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 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.