"It has been many generations since the Graran army tried to conquer us. Our spirits our as inconquerable as the wind. You can go with the wind or struggle against it."— Tasiir of the People of the Horse
The Reclamation
The people who initially built the town of
Beldan were from
Grara and until the Graran military came, the town was unaffiliated with the nation of their heritage. This was common at the time as many people moved and started new towns and villages. This reclamation was part of a larger campaign to unite many unaffiliated cities along the outskirts of
Grara and increase tax revenue to aid in paying debts the country owed.
The people of
Beldan were in favour of joining Grara, the promise to maintain a road and the ability to more easily trade of luxury goods were popular. The town was torn because the people there had strong ties to the
Orth.
The Value of a Life
There were several skirmishes between the
People of the Horse and the Graran force but none resulted in any casualties. The invading force could not hope to catch their mobile opponent or even get close for they had been bow hunting from horseback for as far back as their history goes.
One engagement resulted in the death of one person from the
People of the Horse and when the body returned to
Beldan with the soldiers, the
Ordahn - under the leadership of the dead's brother - began a hunger strike. The leader of the Graran force saw no point in claiming the village and not the people and was left with no choice. He sent a message to his enemies and called for a meeting.
The Compromise
The Graran force couldn't return home having accomplished nothing so they came to a deal with the
Orth and the
Ordahn. The town of
Beldan would become a part of
Grara, as would all of the land on the other side of the
Ukurund River which was just on the edge of
Orth territory.
The Present
The deal struck remains in force even though the people who made it have long since passed. The clause about the
Ukurund River has little impact on the lives of the
Orth because there is no force that patrols the river so they continue to live their lives as they had before, except they encounter a couple of cities along the river that have sprouted since.
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