Nandor (The Nandor Tales Book 2)

by Martin Owton

  “The captain didn’t want to come to Keshan. We had to bribe him. It should be cheaper going back down the coast.”

  “Just as well. We haven’t got enough to pay that again.”

  “It had better be the barracks then.”

  The ship moored at the stone-built wharf and a gang of stevedores swarmed about to unload the cargo. Aron and Maldwyn hurried down to the hold to retrieve their gear before the stevedores made it disappear then went to help Edith with Celaine.

  Celaine required only a little help; supported on Edith’s arm she walked down the gangplank and slowly along the wharf. Her steps gained pace and confidence as she went until Edith was able to remove her support, though her eyes still seemed focused on somewhere else and she needed steering to keep out of the way of the toiling stevedores.

  They made slow progress away from the sheds and warehouses of the harbour through the busy streets away from the sea towards the heart of the city and beyond to the company barracks. Aron’s stomach settling with every step they took away from the ship.

  They were passing a tavern when a stocky man with a bushy black beard strode out of the doorway and nearly barrelled into them. With barely a glance at them and no word of apology he continued briskly down the street.

  Celaine backed up against the wall making a thin wail of distress like a sick lamb.

  “That was Broll,” said Edith. “I’m going after him.” She slipped her pack off her shoulders and picked up her bowcase.

  “No.” said Aron. “Celaine needs you here. I’ll go after him. I’ll find where he’s going and come back to the barracks.”

  “Don’t kill him,” said Edith. “He’s mine.”

  “I’ll come with you,” said Maldwyn.

  “No,” said Aron. “The more people the more chance of being noticed and I’ve been taught how to follow people without being seen.”

  He looked up the lane at the fast-moving figure of Broll, slipped off his pack and grabbed his sword.

  “I won’t kill him unless I have to,” he said and set off up the lane in pursuit of Broll.

  There were enough people on the streets that Aron could conceal himself, but not so many that he couldn’t see his quarry. He caught up with Broll and then stayed about thirty paces behind him using the crowds as cover, skipping between carts and barrows, trying always to keep half a dozen people between him and his target.

  It quickly became clear that Broll was not worried about being followed. He did not look round once, just kept walking determinedly towards the main city gate. Beyond the city there was enough traffic on the rutted muddy road that Aron was able to conceal himself, but it really was not necessary as Broll still did not look round.

  The road followed a lively river through a valley of well-tended farmland until they reached a prosperous village of solid wooden houses where Broll took a smaller track up that lead up a side valley between wooded hills. The neat fields quickly gave way to rough pasture and scrubby wood copses. Aron left the road, running parallel to it from one point of cover to the next until Broll turned up a grassed-over path into the woods.

  I could take him here and no-one would know, thought Aron. Its murder, but it’s not as if he doesn’t deserve it. He scanned the path ahead and identified a point he could reach before Broll and ambush him. It’s easy, just tell Edith he spotted me, we had a confrontation and I killed him. That would remove the danger of Edith facing Broll. He thought about it long and hard but decided he couldn’t do it. He wanted to see where Broll was going. He might lead him to other members of the gang, possibly Tancred himself. And I am not a murderer.

  Aron followed him until he reached a wide area in the woods lacking mature trees with a small wooden house at its centre. The woods had clearly once been cleared for a farm, but the growth of young trees and bushes suggested it had been abandoned some years ago. The roof of the house had collapsed at one end; the other was missing shingles but looked otherwise habitable. Three men lounged around the entrance and two more came out of the house as Broll approached; none of them was Tancred to Aron’s disappointment.

  Aron crept closer, the young trees and bushes providing good cover, until he could hear their voices talking but not pick out any words. Two axes and a sword lay against the doorframe; he could not see any more weapons. He made a circuit of the house taking in the remains of a barn at the back and a second path that lead up to the wooded ridge then waited to see if any more men were in the house but no more emerged. Content that he had seen all he needed, he looked at the sun hanging only a little way above the ridge; he had to leave if he was going to get back before the city gate closed at sunset. Staying in the cover of the scrub he walked away as quietly as he could, not joining the path until he was well out of sight of the dilapidated house. Then he slung his sword onto his back and ran for the village.

  He met no-one on the track and slowed to a walk before picking up the road in the village. Almost all the traffic on the road was going away from the city. As he made his way through the steady stream of carts, barrows and heavily-laden walkers, Aron thought about their approach to Broll and his gang. Six men, poorly disciplined and keeping no look-out, in a house with one entrance; it should be straightforward enough to take them by surprise. Just after dawn would be the best time but unless they spent the night in the woods, that would not be possible. The best they could hope for was to leave Keshan as soon as the gates opened and hope that Broll and the gang were still asleep when they arrived; they did not look like early risers. They would certainly need Edith’s archery if they were awake.

  The sun was low in the sky when Aron, tired and hungry, arrived at the city gate. He had eaten nothing on the voyage down from Cuiport and now was feeling the weakness from it. His company livery was recognised by the guards on the gate and he passed into the city unhindered. By the time he reached the barracks he would have eaten his boots, fortunately he was in time to go straight to the canteen and eat among a group of newly-hired company soldiers. Hunger satisfied he went in search of Maldwyn, Thomi and the girls.

  “Where have you been?” said Edith, the moment he entered their room. “We were so worried.”

  “What did you find?” said Maldwyn. “Did you see Tancred?”

  Even Celaine looked up from Edith’s embrace and seemed pleased to see him.

  “I followed Broll out of the city to an abandoned farmhouse in the woods,” said Aron. “He has five men with him. I didn’t see Tancred.”

  “Shame,” said Edith. “Broll’s bound to be up to no good.”

  “Even if he isn’t, he has earned his fate,” said Maldwyn. “How were they armed?”

  “I saw a sword and two axes,” said Aron. “I presume they also have knives and clubs. There’s plenty of cover around the house and they don’t appear to keep a watch. We should hit them as early in the morning as we can get there so we need to be at the city gate when it opens.”

  “Six men,” said Maldwyn. “That needs all of us then. What will we do about Celaine?”

  There was a moment’s silence while everyone thought. Aron looked at Maldwyn and then they both looked at Edith.

  “She’s coming with us,” said Edith meeting their gaze defiantly. “She wants to see me kill Broll.”

  Celaine looked at Aron and, for a moment, her gaze mirrored Edith’s then she looked away.

  ***

  The sentry woke them as arranged at the paling of the sky. They gathered up their weapons and set out through the darkened streets, but it quickly became clear that Celaine could not walk as fast as the rest of them. As she walked holding Edith’s hand, it seemed to Aron as if she moved in another world, unaware of her surroundings. It was just as well the streets were virtually empty.

  The gates were already open when they reached them and a steady flow of farmers were entering, their carts and baskets laden with produce for the markets. They passed through, Edith having to steer Celaine out of the way of a cart loaded with cabbages. By the time the
y reached the village the working day was well underway, and Aron had given up any thought of catching Broll and his men asleep. Attacking them when all were awake and out of the house was a much more demanding proposition. They would need Edith’s archery to even the numbers quickly otherwise they would certainly take casualties, and the girls would have to be kept well out of the way of any hand-to-hand fighting. I should have killed Broll when I had the chance.

  They attracted a number of curious looks as they passed through the village and took the track up the valley. If Broll has any friends then they’ll know who to find for vengeance.

  The path to the house showed no sign of anyone passing over it since last night. Aron lead the others cautiously to the edge of the clearing then went on alone to scout the house. He completed two full circuits creeping through the scrub before he was satisfied that the place was deserved and approached it, sword in hand.

  No-one was home; bundles of clothes on sleeping mats, jars of flour and beer and the still-warm ashes in the firepit said that Broll and his gang had not moved out. The sword and axes he had seen previously were gone. Aron relaxed and retreated back to the others.

  “They’re not here, but they’ll be back” said Aron. “Their weapons are gone, but they’ve left their other gear and food.”

  “Where have they gone?” asked Edith.

  “There’s a path at the back that leads up to the ridge,” said Aron. “And a lot of footprints on it that weren’t there yesterday.”

  “Are we going to wait for them?” said Maldwyn.

  “Yes,” said Edith; a command not an opinion.

  Aron looked at Celaine’s blank expression and the anger flared at Broll and his gang. He would wait as long as it took.

  “I’ve got my dice while we’re waiting,” said Thomi.

  It was near midday when Broll and his gang returned. They made no attempt at stealth or concealment, and Aron heard them coming through the trees down the path from the ridge long before he saw them. He quickly organised his forces and set the ambush just short of the house.

  When they came into view Aron was surprised to see a seventh man with them; tied by the hands with a rope around his neck held by a scrawny balding fellow walking behind him, he was clearly their prisoner. Broll rode what must have been the prisoner’s horse. As they drew nearer, Aron was even more surprised to recognise the prisoner as Dirick.

  “Don’t kill Broll, he’s mine,” whispered Edith as they crouched in the scrub a few paces from the path. She glanced at Celaine who was sat just behind her, a blank expression on her face and nocked an arrow to her bow.

  “Then I’ll take the first man,” said Aron. “We need Broll off that horse.”

  The first man approached their position, talking to another of the gang as he passed in front of them perhaps three paces away. Aron drew his sword and nodded to Edith. Edith stood up drawing her bow as she rose. Aron surged forward through the concealing bushes. His blade took the first man through the throat as he turned to face him, his axe swing far too late. Edith’s bow twanged. Broll yelled and toppled from the horse an arrow embedded in the side of his broad chest. The horse reared knocking over Dirick and two of Broll’s men then charged off down the path at a full gallop. Maldwyn and Thomi stepped out of the scrub on the far side of the path, their swords levelled at the remaining men who stood open-mouthed in surprise.

  “Drop your weapons,” ordered Maldwyn.

  Axe and club fell from their hands. Edith emerged from the scrub, another arrow nocked, her bow half bent and walked over to where Broll lay cursing and gasping on the ground. Celaine followed her, moving as if walking in a dream.

  Edith set down her bow and drew out her long knife beckoning Celaine to her. She knelt over Broll, yanked on the arrow sticking out of his chest to get his attention, and put the blade to his cheek.

  “Do you remember my sister?” she asked.

  Broll turned head at the pressure from the knife and looked at Celaine. His gasp turned into a cough bringing up blood.

  “I wanted you to know why this is happening,” said Edith. She reached down his body with her free hand and grasped him between the legs. “You have one chance for me to make it easy on you. Tell me where Tancred is.”

  “I don’t know. I swear, I don’t know,” gasped Broll spitting mouthfuls of blood.

  “That’s a shame,” said Edith. Her knife hand flicked out and severed Broll’s ear. His shriek, high and piercing, was cut off by another gush of blood. Edith looked at him intently knife poised, unmoved by his pain. Celaine stood passively watching, her face blank.

  As everyone else watched Edith and Broll, one of the bandits turned between Maldwyn and Thomi and fled into the scrub. Sword in hand, Aron took off after him, less than a dozen paces behind; his track easy to follow as he crashed through the bushes.

  They had travelled maybe seventy paces and Aron was not closing on him when the bandit tripped, tried to keep his feet and finally fell headlong. Aron slowed enough to balance himself, then buried the point of his sword in the man’s chest as he sprawled under a thornbush. He cried out in agony and clutched at the blade, cutting his hands as he tried to pull it out until he spasmed and fell limp.

  Aron watched him die then turned away. This was a cleaner and quicker death than the man deserved. The lives of all of Broll’s men were forfeit; not just for their part in the death of Earl Baldwin and the kidnap of Celaine, but also for their attack on Dirick.

  Aron ran back to where he had left the others. Edith knelt, covered in blood, knife in hand, beside Broll’s body. Celaine stood beside her that uncanny blank expression still on her face. Dirick, hands still tied, sat a couple of paces away watching them.

  “Where are Maldwyn and Thomi?” asked Aron.

  For a moment it seemed that Edith hadn’t noticed him, then she looked away from Broll’s corpse and up at him.

  “The other bandits ran off, they’re chasing them,” said Edith.

  Aron spat out an oath. He took a deep breath and called as loud as he could for Maldwyn and Thomi. He stood listening for a reply but heard nothing.

  “They should have let them go,” he said to Edith.

  “No!” said Edith. “They hurt Celaine and they must pay. I want them all dead.” She plunged her knife into Broll’s corpse to emphasise her point.

  Aron called out again and was relieved to hear a call in reply. He turned his attention to Dirick who reached out his bound wrists.

  “My saviour once again,” said Dirick. “I was never more surprised or grateful than to see you. But what are you doing here?”

  “I could ask the same question,” said Aron. He cut the bindings on Dirick’s wrists.

  “That’s easy to answer,” said Dirick, rubbing his hands vigorously to restore the circulation. “I was just doing my job when these bastards attacked me. I wasn’t carrying any gold, so they thought my safe return might be worth something to the merchants down in Keshan. I don’t think it would have been so I’m very glad you turned up, but what are you doing here? Last time I saw you, you were in a hurry to get to Nandor.”

  “And I got to Nandor to find a gang of bandits including these men had abducted her.” Aron pointed to Celaine. “May I introduce Lady Celaine of Nandor and her sister, Lady Edith.”

  Celaine did not respond. Edith looked up from where she was sawing at Broll’s neck, trying to decapitate him.

  “Pleased to make your acquaintance,” she said. “Any friend of Aron’s is a friend of ours.”

  At that moment Maldwyn appeared out of the scrub, his sword blade bloody.

  “Did you get him?” asked Edith.

  “Yes,” said Maldwyn with a wolfish smile.

  “And this is my Lord Maldwyn, Earl of Nandor,” said Aron.

  Thomi ran down the path to join them.

  “Did you get him?” asked Edith.

  Thomi shook his head. “Couldn’t catch him, my Lady.”

  Edith spat out a curse and returned to
her sawing.

  Aron introduced Dirick to Maldwyn and, once Edith had removed Broll’s head, they walked down to the farmhouse to find Dirick’s horse grazing beside it. They located the well and a whole bucket so they watered the horse and Edith tried to rinse off the blood then they set out for Keshan.

  Celaine was seated on the horse and with Thomi leading it, they walked back towards the village. Edith carried her gruesome trophy in a sack they had scavenged from the house.

  “It is too late for me to continue my journey, and I’ve no wish to spend the night on the road so I’ll go back to Keshan,” said Dirick. “It’ll give me the chance to show my gratitude in a solid way. Where are you lodged?”

  “We’re in the company barracks,” said Aron.

  “Of course. That would account for the livery,” said Dirick. “Stupid of me. Is there anything I can help you with?”

  “We need to find a boat to take us down the coast to Nandor,” said Maldwyn. “Lady Celaine is not well enough for a long journey by land.”

  “That I’m sure I can help you with. I know several merchants in Keshan who use the coastal traders. They’ll find you a boat within a few days. Most of the trade is bringing goods to Keshan so the boats sail back empty. They’ll be glad of fare-paying passengers.”

  “If they’re coming down the coast empty, could we use them to ship wool out of Nandor?” said Aron. “We might get a better price than the wool buyers who come to Nandor offer, and we wouldn’t have to pay the Duke of Sarazan’s tolls.”

  “I’ve often heard that we get a poor price for our wool because it’s so difficult to get it to the merchants,” said Maldwyn.

  “That’s very possible,” said Dirick.

  Aron left Dirick and Maldwyn to discuss trade routes and went take over leading the horse from Thomi. Celaine, seemingly lost in her own world, did not acknowledge him.

  “Now I want to find that farm that sold Celaine,” said Edith.

  “That may not be easy to find,” said Aron.

  “That’s no reason to not try,” said Edith. “They were part of this and they should pay.”