My Unfinished Stories" Part 7 Bonus

 

Chronicles of the Lands of Lhydia "William de Hammersburgh" - (not part of the Saga!)

AND

Bluish smoke rose into the sky in an almost vertical column from the dying fire, around which sat a group of mercenaries who had fought alongside Prince Roderick in yesterday's Battle of Hallensgate, where Roderick de Weil defeated the rebellious forces of his half-brother Edward. The battle, lasting almost the entire night, was extremely fierce and evenly matched. Only a flanking charge by Roderick himself, at the head of a heavily armed cavalry force, against Edward's fortified corps of crossbowmen tipped the scales of this bloody battle, and the surrounded detachment of dwarven mercenaries launched a counterattack and pushed Edward's infantry into the Waal River.

For their outstanding service in battle and great courage, Roderick decided to offer the dwarves the border lands in Hammersburgh. He made William, the mercenary commander from the Avanoor Mountains, ruler of the area and named him a friend of the people of Demanhall. Finally, he asked the dwarves to stay for a grand feast held in the nearby village of Klarn, where, in the presence of the entire army, he bestowed upon William the title of Baron de Hammersburgh.

"Get up, you sons of dogs!"

William yelled at his sleeping companions. He himself was still feeling the effects of the wine he had drunk during the night, but he refused to let the hangover get to him. A small pouch hung from his belt, containing a small bottle of fine Klarnian black wine. Every so often, he would take a few sips and return to a state of bliss.

The party rose from the soft green grass with great reluctance, some still staggering. The mood was good. Amid the curses and insults, laughter and mutual mockery could be heard. After a few more minutes, a swaying line of heavily armed dwarves stood facing their commander.

"Druchów! Hyps!" Hammersburgh began, accompanied by laughter. "The time for mirth and joy has come. Those who feel the need to settle down and abandon the warriors are welcome in my new home, Hammer. Those who don't like a settled lifestyle can set out on their own path, but let them know they will always be welcome in... Hyps! ...in this, well...

" "Hammer," Aglajcar, an old dwarf William had known for many years, helped.

"What? Ah yes, in Hammer. What did I want... Aha! From now on, I release you from your oath! All of you, without exception. Do as you will. I would be glad if you would follow me to Hammer, but I will not stop those who choose their own path."

He looked at his soldiers. He'd known them for years, and they'd been through a lot together, but he was old, even for a dwarf, and needed rest and a place of his own. An opportunity like Prince Roderick's gift might never come again.

"We'll divide the loot fairly and equally... Hyps! Aglajcar will take care of this. In the meantime, think it over. I want your answer in an hour.

" "Disperse!" Aglajcar yelled.

After an hour, Aglajcar approached William, who was snoring loudly in the shade of an old oak tree. It took him some time to wake the commander, who, reluctantly and cursing, finally sat down and reached into his pouch for the bottle. He took a few sips and, with a grimace, noticed that the bottle was already empty.

"I've divided the loot. Here's your share, Willy." He threw the clanging sack on the ground. Hammersburgh didn't even check its contents, only asking,

"How many are coming with us, friend?"

"Most. Ten of the men from Nyckerberg are going home. Rolfi, Kamuz, and Nyliar took their things and set off for Neshil. The rest, over twenty bearded men, are coming with us.

" "Very well, we'll set off in the evening." Make sure the peasants load our wagons with barrels of their black wine and try to get the recipe for this devilish concoction from them.

He reached for a sack, placed it under his head, and went back to sleep. Leaving the arrangements for the departure to Aglajcar, who hurried back to the village.

Prince Roderick's troops were stationed around Klarn. At this time, most of the soldiers were asleep after a feast in honor of the ruler and his victory. Most of Edward's surviving troops, including himself, had been captured and were now herded into two makeshift camps. Edward was given a tent at his disposal, where, under the watchful eye of guards, he awaited his departure for the capital of the Land, Malburgh. There, he awaited trial and likely death, the punishment for all traitors who conspired against the ruler. The

new

ruler of Hammer quickly began to organize his domains. He appointed new tax collectors and, in every larger settlement, established a militia composed of local peasants. He quickly brought in his countrymen, who immediately began building mines. Tunnels and shafts were created beneath the Hammer Mountains, from which the dwarves extracted precious stones. Significant deposits of iron and silver ore were also discovered. Forges and armorers' workshops were established. Within a single year of his rule, William established himself as a good organizer and a just ruler. To ensure his army had enough to do, he organized tournaments twice a year during the solstice, attracting local warriors and knights. He also protected the merchants who increasingly flocked to the region, attracted by the goods produced in Hammer.

The city itself grew. Three banks were built, where enterprising dwarves pooled their rapidly growing wealth. More and more merchant guilds established their headquarters here. Ruled with a firm hand, the city and surrounding area also became an attractive location for various bandits, who, attracted by the easy loot, flocked here from all over the duchy. However, the maintained armed force, composed primarily of dwarven henchmen, easily and quickly tracked down and eliminated the bands prowling the wilderness.

There were no incidents on the border, as William had built a watchtower and a small stronghold near the mountain trail, so orc bands did not venture too close to the Hammer border. News of the new land flowing with milk and honey spread like wildfire across neighboring kingdoms. Letters of praise from Prince Roderick began arriving from the duchy's capital, Malburg. William and his kin grew in power, and Hammer's treasury was filled with ever-increasing wealth.

One day, a messenger from Prince Roderick arrived in town. He brought a letter in which the ruler expressed his satisfaction with the progress William and his assistants had made. The letter also contained news that the prince had raised taxes on goods produced by Hammer.

"He's raising taxes again!?"

The treasurer's face turned even redder (though that's unlikely for dwarves), furious beyond words, for dwarves are not naturally inclined to share their wealth with others.

"For the fourth time in a year!" Aglajcar thundered. "He's gone mad!"

He quickly dismissed the messenger and went to William, who was still in his own newly renovated cottage at this early hour. Without attempting to exchange pleasantries, he got straight to the point and described the problem.

"Damn it, you shouldn't have reported the true income in the report." It seems there are more and more people interested in our gold.

"We need advice, Willy.

" "True, call the peasants. We'll discuss the matter at my dinner.

For dinner, Mrs. (newly married) Baroness Malvina Hammersburgh prepared roast lamb with eggs and dill. The compliments and praise were endless, until finally, a somewhat irritated Aglajcar reminded the assembled party why they were actually gathered here.

Five substantial men sat at Baron Hammersburgh's table that afternoon. They consulted until evening, and as they drank the black wine imported from Klarn, the debate grew increasingly heated. Finally, tired of the deliberations and his wife's urging, William said:

"Enough, brothers! We've already decided not to agree to the tax increase. This is connected with Prince Roderick's reaction. However, it's difficult to predict that."

"We won't let him drink from our blood any more," interjected Hakkalzbarg, a northern dwarf who had joined William's party ten years ago.

"We won't!" the others continued, and drank a toast.

"We must expect to fall out of favor with His Majesty, or whatever his name is," reminded the now heavily intoxicated Aglajcar.

"True," William agreed, "but it's thanks to us that Roderick profits from this land.

" "We'll remind him that this land was barren and dry before our arrival.

" "Karim, don't interrupt," Hammersburgh admonished his younger companion. "We'll send him a letter explaining the whole matter. Aglajcar and Webby will help me with that.

" "We won't be plundered in our own home!" Webby, alias Atham Webbsberg, reached for his belt, where his axe usually rested. Instead, he raised his glass for another toast.

"This concludes our meeting," William said after a moment. "Let's sleep on this until morning. A well-rested dwarf sees certain matters more clearly in the morning," he concluded. They said their farewells and retired to their well-deserved rest.

The next day, in the City Council building, where Hammersburgh had his office, the three dwarves met to write the letter. More than four hours passed before the secretary put the full stop that finalized the letter. Satisfied with themselves, they celebrated this fact with a bottle of wine. William impressed his ring, symbolizing his office and the power he held, on the cooling wax and said to his companions:

"These are the times when one must steal to live," he paused for the nods of his friends. "And if one doesn't steal, one doesn't share with anyone. Therefore, we will share with Roderick no more. Either he accepts our terms or he is left without the deposits we have discovered here.

" "We have the right to profit from our own labor!" "Aglajcar said, approaching the fireplace, where the flames were engulfing a large beam.

"He'll probably have a stroke, but he knows he's overdone it.

" "Gentlemen, we still have a lot of work to do here," Webbsberg admonished. "So let's end this feast, because it's almost noon.

" "Webby's right. Aglajcar, you have to remind the merchants from Neshil that they also have to pay a fee for the first purchase of the house. I have to accept this mob from Altersberg. Can you believe it! They want to establish their own mine on the southern face of the mountains.

" "More to the trough.

" "Yes, give them a price that will choke them," Aglajcar suggested.

"Maybe. The licenses, if we introduce them, will include a clause about profit sharing."

William stood up, letting his compatriots know that the meeting was over. He escorted them to the office door and, as he left, handed Webbsberg a letter, saying,

"Give this to the messenger; he shouldn't have to wait any longer." Hurry him up, I want Roderick to receive this letter today.

III

"To the Honorable Lord, Roderick de Weil.

First of all, I greet you, Sir, and your entire family!

In response to your proposal, I am forced to refuse to pay even higher taxes, as the costs I currently incur would not allow for the further development of the region, and consequently, would not allow for the opening of a third ore mine. Under pressure from my advisors, I propose a different solution:

1. Revert to the autumn taxes; this represents a third of our income.

2. In return, we commit to lowering the price of our weapons, i.e., 25 dinars for swords and shields and 80 dinars for full armor.

3. Prices for your wine and the goods we import (textiles, jewels, and ore for the princely mint) remain unchanged.

I sincerely hope that Your Eminence will honor us with a visit soon.

I wish you good health.

Servant and friend,

Baron William de Hammersburgh.”

The prince stood with his back to the window, holding a letter from Baron de Hammersburgh in his trembling hand. He didn't speak for a moment. Finally, he turned to his advisors, who were sitting silently at a table carved from brown wood.

“They just want to screw us!

” “Eminent Lord…

” “Fat freaks! Farts!” Roderick seemed not to hear his advisor. “If it weren't for me, they would still be wandering all over the Lands! Dogs! Worms! This is a mockery! De Quppert, are they mocking me?”

De Quppert, the short and thin advisor, seemed to have shrunk even further, searching for the right words so as not to anger the ruler even more.

“With your permission, Your Majesty, I believe that raising taxes at such a rate was bound to lead to protests…

” “To the point!

” “Yes, I mean that with your permission, our regiments should be stationed in the opposing regions.

” “Only that Ten of Hammersburgh's dwarves are worth as much as fifty of our armed men.

"We would only scare them...

" "We would! You could scare the children! If you saw what Hammersburgh and his men did to Edward's rabble on the Waal. They are beasts born for war.

" "If Your Majesty allows..." the previously silent court astrologer, Malcolm Laggizhe, joined the conversation. "I have an idea. We can send other mercenaries there. Under the command of one of your generals, Lord. Our armed forces and mercenaries, twice as numerous, should be able to deal with Hammersburgh.

" "Do you know how much I would have to pay them?

" "Consider how much you could gain, Lord."

Roderick fell silent. The storm rolling outside the window made itself felt with the intensity of the thunder. He considered for a moment before making his decision.

"Will you get me equally good mercenaries?" "Very well, take care of it."

A week later, a detachment of fifty of the prince's armed men and twenty Yakhar axemen, highlanders from Hed hired by Laggizhe, set out from Prince Roderick's castle. As he departed, the prince himself instructed the commanding general once more:

"Don't attack them. Give them time until sunset. Keep the highlanders in reserve; if they are as strong as Laggizhe claims, you will only tire Hammersburgh out; they will take care of the rest.

" ***

"Baron," Hammersburgh's small, stocky servant peered into his office, "a messenger from Prince Roderick has arrived.

" "Finally! Please!"

A silver-armored soldier with a general's insignia entered. He held a rolled-up letter in his hand. He introduced himself as General Sellvin Montabard and wordlessly handed it to the astonished William. William looked at the soldier and unfolded the letter. He read for a moment, a look of surprise on his face. He placed the letter on his desk and stroked his beard, the tip of which he tucked into his ornate, gilded belt.

"I see the prince is acting very hastily. I cannot make decisions on this matter alone. I will call a council immediately. Where should we deliver the answer?

" "All you have to do is fly the banner at half-mast. We will know what your answer is.

" "What?" Hammersburgh asked, surprised. "So you won't spend the night in the city?

" "We won't arrive in the morning.

" "Your will."

The general left without even saying goodbye. William summoned his servant and ordered the entire City Council to be convened in an hour. They all arrived. Aglajcar of Avanoor, the Council's secretary; Lorien Anthenise, a representative of the Hammer community; Atham Webbsbergh and Roger of Mardburgh, members of the City Council; and a delegation of elders, led by Jeremiah Komm, a priest from the Diuef temple.

William hurriedly greeted everyone gathered around the table in the oval room located in the center of the building's first floor.

"My dears," he began once everyone had settled into their seats. "We all know that Prince Roderick's tax increase will prevent us from realizing our plans. To open a third mine and compensate for the losses of previous months. We have written to the prince proposing a tax reduction, which would allow us to maintain the steady growth of our income and the development of the city. "

He glanced out the window toward the capital of the Land, where the increasingly greedy and possessive Prince Roderick was preparing for war with the neighboring Elbland. He sighed and continued:

"Unfortunately, the prince, blinded by his power and greed, rejected our terms and upheld the tax increase."

"But that will ruin us!" exclaimed Lorien Anthenise.

"Indeed. The tax increase will make us less attractive to the merchant guilds. This will raise costs, and consequently, the costs of maintaining the city's banks will increase, and a massive outflow of gold and jewels to other lands will follow.

" "Let's send a new letter to the prince," suggested the priest of Komm.

"It won't do any good," replied Hammersburgh. "The prince has issued us an ultimatum."

A commotion filled with opposition and fear arose in the hall. It took a moment for Aglajcar to call the assembled people to order. When they had calmed down, Hammersburgh continued:

"Acceptance of the prince's proposed terms. That is, an increase in taxes and the supervision and control of the region by an armed force that has set up camp not far from here near the forest. "

Protests and groans of fear rose again.

"Calm down!

" "We must negotiate!" one of the city elders tried to force the new idea through.

"There will be no negotiations!" "William shouted over the din. When everyone's eyes turned to him, he finished in a calmer voice. "If the prince wanted to negotiate, he wouldn't have sent troops. We have to defend ourselves; it's the only way out.

" "Yes. We can't give in any more," the priest agreed. The others agreed, though reluctantly. Komm's voice prevailed.

"How many armed men can we muster?" William asked.

"We have about twenty here," Mardburgh said. "The rest are on patrol. They'll be back tomorrow evening at the earliest. The rest are in the outposts.

" "We could call in the militia," the priest suggested.

"No, they'll tear the militia to pieces. They'll only make them mad," Aglajcar said.

William thought the situation over and finally said, "Listen, here's what we'll do: Webby, send someone to the outposts, have them arrive as soon as possible. You, Aglajcar, arrange for reinforcements from Avanoor." Let the messenger also visit the mines in Rolmsfoor, where dwarves are working. And we will pay the prince's men a visit.

IV

The night was quiet and clear. William was glad the moon had hidden behind the clouds, which were racing high in the sky, with only a few stars peeking through here and there. They were approaching the camp of Roderick's soldiers. They felt so confident they hadn't even posted a guard. William smiled to himself. He felt a familiar adrenaline rush, pleasantly tickling, just like when he was younger, he thought. Aglajcar ran quietly toward the grazing horses, which whinnied softly in alarm. However, this provoked no reaction from the sleeping men. Keeping in the shadows, three dwarves entered the camp. They found saddles and lightly notched the bridles and bits. They didn't even bother to move their weapons, as the sleeping men held them close. It took them an hour to identify them. They retreated back into the forest. Before heading back, they waited a few minutes to make sure no one had noticed their arrival.

Almost no one slept in the city that night. The inhabitants almost unanimously sided with the dwarves. This was not surprising, after all, the situation of every resident had improved significantly since their arrival. The city had grown, and many merchants and traders were arriving, so the inhabitants were not happy about returning to Roderick's rule. A militia had gathered to secure the city in case of an attack by the prince's soldiers. There was an atmosphere of excitement and expectation, but not fear, for the dwarves had proven they could take care of their friends.

As General Montabard had announced, the detachment arrived at the meadow in the morning and halted fifty paces from the city. William emerged at the head of twenty henchmen. The pleasantly warm sunlight reflected off the dwarves' axes.

"I see you've lost your minds, Sir William," the general began, a mocking smile on his bearded face. "Didn't I make it clear how you were to receive us?" The flag still hangs...

"Honourable General, I know perfectly well how you would like to be received, and as I see, you're itching to get your hands on the treasures of Hammer.

" "You're an impudent dwarf!"

"Perhaps so, but what belongs to the people of Hammer will never belong to you, much less to Prince Roderick, who must have completely lost his mind to send a youngster like you here.

" "You'll die for this, you dog!" the general shouted, standing in his stirrups and signaling his men to attack. "And it will be a slow death!"

What followed unfolded rapidly. The prince's men-at-arms charged. Thirty cavalrymen surged forward, pursuing the fleeing dwarves. When the latter reached almost the edge of the buildings, a militia armed with bows emerged from between the buildings. A hail of arrows rained down on the cavalry. Three of them, struck in unarmored places, fell to the ground, but the arrows had no effect on the others. The general laughed mockingly and urged his horse on. The militia's attack was not without merit. It gave the dwarves time to regroup. They now stood pressed together in a tight group, awaiting the attack. Seeing this, the general reined in his mount, and at the same moment the trap broke, and Montabard fell to the ground with a crunch. A similar fate befell the remaining riders. Taking advantage of the moment of confusion, the dwarves charged forward, exploiting their advantage. With a wild shriek, they rushed among the horses and rising riders, cutting down almost the entire enemy cavalry. General Montabard was killed by Aglajcar, a slash across the chest. The dwarves' momentary advantage ended when the rest of the prince's men-at-arms reached the scene of the massacre. The fighting raged in earnest. Roderick's still superior forces pushed the dwarves back toward the buildings. The Hed axemen's detachment knew their craft well. Attacking and retreating, the highlanders inflicted heavy losses on the dwarves. Webbsbergh fell, hacked to death by three attackers; Haloff, a cheerful youth who always made his companions laugh, fell a moment later. Half the defenders perished under the onslaught of the highlanders and the prince's infantry.

The militia rushed from between the buildings to the dwarves' aid. The men, armed with swords and shields, distracted the attackers. William took advantage of this and signaled his men to counterattack. Bathed in blood, they looked like demons burning with anger and hatred. With savage screams, the dwarves plunged into the hordes of highlanders and men-at-arms, leaving no survivors within reach of their axes. William, wounded in the hip, stopped, killing the last of the highlanders. He turned, and what he saw made him shiver despite the morning warmth. The bodies of the dead lay all around the road leading to the city, some with severed limbs. He realized with horror that he was alone on the battlefield. Opposite him stood only a soldier of Roderick's, wounded in the thigh.

"I will spare your life," Hammersburgh rasped through his constricted throat. "Return to your prince and tell him that the treasures of Hammer are no longer his."

He looked at the young knight, who had sat down heavily on the grass and began to weep. He cried like a child, and through his tears he managed to choke out,

"I lost two brothers here. I have no reason to return to Malburg; death awaits me there. I will join you, if you let me."

"We are facing a war over the Hammer deposits," William said after a moment's thought. "Therefore, every sword can be useful."

With that, he fainted.

Epilogue

Baron William de Hammersburgh, already being called "the rebel," stood leaning on an oak staff, accompanied by dwarves from Avanoor and Rolmfoos who had arrived a few days earlier, over the grave of his companions. They were buried in a single grave beneath the Hammer Mountains. Throughout the entire district, preparations were being made for war, the imminence of which could be felt almost everywhere. The people of Hammer were hastily building fortifications and a wall around the city. Prince Roderick swore bloody vengeance against all the inhabitants of the rebellious province.

In addition to reinforcements from other lands inhabited by dwarves, William also sought aid from the greatest paladin order, the Templars of the White Lily from the temple of the goddess Kharonaey. The latter arrived with a force of fifty men, commanded by the young nobleman Mehiaar de Holle. They immediately began building a stronghold two hours' drive from the city, near the Hammerwill River.

On the grave, the dwarves carved the names of their fallen commrades in gilded letters in three languages. The list began with the names of Hammersburgh's most loyal friends: Aglajcar of Avanoor, followed closely by Atham Webbsbergh and Roger of Mardburgh. Below their names, the townspeople carved the inscription:

"Friends and defenders of freedom will remain in our memory."