We have our first casualty of the story. A man named Gleb. He began life as an unwanted younger brother who could not be afforded. He became a skilled thief in the village square. He was caught by a sly priestess who also caught four other rogue boys that summer. They were imprisoned briefly. Two of the other boys he never saw again. He and one other were traded as slaves to a war-band, in exchange for protection against March's army. The cowardly war-band joined March the moment the armies met. Since then, all casualties have been by March's own hand.

 You can see why it took a one thousand years just to approach one thousand living people.

They're going to need some women just to keep the population up.

~N