and wanted him out of the city so he could pay her his undivided attention.’
Yuri stopped and laid a hand on his son’s arm. ‘Does the prince know this?’
Yaroslav shrugged. ‘If he found out he would have Domash executed, but if Gerceslav found out he would try to kill the mayor, which in turn might provoke a war between Novgorod and Khotyan. What would you rather have father, twenty thousand Cumans ravaging Estonia and Livonia or watering their horses in Novgorod’s rivers and lakes?’
His father rubbed his chin. ‘All so very depressing.’
Khotyan was more than happy to assist his son-in-law, not least because a great raid into Estonia and Livonia promised a rich haul of slaves. He promised twenty thousand men but in the event could only muster fifteen thousand, but they were more than enough. It took a month to gather his forces, Khotyan giving command of the force to Gerceslav and instructing him to lay waste the enemy’s lands. He did not bother to mention anything about a piece of Russian cloth. The promise of plunder and slaves was motivation enough.
Cuman warfare was very much a family affair, with families forming clans and clans forming hordes. It was a horde of thousands of men, women and horses that moved north in the autumn, each warrior leading up to twelve horses to allow him to cover up to a hundred miles a day if necessary. They fed their horses on the move, filling nosebags with fodder so the animals could eat while still moving. When one got tired the rider transferred to another mount. When they halted they pitched felt tents and sat down to eat cheeses, meat and milk. Yaroslav arrived at Pskov just before they arrived, and the day after his arrival stood with Domash, his senior officers and Gleb on Pskov’s southern ramparts as the ground to the south of the city heaved with thousands of tents, tens of thousands of steppe horses and a host of campfires. It was as if a sorcerer had created a great army out of thin air.
‘Make sure the gates are closed at all times,’ Domash said to one of his officers, ‘I don’t want them inside the city. I dread to think what pestilences they have brought with them.’
He looked at Yaroslav. ‘When will they be leaving?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘You go with them?’ said Domash.
Yaroslav nodded.
‘You have my sympathies.’
Yaroslav noticed that Domash did not look him directly in the eye, no doubt uncomfortable that he had taken the blame for something that was the mayor’s fault. For his part Yaroslav said nothing about the wife of Gerceslav who was now with her husband in the Cuman camp.
‘A wise precaution, keeping the gates closed,’ said Gleb mischievously to Domash, ‘especially if Gerceslav discovers that you have been mauling his wife.’
‘Hold your tongue,’ snapped Domash.
‘Have I touched a nerve?’ remarked Gleb innocently.
Domash spun round to face the Skomorokh . ‘Keep your nose out of things that do not concern you.’
Gleb stepped back and bowed in a ridiculous manner. ‘As you wish, oh great one, conqueror of the world’s women. I hope it was worth it.’
Domash was not amused. ‘What?’
‘The delights of the Lady Afanasy,’ replied Gleb as he nonchalantly walked away, ‘for the price that Novgorod will pay will be a high one.’
What do you mean?’ asked Domash. But Gleb merely waved an arm in the air as he left the battlements.
Domash shook his head and turned his attention back to the Cuman horde camped before his city, mumbling something under his breath.
‘The words of the Skomorokhs can be prophetic, I have heard,’ said Yaroslav.
‘I thought that the citizens of Novgorod do not believe in superstition,’ remarked Domash.
‘The church says that they are the devil’s servants but my father believes that they can see the future. Let us hope that Gleb did not speak the truth.’
Domash waved a hand at him. ‘He is an idiot, a fool whom I took pity on, that is all. I don’t know why I
Yuri stopped and laid a hand on his son’s arm. ‘Does the prince know this?’
Yaroslav shrugged. ‘If he found out he would have Domash executed, but if Gerceslav found out he would try to kill the mayor, which in turn might provoke a war between Novgorod and Khotyan. What would you rather have father, twenty thousand Cumans ravaging Estonia and Livonia or watering their horses in Novgorod’s rivers and lakes?’
His father rubbed his chin. ‘All so very depressing.’
Khotyan was more than happy to assist his son-in-law, not least because a great raid into Estonia and Livonia promised a rich haul of slaves. He promised twenty thousand men but in the event could only muster fifteen thousand, but they were more than enough. It took a month to gather his forces, Khotyan giving command of the force to Gerceslav and instructing him to lay waste the enemy’s lands. He did not bother to mention anything about a piece of Russian cloth. The promise of plunder and slaves was motivation enough.
Cuman warfare was very much a family affair, with families forming clans and clans forming hordes. It was a horde of thousands of men, women and horses that moved north in the autumn, each warrior leading up to twelve horses to allow him to cover up to a hundred miles a day if necessary. They fed their horses on the move, filling nosebags with fodder so the animals could eat while still moving. When one got tired the rider transferred to another mount. When they halted they pitched felt tents and sat down to eat cheeses, meat and milk. Yaroslav arrived at Pskov just before they arrived, and the day after his arrival stood with Domash, his senior officers and Gleb on Pskov’s southern ramparts as the ground to the south of the city heaved with thousands of tents, tens of thousands of steppe horses and a host of campfires. It was as if a sorcerer had created a great army out of thin air.
‘Make sure the gates are closed at all times,’ Domash said to one of his officers, ‘I don’t want them inside the city. I dread to think what pestilences they have brought with them.’
He looked at Yaroslav. ‘When will they be leaving?’
‘Tomorrow.’
‘You go with them?’ said Domash.
Yaroslav nodded.
‘You have my sympathies.’
Yaroslav noticed that Domash did not look him directly in the eye, no doubt uncomfortable that he had taken the blame for something that was the mayor’s fault. For his part Yaroslav said nothing about the wife of Gerceslav who was now with her husband in the Cuman camp.
‘A wise precaution, keeping the gates closed,’ said Gleb mischievously to Domash, ‘especially if Gerceslav discovers that you have been mauling his wife.’
‘Hold your tongue,’ snapped Domash.
‘Have I touched a nerve?’ remarked Gleb innocently.
Domash spun round to face the Skomorokh . ‘Keep your nose out of things that do not concern you.’
Gleb stepped back and bowed in a ridiculous manner. ‘As you wish, oh great one, conqueror of the world’s women. I hope it was worth it.’
Domash was not amused. ‘What?’
‘The delights of the Lady Afanasy,’ replied Gleb as he nonchalantly walked away, ‘for the price that Novgorod will pay will be a high one.’
What do you mean?’ asked Domash. But Gleb merely waved an arm in the air as he left the battlements.
Domash shook his head and turned his attention back to the Cuman horde camped before his city, mumbling something under his breath.
‘The words of the Skomorokhs can be prophetic, I have heard,’ said Yaroslav.
‘I thought that the citizens of Novgorod do not believe in superstition,’ remarked Domash.
‘The church says that they are the devil’s servants but my father believes that they can see the future. Let us hope that Gleb did not speak the truth.’
Domash waved a hand at him. ‘He is an idiot, a fool whom I took pity on, that is all. I don’t know why I
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