The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (14 page)

‘That much! One can buy a bedda for that – or two.’

‘You need to pay me the amount by sunset – and since you won’t be here by sunset, you need to pay me now.’

‘I don’t have that much with me…’ He looked to Conn, ‘Can I borrow some …’

The Jarl interrupted. ‘Did you not know that you cannot borrow ryals to pay a wergild…’

‘I did not know that…’ He smiled kindly at the Jarl, ‘Jarl, there has to be a compromise. You know I’m good for the ryals…’

‘But I am dishonoured until such time as the wergild is paid – and if you don’t, I will be the laughing stock of society. I cannot allow that stain on my reputation. You have to stay as my prisoner until the wergild is paid; or…’ He paused, and smiled. ‘or you take the second option.’

‘There is a second option? I didn’t know that either, but I suspect I might like it less.’

‘Probably because most people just want to part you with your ryals, Aebeling. Option two is that you get to take the dishonoured girl as your bedda. I will pay you a suitable dowry to take her off my hands. Luckily for you she has no child.’

‘Lucky me…’ Kolbert muttered under his breath.

The girl burst out crying. ‘Jarl, you wouldn’t.’

‘One time too many, Kasdis, one time too many. Go get your travel clothes. I will send the rest to Saba. Go now.’ Crying she raced off. He looked back at Kolbert. ‘I will give you a dowry of five hundred ryals.’

Kolbert was shocked again. ‘That little?’

The Jarl shrugged. ‘Her reputation is already fairly tarnished but you, an Aebeling, cuckolded me, a Jarl, so I’ve discounted my offer – which you can’t refuse unless you wish to be my prisoner. I’ll send a servant for the money.’

Conn interrupted. ‘No need for coins – give him a servant – the girl Gunvi. That will be sufficient.’

‘Gunvi? Okay. Seems fair enough. Where is she?’ He looked around.

‘I’ve already asked her to collect her clothes. I was going to ask to take her anyway.’

‘You were? It seems I have no choice then.’

Kasdis and Gunvi returned simultaneously and horses were brought forward for them. Conn gave the signal and the wiga moved out in an orderly fashion. The Jarl didn’t see the five hundred Priecuman or Twacuman wiga – they had been sent straight out of town to wait and to secure the roads into the port. He would have been less happy if he had.

Conn was the last to leave, and the Jarl farewelled him.

‘All in all, this hasn’t been such a bad day – I am rid of the folgere – and you assure me that is for ever – and I’m rid of Kasdis. Not all bad really. I can breathe easy for a while.’

Conn galloped out of the port and re-joined his forces. The stallion had appreciated the hard gallop – he was barely breathing as they arrived back in front. When he saw Kolbert with the girl dutifully, and attentively at his side, he burst out laughing.

‘I’m glad you see the lighter side of these events.’ Kolbert responded.

~oo0oo~

It was a five-day easy ride to Himyar-jo or a careful six-day ride. They were careful. As they came to the outskirts of the settlement, Conn sent Gunvi in alone. She could travel freely and without question as she had an official travel pass from the Jarl. She had stolen it on her way out.

She reported back at daybreak as they sat ensconced in a forest only several hours ride from the town.

‘There are several hundred Axum troops in barracks – and they seem well trained. There are over thirty folgere in the castle – they are gathering for a major ceremony this evening – they have over a hundred girls waiting for initiation. There is much moaning and crying.’

‘Where is Svenben, the Aebeling?’

‘He is in the castle; you will not be able to get in without endangering him or his family. I have spoken to the castle staff and they agree.’

Conn walked up and down for a while. ‘So how do we get him out? Is there nothing we can do to get him out of the castle? Anyone?’

Ingesten had an idea.

‘Marquis, I do know something that may be of help. The Aebeling’s father had a young bedda who stayed behind after his death – she and the Aebeling were
very
close – I believe that he was going to take her as his bedda but permission was refused. She lives out of Himyar-jo on a farm. It is said that she hates the folgere which is why she doesn’t stay in the castle. He has been known to visit her a lot.’

‘What is her name?’

He paused before answering. ‘Larena il Bakan. Her father is a Jarl in Makurai.’

Conn stopped to contemplate. They waited. ‘I think that Larena needs to get very sick very quickly. Gunvi, I will need messengers from Larena’s house to go to the castle as soon as possible begging that the Aebeling visit immediately – she is dying – some sort of accident. I also need the get a message to the castle staff to protect the rest of his family. Do you think they can get them hidden somewhere?’

‘Of course. But I do not know where Larena lives.’

Ingesten offered to send someone to guide her. It was about an hour away.

Conn thanked the Folctoga. ‘Also, Ingesten, you are going to let your men go into town in dribs and drabs today – I am going to give them so many ryals they will be drinking, whoring and brawling so much and so loudly that the Axum commander will have to send out its troops to quell a potential riot. They need to go to every tavern and cause as much damage as possible. Can they do that?’

He laughed. ‘That is what they do naturally. No-one drinks and brawls like the Himyar.’

‘Okay, so when the Axum start to break up the fights, I want your men to run – scatter into every nook and cranny that they can find. Make the Axum wiga chase them – where you, Kolbert, will be waiting in the shadows?

‘Just me? I don’t think so!’

Conn smiled because Kolbert was baiting him. ‘You are an idiot, you know that. Take your troops into town as the sun sets – they will have to leave behind their armour and weapons. This is going to be a hands on affair – how is the Bo training going?

‘Fine – we will be ready.’

‘Good. We are counting on you. Finally, Gunvi, I need you to arrange to get three of us into the castle.’

She nodded. ‘I thought you might want to do so. I have organized one of my cousins to meet us in an inn that is close to the castle; the Folgere ceremony starts at soon as the moon comes over the horizon. That is fairly late.’

~oo0oo~

The plan in place, everyone moved. Soon the Himyar wiga drifted off into town. Conn had some Meshech gold ryals and that was a good cover – they had returned with great riches and were celebrating. Just after noon, riders came to say that the Aebeling and his entourage of ten riders including one folgere and three Axum wiga, was leaving town.

As they need to be at Larena’s house before the Aebeling, they headed out quickly, arriving at the farm mid-afternoon. Gunvi had arranged for a Twacuman to go ahead from the town to inform all the Twacuman staff that he was on his way; so they didn’t react as the strange collection of riders stormed into the farmstead.

The master of the house, Larena il Bakan, was not so well informed and was astounded that no one did anything – or reacted as the three strangers rode up and dismounted in her yards; their horses taken away by her servants. She stood transfixed in shock.

Conn bowed to her. Middle aged for an Ancuman, she was still a handsome woman. Solid rather than lithe, she still projected sexuality as well as authority.

‘I understand that you are Larena il Bakan. I am sorry for this intrusion. Can we go inside? I assure you that you are in no danger.’

She looked around at her Ancuman staff and they nodded. ‘Very well, then. Please come inside. I have no idea what is happening but I am intrigued.’

Inside Conn introduced himself.

She laughed. It was bemusement more than humour. ‘I know of you. A cousin died in a battle against you in Sytha. You have a ferocious reputation, Conn il Taransay, Marquis of Kerch. But why are you here in my house?’

‘I have had the Aebeling of Himyar informed that you are on your death bed and he is on his way here. I...’

‘You are using me as a lure to kill the Aebeling?’

‘No, I am trying to save the Aebeling and his family. My reason for him coming here is so that I can protect him.’

‘So who is in danger if not the Aebeling?’

‘The folgere and the Axum wiga.’

‘Will the folgere die?’

‘Very likely.’

She stood up. ‘In that case, what do you need me to do?’

‘Have your Ancuman servants go along with the ruse. The Twacuman don’t need instruction.’

She looked around shaking her head. ‘Something else I don’t understand. Anyway, I’ll do as you request.’

Larena rushed off to tell the few Ancuman servants she had what to do and then she returned and headed upstairs to her bedroom.

On her way up, she paused and looked back. ‘You promise that the Aebeling will be safe?’

‘Yes, I do. I’ll also probably make a bit of a mess in this room.’

‘Just as long as you pay for the damage.’

~oo0oo~

Within the hour, a dozen horses arrived; six riders stayed outside while six came inside. Conn sat in a dark corner, unseen. The servants escorted the Aebeling and his two sons up the stairs into the bedroom while the two Axum wiga and the folgere stayed downstairs. After the upper door was closed, Conn made his appearance. He opened up his mind to Ashtoreth for a moment and the folgere reeled as he was not prepared for his Gyden’s violent response. Conn ‘shut the gate’ and waited.

‘What’s the matter?’ one of the wiga demanded.

‘That feorrancund from Meshech is here somewhere. I don’t understand – he is supposed to be dead. Find him – kill him’. They raced to the door and bounced back; it had been barred from the outside. The wiga outside had run into Derryth and Wilric, and others armed with Bo, and were probably feeling worse for wear.

‘We can’t get out!’

‘You don’t need to,’ Conn said helpfully, ‘I’m here.’

They whirled around, bringing out their swords.

‘What are you doing in Himyar?’ the folgere asked, somewhat unnecessarily.

‘Your Bretwalda sent his son to play in Meshech, so I’m playing in Kishdah. Seems fair to me…’

The Folgere snarled at him; ‘Today your playing days end, feorrancund, today you die!’

‘Somehow, I don’t think so.’

Three against one is not a fair fight when one is Conn il Taransay. Smarter, faster and stronger than any single man, it was just a question of time before the three lay dead on the floor. Before the folgere died, Conn removed his stone necklace and stared down at his dying eyes.

‘Tonight I’m going to kill everyone else in your nest of iniquity, Folgere. You will soon have company wherever you go after you die.’

Conn called the ‘all clear’ and the front door was opened and he went outside. The Axum wiga were all bound. Conn indicated to Gunvi that the bodies inside should be removed and she organized servants.

Larena quickly arrived with Svenben outside the house, looking at the bodies as they were being removed. She introduced Conn to the Aebeling.

Conn then called over a detail of Himyar wiga and they bowed to the Aebeling.

‘Aebeling, this is your replacement guard. I understand that you know some of these men?’

‘I do – but what is the meaning of all this? Larena has told me who you are – but I’m still in the dark.’

‘The short version, Aebeling, is that I’m going to rid your home of vermin. By tomorrow, there will not be any folgere in your castle – and I expect that most will be dead. Most of the Axum wiga will also be under guard. I have to leave now, but I’d like you to stay here tonight.’

‘But my bedda – my daughters. I can’t leave them alone if you are going to attack the folgere.’

‘Tell me about your family so I will know all are safe.’

‘I have two bedda and four children. My bedda are Welyn il Arum and Aslatha il Abdera. Welyn has two daughters and Aslatha has two sons.’

Conn was curious. ‘Arum? I thought that Aebeling couldn’t have bedda until they had a son of from a bedda of the family of the Bretwalda.’

‘Welyn’s mother is a daughter of the Bretwalda – Arum is a Jarl demesne to the north. We had a son but he died of sickness last winter. Aslatha is a theow – and the daughter of a Jarl in Makuria.’

‘Very well; I will check when I get there but I’m assuming that your family will be safe because they will all have successfully disappeared within the castle. They are in hiding.’

‘I don’t understand. How could such a thing be organized?’

‘I asked your Twacuman servants to make it happen. The reason why I got you out of the castle is because you would not have followed the instructions of your servants. It is my experience that bedda and children have no such inhibitions.’

‘And you told them to do this?’

‘I did.’

He laughed in frustration. ‘Are you seriously saying that the Twacuman servants in
my
demesne are doing what
you
tell them to?’