The Aebeling (50 page)
Authors: Michael O'Neill
‘If it doesn’t, it will go close, and that will minimize deaths. But I will go through – with his leave or without. Oh, and I’d like to keep Brit with me; we need to introduce her to her prospective new family – Arlen’s father is the Eaorl of Batra, and we should also ask the Healdend of Moetia for his permission.’
Brit looked at Arlen. ‘Your father is an Eaorl?’
He nodded. ‘I am his second son, if that is any consolation.’
The rebel leader stood, hugged and kissed his daughter and mounted his horse. ‘Very well, I will leave her in your good hands. Thane, this has been a most disconcerting day; until the appointed time and place then.’ He bowed in the direction of the Twacuman. ‘Derryth, please pass my greetings to your Aebeling’. He nodded to Halla and pulled his horse around and rode away. His Wiga had already dispensed and soon there was no one to be seen. Conn even remembered to hand over four gold Ryals.
Brit watched her father ride away, ‘So now I’ve been bride-napped. But on the bright side, I do get to visit Moetiak. I’ve never been to a big town, and I’m not sleeping on the ground all the time. If I had money, I could go shopping for clothes.’
‘I’m sure that we can arrange something.’ Conn suggested. ‘Perhaps your betrothed could give you some?’
Brit looked at Arlen. Arlen tried to look away.
‘After all,’ Conn continued, ‘I do pay him very well.’
They mounted and headed home. Derryth suddenly decided to tag along.
Halla was confused, ‘What about the wiga in the forest? Are they going to wait for you?’
‘No, he’ll be right, he lives there. He’s probably fallen asleep by now anyway.’
‘He?’ The three of them almost yelled in unison. ‘There is only one wiga there?’
Conn was laughing, while Derryth explained. ‘I don’t have a hundred wiga roaming the forest with me, do I; it was just me and one of the sentries.’ Derryth looked at Conn, ‘You know I told him to hit the ground. Not the tree. I think his eyesight is going.’
Brit, whose father was almost impaled by an errant arrow, was not amused this time. ‘His eyesight! How old is he?’
‘Over a hundred I think. He’s one of the ancients. He patrols the border. Old people need something to do.’
Conn almost fell off his horse, he was laughing so much.
END BOOK ONE
Book 2 – ‘The Eaorl’
Conn il Taransay; Thane of Atrak, Hama, and several other domains, is also a soldier, farmer, industrialist, soon to be father of fourteen; and reportedly the wealthiest man in Meshech. Despite that, he is leading a small army into hostile territory, and he’s not even at the battle front yet. Will his two thousand prevail against ten thousand, and what will happen if he fails?
The Ancuman, warriors from a distant continent, and their mad Goddess have determined to eradicate him because he keeps interfering in their plans to conquer Meshech and enslave everyone! Conn’s greater challenge, however, is to keep his brood of children from growing in number – is it his fault that women find him irresistible?
Thankfully, he has his own accidental slave, the beautiful but deadly Priecuman warrior Halla, to keep him diverted and the mighty warrior, Derryth of the Twacuman – who is forced to stay at his side until he repays a blood debt – to keep him alive.
What could possibly go wrong?
Table of Contents
Michael O'Neill
First Edition Design Publishing