The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (41 page)

Chapter 19
The Eaorl of Katane

Conn joined Vigbert, in the morning as the Brown Jackets and Eagle’s Claw made their way back to Mazra. The four-day ride was uneventful; no large body of men waited to confront them, and they finally stood on the hills overlooking Katane. On the other side was Mazra.

Katane was alight; pillars of smoke rose into the sky, and ships littered the harbour. The Axum had taken his advice and had decided to decamp; ships were pulling out as they watched.

‘Did we not say, no burning. Sound the advance.’ Conn ordered, and soon columns of wiga filed down the hills into the port some miles away at pace. As they rode in to put out fire they found that it had already started; Ancuman and Twacuman were busily extinguished what they could. Being thatch and time it was hard, but the extra two thousand had stopped its spread.

Once the fires were under control, Conn was approached by an elderly Twacuman. He bowed to Conn, and said his name was Bonrun. He was from the ninth clan, and was delighted to finally meet the Marquis of Kerch.

‘My kin infiltrated the camp a few days ago so we have been preparing for your arrival. Finnrun has become increasingly desperate over the last lunar; after the defeat in Akko last year, he was convinced that the Folctoga Farrun il Nobatia had been defeated – which he didn’t expect so early. He was very nervous about having to maintain two fronts. He got frantic when reinforcements and supplies failed to arrive. He sent ships back but he didn’t hear anything. This year, after the defeat in Panua and the withdrawal from Oxmon, we learnt of the situation in Kishdah because a large number of ships made it through. When some of our kindred from Mende arrived we spread the rumour of the rebellion and the return of Geirfrith. That of course drove him crazy – he even executed a wiga who spoke of the prophecy. He became overwhelmed with indecision and when the wiga from Sedina and Gatinak returned, he then took the only option available to him. He took as many men he could with him on the available ships and returned home. The latest masters said that the waters were free of Priecuman vessels.’

Conn nodded. ‘I had them removed. I wanted him gone.’

‘We thought as much.’ He continued. ‘When we knew you were coming, we removed as many of the younger girls as we could and we took them with us when we left together – Finnrun was going to have them collected and taken on the boats with them – for recreation. I suspected that he was going to have us executed so we saved him the effort by not being here.’

‘A final twist of the sword.’

Wulfgar, the Eaorl of Mazra, and Tulia had travelled with him. He was a devastated man, but happy as he found many of the villagers of Mazra and Katane still there, and well. He cried as he hugged the survivors and they cried along with him.

Katane was full of a large number of Ancuman – Geirfrith loyalists and wiga from the Southern Isles. Finnrun had decreed that only those that supported Farstein would be allowed on the boats. They had thanked him for his support by putting out a lot of the fires his men had started.

Leaving Mazra to Wulfgar and the assistance of the many craeftiga and merchants who would arrive before winter, he took the boat back to Hybla. It wouldn’t take long to rebuild the town, better than it was before. As most of the available timber in the near vicinity had been cut down for firewood, timber was brought in by junk; hundreds of tons of pre-cut beams, joists and rafters – the timber for their new houses; Georgian in design, they were two storied, with two hearths. Upstairs were bedrooms awhile the kitchen living and bathroom were on the first. The pre-cut timbers meant assembly was quick; and with the thatching and cladding being done by hundreds, houses appeared daily. It took longer to lay the foundations and built the hearths.

On board he had a sad Tulia, all the Twacuman, and any injured Ancuman and any leftover Farstein supporters. They tried to talk to her but she said she was okay.

~o00o~

In Hybla, he collected all the all the Farsteins prisoners together and told them what was in store for them.

‘You will be leaving over the next few days’, Conn explained, ‘and when you get home, I urge you to do your best to keep out of the way of the Geirfrith and me when we arrive. There is no secret, next spring I will be there to assist in completing the prophesy.’

Conn saw smirks of disbelief in the crowd.

‘If you think that the Healdend and his Farstein can stand against the Geirfrith augmented by five thousand Priecuman, a thousand Twacuman and five thousand Ancuman from the southern states, I hope you stand to fight us. I know the Geirfrith have five hundred years of persecution to take revenge upon; they will happily take every demesne that stands against them. Remember always, this time you were lucky – I had no desire to kill wiga loyal to Geirfrith or those that belong to any of the Southern Isles because I am not at war with them – so I had to spare some of you as well. Next time, there will be nothing to stop my fyrd putting you all to the sword if you stand in our way. In case you don’t know, they are no Axum – and no folgere – in any of the Southern Isles. This time next year, there will be no folgere in Axum either.’

Conn stayed in Hybla until everyone had departed. He collected his family from the war as they arrived, and they all returned to Gatinak. Tulia was happier when she saw her sister and her nephew.

‘Sometime we forget she is still a girl.’ Derryth commented to Conn, and they watched her cooing over the child.

Conn agreed. ‘Everyone one here grows up far too quickly. Becoming bedda at sixteen is too young.’

‘Marquis, did you not know that it used to be younger?’ Goltan il Sytha stated. The young man, he was only thirteen, was a Cadet Officer in the Green Jackets. After arriving with Conn last summer, he had spent the first year in Tovio training with the reserves and as they came to replace troops on the front line, he came as well, He had been with Wynstan il Tabae for the last year.

‘No, I didn’t. When did it change?’

‘Eight hundred years ago – the first Casere made it one of his edicts – and it is part of our education.’

Devnet agreed. Everyone was sitting in the great hall eating and drinking. Winter was fast approaching. ‘I have not heard of such a reason – but the rule has always been such here as well.’

Goltan nodded. ‘I think the “Edicts of the Casere” were brought here when the Sythans arrived. I found reference to them also in my studies over winter in the library in Ilissus. It is a magnificent library.’

‘How did you enjoy your time in Silekiak?’ Conn asked curiously.

Strangely Goltan blushed and looked away from Conn’s curious gaze.

Wynstan answered for him. ‘Very well, I think – he was paid plenty of attention.’

‘Really – by whom, may I ask?’ Conn already knew, but it was an opportunity to tease the boy.

‘Coirea.’ Wynstan answered.

Coirea was his eldest daughter with the Wealdend of Silekia. She was also thirteen.

‘If it is possible,’ Derryth added, ‘I think Coirea is even bossier than Tulia. What is it with your daughters?’

‘Uncle Derryth!’ Tulia feigned mortal injury, ‘I am not bossy, I am decisive.’

Conn had ‘stolen’ Goltan from his father in Sytha with the intention of him taking Coirea as bedda. In exchange for giving Tredian his descendants another demesne to rule, he was to send another from the House of Taransay to be bedda to Osstan’s elder brother Eglyn, tying the two demesnes back together again. He had yet to determine who to send, but he had enough to choose from.

~oo0oo~

With the Axum gone, Redbert il Panua was due to return to his demesne but seemed to keep postponing for some reason or another. Eventually, she could put it off no longer. Brenna came to see her father.

‘Papa, you know how we have arranged for new settlers from Trokia to go to Panua to help rebuild the town.’

‘Yes’.

‘Well, I have some concerns.’

‘And they are?’

‘Well, Panua is Gatina – and it was not so long ago that the Gatina invaded Trokia and caused pain and suffering. I don’t know how to stop that becoming an issue as more Gatinans return.’ Many of the villagers had escaped to Oxmon a year ago, and they would be returning soon.

‘I guess we need someone here that understands the situation.’ Derryth suggested. ‘An umpire?’

‘Who see the overall picture – and will let bygones be bygones…’ Conn added.

‘Exactly!” Brenna agreed. ‘Do you have anyone to send who has those qualities?’

‘And who we can spare – at a pinch?’ Derryth asked.

‘And’, Conn reiterated, ‘who the Gatinans can respect to be fair and reasonable…’ he paused and looked at Derryth. ‘I don’t think we have anyone like that – it is not as if I can go?’

‘And no one takes orders from me anyway.’ Derryth said sadly, ‘so neither can I?’

‘Papa,’ Brenna exclaimed, ‘I have never seen you give up so easily…surely you have someone, anyone…’ the poor girl was almost begging.

Conn sat up. ‘Of course, why didn’t I think of that before? There is always ….’ Conn paused, ‘Tulia. She needs a distraction.’

‘Papa! You can’t send Tulia there with Redbert… she will lead him astray! You know her. And because she will be Wealdend she can do that without becoming bedda. You just can’t do that – it is just not fair… not fair to… to ... to… Redbert.’

‘Well, Brenna – my only last suggestion is that you do it then. I really can’t think of anyone else.’

‘Me? Really? Well, if you want me to I will…’

Conn paused. ‘Alas, there is a problem. Your reputation. As you say, Tulia can do what she likes with impunity – already she has had lovers aplenty – mostly female but also the odd male. You are not so blessed. How can I let you go if you are not bedda?’

She blushed. ‘I hadn’t given it any thought but if that is what you think is best, I guess I can live with that… I mean it would be better for Panua if I was there.’ She looked down. ‘Of course, if he even wants me as bedda?’

‘I don’t know. Derryth, what did Redbert say when you asked him if he would have Brenna as bedda.’

Brenna was shocked. ‘You’ve asked him?’

Derryth nodded. ‘Yes, just a while ago. As for what he said, I’m not really sure. He didn’t say a lot – he babbled a bit and then burst into tears… it was embarrassing, I had to leave. I’m pretty sure that it was a yes.’

Brenna was back on track. She looked at her father, ‘You..!’ and Derryth, ‘You..! How could you both do this to me! I hate you both!’ She held back her tears in frustration.

‘Sweetheart, we do it so you will have something to remember us for; and because we love you. Now, go, we told Redbert to wait in the hall; I’m sure he will like to see if you say yes as well.’

She was suddenly concerned. ‘What about a dowry – he is a Thane. He really can’t afford me.’

‘That is true but Derryth happen to be playing craps with him last night – and Redbert won a fortune. I have never seen such a run of luck. He can afford you today – he has a lot of Derryth’s gold.’

‘You said that you never play craps with Uncle Derryth because he cheats.’

Derryth was offended. ‘Cheating is a strong word. Dice are made from trees – and I talk to trees…’ he shrugged.

‘And Derryth doesn’t have any gold…’

‘Technicality. He now owes the MFIC a lot of money. I’ve always told him he shouldn’t gamble.’

Shaking her head at the both while suppressing a smile, she turned around and raced to the hall. They watched her go.

‘Do you think she’ll forgive us?’ Derryth mused.

‘Possibly. What is that – seven down and fifty-one to go?

‘Well, you would have sixty-two children. Most Healdend are lucky if five survive infancy.’

Tulia joined them moments later. ‘You are not really going to let her be bedda to that poor Thane, are you? Mother will be disappointed. I mean, he is cute... but… he is just a Thane.’

Conn looked at Derryth. ‘We forgot to tell Brenna that we are upgrading Panua to a Barony. There are a few vacant Thane fiefs around it that need supervision. How remiss of us.’

‘You wouldn’t! I told her she would always be nothing but the bedda of a poor Thane. I hate both of you.’ She then stormed off.

Derryth looked concerned. ‘Has she been punished enough?’

‘By us, yes, but I’m not sure if she will ever forgive herself.’ He stopped in contemplation. ‘I still carry my greatest mistakes like an open wound.’

~oo0oo~

In the days that followed, they disbanded a ten-year military operation. It was slow, cumbersome but thorough. Derryth was first to depart, taking all the Twacuman to Halani on horseback. Vigbert soon after departed for Jamut by junk with Steinvi. He needed five ships to go home. He would winter in Jamut and would be ready for Conn in the spring. With a shortage of ships capable of the voyage to Kishdah, Conn decided that the Southern Isle wiga would stay with him and the Kerchians in Kadash, and they departed on smaller coastal junks. It would later transpire that many of the females from the Southern Isles chose to become bedda to the Kerchians, and quickly pregnant, they would never go home. The cirice in Kadash was particularly potent.

The Jackets returned to their barracks – and then mostly demobilized. Huge parades and medal giving ceremonies were held prior to their departures. Soon, there was only Conn and a few extra people left in Gatinak, and Conn was soon to leave as well. He was waiting for Sir Njil to return.