by Sam Taw
“How’s Endelyn?” Tallack’s eyes were raw. He’d obviously grieved in his own time, in his own way. I was glad of that. Nothing good ever came from holding feelings inside, as I could well attest; my belly roiled with a fury that would not be quelled.
“On the mend, I think.”
He nodded and then held my gaze. “Mother doesn’t want a pyre.”
“Oh?”
“She wants full funeral rites for both Blydh and father at the cromlech beyond Hunter’s Tor. She’s sent messengers out to call the clan leaders to attend.”
“And by leaders you mean Kenver from Bentewyn?” Blydh led the Head Hunters and Tallack the Sea Warriors. The only other clan apart from Kenver’s Alchemists were scattered when Paega soiled our water supplies. The Priest Sect was no more, replaced by a single priestess from the moors.
He narrowed his lips and nodded again.
“And when he discovers that both Kerensa and Hellyer are dead, what then?”
He shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out in time. First things first, Aebba the Wild cannot be interred while he is unavenged.”
I closed my eyes. My body sagged with exhaustion. “Brea.” It was hardly the time to be thinking of deals and treaties between tribes, but what choice did we have? “Do you think that the Duro elders would be prepared to exchange Brea for Blydh’s body?” I braced myself for the biting rebuke, but none followed.
“Mother wouldn’t stand for that. She’s insistent on the rites. It was the only way I could convince her to forgive Kewri.”
A strong fluttering paralysed my chest. “You forgave him? He won’t be punished?”
“I thought you’d be pleased. He was only doing as I commanded.”
I flung my arms about him and let the tears fall. “Thank you. That’s more than either of us deserve. I knew you’d be a fair and wise ruler.”
Tallack’s face flushed with embarrassment. “My brother died the day that the giant carried him into your hut to operate on his skull. We’ve been fooling ourselves that he was still around when all the time that dark spirit swapped places with him in the Underworld.”
Retracting my arms from his back, I reached up and cupped his face in my palms. “You’re a good man.”
He did his best to smile, but I could tell he was hurting inside. The bond with his twin was finally broken. Tallack would feel the loss for the rest of his life. Nothing can replace that kind of closeness. I started off towards my hut but stopped just a short distance away.
Turning back to face him, I said, “You know, we have nothing to lose by asking the Duros. What if I can convince them to accept Blydh’s death as honouring their terms?”
Tallack frowned. “Wouldn’t they just kill Brea to spite us?”
“Then our aims are achieved however it plays out. Not quite vengeance for Aebba, but we would have forged new allies out of the tragedy.” I watched him ruminate on my words. Nothing would bring his brother back to life, but if Blydh’s death could deliver a swift end to the misery of borderland raiding, then it was worth pursuing.
“Fine. Send Senara to their scout. The sooner we act the better. I doubt the Duros will wait to overthrow that kyjyan from the mountains.”
Hurrying back to my hut, I thought about Tallack’s order and how settled Endelyn was in the company of Senara, and wondered if it would halt the priestess’s recovery to be without her. The Duro scout, Perren, knew both me and Kewri. It was a chance to get the giant out of camp for a day or so until Cryda’s wrath had subsided.
When I told him that Tallack bore no grudge over the death of his brother, Kewri almost collapsed from relief. His spine buckled as he sat on his bunk and a lazy grin spread across his face. After the news had sunk in, I explained my plan and told him to make ready. I had a greater task ahead of me; to convince the former Ruvane to give up the body of her child.
Walking the longer route across camp, I found myself dawdling outside Cryda’s hut. I knew that her grief would be so raw as to make her oppose any suggestion I placed before her. The trouble was, the longer we tarried, the greater the likelihood of the Duros backing out of the peace treaty.
“Cryda?” My gullet throbbed with pain. “It’s me. Can I come in?”
The door coverings flapped to one side as she poked her head out with a pinched expression and clenched teeth. “You’ve got a nerve coming here. I’ve a good mind to call to the men and have you whipped.”
“I’m sorry for what happened, truly, but you know in your heart that this was not my fault.” I held up my palms in supplication.
Her scowl lessened just a fraction. She edged backwards allowing me to enter. “If you hadn’t provoked him, that clumsy oaf wouldn’t have needed to protect you.” Her voice trailed off when she caught sight of my bruised neck. “Well, it was still avoidable.” She sniffed, blinking fast. I moved closer, sensing that she needed my support. She lowered her head to my shoulder. I embraced the poor mite, stroking her back and rocking her gently from side to side.
“There, there. That’s right, let it all out, you’ll feel much better.” I said when the sobbing began. Although I felt her suffering as acutely as my own, I also felt a fraud. There I was, soothing her in her time of grief to make it easier for me to bend her to my will.
I told myself it was for the good of the tribe, but in truth, I wanted to prove that I was right. Senara may have come up with the idea to pursue peace with the Duros, but I was the one who’d pushed for the treaty to put an end to tribal war. More than anything, I was determined to bring peace to both our lands.
Blydh’s body lay on a table to our right. She’d already begun to strip and wash him. The golden sun disc poked out from his scalp, bloodied and slick with brain matter. If only I had asked the smith to prepare a thin plate of silver, his life would be spared. I kept my musing to myself. That poor decision of mine brought about Blydh’s death and left his baby sister at risk. Delen had lost her half-sister Derwa, banished to the mountain people, and now Blydh, who had assured the sun at her naming ceremony. What will become of her now that she only has her mother and Tallack to protect her?
I waited until Cryda had taken her fill of solace and then sat by her fireside. She joined me and we quickly fell into a comfortable chatter. We didn’t share the same blood, but we’d grown close over the winter. Just as I was plucking up the courage to ask her, she threw out a request of her own.
“Will you help me to prepare him for the ritual, Meliora? Not like with Aebba. I don’t want it taken over by priests or strangers or anyone. I want his passing to be honoured, not spoiled.” It was more than I’d expected and a task I felt ill equipped to perform. Not only were my own emotions in tatters, but my knives were gone, taken by the Belgae. Our tribe had never experienced such a dearth of resources in all my summers. Even if I could borrow a blade sharp enough to deflesh the body, the thought of carving up one so close and so young as Blydh would finish me. I chose not to answer her.
“Cryda, I have something important to discuss with you. Please know that what I ask is a terrible imposition, and under any other circumstances, would not be entertained, but you must hear me out.”
I went on to explain the situation between the Duro elders and their plan to overthrow Brea. Her frown turned into a scowl at the mention of her name. “The thing is, they are willing to trade Brea with us in a peace accord.” I pressed on, hoping that she’d see what it would mean to our people. When I got to the part where our enemies had demanded her son in return, I hesitated. Blydh was beyond harm. His reputation among our people sullied forever by his recent inexplicable actions. This one trade off, could go a long way to restore his once good name. Despite this, I was sure that she would refuse. Her narrowed eyes made it hard for me to concentrate on how to proceed.
“The Duros are happy to hand over Brea to us, alive, if…um…”
“What… if what? What do they want from us in return?” She snapped.
I swallowed and took a long breath. “They want
the leader of the Head Hunter Clan, to appease those who had suffered from Blydh’s vicious raids in their borderlands.”
Her nostrils flared, but she remained in control.
I continued with caution. “I think I can convince them to accept his death as proof that we’ve honoured their terms.”
She pursed her lips, tilting her head to one side. “They can’t have him. They’ll defile his body and parade him around like some grotesque trophy. I won’t have it, no. That’s my final word.”
“I agree, but what if I can persuade them to an alliance by only allowing them sight of him as proof that he is gone? We’d have new allies, a trade route through their lands and our people would be safe from attack. I promise I won’t let them take him.”
Even Cryda could see that it was a good deal by any standards. The question was, could I deliver on my promise? It took a little more cajoling for her to come around, but eventually she saw the sense in my plan. She even offered to accompany me to the crossing on the River Sid for the negotiations, but I reminded her that it was no place for the baby Delen, especially since it could take a number of days for the Duros to stage their revolution against the tyrant, Brea.
I left her a short time later to make the preparations. Kewri loaded all that we needed, plus Blydh’s wrapped body, on to Aebba’s old wagon and hitched up the ponies. Tallack insisted that we took along three of his trusted warriors, in addition to Renowden and Massen. We were a sombre crew, treading the same familiar path back to the borderlands and our meeting with the Duro scout.
Kewri appeared to be the most disturbed of us all, riding his huge cart horse alongside the wagon carrying the remains of the man he killed. I sat alone on the driving bench of the wagon, steering the ponies. It suited me to be at one with my own reflections. Ren and Massen led our party, with the three warriors from Tallack’s clan behind.
The closer we got to the River Sid, the more I felt the chill in my bones. It was never a happy place for me; too many past tragedies and heartbreaks on which to dwell. Sometimes I wished that my memory was impaired, if only to make the sad times easier to bear.
There were no delays on our half day’s ride to the meeting place. Perren’s fire smoke was visible for some distance, allowing Ren to ride ahead and check that the scout was alone. He may have been Senara’s friend but he was still a Duro and there was a chance that we’d been duped. We waited a short way down the track for Ren’s signal that it was safe for us to approach before riding up to the hidden campsite. I made sure that Blydh’s body was well covered, but he was already beginning to attract flies.
Perren stood with an arrow nocked in his bow. He had it directed at the ground as we dismounted. When he saw Kewri and me, his nervous stance relaxed a little. “Where’s Senara?”
“I made her stay behind. She has other duties to attend to.” I straightened up and offered him my arm in greeting. “You remember me?”
He scanned us all in one sweep, deciding whether we were to be trusted. As his gaze fell once more on me, he eased the bowstring and took my forearm. “I do. You are the one they call, Fur Benyn.”
I sniffed. “Meliora will do, lad. We have ale if you’re willing to share your fire with us.” I beckoned him to sit on a log at my side. It was important that he took our message without twisting its meaning. The last thing we needed was for him to enrage the elders further with news that Blydh was already dead. I was also aware that it could be a few days before their plan was put into action, and by then Blydh’s corpse could well be unrecognisable.
Over the course of a cup or two of ale, and a little of the rabbit meat he’d roasted over the fire, I prised scant information from the man. Every attempt to steer the conversation around to that of the Duro elders, he deflected with unusual mastery. He was no dim wit. With the night creeping fast on the horizon, I dispensed with subtlety and got straight to the point.
“Perren, I need you to go this very night and take a message to the one who will lead when Brea has fallen. Tell them that we agree to their terms and wish to meet them as a matter of urgency.” Ren and Massen gave each other furtive looks. They understood the risk I was taking in gambling with half-truths.
“Begging your pardon, Fur Benyn, but I know for a fact that he won’t parley with anyone but the Chieftain of the Dumnonii. Unless Tallack himself comes here to assure the terms of the treaty, and the sacrifice of his brother, the elders won’t trust its validity.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
“What game is this? Do you take us for fools?” Ren stood and towered over the slender young scout. “First you demand the head of one of our Chiefs and now you expect us to deliver the other.” It surprised me how quick he was to flare. Ren was generally the easy going one.
“I can assure you that this is no game, nor trap. They will take the power away from Brea whether you agree to terms or not. Part of the promises given to our people in return for their support is that the Dumnos are made to pay for the lives taken in our borderlands.” Perren cowered away from the reach of Ren and Massen. I have to say, the boy had more courage than I anticipated.
“The same could be said about our land and people. The Duros have raided our homesteaders for generations.” I said, trying to find the middle ground.
“That’s also true, and it’s why our elders are prepared to sit down with Chief Tallack and forge an alliance which benefits all, but only if he agrees to the conditions sent with Senara to your camp.”
Ren was losing his temper. “And I suppose it has nothing to do with your elders needing our tin?”
“Another good point, which they are willing to discuss.”
All the men looked at me to break the deadlock. In mulling over the problem, I inadvertently glanced at the back of the wagon, before quickly averting my eyes. The last thing we needed was for Perren see the body at this stage in the deception. “Bring your new leaders here with Brea alive, and we will make sure that Chief Tallack is here to greet them.” I gave Ren a tiny shake of my head, signalling for him not to make a fuss. “But go this moment, young Perren. This offer will spoil quicker than day old cream.” I pushed him towards his horse and flicked my wrists to hasten his journey every time he glanced over his shoulder at me.
When the Duro scout was out of sight and hearing, I turned to Massen. “Ride faster than the wind and explain to Tallack what’s happened. Tell him that I suggest he comes with a show of force.” He knew my meaning, and without delay, mounted his horse and sped away like Cernonnus was chasing him. Ren and the others looked askance. Perhaps I had overstepped my bounds, but this was a chance in a lifetime opportunity and I was not about to squander that.
“I’d better find a safer meeting place. This one is too enclosed.” Ren said, starting to walk away.
“No need.” I called after him. “The meeting will take place on the bridge.” I’m no great shakes at battle strategy, but I know how to spot a kill zone. The river was the border between our two lands, the midway point of the bridge, to be precise. It was a safe bet that the new Duro leader would come with an immense number of warriors, so it was only fair that we did too.
“You know what’s at stake?” Ren lowered his voice to a whisper and leaned into my neck.
I stepped aside. “I do, but this is worth the risk” Of all people, I’d hoped that Ren would be on my side, see the benefits to be had by forging this alliance. At best, the Duros would accept the sighting of Blydh’s body and negotiate a settlement over tin trades. At worst, they could take great offence and launch an attack from across the river. Either way, we’d be prepared for them.
We had time to eat, forage and extend the shelter for the night ahead of us. Ren took first watch at the river side of the forest, while I plucked and gutted a couple of ducks for the pot. We moved the wagon under the dense canopy of the trees to shade it from the heat of the sun. I sent the men among the oaks to collect as much moss as they could carry while I carefully unwrapped Blydh’s corpse in the rear of the cart.
When I revealed the crater in his skull and the damage to his forehead, a sudden recollection from my youth made me queasy. Then, as with now, the Duros were heavily involved but it was my close kin who had broken my heart that day. I pushed the memory down and got back to work, packing the cool moss around every part of my dead nephew and wrapping him tightly. It was an old trick, but it kept some of the maggots and flies from taking their fill of flesh. Short of removing his guts and smoking him like a fish, there was little more I could do to preserve him.
The men took turns in keeping watch throughout the night, insisting that I slept in the warmest part of the shelter. Not that I could drop off with all my worries and fears swirling in my head. It was not long after dawn when I first heard the rumble of hooves on the dry earth. Ren met our warriors on the track. He suggested suitable lookout spots for the guards, before guiding Tallack to the camp. Ren’s mood seemed noticeably brighter with so many fighting men at our backs. The plan was tenuous at best, but having Tallack’s support made it feel like a possibility.
My nephew was less pleased to see me. “I told you to send Senara, not go yourself. Are you out of your mind? We have no idea whether the scout, let alone the Duro elders can be trusted. He might have had warriors waiting to slaughter you all.” He slid from his horse’s back before it had come to a full stop. Grasping my shoulders, he was about to shake me until he peered down at my face and softened. “What am I to do with you?” The shake became a hug that made it hard for me to breathe. When he finally let go, we sat together with Ren and talked through all the ways in which the Duros could try to deceive us.
By midday, our warriors had built their shelters and were well stocked with provisions. Tallack made them camp in the open, close to the crossing so that any Duro scouts keeping watch would see our numbers and preparedness. Ren built fires around the wagon to keep scavengers at bay and then joined us to eat. To my surprise, he brought with him a young shield maiden.