Władysław had something to celebrate. After streaks of diplomatic failures, finally came the long-awaited success in the Avignon curia. The Pope punished the boot of the commander Lautenburg burning the bishop's villages during the retreat from Brest and issued a bull strongly condemning the Order.
- Thank God! - he shouted when Borutka brought a message from the chancellor to the armory, where he came down to supervise the inspection of weapons. - Remorse will stop choking me at night!
- Does the king sleep badly? - worried Wrończyk. - Jarota does not know that the king needs to be brought milk before going to bed?
- I grew out of milk - grunted Władek, looking at the shields hanging on the wall. - It does not help with the feeling of guilt.
- It is possible - Borutka admitted seriously and added:- I do not know this at all. - It's good that you do not fool yourself about topics that you do not understand - Władek praised him, approaching the stand with swords. - What do you think about dextrarius?
- Now the king has directed the conversation so I don't know whether to answer or not.
- You've been riding them, speak - encouraged him.
Preparing to fight for everything
Borutka approached the daggers. He took one out and checked it was sharp. Then he made a quick throat piercing motion in the air and twisted the blade.
"I'd rather fight like that," he said. He pretended to wipe the blade on his leg and shoved it back into the stand. He looked at Władek and added:- But we saw near Brześć that another fight awaited us. He took out a large two-handed sword and swung. - Where is a dagger to face a sword? So if the king asks if he did wisely when buying war horses, I will answer very wisely. We must have beasts, even if we fail to use them.
"We will manage," said Władysław, "if we fight in the field in the war to come." In a battle that I dream at night. In the great battle for everything.
- So the king sleeps well and it was exaggerated with these reproaches - chuckled Wrończyk.
The Battle of Płowce
Władek threatened him, he was in no mood to joke.
- We still have a lot to learn - he said seriously. - The Teutonic knight is well trained, punished and armed to the teeth.
- I came up with something. Borutka's eyes sparkled. - Fire bolt!
- You only talk about one thing! - grunted Władek.
- The king is not afraid, the king will listen and then thank him - Wrończyk did not care about his mood. - I was at the blacksmith ...
- At the bungler? - Władek knew Borutka's penchant for buying cheaper from non-members.
- No, from a guild and in addition a German. I was inspired by the bolt that killed the commander of Almenhausen. I thought that if you put tow in those wrapped barbs under the arrowhead, only slightly smeared
with tar, then ... - He made a movement as if he was pulling a crossbow, putting the tip into the fire and shooting. - Pach!
"I have an invention, too," shrugged Władysław. - Flaming arrows, as old as the world.
- And ineffective - moved Borutek's fingers - since the world has not burned down yet. I am not about it. Schmied, the blacksmith Niemiaszek, has already made a few pieces for me, I'm perfecting it, because the whole thing is to prevent the tow from flying out of the twisted barb during the flight of the arrow. The work would go faster if the king spilled a penny - he smiled at the end.
- I knew there was a catch at the end. Work for your own, and if you succeed, I will pay you back and pay the blacksmith.
- To the glory of the Kingdom, muttered Wrończyk.
The Walking Dead
- How did the Teutonic Knights do that to make them disappear from the battlefield? - Władek asked about what had been troubling him for a long time.
- A row of horse fighters, huge steeds, covered those who were hiding behind them, the shield wall and it was all over - said Borutka.
- I saw that much. and me and everyone who was there. I ask how they did it?
- Technique and years of practice, there is no secret to any of it - replied Wrończyk.
"Okay, I understand that, but there's something else I can't forget." Borutka, do you know what happened to the wounded?
- Do I know? - repeated Wrończyk uncertainly.
- Why did they disperse in the air? Only those from the end of the battle remained in the rye. . Even the Hungarian who pulled him from Jarota's hooves…
- We wouldn't have saved them anyway - said Borutka in a voice with no hint of his usual defiance. - They were badly injured, living dead.
- But our people! - shouted Władek, until the sword, which Wrończyk played with, fell from his hand and hit the floor of the armory. - And the chief's duty is to take care of the wounded, because they shed blood ...
The text is an excerpt from the newest book by Elżbieta Cherezińska, "The Reborn Kingdom", the fifth volume of the best-selling series. The novel has just been released by the Zysk i S-ka publishing house.
"That's the point," Borutka said softly. - Many thirst for blood.
- What are you talking about?
- The king is not very presumptive - replied Wrończyk and put the sword back. He folded his hands behind his back and stood with his head bowed. - Or he prefers to pretend he doesn't know.
- What? - Władek really did not understand what Borutka meant. - Speak straight out or I'll lose my patience. Do you know anything about this?
"I know, but I don't have much to do with it," replied Wronczyk and stepped back. - Kujawy is a special country, right?
- Don't screw it, get to the point - Władysław did not allow him to sneak.
- The king was born in Kujawy, the king should know, remember. The king didn't have an old nurse? The kind that tells various scary fairy tales? The king must have heard hundreds of times in his childhood, and then the vicar or bishop told him not to believe. Was it like that?
Sandstorms and Fiends
Although Władysław was beginning to understand what Borutka's story was leading to, he did not answer anything.
- The king thought that the wanders died out hundreds of years ago, the drowns drowned, the striga is not seen in big cities, so they are not there. Perhaps even the king's old nurse has forgotten or did not know what to say about them, because it is strange.
She was talking, thought Władysław. - She said they were creatures as old as the world; that kingdoms, rivers and forests will disappear from the earth, and it will endure, and only sandstorms and fiends will rage on it. Wąpierze called the dead and warned against laughing at grandfathers who said that they were seeing long dead, but as if alive. She loved to talk about how they drink blood from people, but when Kazik, our younger brother, started peeing on the bed out of fear, she stopped.
And no priest had to tell me there were no ghosts. I've never seen their victims, but I know how cruel people can be to themselves. That's enough for me, I believe in God and the world I really live in. There are some things that should not be said. Like Jadwiga and I do not talk about Kazimierz's disease and recovery. When someone asks, we remind you how the Holy Father prayed for him and express our gratitude to the Lord for healing his son. Jadwiga often adds "praise to the Mother", and everyone who hears understands that it is about the Mother of God. It worked, there is relief and the case is closed.
- So the wounded disappeared - said Borutka Władysław.
- They did it - said Wrończyk, his eyes shining in the darkness of the armory. - There were vampires there and the strigoi, their chuckle from the field, strange that the king did not hear. They were hungry, hungry for blood, and ate the wounded. - Borutka did not take his eyes off Władysław, as if he wanted to multiply his anxiety.
- King? - Jarosław Bogoria stood in the door.
Władysław shuddered at the sound of the chancellor's voice.
- Enough about that - replied Borutka.
- I have an urgent message, can we talk? - Bogoria asked.
- Good or bad? - Władek made a joke and winked at Wrończyk, dispelling the tension between them.
- If I were Doliwa, not Bogoria, I would say it was a nightmare - the chancellor replied in the same tone.
- Speak - Władek stopped joking.
- John of Luxembourg announced a great crusade on Żmudź - Bogoria announced in a grave voice.
- To hell! - cursed Władysław and headed for the exit.
From the darkness he heard Borutka's malicious snort.
Swordmaster
John of Luxembourg, at the head of the crusader army, entered Toruń (...). The city, situated on the Vistula River, impressed him with a high city wall, warehouses of goods, stalls teeming with merchant life and the Teutonic castle towering over the city. He exchanged comments with his companion Henry, sparing the hosts a delight, which Grand Master Werner von Orseln could not stand.
- Does it really hurt that we refused to spend Christmas in the Teutonic capital? - he asked Henry in a whisper as they entered the feast prepared by the Toruń commander.
- None of the Order's cities can compare with Malbork, they wanted to show their power and that's what you prevented them from, replied Henry quietly. - You forced the master to go to Toruń.
- It was not necessary - Jan laughed hypocritically.
- Looking at it - Henry looked at more and more coats of brother knights - the master would do his best to assign a crusade to yourself.
None of the Order's cities could be compared to Malbork.
Jan did not have time to answer, and they entered the refectory prepared for the feast. Indeed, it was white than the Teutonic Knights. He scanned the number of tables and the monastic guests present.
- Where is the place for my princes, counts and knights? - asked the Grand Master.
- In Malbork, where every year we host crusaders from around the world, we have a dining room for five hundred people. The refectory in Toruń is intended only for monastic brothers, replied Werner with a pious face. - To honor your presence in the commandry, please come to the convent table. We will feed the knights in separate chambers. (...)
- Let's ask the Lord for a blessing before the meal - said the master and started the prayer himself.
The feast was sumptuous, the wine and the food, the dishes were rich, but for the entire supper, instead of music, they were accompanied by a lector reading the Holy Scriptures.
- Beautiful chalices - noted Jan, touching the fligrant canopy.
- Venetian glass. For a time our masters were in the city of St. Mark Werner replied. - We have all the tableware in Malbork.
Jan ignored the intrusive reminder and asked for more wine.
"I would like to ask you something, Master," said Henry de Mortain. - There was no great marshal among the brothers we met today, and as far as I know, he is the Order's most important military official.
- Yes, - Werner said sourly, - we do not currently have a marshal.
Two birds with one stone
- The last one was so brave that we are still wondering which of us is worthy to take over his function - added Zyghard von Schwarzburg.
- Henryk von Plötzkau, right? Henry asked. - The one who became famous for conquering the Order of Gdańsk?
- Not only - the master replied evasively.
- He sent so many pagans to that world that he secured his place in heaven - said the great Hospitaller respectfully. /> - Perhaps through their evangelization? - Jan casually asked, handing the cup to the cup-bearer.
- He was a master of the sword - dispelled Schwarzburg's doubts.
- And he died gloriously - said the bearish man, then drank.
The lands under the control of John of Luxembourg
- Lautenburg - he reminded Jan of his name Henry.
- In the battle with Gediminas troops on the frozen lake Biržulis - added the great Hospitaller.
- And I heard that the pagans burned him alive - inquired Henry de Mortain.
- Yes, after the battle. Together with the horse. 'Lautenburg put down his goblet. - He was on fire reciting verses from Scripture.
- How do you know? - asked Henry.
- In the Order, we do not let go of insults against the holy faith. The great commander Wildenburg caught up with those who set the fire - said Luther from Brunswick.
- It is a pity that not all of them - John answered cheerfully - we would have overcome Gediminas problem.
Religious dignitaries exchanged glances and at the same moment the service began to take out empty platters. (…)
"Well," the grandmaster narrowed his eyes, "it's time to start talking." So where does the king of Bohemia want to go? - Orseln's voice became irritatingly indulgent.
- Follow the southern route, through the Great Forest to Grodno.
For a moment, you could hear the crunch of nuts in Lautenburg's mighty jaws.
- So why fool the world that the Samogitians were the target of the crusade? The Master said dismissively. - It had to be admitted that the king's intention was to attack Lithuania.
- Were there any other considerations than the evangelical ones at stake? - Schwarzburg joined in interrogating him.
- What do you mean, Commander Grudziądz? - Jan asked freely, reaching for a handful of nuts.
- Gediminas. And the breakdown of the alliance between Lithuania and Poland - Schwarzburg deciphered it. "It's called killing two birds with one stone," isn't it? Hit the ally of King Władysław on the inconvenient Holy Father for the money donated by the Pope. To get rid of the problem of the apostolic see, that blemish in the image of Pope John's favorite Christian king. And at the same time provoke Władysław to war because, according to the alliance, he will have to stand up for Gediminas. A war that will move from wild Lithuania to the Kingdom of Poland and which, if successful, could bring you your dream crown. The one you like to include in your titles, as your legists say, after your wife.
Source:
The text is an excerpt from the latest book by Elżbieta Cherezińska, "The Reborn Kingdom", volume 5 of the best-selling series. The novel has just been released by the Zysk i S-ka publishing house.