The Sword Brothers (105 page)

‘I meant no
insult.’

When they arrived at
Wenden Kalju and his men saw the great number of tents pitched to
the south of the castle’s outer perimeter, together with stacks of
lances, racks of spears and wagons corralled in fenced-off parks.
Flags flew from the tops of the largest tents and soldiers milled
around within the campsite. It was an impressive sight but had
Kalju tarried and looked more closely he would have discovered that
half the tents were empty.

Conrad had sent a
sergeant ahead to give Master Berthold prior warning of Wenden’s
unexpected guest, and the castellan stood in the courtyard in front
of his hall when the patrol and the Ungannians trotted onto the
cobbles. Rudolf, Henke and Lukas stood behind Berthold fully armed
in their mail armour while a party of crossbowmen and spearmen
stood to attention either side of the master. The Ungannians looked
uneasy and kept glancing back at the half-finished gatehouse, no
doubt estimating whether they could get out alive if the
crossbowmen began shooting. But Berthold stepped forward and opened
his hands to Kalju as the chief dismounted and Conrad escorted him
over to the master. The latter did not speak Estonian and so Conrad
had to translate.

‘This is Kalju,
master, lord of the Ungannian people.’

Berthold smiled.
‘Welcome Kalju, eagle of the east.’

The chief laughed when
Conrad relayed the master’s words. Berthold offered Kalju and his
men refreshments, suggesting that Lukas and Henke take the chief’s
escort to the dining hall and feed them while he talked with the
Ungannian leader. Berthold began to lead him away but Kalju stopped
and turned round to look at Conrad.

‘What about you?’

Conrad held out a hand
to Rudolf. ‘Brother Rudolf speaks your language and will be able to
translate.’

‘You can speak my
words,’ said Kalju bluntly.

Conrad informed the
master of this and was told that his presence would be welcome in
the hall. Kalju ordered his men to follow Henke and Lukas to the
dining hall and to keep their swords close in case the Christians
tried to kill them. If they succeeded he would meet them all in the
afterlife for he too would be dead. Conrad looked at Rudolf who
understood the words but merely smiled at Kalju.

‘We do not murder our
guests, lord.’

Berthold ordered food
and drink brought to his hall as he made Kalju welcome in his
office just off the main anteroom. The chief took off his helmet
and spread himself in the high-backed chair and drank the wine
offered him by a novice, Berthold sitting opposite him as more
novices brought bread, smoked fish and meats and set them on the
desk. Rudolf stood beside the master, Conrad beside Kalju. The
latter regarded the master and his deputy with his cold blue eyes.
When he had sated his thirst and hunger he spoke to the master,
Rudolf translating and Conrad relaying the master’s words.

‘I come with an offer
for the bishop,’ said Kalju. ‘I will submit to his authority if he
sends soldiers to help my people.’

Somewhat startled,
Berthold sat and listened as Kalju informed him of the Russian
incursion into Ungannia and Lembit’s unwillingness to assist
him.

‘He is no friend of
Ungannia and so I am no friend of his,’ declared Kalju.

‘If you become the
bishop’s friend,’ Berthold warned him, ‘you will earn the enmity of
Lembit and the other Estonian chiefs.’

Kalju laughed. ‘Nigul
is dead, Alva wails like an old woman after the bishop raided his
lands and Edvin is busy fighting the Russians.’

Berthold raised an
eyebrow at this. ‘The Russians?’

‘Novgorod sent raiders
into Wierland as well as Ungannia. The bear stirs and covets lands
in the west just as your bishop desires his own conquests.’

‘And what price does
Ungannia place upon the bishop’s friendship?’ said Berthold.

‘That my people remain
free and Ungannia becomes an ally of Livonia, not a slave.’

‘I cannot speak for
the bishop,’ said Berthold, ‘but I am certain that he will welcome
the hand of friendship that you have extended to him.’

‘But will he send
soldiers to aid me?’ queried Kalju.

‘I am sure he will,’
said Berthold in a non-committal way.

Kalju looked around at
the austere room. ‘Lembit believes that Wenden will march against
Lehola.’

Berthold nodded. ‘The
bishop will finish affairs with him, of that you can be certain. In
his impudence he tried to assault this castle.’ He pointed at
Conrad. ‘He failed and Brother Conrad scarred his face as a
permanent reminder of his folly.’

Kalju looked up at
Conrad. ‘You did that?’

‘Yes, lord.’

‘Can I take him back
with me to Odenpah?’ he said to Berthold.

A courier pigeon was
sent to Riga and a message came back with a another bird the next
morning stating that the bishop was indeed interested in Ungannia’s
friendship but that Kalju would have to submit hostages as surety
against treachery. These hostages were to be Kalju’s sons and the
sons of his chief elders. In exchange, the bishop promised to send
soldiers to Ungannia to reinforce the chief’s own warriors.

Kalju spent four days
at Wenden, during which Conrad accompanied him at all times as his
interpreter. He found the chief amiable, intelligent and concerned
about the fate of his people. It was the latter consideration that
was uppermost in his mind when he talked again with Berthold and
Rudolf before he and his men departed the castle.

‘Odenpah must be held
at all costs,’ he said. ‘For five hundred years it has been the
physical and spiritual home of my people. The Russians have tried
to take it once; they will do so again.’

*****

The bishop sat with
Stefan in the withdrawing chamber of his palace, tapping his
fingers on the arm of his chair while he waited for the grand
master to appear. He had always been a serious man but Lembit’s
betrayal had seemingly banished any light heartedness that may have
resided within him. His chiselled features had become darker, more
severe and he had become more determined than ever to subdue
Estonia and rid the world of Lembit.

Volquin arrived at
last to allow the meeting to start.

‘What do you make of
this Kalju?’ said the bishop. ‘Are we to accept his offer, to put
our faith in the word of an Estonian after another of their race
betrayed me so basely?’

‘I would say no, lord
bishop,’ said Stefan. ‘The Estonians, like all pagans, are
untrustworthy.’

‘I would not dismiss
Kalju’s offer,’ said Volquin. ‘He rode to Wenden of his own
volition whereas Lembit was facing certain defeat when he submitted
to Bishop Albert.’

‘What is the
difference?’ asked Stefan.

‘Lembit did what he
did to save his own skin,’ answered Volquin. ‘Kalju is trying to
preserve his people.’

‘If we send soldiers
to this fort what is to stop the pagans slaughtering them?’ said
Stefan.

‘Nothing,’ admitted
Volquin, ‘though what would that avail him? By doing so he would
create enemies of the lord bishop as well as Lembit and the
Russians.’

The bishop looked at
Volquin. ‘Your advice would be to send soldiers to this fort?’

Volquin nodded. ‘To
Odenpah? Yes, lord bishop.’

‘Why?’

‘We know that forces
from Pskov have raided Ungannia. Indeed, years ago they raided
Livonia before it became strong. If they conquer Kalju’s kingdom
then their soldiers will be on our border and I would rather have
Ungannia as an ally than a hostile Novgorod bearing down on
us.’

‘If we did decide to
aid the Ungannians,’ said the bishop, ‘what resources are available
to us?’

Volquin frowned. ‘In
truth very few, lord bishop. The garrisons along the Dvina must be
reinforced to prevent any more Lithuanian incursions.’ He looked at
Stefan. ‘I don’t suppose the garrison of Riga would be able to
spare any soldiers?’

Stefan shook his head
vigorously. ‘Out of the question, grand master. We barely escaped
with our lives when the Oeselian pirates attacked the city.’

Volquin remembered it
differently and recollected the garrison and its engines seeing off
the enemy raiders relatively easily. But he said nothing.

‘Riga needs all the
soldiers it can lay its hands on.’

‘That just leaves the
garrisons along the Gauja and the additional troops at Wenden,
then,’ said Volquin.

‘The crusaders that
came with me from Germany can reinforce those castles in the
absence of their garrisons,’ said Bishop Albert.

‘Then I take it you
are accepting Kalju’s offer, lord bishop?’ said Volquin.

The bishop nodded.

Volquin smiled
triumphantly at Stefan. ‘Excellent, lord bishop. You will not
regret it. With your permission I will make the arrangements
immediately.’

He went to rise from
his chair but the bishop stopped him.

‘There is another
matter I wish to speak to you about, grand master.’

Volquin sat back
down.

‘It has been brought
to my attention that the garrisons of the Sword Brothers along the
Dvina have been intercepting merchant vessels and imposing dues
upon them before they reach Riga.’

Volquin looked at
Stefan who had a smug expression on his face.

‘This activity must
cease,’ ordered the bishop.

‘With respect, lord
bishop,’ said Volquin, ‘the Sword Brothers were forced into such
drastic action by the reluctance of the treasury in Riga to furnish
them with weapons and equipment with which to carry out your
orders.’

Stefan raised an
eyebrow at this but remained silent.

‘The Sword Brothers
will have whatever they need,’ said the bishop, ‘but the merchants
must have confidence that their vessels can sail the Dvina
unmolested.’

‘Then can I take it
that the ship that docked at Riga yesterday filled with weapons and
armour will be made available to the Sword Brothers?’ enquired
Volquin.

‘Those supplies have
been purchased for the needs of the garrison of Riga,’ said
Stefan.

Volquin tried hard to
maintain his composure. ‘Why does the garrison need two hundred new
crossbows, archdeacon, seeing as its armouries in the castle and
city are already full?’

‘The office of the
grand master seems to know a great deal about the personal business
of the Governor of Riga,’ remarked Stefan.

‘Would that the
Governor of Riga knew a great deal about the needs of the Sword
Brothers,’ Volquin shot back.

‘How dare you,’ said
Stefan.

The bishop, tired and
irritable, had no time for such bickering. ‘Enough! Grand master,
you will order your masters to desist interrupting trade along the
Dvina and in return you will draw up an inventory of your order’s
needs and I will sign it. Archdeacon Stefan, when I have authorised
the grand master’s requirements you will ensure that the armouries
in Riga furnish him with everything that is on the list.’

Volquin smiled smugly
at Stefan who glared at the grand master. The bishop saw the
expressions.

‘We are all here to
undertake God’s holy work. I find this constant bickering and
political intrigue tiresome and unworthy of the Order of Sword
Brothers and the office of Governor of Riga. Every year I see such
boorish behaviour in the courts and castles of northern Germany and
have no wish to see Livonia become infected with it.’

Volquin and Stefan
mumbled their apologies and were dismissed by the bishop, who the
grand master thought looked pale and drawn and not at all well.
Albert had almost single-handedly created Livonia by his
determination and religious fervour, and had for years travelled to
Germany and back to enlist men to his cause. Everyone hoped that he
would live to see the completion of the cathedral that was being
constructed in his honour, the foundation stones of which had been
laid the previous year, but Volquin feared that the burden of being
the man who carried the weight of Livonia upon his shoulders would
prove too great He would make an effort to reduce that burden, even
if it meant trying to be more friendly to the toad-like governor of
the city. But first he had much work to do assembling a force to be
sent to Odenpah.

*****

It took two months to
organise the expedition to Odenpah, during which time the weather
got cooler and wetter as autumn set in. Wenden was the mustering
point for the force that Grand Master Volquin gathered to aid
Kalju. The latter, expecting an assault from Pskov at any time,
sent riders to Wenden requesting clarification concerning the
apparent delay in the arrival of the Sword Brothers at his
stronghold. Master Berthold sent them back after explaining that it
took time to organise an expedition but that it would be at Odenpah
before the end of the year. To guard against an attack by Lembit at
Lehola, Berthold decided to retain a significant garrison at
Wenden. He was in the happy circumstances of having a full garrison
and a superfluous number of brother knights. Since the acceptance
into the order of Conrad, Hans, Anton and Johann he had four
additional brother knights who ordinarily would be sent to other
garrisons. However, the expedition to Odenpah put paid to that, at
least for the present. He decided to send eight of his brother
knights to Kalju – Rudolf, Henke, Lukas, Walter, Conrad, Hans,
Anton and Johann – leaving seven others and himself to man Wenden.
Accompanying them would be thirty sergeants, a score of crossbowmen
and the same number of spearmen. Volquin sent Master Bertram from
Segewold to join Berthold, who brought with him eleven brother
knights, a score of sergeants, a score of crossbowmen and an equal
number of spearmen. From Kremon came Master Mathias with eleven
brother knights, twenty sergeants, thirty crossbowmen and the same
number of spearmen.

When they heard of the
march to Odenpah, even they had no idea where it was, all the
crusaders who had spent the summer at Wenden in idle activity
begged Berthold to be allowed to join it. The master tactfully
informed them that Wenden was still in danger and only a percentage
of their number would be able to join the Sword Brother expedition,
otherwise Lembit might assault and overrun the castle. The
crusaders were most unhappy but reluctantly acquiesced in the
master’s decision. Berthold told them they were going to defend a
stronghold and so it would be better to leave their warhorses
behind, though they did use them in a jousting competition that was
held to decide which among them would go to Odenpah. In the end
fifty knights were selected, plus their squires, and fifty
crossbowmen that the lords had brought with them from Germany.