The Eaorl (The Casere Book 2) (32 page)

‘Your ancestor Sherric had a daughter Ingeulfur – do you know who her mother was?’

‘Ingeulfur?’ She looked at Sebbi, he shook his head. ‘I don’t recall an Ingeulfur?’

‘Probably because it is history that doesn’t sit well with other Meshechian assumptions. Ingeulfur mother was Twacuman – her mother arrived with Osstan. Ingeulfur herself moved to Piada after her father and mother dies in the war with the Ancuman. Her daughter became bedda to the Eaorl of Gelah and everyone who descends from the Eaorls of Gelah have Twacuman blood.’

‘How do you know all this?’

‘It is in the verbal history of Halani and if you combine that with the written histories that I’ve collected, it all makes sense.’

‘None of this is making sense to me.’

Conn looked back at Derryth, who was enjoying this all too much. ‘How did they get there? Piada is not far from here?’

‘I gather they went to Atrak and got a ship to Gelah; and they were going to get a small boat from there to Piada. Oisin and Jowan are very competent sailors now.’

It was all out of Conn’s control. He could only hope. He took a deep breath. ‘Has Caewyn said that I am to go to Piada?’

‘No. She says that all it well.’ He paused dramatically. ‘You do need to go to Mantu however.’

Conn was almost too scared to ask. ‘And why do I need to go to Mantu? I was there last week.’

‘Last week there weren’t ten Folgere in Mantu asking for you to come and see them, were there?’

Ailidh was stunned. ‘Folgere? In Mantu? There haven’t been Folgere in Silekia for two hundred years! And they turn up now.’ She stood up far too quickly, and shook her head. She did it slower now, ‘It is getting all too much – and I haven’t been feeling well. I think I’ll go and lie down for a while.’

Sileas looking knowingly. ‘’You’re pregnant. All those who get pregnant from fornicating with the Eaorl end up with horrible queasiness for about three months. I had to live through it three times. I feel sorry for you.’

Conn protested. ‘I do not accept responsibility for that. Totally circumstantial evidence only.’

Conn and Derryth heading for Mantu the next morning. He learnt that one of the Folgere was Moana, and given that she was a long way from home, Conn took the message as being urgent. As they were about the leave, Fainche came to see them, and asked if she could go with them. She didn’t know why, but she thought it was the right thing to do.

They arrived at evening and went to the Inn – also new and called “The Salty Eel”. Inside they found Moana and the Folgere – which were dressed in all colours – blue, green, gold and red. Conn had never seen a room with all the Folgere colors in attendance; he didn’t know it was possible.

Conn hugged and kissed Morna; Morna responded very passionately, and Conn dragged himself away. ‘Morna, I’m so surprised to see you.’ He looked around at all the girls. ‘And you have every Gyden represented here – I don’t understand?

She smiled, knowingly. ‘I understand that you are going to Soloes?’

Conn was more surprised. ‘It is on my plans, but I wasn’t intending going soon.’

‘I’m sorry but you are leaving tomorrow… I’ve organized it with Njil.’

‘Njil should be in…’ Conn thought for a moment ‘Trokia. He shouldn’t be here.’

She smiled sweetly again. ‘When he was in Moetiak I asked him to change his plans. He is now preparing to depart in the morning.’

‘I’ll have to have a chat with him later – I thought I was in charge. Anyway why do we need to go to Soloes?’

‘The last Cirice need to be restored – you have the heart-stone don’t you?’

‘I do, but…’

Morna ignored him and called over three of the Folgere; she introduced them, and they all kissed Conn, far too passionately in a public place. All three were very voluptuous, and held their bodies against him; and his head reeled from their perfume and the presence of the Gyden that filled the room with pheromones. Moana apologized. ‘We know that we are putting you out, so I’ve delegated these three to apologize to you tonight.’ She winked and the girls twittered.

‘All three of them – tonight?’

‘You do need to have some energy tomorrow. Oh, and we are to accompany you to the Cirice.’

‘I knew there was a catch. I don’t even know where the Cirice is – but I do know that it is guarded. How am I expected to get all of you there without getting us all killed?’

‘We trust you to find a way.’

Food had arrived and Conn tried to focus on eating while the three girls looked lustfully his way from across the room; their clothes seeming to reveal more and more – it may have been his mind undressing them. He arrived in the room famished but had seemed to have lost his appetite for food.

Conn distracted himself by introducing Fainche to Morna. She had been remarkably subdued since entering the room sitting quietly at the table. Moana looked at her intently, and then back at Conn. She put her hand on Fainche and then shuddered slightly.

‘Fainche wears a haligdom – one that belongs to Tabiti. How did she get it?’

‘I gave it to her.’ Conn explained the turn of events when Fainche gave up the black stone for the red stone. Fainche said nothing.

Moana reprimanded him. ‘You are not supposed to do things like that. You could have killed her – the power of a haligdom can break your mind.’ She looked back at Fainche and held her hands out. Fainche responded by putting her hands in Moana’s. ‘Sister, I need you to do something,’

Behind her two girls in red appeared without summons. They laid their hands on Fainche shoulders and she shuddered at their touch. Moana continued. ‘I’d like you to go upstairs with our sisters. They will help you and provided you with a proper introduction to Tabiti. Would you like that?’

Fainche nodded, tears starting to stream down her face – she had yet to say a word. She stood up, and followed the two girls out of the room and up the stairs.

Derryth, immune to the amorous solicitations of the Folgere, watched in amusement. ‘Well, that is not something you see every day.’

Morna agreed. ‘The Feorhhyrde has been meddling in areas not of his responsibility.’

‘Since when has that been different?’

‘Anyway,’ Conn interrupted, ‘what is wrong with Fainche?’

‘Nothing; she just hasn’t been initiated properly – for a reason I don’t understand, her fornications with you have been the only thing that has kept her sane. If you had have been inclined to say no, she could have gone mad. You need to be more careful doing things that you do not understand. However, a night with two with Tabiti and she will be fine.’

‘Talking about saying no’, Conn looked around the room, ‘where are the three girls?’

‘In your room, waiting for you. You have finished eating, haven’t you?’

‘I guess I shouldn’t keep them waiting then, should I? I’ll see all of you in the morning.’

~~x277~~

When the Folgere joined Njil, Conn and Derryth at breakfast, they had changed out of the colourful robes and were now dressed in browns and blacks with dark woollen travel capes. Njil had come to informed him that the ship was ready – Conn asked him what ship they were taking; he was concerned that the topsail would be too noticeable.

‘The Ancuman Cog…’

‘Seriously? Wasn’t that in Kadash?’

‘Moana had me go and collect it – anyway it was a very good idea. Seeing such a vessel close to land won’t be too surprising – well surprising but not alarming.’

When Fainche arrived, she was positively glowing. Her night with the red Folgere had seemed to have worked wonders. She came over and kissed Conn, and said ‘thank you’. She no longer seemed to hate him. The other thing different about her was that she was now wearing a Folgere’s gown; she had discarded the last of her black clothing. Moana explained that she was now a proper Folgere of Tabiti’s.

Conn remembered a question he had the previous night – why there were Folgere of all the four colors. That had never happened before.

‘It’s the last one – Folgere in Kadesh and Moetiak have changed colors – once they were blue or gold or red – and now some are green. That made it possible for everyone to be here – and our Gyden guide us. For the first time in hundreds of years all Gyden will be together on Meshech. Nothing will be the same.’

‘Which gives reason to why the Rakians wish to stop us.’

‘Exactly.’ She smiled at Conn sweetly. ‘But what stops Conn il Taransay?’

They left by midmorning and after three days of sailing they arrived at the northern most point of Soloes – or Ilissus to be precise – which was where Moana assured them that they needed to go. For two days they were shadowed by the schooner, and on the third day they were on their own. Njil had made improvement to the cog, however, and it was faster than most Rakian vessels, and he did have thirty archers on board for protection; Conn still felt safer in the schooner. Derryth felt safer on land.

It was pitch black as they arrived off the Soloes coast – which was both fortuitous and problematic. As they headed for shore, they scanned the horizon for a reference point. Once in the smaller landing boat, if they didn’t have something to guide them, they would quickly become disorientated. Conn’s rudimentary compass was hard to use at night without giving away your position.

After ten minutes, Conn spotted just what he needed.

‘Got it; there is a guard post and it has a large fire pit. We can use that to guide us.’

With everyone in three row boats; they headed for shore; the Folgere sitting in the middle while the sailors rowed and Conn guided. The beach was long and shallow and Conn was first off to direct the boat in so that the women could disembark. Close to shore he and Derryth lifted them off and carried them to shore and they scampered into the tree line. With the rowboat heading back to the Cog, Conn and Derryth finally went to join the women into the trees – but they were gone.

Conn cursed.

Derryth tried hard not to laugh. ‘That is not something you see every day! Nine Folgere outwit the great Feorhhyrde.’

‘And his trusty Twacuman sidekick Derryth.’

‘I’m going to leave that out when I tell the story.’

‘I thought you didn’t lie?’

‘I don’t – but you have taught me that one can be selective in what one says and doesn’t say… this is one of those time.’

They found a spot out of sight and went to sleep. There was nothing they could do until they could see.

Derryth tried to track the Folgere in the morning. He was getting annoyed. ‘It is not possible – nine Folgere can’t just disappear.’

‘Says the great hunter who can track a snowflake in the sky – well, I tell you, they have disappeared.’

Derryth shrugged. ‘I didn’t know they could do that…’

Giving up, they headed inland. This part of Soloes was remarkably heavily wooded; and they headed for the top of the hill; in lieu of anywhere else to go. Soloes was also undeveloped as there was little evidence of current farming activities, and slow because on regular intervals they had to stop as patrols of twenty men passed on well-worn trails – mostly mounted but occasionally foot patrols. It was easy to hide because the forest was so thick. After the first patrol, they knew that were heading in the right direction.

‘They must have a hundred wiga patrolling this area. They seem intent on keeping you out.’ Derryth noted.

‘So it would seem – certainly riding here would have been very difficult.’

By lunch Conn knew that he was very close to the Cirice as the heavy silence of a Cirice without Folgere invaded his head. He shut it out.

As they crested the top of the hill, they arrived at the Rakian military camp that had been set up to guard the Cirice.

‘They definitely don’t want us going in;’ Derryth commented, ‘but who guards a Cirice? It’s ridiculous.’

‘Well they can’t destroy it – even the Ancuman wouldn’t destroy a Meshechian Cirice. This is the best they can do.’

Derryth and Conn were lying a bank overlooking the Cirice that sat in a small glade. It was about five hundred yards away.

Conn was perplexed. ‘So how are we going to get in?

Two against a hundred were impossible odds – even for Conn. He didn’t even have a hundred arrows. As they watched, it started to rain, heavily. Now his bow was not even going to be very useful. The Cirice had been cleared out of the forest by the Rakians – and all that was visible were ruins. They were over six hundred years old – and had been deserted for over two hundred. Nothing remained except for the walls.

In want of alternatives, they slowly and carefully made their away around the entire Cirice, crossing roads and avoiding Rakians. By the time they had made their way around, they were wet, sweaty and covered in mud. Derryth complained. ‘We Twacuman do not like to be caked in mud. I need a bath.’

‘Don’t we all. Anyway, mud will do us well for the while. See this gully in front of us? It’s a drain – and it travels through the camp and goes right past the back door of the Cirice. That is where we go in. We travel up the gully to the back of the Cirice.’

Derryth nodded. ‘The gully is full of water...’

‘You wanted a bath…’

‘A hot one – with clean water…’

‘I don’t have a better plan…’

Derryth shrugged and headed for the ditch. Being late autumn, the night was becoming very cold, and as it was also pitch black, they made slow progress. They even had to stay submerged for some minutes in the camp as wiga passed them by. The wiga were not happy campers – none actually wanted to be there – they were all along way from home, and they were due to be replaced by a new group several weeks previously but no one had showed up. Morale was low – as well as food supplies.

After two hours in the water, they reached a spot that they could exit the ditch and enter the ancient walls of the first Cirice to be built in Meshech. It stopped raining as they arrived, but they were too cold to care. The Cirice itself was a remarkably small building, and Conn and Derryth entered to be met with a greeting.

‘You took your time!’

Sitting in a small circle, huddled together under their travel cloaks and still remarkably dry were the nine Folgere. Moana smiled sweetly at him.

Conn shook his head. He had kind of expected this to happen. ‘You came the short way – we came the long way. Now where is Inanna? I’m freezing.’

‘Behind that wall – remember that there is only one statue here because the other Gyden weren’t here when Inanna arrived.’

Conn peered around the corner; unfortunately the statue of Inanna was in full site of the camp. He came back. ‘As soon as I place the heart-stone, the whole camp is going to be illuminated in green. Don’t you think that they will notice that?’

‘They will – but why do you think they will think it is you? They have no indication that you were here. And that is partly why we are here – to provide a distraction so that you can escape.’

‘And how do you think you are going to distract one hundred men?’

‘Seriously?’ Moana took off her cloak; the rest did the same; they now wore Folgere gowns again, and these were made of Conn’s finest silk, and totally see through. Breasts were everywhere. ‘They have been away from their bedda for nine months and are now able to fornicate with a Folgere for free. Inanna has been separated from her Folgere for two hundred years. We have a perfect meeting of desires.’

Conn looked at Derryth and he shrugged back.

‘Can’t see how it can fail. Priecuman are, well, Priecuman.’

Shaking his head, Conn withdrew the heart-stone from its protected place in his bag and it lightly gleamed in the faint early morning light. He crept out around the wall; staying as low as he could; and he reached up with the heart-stone in his hand. Conn shut his mind as he placed the haligdom above the open hand; the moment his fingers touched the cold stone, he also shut his eyes.

Through his eyelids he could still see the green light as it crept out of the stone and up the idol. He could have sworn that he saw the voluptuous idol stand and stretch her body as if stiff and tired; her taut but large breasts quivering. She turned and looked at him and smiled, and then sat down again. Then Cirice was now enveloped in light, and the confusion in the camp below was noticeable, with the sound of yelling and wiga running in all directions. Conn retreated around to the middle of the Cirice and was surprised to find the flickering form of Inanna standing in front of him. She walked to the Folgere and her aura flickered out and ran over each of them. It stayed longer on Fainche who cried out in ecstasy, before stopping at Moana. She when walked forward and placed her hands on Moana’s shoulders and she cried in euphoria.

As Inanna’s glow retreated from her body Conn noticed that the gown that Moana wore was no longer blue, but pure white – though still transparent. Inanna then faded and disappeared. The other Folgere were shocked at her transformation and cried out in surprise and then fell to her feet in adulation and homage. They then stood and covered her in kisses.

Derryth was surprised. ‘Well, that is definitely not something you see every day.’

Conn looked at him in confusion.

‘She is what is what I think is called a Sacerd.’

Conn maintained his look. ‘Sacerd?’

‘A Sacerd is a Folgere that can speak to all Folgere.’ It was Derryth’s turn to look confused. ‘In some ways you could be considered a Sacerd – except that you are not female. Anyway, I didn’t think that a Sacerd was even possible – it was a story that arrived from Sytha. Apparently there was a Sacerd in Sytha that had something to do with Osstan – so I’m now really confused.’ He indicated in the direction of the military camp. ‘Anyway, you stand here gawking while I go and see what the Rakians are up to.’

He returned to returned to say that the Rakians seemed to have no idea what to do. There was no sign of an imminent attack.

Morna escaped from the clutched of her adoring Folgere, and went to Conn and hugged and kissed him, passionately. She then reluctantly pushed him away. ‘I’d love you to stay but you need to go. We will go and distract the wiga while you can find your way out of here. Oh, I left a present in your room – she is one of Inanna’s Folgere. She is there to say thanks. She will leave when you have satisfied your lust for her.’

As she spoke, Derryth reported that the Rakians had finally decided to come and investigate – so the Folgere headed out of the ruins and down to the camp – to the probable amazement of the Wiga who saw the slightly glowing naked women arrive. With everyone’s attention suitably diverted, Derryth and Conn easily made their way down the mountain.

The path down was slightly different to the way up, and they stumbled into ruins, now almost reclaimed by the forest, of a town. The remnants of the palisades could be seen, as could the foundation walls of the hall and donjon. The stones that made up the rest of the walls lay scattered around site. They searched quietly until they sat on a boulder looking at the ruins eating some of the emergency rations.

‘Any ideas?’ Derryth asked.

‘I think this is actually the old town of Ilissus. I’ve been getting the librarians in Silekia to find all references to Ilissus and collect them for me.’

The process of turning all the manuscripts in Silekia into Codex has commences some years ago as well – progress was only commencing at a proper pace now as the numbers of librarians increased. Teaching people to read and write was not something that you could do overnight. Much easier to teach them to fight.

Conn continued. ‘There hasn’t been a lot so far but I do know that the town was slighted before it was abandoned. It would seem that the Eaorl was determined that the Aebeling of Rakia not benefit from his demesne. Apparently he took nearly every able person with him.’

‘Isn’t there a Thane?’

‘There is – Ceolred or something; I read that descends from the second son of the Eaorl. He stayed behind with a small group of people. He’s around here somewhere.’

Derryth searched the ruins. ‘There is certainly no indication of war – nothing charred – no arrows.’ He then looked at the sun. ‘We need to move if we want to get into position unseen.’