“You carry yourself in the saddle as if you are riding a piece of a wreckage through the waves,” chuckled Abimnupal.

Ymdaton grunted something unintelligible.

“Come on, don’t get offended here,” grinned his friend, “If you practiced riding more instead of trudging around the city, you’ll be fine now. We are not on Isary anymore, bakhmat here is like a rowboat at home. You can sail a boat, can’t you?”

“Oh shut up,” answered Crewslyer, his eyes smiling, “I will beat you at running contest any time, because you won’t ever cross the street on your two.”

“Well, when we are finally defeated and it is time to retreat, your splendid training will come handy.”

“Speaking of which,” Ymdaton glanced across the field, where the lake gates were already being repaired. A multitude of flattened houses which remained in the wake of the blizzard giant were also swarming with builders and carpenters, “We drove away only the army that was besieging Belosten gates. What happened to other two? They just disappeared.”

“Drevlyani believe that they were decimated by forces of the forest. There was a lot mutilated corpses on these roads, some were also frozen to death. Have you heard how the venator dealt with that towering thing?”

“Yeah, I even saw the battle briefly, when I was riding across the domain. Not the end though. Ahyq told me that they brought it to the knees using siege machines which hurled pots of molten metal. Then Sumiaton charged and with a sling launched flask on unknown concoction into its face. That fluid caused great pain upon the thing, it roared, covered eyes with hands and staggered back to the forest.”

“He did not kill it then...”

“No.”

“You do not sound upset at all.”

“Why would I be?”

“Well, our venator placed himself in legends safely with this one battle. It is easily his greatest achievement.”

“And?” dragged the word Ymdaton.

“While you were not as,” his friend paused, “fortunate.”

“Truth be told, I don’t even care that much,” shrugged his shoulders Ymdaton, “I know that I’ve done the right thing. No matter if it isn’t awesome enough for the songs.”

“Weird to hear it from you,” smiled Abimnupal.

“I’d not expect myself saying something like this year ago,” grinned Crewalayer.

Soon two crewmen reached a pasture to which they were summoned by their lord. Upon it a spectacular drill was commenced. Mounted warriors rode back and forth. Some competed with their peers, crossing training blades. Some charged at full speed wooden posts to which were crossing planks attached, so that they resembled men.

When they passed these posts, they practiced at delivering precise cuts to dummy’s “neck”, “head”, under its “arms”, into its “torso”. One of riders had his cape fly wildly with the wind and Ymdaton saw a metal of hauberk flash.

“Look,” Ymdaton pointed, “That’s how lord Azytenisar trained his riders in secret. He had them practicing with their amour hidden under clothes. So no one noticed that he was creating heavy cavalry.”

“Still not as impressive as Sumiton digging a square league of the ground without raising suspicion.”

“Still not as impressive as forest dwellers, who supposedly know nothing about siegeworks, bringing the walls down with a sap.”

“Well, obviously they learned from someone.”

There was a group of cavalrymen, around two dozen, who charged in a formation. They headed for a row of pikes plucked into the soil. Pikes were placed a step away from each other, between them stood wooden panels. Wooden sticks were five cubits long, their tips were covered in leather sacks stuffed with something. Crewslayer quickly understood the meaning of this exercise.

Riders approached the obstacle at full speed, guiding their mounts between pikes and ramming panels, which fell down and were trampled over. Sacks were also not without a purpose, as one of warriors was too clumsy and rode directly into the pike. His bakhmat got hit and he was thrown out of the saddle. Besides the shock and shame, the animal and its rider were unharmed.

They found lord of Abeneewy at the edge of the pasture, overseeing the drill.

“Do you have any idea why I wanted to see you there instead of my residence?” asked he after receiving greetings.

“You are a busy man, knez. You deal with several matters at the same time to spare time” said Ymdaton.

“Is it pity in your voice,” smiled Azytenisar, “You are not wrong, but not right either.”

“You want to tell us something that no one else is supposed to hear,” told Abimnupal.

Knez nodded.

“Our defenses are in shambles,” said he, following dueling riders with a gaze, “While loses at Belosten gates were minimal, we lost nearly thousand and a half warriors to the attack of that giant creature. Fortifications are compromised. Resources are thinning. The recent blizzard damaged rural grounds heavily, yeild will be too scarce to feed an army in case of a new war.

Of course other cities were weakened as well and they are unlikely to attack again soon. But I can not afford dismissing the possibility. And there is also the ever present threat of the forest.

I will send two thirds of High Crew on a secret mission to Qyris. They will be given ten sacks of gold and a sealed message from me to king Azyrah. With this money they are to buy from royal house armed reinforcements and food. In this way we can bolster defences of Khladnetz while we are rebuilding it.”

“I suppose that we are in this party,” said Ymdaton.

“Indeed. I will put in command one of you two. It is up to you to chose whom. Now.”

Two crewmen exchanged confused looks. Crewslayer was about to open his mouth, but Abimnupal spoke first.

“I believe, that my friend is more suited for the task. He was bereft of opportunities to prove himself lately, so I think it is only fair to appoint him.”

“Set and done then,” uttered Azytenisar while Ymdaton was still taken aback, “You are appointed as a commander. My hopes lay with you.”

“I won’t disappoint,” finally managed to have his word Crewslayer. He and Abimnupal both bowed and went on their way.