NOVEL FROG 31. Guard Captain
Kivamus nodded in agreement. "Yes, of course," he admitted. "The appointment of a Guard Captain was already on my mind."
He observed Hudan thoughtfully, his thoughts lingering on the way the other guards had gravitated toward him earlier. "It seems the other guards hold you in high regard, Hudan," he remarked. "They were quite engrossed in your tales, weren't they?"
A hint of pride flickered in Hudan's eyes as he offered a curt nod. "Indeed, my Lord," he confirmed. "They were curious about the rigorous training I had endured to hopefully become a knight. Unfortunately, none of the men stationed here have had the privilege of such formal training." He shook his head slowly. "Of course, it's a different fact that I couldn't eventually succeed in becoming a knight."
Kivamus studied Hudan for a moment, a decision solidifying in his mind. "Hudan," he declared, "based on your experience and the respect you command amongst the guards, I am appointing you as the new Guard Captain."
Hudan's eyes widened in surprise. "Me, my Lord?" he stammered, his voice laced with disbelief. "But... but why? I haven't led that many men before... Surely someone else here would be more qualified for this position?"
A gentle smile played on Kivamus's lips. "You provided the answer yourself, Hudan," he pointed out. "None of the other guards have gone through the training that you have."
"The guards here already hold you in high esteem," Kivamus continued. "And as you know, we also need to significantly increase the number of guards we have. Only you possess the necessary skills and knowledge to properly train them."
He paused for a moment, allowing his words to sink in. "But most importantly," he continued, his voice dropping to a low, sincere tone, "you are amongst the very few people here whom I can trust with my life, Hudan. I believe you are the best person to lead our village guard."
Hudan remained silent for a moment, his brow furrowed in contemplation. Eventually, he nodded slowly.
"I understand your reasoning, my Lord," he conceded. "I will gladly accept this duty."
He bowed deeply before Kivamus. "I promise to dedicate myself fully to protecting you, the village, and its inhabitants. You will not be disappointed, my Lord," he added, his voice firm with newfound resolve.
A warm smile touched Kivamus's lips. "I have no doubt about that, Hudan," he replied, gesturing for him to rise.
Turning towards Duvas, he instructed, "Make an official announcement later. Inform everyone in the manor that Hudan has been appointed as the new Guard Captain."
A frown creased Kivamus's brow as he turned to Duvas. "How many guards do we have here at the manor, Duvas?" he inquired, a hint of concern lacing his voice.
Duvas stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment before responding. "Currently, my Lord," he began, "we have eleven trained guards in the manor." He paused for a beat, then added, "However, if we include Hudan and Feroy, the total number increases to thirteen."
A frown creased Kivamus' brow. "Eleven trained guards, you say. Thirteen including Hudan and Feroy. That's still a very small number to defend the entire village..."
"The situation wasn't always this dire, my Lord," Duvas responded. "Before the previous baron's ill-fated trip, we did have more guards. However, as you are well aware, none of them survived that journey." A brief silence descended upon them after hearing that.
Kivamus then shifted his focus to the present situation. "Currently, how are the remaining guards distributed?" he inquired.
"Before that tragedy," Duvas replied, his voice tinged with a touch of nostalgia, "we maintained a more robust guard presence. We had four guards stationed at the main gate and three guarding the eastern entrance, where the coal wagons typically arrive."
A shadow of worry creased his face. "However," he continued, his voice dropping to a low murmur, "the aftermath of that incident forced us to make difficult decisions. With fewer guards at our disposal, we could only afford to have two guards at each gate, and even then, we had to extend their watch hours, to compensate for the reduced manpower."
"Also," he added, "when the coal mines were operational, we needed to send an additional three or four guards there to ensure security. Although, with the mines currently closed, we don't have to send guards there."
Kivamus took a minute to absorb this information. He then turned his gaze towards Hudan, his mind already formulating a plan.
"Hudan," he started, "your first task as Guard Captain is to recruit new guards. We need more men who can be trained to fight effectively."
"Understood, my Lord," Hudan replied, his voice resolute. "I will make an announcement in the village after our talk."
Kivamus nodded approvingly. "With so many people currently unemployed in the village, I believe you'll have enough applicants to choose from. It is up to you to decide which of them possess the necessary skills and temperament to become a guard."
Hudan, however, interjected with a thoughtful frown. "While increasing the number of guards is essential, my Lord," he began cautiously, "allowing a large number of complete strangers to stay within the manor walls during these uncertain times might not be a good idea."
Duvas nodded in agreement. "Normally, Hudan, your cautious approach would be absolutely right," he conceded.
A wry smile touched his lips. "However," he continued, his voice laced with a hint of pride, "I have been living here since this village was founded. Being a small village, there's hardly a face I don't recognize. Most of these young miners, the ones most likely to answer the call to become guards, I've seen them growing up since they were toddlers taking their first steps."
Duvas's gaze swept across the courtyard, looking at the servants and maids going about their duties. "Many of these people here have families in the village too," he pointed out. "They know the villagers well, and they wouldn't hesitate to vouch for anyone with a good reputation."
"That being said," he acknowledged, a hint of caution creeping into his voice, "before finalizing your selection, Hudan, it wouldn't hurt to run the names by me first. That way, I can verify if a potential recruit is someone I know and can vouch for, or perhaps someone who only arrived in Tiranat in recent years."
Hudan acknowledged Duvas's point with a respectful nod. "I understand your reasoning, Mr. Duvas," he replied with a respectful nod. "I will definitely consult with you before finalizing any selections."
Turning his attention towards Kivamus, Hudan inquired, "My Lord, how many potential recruits should I announce we're looking for?"
"Before I answer that," Kivamus began, "Duvas, can you tell me how much we currently pay our guards?"
"Certainly, my Lord," Duvas responded. "For a new guard, the daily wage comes to eleven coppers," he explained. "That's much better than the eight to ten coppers a day they typically earn as a miner. As for experienced guards," he continued, "their daily wages can range up to fourteen coppers, while we pay the Guard Captain eighteen coppers a day."
He paused for a moment, then added, "Unlike the miners who receive their wages daily, all the permanent manor staff, including the guards, are paid on a monthly basis. However, we do deduct the cost of the food and lodging we provide from their wages. Taking that into account," he calculated, "the net expense for a new guard comes to seven coppers per day, or a total of twenty-one silver coins every month."
"Now," he added, a hint of concern creeping into his voice, "this is assuming we offer them food and living quarters within the manor. If the new guards choose to buy their own food and stay with their families in the village when they're off duty, then we'd have to pay the full eleven copper daily wage."
Kivamus winced at the realization. "That can get expensive quickly," he muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "For a dozen new guards, the monthly cost in cash alone would be over twenty-five gold crowns. And that figure nearly doubles if we have to pay their full wages without deducting for food and lodging."
A sigh escaped his lips as the weight of financial constraints settled upon him. The task of bolstering the village's defenses seemed to be getting more complicated by the minute.
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