The Aebeling (21 page)

He steadied himself, and took a deep breath, as his body dealt with the adrenalin rush. ‘Well, that is not something you see every day.’

Ranait was simply stunned. ‘It is so beautiful. I have heard of the Gyden lights inside a Cirice.’ She pulled Conn to her. ‘I suddenly feel very energetic again – are you up to, you know, celebrating again – before we have to leave?’

Despite that he had shut out the noise from his head, the blue glow had another effect; that of sexual arousal. ‘I think I can manage...’ he whispered a suggestion in her ear.

Her eyes showed surprise. ‘I’ve never done that before. But I am willing to try anything...’

It was after lunch by the time Conn had returned Ranait to her compound, returned to the Inn to change out of his dusty clothes, and went in search of Octa. He reported his findings – most of them, anyway. Some things he wanted to keep for himself.

Octa agreed with his request. ‘We’ll meet with the Metgiend after the auction.’

‘Auction?’ Conn had been distracted.

‘The Thane fief of Beornwahl’s son – they have given him a chance to leave with some money.’

The auction was held in the great hall where they had the feast the night before. Conn and Octa sat at the back while the Burhgerefa sat facing them all. When he spoke, he explained the crimes committed by the former Sheriff – showing surprise at all times. He also explained the punishment decreed by the Witan that culminated in the banishment of the family of the former Sheriff, and the sale of all his belongings.

They started with the estate of the sheriff himself – the enclosed longhouse where he had died.

Conn asked Octa how much was it worth.

‘Normally over forty thousand – but everyone is looking for a bargain today…’

The first bid was ten thousand. Conn asked Octa if he was allowed to bid. He nodded. ‘This is one time when there are no rules. All that matters is the money.’

Conn yelled out, ‘Twenty thousand’, and all eyes looked towards him.

‘Twenty five thousand’ was the retort. Conn responded with ‘Twenty seven five.’

The room quivered with chatter and anticipation. The other bidder stopped, and Conn had the estate. They moved on to the domain of the son’s. Octa leaned over. ‘I presume that you are going to buy this too?’

‘Nothing to stop me is there?’

He laughed. ‘No – this time you don’t need permission. A theow could raise himself to Thane today if he had the Ryals.’

This time there were more bidders – several merchants were indeed taking the opportunity to elevate themselves, and the bidding started at fifty thousand and continued until it stopped with Conn’s bid at two hundred and eighty five thousand Ryals. The over thirty thousand acre domain so near to Lykiak would complement Conn’s operations perfectly. He was the new Thane of Faleri – with his own town estate to match.

Octa looked at him with a half-smile. ‘This has worked out quite well for you really, hasn’t it?

‘One way of looking at it, I guess.’

Conn was always of the opinion that you create your own luck – and you can never have too much good luck.

It was later that afternoon before they had a chance to speak to the Metgiend about the Cirice. Conn told him what he wished to do, and as there were no objections, the Burhgerefa and Sherriff assisted him as he went and purchased all the buildings that surrounded the Cirice. The residents were more than happy to accept the generous amount of Ryals Conn offered and went to find a better house somewhere else in the cotlif.

After a few days, with the tenants gone, workmen set to work dismantling the buildings and clearing the entire area of its seventy years of junk. Finally clear, they commenced repairs on the Cirice itself; replacing the roof and palisades. Inside they constructed smaller residential buildings as was described by Ranait. Finally, they paved the entire area inside and out.

A day after the work was finished a heavy downpour of rain washed the dust, dirt and grime into the new storm water drains, leaving everything sparkling clean.

Conn found that he had a significant area of land around that Cirice that was unneeded, so he had new buildings constructed that he turned them into a school, a hospital and the first row of terrace houses every constructed in Meshech. With two stories, fireplaces, sewers and running water, they were like nothing anyone had ever seen before.

Octa stood with Conn as they overlooked the repaired Cirice and the new buildings under construction.

‘Do you remember what I said when we arrived about not being a fox in a hen house and causing havoc?’

‘I do…’

‘Well, you didn’t follow my advice, did you?’

‘I did try… did I know that someone was going to try and kill me?’

Octa had been to a meeting with the Witan that morning. ‘The Witan doesn’t know what to do about the Cirice. No-one remembers the last one – and what about Folgere?’

‘I gather it you just leave it be – Ranait tells me that the blue glow means that the Gyden is already here – and she will send Folgere when she is ready – probably when there is an Aebeling.’

‘We thought it might be tied to the Aebeling – and that is no closer to be decided – I even nominated you.’

‘I presume that it wasn’t such a popular idea.’

‘True – but you will be happy to know that you had more supporters than some other candidates. Oh, we had a strange report from Silekia that has made the Witan very nervous.’

‘What have you heard?’

‘Well, apparently the domain of Salvia had been captured by the Rakian and then recaptured by the Silekians. We had a report from Silekiak asking if we knew anything – and of course we don’t.’

Octa suddenly looked strangely at Conn. ‘I’ve got to say that you don’t have quite the look of look of surprise on your face, Taransay, which I was expecting. Why is that? Does this news not come as a surprise to you?’

Conn paused. ‘Some of it does.’ He didn’t lie. He didn’t know that Silekiak knew.

‘But some of it doesn’t?’ Octa replied retorically. ‘Am I to assume that it is best I don’t know what happened?’

‘A good assumption – but you can rest assured that whatever did happen, no Lykians were involved.’

He laughed. ‘Well, that is one thing for me to be happy about then, I guess.’ They had arrived back at the “Boar’s Head” and Conn had ordered ale. The waitress was the tryst from several weeks previous. Conn had offered her an improved situation working in his Inn – as well as a room upstairs. This enabled her fling with Conn to continue in secret. Although a widow, she could still be bedda again if she wished – her improved situation could bring a significant dowry.

Conn also had to find time for Ranait, but they normally met in secret in the Cirice. She was entitled to have the occasional fling as well, but it was not appropriate for her to take a lover. More than once constituted a lover, so she had broken a few rules as well, so secrecy was paramount.

Octa continued where he had left off. ‘So not only have you messed with the internal politics of Lykia, but also in Silekia. I’m going to need a lot more ale.’

With the final sitting of the Witan concluded, and summer over, the Eaorls headed home to their estates. Ranait, in their final extended meeting with Conn, told him that it was unlikely that she would be returning to Lykiak, and that she wouldn’t see him again. It had only been because she had to agree to being set aside that she was even here. Unless he visited her, that is. He said he’d try.

Conn had said farewell to Godric as well. He was escorting the last of several hundred tons of goods down to Sabatah on the riverboats, and would then return to Trokia and Moetiak with the cargo, trading along the way. His brother was waiting in the port.

Before returning to Haran, Conn visited Faleri. He had sent Wilga and a squad of wiga out to secure the place as soon as he had purchased it, and he joined them there when his affairs in Lykiak were complete.

Faleri was unlike his other domains; it had over six hundred residents and they did things like they always had. It would take longer here to implement his reforms. Luckily the previous Thane had encouraged Moetians to settle, and although some elected to stay, Conn had a reasonable amount of “free” land to enclose and farm his way. Faleri also had extensive river flats that were subject to flooding; and these he turned into rice paddies – his tilia in Hama were experience rice farmers. As people and equipment started to arrive from Hama, Conn appointed a one of his Hama trained tilia as Burhgerefa, and with everything in hand he returned to Haran.

It was late autumn by the time he arrived back in Haran, and the year’s activities were drawing to an end. Most of Veii had also been put to the plough so next year’s crop had the potential to be huge. He found a pregnant Sileas and a two dozen captive Rakians.

Despite being prisoners, the four Nobles would regularly eat with Annisa or Sileas when they could and with Conn when he was in Haran. Accordingly, they were on good terms, but were still genuinely surprised when Conn told them that they were allowed to go home in the next few days, and they should prepare.

Fionn il Hera, the very short lived Eaorl of Salvia, was the first to respond. ‘You are actually going to let us go?’

‘I said I was going to, didn’t I?’

‘Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean anything.’

‘Well, it does to me, Fionn, my word is my bond.’

Fionn was embarrassed. ‘Thane, I apologize for not believing you. My experience has been that promises have little value when in conflict with political opportunity.’

‘Fair enough; but I see nothing to gain from having you here for much longer. I hope that you can do something for peace from your homes. I do not wish to meet across a battlefield one day soon.’

They had discussed the possibility that Conn and the Rakians might come into conflict one day, and all agreed that they would rather not repeat the experience. One thing they hadn’t been privy to was the training of the Fyrd, but they had seen them patrolling

‘Anyway, you will leave in a few days. I will arrange for you to be provided with horses, your weapons, and enough food to get you back to Rakia. I have informed your families that you are alive, so they are expecting you.’

Fionn was startled. ‘I had no idea that you had been in contact with our families. Have they paid a wergild?’

Conn shook his head. ‘No, I did not demand a wergild. I simple told them that you were alive and would be returned safely in due course.’

Fionn answered for all three. ‘I don’t understand how you even got the message through – no ships travel between Rakiak and Lykiak.’

Conn smiled in recollection. ‘It was not easy.’ Derryth had made a very secret visit to Syra in Rakiak and had found a messenger – a young shepherd boy – who had been delighted to take the message to their parents on payment of Ryals. Derryth was very annoyed however to have to then herd the boy’s goats all the way back to Hama. Another mystery about missing animals.

‘Anyway, we will celebrate your departure tomorrow night, and then Wilgar will escort you to the valley wall, where the Eaorl of Salvia will meet you and escort you through to the mountains. You should be able to get back to Rakia and Mylae without coming into contact with any of the Silekian keeps, and back before winter. You should go now and prepare to leave.’

They thanked him profusely and left to pack. Conn had not kept them isolated so they had become extremely well educated while they spent their time in Haran – and something told him that that would not be a bad thing.

CHAPTER 11

The huge summer crop had been followed by a mild winter and an even more enormous winter crop that was now being harvested in Conn’s third spring. The times of famine were over – at least in Lykia. With the granaries full to overflowing, it was time for the huge investment in the “new” road system, now complete all the way from Haran to Tabae, to start to pay its way. On cue, the first batch of the Conestoga wagons was ready to facilitate the transfer of merchandise from Haran to Tabae, and from there in more traditional methods on to Lykiak, and then Sabatah, where ships waited to take the grain to Moetiak or Trokia.

A hundred horses could carry seven thousand kilos; one Conestoga and a dozen oxen or six horses up front could do the same; and at a speed of twenty five miles a day, they were one of the most efficient transportation systems for their time. Its qualities would only improve when Conn’s breeding program of specialist horses for the Conestoga, and the cavalry, came to fruition.

Summer found four children less than three years running around Haran – all girls. Annisa was not happy – she was probably pregnant again, probably with twins gain – surely they didn’t think it was his fault they had twins did they? Annisa insisted that this was the last time – he definitely needed to find a third bedda in Lykiak this year as she didn’t intend to get pregnant again. In fact, he was more than welcome to find two bedda.

With everything running like clockwork, and not being needed at home, Conn headed to Lykiak in late spring; visiting Faleri on the way to see how work was progressing. He took Allowena with him again; she was growing up and as she had ‘survived’ her fourteenth winter, she was just a few years away from considering bedda herself. Whilst she knew that it would be Conn’s decision as her ‘father’ and dowry provider, she could but try and influence his decision, and being in the Cotlif improved her options.

A couple of weeks after his arrival, and soon after the arrival of all the Eaorls, Octa brought Egbert, the Eaorl of Abela, with him to see Conn. Egbert’s domain was on the coast closest to Silekia and the Silekian port and Eaorldom of Tegeste. Egbert had a problem and Octa though that Conn might be able to help.

‘I’m at my wit’s end, Thane; bands of men across the border from Silekia – Rakia brigands – and attack our Burhs – stealing our women and burn our houses – I have lost nearly a dozen girls from the Burhs closest to the border. Some are my own kin. I have increased patrols but I do not have enough men to cover the border properly; I have lost five wiga in skirmishes with the brigands. Octa says you may be able to help – your men are the best that he has ever seen.’