The Aebeling (30 page)

He even had some cheap labor and he put the Ancuman sailors to work digging canals while he waited for his craeftiga to arrive. Coincidently, Daray had an elder sister, Osdreda, who despite being the daughter of a Thane, had chosen to be bedda to a young merchant whose family was based in Sabatah. He appointed her bedda the Burhgerefa of Erebos. Conn liked to keep things in the family.

As well as work in his new domain, Conn would also visit the prisoner daily. Her wound was healing; the evidence of the severity of her wound was demonstrated by the bright pink line across her side, and after the stitches were removed, she was starting to be able to move freely. She liked to tease him when he changed the dressing; instead of lifting her top, she would disrobe completely; her well-endowed body on full display. She was daring him to display behavior suitable of a vanquisher.

‘So if you going to force yourself upon me, I wouldn’t leave it too much later if I were you – my strength is returning. You will have to subdue me until I am unconscious... perhaps you like to abuse a sleeping body.’

Conn refused to rise to her bait. ‘I’m not going to force myself on you, Elddis, I don’t have the desire.’ His every refusal seemed to annoy her; perhaps she wanted to hate him – but she had finally told him her name.

‘Is that because the Innkeeper visits your room – I can hear you mating with her every night like wild animals.’

Sherlinda was very grateful that her problems had been solved – especially after Conn had bought the Inn himself at the auction but installed her as Innkeeper – and had the laws changed so that a woman could be Innkeeper. He was also spending a large amount of money making improvements, and she was showing her appreciation. She had offered her eldest daughter, but when Conn declined, she offered herself, which Conn was happy to accept. On top of which, Conn was arranging for the eldest daughter to be bedda to some of his other Innkeeper’s sons.

Conn smirked. ‘I apologize for interrupting your sleep. We will try to be quieter in the future.’ Conn made sure the opposite happened.

When she was strong enough to move around unaided, Conn arranged to take her for long walks to build up her strength, and he designed exercises to help repair the damaged stomach muscles – for one thing, she would never swing a sword again. She found it hard to understand his motives.

‘All I ask is that you tell me about yourself. I know nothing about you.’

‘I will not betray my people.’ She responded defiantly.

‘I will never ask you to. Tell me only what you think I would learn if I visited a tavern in – in wherever you are from.’

Finally she told him that she was from Nobatia.

‘Nobatia – is there more than one kind of Ancuman?’

She shook her head scornfully. ‘For someone who can sew a body back together, you certainly know nothing about other things. Nobatia was once one of six independent island nations in Kishdah – now we serve our masters in Axum.’

It transpired that the Axum leader took the title Bretwalda some five hundred years ago to consolidate his position as undisputed Healdend of all Ancuman, and he and his descendants have ruled all nations with an iron first since – squashing any sign of rebellion brutally. The Axum Gyden was the only one allowed – the Gyden of the other nations had long been driven from existence. The Axum Folgere had absolute authority and were loathed and feared – for what reason Conn was unable to ascertain. Kishdah was a complicated place – it was also a collection of large islands rather than a single landmass. Conn didn’t mention that he knew that Elddis was connected to a Gyden that wasn’t the Axum Gyden. She may have been banished but she was still around.

With her condition vastly improved, Conn took her to meet the imprisoned crew of her boat as they worked in his salt plant. They decided that they would leave in three days; and Conn arranged for the boat to be fully provisioned.

The night before she was to leave, Conn returned her clothes and her travel kit; including her sword. She refused it point blank.

‘It was my father’s sword – and the sword of the last true independent Healdend of Nobatia. To return it is an act of generosity and kindness – but one that I cannot accept. For me to return with my sword would indicate that I have betrayed my nation and my tribe. The least consequence I must have for my defeat is the loss of my sword. It is yours to keep.’

‘Very well. Then perhaps you will take these.’ Conn then handed her a pouch of gold Ryals.

‘What is this? Why do you give me gold?’

‘I don’t think that you will be very popular when you get home – you or your crew. If you have gold you can ‘arrange’ things so that no one is executed. I’d hate to go to all this effort to have you all killed as soon as you arrive.’

‘I don’t understand why you would do that – did I not try and kill you? You owe me nothing.’ She tried to hand them back.

‘No, keep them. And you were only following orders – I do not believe that you suddenly decided to search me out to murder me. You didn’t even know who I was.’

Elddis shook her head. ‘No, there you are wrong. My Folctoga – the man you killed – told me that Fallon was extremely upset about the defeat in Salvia, but no one knew it whom it was until some of the survivors of the skirmish near Tegeste described you and your colors.’

Conn nodded. ‘One of the unavoidable downsides of letting people live…’

She smiled a thin smile. ‘One you seem continually prepared to take. After that, it was obvious that you were also reinforcing the Silekian Healdend and Fallon something needed to be done...’

This was also as much information that he had gotten from her all this time so he didn’t press it. She added.

‘But I don’t think they realize just how much an adversary they have. I fear that the Axum will continue to underestimate you, Conn il Taransay.’ She stopped to consider. ‘And where is Taransay anyway? The Ancuman have sailed the oceans for two thousand years and we have not heard of Taransay…’

Conn had been fending off questions about his origins from Elddis for days; he had yet to create a plausible story about how he landed in Meshech. He tried his magical cave story again and she seemed to buy it.

As she answered, she held her necklace. ‘Gydens have great powers – perhaps you stumbled into something that had been built by a Gyden.’

Ignoring the proposition; Conn rifled through the bags. He brought out a necklace; finely crafted gold links that held a brown stone at the end. ‘This belonged to the Folctoga. Do you want to return it to his family?’

She shook her head, her hand involuntarily going to her own necklace again. ‘No – he was from Axum and that is something that every member of the family of the Bretwalda wears. It is also powerful – it links them to their Gyden.’

‘He was an Aebeling?’

‘No – nothing so important – he was a cousin of some kind. The Axum Bretwalda usually has many bedda and many children. It is said that the current Bretwalda has over fifteen theow to use as he wishes.’

Conn put the brown stone back in his bag. He didn’t know why, but he thought it might become useful.

‘Very well, I will see you in the morning. You will leave at high tide.’ He stood to leave, and just as he reached the door, she called him back. He turned to see her standing, and releasing the light gown that she had been wearing. She was now naked, the wound from the wakizashi still a definite pink line over her shiny ebony skin. The rest of her was however in excellent shape, and she was a very full bodied female.

‘There is something else we can do before I leave. If you won’t take it, I guess I’ll have to offer it – willingly. I’m sure the Innkeeper can spare you for one night.’

A night with the tall Ancuman was not an unattractive proposition – and it would have been rude to say no – especially since she had gone to all that effort to get undressed.

The next morning, Conn escorted her to the wharf, where the boat was ready to depart. Conn hoped that she would make it home safely; despite the fact that she was probably a murderer and had tried to kill him, he actually enjoyed having her around. She waved ever so lightly as the boat rowed its way out of the harbor. Eaorl Herewald moved to stand beside him as the boat faded away.

‘I do hope you know what you are doing, Thane. I really think we should have executed the lot of them.’

‘Eaorl – I’m hope I’m right too. Only time will tell.’

The Ancuman boat was not gone a day, when one of his new schooners turned up. Amongst other items it had a communique in code from Abrekan. He wished to advise Conn that there was trouble brewing between Trokia and Gatina – and all normal relations had been suspended. Gatina had accused Trokia of sinking a number of its commercial vessels and was demanding a wergild of five hundred thousand Ryals – an absurd amount. Abrekan said that Trokia had refused to pay.

Farewelling Sherlinda, Conn returned to Tabae on horseback, with the five buckskin mares in tow. He arrived as autumn settled, to be met by Annisa and their four daughters, and an amazed Eaorl Octa.

‘I don’t know if I’m game enough to ask you why you have these horses. They are not Lykian and they are not your own breed. The saddles are also not Meshechian.’

‘It’s a long story.’ Conn followed Octa into the keep.

Octa looked at him strangely. ‘Do I need to be sitting when you tell it?’

‘Very probably.’

‘Drinking?’

‘Definitely.’

Later, after lots of good ale, Octa mused on his life. ‘It is only three years since you turned up, but it seems like so much longer. I’m sure that I have aged at least twenty years. I know for certain that some of the other Eaorls have. Certainly nothing is the same anymore. So, as usual, you were right about the Ancuman. Things are going to be a mess if we don’t get an Aebeling. At least there is one year left before the Moetian Healdend makes the decision for us.’

After they had emptied another flask of Hama Beer, Octa looked at Annisa and then suspiciously at Conn as he dangled four rowdy daughters on his knees. ‘Have you told her?’

Annisa was surprised. ‘Has he told me what?’

Octa shook his head, ‘Taransay hasn’t told you why you are here, has he?’

Annisa looked at Conn. ‘I’m not following.’

Conn smiled sheepishly. ‘It is just that … well… I’m requesting that Octa transfer the title of Thane of Haran to you.’

Annisa was truly surprised. ‘Since when are females allowed to be Thanes?’

Octa answered for them both. ‘This summer – at the last Witan, Conn convinced the Eaorls to change the law. It wasn’t that hard actually – there were very old laws dating back to the Casere’s time that said that women could become Thanes if that was the only choice available. Who knew? The Thane had the entire Library in Lykiak transferred to those Codex things and indexed. Ridiculous waste of money but it’s not mine.’

‘But why?’

‘You have heirs and you are doing an excellent job as Burhgerefa – I’m hardly there anymore anyway.’ Conn suggested. “And if the Ancuman are still displeased with me, they might try again – and I don’t want my daughters at risk.’

‘What about Hama and Veii?’

‘Hama doesn’t need a Thane in place as it has no Lairds to control. Haran does. Veii, I will leave under your control as well’

Octa interjected. ‘Let me take this opportunity to remind you how much I hate your new Lairds. One of your Lairds has taken one of the daughter of the Earl of Erbil as bedda. Another has already taken a Thane’s daughter as bedda. Another…’ he was starting to froth by now; ‘is asking to court another of my daughters!’

‘What is the world coming to, Octa. What is the world coming to? Anyway, you have a few to spare. Let us drink to change. May it be our friend and neighbor and not our enemy.’

‘Change is fine – just as long as it doesn’t happen too quickly – or affect me adversely.’

Annisa left a few days later as the Thane of Haran. She was not unpleased – and she was not his bedda anymore – one Thane could not be bedda to another. After four daughters, he wasn’t welcome in her bed anyway. After a short visit to Hama to leave the mares behind, Conn instead headed for Halani. He had decided to spend the winter with Elva and Jowan. He hoped that Elva still wanted him in her bed, and he needed Derryth’s help – Gatina was becoming a concern.

CHAPTER 15

Conn was back in Lykiak by mid spring; even earlier than usual. He had left Halani as soon as the snow allowed – just after the arrival of his fourth Meshechian spring. He visited Hama to collect Allowena and Wilgar, and Daray met them in Tabae. Daray had spent the winter in Arbella with the Lykian cavalry patrolling the border. With the spring rains, the river was impassable so he made his way to Lykiak to report to the Witan. The border patrol was now pointless anyway – after Conn’s visit to Pelva, no Rakian was game to enter Lykia, so the cavalry had seen no action at all. It still trained and patrolled, however, under Wilgar’s command.

The three men were eating a late breakfast when they noticed a crowd gathering outside the Inn in the main square. Conn sent one of the Inn staff outside to see what was happening.

She bowed politely on return. ‘They said it’s a slave trader from Gatina…’

‘A slave trader from Gatina – now that is not something you see every day. What is he doing here?’ Conn led the two men outside and they walked towards the crowd of people who milled around several riders on horses.

The buying and selling of slaves was historically a common activity in Meshech – mostly because of economic causes as war had been uncommon for some time. It was better to sell your daughter into servitude than for her to starve to death. It had declined considerable in Lykia over the last few years as economic prosperity reduced the need.

Conn asked one of the townspeople if he knew why the trader was in Lykiak.

‘Apparently his ship sank off the coast near Sabatah – it had been damaged in a storm. He needs money to get home so has come here to sell his goods.’

Thanking the man, Conn edged closer. He continued his way forward; the crowd parting as he walked. Conn was unsure why there was so many people gathered – no one of these would be buying a theow. As he got closer, he realized why – one of the theow – a female –was not Priecuman but Twacuman, and it was probably the great grandparents of the residents of Lykia who last saw Twacuman riding in the streets of Lykiak.