04
We were sitting in the garden of the Grimdar Arms Hotel. While it was the middle of the sleep watch in Grimdar, the rare traveler could always get a bite to eat and a drink in the march hotels. The valleys did not sync their rounds with the neighboring valleys or Daeri in general, since there was little trade, so the hotels, however sleepy they were at any time, were always open. Still, KaRaya and I had the garden to ourselves while I sipped a mug tey and she a tankard of the house's beer.
'What do they make this out of? Radishes?' KaRaya wondered. 'Still, I've had worse.'
'I expect you have.'
'Do you expect DereKin to show up for the hearing?' she asked after taking another little swig and grimacing.
'I haven't heard anything about him coming down from the woods. I don't blame him. It isn't likely to go well for the Dere Clan.'
'What is he thinking? He must realize that the Dere Clan is cordially hated by every other clan in the march. I gather they pretty much ran this march, and ran it for their exclusive profit before Brey arrived. It's payback time now. No one will support his claims, no matter how they feel about the vineyards.'
'Aye, I don't know how much credit to give the rumors that they re-branded the cattle of the other clans - that may be just sour grapes, but clearly the Dere's day of riding high over this march is over. BreyAntor seems to have everything well in hand,' I said.
'I'm quite impressed with BreyAntor. If he wasn't already married he'd be quite a catch,' she said with a wishful sigh. 'He knows what he's doing and has a lot of drive. When you consider that half the old, conservative march-men we talked to were either willing to get involved in his wine making venture, or curious enough to see how it turns out - that's some sort of triumph.'
'And even the other half that thinks it's foolish, and will fail, are willing to wait and see how everything turns out. Only DereKin's Clan actively opposes it.'
'Think this vineyard idea will work?' she asked, and taking a sip, made another sour face and added, 'Judging from their local beer, one has to wonder what their wine would taste like.'
'Well, the Breys have been wine growers for generations. They've developed this grape that not only does well in the dim light of the margin lands, but produces a distinctive wine. BreyAntor says that their Brey Wine is sold throughout the Daeri and has a rapidly growing export business as well. And he should know since he was managing that export business in Quandadar, before inheriting the Grimdar. According to him, they can sell all the wine they can produce, and more. Seem like a good bet to me,' I said, adding, 'Especially since the Breys are footing the bill for the vineyards. What can the clans lose?'
'Their old way of life, according to the DereKin, anyway,' replied KaRaya.
'Well, the old way, selling hides, wool, and meat, provides little more than subsistence for the Grimdar clans.'
'Except the Dere Clan.'
'True. But even so, if these vineyards are half as successful as the Brey's vineyards, every clan in this march will share in the new prosperity, including the Deres. You'd think you'd want to give it a chance, anyway.'
'Apparently the Deres were doing well enough in hides, wool and meat, that they decided otherwise, and drove their cattle through the young vineyards to prove their point. Rather bold of them,' said KaRaya.
'Stupid.'
'Well that too. It certainly didn't go well for them.'
Without any night, there is an essential honesty to life in the Pela. Things like breaking down a gate and driving a large herd of march cattle into the vineyard to trample it flat cannot be done in the dead of the night. You do it in broad twilight, and everyone sees you doing it. This didn't bother DereKin, and when some of the vineyard workers objected, he treated them roughly. The Master's small police guard chased them off and managed to wound and capture DereKin's youngest son, who they now hold in the Tower.
The raid prompted Master Brey to call in some of his family's riders from their extensive home march. These were DereKin's so-called mercenaries. The Brey march borders on some sweeping shadow land plains, on which their numerous livestock herds and flocks graze, so he had plenty of riders to call on, with many more in reserve, if need be.
'If Brey hadn't seized their cattle, the Deres might be a bit more cooperative,' KaRaya said. 'Its not like the Brey's couldn't afford the damage.'
'I suppose. But I suspect all this is mostly about establishing who's running this march. I gather Brey is well within his rights to seize and sell the cattle to pay for the damages to his vineyard. No doubt that has put a deep dent in the wealth of the Dere clan, and certainly outraged DereKin. You have to wonder if Py will be able to reconcile ol'DereKin to the new order. For as far as I can see that's what he must do,' I added.
'I'd not underestimate Py. He'll find some sort of face-saving way for DereKin to surrender.'
'At least Brey is making that easy, offering full amnesty to all the Deres that took part in that raid, including DereKin. The longer they hold out in the woods, the poorer the clan will be, and they'll have only themselves to blame, since they can't win.'
'Well with that thoughtful observation, my dear Wilitang, I think I'm going to call it a round,' she said, lifting her mug, paused, and shaking her head, set it back down. 'I'm certain they brew this from radishes?'