It was after a night of rest that the army of one hundred newly liberated slaves departed the mines. With Lev guiding from the front, they trekked firstly throughout the mountainside, then the forests. Beyond the vast trees were villages: which they presumed would be full of toiling peasants sympathetic to their cause. By this point, they had been on the march for approximately half a day.
Additionally, it was also the perfect time of year for such a lengthy march, for the breeze was subtle and the pine trees providing necessary shade from the overwhelming sunlight. Yet, as if assaulting the leaves, beams of sunlight evaded the swaying trees and shone powerfully upon the soldiers. Although the scenery was beautiful, it was also taken into consideration by the newly prompted Captain that the natural environment would quickly take on a more sinister appearance should they not reach a village within the next few days. That is, the large number of soldiers constituting the slave army would succumb to dehydration, exhaustion, and possibly starvation.
Lev had been keeping an eye on his men, assuring that their moral remained high. Luckily, the adrenaline resultant from toppling Overseer Marat and his cronies flooded potently through the veins of each soldier. Seemingly jovial, they chatted amongst each other, recounting their victory, and predicting the many more successes that laid ahead. This sentiment would not last forever, and eventually there would inevitably be dissidents among the ranks. For this reason, Ivan and Maxim had been directed to report the behavior of their respective men.
"Captain! Ahead!" whispered a voice over Lev's shoulder. In turn, the recipient of the message raised his hand, calling the men to halt. Then, signaling once more, everyone knelt to the ground as to mask their position. It was observed that beyond the scrub, there existed a rural village. Evidently, the buildings were made from wood. They resembled huts, akin to the barracks that housed the slaves within the labor camp. Shockingly, those slave barracks appeared to be more structurally competent than these supposed homes: which conversely looked as if they could be demolished by even the most subtle stirring of the wind.
"On me… stay quiet" followed up Lev in a whisper. To pass along the need for silence, Ivan and Maxim signaled with their hands. With everyone in agreement, the Company moved slowly, with deep consideration being placed into each step. Getting a better look, it was noted that the large wheat fields were preoccupied by farmers, who with their sickles were rummaging and slicing through the cultivated land. Importantly, there was no observable estate. Yet, if Lev were correct in his assumption that the noble estates within this land operated in a manner akin to those in pre-revolutionary Russia – which indeed they did – it could be inferred that this site constituted only one of multiple villages working under one singular estate. Therefore, should the landlord's property not be here, then it would be present in an accommodating village nearby.
"Let's loot it!" proclaimed Maxim, with a grin on his face and his spear gripped tightly. Expectedly, the former slaves may have not fully grasped the concept of what defines a revolutionary militia. Rather, they saw themselves as bandits. With this realization, Lev turned to his men, and spoke in a normal tone; loud enough for all to hear, but not for it to escape the confines of the forest.
"Comrade-soldiers, these people toil the same as all of you! Like you, they also bear the calloused hands of exploited laborers! They are not our enemy. Our enemies are their Lords… the landowners that control these farming communities and exploit the labor of these poor people!" Lev commanded in a tone that demanded absolutely no deviation. After pausing and letting the soldiers digest this message, he continued:
"We will go into this village peacefully, comrade-soldiers. We will show them we are not bandits, but rather an organized army fighting on their behalf… leading the sacred duty to ensure their liberation!".
The crowd was silent. Then, one by one, they nodded in acceptance of the message; a nonverbal oath not to go against their Captain. They may have not understood every word, but the general premise could be dissected. Accordingly, for most, the true gravity of their struggle was realized. That is, the notion that the "sacred duty" extended beyond their immediate liberation and necessitated the liberation of all toiling people. Even Maxim and Ivan, who had originally favored the bandit approach, were taken aback.
With their emotions stirred, Lev broke the growing silence by signaling his soldiers to arise. Then, nodding his head in the direction of the village, the began to ascend out of the tree line and into the plain fields. Although a little further into the distance, a few curious farmers noticed what appeared to be a marauding band of bandits encroaching on their land. Whilst the children and women turned back to their houses, the men stood with sickle in hand; waiting for their perceived attackers to strike first.
"We come in peace!" Lev called out, "We are all comrades, we have come to help you!" he followed up.
[Well, and to seek shelter and recuperation]
The villagers, dressed in rudimentary apparel akin to the slaves, looked upon the invasive strangers with inquisitive eyes. They did not attack Lev and his retinue as they approached, but rather looked wearily as the number of figures exiting the tree line grew larger and larger.
"You the escapee slaves?" one villager called out, lowering his sickle. Upon hearing this question, the others similarly though wearily lowered their tools.
[Wait… how do they know of us?]
"Yes, we are… we mean you no harm" Lev replied, holding his spear aside as to appear less menacing. Signaling for his men to halt, he approached the hesitant mob alone. Responding thusly, a tall man with greyed hair and a scraggly beard – appearing to be the village elder and tantamount figurehead of the settlement – similarly approached the foreign looking officer alone. The two men met just outside the village. Standing in silence, the grey-haired man reached out, with Lev reciprocating the gesture. They shook hands.
"Some Royal Guard rode through yesterday claiming to have been the only survivor of your revolt… I thought it a fanciful tale, dreamt up by a deserting soldier, but seeing as you are here, I suppose he was telling the truth" spoke the village elder boldly, his eyes narrowing upon the young revolt leader.
"The Baron, who lords over the nearby villages and resides in his estate, has since left, traveling directly to the Grand Duke himself…" he continued, before interrupting himself. He continued to dart his gaze to the Company of liberated slaves, then back at their young leader, Lev. After completing his assessment, he responded once more:
"You may spend the night, but only because you came in good faith, and ridded Kolva of that vile Overseer… we always hated that slaver scum. However, by tomorrow you must be gone, lest the Baron return"
With another intertwining of hands, and the mutual nodding of heads, Lev and the elder parted and turned to their respective parties. Accordingly, both sides stood at ease, noticing that an agreement had been reached.