. It was not unusual to find a seam of gold in with the greenish copper ore.

There had been some worry about a cave in in number three shaft. Gunnar ordered everyone out and posted men to listen for any noise for two days. There was a rockfall but it wasn’t serious. The safety men inspected and more shoring was done, at that point the shaft was reopened.

Water was still a problem in some shafts, but Olaf’s improved siphon design was doing well. There was always a conventional pump available if there was a failure.

I left with a new project to attend to. I suspected that in ten years, the mine would have a village or even a town attached to it, or perhaps Haluken would grow in that direction and spread to both sides of the main road.

I rode past the house and told Anders I would ride on and collect Ranulf from school. I was still wearing my uniform. It had changed a bit and now included white trousers. I preferred the old dull blue palette and often wore the old colors in the country. The darker blue tunic and vest were set off by white. I wore a Kepi or Shako type hat with a small bristly cockade. The style of the coat had changed and even the summer weight was beastly hot at times.

I never wore spurs. I rode well trained horses and had no need. They would do as I commanded because they trusted me, not because they were jabbed by a sharp spur.

I tied up Dianthus in front of the school. All the Fjord horses had foreign names, often Roman or Greek in derivation. Dianthus towered over the other horses but stood just as quietly. She was at least two hands taller than the largest horse in the students paddock.

The doors of the school swung open like floodgates and a throng of children rushed out to fill the forecourt.

Ranulf was near the middle of the crowd laughing and joking with his friends. Many older boys were in that small knot of boys.  Ranulf performed a forward flip from the top of the stairs landing on his feet. He spied me and left his comrades in the dust. He ran full out and leapt at me. I caught him in my arms and other children encircled us.

“What is that horse sir?” Anken inquired.

“That is Dianthus, her name is Greek and it means ‘the flower of the gods’. She is a Fjord horse from Svalbard. In winter she grows a long coat like the musk ox. They are bred for cold weather and we have to trim their coats in the warm months here.

“Fy søren, Anken exclaimed.

Fortunately, the school master was not in earshot for Anken’s mild bout of swearing. It was a common reaction from adults.

One of the farmers asked if I could breed my stallion to his Percheron mares. He had eight mares and promised me two colts if I agreed. I told him I would take it up with Magnus and let him know. I thought a mix of the breeds might produce some excellent draft horses.

I had ordered a larger version of my saddle to fit the Fjords. I had added holsters with flaps for my horse pistols. I had put my two double barreled pistols in my satchel before entering town. Only my sword and belt dagger were visible. I watched the little girls swoon and a few of the boys.

I could remember being very impressed by the sight of a cavalry officer on his horse when I first came to Halla with Father. I thought he was quite dashing and cut a handsome figure on the back of the large bay.

I lifted Ranulf so he could reach the footloop and watched him swing his leg over to take his seat. I used my stirrup and mounted behind him, We rode out of the schoolyard to cheers and salutes. The older boys gave us the Roman salute.

Ranulf babbled happily about his lessons that day and things that had happened at home and at school. Senna rode along with us and he and Karl joined in the chatter. Kasper was quiet but Emmaline chattered enough for the both of them.

Magnus greeted us at the stables and Knut joined us from his house. He greeted his children with hugs and kisses and we walked over to see Graymane the stallion. He snuffled Ranulf’s hair and nuzzled him like a colt. I was always amazed at Ranulf’s effect on animals.

I went in and greeted Valla leaving Ranulf to help Magnus.

Valla was beginning to show, we would have our child in our arms in mid-March if the midwife was correct. I put it a bit later but time would tell.

“Papa, why do all the Fjord horses have such odd names?” Ranulf asked.

“Well, Cyrus is named for a Persian King and a great general. He was called Cyrus the great. It was Cyrus that made Persia a land to be reckoned with. The Vikings brought back many Persian slaves who eventually earned their freedom and joined our people at that time. We are populated by the peoples of Europe and all the other lands that Vikings visited. Either for trading or raiding, we incorporated people from other lands, it has made us stronger as a people. It’s why we have such remarkable children,” I told him and then picked him up and chewed gently at his belly. His squeals and giggles made Valla laugh. Sigrid was amused and I inquired about Bodil but she had taken an afternoon snack out to Anders at the gatehouse.

“You may need a new maid if Anders is successful in wooing Bodil to be his bride. They seem well suited. It’s only a matter of time for Sigrid and Jonas,” I commented.

“There are many girls in both Freyanhjem and Haluken that would like to try working in service. I plan to do housework as long as I can. The last two months is the roughest I’m told,” Valla stressed.

“What will our policy be about courting?” I asked.

“We must make allowances for it of course. I will discuss it with the new maids and the suitors will be your responsibility. The maids and nanny will be your daughters in a way. You will need to counsel young men about how to treat them. I don’t know if Lars is actively seeking a wife, he is certainly old enough. You should inquire of his plans without being too intrusive,” Valla informed me.

“I know that he saves every Krone that comes his way. He spends only what he needs to and has me bank the rest. I think he has a plan that doesn’t include living here. I think it’s time he and I had a discussion about his future plans. Edvard has been in service to father for decades. He’ll have a very good pension and savings when he retires. He has told me of a desire to travel and explore. I hope he does just that,” I shared.

Valla just beamed at me.

“At some point I wish to apply for a land grant to start a horse farm. That will mean growing fodder and buying good breeding stock. I have ideas about cross breeding horses. I hope to develop a horse that can do most anything,

you’ve come close with your crossing the Fjord stallion with our mares but I would like to add some Arabian into the mix and if I can get the right stock, I would like to bring the Przewalski’s horse from the steppes, into my herd. I was going to approach you about the land soon. I have been saving and another year will serve to reach my goal. Of course I would need to train my replacement. Jonas is my equal in all my duties but he will need a partner to drive with. I can find men for you to speak with about the position,” Lars explained at length.

“I suspected perhaps it was something like that, I’m sure you will be successful. It will take years to build a herd of breeding horse stock. I am sure you’ll be successful though. Magnus tells me you’re better with horses than any driver he has ever met. I know of a perfect area at the back of the valley, you could do your breeding away from prying eyes. I know that it’s a competitive business. Cyrus was quite expensive because he was a stallion and of a rare breed. My position may have helped in that regard. But when you get started, I will stand him to stud for you. I will back your enterprise if you wish, although you may have all you need to make a go of it as you are. I support your decision and we can bring another man to fill your spot as soon as we find the right one,” I told him.

Lars was bursting with happiness, I thought for a moment that he might embrace me, I would have allowed it. He was a good man.

“Pardon the intrusion, but have you discussed this with Nina?” I asked.

“Yes, but her father was dead set against the match. They live in Haluken and he’s one of the old line Germans that came here long ago. We married without his consent. Would you hold that against me?” Lars asked.

“Why would I, obviously her father has a poor view of our people or just young men in general. If lord Halkar had been like that, I wouldn’t be here. But then I wouldn’t have been there to stop the assassin, Lady Iris would have taken Valla to Denmark or even England. My life would be very different and so would hers. You must travel the path you choose, and do what you can to be successful. If you like, I can write a letter or visit her father. Perhaps I can convince him that you are a worthy husband for his daughter,” I offered.

“You would do that?” Lars gasped.

“Of course, you have given exemplary service and you covered me when that deluded fool attacked me. Father asked me why I chose you, and it was that incident that I cited. I’ve learned since, that Jonas has the same qualities, Shall I speak to this German interloper,” I grinned.

“I would be very grateful if you would,” Lars smiled.

There had been a wave of German immigration to Norway after Martin Luther made his stand. Most returned to Germany but a few had already established farms and chose to stay. But their prejudice against Norwegians remained with some families.

Chefan, the headman of our clan traveled back and forth between Freyanhjem and Haluken frequently. I met him on the road one day and he asked how Ranulf was coming with his studies. He was referring to woodlore, healing and woodcraft. Ranulf had developed quite a bit of skill with a bow. But most importantly, he had learned to feed himself in the wild. I had only just sent him on a two day trip with no food or water. He had returned dirty, but well fed. He showed me two rabbit skins he had taken. He handed me mushrooms and wild cherries as proof of his foraging skills. I relayed this to Chefan and he told me that we should induct him into the clan at the next gathering. The summering lands would be the place to do it.

“Yes, sooner is better, my wife will not be able to sit a horse much longer,” I explained

“I will confer with the Noaidi and send a runner with the day,” Chefan agreed.

When the day arrived Ranulf was a bit nervous. He wasn’t worried about the brand but passing all the tests that would be set for him. He would have to identify plants and separate them into three categories. Medicinal, food or spice and poisons. I had taught him the difference between water hemlock and water celery. They looked similar but the roots were different. Water hemlock in the right hands, could be a powerful pain killer. It had to be mixed with other plants.

On the day Ranulf was nervous but confidant.

He dressed in his Christmas leathers. At the rate he was growing, I would need to replace them by Fall. He rode with me and Valla followed us to the summering place.

When we dismounted I handed Ranul his bow, arrows and belt with his knife. I had taught him to knap his own flint arrow points. He could fletch his own arrows and he had become very skilled with a crossbow. He was better with a bow than Olaf and Ivy, he and Bolly were about the same. Rilla and I were very close in skill and Kiva was nearly our equal.

Chefan took him to a clearing where targets were placed for him to shoot. He completely exceeded the expectations of all who watched. I suggested a moving target and Chefan threw several different shapes. Ranulf hit them all.

Chefan threw a second set and Ranulf hit all but one.

A healer was chosen at random and she bade Ranulf inspect plants and herbs.

“Now boy, tell me which are good and which are bad,” Falma instructed.

“None of them are bad, there are no bad plants. They all have a reason for being, how we use them can be good or bad. This water celery is to be eaten, but this water hemlock is not. It can be made into a balm to soothe aches or raw skin. It must never be placed on an open wound though,” Ranulf replied.

Falma stifled a smile. “And this one?”

“That is boxweed, it tastes like licorice but if you swallow it you can die. Goats can eat it but not men,”

Ranulf walked the table and pointed out toadstool and edible mushrooms. There were leaves that were not edible, but the fungus on the underside was good for indigestion. Too much was a purgative.

Falma beamed at him, “You have a good memory and a good teacher. You know more than many older people.

Ranulf was sent out to find salt on his own. He followed deer tracks to a deposit and scraped away a bit to show the Noaidi. He wrapped it in a leaf and returned.

The rough crystals were proof enough that he would not die from lack of salt.

“Women of the clan gathered and stripped Ranulf. He was given the ritual bath and dried.

He walked between Chefan and the Noaidi to the birch arbor. There he was passed through the arbor to Valla and myself. He was now a member of the Haluken forest clan.

I held my naked son as the Noaidi administered his brand. Then it was done. I told him he could get dressed if he wanted to. He didn’t complain about the brand. I warned him against rubbing it.

The arbor was set alight and the small packet of salt that Ranulf had harvested was thrown in to the flames. That was the end of the ceremony

“Papa, do the Noaidi have actual names?”

“Yes, but we are not to know them. They only use them when talking with other Noaidi. I do not know why. Perhaps it’s to prevent comparison,” I speculated. “Older people know their names but never use them. Once you become Noaidi, that is your name among your people.”

A group of naked children came and took Ranulf to the swimming place.  Valla and I relaxed and ate what was offered.

“Your son is a strong arm my lord,” Sven told me.

“Today I am Peng, when I am here officially, then you may call me my lord. I will not be offended if some calls me Peng even then. These are my people, my brothers and sisters. I hold no pomp with them,” I explained.

“You are still a man of the clans, the Sami say you are a good man. There is no more to say,” Sven grinned. Sven and I chatted, others came and went. The women took Valla off to braid her hair and weave in flowers.

I arm wrestled and drank the clan’s ale. It was potent. I shot arrows for a purse. It only had pfennings in it because it was just a token. I was beaten by a fourteen winters boy. I thought it would be someone older.

The Noaidi called the standard blessing of parting and it was done. Many stayed on and after a decent interval I sent Ranulf to dress. It had been an eventful day and Ranulf slumped against me on the ride home.

“When can I show my show Bestefar and my uncles my brand?” Ranulf asked.

“At the end of next week, there will be a break for shearing sheep and horning cattle. We will go to Halla and see them all. How is your brand feeling, is it still tender?” I asked.

“Only if I touch it, it really hasn’t hurt since I swam with the others,” Ranulf replied.

“You did very well with Falma. She is very strict about the medicinal plants. You answered every question the same as I would have. There are no bad plants, but they can be misused as you said. She was impressed.

Father congratulated Ranulf upon seeing his brand. If he had any misgivings, he kept them to himself.

“Will you brand your other sons as they come along?” Father asked.

“That will be their decision, just as it was Ranulfs,” I replied.

“I see no harm in it, our respective people need to embrace each other. We can’t protect the whole country if we fight amongst ourselves,” Father noted.

“I agree, it is what I am working for in those places where I hold influence. I hope my brothers will follow my example.”

Ivy had made a friend of a boy who was fresh from Oslo. They had become close quite quickly and Ranulf seemed very happy for both of them. Eric stayed the night and the three boys had a good time together.

All my brothers were glad to see me, they asked after Valla and when the baby was due.

“What took you so long to get her pregnant?” Kiva asked.

“It wasn’t for lack of trying, I assure you,” I laughed.

“Did you smell her the same as you smelled Mother?” Rilla asked.

“With Valla I had no valerian or nettles to help but yes, I did smell that she was with child,” I told him.

“You must have a better nose than me, I was never able to sense a change in her smell,” Rilla observed.

The others agreed and we moved on.

I listened to stories of life and love from my brothers while Ranulf, Ivy and Eric played outside. The bath chamber had always been an open forum and we enjoyed sharing stories and secrets. Rilla had received a fright. Trina had encouraged him to pierce her and he didn’t pull out quickly enough to prevent his seed from entering her. He spent two weeks worrying about it until Trina’s menses arrived. It scared both of them badly enough that they resolved to use other methods. I suggested that he invite Trina over to speak to Valla about certain things that can help. I told Valla what I knew and she arranged a signal for me to take Rilla out so the girls could talk.

Kiva spoke of a girl named Hildi, she had caught his eye and they were just getting to know each other. The others pressed him for details but I quieted them and asked about Hildi’s qualities and what attracted him. Kiva blushed quite a bit but he described Valla’s best attributes. I wished him the greatest of luck. I suspected he would want to talk privately later.

Mother arrived home with Lady Iris in her company. They had been to an equestrian event and had ridden there themselves. Lady Iris addressed the crowd and spoke against the dangers of riding side saddle for women. A young woman was still recovering from a terrible accident which saw her dragged beneath her horse. She fractured both arms and her scalp was badly lacerated. Her trapped leg was badly injured as well. The speech was well received by the women in the audience, a lot of the men had no idea how dangerous the practice really was. Lady Iris proposed that ladies should wear riding outfits with breeches and a short kilt like skirt. It was all in the name of safety and several young women modeled different versions of the outfits.

“I thought they were quite attractive and I will be in touch with my ladies outfitter for something on that order,” Mother announced.

Valla greeted them both warmly and they retired to the back parlor to chat.

Our visit was long enough for Kiva to get me into a private setting where he could ask me specific questions about pleasing a woman when he got the chance.

On the way home Ranulf told me how happy he was that Ivy had a new friend.

“They became close quite quickly,” I observed.

“Ivy missed me and Eric missed his friends in Oslo. They helped each other ….not forget but….adjust to the new situation,” Ranulf stumbled.

“I think that’s an accurate description, we will still visit often and you can see how things are going for them,” I agreed.

“Eric is going to go to our old school. So they will have plenty of time together and Ivy can introduce him to the others,” Ranulf reported.

Ranulf went quiet shortly after that and slumped into me. The carriage bumped along at a leisurely pace. My orders, given Valla’s condition. We had to stop more often to accommodate Valla’s bladder. It’s not uncommon for pregnant women. It became routine for me to ride to Oslo and visit Haluken and the mine on the way back. I had delivered the plans for the housing at the mine and wanted to see how things were progressing.

The men had dug and installed the footings for all the houses after laying out the lots. Lots would be separated by alleys at the back and narrow streets at the front. There were four standard models for the houses. They could be reversed by floorplan. It was enough variety that they didn’t all look the same. Finish details and paint would give each house an individual look.

Haluken was trouble free and not much was needed from me at the moment, I stayed the night and left for home.

My next trip was not so smooth. I stopped at the mine on a whim before I rode to Oslo. The first sign that not all was well was the missing sentry. Instead a few hundred steps away I found a man in a badly fitting guard uniform coming from behind a stand of trees. I was not in uniform and asked the man to inspect my papers. I handed him a sheaf of papers with no seal, they were just miscellaneous business papers. He scanned them and told me to follow the path to the camp. Instead I drew a pistol and ordered him to drop his sword and dagger. I made him take off the guard uniform and tied him up with part of a coil of rope I found in the guardhouse. I gagged him and went to the trees he had emerged from. I found the real guardsman tied and gagged.

“My lord, there are twenty or more armed men inside the compound. One of them snuck in and got me from behind. I think they intend a robbery, he told me as I cut him loose.

I bade him recover his uniform and weapons. While he was doing that, I thought I heard a rider approaching the gate.

“Halt in the name of the king,” I commanded. It was a courier with dispatches for the mine.

“I am Lord Edrich, I need you to ride to Haluken and bring back as many Politi and Guard as you can find. This place is under siege!”

He rode off without another word.

I began interrogating our prisoner. He answered to the name of Bekan, which I recognized as being Russian.

He was quite talkative with a knife against his balls. There were twenty-six men in their raiding party.  I rigged a trap consisting of the coil of rope stretched between two trees across the path. I instructed Holder to pull the rope tight if he heard horses approaching from the compound. Two members of the guard arrived from an errand to Haluken and I bade them follow me. I strung my bow, grabbed my arrows and the two pistols on my saddle. That gave me four shots before I needed to reload. The guardsmen followed suit except they had only one pistol each. They had plenty of arrows. I hoped to resolve the situation without gunfire.

When we made our way to a vantagepoint we could see what we were up against. The captain was tied to a tree and a man with an axe was looking menacing.

“Captain, order your men to come out of hiding or I will have Olav cut off your head,” The leader of the gang insisted.

“You may as well have him do it, my men have their orders. If you kill me they will take my revenge,” the captain goaded.

I conferred with the guardsmen and told them I would take the man with the axe and the speaker. I wanted them to take the two older men next to the supposed leader. Wound them if you can, I’d rather have someone to talk to.

The man doing the talking had his right leg up on a stump. He waved at the man with the axe. He lifted the axe and an arrow entered his left eye. My marksmanship was better when ale was not involved. I put my next arrow into the leaders right leg and into the bone. He fell to the ground in agony. The other two men fell, one with an arrow in his hip, the other had turned at the wrong moment and the arrow sunk into his gut. That began a frenzy of flying arrows and slashing swords. The remaining intruders threw down their weapons and tried to run. A distant horn sounded, relief was at the gate. I ran to where Captain Hergen was tied and cut him free. Between my assault party and the rest of the men there was little for the relieving troops to do.

“You do turn up at the oddest times, my lord,” Nils laughed.

I shook his hand and we went to talk to our prisoners.

“Well, I know you speak Norsk, I heard you speaking to our captain. That arrow looks as though it has passed right through your thigh bone. That really must hurt a great deal. I presume you are here to collect some gold and ride off. How has that gone for you so far?” I asked.

The man who was called Poltz swore an oath at me.

“That man you killed was my brother. I will kill your whole family for this,” Poltz threatened.

“With one leg?” Do you see those shiny white chips on the arrowpoint, that’s bits of your thigh bone. We’ll have to saw that leg off in a short while just to keep you alive for the noose. Of course you might die of infection. We will do our best to keep you alive for a while. I presume these other men are the real leaders of your band,” I added.

Poltz craned his neck to see the two older men behind him.

“Ivan, Lachya, Poltz cried out, what have they done to you.

“I’m afraid one of them is already dead. The other one should live. The arrow was slowed by his belt and the point didn’t penetrate as deep. It’s lodged in his hip but it will come out easily. Didn’t you people learn anything from our last war?” I asked.

A politi lieutenant approached and told me a surgeon had accompanied them.

“Let me speak to him before he sees either man. I told the Lieutenant.

“Neither of these men are in any real danger. They both have arrows in them that’s true, but I have exaggerated the nature of the younger man’s wounds. I have men bringing out tables to treat their wounds. Poltz thinks the arrow has gone through his thigh bone. And that’s what I want him to think. You can remove it once I’ve had a chance to find out if this is an independent enterprise or backed by the Russian crown.

I found Poltz stretched out on the table. I cut off both ends of the arrow shaft and held the head up so Poltz could see it clearly. It did have flakes of bone on it, not shards. It had only nicked the bone but Poltz was already convinced that his life would end in agony.

“Poltz, who are these men?” I asked.

“They are the leaders of our group, We are Kurgans,” Poltz snarled contempt.

“You’re a member of a people who died out a thousand years ago? That’s quite a feat. I’ve heard that some Siberians are causing trouble under that name. My guess is that would be you and your men. I have no great love for your czar but by rights, we should return you to him. And who are these two men?” I asked. I pointed to the dead man and the other.

“The dead man is Ivan, Lachya is the Underchief of our tribe, Ivan was his advisor,” Poltz told me. I had brewed valerian tea for Poltz, he would need it when the surgeon went to work. It would loosen his tongue even more.

I walked over to where the surgeon was removing the arrowhead and got basically the same story from Lachya. I timed my questions with the surgeon’s actions. When I was done a fed him valerian tea as well. The wound would haunt him until his dying day. The tip of the point had broken off and the surgeon couldn’t remove it.

I surveyed the scene, twenty-six men had ridden into the compound. Thirteen including the man in the guardhouse were tied up in a circle. Eleven men were laid out with tarps over them. The man with the axe and Ivan were in that group. The other dead men were the result of the guards targeting any clear shots. The others surrendered. They were in turn surrounded by guardsmen with lances. I suggested we put the prisoners into one of the empty supply huts, and surround the outside with guards. Two on each corner would suffice. I chose the supply huts because they didn’t have bolts on the doors inside. An iron bar held the door closed. It could be locked if needed. One door and no windows, just vents in the roof.

“If they start making any noise other than moaning or using the toilet, call an alarm. The roofs are built to keep weather out, not for keeping people in. We’ll double the guard at sundown,” the captain ordered.

“This place never ceases to be a source of entertainment,” I told Captain Hergen.