The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (26 page)

Dismounting, conn raced up the stairs – the folgere would be with the bedda – seeking a shield of some sort. A couple raced out to attack him but the twin swords made light work of their inexperience. Conn burst into the Great Hall room as a folgere was about the slip the throat of a girl. He stopped with Conn’s arrow imbedded in his eye socket.

There were five remaining folgere in the room – though Conn suddenly sensed two more elsewhere – running away. This created a dilemma – he needed these five alive until he had an idea that the other two were doing. He indicated a pause to his sons.

He walked forward, slowly. ‘I really, really get annoyed with men who stand behind the skirts of women – do you really think that it matters if these people live?’

One sneered. ‘They say you are weak – you have compassion for those weaker than you. That you feel for your victims – and you will not do what needs to be done.’

‘That is true – in some cases. I do feel sorrow for those that die because they are so poorly led. But others, no; I was quite happy to put an arrow into the back of your brother that tried to flee the battlefield outside of Masila – instead of dying with his head severed from his body like the other two.’

One of the folgere was older – in his forties. ‘You act as if Ashtoreth will not punish you for the murder of her chosen. Your time will come – Ashtoreth is getting stronger.’

‘And yet she hides as you do behind skirts – as her beloved die at my hand. Tell me how that shows strength – or how she will win. You will die unless you choose another path. Just like the two that are fleeing the castle now. They will not escape me either.’

Conn’s surprise knowledge of the pair spurned those in the hall into action, for some reason. They discarded their hostages and all five ran at him at the same time – a suicide mission. Arrows stopped two; Conn stopped the other three. Claiming their necklaces, he raced out of the room. ‘

‘There are two  somewhere trying to escape – it seems important that they not get away. Take care of the women.’

He had no real idea of where they were, but he could feel where they travelled. With the death of the others, he had lost the mind touch. The castle was large and the walls were strong; when Conn arrived at an outside window he could see the sea lapping below. A boat – of course, they were trying to get to a boat. There had to an inner staircase that led the way down, and he raced around the hall trying to find it.

‘Can I help you, master?’

It was a small servant – a Twacuman boy. He was hiding in a corner.

‘Yes, you can – I need to find my way to the docks quickly – there must be a passage from within the castle.’

‘There is.’

‘Quick, I will follow.’

As they raced down and around stairs, the boy quizzed Conn on what had happened. Conn told him openly and honestly. ‘So you are after the two folgere who are leaving with the girl?’

‘A girl? Why would they leave with the girl?’

‘She is important to them – it is said that she is the daughter of the Bretwalda. I’m not so sure, she is quite strange.’

That doesn’t seem possible. ‘Why is the daughter of the Bretwalda here in Alwa?’

‘With her mother; her mother and the Aebeling’s bedda as sisters, from Jamut.’

Conn knew of Jamut – it was an island off the west coast of Axum.

‘You know a lot for someone your size.’

He smiled. ‘Because I am small, they think I don’t understand what they say when they speak – so I am often the last one in a room. The Axum can never have too many servants.’

They had arrived at the basement of the castle, there was a door. ‘Outside is a corridor; from there you will find another door. It leads to the outside of the castle, and is very near the docks. What else do you need me to do?’

‘I need you to find Derryth of Halani. Tell him where I am.’

He nodded. ‘I have heard of him. It is said that he is a great warrior.’

‘He’ll be happy to hear you say that.’

Conn opened the door as the boy ran away. The corridor was black and he could still smell the soot that had been left behind from the previous visitors. Conn removed a candle from his pack and lit it; although it was small it provided him with the light he needed to make his way along the corridor. At the end, was yet another door, very narrow and with iron bars to prevent entry. Luckily he wanted to go out. Squeezing through the doorway, he was just next to the docks and he scanned for signs of movement. He decided to head for the darkest part of the dock, and his hunch proved correct; men were quietly trying to put a cog to sea. From the torches they carried, Conn could see the folgere and a smaller caped body climb into the ship. Nocking his bow, Conn took the only shot he had – hitting one of the folgere in the shoulder. He toppled over the side, his cry for help piercing the night. Everyone else dived for cover. A brave soul, a wiga, tried to untether the boat and died for his efforts.

With the sound of axes chopping, he knew that they would soon have the boat moving, and he needed to do something more. He didn’t doubt that once out of the harbour, he would lose the boat as the coast of Alwa was full of small inlets and coves and small islands. They would be hard to find. Conn sprinted down the dock as arrows thudded into the walls behind him. He dove behind wooden boxes as another arrow skidded off his chainmail.

Closer now, he could hear the folgere ordering the men; he was almost screeching; and slowly a sail started to appear from the middle of the boat. Conn fixed one of his flare arrows to his bow and just as the sail started to fill with wind, he rolled and shot the arrow into the cross board where the sail material and the timbers met. Out of reach of everyone, they probably looked in wonder until it exploded into a red ball – immediately igniting the sail and temporarily blinding the inhabitants. Conn stood and fired four arrows as men stood to get out of the way of the burning sail. The folgere moved when his cloak caught fire from the falling cloth, and as he stood, an arrow stopped his heart. He fell over backwards into the water.

As the last folgere died, Derryth arrived with a dozen bowmen. Conn held them back. He called out to the boat.

‘I think it best you all stand and surrender. Nothing is to be gained by trying to run.’

After a few moments, a man stood with his arms up. ‘Can we row back in?’ The boat was slowly going out to sea with the tide.

‘Of course.’

Soon a few men put the oars out and eventually the boat was against the dock. Finally tied up, the men filed off the boat.

‘Is that all of you?’ Conn asked as the last one set foot on the dock.

They indicated yes; and they then headed back to the castle under guard. They had never mentioned the girl nor gave any indication that she had died – which Conn knew to be not the case.

Derryth looked at Conn as he observed the boat. ‘Are you coming?’

Conn indicated no, and then said ‘Yes. Let’s go.’ He indicated that Derryth should go, and put a ring around the dock, and he dropped down behind the empty boxes, out of sight.

It was very late, but at least the moon was now out. Conn had waited an hour before he heard movement. The girl was very cautious, and after she had moved from the front of the vessel to the back, she waited again. Fifteen minutes later, she moved off the boat on to the dock, and walked slowly up the dock towards the castle. Conn suspected she was going to try and get back to her mother. She was three yards past him when he spoke. He had spent some time contemplating what to say. After all alternatives, he ended up with.

‘Hello.’

She spun around, a knife in her hand. ‘Don’t come near – and don’t think I don’t know how to use this!’

‘You do look like you know how to use it. So, I’m staying right here. And don’t run – the dock is surrounded by Twacuman who see in the dark far better than you or me. Tell me your name.’

‘Tell me yours first.’

‘Okay. I am Conn il Taransay, Marquis of Kerch, Eaorl of more, and Thane of even more than I can remember.’

‘There is no Marquis of Kerch. You are just making it up.’

‘There was one once. Didn’t you learn that when you studied history.’

‘I remember. He was evil. He slaughtered innocent villagers and burnt them alive to satisfy the desires of his false Gyden.’

‘He did not. He would never do that.’

‘Well, that’s what I was told.’ Conn hadn’t asked her to walk with him. He just started walked and she followed alongside him. ‘So you are not going to burn me alive?’

‘Never. Be a waste of wood.’

She suppressed a smile. ‘I don’t believe you.’

‘You have my word. May Ishtar curse my soul if I lie.’

‘You can’t do that. Ishtar doesn’t exit.’

‘She does – she is back in Saba, Himyar and Makurai – back with her Healdends.’

‘There is no Healdends.’

‘I changed that too. And in a few days there will be a Healdend in Alwa again. He is my son.’ He saw the disbelief in her eyes so added, ‘but his mother is from the House of Alwa – otherwise it would not be feasible.’

‘What you say is plausible but improbable. I don’t know if I should believe you or not. Why did you kill the folgere?’

‘I don’t like them. They abducted my daughter – and she is not of Ashtoreth so I got very cross with them.’

‘There are a lot of things I don’t like either – but I don’t kill them.’

‘Neither do I – but there is always an exception to every rule – and the folgere is that exception. You haven’t told me your name yet. Also, we should find your mother. I’m sure she is frantic, and I’m getting a little hungry.’

She was going to lie but thought better of it. ‘How do you know about my mother?’

‘It is a long way from home for a girl to be by herself.’

She paused to consider. ‘That sounds like a reasonable conclusion.’ She looked at him. ‘You are very tall.’

‘In some places. So what is your name?’

‘My name is Steinvi. My father is the Bretwalda of Kishdah – but I think you worked that out already.’

‘Did you know that your father and I are at war?’

‘I know he is at war with someone – and my brother is away fighting him. If that is you, then so be it. I don’t understand wars, but I gather that my guards did not want me to be your captive. It might hinder his success.’

‘Many things hinder his success, Steinvi, but you will not be one of them, I promise you. I don’t play war games with children.’

As they walked, they passed Twacuman who then followed along behind. Derryth joined Conn and he introduced her to him, and when they got to the bailey and into the castle there were people everywhere.

She looked curiously at the Twacuman who were armed with bow and staff.

‘I have never seen Twacuman with weapons. Are you not afraid that they will murder you in your sleep?’

Conn shook his head. ‘Quite the opposite – because they are armed is the only reason I get any sleep.’

‘You are very strange.’

As they entered, a woman broke down and cried but didn’t move.

‘Is that your mother?’ Conn asked.

‘It is.’

‘Do you think you should go to her – she seems a little upset?’

‘More relieved I think; but yes, perhaps I should.’

‘You are free to go.’

‘Thank you.’ She started to walk but could control herself any more. Finally, she ran into the arms of her mother.

‘That is one tough little girl. What are you going to do with her?’ Derryth asked, with genuine admiration in his voice.

‘I have absolutely no idea. What time is it?’

‘Nearly dawn – it was a long night.’

‘Gyden, I could do with a bath and some food.’

‘That has been arranged. Which one first?’

‘Bath, I think.’

~oo0oo~

Conn returned to the hall as the glow of the sun was starting to appear on the eastern horizon. It had indeed been a long night and he still hadn’t had any sleep. His cooks had taken control of the castle kitchen and they brought out a breakfast of eggs, sausages and bacon – as well as a pot of hot coffee. Derryth joined him.

‘Are the ships in port yet?’

‘On their way – smallish port and biggish ships. It will be slow and tedious. The coffee arrived though.’

‘I gathered. Where is Sarun?’

‘With Volund on the docks supervising. Both should be here soon.’

‘Did someone made sure that the boy had some sleep?’

‘Volund did – he put the two of them in a room and put a guard on it.’

‘Two of them?’

‘The girls. To give Sarun some peace and quiet.’

‘You should have a word to him about his matchmaking.’

‘Why me?’

‘Doesn’t sound reasonable coming from me. I do it all the time.’ He drank his coffee. ‘Probably a good thing anyway. So have you organized a meeting?’

‘They are waiting now.’

Conn stood up, collecting the pot of coffee as he went. ‘I hate these meetings – they are so tedious. After every battle, we seem to have a meeting about what it all means. It just means that some people live and some people die, and different people are in control.’