The Armored Horsemen

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Once a King

Part 14 : The Armored Horsemen (Pancerni)

(again: thanks to Kenji Sato MY EDITOR)

Yes, skryba, a man wearing armor, on a black horse.

Genowefa would not have known armor, nor would any of the People who had not been to the Pia Fidelis. Weapons from the Pia Fidelis were offered to those who could best use them...but the bit of armor that was stored there, was never used.

We were small people, small in stature, enduring, but carrying extra weight would not be possible, we did not have the training or energy for it. And armor was useless for a hunter—noisy, heavy, and reflective. But in battle—it might save you.

Anyone wearing armor accepted its disadvantages because they expected conflict and hoped to avoid injury or death.

That was the ominous message of the man, the horseman clad in metal. And the people KNEW it, though they did not know or understand armor.

Jacus and Genowefa continued towards the well-watered place, to bring the news of the horseman to the hunters who had spied to the People's Raiding Group and the families of Dymtro and Gustek.

Soon they came upon Filip with Adira pulling the sanki, laden with dried meat for the coicie and the children.

Filip was still in his uncharacteristic playful mood, buoyed by the nap he had just enjoyed.

"My! Jacus and Genowefa...! Genowefa...so desperate for a summoning? To stray so far?"

This banter was highly lewd by the standards of the people...and Jacus wondered...no, he KNEW that Filip had done more than rest while he, Jacus, was scouting ahead. Filip had more than the dried meat on the sanki, he had a gourd of Gustek's samahon secreted there...well secreted no longer because it was highly visible in Filip's right hand.

Jacus was about to respond to Filip's jibe, but was forestalled by Genowefa—who wore a solemn, almost-meditative expression, as she responded, "Yes, Filip, I needed to see with my own eyes what a stallion dressed in a man's tunic is like."

At that moment, Filip's tunic was raised by the transformation of his buc, but...NOT his buc...for Genowefa had transformed Filip's buc into a likeness of an aroused stallion.

Causing terrible confusion in Adira.

Filip's samahon-addled mind took this all in with incredulous wonder...before he collapsed unconscious. The transformation of this magic and supernaturally-sized buc had deprived his brain of too much blood.

Genowefa showed no sign of regretting this use of her magic...but, as Filip slowly regained his senses, all parts of his anatomy returned to normal. Indeed his intoxication had vanished.

Then he spoke. Softly, so softly, that Jacus and Genowefa thought it but his breath.

A Stallion...

Girthed with a heavy war saddle

Bearing a warrior

A warrior

(louder now)

A warrior bearing the sign of the Bull

Once the Bull and the Eagle

The warriors of the bull ride

For a new lord

Exarchos

Adira licked Filip's face...bring him back, back from???

Filip, sobered, understood his duty. "There is great danger, you two know it and now I know. I will continue to the Coicie, pray it is not too late, though I fear it must be. I must know it, see it, confirm it. "

Jacus added, "To know more of our enemies."

"YES," both Genowefa and Filip exclaimed.

Genowefa: "Jacus and I will warn all at the well-watered place"

Unspoken: "But can we outpace the Mounted warrior of the Bull and what of his comrades."

Speculative thinking was best left to the council, but first, the council must know, they must be made aware of this menace.

Filip had returned to his practical nature. Aidra whinnied in relief...she did not know or like the samahon-drinking Filip. Filip knew this, and reassured her, "Adira, you feared I loved the samahon more than you, I will never cause you to worry about that again...see the samahon soaks into the earth." At this, he emptied the gourd and urged Adira on the way to the camp of the Coicie.

Jacus was perplexed by the quick transformation, but Genowefa took it as a matter of course...things needed to be done, the man, Filip, must do his part and he could only do it free of samahon.

Genowefa was not a hunter; although lean and fit, she was not used to long treks over rough lands. Nevertheless, she kept pace with the seasoned hunter, Jacus, as they pressed on, to warn the People at the well-watered place. In their minds, unconsciously, Genowefa and Jacus of the People now considered the inhabitants of the well watered place as the People.

And the People were now in conflict with the men of the Bull.

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