Volume One: The Forest Knight Chapter 22: Some Rejoice, Others Despair

After Berion returned to Norland Castle, he felt a certain anxiety, but remained confident that no one would trace this matter back to him. After all, this era lacked any real criminal investigation techniques, and those who governed acted with such inefficiency that there was practically no chance the crime would be solved. Still, what worried Berion most was Baron Raul and his son from Lida Castle. While others might not guess who had killed Sir Sack, those two certainly would, and he feared their hostility toward Norland Castle would only deepen. Before they could exact some greater revenge, Berion knew he had to strengthen his own power.

Meanwhile, Sir Pippin, the sheriff, noticed that Sir Sack had failed to appear at the sheriff’s office for the important meeting they had arranged the day before. He sent one of his men to Sack’s residence. The constable arrived to find the doors tightly shut and, no matter how he called, no one answered. Not daring to force his way in, he returned to report to Sir Pippin, who, upon hearing the news, felt a surge of anger.

Sir Sack, emboldened by his family’s influence, had never shown much respect to Pippin as his superior since taking office. He frequently forgot arrangements made the previous day, leaving Pippin to shoulder the work alone. This time, Pippin’s patience finally snapped. Slamming his fist on the table, he summoned two subordinates to accompany him to Sack’s house, determined to teach the deputy sheriff a lesson.

Upon arriving at the residence, Pippin immediately sensed something was amiss. He had been going to war since the age of fifteen, and now, at thirty-five, he was intimately familiar with the scent of blood. Catching its faint trace in the air, a chill ran through him. Without hesitation, he ordered his men to break down the door. Once inside, they found Sir Sack and two of his guards dead. The only living soul was an overweight cook, who had spent the night locked in with two corpses and was now so terrified she could barely speak, let alone answer questions.

The murder of a court knight who belonged to a prominent family and served as deputy sheriff of the county was well above Pippin's authority to resolve. He sent his men to report to Viscount Melly, the county governor. Upon learning of the situation, Viscount Melly hurried to the scene. After surveying the carnage, he ordered the bodies removed and, with Pippin, co-wrote a letter to the Chief Sheriff at court, detailing the events. When all was done, Melly turned to Pippin with a heavy heart. “Brother, with a crime of this magnitude, your days as sheriff are likely numbered. As for myself, I doubt my tenure as governor will get any easier.” Pippin could only nod with a wry, helpless smile.

The messenger sent to Valombrey rode hard, arriving in just three days. The Chief Sheriff, upon reading the letter, promptly informed the Prime Minister, who then called a council before the Duke, summoning all the ministers, the archbishop, and the chief scholars to discuss the crisis.

Sir Sack, though a noble, was of the lowest rank, and his death did not particularly concern the council—except for Count Mata, the Minister of Revenue, whose family Sack belonged to. Though Mata did not care for his troublesome, talentless kinsman, he knew that if he failed to speak up, his family would be disappointed and their standing in the duchy would suffer.

Though the other ministers cared little for the case, they deferred to the Minister of Revenue’s influence, all expressing their resolve to pursue the matter, punish the murderer, and hold the county governor and sheriff accountable, since such a heinous crime had taken place under their watch. After some discussion, a resolution was drafted, signed by the Prime Minister and Chief Sheriff, and submitted by the chief scholar to the Duke.

Duke Caroling read the decision and, the following day, after consulting with the Chief Sheriff, issued a decree based on the council’s resolution. It first extended condolences to Sack’s family, then outlined penalties for Viscount Melly and Sir Pippin. Melly’s punishment was a mere slap on the wrist—one year’s salary docked—while Pippin was reassigned to the border fortress of Longbeard as an infantry officer, effectively exiled. The surprise came with the appointment of the new sheriff in Amondine: Sir Rudy, Berion’s uncle. Not only was Rudy appointed to the post, but he was also elevated from probationary to full knight, finally entitled to trim his family’s pennant.

This outcome was thanks to Berion’s advice before they parted. He had urged Rudy to visit the Chief Sheriff more often. Witnessing how Berion secured tax exemptions and other favors for his fief by bribing the Chief Sheriff, Rudy understood what was required. He spent most of his savings—and borrowed from his brother, Sir Oray—making frequent visits to the Chief Sheriff, Count Gaoshan of Castle Heights, who assured him that when an opportunity arose, he would be promoted to full knight. Sometimes fate works in mysterious ways: Berion’s actions in Norland Castle had inadvertently created the chance for his uncle’s advancement. Though Rudy was not granted his own fief, inheriting a permanent title made future land grants well within reach.

When Berion’s father, Sir Oray, learned of his brother’s knighthood, he not only forgave Rudy’s debt, but personally traveled to Valombrey to deliver his congratulations—a gesture even more significant than when Berion became a knight. After all, the family now boasted three knights, two of whom had risen within a single year—a rarity in the current era, and one that gave Sir Oray hope that the Tuck family might soon ascend into the upper echelons of the Duchy of Brick.

Rudy’s first order upon being appointed sheriff of the county was to promptly investigate the cause of Sir Sack’s death and apprehend the culprit. Privately, however, the Chief Sheriff advised him that this was a difficult case. If it could be solved, so be it; if not, he could simply find a convict in the prison to scapegoat. The court and Count Mata merely wanted a plausible resolution, not the truth.

While Rudy’s household celebrated, the news struck terror and outrage in Baron Raul and his son at Lida Castle. Dismissing all servants, the pair retreated to the study for a long, secretive discussion. No one knew precisely what they planned, but it was clear they were plotting a more ruthless revenge against Berion—proof, perhaps, that fortune’s wheel brings both joy and woe.

News from the capital took some time to reach remote Norland Castle. Berion was in no hurry to learn what transpired elsewhere; his immediate concern was developing his fief, training his army, and fulfilling the governor’s assignments so as to better protect himself.

One day, Berion summoned his principal subordinates for a meeting. Taking his seat at the head of the long table in the lord’s hall, he sat on a plain grey wolfskin—the pelt of the pack leader that had attacked Norland Castle. He had considered selling it for a high price, but Mark, Bess, Barin, and others objected, insisting that the lord of Norland needed a fine wolf pelt to signify his authority. Since coming to this world, Berion had learned to adapt to its customs, and so the wolfskin was laid on the central chair.

Once seated, his retinue took their places on either side. To his left sat Mark the steward, Hama the craftsman officer, and Larr the civil officer—the main administrative officials. Though Larr and Hama were recent recruits, Larr, being from a farming family, was skilled in agriculture, animal husbandry, hunting, and clearing new land, and could help Berion manage the daily affairs of his people. Most importantly, Larr was literate, having been sent to a monastery as a youth, where his father had hoped he’d become a monk; there, he was taught to read and write.

Hama, though illiterate, was the most important blacksmith in Norland, possessing notable managerial talent as well. Berion put him in charge of all craftsmen on the estate and required him to learn basic literacy from Larr within half a year—after all, a leader could hardly remain unlettered.

To Berion’s right sat Iome, Bess, Tur, Barrett, and Barin. As this was an internal meeting, Grove had not been invited; though friendly, the Free Company remained outsiders, and the secrets of the fief must, for now, be kept from them.

After everyone was seated, Berion signaled several youths standing nearby to pour wine for his officers. He looked at each man with satisfaction and said, “Brothers, today marks the hundred and fiftieth day since I took up the lordship of Norland Castle. In this time, we have endured much together—long treks through the depths of winter, survival on the desolate northern frontier, the attacks of wolves, and the threats of bandits. I remember, especially, the three brothers from Frondo, who followed me here on my promise of a better life, only to fall in battle soon after our arrival. I confess, I feel deep guilt over their loss. Let us raise this first cup to our fallen comrades!”

“To them!” Berion lifted his cup, and all drank deeply. As soon as the cups were set down, the attendants refilled them. Berion continued, “From the dangers of our arrival until today, when we have at last gained a foothold, I could not have done this alone. Without your help, I might not have survived at all. This second cup is to all of you here.”

They drank the second cup. When the servants filled the cups again, Berion raised his glass, “This third cup is an early celebration—to our great victory, three months from now!”

“To victory!” everyone shouted in unison, draining their cups.

After three rounds, Berion asked Mark the steward to brief everyone on the state of the fief. Mark stood, cleared his throat, and, holding two sheets of grey straw paper, addressed the assembly: “Gentlemen, on behalf of our lord, I will briefly report on Norland Castle’s current standing. Our population numbers two hundred and seventy-two: one hundred and fifty-two able-bodied men, seventy women, and fifty children. We have thirteen craftsmen: three leatherworkers, five carpenters, three stonemasons, and three blacksmiths. There are also five carters.”

“Tell us about our supplies,” Berion prompted, so that his officers would have a clear sense of their resources.

“As you wish, my lord.” Mark had fully embraced his role as steward, no longer addressing Berion as ‘young master,’ but as his lord. “The inventory is vast, so I’ll summarize the essentials. We have over eleven thousand pounds of various grains—wheat, oats, barley—more than thirteen hundred pounds of cured meat, about nine hundred pounds of salted fish, sixty bolts of cotton and linen cloth, and one hundred thirty pelts, though the pelts are intended for sale. We also possess seventeen oxen for plowing, eight dairy cows, forty pigs, fifty sheep, and nearly a hundred chickens, ducks, and geese. Taken together, including the meat, our stores should be sufficient to see us through the spring’s land-clearing, so long as the population does not increase.”

“Brother Mark, what are our numbers for weapons and armor?” Bess asked. “We’ll need to train and equip soldiers for the coming battles.”

“Certainly, Brother Bess. Here are the details of our military stores.” Mark produced another paper and read: “In Norland Castle’s armory, we have fifty-five spears, seven maces, fifteen single-handed swords, twenty-six sabers, thirty battle axes, and twenty-five leather-covered round shields. There are forty longbows and about six hundred arrows, twenty crossbows with over eleven hundred crossbow bolts. As for armor, we possess two full suits of chain mail, one visored helm, and one barrel helm—these elite pieces belong to Lord Berion and his squire, Iome. Additionally, we have three chain shirts, thirteen sets of iron-plated armor, ten double-layered leather armors, twenty hardened leather armors, four nasal helms, six chain coifs, and twenty-five iron-plated helmets. Our horses include three warhorses, thirteen riding horses, eighteen mules, and seven packhorses, plus fourteen four-wheeled wagons and one two-wheeled cart for transporting goods.” Mark laid down his papers and concluded, “That summarizes all the arms, armor, and important supplies currently held by Norland Castle.”