Master of Mayhem Read online

  Master of Mayhem

  Peter Darman

  Copyright © 2015 Pete Darman

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without written permission of the author.

  Formatted by Jo Harrison

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Contents

  List of principal characters

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Epilogue

  Postscript

  List of principal characters

  Those marked with an asterisk * are known to history.

  Commanders in the Army of the Wolf

  Andres: Jerwen

  Hillar: Rotalian

  Riki: Harrien

  Tonis: Saccalian

  Danes

  Rolf: Count of Roskilde and Governor of Reval

  *Valdemar: King of Denmark

  Englishman

  Sir Richard Bruffingham: Duke of Saccalia

  Estonians

  Kristjan: Ungannian, son of Kalju, an exile at Novgorod

  Kaja: Saccalian, wife of Rameke

  Maarja: Ungannian, sister of Kristjan

  Mikk: Ungannian, steward of Odenpah Castle

  Rustic: mystic and follower of the old religion

  Germans

  *Albert: Bishop of Riga

  *Albert: Count of Lauenburg

  Dietrich von Kivel: Duke of Narva, mercenary in Danish service

  *Gunzelin: brother of the Count of Schwerin, enemy of the King of Denmark

  *Henry: Count of Schwerin, enemy of the King of Denmark

  Magnus Glueck: Higher Burgomaster of Riga, commander of the Livonian Militia

  Manfred Nordheim: commander of the garrison of Riga

  Stefan: Archdeacon, Governor of Riga and nephew of the Bishop of Riga

  Timothy the Cook: religious fanatic

  Italians

  *Gregory IX: Pope 1227–41

  *Honorius: Pope 1216–27

  *William of Modena: papal legate

  Lithuanians

  Aras: Selonian, general of Prince Vsevolod’s army

  Arturus: Duke of Kurland

  Erdvilas: son of Duke Viesthard

  Kitenis: Duke of Aukstaitija

  *Lamekins: Kur prince, deputy to Duke Arturus

  *Mindaugas: son-in-law of Prince Vsevolod

  Rasa: wife of Prince Vsevolod

  Torolf: ambassador of Duke Arturus

  *Viesthard: Duke of Semgallia

  *Ykintas: Duke of Samogitia

  Livs

  Fricis: king of all the Livs

  *Rameke: prince and brother-in-law of Conrad Wolff

  Oeselians

  Bothvar: earl

  Kalf: son of Olaf

  Sigurd: King of Oesel

  Stark: son of Olaf

  Order of Sword Brothers

  Anton: deputy of Odenpah Castle

  Arnold: Master of Lennewarden Castle

  Bertram: Master of Segewold Castle

  Conrad Wolff: Master of Odenpah Castle, commander of the Army of the Wolf and Marshal of Estonia

  Friedhelm: Master of Uexkull Castle

  Godfrey: Master of Holm Castle

  Griswold: Master of Kokenhusen Castle

  Hans: deputy of Odenpah Castle

  Henke: brother knight at Wenden Castle

  Jacob: Master of Gerzika Castle

  Lukas: deputy of Dorpat Castle

  Mathias: Master of Kremon Castle

  Ortwin: Master of Mesoten Castle

  *Rudolf: Master of Wenden Castle and deputy commander of the Order of Sword Brothers

  Thaddeus: chief engineer at Wenden Castle and Quartermaster General of Livonia

  *Volquin: Grand Master of the Order of Sword Brothers

  Walter: Master of Dorpat Castle

  Russians

  *Vsevolod: former ruler of Gerzika, ruler of Selonia and Nalsen, Lithuania

  Chapter 1

  Varbola, 1225

  The mornings were cold but clear, the afternoons invariably cloudy and wet, but gradually the land was warming as the snow and ice of winter faded from memory. The forests, marshlands, meadows and hills were filled with buttercups, ivy, blackthorn, bilberries and cowberries. Many of the meadows were still flooded with spring melt water but they and the reed-filled marshlands were teeming with corncrakes and great snipes. Leaves were sprouting on deciduous trees where white-tailed eagles perched on branches scanning the ground below for prey. Estonia was reawakening from the depths of winter but more importantly the land and its people could also look forward to a spring and summer of peace.

  Ungannia had been subdued the previous summer when the Bishop of Riga’s army had stormed the town of Dorpat following Kristjan’s war against the Sword Brothers. Now that kingdom was occupied by the soldiers of the order, and Bishop Hermann the younger brother of Albert, had become the de facto ruler of Ungannia. He had been created Bishop of Dorpat and was intent on establishing a stone castle on the site of the town’s hill fort. Ungannia was the realm of Bishop Hermann but the rest of Estonia was the domain of Conrad Wolff, Master of the Sword Brothers and Marshal of Estonia.

  During the winter Conrad’s Army of the Wolf had taken possession of the stronghold of Narva in Wierland, after a close-fought battle against its Danish garrison that would have ended in defeat had it not been for the timely arrival of a Russian army. The Danes and their German mercenaries had been defeated and the Army of the Wolf had taken possession of Narva, which meant it controlled the Kingdom of Wierland. The other three Estonian kingdoms were under the rule of Conrad’s lieutenants: Riki in Harrien, Hillar in Rotalia and Andres in Jerwen. The Danish port of Reval was the only dark cloud on an otherwise clear horizon, though during the winter the Sword Brothers had captured every one of the port’s outposts. Reval was strong but isolated and it was surely only a matter of time before all the resources of the order and the Army of the Wolf were directed towards its capture.

  ‘Why else have we been summoned here?’ Conrad asked his companions.

  ‘Perhaps to a feast being given in our honour,’ replied Hans in expectation.

  Anton rolled his eyes. ‘I think Master Rudolf has more to occupy his mind than concerning himself with filling your belly, Hans.’

  ‘What do you think, Jaan?’ asked Conrad. ‘Do you think a great feast awaits us when we arrive?’

  ‘I hope so, Susi,’ said the boy, his cloak wrapped around him.

  The youth was Harrien, an orphan who had joined Conrad the year before as a cross between a novice and a servant. In the aftermath of the victory at Narva, Hillar, Riki and Andres had returned to their strongholds in the company of Sir Richard, Duke of Saccalia, and his knights. They had left some of their men behind to garrison the fort, which had been left in the charge of Tonis, Sir Richard’s deputy. To stiffen the defence Leatherface and his and Sir Richard’s crossbowmen had also been left at Narva. The garrison numbered over two hundred men, which had been considered adequate to beat off any Danish attacks. Not that there had been any as the Sword Brothers ringed Reval with their soldiers, which meant the Danes would not be able to strike at Narva without weakening their own beleaguered garrison.

&nb
sp; Jaan tugged on the reins of the ill-tempered packhorse loaded with the brother knights’ tent, spare armour, weapons and food, behind it an escort of a score of bearded, helmeted and green cloaked Saccalian warriors on ponies. The air was cool and damp and the grey clouds overhead threatened rain at any time.

  Their destination was the great hill fort of Varbola, the centre of Harrien power and now the residence of Governor Riki. Built on the northern side of a knoll that had the shape of an eagle’s beak and in the shadow of a great forest, it had a timber palisade atop an earth rampart fronted by limestone rocks. Circular in shape, it had entrances on its eastern and western sides flanked by wooden towers, with other towers at regular intervals along the perimeter wall.

  Spits of rain were falling when the party rode across the wooden bridge spanning the dry moat surrounding Varbola and into the fort’s open gates. Guards in the towers above watched the riders enter the stronghold, which was a hive of activity. In the middle of the compound stood the great hall, around which were stables, storerooms, armoury, forges and ninety stone huts housing the garrison and its families. Some of these huts now accommodated the brother knights and sergeants of the Sword Brothers, members of the garrisons of Wenden, Segewold and Kremon that had been storming Danish outposts during the winter. As Conrad and his party dismounted, Riki and Master Rudolf came from the hall. Slaves took the horses and ponies to the stables as the sky darkened and rain began to fall. Thunder grumbled overhead as Wenden’s castellan and the Harrien leader walked up to Conrad.

  Rudolf extended a hand to him. ‘Good to see you, Conrad. You had better get your men under cover before the heavens open.’

  Riki gave orders that the Saccalians were to be shown to their allotted quarters as the thunder got louder and the raindrops bigger. Conrad, Hans, Anton and Jaan followed the master and Riki to the hall while the compound emptied as the rain began to pour down. Riki ordered food and drink for the three brother knights and their servant to be brought to the main hall where Conrad found Masters Bertram and Mathias, the commanders of Segewold and Kremon respectively. They greeted Conrad and his friends warmly, embracing the new Master of Odenpah as an equal, a rank he was still getting used to.

  The rain pounded the roof of the hall as everyone took their seats around one of the trestle tables positioned near the great fire that was raging in its stone hearth. There were vents in the roof to allow smoke to escape but the hall invariably filled with vapour as the fire raged. Slaves brought wooden platters piled with bread, cheese and hot soup that made Hans’ eyes light up. He began shovelling the fare into his mouth before Father Otto had a chance to finish prayers. The former mercenary’s black eyes bored into Hans as he finished his blessing and looked up to see the brother knight’s jaw resemble a woodpecker’s beak as it consumed a piece of cheese. Mathias gave a gruff laugh.

  ‘Don’t you feed your deputies, Master Conrad?’

  ‘You will have to forgive my friend and fellow brother knight, master,’ replied Conrad. ‘He likes to keep the memory of his deprived youth alive and well.’

  Hans suddenly stopped and looked at the masters sitting with him.

  ‘Anyone who has known true starvation, and I don’t mean just being hungry for a day or two, knows that when food is placed in front of you it must be consumed as quickly as possible in case it is taken away.’

  Rudolf stroked his beard. ‘A modern-day parable indeed. What do you think Otto, does Brother Hans here address a pressing matter?’

  Otto glared at Conrad’s friend. ‘Brother Hans should take heed of the example of Christ, who wandered in the wilderness for forty days without sustenance. Forty days!’

  ‘But Christ was the son of God, father,’ replied Hans, tearing off a chunk of rye bread and dunking it in his soup, ‘whereas I am just a poor brother knight.’

  ‘Blasphemy!’ shouted Otto.

  Rudolf held up a hand to the priest. ‘Thank you, Otto, for your diligence and care of our eternal souls. Now if you will excuse us, we have matters of a more practical nature to attend to.’

  Otto jabbed a finger at Hans, gave him another angry stare and then took his leave, slamming the doors behind him as he left.

  ‘He doesn’t like you, Hans,’ observed Riki.

  ‘Don’t take it personally,’ said Rudolf, ‘Otto dislikes everyone.’

  Rudolf handed Conrad a piece of rolled parchment.

  ‘The reason I asked you to come here, Conrad.’

  The marshal took the document, broke the wax seal that carried the cross keys symbol of Riga and unfolded it. It was from Bishop Albert himself and Conrad felt a surge of pride that the bishop addressed him as a friend and confidante. He was less pleased when he read the subject of the missive.

  ‘Now that the winter has passed it is my desire to cross the Dvina and take possession of the pagan hill fort of Mesoten, both to avenge the treachery the Holy Church was subjected to at that place when we first took the Holy Word to Semgallia, and to establish the aforementioned place as the first stronghold of the Sword Brothers in the heathen wasteland that is Lithuania.’

  ‘To which end, Lord Marshal, I ask that you march your army south to Riga where a great force of crusaders is gathering ready to sacrifice its life in the service of the Lord God.’

  Conrad sighed and tossed the letter on the table.

  ‘That’s right,’ said Rudolf, ‘once again we are crossing the Dvina to battle the heathens.’

  ‘And in doing so we risk undoing all the good work we have done this past winter,’ complained Conrad. ‘I have a mind to write to the bishop informing him that if the Army of the Wolf is withdrawn from Estonia then our efforts against the Danes will have all been in vain.’

  Bertram took a great gulp of beer. ‘The problem is, Conrad, that as far as the bishop is concerned we and the Danes have spent the past winter exchanging gifts and pleasantries.’

  Anton laughed. ‘Does the bishop not know that we slaughtered the Danish garrison of Narva?’

  ‘With a little help from the Russians,’ added Hans, his mouth full of cheese.

  ‘He does not,’ answered Rudolf sternly. ‘As I told Conrad after we had taken Dorpat, affairs in northern Estonia are Sword Brother business. In any case the bishop had enough on his plate without worrying him with our undertakings against Reval.’

  ‘So I wouldn’t bother writing to him, Conrad,’ said Mathias. ‘Best to keep quiet.’

  The hall fell silent as Hans and Anton filled their bellies and Rudolf and the other two masters drank their beer. Despite the long ride to get to Varbola, Conrad’s appetite had suddenly vanished. He knew that Grand Master Volquin had instructed Rudolf to maintain the pressure on the Danes after the fall of Dorpat but assumed that he would have informed the bishop. Conrad looked at Riki who was blissfully unaware of the politicking of the grand master of the Sword Brothers.

  ‘I will take part of the army south across the Dvina,’ stated Conrad. ‘But the bulk of it will remain here to safeguard Estonia from the Danes.’

  Mathias nodded sagely. ‘Makes sense. I wouldn’t trust a Dane as far as I could throw one.’

  Rudolf looked directly at Conrad. ‘You may all be interested to know that in northern Germany the Danes have suffered a great reverse. While Conrad was capturing Narva my father and his allies defeated a Danish army at a place called Mölln.’

  Conrad registered no emotion but he turned his eyes towards Hans and Anton who likewise had blank faces. Like him they were pleased that Valdemar’s men had been defeated but they had no love for Count Henry of Schwerin, the man who had been responsible for the death of their friend Johann. Conrad thought it curious that his faith taught him to turn the other cheek and not to bear grudges. But he could neither forgive nor forget the great injustice that Count Henry had committed, notwithstanding that he was Rudolf’s father.

  ‘Your father does the Sword Brothers a great favour, Rudolf,’ beamed Bertram.

  ‘That is correct, Bertram,’ said Rudolf
, ‘for with Danish strength emasculated in Germany, Reval will be further isolated.’

  Mathias and Bertram looked very pleased with themselves whereas Conrad said nothing as he dipped a small chunk of bread into his soup.

  ‘The Marshal of Estonia does not seem pleased by this news,’ remarked Rudolf casually.

  Conrad licked his fingers. ‘Reval’s defences are still strong, master. Unless its garrison has been greatly depleted then it still remains a tough nut to crack.’

  Mathias emptied his cup and held it out to be refilled by a slave. ‘Nonsense, Conrad. I’m sure your army of heathen bastards can take it once we’ve finished butchering the Lithuanians.’

  Hans and Anton squirmed as they looked at the pagan Riki, Lord of Harrien – their host!

  Mathias belched. ‘No offence meant, Riki, it’s a term of affection.’

  Riki laughed. ‘None taken but Susi is right. Without siege engines we will lose too many men attacking Reval’s walls. Not only that, my scouts have reported that there are intricate and deadly defences in front of the walls. The Russians lost hundreds of men during their recent siege and did not even get close to the walls.’

  Mathias roared with laughter. ‘I think we should send Riki across the Dvina to battle the Lithuanians and we should stay here. He has more sense than most of the crusader lords who come to Livonia put together.’

  Conrad looked at Riki. ‘I would ask that you loan me some of your warriors, Riki.’

  Riki grinned. ‘We will once more be fighting side by side, Susi?’

  Conrad shook his head. ‘No, my friend, you must remain here so Varbola can be the shield that defends the whole of Estonia. I will take only a small number of your men, as I will from Hillar and Andres.’

  ‘The bishop may wonder why the Army of the Wolf is so depleted in numbers, Conrad,’ said Hans.

  ‘Then let him wonder,’ replied Conrad. ‘I will not endanger the hard-won gains we have made in Estonia.’

  He pointed at the letter. ‘Besides, the bishop’s missive said nothing of how many troops I should bring with me.’

  Rudolf rubbed his hands together. ‘Excellent. We will make a politician out of you yet, Conrad.’