The Northern Swords

"Ha! Ha! Ha!" People laugh in next manor.

"That darn Harpernus is at it again!" A young handsome noble with groomed hazelnut hair, dark green eyes, and faint facial hair complains. This is Wigandus of Oldenburg neighbouring noble to Harpernus of Osnabrück, a tall noble with pale dirty coloured hair and blue eyes. These two nobles, though both similar in age, have quite different personalities. The younger successful Wigandus is a more "civilized" noble more focused on logic and success. Harpernus is a fun loving gambler who enjoys the finer things in life. There is another older noble near the area, a Noldil of Bremen who has a daughter by the name of Ayla, she has long sleek dark scarlet hair and deep brown eyes. The noble Wigandus is quite fond of her, and when he can does deeds for her father. Besides having common age and some common interests the two young nobles have another thing in common, they both despise and are despised by the king. The once small problem now becomes a great threat. King Lothar III of Supplinburg had begun a conquest in the East, and succeeded. He gained great confidence and to increase his chances of continuing he hires an army of mercenaries. The king was never so powerful; but the two nobles do have small forces of their own and know combat themselves, so they aren't completely hopeless. Unfortunately the king's patience grows thin, Wigandus and Harpernus will either have to follow Lothar's every word or face the consequences.

On a mild evening in June Wigandus is enjoying a meal when he hears a squad of horses stop at the border of his manor property. Wigandus wonders who they could be or for what cause they come. The servant who answered the door comes up the stairs to the dining room and tells Wigandus that the man at the door asks to see him personally. Wigandus summons two guards to follow with hand gestures. The three men walk cautiously down the stairs. When they reach the doorway there are three men outside, two of them are clothed in chain mail, some armour, red clothing and helmets that look like Russian barmitsas. They are both carrying quivers and loaded crossbows. The third man is not armed with a ranged weapon but a curved sabre suspended on his belt, this third man wears less mail and more full plate armour, this man is also helmet less and looks more grand than the rest. (not only because of the presence of his well groomed moustache) The two men with crossbows raise their weapons in the presence of the guards and the third man begins to speak.

"I am Aloys the mercenary, we are representing King Lothar III of Supplinburg. We come with a message from the king."

Aloys reads,

"I King Lothar III of Supplinburg decree that if Wigandus of Oldenburg and Harpernus of Osnabrück do not go on their knees before me, bow and pay the additional conquest fees within ten days: their property will be burned, their villagers and servants put to work with no pay and they themselves will be hanged." "Good night." Aloys and the crossbowmen mount the three riderless horses and gallop off through the night. Wigandus is very worried but he can't help thinking,

"That un-civilized, feeble minded Harpernus opposes the king also?"

The next morning Wigandus gets up from bed with very troubled thoughts.

"Everyone knows that king Lothar isn't exactly the king everybody wants but it seems that only Harpernus and I have stood up to him," thought Wigandus. He then put on some clothes for outside and made his way to the market inside the king's walls to think. When he got there he is shoved by one of the king's men to the ground. An older man in a blue coat, a greying beard, and a hooked nose appears offering help to Wigandus. The man helped him up and says,

"That Lothar has gone quite out of hand with hiring these mindless brutes, anyway I'm Leopold of Babenberg.

"Thank you I am Wigandus of Oldenburg, wait aren't you that noble who is thought to be very wise?" Asks Wigandus.