"Da da, da da~"
In the black forest in the northwest of the kingdom, on the muddy main road filled with horse hoof prints and ruts, three people and two horses were heading south.
"To be honest, I feel like a piece of venison hung over a fire to dry," the fat man riding the somewhat unruly traveling horse wiped the sweat from his head and gasped, "This suit The hot, itchy chainmail is killing me!"
"That's right, Hoffman." Miller, who was standing close behind the fat man, also looked very uncomfortable, "especially since our inner linings were completely soaked with sweat, and some of the damaged areas of the outer armor were pricked in the flesh. , It’s so uncomfortable!”
"Don't mention it. In the final analysis, it's because the two of us are riding on the same horse." The fat man only felt that his upper body in mail armor was like a dense swarm of ants stinging him.
Simon only has three horses, a chestnut war horse given by the old baron, a black war horse given by Baron Iser, and a traveling horse.
However, during this trip, Simon decided to leave the black war horse sent by Baron Iser in the village, in case there was an emergency in Verde Village and he would not be able to send people to Dorstenberg for help immediately.
So it was destined that Fatty would have to ride the same horse as Miller.
If Miller can ride a horse, whether it is out of consideration for the need for more livestock in the village to assist in production in the future, or a preliminary plan to train a scout, Simon will find a way to add new members to his three-person team on this long journey. A fine horse.
But it’s worth mentioning that horses are really expensive. According to Ripulian law, a horse is worth six times as much as an ox, and this price can already buy an exquisite gold-locked leather chest protector, or two sturdy Norman helmets.
Simon had previously heard of a Swabian landowner who exchanged his ancestral estate and a slave for just a horse and a sword. This shows how precious horses and weapons are.
"Miller, I wonder if you have heard of a proverb," Simon, who was leisurely riding his maroon horse, turned back and looked at the two people riding behind him who looked uncomfortable, "You can make a young man Become a cavalryman when you are young, and forget about it when you are too late."
"Of course my master." Miller nodded seriously. This can be said to be basic common sense that almost every Frank knows.
"Then do you think it's not too late for you to start learning to ride a horse?" Simon focused his eyes on the road ahead and said quickly as if he was talking to himself, "Forget it, I think it's not too late. These days, I have learned to ride a horse. Fatty will teach you how to control a horse, I believe it will come in handy in the future."
"Okay, okay, my master." Miller was a little confused. But what excites him is that he finally has the opportunity to learn horse riding, a skill that only nobles and very few messengers can do.
"Let's take a rest here at noon today." Simon only felt that he was thirsty and hungry now, so he reined up his horse by a beautiful lake and tied the horse to a small tree nearby.
"Be aware of your surroundings, and be careful of what is carried on the horse's back to the Bishop of Cologne," Simon said, taking out a small iron pot from the big cloth bag carried on the back of his horse and placing it on the bank of the stream. On the stone, "By the way, Fatty, I'll teach Miller how to ride a horse later."
But at this moment, Simon noticed a guy wearing dark clothes on the other side of the creek, holding a kettle and fetching water from the creek, looking at him blankly.
And tied to the thick tree behind the stranger was a beautiful horse with a fine leather saddle that didn't belong to him at first glance.
………
At this time, in Duisburg in the west of Berg County, a simple pointed wooden wall and a simple sentry tower that looked a little old stood on a mound on the edge of a peaceful and quiet village, as well as the lord's wood and stone surrounded by it. Towers and dilapidated wooden stables.
In the simple little castle, there are sometimes servants serving the lord walking back and forth doing their jobs, and there are also the lord's private soldiers who are bored and wearing only a scarred leather vest, listlessly holding a curved and blunt oak spear. He leaned against the wooden gate of the castle and stood guard.
At this time, in this relatively quiet Lord's Tower, which was filled with feces and stench everywhere, an angry roar suddenly came out.
"Bazel, you are really a rare idiot in the entire Berg County!" Baron Carl was furious at a skinny, messy-haired poor guy.
In front of a large oak table with a silver-inlaid dagger, half a can of fresh milk, a plate of half-eaten roast rabbit and toasted white bread with berry jam, Baron Karl sat upright. Upholstered in two layers of fur, the armchairs match the large oak table.
Across the table from Baron Karl was a castle butler wearing a dirty red long-sleeved cotton shirt, shivering and standing in front of his master in an extremely pitiful manner.
"Master, please be kind and generous, please forgive the mistakes of your most humble servant. I don't know why a good horse disappeared from the stable for no reason as soon as I woke up this morning." This man named Bazel The poor butler gently wiped the cold sweat on his forehead, "Let me tell you, maybe all of this is God's arrangement!"
"It's extremely ridiculous." Baron Karl stood up from the comfortable and warm armchair in anger. "This is entirely your fault as a butler, and now you, a cunning guy, are trying to take this damn responsibility away from you." Blame it on God, you are blaspheming!”
"Ah, no, sir, I didn't mean that at all," Butler Bazel's eyes widened and he hurriedly explained emotionally, "I mean, God will definitely arrange for you to successfully retrieve the horse in the end! "
"Ha, if you, the goddamn guy who deserves to be chopped off and fed to pigs, don't tell the truth next time, I will personally send you to God to explain it clearly." With that, Baron Karl picked up the table He gestured twice at the poor butler Bazel with his silver-embellished dagger, almost frightening this cowardly guy into fainting.
"Okay, okay, Carl, calm down. If you lose your horse, you can find it again, but it won't be good if you scare Bazel, who has served us loyally for so many years, into a psychosis." At this moment, the tower lobby A young woman wearing a dyed wool dress and a tattooed cloak walked out of the lord's bedroom at the side door, and gently hugged Baron Karl's waist.
"Yes, sir, my wife is right." The aggrieved Bazel carefully raised his head and looked at his master's wife pleadingly, but after being glared at by his master, he quickly dropped his head again and stared at the ground. .
"Okay, Helen, it's okay. We can definitely get the horse back." Baron Karl retracted his glare at Bazel and turned to his wife in a soft voice.
"Hey, why are you standing here like an old and withered date tree? Why don't you go find a horse!" Baron Karl's sudden roar frightened Bazel, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, and rolled away. He crawled on the ground and rushed out of the door, stumbling and holding on to the thick pillars of the stable outside the tower, breathing heavily. He was in such a state of embarrassment.
"Master Bazel, what do you say?" At this time, the young stable boy in charge of the stable carefully held up a relatively clean rag that was full of stinky and musty smell and prepared to give it to Bazel who was sweating profusely. He wiped his sweat, but was roughly pushed away by the butler who just now behaved like a pug in front of the lord.
"The master said that if you, a guy who deserves to be struck by a thousand thunders, can't find a horse, he will cut your skin open, and then use big wooden nails to nail you, you bitch, upside down under the small wooden bridge on the edge of the territory. I am trampled on by people and animals every day!" Butler Bazel changed his cowardice and became furious at the poor little stable boy, spraying the stinky spittle directly into the stable boy's face.
"Remember, get started now, immediately. If you can't find the horse, you'll be doomed! Bah!" The vicious butler Bazel said angrily, and he didn't forget to spit on the stable boy, and then He walked away with his hands behind his back like a proud country squire.
"Lord!" The young stable boy immediately fell to his knees in the mud filled with human and horse excrement, wailing loudly.
………
"Who are you?" Simon took off the shield on his back, pulled out the dagger from his waist, and looked warily at the stranger in black who quickly threw away the water bottle, picked up a hunting bow and set an arrow from the ground, and aimed at his group. .
"Don't mess with my horse, it has nothing to do with you! If you know what's going on, get out of here, or if you offend me, I swear you will never have peace!" The threatening words of the stranger in black were heard. The three stout warriors wearing mail and holding shields and swords looked so pale and helpless in front of them.
"Ha, your horse was stolen, right? Do you know what it is to steal a noble's horse and what the consequences will be? Not to mention the cruel and violent Baron Karl's horse." Simon looked behind the stranger in black. The coat of arms of the noble family on the horse's coat looked mockingly at the horse thief who was already sweating.
"You, you," the stranger in black saw that Simon was a noble and had already identified the origin of the horse. He couldn't help but take two steps back and slowly moved towards the tree where the horse was tied behind him, "I am here specifically for Karl. The baron’s messenger!”
"Bah, I think you are a horse thief who specializes in stealing Baron Carl's horse! Go ahead and catch this despicable guy!" Simon sneered disdainfully and rushed forward with the big kite shield in his left hand raised.
Fatty and Miller followed closely behind, roaring loudly, and also rushed towards the panicked stranger.
