The Last Kingdom: Bastard of BebbanBurg: The ‘wolf’

A.D. 877 Capital of the Kingdom of the Republic of New Mongolia, Oxford, Oxford Castle

/pov Eadith/

Lady Gisela sat down besides me on the 'love-seat'.. "Lady Gisela.. good morn.. to you.. you look lovely.. as always.." I say to her..

"G'morning.. sister.. my poor bum.. it hurts to sit down.. is he always so rough..?" The sweet young woman asked me..

"No.. hes not always like last night.. I guess your father raising his troops.. might have put him in a sour mood is all.. it won't be long.. you'll see.. Im sure he will work something out with your father.. he will either crush his army turning it into to dust to the wind.. or he may call your father father-in-law by the time this is all over.. either way we will all be fine.. the 'wolf' protects his loved ones.." I assure the poor girl..

She was throughoughly used last night.. I remember my first time getting ravaged that way by the 'wolf'.. one morning my idiot twin that serves Im the 'wolf's' army.. went to Aethred earlier in the morning.. than he should have.. he bothered the 'wolf'.. just to slap himself in front of the lord.. for something he had done or might have done in a stupid dream..

I swear my brother is dumber than the funny looking man I saw trying to mate with a door ring hanging on the door of a tavern.. the man was touched in the head the people would say.. and my brother is dumber than him.. so sad..

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/pov Aeric/

"Aeric, will you please inform my young wolf here.. as to why I always say.. our little hunting trips.. are actually impromtu practical lessons.. on the subject of the 'art of war' would ya.. I would rather not have to tell him for then twelfth time.." the 'wolf' orders me..

"Yes m'lord.. right away sire.." I say turning to look at young Achilles.. the 'young wolf'.. to say.. "Young wolf.. the reason as to why.. your father would tell you these hunting trips.. are actually lessons on the 'art-of-war' .. is because.. they actually are.. think about it.. what is hunting?.. hunting is finding.. tracking.. running down.. killing.. prey.. right.. think about war.. you want to know all you can about your enemy in war.. you want to know where they are.. where they are going.. you want to find their tracks.. know they're movements.. all for the penultimate purpose of eventually slaying or smiting your prey or enemy.. and that is all reasons why.. hunting.. can be refered to.. and elements of hunting can be used in the 'art-of-war'.. Achilles.. do you understand what I just said..?" I asked at the end..

"Um sorry what..? I mean.. yes.. yes I did understand what you just said Aeric.." he smiles as he replies.. I turn to look at lord to see him already swinging his arm and slapping his first-born son upside the back of his head..

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/pov MC/

"So we are all of an accord..? If so let's finalize the land tax at let's say two tenths of total grain produced on said land for the fiscal year.. hmm let's set the age at all men of an age.. older than fifteen years to thirty years of age..must serve a mandatory one year term in our standing military.. spring of every year must be spent on 'basic' training of said members of the army.. summer will be spent on public works such as laying roads.. dredging ditches.. digging canals.. and other projects across our lands.. we shall then have them patrol our lands when they are not training during the winters.. education is another point I'd like to briefly touch on today.. all children from the ages of six.. to twelve.. must attend the school being built.. next to the Temple of Tengri.. those older than twelve.. but younger than fifteen.. can stay home to help their families with crops in the fields.. lastly I think we can all agree.. any and all prisoners taking during war.. must be sent to work on building my 'Great-Wall' of Oxford.. I want a ten meter high.. four meter wide.. eight kilometer long.. earth-rammed wall built surrounding our currently claimed borders.. I estimate we will need two years to build it.. if we have atleast a thousand prisoners.. will cost a lot of food to feed them.. but our current stock of grain in the granaries I've had built should be more than sufficient.. I want my wall built.. as soon as possible.. now then.. moving on.." I stop to drink some water to quench my parshed mouth after that drawn on monologue..

To continue to say "The Ealdorman of Mercia have entrenched themselves.. merely a kilometer from our border.. near Aegelsburg.. they stand at four thousand peasant levies.. we are prepared to have.. two hundred.. heavy 'shock' cavalry.. under the command of Aeric.. two hundred long-bowman.. under the command of Aestan.. we have five hundred light-armored.. shield-and-spear.. light infantry.. under Eardwulf's command.. leaving us with my.. one hundred.. 'Royal Varangian Guard'.. 'heavy' infantry.. our total forces stand at one thousand men.. all of our fifty light cavalry.. will be used as scouts and messengers.. let's stick to our strengths.. and exploit our enemies weaknesses.. Jebe have someone fetch my 'sand-table'.. will ya.. let's all go over the strategy.. one more time.. before breaking for a late brunch.. shall we?"

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/pov Brunhilda/

"Mom.. why does dad have to kill the bad people..?" My little angel Andromeda asks me..

"Well little bird.. you see.. if dad didn't go hurt those bad people.. those bad people might come hurt us.. and your father doesn't allow anything like that to happen.. thats why he has to go stop the bad people before they can even think about trying to harm us.. do you understand little dove..?" I tell her..

"Dads the best.. I wish he didn't have to leave though.. Im scared he might not come back.. or he gets hurt.." she says..

"Don't you worry about that my child.. you'll see.. your father will always come back to us.. I promise.. he promised.. and hes never lied to me.. even when he told me I would give him twin babes.. I didn't believe him.. but then you and your brother were brought into this world.. and I realized he has always told me the truth.. and nothing but the truth sweet dear.. now let's go to bed.." I say.. as she closes her eyes.. to peacefully enter the dreams.. she dreams when she rests..