‘I gather it you just leave it be – Ranait tells me that the blue glow means that the Gyden is already here – and she will send Folgere when she is ready – probably when there is an Aebeling.’
‘We thought it might be tied to the Aebeling – and that is no closer to be decided – I even nominated you.’
‘I presume that it wasn’t such a popular idea.’
‘True – but you will be happy to know that you had more supporters than some other candidates. Oh, we had a strange report from Silekia that has made the Witan very nervous.’
‘What have you heard?’
‘Well, apparently the domain of Salvia had been captured by the Rakian and then recaptured by the Silekians. We had a report from Silekiak asking if we knew anything – and of course we don’t.’
Octa suddenly looked strangely at Conn. ‘I’ve got to say that you don’t have quite the look of look of surprise on your face, Taransay, which I was expecting. Why is that? Does this news not come as a surprise to you?’
Conn paused. ‘Some of it does.’ He didn’t lie. He didn’t know that Silekiak knew.
‘But some of it doesn’t?’ Octa replied retorically. ‘Am I to assume that it is best I don’t know what happened?’
‘A good assumption – but you can rest assured that whatever did happen, no Lykians were involved.’
He laughed. ‘Well, that is one thing for me to be happy about then, I guess.’ They had arrived back at the “Boar’s Head” and Conn had ordered ale. The waitress was the tryst from several weeks previous. Conn had offered her an improved situation working in his Inn – as well as a room upstairs. This enabled her fling with Conn to continue in secret. Although a widow, she could still be bedda again if she wished – her improved situation could bring a significant dowry.
Conn also had to find time for Ranait, but they normally met in secret in the Cirice. She was entitled to have the occasional fling as well, but it was not appropriate for her to take a lover. More than once constituted a lover, so she had broken a few rules as well, so secrecy was paramount.
Octa continued where he had left off. ‘So not only have you messed with the internal politics of Lykia, but also in Silekia. I’m going to need a lot more ale.’
With the final sitting of the Witan concluded, and summer over, the Eaorls headed home to their estates. Ranait, in their final extended meeting with Conn, told him that it was unlikely that she would be returning to Lykiak, and that she wouldn’t see him again. It had only been because she had to agree to being set aside that she was even here. Unless he visited her, that is. He said he’d try.
Conn had said farewell to Godric as well. He was escorting the last of several hundred tons of goods down to Sabatah on the riverboats, and would then return to Trokia and Moetiak with the cargo, trading along the way. His brother was waiting in the port.
Before returning to Haran, Conn visited Faleri. He had sent Wilga and a squad of wiga out to secure the place as soon as he had purchased it, and he joined them there when his affairs in Lykiak were complete.
Faleri was unlike his other domains; it had over six hundred residents and they did things like they always had. It would take longer here to implement his reforms. Luckily the previous Thane had encouraged Moetians to settle, and although some elected to stay, Conn had a reasonable amount of “free” land to enclose and farm his way. Faleri also had extensive river flats that were subject to flooding; and these he turned into rice paddies – his tilia in Hama were experience rice farmers. As people and equipment started to arrive from Hama, Conn appointed a one of his Hama trained tilia as Burhgerefa, and with everything in hand he returned to Haran.
It was late autumn by the time he arrived back in Haran, and the year’s activities were drawing to an end. Most of Veii had also been put to the plough so next year’s crop had the potential to be huge. He found a pregnant Sileas and a two dozen captive Rakians.
Despite being prisoners, the four Nobles would regularly eat with Annisa or Sileas when they could and with Conn when he was in Haran. Accordingly, they were on good terms, but were still genuinely surprised when Conn told them that they were allowed to go home in the next few days, and they should prepare.
Fionn il Hera, the very short lived Eaorl of Salvia, was the first to respond. ‘You are actually going to let us go?’
‘I said I was going to, didn’t I?’
‘Well, yes, but that doesn’t mean anything.’
‘Well, it does to me, Fionn, my word is my bond.’
Fionn was embarrassed. ‘Thane, I apologize for not believing you. My experience has been that promises have little value when in conflict with political opportunity.’
‘Fair enough; but I see nothing to gain from having you here for much longer. I hope that you can do something for peace from your homes. I do not wish to meet across a battlefield one day soon.’
They had discussed the possibility that Conn and the Rakians might come into conflict one day, and all agreed that they would rather not repeat the experience. One thing they hadn’t been privy to was the training of the Fyrd, but they had seen them patrolling
‘Anyway, you will leave in a few days. I will arrange for you to be provided with horses, your weapons, and enough food to get you back to Rakia. I have informed your families that you are alive, so they are expecting you.’
Fionn was startled. ‘I had no idea that you had been in contact with our families. Have they paid a wergild?’
Conn shook his head. ‘No, I did not demand a wergild. I simple told them that you were alive and would be returned safely in due course.’
Fionn answered for all three. ‘I don’t understand how you even got the message through – no ships travel between Rakiak and Lykiak.’
Conn smiled in recollection. ‘It was not easy.’ Derryth had made a very secret visit to Syra in Rakiak and had found a messenger – a young shepherd boy – who had been delighted to take the message to their parents on payment of Ryals. Derryth was very annoyed however to have to then herd the boy’s goats all the way back to Hama. Another mystery about missing animals.
‘Anyway, we will celebrate your departure tomorrow night, and then Wilgar will escort you to the valley wall, where the Eaorl of Salvia will meet you and escort you through to the mountains. You should be able to get back to Rakia and Mylae without coming into contact with any of the Silekian keeps, and back before winter. You should go now and prepare to leave.’
They thanked him profusely and left to pack. Conn had not kept them isolated so they had become extremely well educated while they spent their time in Haran – and something told him that that would not be a bad thing.
CHAPTER 11
The huge summer crop had been followed by a mild winter and an even more enormous winter crop that was now being harvested in Conn’s third spring. The times of famine were over – at least in Lykia. With the granaries full to overflowing, it was time for the huge investment in the “new” road system, now complete all the way from Haran to Tabae, to start to pay its way. On cue, the first batch of the Conestoga wagons was ready to facilitate the transfer of merchandise from Haran to Tabae, and from there in more traditional methods on to Lykiak, and then Sabatah, where ships waited to take the grain to Moetiak or Trokia.
A hundred horses could carry seven thousand kilos; one Conestoga and a dozen oxen or six horses up front could do the same; and at a speed of twenty five miles a day, they were one of the most efficient transportation systems for their time. Its qualities would only improve when Conn’s breeding program of specialist horses for the Conestoga, and the cavalry, came to fruition.
Summer found four children less than three years running around Haran – all girls. Annisa was not happy – she was probably pregnant again, probably with twins gain – surely they didn’t think it was his fault they had twins did they? Annisa insisted that this was the last time – he definitely needed to find a third bedda in Lykiak this year as she didn’t intend to get pregnant agai
n. In fact, he was more than welcome to find two bedda.
With everything running like clockwork, and not being needed at home, Conn headed to Lykiak in late spring; visiting Faleri on the way to see how work was progressing. He took Allowena with him again; she was growing up and as she had ‘survived’ her fourteenth winter, she was just a few years away from considering bedda herself. Whilst she knew that it would be Conn’s decision as her ‘father’ and dowry provider, she could but try and influence his decision, and being in the Cotlif improved her options.
A couple of weeks after his arrival, and soon after the arrival of all the Eaorls, Octa brought Egbert, the Eaorl of Abela, with him to see Conn. Egbert’s domain was on the coast closest to Silekia and the Silekian port and Eaorldom of Tegeste. Egbert had a problem and Octa though that Conn might be able to help.
‘I’m at my wit’s end, Thane; bands of men across the border from Silekia – Rakia brigands – and attack our Burhs – stealing our women and burn our houses – I have lost nearly a dozen girls from the Burhs closest to the border. Some are my own kin. I have increased patrols but I do not have enough men to cover the border properly; I have lost five wiga in skirmishes with the brigands. Octa says you may be able to help – your men are the best that he has ever seen.’
Octa agreed. ‘I thank the Gyden that he is on our side; and I hope he stays there. If anyone can help you; he can.’
Conn agreed to try, and as the next day was the Witan, Octa requested Conn join as an observer – and although not typical, Octa’s growing wealth courtesy of Conn’s endeavours was giving his greater influence over members of the Witan – and Octa was happy to “donate” to have his way. His influence didn’t extend to the decision about the Aebeling; a decision was unable to be made again. Each Eaorl had a right of veto and it seemed that all choices and suggestions had been vetoed at least a dozen times already. They now had only four years before the Healdend of Moetia gave away the principality and they were no closer this time than any time in the past.
At yet another impasse; they turned to the Eaorl of Abela’s problems. Given the difficult terrain that was the border, the Rakian incursions were obviously not done light hearted, and although a slave trade still flourished in Tegeste, the rewards were minor. Like their incursions into Silekiak, they were simply testing the waters to see if they could achieve the same in Lykiak as the lack of an Aebeling could meant the likelihood of an organized retaliation was minimal.
The Eaorl of Erbil, his neighbor to the west, was not experiencing the same issues due to the geography of his border, and no one dared to enter Tabae with Conn’s Fyrd patrolling the border. With the discussion going in circles, Conn decided to take the initiative.
‘Excuse my rudeness for interrupting your discussions, Eaorls, but, as Octa and the Eaorl of Erbil will attest, I have a well-trained Fyrd patrolling all of Tabae, and I would be more than happy to patrol the entire Lykian border for you. I will need to increase the numbers of my wiga to do that – or I can train a company of Lykian cavalry to do the job. Nearly all my wiga, as you now, are Silekian.’
The solution was logical, and as the Eaorls was not individually inclined to donate their limited resources to the effort, the proposal found support after Octa was able to silence any nervousness about a Thane having such a large fyrd. After further negotiation, they settled on a compromise – Conn could increase his fyrd by half what he requested – a hundred and twenty men – but he had to also train a company of Sagittari, another hundred and twenty men, for the Lykian Fyrd. They also agreed that the Cotlif of Lykian would pay its share – after all, it was making a lot of money because of the increased amount of trade. With the expansion in numbers, Conn would soon have an official fyrd of almost three hundred of the best trained and resourced wiga in Lykia – unofficially, however, he already had twice that number. It was politic to keep some things to one self.
Within weeks the new Lykian Fyrd in full training. With nice new uniforms and weapons manufactured in Hama, and with the excellent pay of eight thousand Ryals a year, recruits were drawn from families of Thanes as well as Eaorls. The new fyrd required a new a new structure, and ten Folctogas were recruited to lead squads of ten men, and the ten squads would be commanded by the newly created Kaptain. After a month of preparations and recruitments, they moved to Abela to commence training and patrols, with Wilga appointed as the acting Kaptain; until such time as a suitable person could be found.
While in Lykiak, Conn would meet regularly with the Eaorls in their residences. One such Earl was Eanfrid, Eaorl of Erbil, who was his closest neighbor. Eanfrid was a regularly visitor to Haran, ostensibly to try some of his latest meads or wines – and then his beer, but in reality to see what was happening. After a few visits, Conn had offered to send some people over to work with his Burhgerefa and he agreed. As he arrived at his residence in Lykiak, Conn noticed a young man of about eighteen; who he could have sworn he met the previous day.
‘Daray?’ Conn asked curiously
‘Good morning Thane; nice to see you again.’
‘I thought it was you but I wasn’t sure - I’m surprised to see you again; did I not see you yesterday with Eaorl Tolbert? I didn’t expect to see you here.’
‘Tolbert is my uncle; my mother was his youngest sister and she first married a Thane in Gozan, but when he died, she married Eanfrid’s father – my father – as his third bedda. I am son number five.’
‘So Eanfrid is your brother, and Tolbert is your Uncle; you are unusually well connected…’
‘That is true – I am also cousin to Ricbert il Urfa. I have just returned from his domain. I have been there for five years, on the border gates, counting people and goods as they pass.’
‘Exciting work – so how old are you now?’
‘I have just seen eighteen winters.’
‘What about bedda?’
Daray shook his head. ‘I do not have an income to support a family yet.’
‘And what are you going to do now?’
‘Whatever my brother decides; I serve at his pleasure. I had considered joining the new Lykian fryd but I understand that recruitment has ceased for this year.’
Before they could speak again, Eanfrid welcomed Conn to his hall and was about to send Daray away when Conn requested he stay. Curious, the Eaorl relented. Later, as they drank the quality Hama ale, Conn made a suggestion.
‘Eaorl, I have had the pleasure of your brother’s company twice now, and I hear that he is not destined for a position at this stage. Would you be agreeable for me to arrange a position for him in the new fyrd?
A younger brother was sometimes a more of a burden than a joy, especially one young enough to be your son. Eanfrid was more than happy to rid himself of the task of finding a role for him, but only agreed if Daray was agreeable – which he was.
Conn told Allowena about him as they ate dinner in the Inn. She was interested.
‘So is he cute?’
‘Yes, I think so.’
‘So I get to hang around a cool fifth son of an Eaorl – who doesn’t have bedda yet. Sounds like fun.’
‘Sorry to say but you can’t think of him that way. I need him to… umm … do something for me – and I don’t want him distracted by your feminine guiles.’
Her only response was to giggle and punch him – which given that he trained her to fight meant that it hurt.
Instead of returning directly to Hama, Conn and Allowena decided to join Daray as he travelled to join the wiga in Abela. They travelled south through the dividing range into Erbil, and then west towards the coast, staying in Inns along the well-trodden, albeit muddy, path. When they arrived at the outskirts of the cotlif of Arbella, they arrived at the camp that was being set up to house the new recruits and training grounds for the border patrol. Wilga and Wuffa joined them as they travelled into see the Earl; an hour away from the camp.
The cotlif was in turmoil. A troop of men were getting ready to leave in a hurry and Conn asked the
Folctoga what was the problem.
‘We seem to have lost the Eaorl’s daughter – she was riding with a wiga to her grandmother’s Burh, and he has been found dead on the road with an arrow in his chest. The arrow is of Rakian design, and they seem to have taken the girl with them.’
Conn entered the keep to find an upset Egbert.
‘She is just twelve. I did not think it possible that they could be so close to the Burh.’
‘How much of a lead do they have?’
‘To the border? Half a day. If we cannot find them before they go over the wall; she will be lost to me. I dare not follow.’
‘But nothing is stopping me.’
‘You? I don’t understand.’
Before he replied he spoke quietly to Daray and he scurried from the room, taking Wuffa with him. ‘I am not – technically speaking – a Lykian. And neither are Wilgar or Wuffa and most of my wiga. Daray is another matter. We will just have to avoid getting caught. If we go across the border, there is little chance of a response from the Rakians.’
‘But there is great risk in only four against so many.’
‘Someone once said that bad things happen when good men sit by and do nothing. With your leave, I will go and see if they have found her, and if not, I will do my best to find her for you. Will you take care of Allowena for me please while I am away?’
‘Of course; she will be as my daughter.’ Egbert didn’t know what else to say; but with tears in his eyes, he shook Conn’s hands heartily. Conn hugged Allowena, and immediately departed with Wilgar. Daray and Wuffa would catch up.
By evening they had found the squad sent out to find the girl and learnt that they had failed. But they knew where she was – they had tracked her assailants over the border.
‘Thane, at least four horses have gone down this path sometime today. It would only be a few hours ago. It seems that they came up this way as well.’
The Aebeling Page 17