Freed from pursuers, and discovering the Polotsk men, Oleg could scarcely believe his senses. Straightway he sent this message to Yaroslav, his uncle: “I have captured Mystislav; I have beaten his army and the army of David and the Smolensk men. O father, such a time will not come again. March without delay. Put all our forces together. We will get our honor back!”
On receiving this message, Yaroslav, with Igor and all the descendants of Oleg, joined their forces for the expedition. They wished to fall upon Smolensk unexpectedly, but when Rurik of Kief was going from the capital to take rest in his favorite residence, Ovrutch, he sent his oath papers to Yaroslav with these words: “If in thy joy thou art going to kill my brother, here are thy oath papers. If thou go to Smolensk, I will go to Chernigoff. Let us see how God and the holy cross will judge between us.” Because [[150]]of this threat, Yaroslav did not go to Smolensk, but returned to Chernigoff, and the two princes, Rurik of Kief and Yaroslav of Chernigoff, continued to send envoys to each other with reproaches of oath breaking. Yaroslav declared that he had not broken his oath, but that the real blame was on David, son of Rostislav, who had seized Vitebsk. There were many disputes and high words between them, and they came to no agreement. Thereupon Rurik sent this message to Big Nest: “Since thou didst agree with David and me to set out about Christmas, and meet us near Chernigoff, I joined him with troops and wild Polovtsi, and waited all winter; thou didst not move, thinking that the Chernigoff princes would not attack us. In view of this, I dismissed David and the Polovtsi, and Yaroslav and I kissed the cross not to raise arms against each other till we had agreed or failed in agreement. Now Mystislav is sitting in chains in Chernigoff. If we should delay longer, wilt thou mount thy horse and declare where we are to assemble? Avenge the offense and remove the shame. Let us free Mystislav, and get justice.”
Big Nest gave no answer that summer. In the autumn, when Rurik had summoned his brethren and the Polovtsi, he marched on Chernigoff. Then Yaroslav of Chernigoff sent this message to Rurik: “My brother, why dost thou wage war on my country and use pagans to help thee? Thou hast done me no harm, and I am not seeking thy capital. If thy brother sent his nephew against me, God judged between me and Mystislav. I ask no ransom for Mystislav; I am ready to free him. Kiss the cross to me that thou wilt bring me to friendship with David, thy brother, and that thou hast no plot with Big Nest, whether I settle with him or fail in a settlement.” Rurik, without restraining the Polovtsi, began now to negotiate, demanding that Yaroslav should let his envoys pass to Smolensk and Vladimir. But the Chernigoff prince feared, and with reason, that the labors of those envoys would be directed against him; hence he closed all of his lands to the Kief prince. War continued till winter. To one sorrow was added another in Yaroslav’s case, for the bravest of all the descendants of Oleg, Vsevolod Buitur of Trubchenvsk, died and was buried “amid mighty wailing and weeping.” They were roused from this sadness by delight at a friendship proposed by the Prince of Volynia. [[151]]
Roman raised weapons now against Rurik. The Kief prince received news at the same time from his son Rostislav and from David, his brother, that Roman had attacked their possessions. Thereupon he summoned to Kief Mystislav the Gallant, and sent him to Galitch to Vladimir, son of Eight Minds, and nephew of Big Nest, so that both might march into the lands of Volynia. Rurik, to rouse the Galitch prince greatly, gave command to say to him: “I would go myself with thee, but Big Nest has mounted and is marching to help me against the descendants of Oleg; we have decided to meet near Chernigoff.”
In fact Big Nest with David, Rurik’s brother, had entered the land of the Vyatichi. They burned town after town and devastated the country. After this storm, Yaroslav of Chernigoff prepared for a siege. Leaving his nephews in the capital to defend it, he took Igor of Novgorod-Seversk and a force of wild Polovtsi, and went to meet Big Nest and David. In that forest region of the Vyatichi, he felled trees and erected barriers for defense. He destroyed bridges, and made all roads and crossings as difficult as possible. Then he sent his most eminent men to lay terms of peace before Big Nest, but also a word of decision. “My brother and relative,” said he, “thou hast seized our bread and our inheritance, but, if it is thy true wish to agree and be in accord with us, we do not flee from agreement, and will act with thee. We will liberate Mystislav without ransom. If thou hast plans against us, we will not avoid meeting thee. Let God and the Holy Saviour give judgment.”
Big Nest called a council of the Ryazan princes who were with him. At this council, he declared that there was no reason for the war now, as he thought, and that he wished to give peace to Chernigoff. David was indignant. “How?” asked he. “Thou hast stipulated with Rurik, my brother, and me to meet us both at Chernigoff, and make peace only there, and as we all agreed. Rurik waits with impatience for news from us, while fighting with his force against Chernigoff. For me and for thee he has let his whole country be covered with fire, and now we wish to make peace without him. I tell thee sincerely that such a peace will not please my brother.” But, in spite of David’s protest, Big Nest stopped the advance and began to negotiate.
At this time Yaropolk, son of Yaroslav of Chernigoff, was Prince [[152]]of Novgorod, called there by the Novgorod men some months earlier. Big Nest demanded that Yaropolk leave Novgorod. Mystislav must be freed without ransom, and then he advised that Chernigoff abandon the alliance with Roman. All these conditions were accepted save the last. Finally the negotiations were concluded with a strict and precise obligation on the part of Chernigoff, without mentioning alliances, not to strive to take Kief or Smolensk from Rurik or David. The Vladimir prince gave peace on this basis. “I have made peace with Yaroslav. He has kissed the cross not to seek Kief from thee, or Smolensk from thy brother,” was his message to Rurik.
Rurik flashed up with rage at these words, and sent a reproach, not an answer to Big Nest. “Thou didst kiss the cross to me that whoso was my enemy was thine also. Thou didst ask of me a share in Southern Russia, and I gave thee the best province, not from excess of land at my disposal, since I was forced to take the land from Roman, and he is for that cause my enemy. No matter how many promises thou didst make to help me, thou didst pass the winter and summer in promises. How didst thou assist me, and how didst thou finish that touching which thou didst kiss the cross with me?” And the enraged Rurik took back those towns on the Ros which he had given to Big Nest. Big Nest, though very angry, paid no heed to this action. He had given already, as we know, the best towns to Rurik and to Rurik’s son, Rostislav.
Thus rose the quarrel between the Kief prince and the Prince of Vladimir, a complete break between relatives. That this was a bad move for Rurik, and that he would not remain in Kief long, seemed clear to most men; his fall appeared certain. In addition to this trouble, he lost David, his best friend and defender, who died in Smolensk in 1197. The throne of Smolensk and the lands around Kief which belonged to him, David left to Mystislav, son of Roman, the oldest in his family. His children he committed to Rurik.
That Rurik was weakened in Kief and had lowered its dignity, Roman was more convinced now than ever. Divorced from Rurik’s daughter, he sent her to her father and married a second time. Rurik, however, held Kief for some years after this. Meanwhile Roman was collecting strength to get his “mind’s wish,” [[153]]and later it came to him; for soon he reached immense power for that place and period. About this time the bravest of Oleg’s descendants, Vsevolod, son of Sviatoslav, died and disappeared from the field of activity. The Chernigoff prince, Rostislav, died in 1198, and his throne was occupied, according to seniority, by Igor of Novgorod-Seversk. Two years later “Rushing Bull” the hero of the Slovo died. Among the descendants of Oleg, Vsevolod Chermny, son of Sviatoslav “the sister’s son,” became prominent, and soon occupied the first place. The decease of these older men was not followed by any disorder, but a little later, Vladimir, son of Eight Minds, died, and as he left no heir his death caused immense changes and brought after it endless disturbance throughout Southern Russia. The Hungarians and Poles struggled for his possessions, but were set aside promptly by Roman, who having once held the Galitch throne never again turned his eyes from it.