The Web of Iron

Chapter Twelve: Easormen

While they waited for Drendig and Morvan, it began to snow. Balfast and the rest of the group gathered fuel and started a fire. William was quite useless in the second part of it, something Balfast noted.

"How is it you are so poor at starting fires?" he asked. "You've seen battle, that much is plain, and in your story, you traveled much."

"To be honest," said William, "my friend and servant Felix usually deals with such menial chores. While I was on campaign, I was the son of a Duke. So I was spared having to have much part in the matter."

"Well, you ought to learn," said Balfast. "You won't always have servants around. The next time we stop I'll instruct you in it."

"My thanks," said William, feeling very foolish. "When do you suppose Drendig and Morvan will come back?"

"It may be an hour or more," admitted Balfast. "See that pass has... problems. Sometimes parts of it get snowed in completely, and it becomes impassable. It always gets snowed in during the dead of winter. And sometimes the satyrs stick around in ambush.

"They'll want to steal what we have, you see."

"I've had my fill of satyrs," admitted William. "But they aren't all bad."

"Maybe not where you are from," muttered Balfast. "And in some places, the sky may be green. But here we must contend with the savages daily. They all worship Fortenex, but Melchious is a popular minor god among them. Those that worship him are vicious."

"That I can believe," said William. "Why don't you have beasts of burden? Surely you can carry more?"

"You humans are as skinny as twigs," said Balfast. "So a beast of burden is a great help to you. But we minotaurs are strong. We can carry a far greater load than you and fight while doing it. So having oxen or other such animals is not worth the extra food.

"Especially since we eat the same things."

"Ah, of course," said William. "That seems obvious." He paused. "Though oxen don't want to be paid."

"I suppose not," mused Balfast. "But we minotaurs don't have the same ideas about ownership you and the dwarves have. You see the weapons and equipment and food we have are not ours, per se. Rather they are entrusted to us by our chieftain. But they don't belong to him either. He just decides what is done with the clan's possessions. And he can be removed if he misuses this power."

"But I am well acquainted with a Captain, Hrungeld," said William. "He is a minotaur, yet he seems to regard his ship as his property."

"Yes," mused Balfast. "I'm told that minotaurs who sail beyond Viokinar pick up strange ideas. Some of the clans have had disputes where one claims that a thing is his by right. That it should belong to him and him alone since he made it. Or since he found it."

"Surely there are things which cannot belong to a group," said William.