The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (10 page)

They followed Conn as he raced down the corridors and mazes that made up the ancient castle. Anyone who stood in their way – mostly servants – they ordered out of the way. Finally, they arrived at the back of the castle and came upon a group of men frantically tying belongings onto horses. They spun as Conn arrived.

‘Where do you think you are going?’ he demanded.

The ten men drew their swords and faced him. One of them pushed his way forward. He was clearly the eldest there.

‘Do you think you will get away with this? When we return we will have five thousand men and this entire town will be put to the sword – and all females will make their sacrifice – regardless of age. That is the wrath that this rebellion will bring.’

‘You have made three miscalculations – I have six thousand men right now landing in the harbour; all mounted. Second, the beacon never made it over the hill. The reinforcements are not getting ready, and three, you are not leaving here.’

‘You cannot stop us – all of us – you are one man with a bunch of girls – four of which know that they cannot touch us – they have made their pledge. Ashtoreth will destroy them.’

‘They don’t follow Ashtoreth – they have been received back by Ishtar – do you remember her? Ishtar will soon be returned to the cirice here – after it is cleansed of your filth.’

Asbera walked forward and at her neck the white stone flared. ‘Do I look scared of you?’ she asked rhetorically.

The strong resolve and faith on his face wavered just a little. He looked back at Conn. ‘Who do you think you are?’

‘I don’t think. I know. I am Conn, commonly known as the Marquis of Kerch. I have already destroyed dozens of those black stones that hang around your neck and have slaughtered over thirty of your brethren.’ He reached into his pouch and withdrew the ones that he had collected a while before. ‘I will destroy these later.’

Conn was surprised to hear the intake of breath from Disetha who stood behind him, and he half looked around. Her face was full of concern. Something to consider later.

‘So the Marquis of Kerch is in Kishdah – the heathen that gave himself the title of Casere of Sytha. You are nothing but myth and a memory – and so will you be again. Kill them!’ With that the black cloaked men raced forward to attack; while the girls stood silent with their bows so as not to endanger their father. Conn was just fine; his twin blades cut through the folgere like butter and soon the ten lay dead on the floor. It was sad in a way – some were very young – just in their teens and yet they lay dead. Ashtoreth had a lot to answer for.

Conn collected the necklaces. He sensed Disetha standing behind him. Her concern was palpable. She asked as brazenly as she could, ‘Are you going to destroy them all?’

Something inside him urged caution and he replied, ‘Not today. I think I’ll wait to find a better place and time…’

Conn felt her relief, and she simply said ‘Okay.’

Men started to stream into the courtyard; led by Farrun, their swords in their hands. They looked at the bodies on the ground.

Kolbert walked forward. ‘I see you have all this under control.’

‘There were only ten of them. Are the Axum wiga under guard?’

‘Most – a few decided to resist but the rest had better sense.’

Conn looked back at Kolbert ‘Are there other cells of Axum folgere in Saba?’

Kolbert answered easily. ‘Yes – in Lixi-jo and Saba-jo – where they have wiga to enforce their will. Lixi is to the north; and Saba to the east.’

‘Very well. It will take us a few days to unload everyone so we have some time before we have to deal with them. Now, do you have any food in this building – I’m famished. I didn’t have any breakfast.’

By the time that Conn arrived in the main hall, Derryth was waiting for him, with the Ancuman wiga who had been their escorts. He was also talking to the Twacuman servants who looked at their cousins in awe.

Conn embraced him. ‘Good to see that you are still alive. I gather the message didn’t get out?’

‘No – it made it as far as the second beacon but we found a beehive to put into the last tower and that made them lose concentration long enough to get themselves killed.’

‘Ingenious.’

Kolbert came over and was introduced. He looked at Farrun as he stood at his father’s side. ‘I’m getting really confused. You have Twacuman in your fyrd?’

‘My father does…’

‘They have bows?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you trust them?’

Conn answered this question. ‘With my life and the lives of all my children. Have you ever found the Twacuman to be untrustworthy?’

Kolbert paused to consider and while he did he looked around at the servants in his hall; all were theow and most was Twacuman.

‘No – but then theow are never armed. They are untrained in such things.’

‘You actually believe that?’

‘I have no reason not to.’

Conn laughed and looked around the room. One of the manservants was a young Twacuman – he looked fit and conditioned. Conn called him over.

‘What is your name?’

‘Master, I am Torbert.’

Conn turned to his daughter. ‘Asbera, give Torbert your bow. And fetch me an apple from that table.’ By the time she had returned with the apple, Torbert had familiarized himself with the bow. Conn sent him to stand at the end of the hall. On a signal Conn tossed the apple into the air and Torbert fired the bow. They watched the arrow slice through the apple before imbedding itself in a tapestry at the end of the hall.

Conn handed the sliced apple to the Aebeling. ‘You are trained. I will wager a hundred thousand ryals that you cannot do what he did.’

The Aebeling was stunned. ‘No – I could not do that. Now I don’t know what to think. It has been a very surprising day. Come let us sit and drink. You need to tell me what your plans are and how much time I have before I am executed by the Bretwalda.’

Farrun gave a quick outline of their plans. He was halfway through when Kolbert stopped him. ‘Cousin, too much information. You just needed to tell me I wasn’t going to get executed.’ He turned to Conn. ‘I presume all of this has a price?’

‘Nothing excessive. But before I take, I have something to give.’ He called over Asbera’s honour guard, and asked Fridfina to introduce the girls formally to Kolbert. Fridfina looked anxiously at him as she followed his instructions. The other three were daughters of Jarls or wiga in Nobatia; all were mid-twenties, and all more than ready to be bedda to the Aebeling. ‘I am prepared to offer them to you as bedda – if they agree.’

‘The four of them?’

Fridfina was the only one to look down as he gazed at them and Conn took note. ‘No – you should select from the three younger. Fridfina stays with Asbera.’

‘Well, I guess three will have to do.’

Conn was surprised. ‘You really want to take all three?’

‘Of course – my family has only had a few children in two hundred years – I want lots of children.’ He looked at the girls; ‘Do you agree to be my bedda?’

They nodded; and ritualistically, they removed their weapons and handed them to Fridfina; then their body armour and gambesons; standing only in the trews and silk undershirts that they had taken to wearing since joining Conn’s entourage – three quarter length and fairly sheer. Their feminine charms were easily discernible. Kolbert didn’t know where to look, but he walked forward and ran his hand down one girl’s side – sensing and feeling the fabric.

‘Wonderful material. What of their fathers – do I have to ask permission and organize a dowry?’

‘No – I think their families believe that they are dead – they surrendered to me in Neritum.’

‘So they are your theow?’

‘I guess they probably are, legally speaking. You should know that Fastota’s father is the Jarl of Adria. She should be your first bedda.’

‘I’m very confused.’ All this time he had been stroking the silk shirt of Fastota. She was tall and strong; her breasts, though not huge, were clearly visible under the silk. Suddenly, he turned and looked around at the packed hall. He gestured aimlessly. ‘Anyway, I’ll be right back – maybe thirty minutes – won’t be long – need to show the girls the way – you know – to my quarters – wouldn’t want them to get lost – be right back – make yourself at home.’ Telling them to follow him he almost ran out of the hall, the three girls led by Fastota trotting along behind him.

Conn smiled. ‘Lucky if we see him in an hour. So who’s the steward?’

An elderly Twacuman came forward. He had been talking to Derryth as Conn arrived in the hall. He bowed. ‘Master. I am Saekell. Are you the Feorhhyrde?’

‘I have that honour.’

‘Can I see the medallion?’

‘Of course.’ Conn reached under his shirt and pulled out the necklace. In the clear light, the gold medallion shone.

The steward smiled, and bowed again. ‘It is good that it has made it home. It was cast here in Saba over a thousand years ago.’

‘Really – I did not know that.’

‘Not even you can know everything, Feorhhyrde. It was cast and given to the senior elder who travelled with his master to invade a new land. His name was Kelwin il Neritum. He is remembered. As for now, what do you need?’

‘Food; and quarters for everyone, oh, and baths too.’

‘The Wothbora mentioned those things already and they are being arranged. The third level is suddenly free of its inhabitants and we thought you might want to make use of it. It is being cleaned. The food will arrive soon.’

~oo0oo~

They were eating when Kolbert returned an hour later – looking much the worse for wear, and he addressed Farrun. ‘I think I have bitten off more than I can chew, cousin. You should have warned me.’

‘Did you not see me waving my arms and indicating one or two.’

‘Isn’t one and two three? You confused me. Anyway, I don’t think I’ll live to see the next lunar.’

‘Well, they have been mostly celibate for six years.’

‘Mostly?’

Farrun looked down at the ground. ‘It was a long voyage – and not a lot to do.’

‘I should have known. They’d better not be pregnant already.’ He looked around and saw that everyone was seated and eating. ‘I need food, lots of it, to regain my strength. They are waiting my return.’ He started to devour meat from a plate handed to him. ‘They are certainly very enthusiastic.’ 

~oo0oo~

After lunch Kolbert took them all out to inspect the immediate surrounds of the demesne of Sala, and to tell his subjects that the Axum wiga and all the folgere were gone and he was soon to be Healdend again. He also warned them of the six thousand wiga that would be walking through the town in the next few days and taking up residence in whatever fields they could find. He doubly warned them of the five hundred Priecuman wiga and five hundred Twacuman wiga with weapons, that would also be marching through town.

Despite the trepidation of things unknown and incomprehensible, the happiness over the death of the folgere and expulsion of the Axum wiga easily exceeded any anxiety over the armed Twacuman.

Kolbert also ordered that a feast be prepared and invited everyone of importance to the event. It was to be held the next evening.

On the night, things being as they were, the best dressed in the room was Conn, his family, and his commanders – including the Folctoga from the Southern Isles who all wore his standard Colonel insignia on a black tunic, while he and his Kerchians wore brown tunics. Kolbert complained until he was given a black uniform and the insignia of a Colonel. He didn’t wish to be outranked by Farrun. They had a big table prepared for themselves to one side while the rest of the room was full of people. Farrun and the rest of the Ancuman commanders were being overwhelmed with attention, acclimation and offers. Not more than one of the Folctoga disappeared with a woman down a hallway to return twenty minutes later looking very self-satisfied. Soon after, they would be down another hallway with another girl.

Conn asked Saekell who the people were. Whenever he looked around Saekell was there to answer questions for him.

‘Mostly townsfolk – merchants and the like, and their families. Some are the family of Jarls and landowners but some of the male folk are not here tonight.’

‘They seem very…soft...’

‘Of course they are. All work is done by theow. Most theow are Twacuman but there are large numbers of Ancuman theow and some Priecuman theow.’

‘They are also fairly amorous.’ Even to Conn’s standards the girls were very direct, flashy and their clothing left very little to the imagination. In all shades of ebony, they glistened with oiled bodies and tight chiton or tunica styled gowns of cotton and linen with extensive cleavages on display and slits up the side of the dress to expose their legs. Others, however, were basically topless. Conn could see a fortune being made with oils, perfumes and clothing materials. With silk being too expensive for the masses, the muslin produced in his southern demesne in Sytha was of excellent standard. Its semi-transparent abilities would be well received in Kishdah.

Saekell nodded sadly. ‘If your first experience is to be ‘initiated’ by a group of folgere when you are sixteen – both male and females alike, there is no need for chastity with your virtue destroyed. Some, those that are not as well grown as others, even die from the experience. Others have repeat initiations if the folgere do not think they have repented enough – especially if they have not been chaste before the initiation – Ashtoreth only wants virgins. A lot never recover. After they have become bedda, I think they try to escape the memory with wanton sexual behaviour. The only child who truly knows who his father is; is the eldest son.’