The Wildcat of Braeton

by Claire M Banschbach

  “I told you I have some friends there. He’s been there for a few months,” Aiden said.

  Gòrdan sighed in relief. “I’ll have a letter for him before you leave for the Festival. I want you and Tam tae make sure he knows he can come back home.”

  The brothers exchanged a satisfied look. It would be good to be together as a family again.

  “And what about you, Aiden?” Gòrdan asked.

  Aiden shot him a startled glance. “Me?”

  “You obviously need something constructive tae do.”

  Aiden hesitated a moment before he noticed Tam and Ranulf trying to hide smiles.

  “Really?” he pointedly asked them.

  “At the rate you’re going, we’re not going tae have anything left tae hunt or any practice poles left in the arena,” Ranulf said.

  “Maybe if you’d actually let me do something around here!” Aiden rolled his eyes. “I know I’m a Laird’s son, but I can do more than strut around with swords all day long.”

  “There’s not much tae do,” Gòrdan said. “We’re at peace now.”

  “And what if the Durnians try and come back?” Aiden asked.

  “They won’t. They know by now that Adalwulf failed and the Clan has gathered again,” Ranulf said.

  That seemed to be the end of the conversation so Tam and Aiden left.

  “Are you all right?” Tam asked him.

  “Aye, I’m just…I need something tae do, Tam,” Aiden said.

  “You’ve seemed more cheerful than I remember since the battle,” Tam said.

  “I learned a long time ago that another day you get tae live is another day tae laugh. Even if it’s forced sometimes.”

  “You’re not happy here?”

  “No, I am. I…this isn’t what I’m used tae, Tam.” Aiden looked around at the wooden walls around them and suddenly felt claustrophobic. “I’ll be back later.” He left Tam standing slightly bewildered in the halls.

  Narak was still fresh enough and was always eager to run again. They galloped down a little used pathway until Aiden reined up. Maybe Corin can help, he thought. He just didn’t know how to explain it to his family. Narak pulled at the reins as Aiden turned him back to Scodra. They would leave for the Festival within the week, and he found himself looking forward to the journey.

  The morning they were to leave was misty and cool; autumn had settled in to the forest. Twenty warriors and their families waited in the courtyard, and Aiden saw to his pleasure, that Rona would also accompany them. The company waved farewells to those to remain behind and, led by Jamey and the ever faithful Maon, they left Scodra and turned onto the road to Aredor.

  Chapter 19

  “It’s not like you to be so studious, Corin.” Celyn’s voice rose in surprise when he saw Corin in the castle library.

  Corin smiled as he replaced a book on the shelf. “I still don’t seem to get any answers though.”

  “What are you looking for?” his father asked curiously.

  “Anything about Durna. I don’t care much about their politics. I want to know how they fight, how they move and train. The garrison at Lynwood is practically all new, so they can’t tell me anything.”

  “Do you really think that the Sultaan made an alliance with the Durnians?”

  “It’s what I would do,” Corin replied. “The Calorins lost too many men in the first war, and Aiden brought news of more unrest. The Sultaan won’t have enough men for another campaign, but we hurt his pride, so he’ll try again. I fought in enough of his wars to know that about him. I know how the Calorins move and think, but I know almost nothing about Durna.”

  “I’ve had some dealings with them in the past, mostly over border disputes. They are some of the best foresters and trackers in the North. The Durnians are shrewd, clever warriors. It takes much for them to admit defeat. Their axes are a force to reckon with.”

  Corin mulled over the information.

  “I know that the Calorins will attack again if they gain the trust of Durna. They probably know the Hawk Flight and Lynwood Keep will be waiting if they come over the west border. The Durnians can lead them through Dunham Forest and would be able to find us more quickly than the Calorins could. Any advice?” Corin asked, always grateful for the years of campaign experience his father could give him.

  “As you said, the Durnians will be able to track almost anything. I would leave the horses behind and go on foot. That would reduce the risk of being found. You would be more likely to be ambushed than during the first war. Use the garrison at Lynwood to patrol the northern section of the forest. That way you have more men to spread along the border.”

  Corin nodded. “It’s been almost three months since Aiden brought word about the Sultaan’s ship. If a treaty was completed, the messenger would have to get back to Calorin, and the army would begin to assemble,” he mused aloud.

  “That would take a number of weeks. And transport back to Durna would be no easy task.” Celyn leaned against the back of a chair.

  “The Durnians will know better than to begin a campaign with winter coming soon. If I were the Sultaan, I’d winter my troops in Durna and then attack in the spring. But there’s the chance I’ve got it all wrong. They could attack during the Festival when our guard will be relaxed.” He picked at the laces of the smooth leather glove that coated his right palm in frustration.

  Celyn’s look was one of understanding. “Every commander faces the same fear and uncertainty. The best thing you can do is keep your men prepared, Corin.”

  “I’ve talked to them. They understand the need for caution and readiness. We can’t afford to be caught unawares. But everything has been quiet. Even the Raiders haven’t attacked the coast as frequently. Something is going to happen.” Even with all his doubts, the quiet bothered Corin the most.

  “Speaking of your men, how is that young man you took off Tristan’s hands?” Celyn asked.

  “Andras has changed little, much to my and Pedr’s irritation,” Corin said. “But he has made good progress with the training. I suppose I’ll have to let him into the warband fairly soon.”

  “You’re considering letting him loose in the forest?” Celyn asked, half-jokingly.

  Corin smiled. “He’s good with a blade and the training comes easily to him. If only I could find a way to help him get over himself.” He paused. “I’m hoping he’ll figure out that he’s not going to get special treatment once he’s in the warband.”

  “That’s going to be difficult, considering the Hawk Flight’s legend. And you’ve trained them to be the best warband in Aredor,” Celyn pointed out. The black and green uniforms were a source of pride to their wearers and everyone recognized the distinctive hawk crest. But the warriors knew better than to abuse their status or they would answer directly to the Captain.

  “We’ll see. He’s going in my patrol.”

  “You seem sort of grimly pleased about that.”

  “Well, I can’t wait until he sees our highly luxurious camp for the first time.” Corin laughed.

  “You’re leaving again soon, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll go tomorrow to meet up with my men for the last part of the patrol. Then everyone is meeting at the camp so we can determine who has leave for the Festival. Some haven’t been home in over a month.”

  “You are coming back for the Festival, aren’t you?” his father asked suspiciously.

  “Yes, it’s been made perfectly clear that I have to be there. I’ve also been ordered to see that a specific few come back too.”

  “Like who?”

  “Martin, Will, Kieran, and Kara. Their family is coming from Clan Gunlon.”

  “It’ll be good for them to see their relatives. And it will be good to see more of you.” Celyn clapped him on the shoulder.

  “Aye, I feel like I’ve hardly gotten a chance to actually talk with you since the dungeons,” Corin agreed.

  “Not the best circumstances for conversation.” Celyn chuckled. “We’ll
have to make up for lost time at the Festival.”

  Corin nodded with a smile. He was looking forward to spending some more time with his father outside of councils and ceremonies. He had hero-worshipped him as a young boy, convinced that his father was never wrong. He would be glad to put away conversations of supplies, tactics, and training.

  He had tried to spend as much time as he could with his family since the ending of the Calorin War the year before. But with his newfound responsibilities, he was hard pressed to. He knew it saddened his mother more than anyone. The Festival would give him a chance to catch up. He had missed so much during the long years he was in Calorin.

  * * *

  Corin was greeted joyfully by the men of his patrol when he joined them two days later.

  “Don’t enjoy yourself too much, Captain,” Bran joked as Corin dismounted with a sigh of satisfaction.

  “It’s too easy not to. A whole week with no paper in sight,” Corin replied. The men laughed quietly. “Anything to report?” he asked Llewellyn.

  The lieutenant shook his head. “No, sir. Quiet as usual. But I keep feeling like something’s going to happen soon.”

  “I told him we’re still not used to the peace, but recently some of us have felt the same,” Dylan spoke up.

  “Aye, Flynn’s been a little jumpy, and Liam’s been nosing at the border like a bloodhound,” Bran said.

  “Martin’s not at ease either. You can feel it at the border. It’s too quiet there,” Llewellyn said.

  Corin listened quietly to his men. Most in the Hawk Flight were veterans of the war where their lives had depended on a feeling of danger and instinct. He trusted them all. He too had felt faint stirrings of unease. He needed to spend more time with the warband.

  “Tomorrow we’ll head closer to the border and spend the rest of the patrol there. We’ll see if there’s anything new to pick up,” Corin said.

  The men nodded in assent. As the Captain trusted them, so they trusted him. They had full confidence that he would lead them out of whatever might be coming, and Corin desperately hoped he was worthy of that trust.

  * * *

  The border between Durna and Aredor was marked by a strip of forest that had been cleared long ago. Seven yards wide, it ran from the Grey Cliffs to the northern edge of Aredor. It had become overgrown since the invasion and was hazardous to the eyes of the Hawk Flight. The wild brush would provide perfect cover for enemy scouts to slip unseen into Aredor.

  Corin stood hidden in the trees and looked across the expanse into Durna. An owl hooted, and Liam flitted back across. Liam had been a lieutenant and forester at Lynwood before the war and had trained his men to be the best trackers in the warband. Liam had been one of the first to meet Corin upon his return to Aredor and had become one of his closest friends.

  “I don’t see anything out of the ordinary, Cor,” Liam said. “It’s just game trails and animal tracks.”

  Corin adjusted his quiver over his shoulder. “Still, let’s start to vary the routes. We can’t take any chances.”

  Liam nodded. “We’ve all been on the lookout for different tracks or patterns, especially on the less used paths.” He gave a short laugh. “I still wonder how much of this is me not used to the peace.”

  “You’re not the first to say it,” Corin told him. “But this is different. It’s that feeling you get right before someone ambushes you. Like someone is watching you and nothing is as quiet as it seems.”

  They cast one last glance over the border and then turned away. They would take a different road back to camp where the whole warband had begun to assemble.

  * * *

  “We’ll be making a few changes over the winter,” Corin announced to the men gathered in the main caves. Over eighty men filled the cavern either sitting at the tables or leaning against the walls. “First, we’ll leave the horses behind. Some will stay at Lynwood, and the others will go to garrisons outside the forest. Kara and Kieran, you’ll keep your horses here along with a few spare ones.”

  There were nods of understanding. It would mean longer patrols on foot, but their lives might depend on it.

  “Second, the newest recruits will be taking the oath by the beginning of winter. There will be some rearranging in the patrols to ensure the proper fit. You all know what to do. Teach them everything we know.”

  Again, there were murmurs of agreement.

  “Will there be any more recruits coming in after them, Captain?” one warrior asked.

  “Not unless there is a vacancy,” Corin replied. The warrior nodded. A vacancy would only come at one of their deaths.

  “We’ll be trying some new routes over the winter. They’ll be marked on the map. And from now on we’ll be constantly changing paths. Split up, and vary the use of trails. Take the lesser used paths. Don’t ever do anything the same way twice. Again, you all know what to do,” Corin said.

  “You really expecting something, Captain?” Kieran asked.

  “We’ll find out for sure when spring comes,” Corin replied. “I don’t want any word of this getting out. We don’t need undue panic.”

  “We won’t breathe a word,” Llewellyn spoke for the whole warband.

  “Martin, do you have that list?” Corin asked. Martin dug into his pouch and produced the paper. “I’ll only send thirty of you home this time. I know it’s the Festival, and I wish I could give everyone leave, but we can’t leave this place completely unguarded. For the rest of you, when your time comes you’ll get a few extra days. It’s a poor exchange, but it’s the best I can do.”

  “We don’t mind, sir, just as long as we can see our families,” a warrior said stoutly.

  Corin read the names from the list. It was a mix from all four patrols but mostly from those that hadn’t been home in a few weeks. After the men were dismissed, Will found Corin.

  “I’ve no family in Kingstown. Let me stay behind and send one of the younger lads,” Will said.

  “Sorry, Will. That decision wasn’t made here. I’m just passing on orders,” Corin said.

  “But, sir—”

  “If I wasn’t ordered myself to be there, I might consider it. But I’m the Captain, so you’re going. You’re not going to make me pull full rank on you, are you?”

  “I might, just tae see you do it,” Will retorted. “But the Clans will be there. Among them I’m an outcast. I can’nae wear the plaid.”

  Corin understood. Among the Clans the plaid rep-resented everything. It was their pride, their honor, and marked their tie to their Clan. To be seen without it and to be forbidden to wear it brought shame and dishonor to a Braeton.

  “You are in Aredor now and everyone, even the Clans, respects the uniform you are wearing,” Corin reminded him.

  Will nodded reluctantly. “Yes, sir,” he replied.

  The invitation had been sent to Clan Canich, but it didn’t mean they would attend. Although from Aiden’s letter, Corin hoped it meant some of Will’s family would come. And since it sounded like Aiden had finally received the homecoming he deserved, Corin hoped that Canich’s Laird had changed his mind concerning the son he had banished.

  Corin went to the small side cave, separated from the main caves by a curtain, where he kept his belongings and slept. He began to pack his bags. They would leave the next morning to return to Kingscastle in time for the Autumn Festival to begin.

  Book 2

  The Autumn Raids

  Chapter 1

  It was midmorning when the towers of Kingscastle came into sight. Tam, used to wooden fortresses, stared in wonder at the immense stone keep and walls. Aiden rode beside him.

  “It’s a grand sight, isn’t it?” he said.

  Tam nodded in silence. This was the first time he had traveled beyond Braeton, or any great distance from Scodra for that matter. Rona edged her horse up along with Jamey. By now they could see the town that surrounded two sides of the castle.

  “It’s so big!” she marveled.

  “Wait until we a
ctually get there,” Aiden told her.

  They circled the castle to enter through the main gates under the west wall. They were met in the courtyard by grooms and a captain of the guard.

  “We saw you coming. Clan Strowen and Clan Gunlon arrived yesterday,” the captain said. “The King and Prince Darrin are on their way to greet you.”

  As he spoke, the main doors swung open and King Celyn descended the steps followed by Darrin. Brannan stared wide-eyed at the imposing figure coming toward them.

  “Is that a real king?” he whispered to Rona.

  “Yes. See his crown?” she whispered back.

  “I like the other man better. He looks nice,” Brannan said.

  “That must be Prince Darrin,” Rona told him. Darrin caught Brannan looking at him from the corner of his eye. He turned and gave the boy a smile and a wink. Brannan smiled tentatively and waved back.

  “My father sends his regrets that he couldn’t come, your majesty,” Aiden said to Celyn. “This is my younger brother, Tamhas, and Captain Artair.”

  “Welcome,” King Celyn said. “There will be room for all of you in the castle. If there is anything you need, don’t hesitate to ask,” he said before moving on.

  Darrin moved in to greet Aiden. “Welcome back.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Aiden said.

  “We’re expecting Corin back this afternoon,” Darrin said.

  “He on patrol?”

  Darrin nodded. “It’s been quiet so far.”

  “How long do you think it will last?”

  “Corin thinks they’ll come in the spring,” Darrin replied. “But enough for now. I’ll send someone to show you to your quarters.”

  “Thank you.” Aiden clasped his hand again. He’d liked Darrin from the first moment they’d met during the war. He was just happy Corin had his blood brother back.

  “What was that all about?” Tam asked curiously after Darrin left.

  “Nothing tae worry about,” Aiden said. “Just some business with the Hawk Flight and the border.”

  “There might be another war?” Artair fit the conversation together.