《The fate of Arberia》


 Chapter 1: Ungrey

    "So in these lands I make my name and fortune."Helones told himself as he pulled the reins of his horse.The small manor of Ungrey was a 1000 acres piece of land that was home to 60 families.It had a small forest,a short river that passed through the manor and a steep hill where the manor house stood.The village was located next to the river banks.It was a pile of thirty or more small houses,a bakery,a small inn,a forge and a very small marketplace.It could be a prosperous manor in the hands of a good ruler.


    "Yes,sire.Ungrey may be a small manor,but it can teald generous amounts of goods and gold."said Lorran,the manor''s chounselor.He was a man in his mid seventies,neither young but also not old enough to have silver hair.His eyes were green,with a look that pierced the minds of men.He was tall,lean and very energetic.


    Helones on the other hand was a young man with a handosme face and muscular body.He was tall and lean,with a pale face that was covered with a neatly trimmed beard.His hair was brown and long.The fairest attribute of his appareance were his eyes.They had a grey color,with a mix of blue.Those eyes gazed upon his manor with appeal.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.


    "Good." He said and headed toward his manor house.


    His horse started walking through the dirt road towards the largest stone house in the manor.He passed through the village,where he met courious gazes from his new subjects.They looked miserable,unwashed and malnourished.The war with the county of Krain had damaged the manor''s lands and had emptied the granaries.One year later and the village was still suffering.The market was almost empty,with only a few farmers selling their vegetables and fruits,and some tradesmen selling their goods.Moments later,Helones arrived at the manor''s gate.Two men armed with rusty spears opened it,still gazing at the new ruler.Helones entered,along with Lorran to the manor house hall.The hall was small,and it had a long table with five chairs at each side.At the end of the table was the lord''s chair,a small wooden throne made of oak.A small hearth stood behind the lord''s chair.


    "Now we begin"Helones said with a slight grin on his face as he sat on his chair.

 Chapter 2: The Manor House

    Lorran watched Helones with a worried expression.


    "I''m sorry,sire.Begin...what?"he asked,still puzzled.


    "Ruling,Lorran!"Helones said loudly."Or do you have something else in mind?"


    "Oh...yes,sire...I mean no sire.I mean,yes for the ruling part,but of course it is not in my power to..."Helones raised his hand,laughing heartly.


    "Calm down,Lorran.I know what you meant"Lorran came out of his confusion and let an apologetic smile escape from his lips."Of course,sire".


    "Lorran,can you find me the accounts of the manor for every year since its establishing?Maybe it can help us find the perks these lands have,or what kind of goods it is known for."


    "Yes sire.I already sent your squire Deveron fetch us the manor''s ledger.He should arrive at any moment.


    "Good" said Helones.As he waited,he started observing his hall.The walls were made with grey stone,while the floor was built with oak planks.The entire hall could hold at least a dozen men on special ocassions,while the wooden table,which seemed to be the most well maintained furniture in the room,had ten chairs,not including the lord''s small throne.Truth be told,the hall had seen better days.The walls were covered with moss,and the floor made enough noise to annoy a person,when someone set their foot on it.Every corner was covered with webs,filled with dead insects.Helones shivered when he witnessed a big spider eating a smaller one.He was not fond of arachnids,and the first thing he would do as a petty lord of Ungrey was to get rid of every spider or other insect inside the manor house.


    "When was this manor house built,you said?"Helones asked.


    "This manor house was built exactly two hundred and six years ago,sire.It was built by the Rens as a hunting lodge for their family,but a century later they gave it to a knight,whose name I can''t remember for the moment.Was it Vermon or Varmin?It does not matter."Lorran continued"What matters is that two years ago,the last member of the knight''s family died and no one was left to take care of the manor.You know the rest better then me,sire."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Indeed he did.Helones had killed two knights and three sergeants that day.His deeds were seen by Count Ren''s son,Gerland.After the battle,he knelt before the count and his son,and was given the title Baronet of Ungrey,a small manor south of Lissern.Maybe it was his skill in battle that got him his new title.Maybe it was by the will of the Maker,who struck with his hammer at the skies to signal Helone''s rise to power.It did''nt matter.What mattered was that Helones would do everything to make his name known to every man in Arberia,and beyond it.


    "Sire"Helones turned to Lorran to find him with a book in his hands and a boy no older than twelve to his side."This is the manor''s ledger,sire"


    It was an enormous book with a leather cover.As Lorran sat beside Helones,he blew to the book''s cover.Clouds of dust rose from the leather,while Lorran opened it.Helones saw some numbers and letters with a corner of his eyes,waiting for his chouncelor''s voice to be heard.


    "Yes,it''s all here.Ten barrels of ale,three barrels of wine,five barrels of fish,10 longbows.It''s all here,sire."he said as he moved his finger to the page he was reading.


    "So?"Helones asked,waiting for a summary.


    "Well,sire I have to say that the last two years have been hard for the manor.The production is half of what it was three years ago.Three years ago 92 families lived in the manor.Now there are only 65 families.Before the war,it was a prosperous piece of land that produced different goods,weapons,grain and many other materials."Lorran took a deep breath and kept reading the ledger.


    "What about the soldiers?How many could the manor raise three years ago?"Helones asked.If he wanted to have a prosperous manor,he would need to have strong men to protect it againts bandits and invaders.


    Lorran continued searching the ledger,and after ten minutes he found what he was asked to find.


    "When the former owner of the manor went ro war,he took with him four heavy knights,twenty spearmen,thirty men-at-arms and fourty longbowmen.All in all,ninety-four men.This must have been the maximum the knight could raise,not including the guards of the manor,and the keepers of peace."Lorran finally said,taking another deep breath.


    So Ungrey had been a prosperous manor three years ago.Now it was but a shade of its former glory.Helones would change that.But in order to change that,he had to act as soon as he could.


    "Good,Lorran.Now let us explore my lands.I want to see what we could make a benefit for the manor.Maybe along the way we can start improving the manor indirectly.With the coin I have,we can only do a limited amount of improvements,but it should be enough to start rebuilding the manor"Helones rose and headed for the door.He got on his horse and rode towards the village,with Lorran galloping behind him.


    <hr>

 Chapter 3: Meetings

    "Impressive." Helones said ironically as he was riding through the village''s muddy road.There was no trace of stone or gravel on it,suggesting that the former owner had not put any effort on improving it.The houses were big,but not maintained.


    "Let''s head to the marketplace,Lorran.I know it''s afternoon,but some tradesmen and farmers may still be there selling their goods." said Helones and headed to the most crowded place in the village.To Helones''s surprise,the marketplace was somehow crowded.Two hours ago,only tradesmen stood there,but now villagers and a few outsiders from the other manors were observing the goods or trading.


    "We came at the right time it seems,Lorran." Helones shouted,trying to speak louder than the noises of the marketplace.He jumped off his horse and gave the reins to Devoron.He headed for the nearest stand of the marketplace and saw what his subjects or other traders were selling.He saw an old farmer along with his wife selling carrots,turnips,and onions.Next to him was an artisan selling pots and urns.Behind Helones,a woman was selling straw baskets.He headed towards her and took a basket from the stand.The woman looked at Helones,confused.She obviously didn''t know that the young man who was observing her goods was the new lord of the manor.Lorran stood next to Helones and laid eyes at the woman.


    "Bow,woman.You are in the presence of sir Helones Doran,the new lord of Ungrey"he said with a voice that made the woman bow instantly.


    "I''m sorry,milord.I did not know who you were,for I would have bowed as soon as you laid eyes on my baskets."She bowed lower and waited for her lord''s answer.


    "Do not worry,my lady.A mistake that could happend to anyone,especially a woman who seems so much dedicated to her work." said Helones,smiling to the woman.She blushed and smiled.


    "What is your name,good woman?"Helones asked.


    "Gina,milord" answered the woman.


    "And how is your enterprise doing,Gina"he asked still smiling.


    "Good,milord.Same as yesterday,I think.There has not been a day that an outsider has not bought a straw basket from Gina.I make the strongest baskets in all of Lissern"she said proudly.Helones watched the basket again and confirmed Gina''s words.The basket was strong and well made,with flower patterns embeded on it.


    "Your baskets are the most beautiful I have ever laid eyes upon,Gina.I hope you sell all of them by the end of the day.I wish you a good day"Helones said walked away.


    "That was good of you my lord,but you must focus on other matters that require your attention,regarding the manor."Lorran said,with judgeful look on his face.


    "How can I focus on other matters,while my subjects have no clue who I am?"


    "Your subjects will know you in time my lord,but there are more important matters..."


    "Ah fuck other matters,Lorran.The people need to know me.If I stay among them and learn their names,they will become more loyal to me.I know it sounds like pigshit,but that''s the truth.I''ve seen what subjects can do to a lord if he treats them like his dogs."Helones continued walking,leaving Lorran with a worried look that did not get away from him the entire day.


    Devoron walked behind his lord leading both horses.They passed through the marketplace and stopped next to the village''s forge.Helones opened the gate and a bell rang as soon as he entered.A bald man the size of an ox was hammering a piece of iron,while two young lads were heating the furnace.The bald man stoped hammering the iron,wiped his face with a piece of cloth and greeted the new clients.


    "Welcome,gentlemen.How can I serve you?" He asked.He put his hammer away and crossed his arms.Lorran spoke first


    "Good day,master Torian.You are standing in the presence of lord Helones Doran,the new lord of Ungrey.We came to see your forge and make sure everything was fine,regarding your business."he said,looking at Torian.The blacksmith was close to seven feet tall,and muscles covered his arms and chest.A typical blacksmith,Helones thought.He had seen many during his time in lord Paxten Ren''s service.Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.


    "Good day to you,good sir.And good day to you,my lord Helones.I feel honoured having you in my simple forge.I work hard everyday,along with my boys Destan and Torbyn,but since the war a lot has changed.I lack iron to make tools and weapons,therefore I''m not able to sell as much as the villagers want to.Before,traders from other manors of Lissern brought iron here in exchange for other goods,but now only a few come and they sell light goods.The trade lines between other manors have been broken for almost two years and we barely feed ourselves.I''m sorry you have to hear this my lord but better to acknowledge the problem than behave like it does not exist."Torian said with sadness.His face looked harsh,but he seemed to be a hard working good man.Years of poverty had made him more stern and straightforward than needed.


    "I am aware of the problems this manor has Torian,and we''re trying to figure out ways to fix those problems.I will try to find a solution for the lack of iron as soon as I can.Have a good day."Helones concluded and walked out of the forge.


    "That was a straight forward answer,if I may say so,my lord"Lorran added,as he was walking behind his liege.


    "Straight forward men like to have a straight forward answer,Lorran.Torian is a blacksmith after all,not a politican."He continued walking until he arrived at a two floor building,larger than the houses around it.


    "Is this the sheriff''s headquarters,Lorran?"He asked.


    "Yes,my lord." Lorran answered.Next to the building''s door stood three pillories,only one occupied by a young man in his twentiesHelones stoped to watch him.


    "What was your crime,lad?"he asked.The man watched him confused,before answering.


    "Being too smart for my own good,milord."he answered,with a grin on his face.Helones liked that answer.He knew how to respect a bold man,even when there was no reason to be bold.


    "You''re a clever one,aren''t you?Was it thievery?"He asked.The young man nodded,still smiling like it was a normal thing to do."And you seem to not regret your ungodly actions."


    It was more a fact than an answer.


    "The only reason I''m sorry is that I was caught,milord.These times men have to fall so low in order to survive.Before I was an honest lad,working for ser Venmont,and now..."he stoped,and stood sikent as the building''s door opened and an old man came out.


    "Shut your gob before I fill it with pigshit,Conrad.You may be a good spy but not a very food thief.Too much honesty in you.You''ll think twice before you try it again,and three days here will be more than enough."the old man saw Helones and bowed."We were excpecting you tomorrow my lord.Welcome to Ungrey.I am Ulfarn,the sheriff and this stupid lad,who I can bet has dung filling his head is Conrad.Don''t mistake him for a mere thief,for he is the best spy in Lissern.


    "Well meet,sheriff Ulfarn.And Conrad"he said,looking at Conrad."I came here to see if you were doing a fine job on catching brigands and criminals on our lands."


    "Well,my lord there is not much to be said for the village itself.Conrad here is the only fool who tried to steal to one of the traders here.But I am afraid to say that the manor has been home to a band of outlaws during this past two years."


    "Outlaws?And have you done anything to fix this problem,Ulfarn?"Helones asked,knowing the answer before it came.


    "Not enough,my liege.There are dozens of bandits hiding in the forest east of the village.They come out only when there is a caravan to be raided.Those bastards have caused a lot of troubles.Traders come rarely now,or not at all."Ulfarn said,with a face that showed guilt.


    "Why haven''t you done enough to prevent this bandit problem?"Lorran asked with an angry voice.Ulfarn lowered his head.


    "We don''t have the weapons to fight them,sir"he mumbled"The weapons we had were the best in the region but now they lay rusty somewhere in the barracks.The blacksmith,Torian refuses to repair them,because he needs the iron he posseses to repair the most neccessary tools the village needs.The men we have though,are well trained and ready to fight the bandits,if they have the equipment."


    "So if we find the iron,and Torian repairs the weapons,we can get rid of the bandits?"Helones asked.


    "Of course,my lord.After we get the equipment,the men only need a bit of training,for they have not fought these past two years."Ulfarn said.


    Helones did not say anything for a minute.He fixed his eyes on Lorran,before he spoke.


    "Lorran,I need you to find out how much coin we can gather in a fortnight.That includes my savings that should be in the manor right now."


    He eyed Conrad.


    "Conrad,I don''t know you yet,but judging Ulfarn''s words you are a capable spy.I need you to come tomorrow at the manor house and I will give you more details.Ulfarn."he said to the sheriff."I want you to double the watchmen in the village.I saw that we have only four.Meanwhile,gather all the abled bodies you can and start training them."


    He got the reins of his horse from Devoron and got on.Devoron and Lorran did the same and they started to ride towards the manor house.


    "HEY,WHAT ABOUT ME?!"Belones heard Conrad shout.

 Chapter 4: In need of a spy

    Helones sat in his chair and waited for Conrad to arrive at the manor house.Devoron and Lorran sat beside him,the first gazing at everything he could find interesting and the former reading parchments.Moments later the door was opened and all saw Conrad,drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.He stood at the end of the table in silence,waiting for Helones to speak.Helones motioned the food and the wine he had ordered some hours ago and.


    "Come sit,Conrad.There is food and if you''re hungry,and wine to wash it down.Devoron,go and fetch us another flagon of wine and some food."


    The squire nodded and went to the kitchen.He came later with the wine,bread,cheese and bacon.They ate in silence, the only noise coming from the munching and the clashing of the wine glassess with the wooden table.When they finished Devoron and another servant cleaned the table and went to the kitchen.


    "So, Conrad." said Helones. Conrad gazed at him , with a grin on his face.


    "So...my lord." Helones chuckled. at his words.


    "Where are you from Conrad?When did you first come to Ungrey?"


    Conrad looked surprised at his lord''s question.Now it was Helones turn to grin.


    "You are not from here, I can see that.Your accent is different and your speech is more fair than the other folk of Ungrey. Either you''re a noble''s son, or you served in a court. I think both assumptions are correct."


    Conrad regained his posture and a grin appeared again on his face.


    "I must say that you are more wise than you look, my lord. Ser Venmont, may he be with the maker was a bit more than a halfwit. Yes you''re correct ser Helones, I am a noble''s spawn, but I despise my kind for they only think about wealth and power. My father was a noble merchant of Lissern and served in the Count''s court. When I turned 20 I refused to start the life of the merchant and entered the service of lord Paxton as a spy. Long story short after two years of service lord Paxton decided that he had no more need of me and dismissed me from the court. Ser Venmont found me in a tavern and offered me a roof in Ungrey, for as long as I served him."


    Silence fell, before Helones broke it again after five minutes.


    "When you say that lord Paxton dismissed you, do you mean you did something that displeased him?


    The lad thought for a moment before he answered. Finally he smiled.


    "Alright, I may have done some things that I deeply regret." A lie, for his face showed everything but remorse.Helones kept looking at him, until the spy surrendered."I was found in bed with one of the ladies of the court. A powerful knight''s wife, if I remember correctly.It was worth the punishment.I found the Count''s court dull and boring."


    "And you came here to escape dullness and boredom." Helones stated ironically.


    "As a matter of fact, yes.I enjoy Ungrey and its people, as stupid and naive as half of them may be. That may sound contradictory , but I''ve been caught dozens of times and released by the people who caught me, for they know I mean no harm to them. Of course I have robbed traders, but they also rob Ungrey. So I take their goods and money and give them to the people."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    For the first time during their conversations, Helones saw honesty and compassion in Conrad''s voice.


    "Then you undertand,Conrad, that the only way that you can improve the lifes of the people of Ungrey is to serve them by serving me."


    "How can I do that?"


    "It''s simple.You are a capable spy, and people as smart as you are rare in Arberia, for you know the life of the wealthy as much as you know the life of the poor and thiefs. I need your help to fix things in this manor, Conrad."


    Conrad drained his glass and lowered his eyes.


    "I am your servant, then. For as long as you wish me to be around.What is my first task?"


    Helones smiled at his servant''s eagerness.


    "Your first task is not an easy one, and requires all your wisdom and care. I need you to infiltrate the outlaw camp east of here." A flash of surprise appeared on Conrad''s face.


    "Well that is not an easy task for sure. I don''t need to ask for the reason of this quest, but why so fast? You have just arrived here."


    "I saw in what condition the hard working people are on this village, Conrad. I will not let outlaws roam freely while I rule Ungrey."


    Conrad breathed deeply.


    "When shall I start?"


    "Tomorrow morning you will set for the camp. You will take a mule packed with goods and some gold, so the outlaws believe that you are one of them. Find out how many they are, their weapons,provisions and the loot they possess. After you have completed this mission you must come and report to me. The manner of your escape you must find out yourself. Take a knife and a flachion with you. Torian wil be of help."


    "And how do you intend to use this information, sire?" Conrad asked, the answer revealed to him the moment his lord asked him to spy on the brigands.


    "When you come back, I will head for their camp and destroy it. I will kill their leader and collect the loot he has amassed during his activity as a brigand. For now that is what you need to know." Helones answered.The sun sat more to the west now, but still filled the manor house with light.Conrad got up.


    "I must thank you for the meal my lord. Now I must go to my house and get ready. I only require a mule, the goods and gold I have in my possessions."


    Helones took a small purse from his pocket and threw it to Conrad.The spy took it.


    "This is the first payment. There are twenty silver coins inside that purse. Another twenty awaits you when you come back."


    Conrad put the purse in his pocket and grinned.


    "Thank you my lord." He bowed and left the house.


    Helones opened the ledger and started reading it in silence. Two hours passed, until Lorran came out of his room, where he had been counting money and writing. He bowed while Helones continued to read and sat beside him. Minutes passed before the knight lifted his eyes from the books.


    "My lord, I finished counting your savings and the money that I found in the small room of the treasury. Apparently, the people of Ungrey kept adding what coin they could spare to the treasury even after ser Venmont left. Usually, when the cat leaves, the mice become wolves, but to my surprise they seem to be a merry folk and respect the rules of hierarchy."


    "I am happy to hear that, Lorran. How much?"


    Lorran took a look on a parchment that he kept on his left hand.


    "Your savings are fifty gold coins,two hundred silver and twenty copper.The people of Ungrey have saved twenty gold,a hundred silver and three hundred copper. All in all seventy gold coins, three hundred silver and thre hundred and twenty copper coins."


    Helones took the parchment from his hand and read the numbers.


    "Good. I need you to keep gathering tithes from the farmers and goods from the artisans. Tomorrow I need you to send word to all the merchants who live here to meet me. Also, we should start gathering taxes from all the foreign merchants who come here to trade and set fixed prices for goods that they want to buy.This way they will not rob the people of their goods for absurd prices."


    "Do you think that is wise my lord?That would scare the traders off. We barely get new traders to this manor." said Loren.


    "I don''t intend to set high taxes, Lorren. I assume that 10 coppers for every average priced good is more than fair, but you are the expert on this matter. Also, after we get rid of the bandits, tradesmen will flock to these lands. And believe me, this will happend. Before the bandits came to Ungrey, this place was a heaven for traders." Lorren bowed his head in defeat.


    "Alright, sire. It makes me happy to see that your choices are wise. I am sure your father would be proud" he said.


    "Of course " Helones sighed " he would, if he could mention my name and proudness in the same sentence."

 Chapter 5: First preparations

    "Father, I made this for you." the boy took a wooden carved lion from his pocket and extended it towards a man who sat on a throne. The faceless man took the lion and a fire appeared between him and the boy. He then threw the thing in the fire and got up from the throne.


    "I thought I was raising a ruler, not a carpenter.Now get out of here, I have other matters to attend to." The boy did not move.


    "Did you not hear me?I said move,boy."The fire died,and now the man stood in front of the child.Tears rand down on the boy''s face.That angered the man.He grabbed the boy by his arm and dragged him out of the room.


    "GET OUT, HELONES!" the man roared.


    ...........


    "NO!" Helones roared back, as he got up from his bed, sweating.After he relaxed, he laughed in silence.After all this time he still feared the man.In his dreams he could even cast magic, like the sorcerers who wandered the courts of Arberia.


    "My lord!" the door opened and Devoron entered the room, with a pale face and barely breathing. Helones gazed at him and chuckled.


    "Just a fream Devoron. Even men fear nightmares.Go to sleep now." the thirteen year old boy bowed and closed the door.


    It was early still, but Helones had no sleep. He got up and wore his clothes and left the manor house in silence. He found his horse awake too. He rode around the manor until the sun rose, and surveyed the land.The village itself was sorrounded by farmlands, but not even not a quarter of the land that was fertile was covered with wheat,vegetables or fruits.Many of the village houses were empty, because dozens of familes had left Ungrey because of the war. South of the village was a lake that stretched from miles. Helones could spot three fishing boats tied up to the shore.North of the manor stood the Giant''s bite, a mountain range resembling sharp teeth. No mine was mentioned in the manor''s ledger, but Helones hoped that ores could be found if miners were sent to dig there. A small river east of the village ran down from the mountain and filled the lake with fresh water.


    He returned to the manor house after two hours of riding, and found the servants doing their usual jobs, such as cleaning and preparing food for breakfast. The previous day they had cleaned every inch of the house and had started to repait parts of it. The changes made the house look more pleasant and warm.


    After having a bath, Helones sat along with Devoron and Lorren on the long table. Andrey, the cook, had prepared fresh bread, bacon, cheese and eggs, and the servants had brought ale to wash it down. After that came fruits and honey.


    "Tell me, Arin. Are all of these produced in Ungrey?" Helones asked the young man who served the food.


    "Yes, my lord. Ungrey never had to import food from other regions. The fruits come from my parents farms, actually." said Arin.


    "Well thank them on my behalf, Arin" said Helones as he drained his mug. The servants cleaned the table and left the hall.


    "Now, Lorran, when are we excpecting the traders?"


    "They should be here anytime, my lord. I sent the servants before breakfast was served."


    "Good." said Helones. "After we finish our business with them, I will go see sheriff Ulfarn. We must not wait for the weapons and the armours to be ready before the levies start training. We must also meet with the tanners of the village and pay them so they can start making leather armour."


    Lorren was wrote the last matter to a parchment. He always kept a parchment and ink wherever he was.


    "Alright, sire. I will go meet the tanners myself. I believe there are three tanners in the village, and they are good at what they do. The leather will be sent to Toran and his sons, so they can start as soon as he can.We should also hire some women to start making arrows and boywers to make bows" he wrote everything he said.


    "Try not to overexert yourself, my friend. You are not young anymore"


    Lorren frowned at what Helones said.


    " I can assure you that I am capable of strangling a boar with my hands, sire. I don''t believe that a little stroll would over exert me. As for the age , I am only two hundred and fourty. I may not be young but I am not old either." Helones laughed at the man''s lack of modesty.


    Before he could answer back, the door was opened and a servant came in. After him came four men. Two were young men while two looked middle aged. They came before Helones and bowed. The older merchant took another step.


    "My liege" he said with a deep voice "My name is Horan and I am the master of the Merchant Guild in Ungrey. I am sorry to say that only us remain in the village, for many other merchants left the manor two years ago."Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    He then presented the other merchants to Helones. The two young merchants were brothers.Helgen and Hirglas they were called. Their father was Horan. The other merchant was named Degram, Horan''s cousin.


    "The past two years have been harsh for us merchants to maintain our entreprise my lord. We do our best, but it''s not enough. Half of the caravans that we send to other regions are raided by the very brigands that make the manor''s forest their home. This means that we make only a small profit, or no profit at all. Your lordship was wise beyond measure to summon us today, for we wanted to come ourselves too, so we could congratulate you but also to address our problems" after this Horan fell in silence and waited for Helones to speak.


    "I am aware of the bandit problem in our lands, Horan. Since I came yesterday , I''ve been making preparations so we can end the threat. In the meantime I want you and your sons to continue doing what you do best : to make this place prosper. I assume that you need funds to create new ties with other manors to boost the trade here. I will secure you those funds to build a guild''s house for you and other merchants who want to make this village their base of operation."


    Horan''s face changed from worried to exalted within the second. He was a merchant after all, and the sound of coins being rubbed together was his anthem.


    "Thank you, my lord! Thank you so much. I will not dissapoint you." he continued, bowing again. His sons looked relieved, and a small grin appeared on Degram''s face.


    "Now you must excuse me, good men. I have other matters to attend to. For everything you need, my advisor Lorren is here to help you." he left the house while the merchants followed Lorren in his study like hungry harpies.


    Devoron prepared the horses and they rode toward the sheriff''s quarters. Before they entered the courtyard, which was sorrounded by a small stone hall covered with moss, Helones heard men shouting and cursing. So Ulfarn has started to train them, he thought, as he entered the courtyard. There were at least 40 men training with wooden swords, sticks and small bows.


    He spotted Ulfarn in the middle of the rabble, shouting at the villagers who could barely swing a wooden stick, or at others who could not fire an arrow properly. Helones approached him.


    " Good morning, Ulfarn. I see you are very busy." he said, as he got off the horse and gave the reins to a villager. Devoron did the same.


    "Good morning, sire. Or better say good day, since the sun is almost at its zenith. Yes, I have been training these piles of shits all morning...YOU BASTARD, GET UP AND PUT UP A FIGHT...and they seem promising so far my lord."


    "Is this all we can muster, Ulfarn?" Helones asked, worried that this lot was everything they had against the bandits.


    "This lot? No,no sire. These are the men who have never wielded a sword, or have barely wielded it. There are 25 men who have served for ser Venmont in the war, and I must say they are more than capable against the bandits. They will start training tomorrow and will help me train these idiots too. "


    Helones gazed at the villagers again.


    "Don''t judge them, master Ulfarn. Most of them have not seen war before and it''s only the first day for them. How many have you assembled today?"


    Ulfarn took a look at the rabble and counted as fast as he could.


    "About 50 my lord. Some of them don''t live in the village,but in the outskirts or the farms around it. Some are sons of fishermen who live in the shores of the lake. I''m afraid I cannot assemble more, since many men have other jobs and sustain the manor and its people. Two years ago, I would have been able to gather at least a hundred levies, not including the men at arms and the knights." he finished.


    "They will suffice, Ulfarn. I excpected less, but I underestimated the manor. What about knights?" Helones asked.


    "There are two knights left here my lord, and each one has a squire. They are both attending a tourney in the town of Kolm. I sent a letter yesterday so they should be here in some days after the tourney ends."


    "How many bowmen do we have Ulfarn?"


    "In the courtyard there are 20 aspiring bowmen, and 10 others are professional ones. So all in all we need at least 30 new bows and two stacks of arrows for each one of the bowmen.The other men require swords, aces and spears, along with helmets, chainmail and leather."


    "All will be given to them, Ulfarn. At this moment, Lorren is talking to all the artisans who produce weapons and armours. Tomorrow we will let them know the amount we need. For now your recruits must train hard. I intend to train with Devoron, if you wouldn''t mind" It had been some days since the squire had not trained, because of the long journey.


    Devoron and Helones drew their swords and started sparring. Of course, the knight was easy on the lad, but the latter had improved since he entered his service. Now he could fend off against his liege''s attacks. The sparring went on for two hours. The sparring made the villagers train harder, for they wanted to impress their liege, and could not tolerate a thirteen year old boy fighting many times better than them. The training ended just before the sun set in the east. Helones and Devoron, who had sparred again after their first fight, went home tired.


    "How do you feel about fighting the bandits, Dev? It will be your first time clashing swords with someone you will want dead"


    Helones excpected to see Devoron get pale, or look worried at the least. But the boy did not even blink.


    "I''m not sure, my lord. It will take some time before we attack, and I can learn some new things during that time. Therefore I think I can manage it" he did not say anything else.


    ...........................


    "You look tired, my lord. You may be young, but you look older right now" Helones was too tired to deflect the irony, and only managed a smile.


    "I did everything you asked me for my lord. I gave Horan and his men 20 gold coins to build a new Merchant''s Guild house. Also I met some of the fishermen. They believe they are able to catch more fish if they had more boats. I gave them another 50 silver coins to buy new rods and boats in Kolm. They even told me they convinced some relatives to move here. I hope you are pleased, sire.I also sent some of my agents to pay some bards in other regions. They will spread the word about what we are trying to build here"


    "Thank you for your service, Lorren. We surely need more folk here. I believe the money we have invested will pay off shortly. Tomorrow we must think about investing in some of the farms that are empty. We will pay the farmers a visit tomorrow. Good night, my friend" he yawned and headed for his room.


    "Good night sire. Be careful at the stairs sire. You''re not that young and can break..."


    "Shut up, Lorren" His advisor''s laugh continued until he entered his room.

 Chapter 6: The Reckoning of Ungrey

    Helones awoke to the sound of distant thunder. The morning sky was blanketed with thick, dark clouds, casting a somber light over Ungrey. He stretched his arms, sore from the previous day¡¯s sparring, and washed his face with the cold water left by the servants. As he dressed, the weight of responsibility pressed on him¡ªthere was still much to do to restore the manor¡¯s former glory.


    After breaking his fast with a simple meal of bread and salted meat, he met with Lorren in the study. The advisor, ever diligent, had already prepared a list of tasks for the day.


    ¡°My lord,¡± Lorren began, handing Helones a parchment, ¡°the farmers await your word on the abandoned lands. If we wish to see them tilled again before next spring, we must act now.¡±


    Helones read through the list. Several families had shown interest in returning to the village, but they needed tools, seeds, and most of all, protection.


    ¡°Summon the farmers. I will meet them in the great hall.¡±


    Lorren nodded and departed. Within the hour, the farmers gathered, their faces weary yet hopeful. One of them, a grizzled man named Marden, stepped forward.


    ¡°My lord, we wish to reclaim our lands, but we lack the means. The war left us with nothing¡ªno livestock, no plows, not even enough hands to work the fields.¡±


    Helones clasped his hands together, thinking. ¡°If I provide tools and oxen, can you guarantee a full harvest next year?¡±


    Marden exchanged glances with the others before nodding. ¡°Aye, my lord. We¡¯ll work from dawn till dusk if need be.¡±


    ¡°Then it is settled. I will allocate funds to procure what you need. In return, you will set aside a portion of your harvest for the manor.¡±


    A murmur of agreement spread through the farmers. With their support secured, Helones turned his mind to another pressing matter¡ªthe bandits.


    As he stepped outside, he found Ulfarn waiting for him. The sheriff¡¯s expression was grim.


    ¡°My lord, scouts have returned from the western woods. The brigands grow bold. They¡¯ve built a camp deep within the forest and are raiding outlying farms. We must act soon.¡±


    Helones felt the tension rise in his chest. He had hoped for more time, but hesitation could cost lives.


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    ¡°How many men do they have?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps fifty, maybe more. They are seasoned fighters, deserters from the war.¡±


    Helones exhaled sharply. This would not be an easy fight.


    ¡°We¡¯ll gather our best men. We must strike before they become too strong.¡±


    Ulfarn smirked. ¡°I was hoping you¡¯d say that.¡±


    By nightfall, the manor bustled with activity. Weapons were sharpened, armor fitted, and torches lit. Helones donned his own mail, fastening his sword to his belt. Devoron stood beside him, determination in his young eyes.


    ¡°Are you ready?¡± Helones asked.


    Devoron swallowed hard but nodded. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    Helones clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Then let us rid our lands of these parasites.¡±


    The hunt for the brigands had begun.


    The moon cast a silver glow over the land as Helones and his men moved through the dense forest. The scent of damp earth and pine filled the air, mingling with the faint crackle of distant campfires. Ulfarn led the way, his years of experience guiding them through the underbrush without a sound.


    Devoron gripped his sword tightly, his knuckles white. Helones noticed and leaned in. ¡°Steady your breath, Dev. Fear is the mind¡¯s enemy.¡±


    The boy gave a small nod and exhaled, focusing his gaze on the path ahead.


    They halted near a ridge overlooking the bandit camp. Torches flickered below, casting twisted shadows on the tattered tents. The brigands were gathered around a central fire, laughing and drinking, oblivious to the danger lurking in the darkness.


    Helones crouched beside Ulfarn. ¡°How many do you count?¡±


    ¡°At least forty visible, but more could be inside the tents.¡±


    ¡°We take them by surprise,¡± Helones whispered. ¡°Archers first, then we charge.¡±


    He signaled to the bowmen hidden among the trees. A hush fell over the forest as arrows were nocked and drawn. Then, with a sharp gesture, Helones gave the command.


    The first volley struck true. Bandits fell, their laughter turning to screams. Chaos erupted as Helones and his men stormed the camp, steel clashing against steel.


    Devoron fought beside him, his strikes wild but determined. Helones parried an incoming blow and countered, cutting down an enemy before moving to the next. Ulfarn led a group toward the larger tents, driving out any who tried to flee.


    The battle raged on. The bandits, caught off guard, scrambled to defend themselves but were no match for the trained warriors of Ungrey. One by one, they fell.


    Helones turned in time to see a towering brigand swinging an axe toward Devoron. Without thinking, he lunged forward, his sword biting deep into the attacker¡¯s side. Devoron gasped, wide-eyed, as the man collapsed.


    ¡°Watch your flanks, boy,¡± Helones said, panting.


    Devoron swallowed and nodded. ¡°Yes, my lord.¡±


    The battle was over within the hour. The remaining bandits either lay dead or fled into the night. Helones stood amidst the wreckage, catching his breath.


    ¡°Burn the camp,¡± he ordered. ¡°Let this be a warning to any who think to prey upon our land.¡±


    As the fires roared, he turned to his men. ¡°You fought well. Tonight, we sleep as victors.¡±


    They rode back to Ungrey under the light of the burning camp, knowing that though this battle was won, the war for their home had only just begun.