"Your daughter sure knows how to pick them, kume." - Oleg muttered, staring into the empty mug.

 

Taras could only shrug. Truth to tell, he couldn't exactly dispute the assertion. Her daughter did have a knack for attracting the attention of ludicrously powerful people, it would seem. Drawing the sultan's eye was a problem enough, though at least in this Taras could honestly claim the whim of fate. Getting involved with a witch among witches, however...

 

"Kume, what is going on?" - Ignat demanded from his corner of the table. A respected man from the village across the river, he came over to find out just what was happening. His village was very much perturbed by a sign of flying monster going overhead. And now he was told that nothing of their assumptions was right and that a monster was but a sorceress' toy spun together out of wood, glass, iron and canvas.

 

"Tell me this, Taras. Tell me just as it is. Is there gonna be trouble?" - demanded Bogdan. As a khorunjy who nominally represented the village Taras himself was sotnik at, he was the one most concerned about the situation. Concerned enough to ride out personally and to arrive without much ado. The answer to the question would largely define what exactly Bogdan would be doing next - introducing himself and glad-handing with the foreign noble or riding away quietly to raise the banners and come rescue his old friend in force.

 

Taras shook his head and stood up. He opened up the cupboard and came up with a large bottle. As he placed it in the middle of the table and set about with a knife cutting off the wax sealing from the cork, the mood at the table slackened off. If he was taking his time to treat his fellows with a good drink, then at the very least there was no emergency.

 

"This is from her, by the way." - he began as he ripped the cork out finally, and the weft of strong liquor and honey spread from the bottle. After pouring out alcohol to his fellows generously, Taras sat back and stroked his moustache thoughtfully, as he gathered his thoughts.

 

"Tell you what, kumove." - he began stately - "My Roxolane sure knows how to pick them, that's true. But she also knows whom to stick with. Pani Gillespie? Yes, she can be a big, big problem. If someone does something foolish, that is. She has a temper, that one. Keeps the reigns on it strong, though. I have listened to the stories they have about her. Not just Roxolane but the rest of the girls in that harem of hers, too. And her daughter. My take on it? Do not anger her and she will rain coins on you and not even notice. She's the kind of person who builds a house if she decides she wants to rest in the shade."

 

He lifted his mug and took a hefty gulp out of it, cueing the others to do the same. Several men coughed, others just made assorted noises indicating their surprise at the strength of the drink.

 

"Taras, what is this?" - Oleg inquired immediately, wiping his mustache with a sleeve - "Tastes like honey, but kicks like a horse."

 

"Knight's mead, she called it." - Taras offered - "One of the many things she makes and sells. Something we just might be buying at a right price, isn't it so, kumove?"

 

Bogdan put his mug down after taking a second, much more cautious sip - "Good liquor. Strong liquor. So what you're saying here is that she cares for profits more than honors?"

 

"Yep!" - Taras agreed with a grin - "Talked it over a little, the things I can agree for my own village. Bogdan, do you feel like getting introduced? She thinks about building a port in the river mouth. Says there's enough interest in our things to make it worth sailing the merchant ships here. Between you and me, I figure we can make it work, and if we have a port of our own, might we no longer need to pay the fees and customs to the fishfolk? Not that the gilled ones really let any trade pass through lately, that is."

 

That altered the mood significantly. Bogdan immediately began stroking his own mustache, deep in thought - "...Not gonna lie, a port of our own sounds real good. Are you sure she can deliver, though? Building the port is one thing, attracting ships is quite another."

 

Taras smirked. "Yeah, about that. Talked her into showing me the plans for what she means to make." - he ventured coyly - "Get this, Bogdan. What she has in mind is not just a pier or two. No, she goes big on this. Warehouses, docks, a shipyard."

 

Everyone suddenly started talking at once. Then slowly petered out, realizing it. In the ensuing silence, Bogdan's question was heard by everyone - "Shipyard? You're certain? She wants to invest THIS much in us? Can we even settle those debts in our lifetime?"

 

Taras snorted. "Yeah, worried about that too. She looked at me like I was speaking tongues when I asked." - he replied - "All this? Everything? Drop in the bucket for her. Literally pocket money. She did not even think about how are we supposed to repay her, because in her mind this ain't worth repaying. Just being a good daughter-in-law, insofar as she's concerned."

 

"...Gods above us in the stars, your Roxolane sure knows how to pick them." - Ignat whispered reverently.