Chybisa, recent “It was very shortly after he had won his fortune Like many stories about the Baron of Geda, this that the Baron of Geda was riding one day near the one has had some exaggeration grown about it. Nev- manor of Ffinza. There, he came upon a man strug- ertheless, it is at its core true. gling to plow his field. The man had bought his free- While he was still a mercenary in the service of dom and had been granted land, but not enough, for Ulaed Tesael, Kjal was insulted by the Bailiff of Ffinza the Bailiff of Ffinza was a cruel man and reveled in the and while the slight did not call for an extreme re- misfortune of his people. The man had a large family sponse, neither could Kjal let it go. but was only given ten acres. With this he could feed Shortly after he achieved the Barony, a request his family and pay his taxes but would never be able to came to him that a man in Ffinza wanted to buy his put aside for a bad season or the marriage of his freedom and be granted land. Reading the request daughters. carefully, Kjal saw that the man would be granted He told his tale to the Baron who, without a mo- “what land he could, in ten days, put under plough” ment’s hesitation, took up the plough. He slept that and that the tax on that land was a fixed amount and night in the freeman’s house and the next day, too, he assumed that ten acres would be achievable. plowed the field. This he did for ten days for that was, It was no accident, therefor, that he came upon the of course, how long the freeman had to claim his land. man on the morning of the first day and he did indeed So strong the Baron was that when they had fin- work at the plowing for ten days creating a huge grant ished the man had twenty acres under the plough. of land. Then the Baron sat under a tree with a great keg of ale The Bailiff objected to the amount of land the man taking his ease and so covered in sweat and earth that had “taken” but knew by then that the Baron himself none might recognize him. had aided in the plowing. As the Baron would be the The Bailiff came to see the land and he was ill- one to hear the case, the Bailiff was wise enough not pleased. He said that the freeman had stolen the land to pursue the matter. He has since found the Baron to from him with the help of a giant, but the giant spoke be a reasonable and fair minded Lord and they have then and said, “If he has stolen land it was not from laughed together at the Baron’s thoughtful revenge. you, but from me, and a strange theft it is if I were to rob myself! But you would take the food from his mouth and the hope from his children!” The Bailiff realized then who it was and, begging pardon, rode away and that right quickly. And it is to his credit that he has been kind towards all men since.”
beast, for by now all of the villagers spoke of the crea- “In Chybisa long ago were born two brothers ture in whispers and said that their Lord kept a demon. of a Lady who was shortly after widowed. The elder A second time Pradar refused. was named Pradar and the younger Chaldar. As they When autumn came and the harvest time was grew, they could not have been more different, for the nigh, the villagers awoke to find the grain trampled and older was boastful and arrogant while the younger was the peas uprooted and the black ram razing the fields. humble and helpful. The elder was to receive his fa- One last time Chaldar called upon his brother, now ther’s lands when he came of age and although there urging him to kill the unnatural thing. And at last his was land enough for both, he would give his brother brother relented and donned his father’s mail and took not a spadeful. his father’s great spear and rode against the ram as he Having no land, Chaldar turned his mind to the would against a stout foeman. But he was weak and river and soon knew all there was to know about the the iron wool of the horrible ram was proof against the water, for his mind was quick. A good living he made spear that hung heavily in his hands. His horse fell and with his little boat, fishing and sometimes ferrying peo- the ram with its sharp hoofs and hard horns brought ple across the river, or piloting a barge when he could. his end and then drank deeply of his blood. He had few coins but many friends and his hands were At this, the villagers were greatly afeared for always busy so he became strong in the way of one now they knew that the evil ram was some servant of a who daily labors. dark God. The long winter lay ahead of them and there Pradar, however, was idle, for the land was would be no food and who should protect them now worked on his behalf. If the crop was good he boasted their Lord was dead? But Chaldar came forward and of his harvest and if it was poor the blame he would said that he should take his brother’s place and save give to his tenants and make their life hard. He was a the people if he could. cruel master and all the worse because he wanted the He did not have mail, and sought none, nor best of everything. any arms but only his stout fishing net and to the It came about one day that he met a tinker on manor house he went, where now the ram sat in his the road, an ill-looking man in a gaudy cart and tied brother’s chair like a man, its eyes burning like fire in behind it a black ram with fierce eyes and wool as dark the darkness of the hall. Calling upon Larani and Pe- as a moonless night. Pradar thought that he must have oni, Chaldar cursed the beast and bid it begone but it the ram, but the tinker would refuse his every offer. answered in the speech of men, “Nay, Chaldar, I shall “What, then, will you have of me?” He cried, and the not leave this place for by your brother’s blood which tinker smiled his misshapen smile. runs in my veins it has become mine and no force of “Give me one drop of your noble blood,” said he, lick- man can compel me to go.” ing his lips, and so covetous was Pradar that he To this Chaldar quietly answered, “Then I must pricked his finger and paid the price. Then he took up kill you, although you have bested my brother whose the rope and led the ram home. Away the tinker rode in body lies trampled in the fields and he was a better his clattering cart, still smiling, but wither he went no spearman than I.” one knows. Again the beast spoke, “This feat also must be While everyone agreed that the ram was mag- beyond your skill, for only the Lord of Fire might extin- nificent, none but Pradar could approach it, for it would guish the flame within me.” attack any who tried. Indeed, no other animal would ‘And yet must I assay this, though it bring me come near it, not even the most fearless hounds and to my doom,” said Chaldar. He held his ground while the people were filled with an unease they could not the terrible creature fell to four legs, its hoofs striking name. But it soon sickened and became weak, seem- sparks as it rushed him. But Chaldar stepped quickly ingly unfed although it would lie upon the best of the to the side, casting his net. The demon was enmeshed field and deny the grazing to all other animals. Pradar and its fearsome strength availed it not. Chaldar gath- fretted over the beast and at last remembering his bar- ered the ends and, dragging the creature into the light, gain he pricked his finger again and smeared the blood asked again, “Will you not leave, Fiend?” But the ram across the black ram’s lips. At once it recovered. Every replied that he would not and that the village was his. day, he would feed the animal in this way and the ram “You shall have it,” replied Chaldar, and with grew strong, but Pradar himself grew weak. that he lifted the net and swung it above the village All of this Chaldar saw. He went to his brother well, dropping the beast into the cold water. Then a and begged that he rid himself of the animal, if animal great steam arose, covering the village like a morning it was and not some incarnation. But Pradar refused. mist as the demon screamed and cursed the new lord. When the shearing time came, Pradar imag- In the fog, Chaldar directed the villagers to break the ined the price that the ram’s fleece would bring, but the well and carry stone from the field to fill it. The manor shearers broke upon the wool which was like iron. house they emptied, piling food and furniture in wag-