The morning sun rose over the rolling green pasturelands surrounding Ocs Hall. As one of Vlandia's premier trading hubs, the outskirts of the walled city were alive with activity. Long lines of merchant caravans, cattle herds, and traveling blacksmiths crowded the paved stone roads leading to the city gates.
Captain Rodrik led the Golden Boar company toward a sprawling horse market set up outside the southern palisade. Rows of wooden paddocks held hundreds of horses, from heavy Vlandian warhorses with thick legs to lean Imperial riding mounts and sturdy draft animals.
The Calamity Squad walked beside the supply wagons, taking in the sights.
"Look at those warhorses," Numerius said, whistling as he eyed a massive, armored Vlandian charger in a fenced ring. "That beast looks like an armored tank."
"And that armored tank costs at least four hundred denars," Yuzon pointed out, adjusting his hunting bow. "In Bannerlord, even a basic riding horse costs ninety to hundred denars in city markets. We only have hundred and five denars in silver total."
Nathaniel pulled out his small parchment ledger, doing quick math in his head while tapping his quill.
"We aren't buying noble warhorses today, boys," Nathaniel said, laying out his plan. "We use barter trading. We have eighty silver denars we can spare, plus the three Yew longbows and four iron hatchets we looted from the Forest Bandits yesterday. Those longbows alone have high base trade value at market rate. If we bundle our eighty silver denars with the looted weapons, we have roughly hundred and sixty-five denars in total trade value."
Jade nodded immediately, recognizing the trade mechanic. "Barter value. Smart. Horse traders in Vlandia love northern Yew longbows because they can flip them to noble archers in Ocs Hall for top denars."
"Exactly," Nathaniel said with a sharp grin. "We offer him our eighty silver denars cash plus the weapons for five sturdy Vlandian work mounts. It is a win-win deal."
Jade handed Nathaniel the pouch of silver and the bundle of looted weapons. "As a skirmisher squad, being on foot limits our speed. If we have horses, we can scout ahead and flank enemy archers. Go make the trade, Nat."
Just as Nathaniel headed toward the paddocks, Vice-Captain Kaelen called out to Jade from near the command wagon, waving him over to review the march route toward the Imperial border.
"Nat, go execute the trade," Jade said. "The rest of us are going to check the route with Kaelen."
While Nathaniel walked off toward horse trader Master Garin, Jade, Numerius, Yuzon, and Mataranas walked over toward the main Golden Boar camp spot.
Across the field, the three hundred mercenaries of the Golden Boar were dividing their forces for different regional contracts across Vlandia.
The big captain with the belly, who had argued over loot at the main gate breach during the castle siege, stood in front of his line infantry company, shouting orders as his men hitched up heavy supply carts. He was taking his company north toward Sargot on a trade convoy garrison contract.
Nearby, Captain Mira, the fierce woman with the scar running from her ear to her chin and the two-handed sword across her back, checked her saddle girth. She gathered her forty light-armored fighters, who had taken the east wall during the siege.
"We are riding ahead through the mountain passes to scout Imperial troop movements," Captain Mira told Vice-Captain Kaelen as Jade walked up. "My boys will set up camp near Lageta and wait for your main column."
"Keep your eyes open, Mira," Kaelen replied from his warhorse. "Imperial patrols don't like Vlandian scouts near their border."
Mira grinned, showing a row of sharp teeth before galloping east with her forty fighters, disappearing over the grassy hills.
While watching the company split, a young mercenary carrying a waterskin walked past the squad. The kid froze, staring at the group in complete shock. It was the sixteen-year-old kid who had given Nathaniel warm water outside Lord Eristan's keep while Nathaniel lay on a stretcher covered in sewage.
"Wait," the young kid gasped, looking around. "Where is the guy from the stretcher? The one who stank like the castle drain?"
"He is currently buying our horses," Numerius chuckled, clapping the young kid on the shoulder. "He is an independent skirmisher now."
The young mercenary laughed in disbelief, shaking his head as he jogged off to join Sergeant Vane's infantry line.
Ten minutes later, crunching hoofbeats announced Nathaniel's return.
Nathaniel walked into the camp spot leading five sturdy Vlandian work horses by their reins, grinning ear to ear with absolute pride. The five horses, two brown geldings, a grey mare, a chestnut stallion, and a stocky black workhorse, were all equipped with clean leather saddles and bridles.
"Look at these beauties," Nathaniel announced, puffing out his chest.
Yuzon looked at the five mounts, impressed. "How did the trade go?"
Nathaniel pulled out his small parchment ledger, pointing at his numbers with a triumphant grin. "Master Garin wanted hundred and fifty denars for the lot. But I used Trade 36 logic. I gave him our eighty silver denars cash plus the three Yew longbows and iron hatchets. Garin saw those northern Yew longbows and knew he could flip them in Ocs Hall to noble archers for top silver on their own. Combined trade value, hundred and sixty-five denars!"
[+1 Trade]
Nathaniel saw the notification ping flicker in his vision, his smile widening even more. He handed back their single remaining silver coin per man.
"We are down to five denars and one copper each in pocket silver," Nathaniel added smoothly. "But don't worry. Our contract with Captain Rodrik pays us three denars a day per man. Based on our base daily salary, we will recover our entire silver investment in less than six days!"
[Party Finances Updated]
Silver Spent: 80 Denars (16 Denars per man)
Loot Traded: 3x Yew Longbows, 4x Iron Hatchets
Remaining Individual Funds: 5 Denars 1 Copper per man
[Mounts Acquired]
Equipped: 5x Vlandian Work Mounts (Basic Saddles Included)
Numerius chuckled, tossing his remaining silver coin in the air. "Nat doing math makes me feel rich even when I'm broke. Trade 37 is paying off."
"Alright," Jade said, stepping up to his brown gelding. "Now comes the hard part. Learning how to actually ride them."
The next hour brought pure, unadulterated chaos to the grassy meadow outside Ocs Hall.
Back in their college dorms, mounting a horse in Bannerlord meant pressing a key and watching an instant, smooth animation. In real life, trying to mount a seven-hundred-pound Vlandian workhorse while wearing a leather jack, weapons, and heavy shields was a humbling experience.
Numerius attempted to climb onto his chestnut stallion first, swinging his right leg over the saddle with aggressive confidence. Unfortunately, he forgot about the heavy Vlandian kite shield slung across his back. As he swung his leg, the bottom metal corner of the shield slammed hard into the stallion's hindquarters with a loud clatter.
The stallion let out an offended snort, side-stepping three feet to the left.
Numerius was caught mid-vault, his hands missing the wooden saddle horn entirely. For half a second, he hung suspended in the air like a confused sack of flour before flopping face-first into the damp meadow grass.
"Stupid horse," Numerius groaned, his voice muffled by the grass as he pushed himself up, wiping mud off his cheek. "That was a tactical dismount."
Fifty yards away, Nathaniel was experiencing his own personal nightmare. He managed to scramble into the saddle of his brown gelding, but as soon as the horse began a slow, rhythmic trot, Nathaniel froze. Every step sent a sharp jolt straight up his spine, and his light crossbow kept slapping wildly against his thigh.
Nathaniel leaned forward, throwing both arms around the gelding's thick neck and clinging to it like a panicked sloth.
"Listen to me, horse," Nathaniel whispered desperately into the gelding's ear, his voice trembling as the horse trotted toward a wooden fence. "We are partners. I will buy you premium oats and sugar apples, just please stop bouncing."
The gelding simply swished its tail, unbothered, and kept trotting toward a hay bale while Nathaniel groaned in agony. "My inner thighs don't exist anymore. They have been pulverized."
Meanwhile, Yuzon attempted to test his archery balance from the saddle of his grey mare. He sat upright, pulled an arrow from his quiver, and drew his hunting bow toward a distant fence post.
The moment Yuzon pulled the bowstring back, his grey mare flicked her ears, tossed her head, and let out a loud snort. The sudden movement threw Yuzon's balance completely off.
Snap!
The broadhead arrow flew wild, sailing forty feet to the left and burying itself deep into a hay bale, startling a nearby goat that let out a loud, indignant bleating sound.
Yuzon stared at the goat, then looked down at his bow, shaking his head. "Okay. Mounted Archery penalties are real. Without the perk, aiming from a moving horse is like trying to shoot while riding a lawnmower."
Through all the chaos, Mataranas sat peacefully on his stocky black workhorse. While the others were falling into mud or begging their mounts for mercy, Matty's horse just stood under an oak tree, calmly chewing on a mouthful of sweet grass. Matty sat in the wooden saddle with natural, relaxed balance, holding the leather reins lightly in one hand while his heavy cavalry shield hung comfortably from his shoulder.
Mataranas looked over at Nathaniel, who was still hugging his gelding's neck like a frightened child.
"Good horse," Mataranas offered softly, patting the black gelding's neck. "Very quiet."
"Of course Matty gets the horse that acts like a golden retriever," Nathaniel complained from his horse's neck.
Jade spent thirty minutes practicing troop commands and weapon handling from his saddle. He drew his short steel arming sword first, but quickly realized that a short blade felt awkward and lacked reach while sitting high in the wooden saddle. He sheathed the sword at his hip and unslung his short spear instead.
Holding the short spear in his right hand, Jade felt an instant shift in balance. His Polearm skill was his highest combat stat, and holding a spear on horseback felt natural. The reach of the spear allowed him to cover ground, keep enemies at a distance, and deliver thrusts without leaning precariously out of the saddle. He decided then and there that his short spear would remain his primary weapon for mounted combat and vanguard skirmishing, keeping his steel arming sword purely as a secondary sidearm for tight indoor brawls.
He trotted his mount along the edge of the paddock, guiding the gelding while keeping the spear tip steady. A small system notification flickered in his vision.
[+1 Riding]
By noon, the Calamity Squad had gained basic control over their mounts. Numerius wiped mud off his trousers, Yuzon retrieved his arrow from the hay bale, Nathaniel finally sat upright in his saddle, and Jade led them in a loose skirmisher formation back toward Captain Rodrik's central command tent.
Rodrik stood outside his tent, taking a sip from his ale mug as he watched the Calamity Squad ride up on their new mounts.
"Not bad," Rodrik chuckled, taking in Numerius's muddy trousers and Nathaniel's stiff posture. "The belly captain took the northern trade route, and Mira is scouting ahead a day's ride in the mountain passes."
Rodrik gestured toward the road leading east.
"You five asked for independent skirmisher status and a ten percent loot cut," Rodrik explained, looking at them with a sharp, pragmatic gaze. "In the Golden Boar, high pay comes with high risk. You aren't line infantry hiding behind a shield wall anymore. I need the Calamity Squad riding half a mile ahead of my main column to flush out roadside ambushes and clear choke points before my heavy carts get there."
"We are ready, Captain," Jade said, gripping his spear firmly.
"Get your horses fed and rested," Rodrik said, turning toward his tent. "Tomorrow morning, we cross the Imperial border."