Chapter 7

With so much new help, things started happening quickly. The Valencia quickly took shape, Ragno had several batches of powder finished, and we made rice paper. The extra help let us work on other projects, too. The millrace was nearing completion, with two sawmills and two gristmills well underway. The millrace would redirect about ninety percent of the water unless the river reached flood stage. At that point, the extra water would continue down the old course of the river.

I turned my attention, once again, back to the mortars. This time I made the mortars of thicker steel and extended the barrels. I had accurate measurements from several cannons cast in the 1800’s, everything from a twelve-pounder up to a sixty-four-pounder. The ones I was designing now were for our ships, hoping they would help to protect our new ships from pirates or anyone else deciding that our new ships were enticing targets.

I made a few last-minute changes to the Valencia. One was a crow’s-nest atop each mast, mainly for a lookout, but an archer would have a distinct range advantage from there. The second was a specially outfitted room in the middle of the ship’s lowest deck. Built sturdily, it had fifty sets of manacles attached by chains to the walls, floor, or ceiling. The door was just as sturdy and had four steel bars making sure it stayed shut. The room wasn’t to hold slaves, but captured pirates, soldiers, or anyone else deemed necessary to keep under lock and key to make sure the ship and crew were secure.

Putting off designing a regular cannon a while longer, I had the shipwrights start on a ballista for the ship. Eventually we put one on each side of the deck. They could fire either an eight-foot-long iron harpoon, or eight-foot-long wooden arrows. The harpoon had a ring at the back attached to a chain which was then attached to one end of a rope. The other end of the rope attached to a windlass in the middle of the deck. The windlass became a medieval tractor beam to keep harpooned enemy ships from escaping.

I was excited when we floated the Valencia, and even more excited when she stayed afloat and was completed enough for her first sea trials. We loosely secured eight shore boats to the gunwales of the ship in case the trial ended in disaster, and towed four more behind the ship. Everyone aboard was required to wear one of the new cork and canvas life jackets I had designed. The men were surprised at how well the life jackets worked.

For two days, we sailed up and down the coast before feeling brave enough to venture farther out to sea. After a week, the men sailing the ship were amazed. Not only did my crazy design work, but the ship, meant to be the smallest of our new ships, carried three times as much cargo as the biggest sailing ships currently in use in the Mediterranean and was twice as fast. To me, used to traveling in cars, planes, and outboards, I still felt as if I could swim faster than we were sailing.

It took four more weeks to complete the ship. Then I took my wives and the families of all the shipwrights and sailors out for two days. When we got back, the Valencia’s first official trip was to get more cedar, taking a cargo of rice, steel hand tools, ceramic dishes, panes of glass, and ingots of iron, copper, and zinc. They also carried gold and silver just in case it was needed to make purchases. A dozen archers, crews for the two ballista, and two mortar crews were aboard for security. Having married Valeria, too, Tullius took both wives with him, as well as the handful of gold coins I gave him in case he felt it was safe enough for his wives to shop in any of the ports he visited.

When they returned twenty-eight days later, I could see that their trip had been profitable. Aside from the four cedar trunks lashed to the main deck, they were towing two pirate ships. Tullius, the captain, and the soldiers--hell, everyone aboard--was grinning when they debarked.

Once they had harpooned a ship, the pirates struggled desperately to free their ship. Our archers quickly dissuaded them, but the second ship tried to help and was also harpooned. The ships were reeled in, and the pirates stuffed into the cell. The captain did suggest putting at least two, if not three, holding cells on the next ship. He had one hundred forty-two pirates crammed into the current one. We let them out, shackled smaller groups together, and sent them on their way to the some of the new mines that had just recently begun operations. Once the pirate ships were repaired, we would add their ships to our small fleet of fishing boats operating in the shallow coastal waters.

Tullius brought back another thirty shipwrights from Alexandria. With so much help, our next ship took shape slightly faster than the original, despite being twice as big. It was easy to see that the shipbuilders were now excited by the idea of the new, monstrous ship, and they threw themselves into their work. I had stainless steel guards similar to vamplates made for every rope used to tie up the ships when they docked. My hope was to eliminate--or at least reduce--the rat population aboard our ships by eliminating one of the ways they got aboard. That would help reduce the amount of damage done to food and other cargo aboard ship, as well as reducing a disease vector.

By the time the second ship was ready, so were my cannons. Despite having exact measurements of old cannons, I still destroyed two in my initial testing. I knew I intended to build even bigger ships and decided to call this size the Duchess Class. Clovis actually traveled to Valencia for the launch and watched the Gotberga unfurl her sails for the first time after her sea trial. He was beyond impressed with the ship, the cannons, the mortars, and everything in general. When he finally returned to Paris, he sailed aboard the Valencia to Rouen, taking two cannons, a hundred mortars, and one of my two mortar commanders to train his troops. He also took two thousand rounds for the mortars, and Evoric, who was Sichar’s top assistant at the powder works. I made sure they had castings for the cannons and all the parts of the mortars, as well as brass weights for the projectiles.

I would have sent more cannons with them but didn’t have nearly as many as I needed yet. I finally decided on twelve cannons for the Duchess Class ships--four on each side, two forward, and two aft. Capital Class ships would have two on each side, one forward, and two aft.

I replaced the two ballista with harpoon guns. They looked like a cross between a cannon and a mortar mounted sideways on a sturdy steel post. The post bolted securely to the deck and was also attached to the gunwales. The harpoon gun sported a thick, hollow steel tube beneath it. The tube slipped down over the well-anchored steel support post. That way, the harpoon guns could be stored out of the weather and only brought out when needed. Although there were four harpoon guns aboard ship, I doubted they would ever need more than two at the same time. Two support posts were near the bow, the stern, and on each side of the ship. A swivel joint where the gun and tube joined allowed for aiming the gun up and down. The tube over the post allowed for side-to-side motion. It took lots of practice to time the shots, taking into consideration the rise and fall of both this ship and the attacking one, but we trained dozens of men to use both the cannons and the harpoon guns.

We built rudimentary defensive positions around the city, work which would continue until the harbor and city were heavily fortified. Even with the rudimentary fortifications, anyone trying to land troops within three miles of us was in for a nasty surprise.

Two weeks after the Valencia returned from Paris, a messenger rode up to the “castle.” The castle would eventually be our home in Valencia. It was under construction and was going to be under construction for at least two or three more years. The messenger reported that King Theodemund of the Suevic Kingdom of Galicia was raiding our towns and cities farther inland. The messenger wasn’t sure if it was a concerted attack to seize control of territory or attacks to plunder cities and towns in our territory. He thought Theodemund had less than a thousand troops with him.

It didn’t matter to me what Theodemund’s reason was. After kicking myself mentally for forgetting about them and the Basques, I had five hundred archers prepare to depart with me, along with twenty mortar crews. Each mortar crew would take fifty shells with them, all carried by packhorses. We used no wagons, as they would slow us down. Since the Valencia was still in the harbor, she was loaded with five hundred archers and another twenty mortar crews. They were to seal off, attack, and if possible, capture the big seaport of Porto near the Galician capital of Braga. The Gotberga was to follow once it returned from its current trading trip. We began stockpiling arms, ammo, and supplies in the warehouse awaiting the Gotberga’s return.

I left two days after the messenger arrived, having hastily gathered and loaded everything we needed on our packhorses. I was definitely glad we brought so many horses south with us. I dispatched messengers to warn Clovis and the Valencia sailed two days after I departed.

Knowing I would be in the saddle and riding hard for two weeks, my wives let me go to sleep reasonably early. They each got their ride in my saddle, although they were usually the ones doing the work.

Gotberga told me in the morning that she expected me to bring home at least two more playthings amongst the enemy spoils I returned with. The rest of my women, even those who, at best, could only nominally be called slaves anymore, seconded her opinion. Their slave status had long ago been ignored and they were in my bed as often and as eagerly as my wives and concubines. All the women enjoyed each other as much as they enjoyed me, some maybe more.

Eleven days after leaving Valencia, we were within striking distance of Theodemund and his raiders. They had passed by a small village (who were still praying their thanks for being spared) two hours before we arrived and were headed northeast. We followed, paying two of the men from the village to guide us. Our scouts caught up with Theodemund and reported that they were setting up camp for the night.

That night, while the mortar crews set up and ranged their weapons as best they could in the dim moonlight and without firing them, I took out the posted sentries and stationed half of my archers at each exit from the small valley where the Suevic troops were hiding. I posted men to act like their sentries and to eliminate the replacement sentries who arrived during the night.

Dawn found Theodemund and his men in a pickle.

Wearing the Soissons steel chain mail my blacksmiths finally managed to create for me, I rode towards them in the grey false dawn, stopping on a rise just under six hundred yards away. I waited to dismount until discovered by one of the soldiers who had been asleep a few moments earlier, and had just stumbled from his tent. When he finally saw me, he shouted an alarm.

“Theodemund,” I shouted when he exited his tent. I used a megaphone I made from a rolled piece of thick paper I brought just for that purpose. “Surrender, meet me in single combat, or die,” I shouted. He chose single combat and sent a messenger out to see what weapons we would use. I told the messenger hands, knives, swords, or staffs would be fine, and then told him that, once he delivered my message, we would provide a demonstration of what would happen if they tried to cheat or escape. I gave the messenger a minute to deliver my words. When Theodemund looked in my direction questioningly, I pointed with my sword at the low hills to his left.

He barely had time to turn his head that direction before ten mortars roared on his right. His men all dove for the ground, not knowing what the thunderous noise was. When Theodemund looked up, I was still standing, still pointing with my sword. Then all hell broke loose as the ten mortar shells tore the opposite hillside apart. Dirt, rock, and brush flew everywhere. Trees were knocked over and one trunk simply exploded, toppling the remainder of the tree.

When it had been quiet for several seconds, Theodemund looked at me again. I was still standing, but had sheathed my sword. I held my bow up for him to see and nocked one arrow. I pointed at his tent, and he and everyone nearby scrambled away from the tent, expecting another explosion. Instead, I raised my bow and let fly a single arrow. He, his men, and I watched its graceful flight as it arced towards them. Even six hundred yards away I could see him gasp when the arrow landed at the entrance of his tent. I mentally patted myself on the back for the shot, especially since it was better than I had expected at that distance.

My shrill whistle turned their attention back to me. I raised my hands dramatically as if telling a choir or an audience to rise from their seats, then pointed to the archers cutting off their escape in either direction. Theodemund spoke quietly for a minute with what I assume was his second-in-command, and then laid his sword on the ground. His second copied him, and while the second went around telling the rest of the men to lay down their arms, Theodemund rode out to meet me. “I am sure further combat between us will do me no good. I have heard of Clovis’ legendary warrior who single-handedly defeated an entire Roman garrison. I had hoped never to meet you,” he said solemnly. “Do what you will with me, but I ask you to spare my men. They have been ordered to accept you or Clovis as their new monarch,” he said resignedly.

He remained stoic as I studied him. “Technically, we have not yet battled,” I said. He was confused. “While I do not pretend to speak for my King, were you to go with me to Paris, and ask to peacefully join the Frankish Empire, I feel there is a good chance you might be appointed governor of Frankish Galicia,” I told him.

Still not understanding why he wasn’t dead or in chains, let alone how we could possibly consider letting him continue to govern Galicia, Theodemund agreed to go with me. Figuring the fastest way would be aboard the Valencia, we headed for their seaport of Porto. On the way, he asked if the rumors he heard about my fighting skill were true, so I had him pick his ten best men and sparred against them with staffs. Gratefully, none of them suffered anything more than a few minutes of unconsciousness and severe bruising. Theodemund watched me speculatively afterwards. “The most impressive thing I noticed was your absolute control of the staff,” he mused. “I saw the way you controlled the staff with each blow. You could have easily killed every one of those men, but were careful to only disarm or disable them,” he said.

“You are correct,” I replied, purposely adding nothing more.

He sent his men home to Braga and environs when we got close and ordered his second in command to pay restitution to the villages they had raided and to free any slaves they took, paying them restitution, too.

The Valencia had captured Porto by the time we arrived. Gratefully, the city had surrendered after an explosive demonstration of the mortars’ power. The damage was purposely done outside of the city. Since they surrendered without a fight, no looting had occurred, awaiting my orders. My troops had kept the city closed off from the outside world to prevent wealthy merchants from escaping in case I approved looting the city. They only allowed farmers and fishermen into and out of the city. They allowed the fishermen who returned with their catch right after the city capitulated to sail out each morning to fish after they searched each ship to make sure they didn’t smuggle anyone or anything out of the city. The same held true for farmers, allowed into the city with the food they raised and sold, and back out of the city each day. Their wagons were searched both coming and going. Since soldiers also watched the docks and the marketplace, it would have been difficult for anyone to smuggle someone or something out.

Other troops hid near each road into Porto, watching the roads two miles from the city. They were to capture anyone who looked as if they were a wealthy merchant who managed to sneak out of the city. They would also warn our troops of the approach of any Galician troops. Several times, the roving scouts out even farther from the city saw groups of troops, but these troops were all headed for Braga, the capital. Nearly every group of soldiers had one or more men with them who looked to be wealthy merchants. Those men usually led one or more packhorses or mules loaded with goods. Their family frequently accompanied them.

Five days after we left Porto aboard the Valencia, we reached Bordeaux and debarked. Since we brought our own horses, we immediately headed for Paris. Riding hard we made it in a week, surprising Clovis since we rode as hard as a messenger would have. He listened to Theodemund’s offer to surrender his kingdom. Surprisingly, Theodemund told Clovis about the attacks and his capitulation. More surprisingly, Clovis still accepted and Galicia became part of the Frankish Empire.

The next day was a feast and a citywide fête to celebrate the joining, and then I headed to Soissons for a quick visit while Theodemund headed home. Aside from Soissons nearly doubling in size in the short time I’d been gone, it looked much the same as when I left. The biggest difference was that all of my plans which had been incomplete or still on the drawing board when I left had come to fruition.

There was an even bigger fruition waiting for me when I got back to Paris. Queen Ragnachildis came to Paris to present her heir to Clovis for his approval. I was dumbfounded to learn that she wanted to name my son as her heir. I didn’t even know we had a son.

She smiled nervously when she saw me, our son in her arms. There was no denying that he was mine. The jet-black hair and darker skin color would have convinced me if I had any reason to doubt her word, which I didn’t. She apologized for not letting me know sooner. It wasn’t exactly something she wanted to tell me in a letter or message, and it was only recently that he was old enough to travel safely. Hearing that I had gone to Paris, she followed in a carriage, changing horses in every town and riding up to twenty hours a day to arrive before I left so she could tell me. That day I met David Unwen Whitehorse, my son.

The only thing upsetting me was that she wanted to name our son as her heir. She was surprised when I asked why she didn’t name Alaric, and explained that she was worried Clovis might see naming Alaric as a threat. We talked to Clovis together and he had no problem accepting Alaric as her named heir. Alaric was happy when he heard. Even though he understood his mother’s reasoning, he had felt slighted when his mother told him what she planned to do and thanked me for supporting him as her heir.

Ragnachildis spent the night with me again, and I got yet another chance to play with a pair of milk-engorged breasts intended to feed one of my children, something I’d been doing more and more of lately. I did a thorough taste test of her milk to make sure it was good enough for my son.

I made the trip to Toulouse with her, riding my horse all day and slipping into her coach at night after everyone was asleep. The second night, Alaric approached me and suggested that I simply stay in the coach instead of sneaking in later. He was old enough to know what was going on and wasn’t upset about it. He knew how his mother felt about me, and the fact I had backed him as her heir definitely helped his opinion of me. Between Paris, the trip to Toulouse, and the week I spent in Toulouse before my official wedding to Ragnachildis, I received a note a few months later letting me know she was pregnant again. This time she had a daughter.

From Toulouse, I continued on to Bordeaux where the Gotberga was waiting for me. When it arrived in Porto looking to join us, we had already left so it followed us north. The Valencia took Theodemund back to Porto almost a month ago. The Gotberga was definitely faster than the Valencia, but I still felt like we were crawling, although it was a fast crawl. It only took two days to reach Porto instead of the three it took to reach Bordeaux aboard the Valencia.

I debarked in Porto and rode to Braga to see Theodemund who welcomed me excitedly. At the feast he threw for me, Theodemund offered his daughter to me as a wife. She was beautiful, and heeding the order my wives had given me, I accepted. He quickly set up a wedding for that evening. On the surface, his daughter Gelvira seemed shy and reserved; in the bedroom, she was a wildcat.

In the morning, Gelvira asked if I would consider buying her personal slave, Sancia, intimating that she would make it worth my while if I did. I agreed, sensing that Sancia was more to her than just her slave. That night they definitely made it worth my while.