5. Trouble in the west
Grand Prince Vladimir who spent the winter in Kiev was impatient. The news from the east came slowly. The only noteworthy event in the Court was that Princess Eupraxia was approached by a suitor, Milogost Fominskii. He was more of an administrator than a military commander, but he was known as a loyal and honest man, thus Vladimir granted his request. He appointed Fominskii as the governor of Zhytomyr, which both provided sufficient income for the couple and solved one of Vladimir’s problems who could not find a man for that position yet.
Shortly after the wedding, the Court learned that the Pope called a crusade against Cairo, and most of the Catholic kingdoms were eager to respond. Vladimir had mixed feelings about this. He thought that the crusade will keep the Catholics occupied for some time, but also feared that when their armies will return, their rulers would need to find other uses for them. He did not need veteran Polish and Hungarian troops looking for a fight at the Kievan borders.
A few days later the Polish ambassador asked for an audience. Vladimir thought that the ambassador will officially inform him about the crusade. But to his great surprise, he demanded money to contribute to the expenses of the Polish crusaders. Vladimir was greatly offended by this demand. The ambassador also implied that if Vladimir will not comply, the crusader army may move across the Rus on its way to Egypt. Vladimir’s response was firm: if Polish troops enter the Rus they will be greeted with arms. Furthermore, Kiev will not support their adventure, but to show his goodwill the ambassador can keep his head on his neck.
The ambassador left empty handed, but Vladimir was now more concerned than before. He alerted Fominskii who just arrived to Zhytomyr to send scouts to the Polish border. If Poland attacks, Zhytomyr will be the first target. Vladimir was relieved that at least the city finally has a governor.
While the Grand Prince was occupied with state and family matters, Yaropolk spent the winter months to hire mercenaries around Pereyaslav. He only had a few Kievan troops and knew that it may take months for Rurik to bring reinforcements. On his return to Pereyaslav, he ran into a small Cuman force.
Both armies were on high grounds separated by a small valley. Yaropolk decided to wait, and hoped that the impetuous steppe raiders cannot be contained for long.
His waiting paid off. After some time, the Cuman light cavalry and horse archers attacked across the valley.
This ensured that Yaropolk can fight the battle on his own terms. As soon as the enemy was close enough, his ballistae opened fire into the ranks of horsemen.
The mercenary crossbowmen held the high ground and decimated the Cuman horse archers. The Cumans proved to be less effective, partly because they faced the sun above the hill where the Kievan soldiers were.
By the time the Cuman infantry attacked, the battle was decided. After a short fight, the enemy fled.
Yaropolk thought that if this army joined the one that besieged Pereyaslav earlier, the Cumans would have taken the town. They may be fierce raiders, but it takes more than that to succeed beyond the steppes.
The Kievan casualties came mostly from the first line of mercenaries that were exposed to the Cuman horse archers for a long time.
Meanwhile in Oleshe, Prince Mstislav finally decided that he will go to Pereyaslav personally and consolidate the Kievan rule on the steppes from there. This gave Alexios and Rurik some time to do family business, and on a cold but clear day the two brothers were heading for the monastery.
“This was the place where the gypsy woman stopped us,” said Rurik when they arrived at that spot. “I still wonder who she was. I don’t think we’ll ever know.”
“God works in mysterious ways, brother.” Alexios’ response sounded a bit hollow. Then he looked at Rurik. “I need to ask you something. Did you notice anything strange about the Holy Grail when you found it?”
Rurik tried to remember the circumstances, but he did not pay much attention to the Grail as he only had Oleg in his mind. He spoke slowly. “We all were very surprised. And of course some of us were terrified because of the sacrilege. But the grave was empty, which the monks could not believe, and that lifted any possible accusation of sacrilege. At least that’s what the Grand Prince told us. It was a miracle, and a good sign for us that the Lord wants the Rus to succeed. Do you have any concerns about it?”
“What I tell you brother, should stay between us,” said Alexios. He whispered although nobody was there. “The problem is that nobody knows how the Grail looks like. Some even say it’s only a metaphor. But the Patriarch of Kiev accepted it as real, because it elevates the prestige of his church. The Grand Prince also accepted the Grail because it strengthens his position. As a cleric, I should praise the Lord that He guided us to this magnificent relic. And as a chronicler working for the Grand Prince I should be happy for anything that lessens the chance of a conflict within the Rus. But as a person, I am uncertain that this is indeed the Holy Grail which was said to be lost many years ago."
“But even if you have doubts, what does that mean?” asked Rurik who did not understand his brother’s concern. “Will you challenge the Patriarch?”
“No, of course not,” replied Alexios quickly. “That is not possible. But my concern is about the Holy Grail becoming the source of power. I’m afraid that’s what Grand Prince Vladimir wants it to become. You may not know this, but the Grand Prince is simply the first among equals. Mstislav, Yaropolk, and even Yurii who will come of age next year, are his sons but also his equals. It is tradition and power that defines who the Grand Prince is, not symbols. Mstislav is the announced heir and his succession seems certain. He has no reason to cause trouble. You know Yaropolk well, he is noble and would not challenge his father. But Yurii is different. He is the youngest, and the youngest son always has the least power. If the Grail becomes the most sacred source of power, a challenger would only need to have it to become the first among equals. And thus, the sacred relic becomes a source of conflict.”
Rurik became dizzy from all these. The world for him was clearly defined with powers and responsibilities. Now his brother, who was undoubtedly more informed about the court politics, talked about some frightening possibilities. He could not say a word.
“Don’t worry, brother,” said Alexios who recognized Rurik’s confusion. “Things may not go wrong. But you are the only one with whom I can talk freely. Forget about all this, and let’s see what this monastery holds for us.”
Upon their arrival, Alexios was greeted by a friendly monk. A minute later he recognized Rurik too. When Alexios asked him to lead them to the old soldier, he started walking without a word. A few minutes later he stopped at the small cemetery. There was a fresh grave. Rurik felt as if the sky would fall on him. Alexios sighed and started to pray.
Later the two brothers learned that the soldier died peacefully a few weeks ago, and he left them a letter.My final hour is close, as my weak body cannot keep my soul anymore. But before I meet the Maker, I asked one of the brothers here to write this down for you. I don’t know where you are, but I hope that some day one of you will return and read this.
Rurik, after you left I started to remember more and more from those years I spent as a slave. Maybe the Lord did not want me to take this to the grave, for which I am eternally grateful. You already know how Oleg and I were taken to Azaq. There we were separated. I was sold to a trader who sailed the sea between Azaq and the Roman cities in the south. I worked as a sailor, and although I had some chances I did not want to escape as I hoped to free Oleg somehow. He was sold to a Muslim merchant in town. I don’t know his name, but he was the only one in Azaq who traded with spices from the east. I saw Oleg once in the market, but he did not notice me. I don’t think I would have been allowed to talk to him anyway. But he was alive.
Then a few weeks later a storm caught our ship and we were washed ashore not far from here. I was trying to get to Oleshe when outlaws attacked me in the forest. I woke up in this monastery not remembering anything, not being able to talk for a long time, and not seeing God’s world anymore. But now my heart is glad as you may be able to go to Azaq and find Oleg.
It has been twenty years ago, but I remember you very well, three little boys hiding behind a barrel in that burned house. I don’t know who your parents were, but I know that you have always been brothers who loved and supported each other. That love is stronger than anything, and I know that you will succeed. God bless you, my sons.
A few days later the news about taking Azaq finally reached Mstislav and the two brothers. But they could not go there just yet. Rurik had to return to Yaropolk and ask for permission, while Alexios was still appointed as Mstislav’s chronicler. The road for both of them led to Pereyaslav first.
Just as Mstislav was ready to leave, a local noble called Boris Netshin ignited a revolt. He lost his lands when the Rus took over Oleshe, and was openly hostile against the Kievans. Over time he became the lead figure for all who opposed the Kievan rule. Mstislav knew that he has to defeat him to ensure that Oleshe will not revolt once he leaves.
The two armies met on a beautiful spring day.
Mstislav had militia companies, a few mercenary spearmen and crossbows, and two units of ballistae. Netshin’s troops were mostly spearmen and crossbowmen, supported by a company of Pecheneg raiders. At the center of the battlefield there was a hill, and Mstislav sent his infantry in a hurry to occupy it.
The rebels missed their chance to take the hill from where their crossbows would have been lethal.
Netshin was too late to send in the Pechenegs. By the time they got to the hill, the Kievan crossbowmen were already there.
The Pechenegs could not stand the arrows for long. After a few volleys those that survived decided to run for their lives. Meanwhile, Mstislav’s artillery arrived at the hill and opened fire.
Netshin was shocked when his lieutenant was killed by one of the missiles just in front of him.
Mstislav continued to pound the enemy lines. The rebels were unable to return fire.
Then under the cover of the ballistae, the Kievan militias attacked.
The rebel spearmen put up a strong fight. Mstislav had to send in the veteran mercenaries who finally broke the enemy lines.
The Kievan soldiers then ran down Netshin’s reserve troops too. He proved to be a worthless commander, making many mistakes on the battlefield that eventually cost him his life.
Mstislav then charged the enemy crossbowmen who tried to run to the mountains. Only a few of them could make it.
The prisoners were executed, and with that the rebellion was over.
By summer, the good news reached Kiev too. Oleshe and Pereyaslav were firmly held by the Rus, and Azaq was taken. This gave confidence to Grand Prince Vladimir to be more aggressive in the west. Since there were no Cuman raids from that direction, Vladimir took it as a sign of weakness and decided to march against the Cuman stronghold of Baia, the center of West Cumania. Given his good connections to the Romans, he was able to convince them to launch a supporting attack from the south.
The governor of Baia was the high chief of all Cuman tribes in the west. His name was Aepak, and he was an experienced and able commander although his loyalty to the Cuman Khan in the east was not particularly notable.
Vladimir’s army was great in numbers, but less so in quality. The bulk of his troops were militia units from Kiev and Zhytomyr, infantry, archers and javelinmen. He had mercenary spearmen and a company of Bulgarian archers too. The Cuman forces were mostly horse archers trapped in Baia, together with some spear infantry. Vladimir thought that his numeric advantage as well as the limited use of the enemy horse archers inside the walls will bring him an easy victory.
The Grand Prince positioned his Kievan troops in front of the main gate. He wanted to use his numbers to attack on a wide front and outflank the enemy as soon as possible.
To further spread out the defenders, Vladimir positioned his mercenary companies with siege ladders facing the west walls. Their order was to wait with the attack until the Kievan assault draws most of the defenders to the main gate.
The Cuman defenders were deployed to face the main Kievan army. Their infantry and archers were on the walls, while the masses of horsemen waited just inside the gate.
The Kievan militia companies advanced with confidence, especially after seeing that the enemy archers targeted the siege tower on the left.
When the fight started on the walls, the horse archers arrived there to support their troops.
Soon the Cuman spearmen guarding the west wall were ordered to move against the Kievans.
This was the time for the mercenaries to attack.
Meanwhile, the Kievan troops finally breached the main gate. Aepak, the Cuman commander led his bodyguards against the militia to support his weakened infantry. The Cumans in Aepak’s company were the best warriors in the region and they ruthlessly massacred most of the lightly armed militia soldiers. That company had many new recruits from Zhytomyr who were terrified by the Cuman war cries and ferocity.
After routing the militia, the Cuman riders stormed out the main gate to attack the Kievan archers and javelinmen. After a few volleys of concentrated fire, however, they had to fall back.
Their return was also necessary because the mercenaries took the abandoned west wall. The Bulgarian archers had clear shots at the Cuman horsemen from the top, while the spearmen were ready to advance to the keep. Aepak and his bodyguards charged them and a desperate melee followed.
While one of the mercenary companies kept Aepak at the west wall, the other moved quickly to attack the remaining horse archers in the center. By this time, the walls were taken, but the Kievan casualties were alarmingly high. Vladimir realized that he may run out of soldiers before he can defeat the Cumans.
Fortunately for him, the mercenaries saved the day. The Bulgarians kept sending arrows at the Cuman riders from a great distance, pinning them down while Vladimir reorganized his troops.
Eventually, Aepak routed the mercenary spearmen. He lost most of his bodyguards in the process, but he was still a feared warrior. Vladimir saw that he has to attack himself. He led the Kievan knights who killed the remaining Cuman bodyguards, and finally cut Aepak down too.
The last act of the battle was defeating the rest of the Cuman infantry on the main square.
When the remaining Kievan soldiers gathered on the main square, Vladimir saw how close he was to lose the battle. He lost half of his army, and had numerous wounded soldiers too.
Vladimir knew that he cannot stay in Baia for long, but he had to be sure that the Kievan positions are secure. Finally, he got word that the Romans took the last stronghold of Western Cumania. With that the once proud nomads were reduced to a few scattered families in the region. What Vladimir did not realize immediately was that he swapped a relatively weak neighbor for a much stronger one. The Rus was now bordering not only Poland but Hungary too.
The Grand Prince left his troops in Baia and arrived back to Kiev as a celebrated hero. He spent the rest of the year there. He was almost 60, and started to feel old age. The last campaign took a toll on his health, and he did not plan to lead another one. He decided that after this campaign season he will call Mstislav back to Kiev, and leave the eastern operations to Yaropolk. And his third son, Yurii was also eager to try himself as a commander for the first time.
The news brought by two messengers over the winter completely destroyed his plans. The first messenger came from the east and reported that Azaq is under siege. Vladimir was expecting this, but the disturbing part of the message was that Patrikeev left the town before the attack. He was caught off guard, and now Vladimir had another reason to be disappointed. Yet he hoped that Azaq will hold.
The second messenger brought much worse news.
The Hungarian attack came when the Polish situation was still uncertain. Every able commander was in the east fighting the Cumans, except Fominskii but Vladimir wanted him to stay in Zhytomyr and keep an eye on Poland. Thus, it was the old Grand Prince himself who had to take arms to fight for Baia again.
~
Re: [SS AAR] Primus Inter Pares - The Kievan Rus (Chapter 3, 11/15)
Originally Posted by Darkan
Great update, two battles to slowly introduce us to the Rus way of life (and death
), the novgorod exile story, I bet he will play a part in events to come, escpecially in dealings with Novgorod
. So yes indeed my good sir, a very well done update, nicely balanced between fighting and sorytelling. (still wayting to break the 50 post barrier, don´t think I forgot I owe some nice rep to many good AARtists
). I know we will have to be patient and let the story evolve but maaaaaannnnn, it just eats at me. I must say I have thought of at least 2 different things about Oleg and what his fate could have been ....*breathing slowly, trying to calm down*...ok, I´m better now.
Well, not really. But I'll try.
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Hmmm 
still... 
But that'll probably not fit into the story about a glorious and just Kievan Rus
