Loot and Booty — Jill Whalen

These twelve tales are about the young men in their quest for loot and glory at Megadore Pass. In this time the winner of the fight got the loot. These young men were looking for better weapons, jewels, spices, silks, gold, silver, and whatever they could find of value on the battlefield. Some young men went to the battle with no weapons but a sharpened stick; some had family swords and knives; some were well set up with armor and fine swords. The two large kingdoms on the east coast always wanted to expand. They wanted the farmlands, the orchards, and the mines to the west. The easiest way west was through the mountain pass at Megadore. Every few years one or the other or both kingdoms mounted an army to fight their way through the pass. The people to the west called for levies to fight. These battles allowed young men to accumulate loot and booty or die trying. The veterans sat up on the hills letting the farm boys take the brunt of the fighting. Men looted the bodies and left the battle when they had enough booty. The veterans on the hill came down when the battle was over and took the loot away from the farm boys if they could.