The Eaorl (The Casere Book 2) (18 page)

The women laughed. ‘You are very perceptive feorrancund, and I don’t know where you are from. All will die or be sold; we will be ready in a few years – but it doesn’t matter. We have time. But we will have our land back. It was stolen.’

Another near miss and Conn had a crease on his shirt where a blade nearly cut him open. ‘Feorrancund, you are a very skilful wiga – any other Priecuman would be dead by now.’ She stopped to breathe deeply, her armour tight on her chest, hard pressed to restrain her ample bosom. ‘It will be a shame to kill you. You could surrender and I’ll allow you to be my pet.’

‘Instead of this young man? Well, let me tell you what I would do for you if I was your pet.’ Conn proceeded to give graphic details on how he would treat the women sexually, and with every comment the younger man was getting angrier – which the woman didn’t notice. She was enjoying the repartee. The goading worked however, and instead of following the script the young man went for the kill.

The women yelled ‘No!! Wait…’ but it was too late, Conn was waiting and ready and the spinning pirouette with the katana sliced his throat from ear to ear. He dropped his sword and reached for his neck as he fell to his knees. The woman raced to his side. ‘No, no, you had to wait... it was just talk…’ He fell forward dead.

She stood and faced him. ‘You will die twice for that.’

‘Do you really think you can beat me one on one?’ Conn laughed. ‘You are good, lady, and I truly would like to see you naked, but I have yet to meet anyone good enough – including the four that were sent to kill me – to beat me one on one.’

‘So they are all dead?’ She asked as she leapt out of the way, panting. She looked around and it was clear that her company was not winning. She was probably the last alive. ‘How is it that the Twacuman are fighting with you? They are not allowed to do that.’

‘I am the Feorhhyrde.’

She laughed nervously. ‘There is no such thing anymore.’

‘Then your eyes must be deceiving you. You will not surrender?’

‘Surrender? I would rather die?’

‘I would rather not kill you – perhaps I’ll just make you my prisoner. Theow or prisoner – no difference to me.’

The girl attacked again – her energy was becoming suicidal as the realization that she was not going to win and that all her entourage was dead. She became frustrated that Conn wouldn’t kill her.

She stool back, panting. ‘I will NOT be prisoner.’ She then did something unusual. She took her small dagger out and before Conn could react, she used the dagger to slash a deep cut into her leg; behind the knee. Almost instantaneously, blood gushed from her leg; the femoral artery had been severed. ‘I will NOT be a mare to any stallion.’

There was little that Conn could do; the gash was large and her blood loss would be severe. Conn stood and watched her die, but as she started to collapse, Conn went to her side and lowered her to the ground. He shook his head.

‘Such a shame. Some people take honor too far.’

Conn looked around and he could see that Torunn, Elva, and Derryth and the rest were still alive. All of the Ancuman were dead. They waved, and he waved and headed to the grove.

The Gyden was also disbelieving; but she had felt the Twacuman die.

‘How is it that you have defeated my children? That is impossible. And you have Twacuman with you. That is a strange development. I will consider that.’

It stopped talking and went back to probing his defences. Conn hacked his way into the grove and found an open space in the middle; stone walls, mostly decayed and crumbled. He started to sweat under the strain of her attacks.

Inside, the only remaining preserved item was a throne; made of stone. It was almost perfect. Everything around it was crumbled but the marble that it was made from was still solid. Protected by the Gyden. Conn knew that it was not under the tiles as they were crumbling. It had to be in the chair. He walked up to the throne and the attack became stronger and her abuse vicious. He was right. It was here somewhere.

Conn inspected the chair, checking every mortar in the eight hundred year old throne. Sometime during that battle they made it to this place and for some reason decided to leave a guard stone here – was it accidental or deliberate? Either way, they knew that two hundred years later it would be still be here and it could be used for some purpose – first to taint the negotiations with Goibniu and then to hide the heart-stone. That is a long plan, but what is time for a Gyden? Only the Priecuman measure time.

In a battle, where would someone try and hide a haligdom – the easiest place would be under the seat itself – anything else would be two destructive and noticeable. With that realization Conn prepared for the mental assault as he used his kunai to prise the large stone slab away from its base – it moved surprisingly easy. As soon as the slab was removed, the guard-stone was plain to see – it sat shining in the sand that supported the seat.

The Gyden now attacked with all her force – it was true, she was stronger but so was he. Her inability to defeat him confused her more than anything.

As Conn used his kunai to shift the guard-stone out onto the floor he saw the other gemstone – the red one that he suspected was here as well – Tabiti’s heart-stone – stolen in 636.

The black stone trickled over the edge of the chair and dropped on to the ground. With a final effort, Conn picked up the slab that was the seat and dropped it onto the haligdom. Before he passed out this time, he saw Torunn and Derryth rush into to the throne room of Beogar’s Castle.

It was pitch black when he woke, and until his eyes adjusted he had the dreadful idea that he had been blinded. When he was able, he sat up and orientated himself; he was in a tent, so he presumed that he was still near the old castle. His head throbbed, and after he had stopped feeling dizzy, he crawled out, stood up and headed to the fire that everyone was gathered around. When they noticed him walking towards them, Elva came and collected him; he was still a little unsteady.

He smile was one of relief. ‘Well, well, sleepy head is awake at last.’

‘How long have I been asleep?’

‘A day and a half.’

‘That long! I thought I had it under control.’

‘You are battling a Gyden! How does one have that under control? You should be dead – not walking around complaining about having a headache.’

Conn went and sat down, and they handed him a coffee and a bowl of seasoned rabbit stew and rice. He was starving.

Torunn remonstrated. ‘Did Halla have to put up with all these near death experiences? I think I’ll have to ask for another assignment when I get back. How am I supposed to protect you if you fight Gydens?’

Conn protested. ‘She is picking the fight – not me.’

Derryth informed him that they had lost two of the Twacuman; and they had been returned to the wind with a funeral pyre. All the other dead had been buried, and their horses had collected. It was if they had never been there.

‘It was harder work burying them than killing them,’ Derryth complained. He handed over the red stone – they had carefully placed it into a small woollen sack. ‘So this is what all the effort was for?’

‘Indeed. Now they are all going home – which will aid in defeating the Ancuman. It seems happy enough – I’m sure Tabiti was in my dreams – certainly naked women were, and you know what the Gyden are like.’

‘I thought only a Folgere could touch a Haligdom’. Torunn commented curiously, as she watched Conn examining the haligdom carelessly.

‘That is supposed to be true’, Derryth added ‘but it seems that only a Folgere OR Conn il Taransay. The normal rules don’t seem to apply here.’

In the morning Conn was ready to travel, and the Twacuman were sent home to Halani, while he and Torunn headed back to Gatinak; each leading two horses – including one of the buckskin mare that had belonged to an Ancuman. The rest of the animals, as well as their saddles and swords, were going to Halani and then Hama.

It was a long ride back and three weeks later they were in Gatina, winter was beginning and the shorter days and colder nights meant they travelled slowly and set up the yurt earlier than usual.

The stayed with Eaorls when they could – other nights they stayed in the forests. Conn returned from his sentry duty to find Torunn preparing coffee.

The night was one of the coldest so far.

‘If I had of know that it was going to be this cold – I’d have brought some heavier jackets. I’m cold to the core.’ Conn was unconvinced; she didn’t seem to have put on her doublet yet and her well-endowed physique was visible in the fire light. ‘I mean, do you have
any
idea about something we could do so that might warm me up…’

Conn looked around the camp. They were in a forest and in very little danger of anyone attacking them without being heard.

‘I do have one suggestion – but I’d have to explain it to you … inside the yurt.’

‘Very well … shall I go in first … I’m open to
any
suggestion…’

~x156~

Consequently it had taken them longer than it should have, but at least they were warm at night. When he was finally back in at the Inn, Conn sent a message to the Aebeling and said that he would be up to see him in the morning. He needed a bath – and Torunn was still a little cold – and she thought that the yurt had cramped her “style”.

When they finally headed to the Donjon, Conn had the buckskin mare with him and sent a messenger ahead to ask the Healdend to meet them outside.

Ailbe was outside and a little annoyed. ‘It is usually me that asks people to do things…’ he stopped to look at the horse, ‘that is a strange horse and saddle you have, Eaorl. Do I assume that they once belonged to an Ancuman?’

‘They did indeed. Healdend; this mare is my gift to you – for inconveniencing you. The previous owner no longer has a need of her.’

They sent the mare away with a stable hand, and Conn followed the Healdend and Aebeling back inside.

‘I gather they were waiting for you?’

‘They got there just after we did – about thirty Ancuman wiga who seemed intent on us not recovering Tabiti’s Heart.’

‘I can only presume that they lost.’

‘They did…’

“I presume also you found the stone?’

“I did…’

Inside the donjon, Conn soon found himself surrounded by twenty lusty Folgere dressed in red.

Ailbe shook his head in bemusement. ‘Yours in the second summons I’ve received today – Synne was the first. I’m starting to forget who I am – I’m unsure that I’m actually in charge anymore.’

Synne came forward and cupped his hands in hers and kissed him again. She was crying. Ailbe was shaking his head. ‘They have been crying all morning.’

‘Perhaps we shouldn’t put this off then’.

With no further ado, Conn led the way out of the donjon to the Cirice behind the walls. Ailbe and Synne had workmen busily repairing the buildings during the weeks he had been away; most of the forest had been removed from around the buildings and the Cirice was now clearly visible. New buildings – accommodation for the Folgere he presumed – had been constructed and a wall of bamboo and heather was being constructed around the entire facility.

Conn walked into the centre of the Cirice and admired the craftsmanship in the repairs. Conn had arranged that Fiona send craeftiga from Gambi to assist – Lykian craeftiga. They were the best. Synne walked beside him as entered they Cirice. Conn looked at her.

‘Do you think that Ailbe and Devnet are going to be ready for this?’

She shook her head. ‘No, but I have tried to prepare them – they have a Folgere on each arm. What about you?’

Conn smiled broadly. ‘I’m always ready.’

‘I have something for you.’ She handed him another bag. Inside were three haligdoms – yellow, blue and green. ‘These were hidden in Gera.’

Conn nodded. He had gemstones in his bag that he had intended to use but if he didn’t have to use his, all the better. ‘Thank you. I was wondering.’

‘When the heart-stone was stolen, these were just left behind. We have kept them hidden ever since – waiting for this day.’

Conn walked with Synne to the gleaming marble naked statue of Tabiti, and stood. He then withdrew the bag from his pocket, and poured the red stone on to his hand. Synne gasped. The stone gleamed.

‘Three hundred years later, welcome home, Tabiti,’

The gemstone shone in the dark light of the Cirice; Conn headed towards the hand as it waited on her naked left breast, and as he saw the stone quiver, he shut his mind. This time something different happened; a red glow, much like Lilith’s aura, seeped out of the stone and flowed over his hand, sucking in the haligdom and then continued on its way to Synne. Even with his eyes shut, he was able to see everything clearly, and despite the mind block, he heard “thank you”.

He heard and felt Synne faint and he twisted to catch the falling Folgere. Lowering her to the ground, he didn’t bother to look but he could hear what sounded like an emotional train wreck; from the Healdend down – they were all crying and wailing; the emotions flowing over them like a tidal wave. Most had collapsed to the ground. As Derryth would say; it was not something you see every day – a Healdend crying his eyes out.

No one noticed him continue his routine, going to Lilith, and he put the golden haligdom in her hand. Next Badb and the emerald in her hand, and lastly Inanna.

As they recovered the Folgere steamed into the Cirice; it was bathed in pink light with flickers of gold, blue and green. Synne was awake and Conn helped her stand.

‘Isn’t it beautiful? When all four Cirice are complete, Folgere from the other houses will come and join us and we will be whole once again.’ She stopped speaking and looked inquisitively at him. ‘Tabiti wants to know why you are shutting her out. She says she wants to speak with you.’ Synne looked at him confused. ‘Of course, I don’t even understand why she thinks she can – you are after all not a Folgere or the House of Gatina.’

‘I can speak to them all – it gets a bit difficult to concentrate if you have a Gyden in your head so I shut them out.’

‘ALL of them – but NOONE can speak to all of them.’ Synne was quite taken back. Conn opened his mind and Tabiti’s presence filled it.

‘Feorhhyrde, thank you for opening your mind to me – and thank you for doing what no one had been able to do. I do not understand why you can. I would visit you like my sister but I do not have the strength yet. Please visit my Folgere – I know you won’t regret it – I would get to know you better.’

Always the same request – and one that he was happy to comply with. The looks he was already getting from the Folgere bordered on lecherous. Conn indicating that he would, and closed his mind again.

Synne was still shocked as she was part of the link with Tabiti. She almost fainted when he closed his mind to Tabiti, and he caught her again before she fell. Folgere came and collected her from him; they did seem to have an inability to pass him without their bodies colliding with his. Ignoring them for the while, Conn walked over to Ailbe who was busy wiping the tears from his face.

‘Thank you Eaorl. I am eternally grateful. I would reward you in some way but I don’t know what. You already have a daughter of mine. I will have to give it consideration. We are indebted to you.’

‘I’m sure there will be a time and a place, Healdend. Life always, or at least the Gyden do, brings us to account for our sins and our favours.’

Devnet was there as well. He had regained his composure.

‘You could have warned me?’

Conn smiled. ‘How – you wouldn’t have believed me anyway. Did you visit the Thanes as I suggested?’

‘I did – and you were correct. I did happened to get another bedda – and she was just starting to wear me out – I’m not a young man anymore.’

‘How do you feel now?’

Devnet looked the happiest Conn had ever seen him. ‘Very good. I’ve just sent a message for her to go to her room and wait for me. I think the slipper will be on the other foot today.’

Conn left them to their celebrations – he would visit the Folgere sometime later – around midnight was his typical visiting time.

He returned to the Inn with Torunn. She was complaining as they walked. She also seemed to have lost half the button on her top and her breast were barely contained. She also walked very close to him; their bodies brushing all the time.

‘For some reason I’m feeling
really
cold now.’ Lilith would have connected with her in the Cirice. No-one else realized it but all Valkeri were Folgere in their own way.

‘We’ll just have to see what we can do to warm you up.’

‘Thank you; I’d be
very
grateful if you did. Those things I said I wasn’t so keen about – well, I’ve
very
keen to try them again…’

~x160~

When Conn arrived at the donjon for lunch the next day, he was met at the door by very tired but very happy noble. Devnet winked at him; he was feeling very good about himself.

‘I tamed that beast… the stallion now has control over his herd again… oh, we have guest…’

Conn walked up to the throne and greeted the Healdend. With him was another old friend, Alric, the Aebeling of Rakia. It transpired that he was the leader of a delegation from Rakia.

Ailbe sought to introduce the Aebeling of Rakia but Conn indicated that he had already the pleasure, in Moetia.

‘Yes of course – I’d forgotten. It has been a very taxing night. I barely made it through first course last night…’

Conn understood his dilemma – with over twenty Folgere very willing to satisfy your every need, it was hard to maintain disciple, and not get lost on the moment. Conn addressed Alric.

‘It has been some time though, Alric, and I trust you are well.’ Looking at his sweaty brow, he doubted it. ‘You seem a little stressed however.’

Poor Alric was in turmoil. Because of his Gatinan blood he could hear Tabiti, and she was not beyond reproaching him for his negligence, or trying to tempt him with wanton vulgarity. At the same time he had the other Gyden venting her spleen at the sight of Conn. How she hated him.

‘Indeed, Eaorl. And how is Kuita – still deserted and inhabited by pirates and criminals. Your kind of place, I’m sure.’

‘Quite the contrary Aebeling; the pirates are now in charge of all my warships, and the fields are planted. It is turning out very nicely. And you probably haven’t heard that the ancient town of Kadash has been discovered.’

‘What ancient town?’