The bishop raised no question with Vladimir. He acted as though no attack had been made. But he opened negotiations on another subject. He pointed out that the Lithuanians were robbers, and quarrelsome, and proposed an alliance between himself and Vladimir. In 1210 he sent an envoy, Rudolph, to Polotsk on this business. In Polotsk they failed, it seems, to understand that the alliance was not so precious to Albert as the recognition by treaty that the two contracting parties had equal rights to carry on and conclude such a treaty, a recognition, as it were, of his own sovereignty. On one side it was arranged that the Livs should pay the Polotsk prince an annual tribute, or the Riga archbishop would pay it for them; on the other side, Vladimir permitted free trade on the Dvina River. Thus did Albert settle with the capital city of Polotsk, and with its ruling prince. As for the petty princes of Gersiké and Kuikenos, they were treated more unceremoniously. Wenden Castle stood on the high bank of the river Aa, and commanded the whole region. This castle was the residence of the Grand Master. Vyachko, Prince of Kuikenos, the unfortunate neighbor of such barons and counts, did not deceive himself. He knew that his fate was an evil one. The knight, Von Lenewerden, broke into Kuikenos, occupied the place with his men, declared the inhabitants prisoners, and put Vyachko in irons. On hearing of this, the archbishop summoned both Vyachko and Von Lenewerden to Riga, and reconciled them. He restored Vyachko’s property, and persuaded him, as protection for the future, to have a German guard in his town. Soon after a band formed of Lithuanians and Kors, occupied in sea robbery, attacked Riga on a sudden. That day Riga hardly saved itself. The assailants fought desperately. The Riga men, wearied almost beyond endurance, considered their destruction as certain; but aid came unexpectedly, and the assailants departed. They made a great fire on the seacoast, threw their dead into it, and sailed away from Riga.