Prologue

It was mid-afternoon, in an as of yet uneventful day, in an uneventful week, in an unventful month. Even though I had resided in a Vaasan town for the better part of the last year, I still reviled its oppressively tight construction, its nauseating stench and its bleak populace. How I longed to ride Riga unto the steppes, feel the freedom of the nigh infinite expanse and the cool wind coursing through my hair. Yet, duty would deny me that pleasure. My tribe were always proud warriors who feared no man and no natural beast, but times changed. The bountiful herds of the past have all but vanished and instead of hunters, we became farmers; poor ones at that. In order to get the land we needed to survive, my great uncle made a covenant with the Vaasans. It was simple enough, land to farm in exchange for warriors to defend Vaasan towns and caravans; I was one of these warriors. We became the protectors of those who once considered us ruthless agressor and in so doing we lost our edge somewhere along the way. We became weak and as I stifled in this cesspool of a town, our weakness finally caught up with us.

Anyways, I was stowing away my weapons when captain Maksym joined me. To say I disliked my commanding officer would be an understatement. Then again, the feeling was mutual. He strode up to me nonchalantly and spoke in a voice devoid of concern.

"Lieutenant. I've just heard your whole village was rased, no survivors. Happened a tenday or so ago it seems."

I felt my ire rise hand in hand with my sorrow, for I knew his words rang of truth. At that very moment I wanted nothing else than to lash out and Maksym was there to oblige. From his posture I could tell he was expecting it. Truth to be told, I was known to have a temperament akin to a Vindhåre; proud, stubborn and swift to anger. Yet, this time I was barely able to keep at bay the veil of fury drawing itself over my sight and the only outward sign of my struggle was the tight clenching of my fists to my sides. Unfortunately, Maksym was not done. As he turned to leave, he gave me a smug smile before adding a few choice words.

"Serves them right too..."

Whatever self-control I had left broke down and my right arm seemed to now move by its own volition. My fist shot up and slammed itself against his lower jaw, sending him sprawling to the floor. Was it not for the leather glove I wore, the blow would have probably hurt me as much it had him. The pain didn't matter much at that moment, satisfaction was all I felt. Only when Maksym got up did I realize my impulsive action would be my undoing, for he still wore that insufferable smug grin. When two guards joined him, seemingly having been waiting right outside the room, it dawned on me that I had been baited. Still in shock about the news Maksym had brought and now doubly so by the turn of events, I simply stared emtpily ahead, trying to make sense of it all, while the two men dragged me away.

Some time later, when the sun was down, I think, Maksym joined me once more, this time in the relative comfort of a dirty cell. When the door creaked open on its rusty hinges, I merely looked up, not even bothering to stand. I was still fazed from earlier and so, while the captain explained the fate which awaited me, I remained seated, unmoving and sullen. If my being unresponsive, clouded his victory in any way, he didn't show it. I believe he was too busy showering me with contempt and spittle while he prattled on.

"Things will change from now on, woman. You've given me all the excuse I need to strip you of rank and put you back in your place. With your tribe gone, you are now no one. Instead of bearing arms, you will now clean this barrack and even the common servants will have precedence over you. When we have no need of you, your quarters will be this cell and each week you will be beaten, so that you do not forget your place. Perhaps in a few years I will tire of you and release you from your miserable life, wench, but for now..."

I realized he was not going to add anything when his boot connected with the left side of my face, sending me careening into an adjacent wall. I never got a chance to recover before more blows came raining in and after little time I lost consciousness from the pain, unable to fight back due to the brutality of the attacks.

When I awoke sometime during the next day, my body ached all over and I could keenly feel where all the blows had landed. As I brought myself to a seated position I noticed the villain had had my clothes removed, replaced by a patched dress worn by the poorest commoners. Immediately, I tore bands of fabric from the lower part of the crude dress and made wrappings for both of my now naked feet. I only came to notice I had been defiled in another way when I leened back unto the wall to contemplate my bitter situation; my hair! Gone were my long dark braids adorned with small golden bangles, instead it had been cut, without much care, to a lenght which didn't even came close to my shoulders. Even men wore their hair longer!

If I had been sullen during my latest ordeal, I was now incensed once more. It wasn't only the hair, the clothes or my inability to reach the ruined village of my kin, it was Maksym and his blasted people. Before this day, I had pitied them, but now, I hated them all, I blamed them all. Yet, I had learned from the previous day that my rage could be my undoing, that if I was to undo the wrongs perpretated on my person I had to be in control. Like the plains cat, hunting for a prey, I had to be cunning, I had to bide my time and wait for a moment of weakness. Then, I would strike and they would all rue the day they caged me. I sat with my knees tucked close to my chest, waiting in cold silence, uncaring about the pain, the hunger or the thirst.

Like the plains cat I waited, patience was my ally and days drifted by in monotonous and vile labor, the days' end marked by being thown back into my cage, the weeks' end marked by one of Maksym's beatings. Nevertheless, I waited, always vigilant, always ready to strike – until one day I finally got the opportunity I had been waiting...