Ойкумена / Oikumena: Глава 14

Chapter 14 Kriegmesser

Camrad_RIP 18.11.23 в 19:40

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Camrad_RIP 18.11.23 в 19:39

A lazy man gets up at the first rays of the sun, but an honest citizen at least a quarter of a small watch before dawn. Elena woke up early as a good citizen, even before the lantern-watchers and alarm clocks with ratchets. She lay under the covers for a while, savoring the warmth. The wooden bed, which was a long chest the height of a man, stood next to a brick chimney in the wall. The furnace on the first floor had been well heated the day before, so it was warm and cozy. She didn't want to get up, but duty called. The woman sighed and pulled back the thin blanket.

Camrad_RIP 20.11.23 в 20:34

In houses people usually walked without taking off their street shoes or just barefoot, but Elena had arranged the room in the usual way, so the floor was always cleanly swept, shoes were in a separate corner, and the woman walked around the house in slippers.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:22

The morning was sunny, so the mica window let in plenty of light. She didn't need to light the special "night" candle with a torch. It was a pity that the frame couldn't be opened, it wasn't summer anymore... Washing and dressing didn't take much time. Chewing on a tar lump to clean her teeth, Elena looked at the bowl of water, which also served as a mirror. She decided that she would put off practicing her gaze until later, especially since the water was cold. She combed her hair with a wooden comb, thinking it was time to re-do her coloring and get a haircut. You could cut your hair yourself, with Baala's scissors, or you could have it cut by a barber. The latter was more beautiful, but it cost money.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:25

Some more time was taken up by morning exercises, stretching, and obligatory self-massage by tapping the body with special sticks similar to baton sticks. Elena came up with the general program herself, combining the lessons of Draftsman with her personal Pilates experience. The Ecumene had already grown to understand the urgent need for physical training, and Elena was spurred on by the fact that she would probably never see the same level of medicine again. Therefore, careful health care is the best investment in a long life.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:26

The woman pulled on a pair of linen underpants that looked like family underpants with rope ties, another item of clothing that had been "customized" for her. She had never gotten used to wearing local underwear made of a piece of cloth like Japanese loincloths. Though about once a month she still had to do it, purely out of necessity. Putting on pants and a shirt, Elena had a trained eye to assess what needed to be sewn up and what could wait.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:27

Now, it was time to do what in good conscience should have been done the day before - to evaluate the sword.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:27

Elena pulled a blade from its sheath. What Figueredo called a "sword" referred more to military knives, "kriegmessers" [1]. A cross between swords and cleavers, a weapon more akin to an overgrown knife. Instead of the traditional shank, there was a solid plate, a continuation of the blade with wooden plates on two or three rivets. Despite the apparent simplicity and reliability of such a design was considered worse than the usual, and the weapon, accordingly, cost less. Elena never understood why [2].

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:34

"Greed," the woman whispered. "Skimp a sword..."

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:36

It was a really good knife, though. The blade had a barely perceptible curve, equally suitable for stabbing and chopping. The quality of metal and forging was decent, though, of course, far from the rolled steel of her native world. The handle is one-handed but long enough to allow room for a second palm to reinforce the blow. A crossguard and traditional right hook to protect the outside of the palm. A simple, utilitarian thing, yet suitable for quite sophisticated fencing. And free from the restrictions and prohibitions on weapons for commoners, which is important.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:44

Elena tried on the large knife in her hand and made a few test swings, which evolved first into a parade and training binder and then into a shadow fight. Messer was far from the flashy blades flaunted by hired swordsmen, but with each swing, the temporary owner liked the weapon more and more. In the middle of another bundle, going around the stool with a beautiful pirouette, the woman remembered that, in fact, today, she would try to kill or at least wound. The sobering thought disrupted the movement, Elena hit her thigh against the furniture, and all the energy dissolved.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:49

With a heavy sigh, she slipped the Messer into its scabbard. Well, a duel was a duel, but the day had just begun. There was no time for breakfast, but there was a slice of bread wrapped in a clean cloth waiting on the table from the night before.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:50

While packing, Elena made an unpleasant discovery - the strap of the medical bag had frayed. The old burlap had served its purpose and had crept in such shaggy lengths that it was useless to stitch it. Outside the window, the cracker was already going from house to house, announcing that it was the middle of the dawn watch and anyone who hadn't gotten to work in time was late. Elena grumbled, mixing two languages, and pulled out a Vietnamese chest with straps from under the table. She tried not to flash the signs of her old life, but there was no choice. She didn't want to carry a heavy bale of vials under her arm. Her mind was occupied with other things. She hesitated: should she leave the sword on her belt, wrap it in a cloth, or leave it at home until evening? She decided to let it hang there. It was time to start acting like a fencer with some experience.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 06:53

It was a good day, sunny and warm, almost like summer. It was a pleasant contrast to the previous fall, which, on the contrary, had surprised even the most experienced citizens with dampness and freezing cold. Elena was almost running through the tunnel under the river. There were almost no clocks as such here. At the same time, a certain regime of the day was strictly observed, and God forbid to come to the service later than the executioners.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:03

Luckily for her, there was almost no work today. The interrogations had been postponed for a couple of days to carry out some investigative actions on the newly discovered circumstances of torture. No one noticed the delay. There were no special patients. There was a rumor that two prison guards from the lower levels had disappeared without a trace as if they had vanished. There were spies from the night guard, some other people with wax tablets, and even stacks of real papyrus. Only parchment was more expensive for writing, and it was forbidden for use by commoners, including merchants, by a special assize.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:09

Dind kept trying to say something, especially when he noticed the kriegmesser on Lunna's belt. But he, too, was caught up in the whirlwind, so the young man, as he walked down the corridor once more, only cast a pained glance at the young woman.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:12

Even the usually sedate and unhurried monk of the Church of Pantocrator, who was in charge of the spiritual consolation of criminal souls - Elena could not remember the name of the church minister - was thrashing about like a pissed-off man. The monk and the medical officer did not communicate much, though they encountered each other often; the churchman was a member of the "commission" that certified the death of a prisoner and sent the body to the anatomical table or straight to the grave. But on this day, the shaven-headed fat man condescended to greet her. Elena answered, and she did not like the scrutinizing glance with which the attendant dabbed at the medicine chest. The unpleasantness was almost immediately forgotten.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:23

It went on like that, in nervous anticipation of the evening and the duel promised by Draftsman. Toward the end of the day's watch, Elena realized she couldn't stand this mess any longer. So she went to look for Master Quokk. When she found him, she asked for a leave of absence without any verbal detours.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:10

"What for?" the chief executor asked laconically, shifting his beret to his side and squinting at the sword at the healer's hip.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:11

"I fight tonight. Swords," the woman said just as briefly. And then she thought that no one had actually called anyone anywhere yet. And maybe they wouldn't. Then, it would be awkward and even problematic. However, she couldn't take back what she had said, so she took on the stern and stern look of a fighter who was ready to say goodbye to life right now.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:14

"Ah," the executioner shook his head with the look of a man who understood everything at once. "It's about time."

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:14

"Uh..." The woman said, and that was the end of her eloquence.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:18

"If you're young, a year in the city, and you haven't fought, you're a wuss, a wimp, and a misunderstanding," Quokk explained condescendingly. "And knife-wielding is a good manly thing to do."

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:19

Elena wanted to remark that she was not a man and bit her tongue, remembering that right now she wasn't even wearing stockings, which women often wore - for example, the Black Duchess - but pants of purely masculine cut. So she was perceived as a man who not only wore something from a man's closet, but also voluntarily chose a man's way of life, with much more freedom, but also responsibility.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:21

"What will you fight for?" The executioner inquired. "For a man ... or a woman?" he grinned good-naturedly.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:23

Elena hesitated to answer. Unfortunately, a sharp and quick tongue was not her virtue.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:23

"All right, go on. I'll deduct it from your pay for the day, but if they ask, I'll tell them I sent you on the errand myself," Quokk allowed and added. "Not a word to Dind. He's got another work today, and he'll worry, he'll maim the wretch."

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:06

"Yeah," Elena said and hurried away before the master changed his mind.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:29

"Hey, there," Quokk called out in the back. "Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow are holidays, weekends, remember?"

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:42

"A memorial, yes," the woman remembered and nodded gratefully. If it hadn't been for the executioner, she really would have forgotten about Night of Stars on the Water.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:43

As she climbed the stairs, she mechanically noted how simply, without any emotion, "work today" sounded and was accepted. Professional deformation, damn it. It also occurred to her that the apprentice's affection for the healer had apparently become obvious to everyone, and something would have to be done about it.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:07

But that's afterward. Later.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:13

Now, she wanted to take her shoulder chest home and walk the streets, calming her nerves.

Camrad_RIP 21.11.23 в 07:14

* * *

Camrad_RIP 18.11.23 в 19:45

As she had expected, there was some activity in front of Draftsman's house. The woman adjusted her sword and pulled her combat mittens from her belt. She pulled the thicker one over her left hand, tucked the cuff under the sleeve, and checked to ensure it was still on. The right one was quicker and easier.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:46

Elena strode forward with feigned slowness, trying to keep her heartbeat down. It was scary and nervous. As she walked, she did a few mimicry exercises from her past life, making faces and folding her lips into a tube to stretch her muscles and improve her diction. She didn't need to mumble something inaudible while answering a call. On the way, she thought back to the location, figuring out where to fight.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:47

The Street of the Free Blades ended two blocks above and then divided into three "arms" that descended to the river. That's why Elena spent a lot of time looking for a Draftsman's house. Formally, the three alleys still belonged to the older "commodity," including administratively, through the night guards and lantern service. Practically, they lived their own lives, and no real Brethers were seen here for weeks. Figueredo's house stood in a row of buildings that had once been erected without a single plan and stuck apart like teeth in a jaw. The street curved in crannies, forming small squares with wells and small marketplaces with four or five mobile stalls. In the daytime, the owners rolled out carts with a canopy and a counter. In the evening, they rolled them into barns. In warm weather, they did not even roll them up, sleeping here at night. The main thing was to hang a piece of correctly colored cloth in a prominent place so everyone would know that a criminal deposit had been made and that no robbery was allowed.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 08:50

One of these curves was outlined by the foundations of a burned-out house on one side and on the other by a good-sized frame barn. There was activity here, and something colorful and bright and uncharacteristic of the locals was stirring. Elena straightened up, put on an important look, and stepped forward, holding her sword with her forearm so it wouldn't dangle at her hip. A step, another step; she had to force herself to walk faster, or her legs would slow down on their own.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:12

The small square had taken over an even older foundation, so it was two-level. There was room for three kinds of stone paving, a small fence, a log pile, and a few barrels. Two mobile benches had been rolled back under the walls, clearing the space. Apparently, the owners had acted preemptively, safeguarding property. A guard in a leather half-plate bore down, leaning on a short halberd and making sure there was no disturbance. Both cuirass and halberd had seen better days. The armor glistened with grease as if the leather had been rinsed in a vat of grease. A duelist wandered by an old wheelbarrow that was a local landmark, burrowed into the ground and rotten enough to be of no interest even to junk dealers.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:11

Here's my first real fight, Elena thought, picking up her pace a little more so it wouldn't look like she was scared.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:04

The man was young enough to look about thirty or forty years old by the standards of her homeworld, so he was about twenty. He should have had a "soldier" sign on his chest, because only mercenaries could dress so colorfully and haphazardly. A yellow shirt, over it a black jacket, or rather a set of picturesquely sewn ribbons and patterned shreds. Pants with a bright scarlet codpiece, sewn from strips of red, black and yellow cloth plus blue bows under the knees. The boots were a bit of a bummer, giving off the appearance of a man in need. Brethers didn't dress like that, and his weapons were more like soldiers than swordsmen: a straight double-edged sword with a chisel-sharpened point and a grip like the sign of zero, divided across by a small crosshair.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:14

Her heart was a little relieved. This wasn't a professional assassin who'd been trained in swordsmanship for years. However, it was only slightly relieved. Elena felt the normal and natural fear of a man who was about to be killed with a real sword.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:15

The small crowd parted as if by order to let the woman through. They knew her in the neighborhood. The townspeople whispered to the casual gawkers about who she was and why she цшер шкщт. Figueredo had not taught her the subtleties of corporate etiquette, so Elena limited herself to standing beyond the reach of the enemy's blade and silently arched an eyebrow, placing her hand on the hilt of the messer. You have some business with me, you say?

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:18

"Hey," the mercenary said, not hiding his contempt, the words pushing through his teeth and falling to the ground like maggots from a corpse. "Are you the chiks with the sword?"

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:19

The people appreciated it and chuckles ran through the thin crowd. The soldier frowned. Up close, he looked very much like the corpse the medic had opened the last time. The same shaggy head cut into a short stubble, the same thin, bony face devoid, however, of the traces of chronic malnutrition. And an unpleasant slippery look, which, like a tentacle, climbs into the purse and the neckline of her shirt. The eyes of a marauder.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:23

"Well, get it out," the fighter said curtly. "If you know which side to take."

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:24

"How shall we fight?" Elena couldn't keep up her steady, businesslike voice, and at the end of the sentence, she snapped into a wheeze that didn't go unnoticed. The chuckles around him turned to disappointed whispers, and the mercenary grinned.

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:25

"But when you fall on your knees, we'll stop," all this was accompanied by a characteristic gesture, so there was no doubt about the meaning of the joke. "Maybe I'll pay you."

Camrad_RIP 26.11.23 в 09:26