The war, which they had managed to forget about, made itself known soon after Trinity Sunday. On the morning of the first day of June, Reynevan, Jutta and a nun from White Church were startled by the roar of cannons coming from the west. Before precise information reached the convent, Reynevan had guessed what it was all about. Jan Kolda of Žampach hadn’t retreated with Prokop the Shaven’s army but had remained in Silesia in the fortified position on Sobótka. He and his murderous squad were a thorn in the Silesians’ side, too vexing to be tolerated. A powerful Wrocław–Świdnica contingent armed with heavy bombards encircled the castle in Sobótka and began to fire, calling on Jan Kolda to surrender. The popular rumour had it that in response, Kolda called the besiegers by a vernacular name for the male sexual organs and encouraged them to indulge in sodomy. After which he retaliated from the walls with fire from his own guns.

The exchange of fire lasted a week, and for a week Reynevan all but rode to Sobótka to aid Kolda in some way, for example with sabotage and acts of subversion. He could barely walk, could only dream about riding a horse, but was spoiling to fight. Jutta finally put an end to his agitation and thwarted his military plans. Jutta was firm. She gave him an ultimatum: either her or the war. Reynevan chose her.

Jan Kolda of Žampach defended himself for another week, inflicting such acute losses on the Silesians that when he finally exhausted all his resources, he had a strong negotiating position. The day after Saint Anthony’s Day he surrendered, but under honourable conditions, with the pledge of safe passage to Bohemia. Meanwhile, the Silesians razed Sobótka Castle to the ground so that it couldn’t be used by the next bloody Kolda.

Reynevan found out all those details from the gardener, who worked in the convent grange and had—apart from good sources of information—a love of gossip and a talent for it. Following the fall of Sobótka, the gardener came with some rather alarming rumours. For Silesia had finally recovered from the Hussite Easter plundering raid. And begun to react. Violently and bloodily. The blood of those who had proved cowards in battle or parleyed with the Czechs dripped from scaffolds. Supporters of Hussitism—and people only suspected of sympathising—sizzled on pyres. Peasants who had informed the Hussites expired on wheels and stakes. Gibbets groaned under the weight of collaborators. Moreover, people who had absolutely nothing to do with Hussitism were also tortured and executed. The usual suspects: Jews, free thinkers, troubadours, alchemists and village abortionists.