The Eaorl (The Casere Book 2) (10 page)

There did not appear to be a lot of warmth between Alric and Amargein; the greeting was cordial at best. Conn immediately suspected that things were not going to go well for Amargein on his return. He had failed in his mission – and that was never a good thing.

Alric looked scornfully at Conn while addressing the question at the Eaorl. ‘Has he caused our men to be mistreated and abused, Amargein?’

Amargein shook his head. ‘No, I can only say that we have been treated well. And I wish to report that the men are loaded and we are ready to leave.’

Alric shook his head in what looked like disappointment. He sighed. ‘We leave then.’ He bowed to Kiley and Devnet, and looked at Halla. ‘Farewell cousin, I can only imagine the torment you must be under. If there was anything I could do I would.’ He looked at Conn. ‘We will defeat you in the end. You are just putting off the inevitable.’

‘We shall see, Alric, we shall see. Farewell.’

They silently watched the Ratakian Aebeling leave the donjon and head to the dock – under guard.

Conn looked at Halla after he left. He asked her quietly.

‘Are you in torment, Halla?’

She shook her head. ‘No. I’m fine.’

‘But you are not that happy are you?’

‘It is hard for a Valkeri to be a theow.’ She laughed sadly. ‘But then I am the first, so how would anyone know. But I am not unhappy.’

‘But what if I unmade you a Theow; I can do that can’t I?’

She nodded. ‘But you can’t make me a Valkeri again – even you can’t do that, and without my bands, I’d rather be a theow – at least I have a place and a purpose. But thank you for offering.’

As they stood, another group of people arrived, and were led into the donjon. Amongst them all was a youngish woman; well dressed and quite beautiful. Devnet was startled to see her ‘Well, I never’. He walked over and greeted her and they hugged. He then walked by her side as she was presented to the Wealdend.

‘Wealdend, Eaorl, I would like to present my sister, Fiona; we share the same father. I was very surprised to see her here. Fiona. This is Conn il Taransay, Eaorl il Kuita’.

She bowed formally at them both. ‘I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Wealdend. As for my presence, brother, I have come to help solve the mess that you and my father created. Eaorl, I understand that I am to be your bedda. I also bear documents that create you Thane of Gambi in the Eaorldom of Eryx.’

Demne, in whose demesne the harbor was, started to react but stopped quickly. Fiona looked at him, shaking her head. ‘Sadly Demne’s family were unable to raise the wergild but we couldn’t just leave him here. His demesne is deeply in debt due to the large fryd he raised on borrowed money, and since they were all captured, the wergild is huge. The only way to raise the funds was for my father to purloin Gambi. He is lucky he is still Eaorl.’

She handed over the scroll of Ennoblement. ‘I also have some other documents and a manifest of everything you asked for and that we have delivered.’

Conn scanned the documents as he looked at the girl. Her brown eyes were clear and striking; her hair long and black; she was a beautiful woman, and as for her age, Conn assumed was around thirty. ‘I thank you for the documents – I hope that your presence here will not be too much of a burden.’

She looked sad but she smiled. ‘I hope not also.’ She smiled. ‘You seem fair enough to look at. And your reputation is that you are a kind and just man. All those that returned had only good things to say – which confused my father immensely. I understand that you also saved my brother’s life – amongst many others.’

Devnet nodded. ‘He did – and I am in debt. Fiona, I just don’t understand why it is you. I know that your bedda died, and I’m sorry for that, but our father would have taken care of you.’

‘My bedda is dead because you killed him – indirectly but still your responsibility, and my child died from illness because we were short of medics while they were with you. There is nothing there for me – and someone had to make this sacrifice – our family caused it; it is only reasonable that we help to fix it. When you return, you will find only sadness – and it will not be long before you are Healdend; our father is so heartbroken. He knows that he has failed his people,’ she paused while she looked to Conn, ‘because he knew that it was folly – deep down – despite everything he was told. Our father is not a bad man – despite what you may think, Eaorl. He was led to believe that he was doing what was necessary, just, and right.’

Conn had to agree. ‘History has a way of revealing the truth. It may be that there was a grander plan here, and he too was a victim. It is certainly not my intention to destroy Gatina – I seek to increase the links between us. You are to play a part in that. Shall we perform the ceremony?’

She came forward and held out her left arm while Conn held out his right. Kiley came forward and wrapped a rope symbolically around their two wrists. She said a few words and declared that they were bedda. A very simple and functional ceremony.

Afterwards they all walked with Devnet to his ship and waved him off, and then returned to the donjon for a feast to celebrate the handfasting.

The feast was also to farewell Conn – he had informed the Wealdend that he was heading north; he wasn’t that fond of the cold – he had bad childhood memories – and had arranged with the Eaorl of Zedah, Leomon, for him to move there for the winter. It was also closer to Kuita, and he wanted to be there in spring

The fyrd under the command of Wilga was already there. Leomon’s son Sherwin had escorted them, and they would be setting up camp outside of the town – as well as preparing appropriate accommodation for Conn and his entourage.

Aisly had been absent for some part of the morning’s formalities – she claimed she was feeling sick. As Conn arrived, she came over and hugged him – she and her mother were quite emotional.

‘Is anything wrong?’

Aisly shook her head. ‘No, quite the opposite. It seems most likely that I am with child; so thank you. We are pleased; the next Wealdend will not be my cousin.’

‘I’m not so sure she will be as happy.’ Conn had negotiated an appropriate dowry for daughter. Given her change of status, he should apply for a discount. ‘I thought you would be Wealdend next.’

‘Not unless I had a child; when I have a child I can be Wealdend. So this is a good day.’ Conn hugged her again, and watched her go to the main table, while he joined his table. When they asked, he explained.

Halla shook her head knowingly. ‘Seems to be going around…’

‘What is?’

‘Being with child…’

‘Really?’ Conn sat down and filled his tankard with ale. ‘Who else is pregnant?’

‘Jofrid...’

Conn choked on his beer. They all looked at him strangely. When he gathered his breath, he asked again. ‘Jofrid is pregnant?’

‘I just said that. Don’t you listen? And there is one more that I know of.’

Conn stopped drinking this time. ‘And who is that?’ he was hoping to hell it wasn’t Eachna – but he had been careful.

‘Me…’

‘You?’

‘Yes, me. You are very monosyllabic this evening. You are not presenting a good first impression to your new bedda… I apologize Fiona, he is not normally this bad.’

Fiona had watched the whole thing with amusement. ‘I don’t understand why the Eaorl is so concerned.’

Halla laughed, in true amusement. ‘I’m sorry Fiona, I didn’t explain. The Eaorl is the father of all these children…’

Fiona was genuinely shocked and it took her some time to be brought up to speed on Conn’s family tree. She was just coming to grips with the possible twenty children that Conn had sired when Derryth arrived. She had never met a Twacuman before. That took longer to comprehend. Derryth laughed after he had congratulated everyone.

‘I just don’t know where he gets the energy from.’

After the feast they headed back to the Inn. Conn showed Fiona to her room, which had been prepared to the highest level of luxury possible, and a hot tub of water was waiting for her in the corner. She gushed as she inspected her room – she almost cried.

Conn turned to leave and she spoke.

‘Eaorl...’

Conn turned back.

‘I presume you will come to my room later?’

‘I had not thought to impose upon you so early…’

She smiled. ‘It will be fine. It is not as if it is my first time – I have definitely seen more than sixteen winters. Beside; everyone else you fornicate with is with child – you have nowhere else to go… by the sounds of it you rarely sleep alone’

That was mostly true – there was still Eachna but he was trying to avoid her.

Fiona continued. ‘Give me ten minutes and you may come back.’

Conn nodded and went to his room, bathed and returned at the appointed time.

~x081~

Winter had officially started when Conn, Fiona, Derryth, Jofrid and Halla said their farewells to Kiley and Ailsly in the donjon as a ship waiting in the harbour to take them north.

There were hugs and kisses all round.

Conn addressed them both. ‘I have something for you. This has just been finished.’ He rolled out a large parchment that showed the town of Trokiak in great detail. ‘It is a design for a new donjon – it will be the best in Meshech – and repairs and other building work to strengthen the walls that surround the town. When you to proceed, talk to Sir Abrecan, he will arrange the craeftiga to come from Atrak.’

‘But the cost will be huge.’

‘It will be but it will be necessary – and I will pay half – I will put the money we received from Gatina to good use. The walls did well enough to hold out the Rakians, but if it had been me trying to get in, you would all be theow in Kishdah by now.’

The thought sobered them. ‘We will speak to Sir Abrecan. It is the least we can do. Is there anything else you need us to do?’

‘Yes, what do you know of Lilith’s heart-stone?’

Kiley was surprised at the question, and she considered it for a while.

‘Very little – I recall a story about a group of Folgere who arrived here in the Healdend Albert’s time; claiming to have the heart-stone and wishing to present it to the Healdend for safe keeping. I don’t know if it is true but I will ask my librarians – although they are a bit busy with all the work you have given them copying from the scrolls to the codex.’

‘So it has disappeared?’

Kiley remained curious. ‘Certainly it is nowhere that I know of. Why do you want to know?’

‘Just in case the Cirice can be found.’ Conn had decided he wasn’t going to tell the Healdend that he had the heart-stone – just in case they wanted it back.

Kiley was not stupid and awareness quickly spread on her face. ‘That is why you want Kuita – of course. There was a place somewhere in Kuita that was the original home of the Trokians when they arrived here four hundred years ago. What was its name again?’

‘Kadash…’

‘Of course – Kadash. But how can you find something that is in the sea between Kuita and Cyme. That is impossible.’

‘That has yet to be proven…’

They bid them farewell again and headed out to the dock. By road it was a three month journey – by ship, only a week – with good winds.

Soon after arriving in Zedah, they farewelled Jofrid, and the hundred plus Valkeri that she commanded, as they head back to Cyme. Conn was certainly going to miss her – and her regular visits late at night were going to be missed twice as much.

Zedah itself was a very small community, and very remote, and Leomon probably didn’t quite know what he was letting himself in for when he agreed to allow Conn and his fyrd to stay for the winter. The fyrd, however, behaved exemplary – a few took bedda from amongst the locals, while the rest either herded horses while they grazed on the mountain slopes, or built things.

Conn always started the discussion innocently.

‘Leomon’, he would say, ‘you know how we had difficulty loading and unloading the schooners when we arrived?’

Leomon would agree – they had some teething problems because his dock was simply not big or deep enough at low tide for Conn’s schooners. ‘If I did a few little changes I think I can solve that problem. Would you mind if I have my Engineer Corp have a go fixing it?’

Leomon would of course agree – at first he didn’t really understand what the engineering Corp did, and before long he would have a dock that was designed for a town three times his size.

‘Leomon, I apologize but the Engineering Corp have created a drainage problem with the new dock. Do you mind if I get them to fix it – they just need to dig a few ditches?’

A fully paved town later the drainage problem was fixed.

‘Leomon, I apologize, but the new Inn,’ Conn like to live in Inns rather than houses, ‘is unfortunately twice the size as your donjon. It just doesn’t look right – do you mind if I build you a new one?’

When Sherwin arrived back in Zedah at the beginning of spring – Conn had sent him to Menia on a study mission – he could hardly recognize his old home. He also had a new bedda – one of the very homily daughters of Ciarrai, Eaorl of Menia – who had a few to go around. Another daughter, his eldest who had been widowed, became bedda to Esras, Aebeling of Kania.

So much work was possible over winter in Zedah because of its position so far north; the winter had been far milder in Zedah than anywhere to the south. Rakia had a particularly bad winter, and Conn heard that poor Amargein il Motya died in a prison cell after a particularly bad cold spell.

The mild conditions also allowed Conn and Derryth to spend a lot of time outdoors – which was where they needed to be – a pregnant Halla on some days was not someone you wanted to be around. By the end of winter, Fiona was also pregnant, so the happiest people at the beginning of spring were Conn and Derryth – everything was being prepared for their expedition to the mountains in the east. Sadly, they could be away for months!

Derryth walked up and interrupted Conn as he ate breakfast with a cranky Fiona and a very cranky Halla.

‘Conn’, he called, ‘There is someone wanting to see for you at the gate. You should come and see who it is.’

Derryth had a smile of his face, so it must have been amusing.

Conn hurriedly bid the ladies farewell and followed Derryth out.

‘Is that the best excuse you could come up with – someone to see you at the main gate? You even looked like you were lying.’

‘Twacuman don’t lie…’

‘So there is someone waiting to see me?’

‘That’s what I said.’

‘Why didn’t you bring her to the Inn?’

‘She refused to come inside the gate…’

When they arrived, a peasant woman, who looked about seventy– which was a very old age in Trokia, was waiting for them. Derryth introduced her as Anu. Anu, Derryth explained, was apparently a relative of the Eaorls of Kuita.

After Conn was introduced, Conn asked how he could be of assistance.

‘Perhaps it is the opposite, Eaorl of Kuita.’ Anu said, ‘Perhaps I can help you. When I heard about the new Eaorl, I came as soon as possible. It has taken me ten days to get here. I live in the Kuita foothills, near the home of our ancestors. I understand that you want to find the ancient road into Kuita?’

Conn was taken back. ‘You are remarkably well informed Anu il Kuita. In fact scarily so. But it is true that I would like find this road – I’d like to rebuild the road so that it is easy to access Kuita. And you say that you know where the road is?’

‘Oh yes,’ she cackled, ‘I can lead you directly to it – but only you. I can’t lead anyone else there. I need to show it to the Eaorl himself. That is my condition.’

Conn sighed. He hated people setting conditions on him. ‘And if I don’t except your condition, do you think my men will find the road?

She laughed, in what Conn imagined to be an old ‘witch’ type of way. ‘Yes, but it will take them years.’

He thought so; finding the road quickly could save lives and money. He didn’t have years to look for it. ‘Very well, I will accept your condition. My fyrd will be ready to march in a week. We can leave then.’

‘No,’ she answered defiantly, ‘Your men can come later. We need to leave tomorrow morning.’ She stood and headed for the door. ‘I will meet you here at dawn.’ With that she turned her donkey around and rode away. Conn was going to follow and ask more questions; but he thought better of it.

Old people, Conn thought. Why is there always something very suspicious about old people?

The next morning, Conn had twenty horses ready at the east gate just after dawn. Anu arrived very soon after, on her donkey. Conn asked if she would like to change to a horse or a larger donkey.

She declined, saying that the pace the donkey set would be suitable. She turned and rode away, and Conn hurried to catch her up. The donkey was quite fast; for a donkey.

It was a six day ride to the foothills and Conn was unable to engage the old woman in conversation at all. She kept telling him that talking was a waste of breathe. For the most part she did not ride with them. In the morning she would set a destination, and set them off; and then she would be there the next morning, to set their next target. She claimed that travelling at night suited her and the donkey better – and she could navigate by the stars.

Sherwin had agreed to accompany them, and they found accommodation in the Villages along the way; Conn had brought in a lot of food over the winter so hospitality was not an issue; they had plenty to last until the harvests.

After five days, the land became unused, and densely wooded, so travel became very slow. These mountains had a name – the Mhari Mountains, Anu informed him. A long time ago, The Priecuman had a town that looked up at the mountains – and its name was Mhari.

‘Where is the town now? Conn asked, not expecting an answer.

‘Under the ocean ... I believe. There was a time when Cyme was joined to Meshech. It isn’t anymore.’

‘But that would be a thousand years ago – were the Priecuman here then?’

‘Did I say Priecuman – I apologize – I meant to say Twacuman. That is what I was told.’

Conn looked at Derryth – who shrugged.

‘Don’t look at me – it’s before my time…’

As they travelled Conn had men mark a trail; five hundred engineers, Logistics and wiga would be following along behind. It needed to be well marked as Anu had them going in directions he would never have considered. Finally she brought them to a small valley; the entrance was not more than ten yards wider and as she led them inside, and it was near the highest point in the Mhari Mountains. But it was a dead end – there was nowhere to go.

‘Here?’ Conn asked ‘There is nowhere to go.’

‘Be patient. Time will reveal all. You need to go to the end of the valley, and climb; and from the top you can look down into Kuita. The road was not wide – it was just a road that gave access from one side to the other. Go and have a look.’

Conn and Derryth rode as far as they could until the horses could travel no more, and they then scrambled the fifty yards of hill on foot until they reached the top.

Anu was, of course, right; they looked down to Kania Bay, the blue ocean clearly visible in the distance despite the miles.

‘Well, I’ll be damned.’ Each side of them were mountains – they stood on what was basically a pile of rubble between the two great escarpments. ‘Someone has deliberately closed this access road down – or something has. Perhaps an earthquake. Weren’t there earthquakes during the last ‘Darkening’?’

Derryth nodded. ‘There was – lots. So it was an earthquake that did this?’

Conn nodded. ‘Possibly, and we will have to undo it. It is going to be a lot of work. But we just need to remove enough to allow horses to pass.’

By the time they had returned to the floor, camp had been set up. They looked for Anu but she was gone. Disappearing was a skill she had. But she was right – Conn would have found this road into Kuita, but it could have taken years. Instead it had taken ten days. While they waited for the rest of his fyrd to catch up, Conn sent pigeons to Menia, Dor and Zedah to inform them of his progress. Without proper tools there was little they could do except cut down trees, so when the engineers arrived they could set to work.

The Engineer’s quick appraisal confirmed Conn’s assessment that it would take two weeks at least to move enough soil to get the wiga over and into Kuita.

They did it in ten days. The mountain side was covered in bamboo – very tall and broad. Conn build a bamboo pipe-way to carry diverted water from a waterfall down the mountain to the top of the large ridge – and with the constant flow of water on the soil, great holes were soon created as the water washed the soil down the mountain side. With enough time and water, the entire barrier would be gone and even horse and ox carts would be able to use the pass.

Conn was the first to lead his horse through the new path; he was leading Derryth’s stallion as he had gone ahead to scout a path down the mountain. Behind him three hundred wiga were preparing to follow.

Conn watched as the ten scouts melted out of the trees and appeared in front of them. Derryth grabbed the reins of his horse.

‘Nothing for a couple of days at least. No sheep, no goats, no cows and no sign of horses. Nobody has been up here for years.’

‘Three days to the coast, then?’

Derryth agreed, and more pigeons were dispatched to Menia and Dor.

The fyrd headed slowly down the mountain side; the pathway was gentle, if heavily wooded, and although capable of greater speeds once the trees had cleared, they travelled with caution. They camped for two nights without lighting fires, even before their scouts reported signs of humanity.

The road finally led to what appeared to be an old stone town, and there were several paths from there down to the village harbors along the coast. Conn decided to do the rest on foot and with one night to go, he led two hundred wiga down the mountain.

They got as close as they could before they waited in the dark for Derryth to return from his trip to the village.

‘It’s a pretty simple layout; lots of longhus along the water; very little behind the main walls. I would guess that the population is over a 1,000. The ships are along the docks and it seems that they are not heading out tonight. There are minimal sentries anywhere. Do you think your ships will make it in?’

‘Most definitely, they have clear maps and the beacons we will set up will give them navigation points.’ Conn confirmed every step of his plan with his Captains and they left to position themselves.

Derryth shook his head for what seemed like the tenth time. ‘Tell me again why we are not just storming the longhus?’

‘I want to see if we can capture the villagers without bloodshed. They are more use to me alive than dead. If we have to kill them, we will. But that is the last alternative.’

Derryth was still amused. ‘And plan ‘A’ still requires you to play those … bagpipes again, does it? No wonder we didn’t bring the horses. Infernal things.’

Conn laughed. ‘Back in Taransay, they say that a piper marches when he plays just so that he can try and get away from the music.’

‘I fully understand his feeling. I on the other hand want to march in the opposite direction.’

They moved down into the village. The palisades were minor and not guarded well. Those that were on duty in the middle of the night, were easily overcome, gagged and bound. The pirates thought that they were safe from attack both from behind and from the sea. They would be surprised.

It would have been close to midnight when Conn was in position; the special beacons he had designed and set up were finally in place. The main longhus was at the end of a ‘street’, muddy and putrid, and Conn positioned himself at the other end. He then started to play ‘Scotland the Brave’, followed by ‘Amazing Grace’ on the bagpipes as he marched towards the longhus. He was about to start on his third traditional marching tune, ‘Highland Laddie’ when the village filled with half-dressed men swinging at imaginary foe with their swords.

In the moon light they could now clearly see Conn marching towards them. One of them yelled out.

‘What in the name of Lilith is that noise? A thousand dying cats would sound better.’

Conn was affronted. ‘Well, my playing isn’t the best and maybe I’m out of practice, but it is not that bad.’ Conn did however play the songs out of tune fairly deliberately.