CHAPTER IV
Nestled as it was in the far southeast of Morguhn, a long day’s ride from Morguhnpolis, with the Great Southern Forest lying between it and any other occupied area, Horse Hall-and Lady Hehrah, its chatelaine-remained blissfully unaware of the abysmal failure of the rebellion and the utter rout of the crusaders.
The komeesa, who now considered herself to be Hari’s widow, lolled in the very lap of her dreams. Not only was her faith now the only allowed faith in the county-and, she surmised, in the duchy-but at long last, after many dragging years of suffering the unwarranted persecutions and gainsay-ings of her barbarian husband, she was victorious. Savoring her triumph, she laid a heavy and pitiless hand upon Horse County and all who dwelt there.
The threescore or so inhabitants of Horse Hall village had not been particularly upset when the priest and hall men had come and taken the child, assuming that bluff old Lord Hari would shortly ride in and either return the boy or explain why he was needed at the hall. But when, the very next morning, some of the same hall men had come and, after beating the village headman senseless, had seized, bound and borne off his pretty young wife, grinningly informing all and sundry that their hysterical captive was henceforth to have the honor of being Lady Hehrah’s love girl, there were mutters of an appeal to the komees, upon his return from Mor-guhnpolis.
Danos, confirmed captain of the komeescfs guard after his report of Gaios’ demise, had laughed harshly. “Then you bastards will have a damned long wait! That blaspheming pagan is now burning in Hell, his stinking corpse so much offal. You had all best heed me. Heed me well!
“My Lady Hehrah now has the power of life or death over you and your wives and your snotty brats. It is her right to claim whatever, whomever, she wishes. It is your duty to render her honor, to accede freely to her every request or demand. If you fail in this, your duty, you will be made to suffer or to die for the crime.”
The stunned villagers stood, silently listening to the cold, sharp words of the arrogant horseman, aware of their helplessness against so many armed men.
Danos continued, “Now, my lady feels that this village has been too long without a House of God. Since God is Lord of all, He must be served with the best we can offer. The Holy Pavlos, sub-kooreeos of this county, will be here shortly to bless the shack whence this wench came; it will be used as a church until you have time to build a proper one.”
Then they clattered out of the village toward Horse Hall.
But within a few hours they were back to seize another child. And after that, another . . . and another . . . and another!
When, a week after their first incursion, Danos led his men into the village, it was empty, deserted. The trail led into the forest, but knowing that horsemen would be at a disadvantage in the dense, trackless underbrush, Danos halted his troop and rode back to the hall.
Although Lady Hehrah was violent in her rage at being denied the simple, holy pleasure of a sacrificial ceremony whenever she felt the need for one, Sub-kooreeos Pavlos was mightily relieved. His throat was grown raw from so much chanting, and the shrill screams of two or three victims each day were just too much, setting his nerves on edge and his head to throbbing. Also relieved were those servants whose chore it had been to bury the hacked little corpses; digging was, after all, hard work.
One balmy dawn, a pair of men rode big warhorses along the Forest Road. Sacred Sun’s rays sparkled and glittered upon the polished surfaces of their three-quarter armor. The faces of the two riders were remarkably similar in cast as well as grim expression. So alike were they that one might have surmised them brothers, since both appeared of middle years. But they were actually father and son, though a bare sixteen years separated them in age.
Behind them, in column of twos, rode a score of Thoheeks Bili’s picked Freefighters and three full troops of Confederation kahtahfrahktoee or heavy cavalry.