Valretrade shook her head. ‘It’s a story long in the telling, sister. The truth is that I didn’t run away. I was…we were…being taken to be sold as slaves. We escaped.’
Ageric stared at her in amazement. ‘Sold as slaves? Have slavers raided the abbey, then?’
Valretrade smiled bitterly. ‘I said it would be long in the telling. But two important things first. Can you remove these manacles, Ageric? And is there something to drink and eat? We can then tell you the story as we proceed.’
Magnatrude at once set about the refreshment while her husband examined the manacles critically.
‘Not a hard job,’ he said, inspecting the lock. Then he turned and left them, going into another room.
‘Ageric is a blacksmith,’ Valretrade reminded Fidelma.
‘One of the best in the city,’ confirmed her elder sister, returning with beakers filled with cider and some bread and goat’s cheese.
As they drained their beakers, Ageric came back with several keys in his hands.
‘No need to even break the locks, nor saw through the chains. I believe one of these will do the task.’
As he sat down and started to pick at the locks, Valretrade quickly told their story while they nibbled on the welcome bread and cheese. By the time Valretrade had ended, the manacle and chain lay on the ground. It was well past dawn and the bird chorus had died away.
‘But if Bishop Leodegar and the Lady Beretrude are part of the conspiracy to sell the women off as slaves,’ commented Magnatrude, ‘who is there to appeal to for justice?’
‘The only thing for you to do is to hide up for today and then leave the city tonight and get to some other place where the writ of Beretrude and her family and of Leodegar does not run,’ advised Ageric.
Valretrade did not look happy.
‘Leave the city I grew up in? Leave you, my relatives? And what of poor Sigeric? It is not a good choice.’
Magnatrude looked at Fidelma who had been following the conversation without comment.
‘You are from Hibernia. You will want to go back there. Why not take our sister with you? I hear that life is good there. Perhaps Sigeric can follow later.’
Fidelma sighed. ‘I am afraid that my duty is to remain in Autun for a while yet.’
‘Your duty?’ asked Ageric.
It was difficult to explain to them that she was a dálaigh, an advocate of the laws of her people, and what that entailed.
‘There is someone I need to get in touch with in the abbey,’ she began.
‘Sigeric?’ asked Valretrade eagerly.
‘Not Sigeric; not yet. I need to contact Brother Eadulf, but it would be hopeless to return to the abbey and seek him out. There are too many enemies about and I would doubtless be captured before I came near him.’ She looked speculatively at Ageric. ‘Are you known at the abbey, Ageric?’
The blacksmith looked startled. ‘Not exactly. I used to work for the old abbot before Leodegar took over, but I have not been there for some years now. All my business is in the town.’
‘Then you might not be recognised as the brother-in-law of Valretrade?’
‘I doubt if anyone knows that,’ he agreed.
‘It would help, Ageric, if you went to the abbey and sought out Brother Eadulf in order to give him a message. But don’t make it obvious if you can avoid it.’
‘If I am questioned, I could say that I went to see if the abbey had work for a blacksmith,’ he volunteered.
‘Good. If you can speak to Eadulf alone, tell him that I want him to return here with you. Of course, ensure that you are not followed. If you have to speak to him with others in the vicinity, tell him that you had heard Alchú misses him and arrange to speak alone with him. Remember the name…Alchú. He will know that you have come from me.’
Ageric repeated the name.
Fidelma glanced at Valretrade and caught her in mid-yawn. She was sympathetic for she, too, was exhausted by the recent events.
‘We had little sleep last night,’ she explained, ‘so while you go to the abbey, we shall rest awhile.’
Magnatrude took her sister’s arm in sympathy.
‘You may use our bed for the time being until you have thought out what it is you want to do.’
It was Fidelma who asked: ‘Does anyone at the abbey know that Valretrade is your sister?’ She was worried in case Beretrude was able to trace them to her sister’s home.
‘It is some time since I have seen my little sister, so I have had no cause to speak of her to anyone recently.’
Valretrade yawned again. She was almost asleep on her feet.
In fact, both Fidelma and Valretrade were fast asleep by the time Ageric the Blacksmith left on his errand to the abbey.
It seemed that Fidelma had not been asleep but a moment when she felt her shoulder being roughly shaken. She came awake abruptly, heart pounding. Valretrade was already moving from the bed while Magnatrude was still shaking Fidelma.
‘Lady Beretrude’s warriors are coming along the alley,’ she hissed. ‘There’s no time to lose. Follow me.’
She turned and led the way into what was apparently a storeroom off Ageric’s workshop and forge. She went straight to a corner and bent down. Already they could hear the tramp of the warriors at the gate outside the building. Magnatrude pulled up a trapdoor and pointed down.
‘A souterrain. I can think of no other hiding place. There is no more time.’
A harsh voice was calling, demanding entrance.
Fidelma dropped down into the dark food storage area and crawled further back so that Valretrade could follow her. A moment later the trapdoor swung shut and they were in total darkness. It was cold. Black and cold. Fidelma shivered at the sudden change from the warm bed to this icy darkness.
She heard something move over the trapdoor and guessed Magnatrude was trying to obscure the entrance by placing some object on top.
A moment passed before they heard the harsh voices again and Magnatrude’s tones replying.
‘My sister? I haven’t seen her for over a year or so. She is a religieuse up at the abbey. Why don’t you try there?’
The harsh voice replied.
Fidelma could not follow much of the conversation even though it was conducted in Latin. It was too muffled.
There was a lot of movement above them. It was obvious the warriors were looking around. Then voices were close by. They were very clear. Fidelma’s jaw tightened as she waited for the trapdoor to be discovered. Suddenly she recognised the voice of one of the speakers, and shuddered. It was Verbas of Peqini. She was thankful that his common language with Beretrude’s guards was Latin so that she could understand what was said. Verbas was not happy.
‘This means another delay,’ he was complaining. ‘Why didn’t the Lady Beretrude tell me that one of the prisoners was this Fidelma of Cashel! I knew the cunning vixen. I would have taken a special care of her.’
There was an apologetic cough and a gruff voice said: ‘My lady did not know you knew the foreigner, lord.’
‘Well, I am forced to leave now. It is up to Beretrude to kill or recapture that troublemaker. I would have liked to have done so myself, but I have a boat waiting on the river. It takes many days to navigate down to the southern sea and my ship. I cannot wait for ever.’
‘A cargo of slaves fetches a good price, lord, so surely it is worth the wait until these women are recaptured?’
‘And your mistress has collected a good price,’ muttered Verbas of Peqini. ‘No, I cannot wait any longer.’
His voice died away and it was obvious that the men had moved towards the door. It seemed an eternity before Magnatrude’s voice came from above them.
‘They have gone. Are you both all right?’
‘We are cold and it is dark down here,’ Valretrade called back.
‘I am sorry, but it is best to leave you there for a short time in case they return to catch us out. I will let you up as soon as I think it is safe.’
Fidelma
thought the woman was wise.
‘Let us up as soon as you can,’ Valretrade shivered. She was clearly not enjoying the confinement.
A good hour or so later, Magnatrude returned. She removed whatever it was covering the trap door and pulled it open, then helped Valretrade first from the narrow confines and then Fidelma.
‘Your warning was very timely,’ Fidelma told her as she stretched to get her blood circulating again.
‘It was a lucky thing that this house has an upper floor and I was there in time to see the warriors approaching from the top of the lane,’ Magnatrude told them grimly.
Valretrade was trembling, more from the effects of being in the claustrophobic souterrain than from near recapture by Lady Beretrude’s warriors.
‘Have they gone?’ she whispered.
‘Of course,’ replied her sister. ‘But not before a thorough search of this place.’ She suddenly went pale.
‘What is it?’ asked Fidelma in alarm.
‘The manacles!’ Magnatrude stared with wide eyes. ‘What if…?’ She scanned the workroom. ‘Ageric brought them in here.’
Fidelma pointed with a smile.
‘They say that the best way to hide something is to leave it in plain view.’
The workroom of the smith had several nails and hooks along one wall from which an assortment of chains and other devices were hanging. Among them Ageric had hung up the manacles and chain from which he had released Fidelma and Valretrade. They were so obvious that the warriors would not have taken any notice of them, thinking they were just part of the smith’s equipment.
‘Don’t worry, Magnatrude. As soon as Eadulf gets here, we will not trespass on you much longer and put you in fear of this Beretrude.’
Magnatrude shook her head. ‘You mistake my fear. My sister Valretrade is the only relative I have. I will do anything to protect her.’
‘They say Beretrude has the second sight.’ Valretrade was still nervous. ‘How did she know to send her warriors here?’
‘Second sight?’ Fidelma was disapproving. ‘For shame-and you a Sister of the Faith. Beretrude must have known or been told that Magnatrude was your blood sister. There is no mystery to it. But she has been remarkably well informed.’
‘I told only my close friends like Sigeric and Inginde.’
‘Not Sister Radegund?’
‘Radegund knew as steward.’ The girl looked deflated. ‘She is Beretrude’s niece. I should have realised.’
Magnatrude led them back to the other room and offered them a bowl of hot broth.
‘The Lady Beretrude is said to have spies everywhere. She is a powerful woman. More powerful than her sons.’
‘Her sons? Oh, you include the younger son who was sent away when he was young. I have spoken to Guntram,’ Fidelma added, explaining her knowledge.
‘Guntram is the elder son and technically, the ruler. In reality, it is Beretrude who controls this province,’ replied Magnatrude.
‘What of the other son?’
‘No one knows what happened to him. He was sent away from home when he was young to enter the religious.’
‘Do you know the story?’ asked Fidelma curiously.
‘Gundobad was his name, I believe. The story is that he went into the abbey there when he was seven years old because his mother rejected him. She wanted to lavish her attention on Guntram, being the heir to the lordship of Burgundia, but only succeeded in spoiling him and making him indolent.’
Magnatrude offered them more broth but sleep was catching up with them again.
‘Let’s hope Ageric returns with Eadulf soon.’ Fidelma noticed that Valretrade had already fallen asleep again. But she herself was too nervous to sleep, and just wished Eadulf would come. However, she must have fallen asleep in spite of herself, for the next thing she knew, she awoke to hear Eadulf’s anxious voice. Ageric had returned with him.
‘You were not followed from the abbey?’ she demanded after they had exchanged enthusiastic greetings.
‘We were very careful, and no one saw Ageric contact me, except Abbot Ségdae, whom I have taken into my confidence. We were very lucky. We were just setting out to search for you again when Ageric approached and asked where he might find Brother Eadulf.’
‘So Ségdae knows where we are?’
‘When you did not return by dark last night, I approached Ségdae and told him where you had gone. We went to Bishop Leodegar and demanded that he send to Beretrude to enquire if you were in the villa. We wanted to go ourselves in case there was trouble. Instead, he sent Brother Chilperic, who was told that no one at the villa had seen you.’
Fidelma’s face was grim. ‘Beretrude is guilty of selling members of the Domus Femini as slaves,’ she told him. ‘But I think I can now explain what has been happening here.’
‘She has many warriors to back her.’ Eadulf was no longer surprised at the news. ‘What is your plan?’
‘Are Ségdae and his companions still at the abbey?’
‘I told him not to say anything further until I had spoken with you. I said I would get word to him as to what must be done.’
‘Did you discover the answer to my question?’
‘About Benén mac Sesenén?’ Eadulf was surprised at what he saw as a sudden change of conversation. ‘Oh yes. You were right. He did have a Latin nickname.’
‘And Benignus was his Latin sobriquet?’
Eadulf looked surprised for a moment and then said: ‘It was.’
Fidelma nodded slowly as if everything now fitted together.
‘What of Bishop Leodegar-what was his reaction to my disappearance? Was he concerned, or do you think he knew what was happening?’
Eadulf paused for a moment’s thought. Then: ‘He is either very good at disguising his feelings, or he was more concerned at the reaction from Nuntius Peregrinus when he heard you were missing. Tell me what has happened to you.’
As briefly as possible, she told him the details.
Eadulf looked grim when she mentioned the role of Verbas of Peqini.
‘My movement is restricted now, Eadulf, so I must rely on you. Tonight I need to re-enter the abbey unseen. Apart from Abbot Ségdae and his comrades from Imleach, there is no knowing who are our friends and who are our foes in the abbey. We must be prepared for all contingencies.’
She glanced towards Valretrade. Their conversation had been carried on in Fidelma’s own language that they always spoke together.
‘I think we can rely on Brother Sigeric to support us,’ she added.
At the name Valretrade looked up quickly.
‘Sigeric? Has anything happened to him?’ she asked fearfully, resorting to Latin.
Eadulf was reassuring. ‘He is well but frantic with worry about your fate.’
‘Then tomorrow morning I shall attempt to resolve all these matters,’ Fidelma said.
‘Tomorrow morning?’ Eadulf was astonished. ‘Can it all be resolved by then?’
‘That is if certain conditions can be met. Firstly, you must return to the abbey and see Abbot Ségdae. He must arrange to smuggle me back into the abbey as soon as darkness has fallen. Valretrade will come with me. No one apart from Ségdae must know of our return. You, however, will find a horse and ride to Clotaire. Bring him and his warriors to the abbey unseen. Make sure he has Guntram with him.’
Eadulf was astounded. ‘Fifty warriors? How can they arrive in this city unseen, let alone enter the abbey?’
‘That is where Brother Sigeric will play a part. In this you must instruct Clotaire carefully. Stand firm against Ebroin, as I am sure he is the sort of person who will raise objections. He may wish good for Clotaire but he does not believe in being subtle.’
‘Tell me what I should do.’
‘As you know, the abbey buildings stand in the south-west corner of the city, against the city walls there. Do you recall Sigeric telling us about the tunnel from the vaults under the chapel that leads beyond the outside walls? The door can be opened only from the i
nside. I will send Sigeric to open that door before dawn tomorrow morning. You will bring Clotaire and his men to the outside wall. Can you find where the entrance is?’
‘We can if Sigeric will signal with a lantern to show exactly where it is.’
‘A good suggestion. It shall be done.’
‘But where will I find a horse to ride for Guntram’s fortress?’ asked Eadulf.
‘Ageric,’ she turned to the blacksmith, ‘do you have a good horse or do you have access to one?’
‘My brother is also a blacksmith. His forge is outside of the city on the road to Guntram’s fortress. He has horses,’ he replied at once.
‘How far away?’
‘Just to the south west, at the beginning of the forest. It is no more than a brisk walk away. His name is Clodomar.’
Fidelma turned back to Eadulf in satisfaction.
‘That’s one piece of good fortune. We passed Clodomar’s forge. Do you recall the place?’ And when he nodded, she turned back to the bewildered Ageric. ‘I presume that your brother can be trusted to keep secrets?’
‘He is my brother,’ responded Ageric stoutly. ‘But I will accompany your friend to make sure all is well.’
‘Remember to bring Clotaire back to the entrance before dawn.’
Eadulf tried to hide his dismay at the thought of a nighttime ride on horseback through the forest. Horses were not his favourite mode of transport.
‘Once inside, Sigeric will guide you through the necropolis and into the chapel. This will coincide when all are meeting for the morning prayers. The warriors must stand ready to take control by force.’
‘I am not sure I follow the reasoning,’ Eadulf said, ‘but I will certainly convey all this to Clotaire.’
Fidelma looked apologetically at him.
‘What I am planning is that tomorrow, at morning prayers, which are attended by both communities in the abbey, I shall commence unravelling this mystery. I shall use the chapel as I would a court before the Brehons back home. Before that, I have to get Valretrade here to show me where she was taken captive. By that sarcophagus, I am hoping to find a piece of evidence. Do you follow?’
‘What if Bishop Leodegar will not allow you to speak?’
The Council of the Cursed sf-19 Page 31