dolls house stuff

 

More sketches

Sarmatian costume

Costume of around 1646-50

Costume 1740s

costume 1776-1780

 

Farm cart. Period, from invention of wheel to WW2 over most of Europe

side view of carriage extant in mid 17th century [taken from Ogniem i Mieczem] and it looks as though it converts to being a sleigh in winter.

The same posh carriage sketched whilst watching the film, it has 3 horses, interestingly they were harnessed unicorn, one in front, two behind,  not troika-fashion, three abreast.

sketches

 I've been putting together some sketches of what people look like for the companion/who's who 

 

 

 

Anna-Maria 9

 sorry to be tardy! I slept long and deep. 

Well, I've started work on the who's who of the series, and gut feeling says to divide it by place rather than alphabetically.  I'll include maps, I have approximate maps in my head, and I'll refer to extant 18th century Polish city and town maps as well. I strongly suspect one European village is much like another, having similar priorities, huddling around a church and common green centre and built anywise.

 

Chapter 9

 

 With the prisoners gone, training might resume more steadily. There was another shuffle of Towarzysze. Jeremi decreed that Yellow tent was now the female tent, with Edyta, Ludwika, Sylwia and added bear, Paweł and Jan would move from Yellow to Green, making it up to full numbers, and the haplessly untidy Kryspin should move into Blue tent where all the scatterbrains might irritate each other.

Rzędzian moved back to the officers’ tent, and Anna-Maria had her single bed behind the curtain.

This meant that only the untidiness of Kryspin and the dilatory nature of Stojan Turtoński were any sort of issue, if one did not count Kuba’s tendency to daydream and the generally forgetful nature of Blue tent.

“Which means we have no more problems than the average green troops,” said Jeremi in relief to Rzędzian and Anna-Maria as he reviewed the day’s happenings.

“And you have the men behind you, too, for having a common enemy in the person of that small-minded and vindictive captain,” said Anna-Maria.

“And I’ve set spies on his crack troops and their training,” said Rzędzian, smugly.

“Do I want to know?” asked Jeremi.

“I happen to get on well with a lot of sutlers, because of being able to put them in the way of good deals,” said Rzędzian, looking innocent. “And one of them has a daughter who is, as you might say, an enthusiastic amateur, and she loves military talk. She also understands it,” he added. “She’s holding out for a colonel as a long term protector, and she believes I can find her one if I don’t manage to finagle myself up to the rank first.”

“More than sufficient information regarding your sexual peccadilloes and I have no prurient interest in your Lotharious occupations,” said Anna-Maria, sternly.

“Is there such a word as Lotharious?” asked Rzędzian.

“There is now,” said Jeremi. “And shame on you for corrupting a page of tender years!”

“Your page is perfectly at home with smut, grime and the seamier side of life,” said Rzędzian, cheerfully. “But I accept the rebuke for her youth and unsullied exterior.”

“Jaracz! You insult her,” said Jeremi, angrily. “Look at the child; she is shocked at your imputations!”

Rzędzian flushed.

“I didn’t mean it like that, only that she’s imperturbable,” he said. “Sorry, my lady.”

“Apology accepted,” said Anna-Maria, who had been somewhat upset by his hasty words. She blinked back the tears that had risen in the thought that Rzędzian had mistaken her easy camaraderie, encouraged by the Sokołowscy, for loose morals.  Seemingly he had not meant that, only that she might accept the seamier side of life. Jeremi was a most upright and proper young man and Anna-Maria hated the thought that he might also be mistaken in her. Apparently he was not, and she gave him a look of gratitude.

 

 

oOoOo

 

“Oh no,” said Klemens Młocki when he looked up to see Mikołaj’s cheeky grin as his secretary and wife introduced the szlachcic.

“Should I be hurt?” said Mikołaj.

“I don’t have anyone in need of a page,” said Młocki. Mikołaj laughed heartily.

“Oh, I’m not palming one off on you; she ran away to be with her beloved in his poczet.  It’s her father who’s the problem.  I’ve got a nice little conspiracy to murder case for you, also fraud, and probably other crimes.”

“What, the Upiór?” asked Młocki, giving Anna-Maria’s father the nickname by which he had become known.

“No, as far as I know, all he’s guilty of is being a very bad parent, heavy-handed and bad tempered. I don’t even think he’s a child-spoiler, just indifferent to the age of the womb he wants to fill. No, this is the uncle of one of young Skrzetuski’s towarzysze, who has been duped into thinking he is beholden to his uncle rather than owning his own very nice little plot of land – I’ve spoken to the lad and he owns thirty or so włóki of good land. It runs next to Wolski’s I believe, and that’s a nice little plot.”

“You magnate you, referring to Wolski’s place as a ‘nice little plot,” said Młocki, who now knew Mikołaj well enough to tease him.

Mikołaj, who counted his land in several hundred włoki, grinned. 

“Now there’s no need to be insulting, Klemens,” he said. “Anyone would think I was Kazimierz’s sister’s Redboots.”

Klemens Młocki stared pointedly at Mikołaj’s footwear which was red, nicely worn in, but definitely not old boot tops on new boots.

“No, of course not,” he murmured with heavy irony.

His wife came back in at that moment with tea and strawberry cake. Mikołaj brightened.

“Every man ought to have a female secretary and marry her,” he said. “Thank you, Pani Młocka.”

“You’re a flirt, my lord,” said Stefania, severely.

“What, are you jealous my winning ways will seduce your husband?” said Mikołaj.

“I’m not even going to try to enter word games with you, my lord,” said Stefania. “I know when to give up gracefully.”

“You got lucky with her,” said Mikołaj, approvingly as she went out. “I am glad my daughter stole the Hulewiczowie for the Raven Banner. I like having Ravens in law.”

He got down to business, and laid out the documents for Młocki.

“There’s enough here to bring him in,” said Młocki.

“And I’ll leave my lawyers going over his books with a fine tooth comb on behalf of the boy,” said Mikołaj. “If you’re happy to work together on this?”

“Oh, totally,” said Młocki. “You might want to warn young Skrzetuski that he’s been set up to fail; I was going to write to him, but as you’re here you can pass it on in person.”

“He figured it out, but it’s good to have confirmation,” said Mikołaj. “What did you know?”

“Masked ball,” said Młocki. “The captain who replaced Wolski is a dick. All spit and polish with a swagger stick so far up his arse it speaks for him when he opens his mouth. Anyway, he is relatively new szlachta, his family provided money during the Great Northern War and the king ennobled them. So of course the little twat feels inadequate, and there’s Skrzetuski, who is of the Jastrzębiec Banner which is attested to the early fourteenth century and reputed to be more than three hundred years older than that.  So the twat is intimidated to start off with. Then the boy, who is as open and honest as the day is long, with the same amount of tact of any boy his own age, tried to help the twat with advice.  So, I heard Captain Koczolski crowing that he had managed to get hold of every reject towarzysz in the army to wish onto the boy, who would make him look stupid in wargames in front of one Kazimierz Ogiński, personal representative to Prince Michał Ogiński, the Grand Hetman of Lithuania, who happens to be distantly related to the Pułkownik here.”

“Little beast,” said Mikołaj. “The lads call him Captain Kokotski, so crowing is the right word for Captain Cockerel.  I believe they have spies on him, but if you can let me know anything, I’ll pass it on.”

“As I understand it, the Cockerel’s little chickens will hold some supposed forward point, he called it a salient, and it is up to the new recruits to do their best to take it,” said Młocki.  “I’ll see if I can get you any maps. I spoke to him for half an hour and I wanted to kick him. Mariola ran a message to him and he called her ‘woman’ and told her to get out of the barracks as he didn’t tolerate camp followers.”

Mikołaj winced.                                                                       

“My little girl might be the quiet one, but I wager she didn’t stand still for that.”

Młocki chuckled.

“No, I had a first hand report from one of Skrzetuski’s friends, she kicked his ankles out from under him, hands under the knees to hasten the fall, kicked him in the cods and asked if he wanted to fight her, her husband, or her father or if he preferred her brother-in-law. She listed who you all were and he was wetting himself. He apologised. Stupid little bastard.”

“Not that stupid; he apologised,” grinned Mikołaj. “That’s my girl; tip ‘em up, kick ‘em in the assets. I taught them all that one as soon as they could walk steadily.”

“It works very well,” said Młocki. “You might want to show your face around; if he’s intimidated, it won’t upset me.”

Mikołaj chuckled in delight.

“I love intimidating bad officers,” he said.

 

oOoOo

 

“Hello, precious,” said Mikołaj, to the new captain. “I heard you were suicidal enough to insult my daughter, but have enough brains to grovel sufficiently as you’re still alive. Don’t make a habit of it. Mariola is such a sweet, quiet, shy little thing compared to most of my daughters, and I’m sure she’d be upset for almost two minutes if she had to kill you. Bye-bye!” and he patted the man on the cheek.

The company, who had witnessed this, considered the vicious drilling they received for the relief of the captain’s temper was probably worth it.

 

oOoOo

 

Mariola rode over to Raven’s Knoll, suitably escorted, and spent some time with her mother and little sisters, showing off her son, and left him with them to take dispatches to Jeremi.

“Hello, Jeremi, pet,” she said.

“You’ve been spending time with your father,” said Jeremi.

“Why, yes, pet, I believe I have,” said Mariola.  “He’s been annoying your cockerel a bit more in follow up to me tipping him up and kicking him in the assets. You might want to teach your lads that one, it winds a sentry and he can be marked stabbed before he gets the breath to holler. I got you the battle plans.”

“How the devil did you manage that?” asked Jeremi.

“Got the pułkownik drunk and went through his pockets for spare notes,” said Mariola. “He’d just received a letter from the Hetman’s man, who is judging it ... you said something?”

“I choked in horror,” said Jeremi.

“Nonsense!” said Mariola, bracingly. “Your lads and lasses will do just fine. All they have to do is win. And win decisively. You have the maps of the terrain there;  crush the cockerel and his chickens, my lads.”

She was cheered.

“Um, why did you need to assault the captain?” asked Jeremi.

“I ran a message from city hall from Młocki, and I happened to be dressed as a female to do it, and he basically told me to get out or be put in the stocks as he didn’t tolerate whores around his men.”

“And he’s still alive?” said Jeremi.

“Well, after I tipped him up, I asked him which of my family he wanted to fight for calling a member of the Raven Banner and respectable wife of the substarosta a whore. He grovelled enough that I had to let him off. I think Młocki gave my father a censored version of what the little dunghill dragoon called me, or he wouldn’t be alive. Papa is very protective, especially of those of us who are the quiet and shy ones.”

“So I should hope,” said Jeremi. “If he calls any of my female towarzysze bad names you may be sure I’ll be fighting him.”

“And call him ‘precious,’” said Mariola. “Papa did.  Most people who get called ‘precious’ by Mikołaj Krasiński tend to go rather to pieces very rapidly afterwards. It’s his first warning not to irritate him enough to perform Hellish Polish Quarte.”

“I’d love to see it demonstrated,” said Jeremi.

“Draw then, and we’ll give your boys a treat,” said Mariola. “I heard you’re nearly as good as me, so it should be fun.”

She was cheered again, and Jeremi shrugged.

It would do his ragged band no harm to see a couple of experts at the sabre at work. Jeremi had no false modesty, and he knew he was good. But he had never performed Hellish Polish Quarte.

He was also resigned to quiet and shy Raven women being more martial than most people who considered themselves swordsmen.

It was fun, and the towarzysze were gazing with awe on a pair of expert exponents of swordplay. And when Jeremi recognised the inevitable moves, he leaned in to hope to get a reciprocal strike as Mariola’s sabre inexorably turned to come up under his ribs. She turned it to lay the back of the sword against him, and his sabre brushed her cheek.

“And the expert recognises the inevitable and went for the neck strike in hopes of a mutual kill,” said Mariola, to the watching towarzysze. “Your lieutenant is good. Now, I’d use Cossack dancing to get out of the way of Hellish Polish Quarte, but I was trained by The Falcon. As was, er, Adam,” she indicated Anna-Maria.

“I’m still learning,” said Anna-Maria. “But a back-flip might work.”

“It has done before now,” said Mariola. “Right, I’m off; have fun, and don’t rule out using underpowered bombs filled with fish guts and a little note saying anyone who smells fishy is now dead. Or you can use spangles, and anyone sparkling is dead, but fish guts are almost as affectionate as sparkles, and a lot more offensive.”

“Do I want to know?” asked Jeremi.

“Seweryn.  One of our governesses,” said Mariola, with a gurgle of mirth. “Fish guts and sparkles.”

 

oOoOo

 

Mariola collected small Lew Bystrzanowski from his aunts and grandmother and went on to see her favourite sister, Joanna, at The Mews, and meet Milena’s new daughter. Milena and Joachim plainly adored small Joanna, who was named for her aunt. Joachim’s and Milena’s assorted stepchildren also plainly approved.

Mariola stayed a couple of nights, and went home, well satisfied with having stirred a nice hornet’s nest for the cockerel.

 

oOoOo

 

“Right, I think we’ll get into pairs to learn how Mariola tips people up,” said Jeremi. “And I wager my page kno...OOF!”

Anna-Maria bent, pulled his ankles towards her and tipped him onto his back and set a heel on his crotch.

“If you dance there too hard I will be unhappy,” said Jeremi.

“So will I,” said Anna-Maria.  “I want you in full working order when we get that far.”

“Just as well,” said Jeremi. “Well, that looks as if the bigger they come, the harder they fall; so give it a go, lads and lasses, and I wish you a pleasant trip.”

 

The practice went enthusiastically; the girls were particularly keen to learn how to be able to neutralise the threat of a large man. 

“Do you think she was joking about bombs with fish guts or sparkles in?” said Jeremi to Anna-Maria.

“I doubt she was joking, my lord,” said Anna-Maria. “The Ravens take anything to do with explosives and pyrotechnics very seriously.  And if we are to be involved in any night battles, some Chinese flares on silk umbrellas to descend slowly might be in order. I think we should take advantage of being here, where rocketry and artillery are taken seriously, as well as to use The Hill.”

“You know, Adam, I think you have a good point,” said Jeremi. “I am finally beginning to believe that we can win.”

“We can, and we shall,” said Anna-Maria. “And I will walk behind you with a laurel crown, whispering, ‘remember, my lord, you are only human’ and trying not to think how much more useful the bay leaves would be in cooking.”

“Well, that’s brought me down to earth far better than Caesar’s slave muttering about mortality on Triumphs,” laughed Jeremi. “One has the vision of being put in a big pot and simmered with the laurel crown and sundry vegetables.”

 

 

Anna-Maria 1

 I'm not sure if this should be dance of words or dances with bears [that reasoning will soon become apparent] , Stuff the Rooster [ditto] or Jeremi's Misfits. It is in the dance series, dance of rejects?  anyway, give it a few chapters and see how it goes. I finished chapter 13 and I know exactly where it is going past the broad plan. 

Chapter 1

 

“Anna-Maria, Lord Jeremi Skrzetuski has written formally to ask if you would like to be his page,” Joanna said to the older of the Finckówny girls.

“I believe that my education has proceeded to the point where an affirmative answer would lead to the most challenge and personal fulfilment,” said Anna-Maria, gravely.

Joanna grinned. Most girls would have just said ‘yes’, and left it at that, but Anna-Maria and her sister Janina had developed a level of prolixity of unprecedented complexity as armour against unwanted suitors, before they fled their father’s house and ended up in the school at ‘The Mews’, as the Sokołowscy’s dwór was known.

“I’ll write and tell him to expect you, then,” she said. 

“I should have an allowance; but I do have some savings in the bank in Większy-Bydlin since I was prudent enough to set aside savings from my former allowance in case of emergency, so if I may be taken there, I can outfit myself suitably for the position.”

“We’ll outfit you,” said Joanna. “And when you come into your inheritance, you can make a donation to the school to help future children set themselves up.”

Anna-Maria considered.

“That would appear to be an eminently sensible and equitable arrangement,” she agreed.

 

 

Władysław rode with the dark-haired youth into the city of Większy-Bydlin. They ran into Starosta Młocki.

“Hello, Sokołowski, young relative of yours?” he asked. Anna-Maria was no longer lank of hair and pasty of skin due to her father’s disapproval of szlachcianki exercising or going outside. She glowed with health, her skin touched lightly by the sun, and such hair as remained in the czupryna she sported vibrant with life.

“Let’s not discourage that impression, shall we?” said Władysław. Młocki raised an eyebrow, and Władysław shrugged.

“You don’t want the whole story, old man; you might forget that you’re a Raven-in-law of sorts and remember that you’re starosta, and I really don’t want to talk to the starosta about the complexities.”

“I’ll remind him not to take any notice, then,” said Klemens Młocki. “If I don’t know of a technical legal irregularity, I don’t need to go looking for the parents of a runaway, as one might surmise.”

“Surmise all you like but do it on your own time,” said Władysław.

“Why, the only parent who has raised hell was one Lord Fincke, looking for his daughters; and so plainly this handsome lad is nothing to do with that,” said Młocki.

“As you say, cousin,” said Władysław. He even managed to agree with a straight face.

“Lord Młocki is plainly a Raven-in-law of perspicacity and sophistication in his deductive reasoning, a paradigm of judicial perfection,” said Anna-Maria.

“Constructive Falconisms,” said Władysław, gravely. “It’s the way the atramentous and caliginous ebon of our outfits work on the brain.”

“Oh, take her away and apprentice her wherever and don’t let me ask questions,” said Młocki. “You can stop by on the way back and sup with me and sleep over, and tell me hypothetical stories.”

“Delighted, my lord-brother,” said Władysław.

“He’s very accommodating,” said Anna-Maria as they rode on..

“He’s used to us,” said Władysław.

 

 

The bank, presented with a letter to provide Lady Anna-Maria’s representative with monies as required was happy to comply.

“Papa gave Janina and me a generous dress allowance,” Anna-Maria told Władysław. “We decided to bank most of it, when he sent us into the city with it, purchase some fabrics, and then array ourselves the same gowns the maids wear, because any true and puissant knight would, according to folktale, be able to pick out the szlachcianki by their air of true nobility. Alas, none of those thus presented were able to correctly ascertain the personae of their anticipated marital partners. Moreover, some of them were of a sufficiently intemperate nature towards servants, that one could scarcely encourage their pretensions towards uxorial bliss. And when Papa banned that game, we came up with prim prolixity.”

“What naughty girls you are,” said Władysław, happily.

 

They rode into the garrison, and Jeremi Skrzetuski came out to greet them.

“I see someone was brave enough to make you a lieutenant,” said Władysław. “Which is as high as I ever rose before circumstances meant I had to hand in my wings.”

“You were a winged hussar, sir?  I always wanted to be, when I was growing up. It was a sad blow when they were disbanded,” said Jeremi.

“Aye, and if they had been updated instead, armed with the new rifles instead of lances, I wager we should still be striking fear into the heart of those black eagles who look eagerly for a weakness to peck,” said Władysław. “That’s been my job of late; keeping control of those who would conspire with the carrion hordes.”

“And I wish you luck,” said Jeremi, soberly.

“Thank you.  I have brought your page, as you can see; young Adam Sokoł, who yearns to fly.”

“That’s young Adam? My, you do look a lot healthier,” said Jeremi.

“The Raven and Falcon training appears to be efficacious in terms of both academic excellence and improvement in physical wellbeing,” said Anna-Maria.

“Well, I can recognise those beautiful cadences anywhere,” said Jeremi. “I’m glad you got here. The new captain isn’t very sure of himself and he wasn’t best pleased to be given any hints, so I am being packed off on what is essentially punishment duty with a bunch of green troops to train, spending the summer under canvas.”

“Oh, my,” said Anna-Maria. “I am glad I am thoroughly versed in the art of camping even in adverse conditions of undue precipitation. Will you be running a simulation of wartime conditions with alarums and drills?”

“I need to get them to set up a camp first, but it’s not a half bad idea,” said Jeremi, cheerfully. “We shan’t have any of my friends, though, to boost the troops; our idiot captain stole them for other duties. But I won’t be beaten, and I will return him well-seasoned troops who can outshine his own elites.”

“Patience inside and loud outside,” said Władysław. “If they don’t hate you a little bit, you aren’t doing it right.”

“Martinet. I know. Easier to lighten than tighten; I already wrote and asked Papa Raven,” said Jeremi.

Władysław smiled.

“If you’re not too proud to take advice from that old fox, you will go far,” he said. “I’d ask Jędrek to come as an orderly but he’s too busy pissing about in Prussia, flirting with the king and getting his daughter married off.”

“That sounds a tale and a half.”

“It will be, when he gets back to tell it.”

“I managed to get a good scrounger as my adjutant, one Jaracz Rzędzian, a poor relation of a friend of yours, I believe?”

“Ah, yes, Bolek, who served as a towarzysz with my wife,” said Władysław.

“Our family have maintained an alliance with theirs for a long time,” said Jeremi.

“Yes, we’re distantly related too, I believe,” said Władysław. “Well, Adam! Last chance to back out.”

“I cannot consider that so pusillanimous a position would procure me any advantage,” said Anna-Maria.

Władysław kissed her forehead and left her to it; such things were best embarked upon wholeheartedly, without any cushion of family. He hoped she would enjoy herself.

He was fairly certain that she would do so far more than the hapless recruits.

 

oOoOo

 

 

 

“I’ll be honest, one reason I asked for you as my page was to have someone Raven-trained as a helper with my green troops, who isn’t someone the captain can cavil over,” said Jeremi.  “He took a real dislike to me when I tried to help, and what worries me is that when the camp is over, we are to engage in war games with his crack chosen troop, in front of the colonel, and I think he’s going to go on about me training the lads so I look bad and get chucked out.”

“Did he specify any particular locale whereat to hold this camp and training?” asked Anna-Maria.

“No, he ... are you thinking what I’m thinking?” demanded Jeremi.

Her eyes sparkled.

“Lord Władek has built what he calls ‘The Tower’ to test us, but to train on The Hill and The Wall at Kopiec Kruka would be an advantageous exploitation of this unlooked-for opportunity,” said Anna-Maria. “Moreover, I doubt the residents will be able to resist helping.”

“I’ll write to Lord Mikołaj right away,” said Jeremi. “Tell me about The Tower.”

“Oh! Lord Władek was desirous to provide a challenging obstacle of greater elevation than might be attained by a wooden wall, and consequently engaged the services of steeplejacks who had been applying repairs to the church, with the express desire of a tower with four different faces, of variable difficulty.  It also has stairs up inside, for the purpose of rescue by the expedient of depending a rope or rope ladder. The southerly aspect is slanted considerably, for ease of ascent; westerly is full of handholds; easterly is less easy, and northerly is usually referred to with an excess of scatology.”

“Have you climbed it?”

“Yes; I was determined to bring myself to a peak of condition in order to be of most use to you,” said Anna-Maria. “Lady Joanna reckons it comes close to The Wall in challenging the climber.”

“I’ve heard of the legendary Wall,” said Jeremi. “Well.  We will get the chance to try it, if Papa Raven is accommodating.”

“Oh, my, are you a spare Raven to be permitted to call Lord Mikołaj ‘Papa Raven’?” asked Anna-Maria.

Jeremi flushed, but laughed.

“Well, perhaps  I am being impudent, but I won’t tell if you don’t.”

She giggled.

“Well, I hope he agrees.  Do I have to ride with the message?”

“No, I’ll send a sergeant.  By the way, what name were you going to take?”

A whimsical smile touched her lips.

“Adam for a first name, having become accustomed to it. I thought around several surnames; Sokoł to acknowledge Lord Władek’s aid, or with a distinct touch of whimsy, Upiorski, but I thought I would merely reference the undead rather than claim the name given to my father by the Hulewiczownie. It occurred to me that to be Adam Duszek, I would be a little ghost, for I don’t really exist at all.”

Jeremi laughed.

“I like it.”

 

 

oOoOo

 

Jeremi regarded his new recruits.

“Well, lads, we’ll be going camping as part of your training,” he said. “You’ve been assigned sleeping quarters, four towarzysze to a room, and I am assuming you’ve organised swapping about to be with convivial company. You should be in three groups of four with one group of three, from the list I have, and perhaps you will move into your groups ... Queen of Poland! Is that a bear?”

The towarzysz was impeccably clad in a red żupan with a fur-trimmed hat, but also had a fur-trimmed face, paws and legs.

“This is Ursyn!” piped the fresh-faced boy beside the bear, young enough not to dwarf him by too much. “I rescued him from a man who was burning his legs to make him dance, and nursed him back to health, and he gets upset if I’m not around.”

“And you are?” asked Jeremi, faintly.

“Sylwan Lasecki,” said the boy. “I hate people who are cruel to animals.  Ursyn is quite happy riding in a supply cart, and he’s trained to load and unload things.”[1]

“I see,” said Jeremi. “Has it occurred to you that your fellow towarsysze might not like sharing a tent with him?”

“Oh, no, Jaras and Ludek are fine with it,” said young Lasecki. “Jarosław and Ludwik Bogacki, that is.” He indicated two more youths, one of whom had what might one day be a moustache and the other of whom looked about twelve.

Jeremi looked again.

“Ludwig, go and speak to my page, Adam Duszek, you are not on my list; I have Ursyn Kudła down, however. Really, Pan Shaggy?”

“Don’t you think it an excellent name, Lieutenant?” beamed Lasecki.

“Suitable, anyway,” said Jeremi. The child called Ludek had gone over to Anna-Maria.

“There shouldn’t be a problem, Pan Duszek,” said Ludek. “We have enough to outfit ourselves and our poczty.”

“Indeed, the pecuniary considerations are a small issue, and you are to be felicitated both on your ability to undertake a joint endeavour, and for your willingness to share with a bear, but has it occurred to you that you will need to make arrangements monthly for the relatively covert cleansing of your cloths, not to mention regular laundering of whatever method you use to confine any mammary development and conceal your sex thereby?” said Anna-Maria.

“I ... are you suggesting I am a girl?” said Ludek.

“I thought I made quite plain that your imposture has been penetrated both by the lieutenant and by me.  And if your pocztowi include a woman to do your laundry, then I would ask if she would accept remuneration to undertake similar clandestine ablutions of my own underwear.”

Ludek blinked a few times, assimilating Anna-Maria’s meaning.

“You’re a girl too?” she asked.

“I believe the inference was moderately apparent,” said Anna Maria.

“Oh!  Are you escaping being married off, too?” asked Ludek.

“In a manner of speaking; my sire’s marital endeavours on my behalf were not to my liking, so my sister and I effected an evasion by joining the Ulans. She is at school, now,” she added. “And the military life suits me.  Yes, the lieutenant is fully cognisant with the situation. You may inform your brother so that he is aware that any proximity between us is no kind of seduction or coercion on my part. Are you happy to share with young Lasecki?”

“Oh, he’s no more than a boy and won’t notice,” said Ludek. “And I think he’s sporting enough to go along with it if he finds out. You see, Jaras and I are orphans, and we were afraid that if he was away doing his duty, our rotten cousin, Jerszy, would marry me, and that would be awful.  He just drips with slime, you know,” she added.

Anna-Maria nodded; she understood.

“Well, should you encounter any difficulties arising from your subterfuge and misrepresentation of your gender, you can come to me,” she said.

“Oh, thank you,” said Ludek. “My real name is Ludwika and I am known as Ludka, but I am trying to remember to be Ludek, and that I am Bogacki not Bogacka.”

“You will soon manage to remember,” said Anna-Maria, kindly.

 

Jeremi continued his address.

“We will be undertaking strenuous training at a summer camp, and be pleased we are not winter camping.  Adam, you’ve done some winter camping, haven’t you?”

Anna-Maria shuddered.

“Winter camping is, indeed, a challenging and difficult task,” she said. “But I am looking forward with pleased anticipation to a summer camp and in helping you to become a fighting unit. Being Raven-trained, I am fortunate to have certain advantages not given to many youths my age, and I will be available to loan my aid where it might be required.”

“I hope you will feel able to avail yourself of my page’s advice,” said Jeremi. “In the meantime, you will go and pack for a journey and be in readiness to leave within the hour; tents have been brought out for loading onto carts, and if you don’t dawdle, you will have your tents up before it is dark. Heaven help you if you are slow enough that they are not.”

 

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[1] In honour of a Polish bear named Wojciech, who served as a private and later corporal in Anders Army, later The Polish Corps, as a shell-handler in WW2. Older British readers may remember him from his appearances on Blue Peter until his death in 1962 at the age of 21, weighing in at half a ton.