Blue arrow: Location and direction of travel of Nauca’s group.
11:16 (Carpathians Time)
Saturday, September 27, 60 B.C.E.
Hills to the east of modern-day Lvov
Territory of the Bastarnae Tribe
‘’So, what do you think, Nauca? Should we risk it?’’
Nauca nodded slowly at Talya’s question as she kept observing the large fortified village visible down in a small valley some three kilometers away. This was the first human settlement large enough to be truly called a village that they had encountered to date during their trip.
‘’We were going to have to contact local people sooner or later during our trip, Talya, so we might as well do it now, while we are in the territory of Igrid’s tribe. Besides, we need to get proper directions to get to the Baltic Coast without being constantly blocked by rivers we know nothing about. However, I propose that we take a pause and eat lunch now before going to that village.’’
Getting off their horses and then tying them by long ropes to nearby trees, so that they would be free to graze, the three of them then sat to a frugal lunch of cheese and nuts washed down with water. After finishing their meal, Nauca told her friends to put on their armored vests, just in case, then did the same herself. Maybe those villagers would prove to be friendly towards strangers, however her life experiences had taught her that it was always wise to err on the side of caution. Forty minutes after stopping for lunch, they were back in the saddle and started cautiously going down the hill’s slope leading to the valley ahead. As they advanced, they saw more and more traces of human occupation, mostly cut down trees and a few isolated, abandoned temporary lean-to shelters. About one kilometer from the fortified village, they emerged from the forested hills and started trotting towards it, using a trail wandering between a collection of small farms, plowed fields and grazing grounds. The peasants they saw on the way stopped their activity and looked on as the three of them went past them, some of them then cautiously returning close to their houses or firmly grabbing tools which could be used as weapons. Nauca noticed those reactions and frowned: hopefully, the inhabitants of that fortified village would prove more welcoming than those farmers.
‘’Igrid, you better take the lead now: I don’t like the way those peasants are reacting to us.’’
‘’The same here. Unfortunately, my tribe tends to be suspicious of strangers.’’
‘’Suspicious enough to attack us without provocation?’’
‘’Not normally but all depends of what kind or local chieftain we will encounter.’’
Nauca’s frown then turned to a grimace.
‘’Okay, girls, here is my thoughts about this situation: do not let yourselves be disarmed or taken prisoner. If we are attacked, then we will gallop out of the place and will then avoid any further villages on our way until we hit the Baltic Coast. I will rather die than let myself be robbed and then enslaved. Igrid, we will now depend on your diplomatic talents more than ever.’’
‘’My diplomatic talents? Uh, okay, Nauca.’’
Igrid felt less than confident as she trotted at the head of her group and got closer from the village and its roughly-built wooden palisade. For one thing, the two big men standing guard outside of the gate were now pointing their spears in her direction and their facial expressions were not exactly friendly ones. Dressed in typical Bastarnae fashion, with baggy breaches and with naked torsos, the two guards held long oval shields and had daggers at their belts. Then, as Igrid came within twenty meters from the gate, four more men armed with spears and shields came at a run to form a line with the two guards, pointing their spears at the young women.
‘’Stop, girls!’’ ordered Nauca on seeing that. ‘’I don’t like at all the attitude of these idiots. Igrid, tell them that we are traders and simply want to stop for a night here.’’
Igrid translated those words into Bastarnae and got a reply that made her frown.
‘’They want us to leave our weapons with them before we can enter the village.’’
‘’Then, the Hell with them! If they can’t trust us, then we can’t trust them. Let’s go around this village and continue towards the Northwest.’’
As Nauca started leading her two friends and their pack horses away from the gate, one of the guards, surprised, yelled at Igrid.
‘’HEY! WHERE ARE YOU GOING?’’
‘’SOMEWHERE WHERE THE PEOPLE ARE SMARTER AND FRIENDLIER.’’ replied Igrid in a contemptuous tone while following Nauca. The guards looked at each other, not knowing what to do next.
‘’We should run after these girls, no?’’
‘’And do what then? Besides, they are on horseback: we could never catch them.’’
‘’What a bunch of assholes!’’ spat Igrid as she came level to Nauca’s horse. Nauca herself shook her head in discouragement before replying to her.
‘’Let’s try connecting with some of the individual farmers in this valley: maybe we will find a reasonable one who doesn’t spit on every passing stranger.’’
They thus continued on along the trail which passed by the village and which also ran along the stream providing water to that same village. Some fifteen minutes later, they crossed path with a mature man with gray beard who was leading a cow by a rope. Seeing that the man showed only curiosity at their sight rather than suspicion or hostility, Igrid tried her luck and, stopping next to him, spoke to him in Bastarnae.
‘’Excuse me for taking your time, good man, but we are travelers from afar and are heading to the Baltic Coast. We know that it is supposed to be to the Northwest of here but we would like to know if we will encounter any major river cutting our path along the way.’’
‘’Oh, you will find the way to be easy to find, young woman. You see this small stream? It eventually joins with the Bug, a major river which generally runs North before turning West to then join the Istula{27}. The Istula is the biggest river in the region and it eventually drains itself in the Baltic. Follow those rivers and you can’t get lost.’’
‘’Thank you for the information, good man. Here, for your trouble.’’
The man caught the silver coin thrown by Igrid and bowed to her to thank her.
‘’You are too kind, young woman. Have a safe journey to the Baltic.’’
The man and his cow then continued on at their calm pace towards the fortified village while Igrid translated what he had said in Sogdian, a language she now was comfortable with after over a year and a half of practice. Nauca smiled with satisfaction on hearing the information from the farmer.
‘’Excellent! This will cut a major headache for us on this trip. We are finally approaching the end of our long journey, girls. Come on, Tamat! Forward!’’