Teutomar (405 AD)
I am Teutomar. I知 a follower of lord Chlodoald and live in his house.
In combat I command a brigand of warriors, like all the other henchmen of my master. In times of peace we see to the safety of his home, give fighting lessons to the young warriors and collect charges from the half-free. It is a sweet life. Actually I might have become a farmer, too, like everyone of our clan in the old homeland. There we Semnoni lived since time immemorial and were the noblest among the Suebi.
In our new homeland we call ourselves Alamanni just like the Hermunduri and Iuthungi with whom we made an alliance. All here carry the same name- also the ones who where not born here but just arrived some winters ago, like me.
Times were hard upon us in the old lands. For many years, we had poor harvests and many starved to death during the winter. So did my wife and our last child. When we heard that the Romans had abandoned good lands in the south and some of our clans had already settled there, I joined the others and we followed our leader on the trek southwest. It was a long way with so many families and there were many battles with the tribes whose lands we came across. As I知 taller and stronger than most men and the gods smiled on me, lord Chlodoald accepted me into his following. It was my proudest day when my lord handed me a long sword on the day of my fealty. My own sword! From now on, everyone could easily see that I was not a simple farmer.
Whenever we were victorious, the followers had their share of the loot: A horse, new garments, weapons, jewellery for our women, slaves and house wares. With my hauberk I知 now almost as well-armoured as my liege. Of course I did many years of loyal service to him for this. And the gods furthermore gave their blessing to me. Unlike many others I still have all my limbs and both eyes. My lord, calls himself king now –regulus, as the Romans say- he built himself a fortified court on a high mountain crag. Later arriving clans have submitted to him, so he became ever more powerful.
I知 feeling the years now. I知 not as fast as before and my joints ache on cold nights. Yesterday I lost a tooth again. I will ask my master for a last gift, an own stead with some menials. Maybe I will marry again and will start a family a second time. But first there will be a last war campaign. My liege wants to join an assault on the Burgundian sovereign Gundahar who gathers a host to cross the Rhine. In some days time we will ride. Richly ransacking for the last time...
