Mon Bogie - Turn 74

“The two prettiest girls go to the Khan ‘untouched!’,” declares Mon to the gathered horde, “and we need three for the shamen so that leaves nine for you to work out between twelve!” There is much crude laughter amongst the men and several shrieks from the captured women.

“We’ll take a gold bracelet and a barrel of mead and ale,” continues Mon, “the rest you can divide out amongst yourselves.” “Any complaints,” he adds with a glint in his eye, “can be directed at Warshriek here!” Damocules nods to back him up, a sneer on his face to show that they mean business.

The Death & Glory priests and Horan cure the wounded whilst Brund slaps Mon on the back and says, “Well spoken, you manage a horde well.” Mon acknowledges the compliment but says, “Let’s get out of the way before the lads drink themselves senseless - if we make thirty miles today we can party tonight so long as three men draw straws to stand guard, I’ll not be butchered whilst drunk.” Brund nods in agreement and gives the order to move out.

Looking past the roaring campfire, Damocules nods to his priests who sit either side of the mainly fearful young girls they intend for the shamen and Khan. Damocules then joins Brund for a drink and says, “The Great Khan should indeed have the pick of the wenches and that is why we chose her,” he points to the prettiest who also seems the least fearful, “we’d better keep her safe and well.”

The girl whose name is Varlarna seems to have spunk for she calls out to Damocules, “Are you going to feed me and the others or are we to starve?” Brund raises an eyebrow, impressed by the girl’s bravery and Damocules indicates for his priests to give them some of the meat from the pig roasting over the fire.

Horan seems a little moody and Olas discovers that the priest is a little unhappy that the sacking of the village was little test for their prowess. “Killing peasants is easy,” he says, “let us pray for a more worthy test for us when we have received the shaman’s help, a true challenge!”

“At least we will be back at the fortress tomorrow,” says Olas, “and perhaps the Khan will give us a more difficult task.”

There is much drunken debauchery amongst the raiding party and as Damocules sits down near his priests the girl Varlarna speaks to him again, “You’re nothing more than wild dogs aren’t you. Barking, biting and rutting in the gutters. Does the truth hurt or will you speak barbarian?”

Looking back at the girl Varlarna through the fire, Mon ponders for a moment before speaking. “To the strongest go the spoils,” he shrugs, “if we were weak we would have died - that is the way of the World. Your new lord The Great Khan is strong as you will find out soon my pretty one..."

Before Varlarna can reply, a drunken barbarian, who had just been on the receiving end of a ‘playful?’ punch from Damocules, staggers over and retches into the fire.

He stands there for several moments with an alcohol-fuelled grin on his face as he gazes with almost child-like fascination at the bubbling and rapidly roasting puke.

As the barbarian lurches back to the brawling, Varlarna looks over at Mon and simply says, “I was right wasn’t I.”

The morning sees a hung-over raiding party urging their horses back in the direction of Venhold. Mon gets Brund and Damocules to get their followers to push their horses hard and soon the journey turns into a galloping contest with the horses quickly sweating with the exertions forced upon them by competing barbarians. Battlehorns are blown from the walls of Venhold to signify the return of the raiders.

Whilst Horan delivers his promised gift to the shamen who then begins his training, Mon, Ton and Damocules make delivery of their gifts…

“Fine wenches indeed,” says the Khan, Varlarna pulling her head away from his hand as he tries to check her teeth, “and spirited too, you have certainly served me well.” As he indicates for two of his other ‘wives’ to take them away for bedchamber preparations, Mon requests a meeting with him for the next day to find out the possibilities available for perhaps another quest for them.

“Actually there is something which has taken my fancy,” he declares, smiling as he talks and indicating for mead to be brought.

“It seems that the coward Malanus is holding a tournament in six days time. Whilst he has sworn to kill any of my men who trespass on his land he is also bound by his so-called honour. It seems that any tournament challenge must be accepted and it would please me to have some of my own men go and push the noses of Malanus knights in the dirt. What a victory it would be to think of that coward Malanus squirming as men of Venhold lift trophies he was sure his own men would win.

Khan Por quaffs from his drinking horn before continuing.

"I believe men from the King himself will be there and victory for men of Venhold would also be a message to the King that we are to be taken seriously with our claims against Malanus. Would you and your followers be willing to take up the challenge, it would mean riding right into the heart of Shern Rise under a flag of truce?”