Harald took the men who didst remain to him and fled,
abroad, unto the Kievan Rus’. As he crossed the sea, a vision did appear to him
and all his goodly men. Saw they then, one darkly night, Máni[1]
were their only light, the visage of St. Nicholas, the patron of the sailor out
at sea, who came upon each man within their ships and healed of him his
injuries from Sticklestad, and made them whole again. And each these men who
were not Christians yet did fall upon the decks and did repent immediate. Each
was christened ere upon their landing at Pskov.
And trode they then across the lands of Slovenfolk, and
found they then the Pola river, up into the city, called it Novogrod. The Lords
there took them into custody, and then were brought by coach to Kiev’s Court,
where Yaroslav did reign. Knowing Harald then the Grand Prince, Yaroslav, in
Kievan Rus’, he did flee there and so throw himself upon the mercy of the
court.
Harald knelt he there before the Grand Prince Yaroslav, prayed
to grant him succor as he had allied with Olaf eldenwise. Yaroslav remembered
him, and liked him in his youth. He could see within the lad some glimmering
good steel (and also would he like to bring the Viking’s men to heel.) Yaroslav
made up this little future king into his soldier, whereal Harald would he learn
to lead these foreign men, as well his own, upon their valor-fields would auger.
Yaroslav appointed Harald Sigurdsson to Sergeant in the
Russian Guard. Harald and his ere 500 men and boys then pledged their Christian
swords with goodly grace and some humility to Russia’s place. Received he up
the rank of Captain after one campaign for him. Yaroslav, he granted him
command of Russian soldiers and his own, and on campaign did Harald by his men
ere earn his comb.
And also did he earn respect from Yaroslav for Harald’s
guile in statecraft and at Court. In these four pretty Wintertimes at old Kiev,
Harald learned from Yaroslav of curtained statecraft-playing: legal custom to
enshrine in writs above the peoplement; and cutting-rites when shrouded up,
entombing rivals with exsanguinette. Enbloodied was the Grand Prince on the
rise, but would that blood enrich the flowering of state, and bring both peace
and culture to the realm beneath his watchful eye. But this blood be taken in
revenge for royal blood be why.
Yaroslav, he 52 about this time, 1030 anno domini, and walked he with a cane. His hair was long and slivery and wore it
long and braided in with silken ribbons be. His mustache also was it silver,
long and thin and like the manes of horses on the steppe. Never he appeared
upon his balcony before the people of his city then without his armor,
burnished up like Sun itself, and held within his hand a riding crop. Also did
he keep upon the balcony a Vulgate, well-illuminated, for was he a Christian
like his father were before him there. Scholar, soldier, horseman, were his
iconography.
He’d take’d an arrow to the leg when he had taken Kiev from
his brother eld, named Sviat of Kiev. Sviat had won of the city through some
bloody treachery. Foul Sviat slew of him his three older brothers, all their
guards and retinue; took he then their women, and put all the children to the
blade as well. Three dynasties, obliterated, all within the year of 1015.
Yaroslav, had come adopted by his father, Vladimir the Great, when married up
his mother in their latter years. Escaped the blades, did Yaroslav, the
youngest of the brood, through guile given him by God, and love of Novogrodians
for him. Marked he then three Winters as he grew into a warrior. And rallied up
he his support across the countryside, to overthrow Sviat, the brutal Tyrant of
Kiev.
Yaroslav rode up a force, part Novogradian and part of
Byzantines (they called Varangians,) and took the city from Sviat, his elder
brother but by half. That were in the Summer, 1019. And Yaroslav the Wise was
crowned Grand Prince, and ruled by popular decree.
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