‘I tamed that beast… the stallion now has control over his herd again… oh, we have guest…’
Conn walked up to the throne and greeted the Healdend. With him was another old friend, Alric, the Aebeling of Rakia. It transpired that he was the leader of a delegation from Rakia.
Ailbe sought to introduce the Aebeling of Rakia but Conn indicated that he had already the pleasure, in Moetia.
‘Yes of course – I’d forgotten. It has been a very taxing night. I barely made it through first course last night…’
Conn understood his dilemma – with over twenty Folgere very willing to satisfy your every need, it was hard to maintain disciple, and not get lost on the moment. Conn addressed Alric.
‘It has been some time though, Alric, and I trust you are well.’ Looking at his sweaty brow, he doubted it. ‘You seem a little stressed however.’
Poor Alric was in turmoil. Because of his Gatinan blood he could hear Tabiti, and she was not beyond reproaching him for his negligence, or trying to tempt him with wanton vulgarity. At the same time he had the other Gyden venting her spleen at the sight of Conn. How she hated him.
‘Indeed, Eaorl. And how is Kuita – still deserted and inhabited by pirates and criminals. Your kind of place, I’m sure.’
‘Quite the contrary Aebeling; the pirates are now in charge of all my warships, and the fields are planted. It is turning out very nicely. And you probably haven’t heard that the ancient town of Kadash has been discovered.’
‘What ancient town?’
Conn described what he had discovered and how the town left by the Ancuman was almost pristine and the Cirice also…
‘So when we reopened the Cirice of Lilith she was actually able to physically be there – something about the power of the ancient Cirice.’
‘You DEFILED an Ancuman Cirice…’ He pulled himself back, knowing that he was saying too much, but the voice in his head was apoplectic again. He tried to recover. ‘No Feorrancund should go into a Cirice…’
Conn ignored him. ‘You will have heard that Badb, Lilith and now Tabiti are all back “home” – the only one away from “home” is Inanna…. Only a matter of time.’
‘You will never…’ Alric said this under his voice but Conn heard it.
‘Yes, Aebeling, I will, only one to go. And I’m sure that you are happy to have Tabiti back. I’m sure she will be making up for old time…. She has some lovely Folgere…will you be visiting the Cirice later to make an offering?’
‘Sadly no; I have to leave immediately for Rakiak. I simply came to inquire as to the whereabouts of my cousin Fainche; she vanished some weeks ago. We were most distressed – and thought at least to find her belongings and take them home to her family – if it is true that she had been murdered.’
Conn thought it strange that her belongings are so important as to require a visit by the Aebeling. He would have Halla look into that. Certainly everything she owned at the time would not have been given to her – standard practise. He wondered what might be there; probably something that Alric desperately didn’t want to fall into enemy hands.
Eventually the conflict in his head was too much for Alric and he begged his leave; the sweat was pouring down his face – he said he felt ill, he left the donjon as quickly as he could, and rode away as soon as he was able. Ailbe was confused at his cousin’s behaviour, but they settled in for a grand lunch feast in honour of Tabiti and Conn il Taransay.
After everyone had left for the evening three special invitees were taken to the Cirice for an encore performance of erotic dance and other things – all in honour of Tabiti. Hidden for several hundred years, she was a very lustful goddess as she had to make up a lot of time. Her Folgere would be very busy, and everyday more arrived, having received the calling.
Conn and Torunn then rode to Gambi, where Fiona and family waited for him. On the way, he dropped into to see Demne, the Eaorl of Eryx; his so called overlord.
Demne greeted him cautiously. The beating he had received from Conn seemed to still play on his mind. Conn however complimented him on renovations that he had done to his donjon. They were sitting in the new hall – it had a chimney, a tiled floor as well as other “Lykian” improvements. Demne seemed to have applied much of what he had learnt in Ushu to his own demesne.
‘Everything was not for nothing – I have to agree that in some ways I have benefitted. In other ways, I still have some way to go before things are as they were...’
‘About that…’ Conn handed over a parchment.
The Eaorl read the document with surprise. ‘I don’t understand. This seems to indicate that I no longer own money to that blood sucking merchant in Gatinak… it is fully paid! How is that possible?’
‘I purchased the debt from him – he was happy to sell it to me for a discount.’
‘But now I am in debt to you?’
‘Not necessarily – Fiona tells me that there is a lot of land around Gambi that is unused.’ Conn laid out a map of Eryx that he had prepared. Demne was astonished to see his demesne presented in such a way. Conn pointed to the Thane demesnes that were either underutilized or abandoned. ‘If you can find a way to make all these available to me, I’ll forgive the debt and pay you another 200,000 Ryals.’
Poor Demne was speechless. After another hour of haggling, Conn had his land and Demne had his pride back. Conn even promised him one of his daughters as bedda for his son.
Back in the Inn, Conn found Torunn waiting in his room, in his bed, naked; he knew that because the blankets went only to her waist. He looked at her curiously.
She blushed. ‘My room is very cold. You had the better room so I knew it would be warmer. Beside, you have been a little distracted with all those Folgere. I have accumulate coldness.’
‘What about the waitress from the Inn – I thought she was keeping you warm at night when I wasn’t around.’
She smiled, ‘She was definitely keeping the chill away. I’m going to miss her. She was quite skilful by the end.’
Conn undressed and she drew the covers back to let him into the bed. ‘And, tomorrow, Fiona will want you back in her bed.’
‘Only if she wants to be pregnant again…’
~x163~
When Conn arrived in Gambi, he was surprised at the amount of work that had already been accomplished. The upgrade of the harbor was nearly complete while work in the village itself was well underway, with a considerable number of new streets and new buildings. Eion il Himera had been able to work with the few craeftiga that Conn had sent from Lyciak without a problem. Even in winter it was a beehive of activity. As Conn had ridden in through the farm lands, he noticed the new fencing and larger square fields. With a shortage of tilia because of the war, any labour saving activities were embraced – despite normal reluctances to “new” technology.
‘Well, I have some more work for you, Eion.’ He told them both what he had negotiated with Demne.
Fiona was astounded. ‘How are we going to manage all that land?’
‘I have a plan…’
Days later they had visitors. Travelling in winter was not a typical Gatinan thing to do and snow was intermittent but snowstorms fairly common along the coastline, though the snow didn’t usually stay for long. Certainly frosts and very cold nights, however, were the norm and being outside or in substandard accommodation was not good for your health.
It was the Eaorl of Mazra, Shermund, and his daughter Granuaile. Shermund had come to express his gratitude for his daughter’s safe return.
They were sitting in Gambi’s new main hall, with its heated floors and fireplaces, drinking some of the best wine from Lykia.
‘Eaorl, I insist – there must be something I can give you in thanks. I am indebted.’ He drank another glass of wine, and commented on the quality yet again. ‘Now I know why we lost the war – anyone who can make wine like this …. Eaorl, I have to insist. I see that you like harbors, I understand you also have ships, and I have a Thane demesne that has
access to the ocean and there is a small harbour – but it has nothing else – I’m embarrassed to even offer it to you – I’ll even include Granuaile as a bedda without dowry – will you accept both of those?’
He was rambling but he was up to his sixth tumbler of wine. Granuaile as being offered as a bedda without dowry because Conn was the only person in Meshech to hold a demesne under every Healdend except Rakia. So despite being an Eaorl in Trokia, in Gatinan he was held to be only a Thane and would normally have to pay a dowry for an Eaorl’s daughter.
Conn paused to consider – in deference to Granuaile he didn’t want to be too quick to refuse. Shermund kept talking.
‘Alas, the area around the harbor in very stony so I feel doubly embarrassed to offer you such a demesne because the farming id poor but it does have a good harbour.’
Conn was now interested. ‘What kind of rocks?’
He shrugged. ‘I think the kind that stonemasons turn into walls and barricades.’
‘And there are lots?’
‘Yes, I’m sorry to say.’
Conn considered it further and then accepted. A harbor to the west would be beneficial. ‘Shermund, I will accept the demesne, and I thank you. I don’t expect that Granuaile should be part of the gift – but if she wishes to stay, she is more than welcome.’
It seemed that she did, so when Shermund left after a few more days consuming Lykian wine, she stayed behind. Conn was now unofficially the Thane of Oxmon in Mazra. Ailbe would being feeling surrounded.
By this time Fiona was convinced that she was pregnant again and either way was happy that Conn has someone to spend his nights with – winter was very long in Gatina. Granuaile, turned out to be fairly feisty; she asked that Torunn, to whom she developed a serious crush on, train her in the ways of the Valkeri, and she spent everyday practising. After a few weeks, she also took to have Torunn join her in bed with Conn – not that anyone complained. Conn wasn’t sure which one of them she really wanted to be sleeping with. That notwithstanding, by the end of winter, Granuaile too was pregnant.
In mid-winter they had another guest; Njil turned up in the harbour, Conn met him at the docks as he tied up the Schooner.
‘What – are you crazy? It couldn’t have been much fun out there.’ The winter oceans were rough and treacherous.
He had his sailors carry down a large trunk, and he placed it at Conn’s feet. ‘I thought you might need to see this…’
‘This is?’
‘Fainche’s trunk…’
They continued up into the main donjon; Njil warmed himself with hot coffee and rum. He told them of Fainche’s tantrums and anger of being kidnapped. By the time she got to Cyme, all she wanted was her luggage, and once she realized that wasn’t possible, she gave up complaining – until she realized that escape was impossible. Other than that, she was fairly pleasant.
‘How old is she?’
‘Mature – I think perhaps forty. I gather she is not Folgere but she has never been bedda. Very strange. Anyway, when we got your message regarding Fainche’s belongings, we searched it but found nothing – but given that Fainche was not happy about us not giving it to her, it seemed worthwhile for me to bring it to you.’
Conn was suspicious. ‘What is the other reason – this could have waited.’
He smiled – a caught out smile. ‘It’s Allowena. She wants me to take a daughter of the Eaorl of Menia’s as bedda. I already have ... company, but she insist of me taking Eoryssa as a formal bedda. What am I going to do with a formal bedda – I spend most of my time way and I have no home.’
‘What’s the girl like – the Eaorl has so many I can’t remember them all…’
‘Young, very pretty, attentive, long black hair, big … – anyway, I don’t want to think about it – I just don’t know how to say no Allowena – how do you say no to Allowena?’
‘Much easier than saying no to Caewyn.
‘Who’s Caewyn?’
‘Another of my … daughters. You will meet her one day. Anyway, do as you see fit. You have to say no if you don’t want to… anyway, it is late. Go to bed and we’ll have a look at the trunk in the morning in light.
In the morning, Njil and Conn sat and looked at the trunk. It was clearly a very expensive and elaborate trunk – it had the elaborately carved ends that he had seen before. Fainche was obviously prepared for the possibility of someone searching her trunk – even an elaborate search. There were no secret cavities in the floor of the box itself, so it had to be in the ends. The craftsmanship was exquisite, and any secret latches were going to be hard to find.
‘Are you sure I can’t just take it apart with an axe?’
‘No – I don’t want her to know we know. Now, what we are looking for are very fine holes. This case is made by the Ancuman – I don’t recognize the species of tree – and the holes will be tiny – just large enough to insert the smallest bamboo pin. It will be on the side or top of the ends – possibly more than one.’
It took a while but after the first one, they had an idea what they were looking for and they soon had all four crevices open – and each crevice needed five pins. In each crevice was two sheets of parchment, and the eight pages comprised a report – and if you only had one page, it would not make no sense at all as every line was out of sequence,
Conn worked with one of his bocere to decode and rewrite the report, and reconstructed, it contained detailed information on the traitorous activities of several people within the Healdend’s court. They then carefully repacked the box with the documents back in place, and Conn instructed that it be delivered back to the boat and then to be given to Fainche in Cyme. After a week putting it off, Njil left for Kadash, and then Cyme.
Conn re read the report; he was going to see the Healdend, Fiona was desolate at the findings – it was her uncle and bedda that had been killed because of Rakia.
‘I think she is a bit unfair in her comments about me. I mean, she hadn’t even met me – “conceited, arrogant, proud, egotistical, smug, selfish, vain and insipid in colour” – I’m not insipid in color. I have a tan.’
Fiona agreed. ‘And perhaps “selfish” is a bit harsh – the others do seem pretty accurate though…’
At the guard tower Conn asked the Healdend to be informed of his arrival, and after leaving the horses at the livery, he walked to the donjon with Torunn. It was late afternoon and Conn’s senses were assaulted by the Gyden as he arrived inside the building. She was happy to see him, and hoped to see him later at the Cirice. They never seem to tire in their desire to ‘get to know him’.
The fires were burning bright as they walked into the Throne room. Ailbe was finishing his dinner.
‘Healdend, you are looking tired.’
He nodded. ‘It’s the Folgere; they are very demanding.’
Conn laughed. ‘You have to learn to say no, Healdend – or they will kill you. Leaving town is a good solution.’
He smiled. ‘Perhaps. Still, it is a nice diversion. My bedda are happy for me not to bother them – they were happy to visit my rooms for a week or so but the interested waned. And it is winter – not much else to do. Speaking of winter, what brings you out of your warm house to my cold donjon? Mazra said you have heated floors…’
The Aebeling had arrived, and they were both served drinks. Conn started to explain.
‘I recently had some documents offered to me for a price – a very significant price – which I gladly paid when I understood what the document was. I’ve brought it to you as soon as I could.’
Without further ado, he handed over a copy of the original documents, explained the code, and then gave them the transcripts. The realization of what was in the document dawned quickly; soon followed by confusion, and then anger.
Devnet spoke first. ‘And you can guarantee that these document are genuine?’
‘I can – but I would double check everything before accusing anyone of high treason but while the information is ambiguous, there is enough th
ere to be able to ask some serious questions of a lot of people. The plot is too elaborate to be made up by anyone – and why would they?’
Ailbe protested. ‘The only person that is connected with all these people would be … Fainche – but why would she betray us? Whoever killed her must have stolen this document. I presume this information was going to Fallon in Rakia. And you believe the Ancuman are behind this.’
‘I do – of course everything there collaborates my suspicions.’
‘Why Miach il Eriak. He is a member of my Witan – I have known him my entire life; he has been a trusted advisor. Why would be betray my bother so that he is killed or worse. But if I recall, it was he that insisted we send a senior negotiator – and indeed him also that suggested my brother.’
The documents included a passage about Miach and his disappointment that Fallon had yet to do as promised – he had yet to receive the gold promised and the Rakian bedda for his son had yet to be seen.
Ailbe looked to his son. ‘What should we do?’
Conn had an opinion. ‘I would suggest a trial – the impartial process of your laws will demonstrate that you are a fair ruler. I think you have more to gain by a public humiliation.’
Ailbe and Devnet decided to consider the information further and Conn returned to the Inn, with Torunn. He asked her if she was feeling cold.
‘Freezing – any suggestions.’
‘None that we haven’t already tried several times.’
‘Maybe we should try some again – they might work this time…’
‘All or just a couple?’
‘The night is early…’
Chapter 14
It didn’t take long for news to spread that the Healdend had found proof that there was a traitor – or traitors – in Gatina – and they were complicate in the events that led to the death of his brother. A second rumour was deliberately spread that the Healdend was prepared to show clemency to anyone who could provide names and more information. Clemency meant that, except for the most serious of cases, death might not be mandatory. Consequently, people started coming forward in an attempt to save their own hides, and when the Healdend’s officials started questioning, they started at the lowest person in the food chain they could find. Everything fell over like a pack of cards.
The Eaorl (The Casere Book 2) Page 19