The Marquis (43 page)

‘Unless,’ Conn suggested to Oselda ‘you might like to go and see them yourself?’ They were sitting in his roundhouse eating dinner.

Oselda looked at him sharply. ‘You would let me go?’

Conn nodded. ‘Your morning sickness is not so bad so a sea voyage will not be too hard. When you get to Larsak, Badb is there and Piegi as Folgere will take care of you so if you want to go home, you are welcome.’

She did.

As they farewelled the Larsans on the docks, Derryth commented that Conn was running out of Bedda. ‘You are down to, what, six? And half of them are pregnant. What ever will you do with all your spare time?’

~oo0oo~

A week later, Conn led the last of his fyrd over the river into his demesne of Rila. It was the shortest part of the journey so far. The town was impressive – Lile and her team of craftsmen from Meshech had transformed a distant and deserted derelict of a settlement into a formidable fortress. The streets were paved and drained, while the houses were a combination of Sythan roundhouses and new Meshechian styles – the more ‘modern’ bay-leaf styled two story styled house with stone chimney, tile roof, and brick walls. All the way there the farms were all enclosed; herds of sheep, cows and goats grazed between fields of wheat, corn, potatoes and many other crops. Around the town stood the extensive barracks for wiga, and on his arrival his troops formed an honour guard– all two thousands of them. Resplendent in different coloured surcoats; the spectacle was enough to make Beortan, Eaorl il Kotan, almost weep.

‘Oh, my poor, poor nation.’ was all that he kept repeating.

The donjon was inside high stone walls. In the corners towers peered over the countryside. It was serious overkill, but it gave everyone something to do, and the resident fyrd of a thousand wiga needed to be kept active for the five years. Consequently they were bursting with enthusiasm for a war, and they welcomed him with three cheers.

Already waiting for him in the harbour was Sir Njil and Sir Eggar and they were supervising the unloading of additional supplies for the campaign.

That night Lile organized a major feast with all his retainers. All the Lairds had been making their way into the Town – some had arrived a week earlier, and by the time Conn arrived in the Great Hall, it was filled to overflowing, with everyone was dressed in their finery. The finest clothing from Meshech had been imported into Rila, and even his cotters were better dressed than any other cotter in Sytha. It was Conn’s way of regaining a lot of the money that he directed their way.

Since becoming Marquis, he had invested a huge amount of money into Rila – initially to secure the demesne from the raiders, and secondly to restore the farmlands to their productive best. This was the heartland of production in Sytha, and the loss of these lands had been onerous to the rest of the nation. Given its distance, however, it had not been feasible to protect it from the hit and run activities of the Pontians – the Healdend simply did not have the resources.

Conn did have the resources, and now secure, the farmlands had quickly been put back to work. With Conn’s improved seeds, technology and methods, production had been greatly increased. Prosperity for the Lairds of Rila – a combination of the original Sythans Thanes and Meshechians settlers who had served as Wiga in his fyrds – had been assured.

The main event of the night was an awards ceremony, facilitated by medals brought from Meshech by Sir Eggar. As well as a campaign medal – he had created a Sytha Service Medal (with clasps) – he had a number of valour medals to award and several meritorious service medals, including three knighthoods.

The first was to Theoric von Almund, who had served as Steward of Rila since Conn had sent personnel to claim it some five years previous. He was awarded the rank of Knight in the newly created Kerch Order of Merit. The second went to Osric il Erbil, the Major of his fyrd in Rila. Having given him a Sytha Service Medal with clasp for Rila and a Gold Cross for Valour, Conn then raised him to be a Knight in the new order.

The last was to Lile, and he congratulated her on the success of her rule over Rila in tough times. He draped the star around her neck on a collar so that it sat above the gleaming haligdom and her plunging neckline and ample cleavage, and he kissed her on both cheeks and then on her lips.

She smiled back. ‘It is easy to look good when you have the largest fyrd in Sytha and an unlimited supply of Ryals. I think my father was even secretly afraid I was going to usurp him.’

~oo0oo~

A week later, all officers had been gathered for a briefing. Sir Njil and Sir Eggar were about to leave.

‘So when do you expect to be in Kapisi?’ Sir Njil asked as they later sat around a large table in the hall. He was going to meet there; he would be waiting off the coast.

‘Probably about four weeks after the equinox.’ He turned to Sir Eggar. ‘I would like you to start harassing the large port to the east called Mapri about two weeks after the equinox. Do what you can to make a menace of yourself.’

Conn then addressed his assembled officers and introduced the new comers, introduced a new command structure, and explained his plans for the winter and the next spring. They then went away to start work. Two thousand wiga and horses riding in a line over a mountain was a monumental task. It would take days to leave and days to arrive, with two companies leaving every day.

Conn was left with the Twacuman. They were going to go home to spend winter in Iladion. Ceolrys was also taking his Priecuman bedda home with him – Albega was going to spend her first winter in the mountains, away from her family. She looked nervous as well as excited.

‘You are going as well?’ He addressed the question to Derryth.

‘Indeed. You are pretty safe here – you have two thousand wiga surrounding a fortified castle. The most danger you are going to get into is if you get Cynilda pregnant – and I can’t protect you from that.’

‘Too late.’

‘Well, if you are not dead already, you will be fine. We will be waiting for you on the mountain straight after Equinox.’

~oo0oo~

The next day, Conn relaxed in the hall with Alana and Beortan when Lile came in with a young man – another Pontian. He looked tanned and fit.

‘Marquis, this is Beobald il Kashgar; he was captured during the last Pontian attempt to invade Rila, along with a hundred wiga. They have all been working on the road gangs. I had him brought here so that you can meet him.’

The young man bowed respectfully, and formally introduced himself.

‘Marquis, I am Beobald il Kashgar, son of Athelnoth, son of Egric, son of Brictstan, Eaorl of Kashgar.’

‘Pleased to meet you, Beobald. I take it that you are related to the Eaorl of Kashgar and the Healdend of Pontia.’

He nodded. ‘I am. Unlike them, however, I am not closely related to the Bretwalda of Kishdah.’

‘You should count your blessings, Beobald. I trust you have not found your captivity too onerous.’

‘Captivity is always onerous, but I cannot say that I or my men have been badly treated. I must admit that I now know more about building roads and bridges then I’s ever imagined possible. I am confused, however, that we have not been ransomed.’

‘That was my instruction. I find that not doing as expected is sometimes fortuitous. Have you seen my wiga?’

He nodded. ‘In action and in training. The former was certainly an experience I do not wish to replicate. Why I am not dead is still a mystery. I can only image the carnage that will result when your wiga meet with the combined forces of Axum and Pontia. I thought the Axum wiga were unbeatable, but now...’ he shrugged, ‘I am not so sure.’

‘Everyone is beatable, Beobald. Now, tell me if I have this right.  The Eaorl of Kapisi is treacherously killed because he refuses to allow wiga to march through his lands to attack Iladion – an act that breaks an ancient agreement between Iladion and its neighbours. Then the Healdend of Pontia, Egwyn, is assassinated by Ancuman, and not by Sythans as people like to believe, and your kin Cyngard, the Eaorl of Kashgar, usurps the position of Healdend without calling a Witan because it has been disbanded. He then rewards his brother and an Ancuman Folctoga by making them Eaorls of Kashgar and Kapisi respectively.’

A stunned Beobald looked at Conn without saying anything. Conn continued. ‘What is the name of the Eaorl of Kapisi?’

‘Dagvir il Axum. He is a cousin to Cyngard.’

‘Would you agree with my summation? I forgot to add that the eldest son of the Aebeling of Iladion was also assassinated by Ancuman, a heinous crime sponsored by Pontia and one that justifies a general declaration of war against Pontia.’

‘I, um, I… guess that sounds right. I was not a part of those events as you described them. This battle here in Rila was my first action as a wiga – I was in a squad commanded by my brother … who died. You can see how successful I was as a wiga.’

Conn then introduced him to his country man Beortan il Kotan. It was clear that they didn’t know each other.

‘Kotan? You are further away from home than me.’

Conn explained how Beortan came to be his hostage.

Beobald smiled wryly. ‘It is almost three years since I left, but the Healdend seem intent in defeat Sytha despite the setbacks. I can only image how things are in Trokiak today.’

‘Well,’ Conn continued, ‘we can go and look for ourselves soon. You will come with us as I invade Pontia.’

He nodded, knowingly. ‘It will be a hard task even for your troops. Mapri is a well defeated village; the pass is narrow and it will be hard to achieve victory in a short space of time. After Mapri, Kapisi will be reinforced by the Healdend’s troops. Marquis, your wiga are very good, but I do not think you have enough.’

Conn shook his head. ‘You jump to conclusions to quickly, Beobald. I will not be attacking Mapri; my first battle will be against the town of Kapisi.’

‘I do not know how you can do that – the border is well protected to the east and there is no way past Mapri.’

‘Oh, I’m not travelling around the coastline – my fyrd will travel through Iladion. It is much quicker, do you not agree?’

‘Through Iladion?’ Beobald looked curiously at Conn then and Derryth and the cogs in his mind started to move into alignment, as he fully realized who Derryth was. ‘The Twacuman are riding again… this is not good.’

Beortan, even though he had considered everything had not considered that. He had been agreeing with Beobald all along. ‘Hang on… you are going
through
Iladion?’

‘Yes, and collecting a thousand Twacuman wiga to add to my fyrd as we go. Did I not mention that I am also the Feorhhyrde?’

‘The
Feorhhyrde
? No, you did kind of leave that little bit of information out – I had presumed the title of Marquis of Kerch was why Derryth and Hallvi were with you.’ He paused. ‘A
thousand
Twacuman wiga? I think I need another drink.’

Beobald requested a top up as well.

A few days after Equinox, Conn led the first two companies of the fyrd out of Rila and towards the mountains. Each man led two horses, one with a pack and the other free of burden. He had with him the Kerchians 1
st
and the 1
st
Pontians with over two hundred men in total, with a few extras. The day before departure, the last of their arrangements were completed with the arrival of a ship from Meshech. The first that Derryth knew of it was when he heard Conn practising with his bagpipes. He and Hallvi had arrived two weeks before Equinox to inform them that everything was ready.

‘Why are you doing that?’ he asked with a pained face.

‘I’m getting ready to pipe ashore the MacLeod Pipe Band. They will be arriving soon.’

‘You mean that there are pipers aboard the ship about to dock? How many exactly?’

‘A squad.’ Conn stood and started to walk towards the dock.

Derryth shook his head. ‘Twenty pipers! You know, your bagpipes are the only reason I ever consider changing sides. The Ancuman don’t have bagpipes, do they?’

‘I certainly hope not – that will spoil the plan.’

‘I’m glad that you have a plan for your bagpipes – I’d hate to think they were here for some kind of perverse amusement.’

At the dock, Conn played the pipes as the men marched and played from the dock to the barracks. The Major was his very first student fifteen years ago.

Every day two companies of wiga would depart Rila, and after ten days the entire fyrd would be on its way up the mountain. With over two thousand wiga to get into Kapisi, it was a huge effort that was going to take considerable time. Luckily Conn didn’t need everyone for the first battle.

Conn travelled with Colonel Brictdred il Kerch and Major Godhart il Kapisi, as well as Alana and his captive Pontians. After ten days they were met by Wilric.

He had several hundred Twacuman wiga camped on the side of the mountain, divided into twenty squads – one squad for each company to guide the fyrd through the mountains. 

The first few days were slow and tedious as they made their way up narrow and steep paths. It was clear that if the Twacuman wanted to prevent you access to Iladion, it was remarkably easy to do – hence the necessity for treachery in killing their father and making their grandfather prisoner to ensure their cooperation. On top of the plateau, because Iladion was heavily wooded, travel was still slow, with small paths that allowed no more than six horses across. They passed many small villages and waved to the villagers as they came and watched them pass, and when they camped the villagers would come and give them company. Not more than once was Conn invited, in the middle of the night, to inspect a particularly “interesting” feature somewhere in the forest, by a Twacuman female villager. His reputation had seemed to have preceded him.

Three weeks after departing Rila, they finally overlooked Pontia and the town of Kapisi.

‘What makes you think that they are not waiting for us?’ Derryth was a little concerned of their lack of numbers.

‘If logic is a factor they will have a lot of their wiga in Mapri – especially since Sir Eggar has been bombarding the village for some days by now.’

Sir Eggar had been given instructions to make his presence felt but not to destroy too much. There was also a limit to what you could do from a ship anyway with a catapult. He had to keep returning to Rila to replenish his stock of boulders.

Conn continued. ‘It should mean that Kapisi is undermanned. When we get to the bottom of this mountain we will know for sure.’

Descending was not a concern; their route was fully explored and sentries were all the way down to ensure that no one got lost. Getting down was also much quicker; as going down always is, and after a day, they were met by Eolyn, Aebeling of the Iladion. They were a day’s ride from the town.

‘All clear – there are no Pontian wiga anywhere near here. All extra wiga have been shifted east.’

‘How many inside?’

‘Several hundred – hard to say.’

They set up camp and waited. After three days they have six companies down the mountain and Conn judged they had enough.  He gathered everyone together.

‘In the morning, I think it is time to drop in and say hello to the Eaorl of Kapisi. Major Godhart will run us through everything he knows about the village.’

At daybreak, five hundred Priecuman and two hundred Twacuman wiga headed for Kapisi while Colonel Brictdred and Eolyn were tasked with leaving a day later with three hundred Priecuman and five hundred Twacuman and to secure the road east from Mapri to ensure that the Eaorl didn’t return and surprise him.

By the time he arrived in the outskirt of Kapisi it was night but the moonlight was sufficient enough to allow them to continue their way until they were within sight of the palisades. Most of his wiga were outside the town; all he had for the moment were the Pontians and a company of Twacuman led by Wilric.

‘Sad looking town,’ Derryth offered as he sat with Wilric and Godhart in the shade of a barn on the outskirts.

Godhart, nodded. ‘It has seen better days. My Eaorl would die of a broken heart to see it so – the current Eaorl doesn’t seems to care much for his people.’ He pointed. ‘There, I am sure.’

He stood and crept through the village and they followed him to a tattered and unkempt roundhouse amongst the ring of houses. Conn signalled to his wiga, and the Iladions vanished into the night.

Godhart knocked on the door of the hut. Within moments, they could sense the anxiety inside and then the scuffling of feet. A voice appeared between the planks of wood.

‘What is it ... who are you?’

‘Uncle – it is Godhart. Open the door.’

‘Godhart is dead. My nephew was killed.’

‘No, uncle – I was sent away as theow – but I have returned.’

‘Impossible.’

Godhart spoke a while longer until the old man opened the door to check for himself.

‘Godhart, by the Gyden, I am surprised to see you.’ As his eyes focused in the faint morning light he looked surprised ‘But who are these people?’

Godhart pointed to Conn; ‘This is the Marquis of Kerch, and he’, pointing to Derryth ‘is a Twacuman. They have come to rescue Kapisi.’

Dumbfounded, he stood with his mouth open as Conn and Derryth greeted him.

‘Uncle – we need information. Who is in the donjon – and is there an easy way in?’

Godhart had informed Conn that his uncle, his mother’s brother, was an old Folctoga – long retired, but still highly respected. He still made it his business to know everything that happened in the town. It was an old habit.

Back in reality, the old man regained his composure. ‘Umm, well, the usurper has gone east to stop an invasion from the Marquis of Rila...’

Conn nodded. ‘That’s me… I’m both.’

‘Oh. I find it hard to believe that you passed each other on the way without noticing each other. He will be most upset about that.’

Conn shook his head. ‘I didn’t come that way – I came through Iladion…’

‘Well, that explains that – I was confused. Anyway, that means that there are only five hundred men – mostly old – but some from Kashgar who aren’t old – inside the fort. As for getting in; the walls along the northern side near the river are badly maintained, but I think it would be easier to get in via the front gate – it doesn’t close well at the moment. It was always a bad gate and it is now worse.  Your only problem is the sentries – they are good – I trained them myself. Give me thirty minutes.’ The old man went back into get a coat and then strode out quickly for town. He told them to wait for him.

As they waited, Godhart sent his men to wake their relatives, and like a message tree, children started to go from house to house; telling everyone to stay in bed.

Within thirty minutes, the old man returned, puffed but excited. ‘I got rid of the sentries for you.’

‘Uncle, you didn’t kill them, did you?’

‘Oh no, of course not; they are my friends. I simply suggested that they needed to take a break thirty minutes early – I think they have all headed for a tavern on the docks. You have twenty minutes before the next guards arrive.’

With that Conn signalled the assault and five hundred men sprinted for the donjon, dodging and weaving through the house and workshops. As promised, the guard houses were deserted, but soon replaced with Conn’s men, and they opened the gate wide enough to enter single file. Inside, Conn headed for the first of two sets of barracks – one for Folctoga, and the other for Wiga, sending Godhart and his men to the second.

Conn stopped at the door or the barracks and halted his wiga. He withdrew a small firecracker, and lighting it with Derryth’s assistance, tossed it inside the door.  In five seconds the loudest explosion anyone had ever heard happened inside a small room; not dangerous but terrifying. Immediately after, Conn launched himself inside the room.

There were four officers – Axum – and four local girls. Disorientated and their heart rates going, they raced for their swords. The two closest to the door engaged Conn but died quickly – while the second two did something unusual – they surrendered. Leaving Twacuman bowmen behind, Conn left the building to see what was happening outside.

The deafening noise had caused the entire fort to be awakened, and men raced out of the barracks to be confronted by hundreds of bowmen – and the standard of the Eaorl of Kapisi fluttering in the sunlight as dawn broke – pointed directly at them. A couple inadvertently drew their bows but died. The rest waited in a stunned silence.

‘Gentlemen’, Conn called out, ‘anyone who wants to chance their arm with a sword or a bow is welcome to try but I promise you death. Put your hands on top of your head and sink to your knees.’

Faced with three hundred bows pointed at you – and famed Twacuman bowmen at that – was enough to start the process and soon the whole bailey was filled with men on their knees.  Wilric returned to say that the fort was secure and all guard posts were filled with Iladions.

‘Excellent. Search all buildings and bring everyone out here.’

Conn then directed Godhart and his wiga to go out and secure the town so he and his Captains would be riding around telling the townsmen what had happened, and setting a perimeter guard around the entire town with help from the Kerchians.

Conn then took an arrow from his bag and after lighting a fuse, fired it up in to the air; the flare erupting at over 250 yards into a white cloud. Out at sea Sir Njil would see the signal and head to port, while the Meshechians would ride in to secure port and wharfs to ensure that Sir Njil’s convoy would be able to safely unload another thousand men and tons of food and other supplies would be in town. No-one would be taking Kapisi back from Conn.

The prisoners were gathered together; a few Kapisi wiga were quickly released and set to work. The rest were from the other demesne within Pontia – as well as the two remaining Ancuman Folctoga.

‘Who are the Folctoga here?’ Conn demanded.

The two Ancuman stood, as well as one from Kashgar; they identified themselves. The Ancuman were Borgkarl il Makuria, and Gudvo il Himyar, while the Kashgarian’s name was Baldba.

Soon others arrived from the other buildings, some mem but mostly women and children. Any locals were immediately released and sent home. Of the women, three were Ancuman; a woman and her two daughters. One of his wiga advised him that they were most likely the Eaorl’s bedda and daughters.

The mother cried foul. ‘What is the meaning of this… this… outrage? How dare you burst in here in the middle of the night?’

‘But I thought that is what we did – you know – invader, brigands, rebels, maunderers and the like. We burst into places in the middle of the night.’

‘Invaders?’

‘Yes; Kapisi has been invaded by its neighbour the Marquis of Rila. That’s me. Invaders also burn things down and rape and pillage – we haven’t started the raping yet, by the way.’ Conn tried to look lustfully at the teenage girls, ‘or the burning or pillaging. Do you mind if we start with your daughters?’

The two girls immediately ran behind their mother as they suddenly realized that the donjon was full of male wiga and they were underdressed. Fear flooded their faces.

Their mother gained control quickly. She was much humbler already. ‘I, um… I apologize for my outburst. I would appreciate it if you didn’t … um…rape … my daughters. The ransom paid for their pure return is far greater than as … soiled.’  She dropped her hands to her side and stood tall, her lips quivering in fear. ‘I will submit peacefully if you do not.’

Conn shook his head. ‘That will not be necessary. My fyrd never rapes and pillages anyway. In fact I will be sending you all back to Pontiak. You should go and collect your things.’

She didn’t move; instead her daughters crept in closer. They looked even more afraid. ‘You are not keeping us as prisoners?’

Conn shook his head. ‘I don’t keep prisoners. I’d rather send them back so I have the opportunity to kill them the next time – given that we failed to do so the first time.’

Derryth had arrived and informed him that Sir Njil was in the harbour. The Eaorl’s bedda looked at Derryth with curiosity, and then looked at the men that guarded the fort.