The Aebeling (25 page)

The tub full, Valeri remained after the maids had left. She didn’t seem to be in a hurry to leave so Conn stripped and entered the hot water. He lathered and washed his hair while she stood and watched. Every time he wanted anything, she would be there to hand it to him. Leaving the bath, she handed him a towel.

Conn thanked her for her help. Shortish in statute, she was well rounded; buxom but not outlandishly pretty, Conn had heard that she was, like many others, a widow. Her bedda had been killed in a skirmish with the Rakians.

‘You are most welcome. Before I go, is there anything else I can get you – or do for you.’ There was a lot of emphasis on the anything.

Surprised, Conn repeated the statement. ‘Anything?’

‘Anything – and I mean absolutely anything.’

‘If you put it like that – something has come up that you could assist me with…’ he said as he ‘accidently’ dropped his towel while turning to face her.

The next day Sibbe showed Conn around his domain, and the herds of animals under guard in the fields. He explained that they were going to be culling some as they were unable to take them all north.

‘You would cull some of these? Some of these are fine examples of livestock – it would be a great shame.’

‘We do not have the room around Lykiak – even though our cattle are prized in all of Silekia – they will die here or there. The goats are from Lugia – it is a domain that is almost all mountains, and they are considered the best in Meshech. Luckily they were brought here before the Cotlif was captured. Unlike the Sirido sheep – now lost to the Rakians.’

Conn shook his head. ‘No; the Rakian don’t have them. I do – I kind of stole them from the people stealing them!’

Sebbi laughed. ‘Really? Well, you have been busy.’

‘I do what I can. And if you are going to cull these animals, why not sell them to me instead. I’ll take them back with me.’

Sibbe was bemused. ‘But you will have to pass all the Rakian held Cotlifs on the way – there are only four of you.’

‘I’m sending for help.’ Conn told him of the wiga under his control in Hama.

Sebbi was surprised; ‘One hundred and sixty wiga? I’m not sure that the Healdend has that many anymore. But if you think that you will succeed, is a far better outcome than what I had in mind. You will need tilia – I will ask for volunteers – and I will send the best animals with you – I will only take those that we can eat.’

That evening, Conn sent his request by pigeon post – he had brought two pigeons with him, and the request would arrive in Haran within hours and Salvia within a day. Tomorrow he would send the second pigeon just in case the first one got lost or eaten. By tomorrow evening, men and riders would be getting ready to march to Salvia, and within days nearly a hundred wiga would be heading his way – he expected them to meet him within seven days.

Sebbi had asked Conn what he was going to do with Oisin.

‘I had intended to take her home – but Piada is a very dangerous journey for so few men so I asked her if I could take her to Halani instead. She agreed – but there is something I need you to do for me.’

‘Gladly, whatever is in my power?’

‘I need you to take a message to Piada for me?’

‘To Piada? I’m not sure I know how. We lost contact with the Twacuman a long time ago – soon after the fall of the last Casere. I was surprised to learn that there were any still alive.’

‘The edge of the forest will be fine – get your finest bowmen to imbed an arrow into the tallest tree you can find. I’ll explain what to look for, and I’ll attach a message on the arrow.’

‘Sounds easy enough – I’ll send for the bowman.’

By evening the Portgerefa had returned to speak with Sebbi. He had indeed brought with him the son of Abrekan – Eggar, who was still in port. Conn explained what he thought could happen, and the Portgerefa thought it an excellent idea as they didn’t have to burn their boats. He left to consult with his villagers.

Alone with Eggar, Conn expressed his surprise as seeing him so far north.

Eggar was sheepish in response. ‘I am doing sea trials on the latest ship – one of the new schooners. It is truly a magical vessel so I decided to travel the whole way around Meshech.’

‘The whole way? That was risky – what if you were captured.’

He shook his head. ‘We would have gone down with the ship – but nothing can catch us. But we know a lot about more the ship now.’

‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess. So why did you end up here?’

‘Two reasons – there has been no rain for days so we were running low on fresh water – and secondly, we got becalmed off the coast here. The strangest weather I’ve encountered. We managed to determine that we were in friendly waters so came into the port at Pelva for water.’

‘Sometimes we are not in control of our own destiny. Tell me, what is the port of Sabatah like?’

‘Sabatah? Small, but it is an excellent harbor. It is not exposed to the sea – it is in a bay – and the bay is huge. It is shared with Arbella – but they don’t have a port of any significance.’

As Eggar left to return to his ship, Conn handed him a document. ‘Go and see the Eaorl. Tell him what you have seen and what we have discussed. I’m sure he will understand the situation and be most accommodating.’

‘The document?’

‘Only give it to him if he is not being accommodating ...’

When Eggar returned a week later, he said that the Eaorl had agreed with his request. He hadn’t needed the document; and handed it back to Conn; who went and placed it on the fire. It was too dangerous a document to have lying around.

The evacuation of Pelva then began in earnest. The fishing boats and their cargo of over five hundred people departed within days, under escort of Eggar’s schooner. He also carried the families of the tilia who had elected to help Conn drive the animals north.

On his last night, Sebbi sat with Conn at a farewell feast. He toasted Conn from the last of the mead.

‘I have a feeling that it will not be the last time we meet, Thane. Perhaps one day Rakia will be foolish enough to invade Lykia. I think you would be a valuable ally. Unless of course we fall before they invade.’

‘Will your Healdend not be able to prevent that happening?’

‘I fear not; and he has no son – just a single daughter, despite several bedda. The line of Osstan has come to an end after hundreds of years. His daughter is married to the Eaorl of Gelah, a good man; but they are yet to have children. So we live in sad times – it would seem that we are abandoned by our Gyden.’

‘Or being toyed with – I have yet to determine the difference.’

The next morning Conn farewelled Sebbi, Evalyn, and Valeri, and joined the herdsmen driving the livestock towards Lykia. Over fifty men were on horseback herding the animals, while there were four of them to guard the almost two hundred animals. The three hundred plus miles was going to be both difficult and dangerous; dangerous because they had to pass the Rakian controlled Earldoms of Azali, Emona and Sirido, and difficult because cattle, horses, sheep and goats don’t necessarily like to travel together Conn’s small Fryd was going to have a hard time protecting them all.

Until he had reinforcements, Conn had to restrict travel to two hours in the morning and two hours in the afternoon. Conn guarded the travellers from the hills and the trees, and any small group of Rakians would run rather than fight. A group of ten tried but after three died from Conn’s arrows, they turned and fled. Despite the lack of numbers, their ability to charge and firing arrows at great accuracy from a much further distance was a powerful weapon that compensated.

Every day, however, the number of wiga shadowing them increased. They were obviously gathering a force large enough to attack. Conn searched for his reinforcements daily, using his Indian smoke signals.

It was on the sixth day that they made contact; and the small fyrd led by Cathal, Eaorl of Salvia, filed in under the cover of darkness. Reinforced, the tactics now changed; the animals would now travelled all day and became increasingly strung out, and to protect them, the wiga split into four; Conn, Wilgar, Daray and Cathal each leading a company of twenty five men.

As the sun was setting on their third last day in Silekia, a force of over a hundred Rakians swept from the hills. They had the sun behind them and they rode directly for the herds of animals. This proved to be an error on their part, as it was just what Conn was expecting. As the Rakian swooped from the west, Conn charged from the south.

Still numerically outnumbered but armed with better weapons and faster horses, Conn archers started firing and hitting targets before the Rakians had a chance to fire back. By the time the wiga converged, they had already suffered huge losses, and Conn inflicted even more as he cut through the line of men with his claymore. Overwhelmed, the Rakians turned to run and then found themselves heading straight for the companies led by Cathal and Wuffa.

Eighty percent of the attackers died on the hillside with no casualties from Conn’s side. A few were allowed to escape – and few wounded were patched up and set home; Conn had no need for prisoners.

Later, they collected the dead, and placed them in rough stone graves before they left to follow the herd. It was another senseless loss of life, but it served its purpose – no one came near them on the last two days; the Eaorls were now depleted of both troops and will.

The selected spot to cross the river was on the border with Tabae – and it proved a time consuming process – getting cattle, sheep, goats and horses up the wall took the better part of two days, and while the remnants of the Rakians forces watched, they did not attack again. As the animals arrived in Tabae, additional shepherds waited to take to animals to Hama. The last sheep up the wall was followed by Conn, and on the top he looked south in contemplation; he knew that it was another serious blow to the Rakians; he just wished he could do more.

Annisa rode up beside him. ‘I was worried that you might not make it – it is not often that you ask for help.’

He laughed. ‘It is not often that I have herds of animals to protect.’

He introduced Oisin and they followed her back to a camp that had been set up for their return. He told her everything that had happened and what he had to do next.

Annisa was most amused. ‘When are you going to tell Octa?’

‘I thought you might like to…’

She laughed. ‘Never in a million Sundays – he wouldn’t believe me anyway.’

The next morning, Conn left with Oisin and Daray and headed for Abela while Annisa guided the herds back to Hama.

The Eaorl of Abela couldn’t thank Conn enough for the safe return of his daughter. His exuberance was tempered by the presence of the young girl from Piada. It had been a long time since the Twacuman had been to Abela.

‘Oisin; welcome to my house. My daughter has told me much of your plight. I am delighted that you are also safe.’

‘Thank you Eoarl. I did not expect to be visiting your house so I apologize for not being able to be properly introduced. As for our safety, both your daughter and I are greatly indebted to the Feorhhyrde.’

‘Feorhhyrde?’ He looked to Conn oddly. ‘That is not a term I have heard for many a year. How very strange. But I am indeed greatly indebted. I must find a suitable reward.’

He looked suddenly very tired and he went and sat down. ‘Thane, I would offer you gold, but I fear you already have more than me – in fact, I would think that you have more of everything than me. Is there anything that I can offer you?’

‘As a matter of fact there is; Eoarl – but I do not expect it for nothing. Have you heard about the Silekian fishermen?’

‘No.’

Conn explained what had happened in Pelva. And what he had done. He asked if the Eaorl had any land on the bay near Sabatah.

Egbert was old for an Eaorl; he was over sixty and was looking increasingly unwell. Conn feared that the kidnapping of his youngest daughter had been very hard on him. He looked unsure so his son Cairpre answered for him.

‘We do – the domain of Atrak in on the coast. It is a tiny village – only a dozen families. There is no Thane as the borders are in dispute with Sabatah.’

‘Excellent – will you sell me Atrak?’

Egbert joined in again. ‘Well, if that is what you want, it is yours. I’d be delighted to create you the Thane of Atrak – it is the least that I can do – but you will have to take up the question of borders with Herewald.’

‘I can do that – I can be very persuasive when I need to be.’

‘Of that I have little doubt.’

They reached Sabatah a few days later. It was a slow day’s ride to Atrak, and a further day and a half from there to Sabatah. They settled their horses into an Inn and walked to the keep; with Cairpre, Daray, Oisin and Allowena in tow. As they walked they could see that the harbor was full of moored Silekian boats; as well as the formidable presence of his schooner.

The guards showed them inside; Herewald, Eaorl, was waiting with Wuffa and Eggar. Herewald was not a complex man and he and Conn had a lot in common; Conn was making him very rich, and he was making Conn richer still. Consequently, they were on excellent terms.

‘Ah; Taransay, about time you got here.’ He came over and greeted Cairpre and Conn with handshakes and hugs. He pulled up short when he saw Oisin, but he got over that eventually. They sat and drank while Wuffa brought him up to date with what had happen since his arrival. Temporary accommodation in and around the town had been setup and the fishermen themselves had got back to work. They then all looked at Conn – needing to know what was happening next.

‘Well, thanks to Egbert, I am now the new Thane of Atrak…’ Herewald interrupted as he expected him to do.

‘He can’t sell Atrak – we haven’t agreed on the border!’

Conn continued. ‘…which is why I’d like to purchase the adjoining Thane fief in Sabatah; so that there can be no dispute.’

‘The adjoining one?’ Herewald looked at his Burhgerefa. ‘That would be Rupina.’ The official nodded.

‘Can you sell me that?’

Herewald shrugged. ‘I guess so – it is part of my domain. There is not much land there. But if you want it, you can have it. I presume you will settle all the Silekians there?’