The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (34 page)

After the Healdend was proclaimed; Finna called forward Asbera and Enbert, Jarl of Cirta, and completed their bedda handfasting ceremony. Farrun and Asema were next. The tall Ancuman girl gave Conn the impression she was going to be a handful. Unfortunately, Conn was not as connected to Ishtar as he was to the other Gyden so he couldn’t get her opinion. He did ask Finna later.

Finna looked curiously at him – as she recently always did when he knew more that he was supposed to. ‘She is very powerful – she has an inner strength unlike any that I have seen in other than in you. But she will love Farrun – and give him lots of children. As for the children …’ She looked at him sadly, ‘but they will not be your worry – will they?’

He shook his head, ‘I do not know, Finna, I do not know. Ishtar should.’

She laughed, ‘perhaps we could find out together – later – if Vila allows me to visit you both.’ She leant towards him in her loose fitting and extremely revealing bodice. ‘You will be leaving soon - and I do need to say goodbye.’

It was indeed time for Conn to leave; he needed to get home, and he had a stop on the way. He had made some extra arrangements with Eldvir that didn’t sit well with the Healdend.

He was miffed. ‘You are taking over five hundred of our Twacuman with you?’

‘Yes, I need them – and I have paid for their freedom haven’t I? It was a good way to get a lot of ryals into the coffer of the new Healdend.

‘You have – and I am grateful for the ryals – but so many leaving. I am amazed.’

Conn’s junks were being loaded as they spoke. He was taking nearly a fifteen hundred Twacuman with him. Njil informed him that everywhere they went they left with more Twacuman than they had arrived with. He wasn’t questioning it, just observing. Conn presumed that they knew what they were doing, so he didn’t question it either.

‘And you are taking them to Aeaea?’ Farrun was part of the discussion.

‘Their last island went up in smoke – I think that they deserved a new one.’

Chapter 14
Oisin il Piada

It was late summer when Conn farewelled Farrun and Asbera and headed to sea. He had brought so many children with him and now he was down to two, Disetha and Tihild. He had given them both the option of staying with Farrun but they had chosen instead to go with him. Conn had the idea that Disetha wanted to keep an eye on him.

Conn was travelling light, and he felt naked – he had even left his black stallion behind for Farrun to start a horse breeding program in Nobatia. With that stallion and a fine selection of mares from the booty from his battles with the Ancuman, Farrun had the beginnings of a fine stud.

The sailing to Aeaea was uneventful; the only sign of traffic was the merchant craft heading to the Southern Isles. On the morning of the twentieth day since his departure, Conn sailed into port that appeared a beehive of activity. He was surprised to see one of his schooners tied up at the dock. He was standing with Njil and Derryth when he first saw the ship—it was a sister to the one that he was travelling in – albeit 50 tonnes smaller.

‘What an earth is that doing there? I didn’t expect that there would be anyone from Meshech here.’ It was flying Meshechian insignia.

‘That would be Caewyn.’ Njil answered as matter of factually as he could.

‘Caewyn? Caewyn has a ship – one of the schooners?’

‘Ah, yes, it would be true to say that she does.’

Derryth broke out laughing. ‘I can’t wait to see how she likes ocean travel.’

Conn was looking at Njil who was steadfast in his refusal to look him in the eyes. ‘What I’d like to know is how she came to have a schooner… and why she needed one.’

‘She asked for one.’

‘She asked for a ship... and you gave her one?’

Njil stood and looked at Conn directly. ‘Okay. Tell me the last time you refused to do anything she asked?’

Derryth interjected. ‘Pray tell. I’d like to know that too.’

Taken back, Conn looked at them in frustration. ‘Well, never of course. But I expect more from you lot; giving her a ship, indeed. What did she say she wanted it for?’

‘I have no idea – I tried to ask but she just smiled at me. What could I do? It is not that she doesn’t take no for an answer, it is that no one can say no to her.’

Vila was standing with them by this time. ‘Who is Caewyn?’ Villa and her daughter were the only other two leftovers from his activities in the Southern Isles.

‘Caewyn is the Aebeling of Halani. She knows a lot more than she should about most things…’

Derryth agreed. ‘She is connected to the wind in more ways that I understand.’

~oo0oo~

As they neared the docks, ropes were thrown and the huge ship was pulled into place. Conn could see a large group of people gathering to greet them – and even he could see Caewyn waiting at the front – with Kaltor at her side. By their side was Kutidi and Dagrun. There was someone else with her he didn’t readily recognize – a Priecuman girl. Down the gangplank, he went and hugged the extremely beautiful young women who radiated pure power. He held her close and only let her go when he was sure he wasn’t going to cry. He hated crying in front of people, but he hadn’t realized how much he missed the young woman.

He pushed her back to look at her. Tall, beautiful and a smile that let her get away with anything, she was force of nature.

‘I hear you stole one of my ships.’

She smiled. ‘Did you miss it?’

‘No – but I would have liked to know that you were travelling the oceans without me, you know, just in case I needed to rescue you from somewhere.’

‘Rescue me indeed.’ She laughed, and dragged him around to walk towards the others. ‘You go and greet everyone while I go and see Derryth.’

We went to Kutidi and she gave him a big hug and kiss.

‘I don’t suppose you have our son with you?’

‘Sadly no – but he is Healdend now and I was loath to separate him from his demesne so soon. Volund is taking care of him.’

She burst in to tears. ‘Healdend of Alwa!’ She hugged him again. ‘Thank you.’

Dagrun also greeted him warmly. Conn bowed extravagantly – ‘Jarl of Mersin – sounds workable.’

‘Indeed and thank you. Kutidi is delighted to be able to go home. We are ready to leave. Caewyn seems to have everything under control her.’ He went closer to Conn and whispered, ‘She is actually bossier than you. I would never have thought it possible.’

‘I pale into insignificance around her’.

Caewyn took her to the last person waiting for him. ‘Do you remember Beowen?’

‘Beowen? Of course. I haven’t seen you in years.’ Beowen was a little girl that befriended him when he first arrived in Larsa so many years ago. She was a Sacerd – a folgere that spoke to all Gyden like Moana. Her mother was Cynilda. ‘I don’t understand what you are doing here.’

‘I heard that Caewyn was coming here and joined her. This place is closest to the Gyden.’ Was her greeting as she hugged him and then Derryth.

Caewyn looked serious suddenly. ‘I also needed her help with Oisin – and I fear that we need your help now.’

‘Oisin is here?’

‘Yes, and Jowan. They await us in the donjon. Oisin in having another baby and she is weak.’

~oo0oo~

Caewyn immediately turned and led them hurriedly towards the castle. The port was unlike anything he had ever seen – a town full of Twacuman. Conn’s agreement with Dagrun was for him and the rest of the Ancuman, if they wanted to leave, to be ready to evacuate the island when he arrived. He would purchase everything from everyone, and anything they didn’t need was to be left in good order and nothing was to be destroyed. Conn was pleased that Dagrun had lived up to his side of the bargain. Conn was then going to bring Twacuman back from the Southern Isles to populate it. He expected that at some time in the future, others would arrive from Meshech and Sytha. In that he was wrong; Caewyn, with several hundred men and women and lots of boats, had already arrived. He hadn’t even told Caewyn about his plan.

‘How did you know?’ Conn asked, as they walked up the hill to the castle.

She smiled her disarming smile. ‘A little birdie told me.’

Inside the castle, Caewyn led Conn up the stairs, through the hall, and up into a room that would have been the Thane’s bedroom. Jowan was at the door, pacing back and forth. He was visibly relieved to see his father, and hugged him.

‘Papa – thank the Gyden you have arrived. Oisin is very weak.’

Conn went inside the room and found Oisin lying on the bed. She was very pregnant and a midwife was doing what she could. Conn had met her before. It was Kalwitha, niece of Daray, Aebeling of Lykia, and younger sister of Cenwitha who was bedda to the Eaorl of Sabatah. Six years ago he had met her in Sabatah and she had expressed a desire to join his fyrd to train as a medic, and he had made it possible. Somehow she had ended up in Caewyn crew. Hallvi was beside her, she smiled at Conn and at Derryth as he arrived but continued to hold Oisin’s hand.

Oisin saw him arrived, and she smiled faintly. ‘Conn … I am so pleased to see you. Save my babies.’

Conn went closer, kissed her on the forehead and held her hand. ‘Oisin, I’ll do what I can to save all of you.’

She had a high temperature and she was sweating profusely. Caewyn came in and held her other hand, replacing Hallvi. Conn looked at Kalwitha. ‘Babies?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, twins – but they are in the breech position. We have tried everything we know to get them to turn but we have been unsuccessful.’ She was apologetic. ‘I am not fully trained – our other medic is ill.’

‘I’m sure you did what you could.’ He contemplated. ‘Both are breech?’

She shook her head. ‘No, I think only just the first one.’

Conn did an investigation and reached the same conclusion. He also determined that the babies were becoming stressed. It was a tragic situation. looked at Oisin. ‘Oisin, I can try and save your babies – but you will be in great danger. I don’t know that I can save you all.’

She smiled at him. ‘Do not worry about me. Just save my babies, please. I have been living on borrowed time since I tested my mind against the guardstone – it has only been Jowan’s love that has kept me strong and alive. Caewyn know this.’

Conn looked up at Caewyn and she nodded. She had tears in her eyes. Caewyn never cried. ‘Some leave early, some leave late.’ She kissed Oisin’s hand and held it to her cheek, amongst the tears. ‘I fear that Oisin has survived longer than she was meant.’

Conn had to perform a C-section and the problem with C-sections was that the wound was almost always infected afterwards – and whatever he did, there was little he could do to prevent that. It was only ever a matter of days. Aeaea was humid even in winter, and infections thrived in these conditions.

Her eyes begged. ‘Please – before it is too late. I can feel their hearts getting stressed and weak.’

Conn immediately disrobed from his shirt and put on one of his medic’s gowns. He quickly found the bottle of chloroform and they applied it carefully with a breathing mask. She was soon unconscious and Conn sterilized himself before he performed the C-section and retrieved the babies. Although stressed, they soon calmed outside the womb. The babies out, Conn carefully stitched up the wound, knowing that the chances that she had escaped infection were negligible, despite the efforts he went to with honey and everything else at his disposal. He was in a medieval hospital so he was limited.

They carefully woke her up, and she quickly fell into a deep sleep. Jowan sat at her side and held her hand on one side while Caewyn held her other.

Conn inspected the babies with the midwives and a wet nurse that had been arranged for them. Jowan had a boy and a girl to add to his son. Vila was standing with them. ‘They are very beautiful.’

‘Indeed – but they come at a high price.’

‘Will she not survive?’

Conn shook his head. ‘No – she is too weak – and she will get weaker every day. It seems destined. Even Jowan seems to understand that.’

As they cared for her and hoped that she would survive against the odds, they farewelled Kutidi and over a dozen junks heading for Mersin. Torvarr would be waiting for them, and would make them welcome. Unloaded, they would return soon with cargo holds full of shale.

~oo0oo~

Oisin passed several days later; she had time to see her babies and she thanked Conn again for saving them. A pyre had been prepared for her and her lifeless body was wrapped and placed on the top, and they watched her pass to the wind.

Conn was desolate – more than everyone else. He cried and didn’t mind that people saw him cry. He remembered the small girl some twenty-five years ago when he rescued her in Tegeste. She had been so close to being sent to Axum as a theow. Caewyn arrived at his side and grabbed his arm; drawing him into her.

‘Feorhhyrde, do not fret. She was happy knowing that we saved her babies. We thought we would lose them too.’

‘You brought her here deliberately?’ Conn was shocked – but at least it made sense.

She nodded as she kissed him on the cheek. ‘Of course – only you could have saved them.’

Conn found Derryth. ‘Come, let’s find a tavern – I need a few drinks.’

‘I think I could do with more than one myself.’

~oo0oo~

Conn was sitting in the tavern until late, fairly drunk, when he had this sensation that someone was behind him. Here he was safe, but it was still unusual to have someone creep up behind him. He looked around. It was Aga.

‘Why can’t you ever just walk in somewhere – instead of just appearing?’ He hadn’t seen the girl since Makuria – and he had no idea that she was here.

‘Feorhhyrde, that would not be any fun, now would it.’ She sat down beside him on the bench as Derryth returned with two tankards of beer. ‘I have something I think you should see.’

‘Now? I can hardly stand up.’

She shook her head. ‘No, tomorrow. Can you meet me at the east gate at midday? I would say daybreak but I don’t think you will be ready.’

‘Very well. How long will we be away?’

‘Three days. We need to go to Hamazi.’

‘Hamazi – isn’t that an island to the south. Why there?’

She smiled defiantly. “You will know when you see it.’ She stood up and kissed him. ‘Such a shame that you are so drunk. At midday then…’ She stood and left before Conn could say that he wasn’t
that
drunk.

~oo0oo~

Derryth gathered their horses while Conn informed everyone that he would be away for a few days. He didn’t reveal why – but kind of indicated that he needed some ‘time’. The three of them then headed out the east gate and headed south.

‘So where to first?

‘Zabala – we will need a boat.’

They headed south; through the fields and forests. Aeaea was not traditionally a farming island as it didn’t have the need – but with the huge influx of new residents, they would have to farm more. Luckily the Twacuman from Kishdah had been farmers for centuries, unlike their cousins from Meshech, and Conn saw great potential in the subtropical climate – especially things such as pineapples, coffee, tea, and sugarcane.