A Lady's Submission

Chapter 7 - Enemy of Old

A Week Later

I looked up from the stone wall I had been re-stacking. I loved rocks and even more so the crafting of them into either art or functional use.

It was an escape in a way from the heavier thoughts of essentially ruling a kingdom. I had never intended on being a king of this place, but to move forward and get stuff done leadership had been called for and so here I was.

When everything was going right, I was rarely consulted, but when things went wrong I was the one they came to. Now was such a time as I watched Ofunai and three of the colonists close in on me. From the universal worry etched across all their faces I immediately surmised that the issue they were bringing to me wasn't related to any ethnic relational conflict between the differing people groups that made up our community.

That pretty much left one thing, the increasing hostility of the Portuguese towards us being here. Peter spoke for the group, "Well, they've done it. They've halted the supply ship. A native runner just brought word."

I nodded, "Well we've known for some time that was likely going to happen."

Peter shook his head, "That's not all though. Apparently there were three ships worth of our kin who were bound for here and mistakenly let out the word as to who they were. The Portuguese heard it and have imprisoned the lot of them. The native runner says there to all be sold as slaves within the week."

My jaw clamped tight for a moment at the brazen lack of respect and human indecency on their part to do such a thing to women and children. Whether I liked it or not, war had just been declared.

Glancing to Ofunai I asked, "This runner is he known for being trustworthy?"

"He is." Ofunai affirmed.

I nodded and paused for a moment. There really was nothing else to do but fight then. If it was a fight they wanted, then I'd much rather have it take place on their land as opposed to ours.

I didn't care at all for the thought of having to rebuild this wall again or of losing our crops to invaders.

"Prepare the canoes and martial out over half of our force. We go by boat for one day and then we cut across the land at the Ria Varga. From there we take out all four of their inland trading posts. Then we proceed overland and surround the colony where they're holding our people and they'll give them back.

"How are you going to convince them to give them back? They far outnumber any force we can muster Mahlon. Besides, wouldn't they just hold on to the prisoners as ransom?"

"No, you see, because we're not going to steal any of their stuff at their trading locations. If they don't release our kin to us, however their trading posts will go up in smoke with all their goods. The loss to them financially will be catastrophic. Money is all these people want, and so that is what we must bargain with. They'll never have enough of it and so we need to threaten them with taking away some of what they already have in order to get back something truly priceless in return."

Peter and the rest nodded their heads and started to head off without any further question as to my plans for pressing the war to the enemy.

I called out, "Ofunai, I want you to stay here and help Tyree manage the city should there be an attack on us here."

"Not likely. My scouts report no troop movement."

I nodded but said, "Just the same I'd prefer it for you to be here just in case."

Ofunai nodded without a further word and even though I could tell he didn't like it, he nevertheless went along with my plan.

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