Steel, Explosives, and Spellcasters

Chapter 400: Chapter 44: Turu, Haug, and Naiman_3

“Swords, military swords, straight ones.”

“There’s a single-handed sword, and a longsword without a sharp edge.”

“Lend it to me.”

Winters was puzzled, “Don’t you have your own weapons?”

“I only have sabers.” Andre slapped his thigh, “There are quite a few armored cavalry among the Herders, and I suffered a big loss today. Lend me your swords, you don’t engage in cavalries battles anyway.”

“Alright.”

“I won’t let you suffer a loss either.” Andre said exuberantly, “I got my hands on two Herder scimitars today, the steel is top-notch, I’ll give you one.”

Winters jokingly asked, “Just one?”

“I need to keep one as a spare.”

The two chatted idly for a few moments but then fell into silence without realizing it.

Andre’s sigh broke this quietness. He looked toward the night behind them and asked with some trembling, “Hey, Winters, do you think there really are a thousand Herder cavalry chasing us?”

…

In the Herder language, “Kota” means a minor chief, “Tulu” means a hundred-man team, and “Haug” means a thousand-man team.

The Herders’ organization use the decimal system, with exactly one hundred people in a hundred-man team, above which are the thousand-man teams, and above them, the ten thousand-man teams.

There’s an extensive attack and defense alliance between the Herder tribes, where in principle, all chiefs are equal. In times of war, each tribe is obligated to provide soldiers to the Warboss.

Some tribes are too small and can only provide half a Tulu. Even so, the Tulu from small tribes stand equal to the Haugs and even “Naiman” of the large tribes.

Therefore, a Haug certainly contains ten Tulus, but a Tulu does not necessarily belong to a particular Haug.

It’s for this reason that Herder “Naiman” are extremely rare, the last of these formations was thirty years ago. However, whenever a ten thousand-man team appeared in the Great Wilderness, the Paratu People would be in considerable trouble.

Lt. Col. Jeska did not recognize the “Haug Koda” mentioned by the Herders, but it confirmed his suspicion that the hundred-man team which attacked the supply column hailed from a “Haug”.

Even if the thousand-man teams of the Herder tribes were often undermanned, another Tulu would be more than enough to wipe out the supply column.

Therefore, Lt. Col. Jeska decisively ordered a retreat to the previous camp.

…

“Not a thousand, at most nine hundred, as we’ve already taken down one hundred-man team,” Winters asked in a falsely relaxed tone, “Scared? Doesn’t sound like you.”

Andre pulled out a pipe from his bosom, and Winters helped him light it.

Lt. Celini took a puff and asked, “Do you still remember those Herder slaves on Red Sulfur Island?”

“Mmhmm.”

“I still can’t get out of my mind those Herders, stripping naked, smearing peat over themselves, and climbing the rampart with daggers in their mouths,” Andre tapped his temple and said slowly, “Even though the Day-Sheep folks are all confident, if all Herders are not afraid to die like that, I think the Day-Sheep folk won’t win this war.”

“Are you really scared?” Winters was truly surprised.

Andre waved his hand dismissively, “It’s not about being scared, I’m just stating the facts.”

After some thought, Winters said earnestly, “It’s different, the Herders on Red Sulfur Island had a reason to face death with equanimity, they dreamed of going home. But most of those fighting the Paratu People probably don’t, neither do the Paratu People. If it’s a competition of who’s worse off, Paratu might still win.”

Andre knocked the ashes out of his pipe on his boot heel and sighed, “True, where can you find that many soldiers unafraid of death?”

Winters couldn’t help but sigh as well, “I never thought that we would be playing a game of life and death with the Herders. I wonder if those Herder slaves made it home?”

The two exchanged a few words idly and then went back to their separate patrols.

The supply column didn’t return to that morning’s camp until late at night. It was a makeshift camp offering little in the way of defences.

Lt. Col. Jeska allowed the troops only two hours of rest.

After two hours, the column would continue its journey toward the fortified encampment on the bank of The Styx.

The Paratu People in the column were preoccupied with filling their bellies.

Winters walked up to a passenger wagon, pulled open the door, where Father Reed and Little Lion were inside.

“This is all we have for now.” Winters placed a jug of water and two loaves of bread on the seat, “There’s no time to start a fire, make do with these.”

Little Lion, ravenous, let out a dissatisfied howl and begged for food indulgently.

“You’ll have to go hungry for me first!” Winters glared at Little Lion, “We’ll find you something to eat once we get there.”

Little Lion buried its head in its forepaws and gave a gentle whine as if to complain.

Now approaching the size of a grown adult dog, Little Lion’s paws were as large as Winters’ own hands, and he was finding it hard to lift the animal.@@novelbin@@

Luckily, the “little” creature had protected Father Reed’s safety that day, yet it also meant Little Lion was noticed by everyone in the column.

Fortunately, the old pontiff devised a quick explanation of “The Lion of God protects his servant,” which managed to fool his adoring disciples.

“This little fellow is perceptive, has a spirit. If it were in Selika, it might even be able to hold an official title like ‘His Majesty’s Cat,'” Father Reed said as he stroked Little Lion’s mane, “It bit someone today, but it’s not a problem, just make sure it never gets a taste for human flesh.”

Winters nodded and then said solemnly, “Father Reed.”

“You using a title, I find it quite unusual,” the old priest seemed flattered.

“Once we reach the river, you and Father Caman will cross the bridge, and I will send someone to take you back to Wolf Town.”

The old man asked with a smile, “What, can’t you afford to pay a scribe’s wages anymore?”

Winters conveyed his firm stance with his gaze.

“Caman can leave if he wants,” teased the old cleric, “but I can’t, I once swore an oath to only travel westward, never to return East. Aren’t you forcing me to break my word?”

Winters, at a loss, said resignedly, “I am very serious, no jokes.”

“So am I, very serious, no jokes,” the old cleric laughed heartily.

Slamming the door, Winters thought, “I should let Caman handle this.”

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