The Beast of Caer Baddan (54 page)

Chapter Forty Three: The Dobunni

The next day, after Owain had finished giving Gratianna her music lesson, Swale and Britu came to the castle at Baddan. Owain was as pleased to see his clansmen as they were to find him alive.

“God be praised,” Swale said.

“And to think, we believed we would never see you again,” said Britu.

Owain wondered if he would ever see his real self again.

“Half correct, that,” Owain said. “I’m a mess.”

“It is nothing,” Swale replied. “You are alive. That is what matters.”

“Ie,” Britu said. “What do your friends care of a few scars? You are home. And we are together once more.”

“And so is your sword,” Swale said.

He
unwrapped a wool blanket to reveal the naked weapon in his hands.

“Calybs,” Owain said.
“Sword of Togadum.”

He grasped it in his broad hands and lifted it up to swing it around. His eyes filled with sorrow as he changed his mind and set it aside.

“Leir!” he called. “Put it in the armory.”

His servant came in and took the weapon away.

Swale and Britu stared at each other, unsure of what to make of it, but Owain did not care to explain himself to them.

“Tell me the news,” he asked. “I did not dare ask my father. Did we win the battle against the Dumnonni?”

“To be sure!” Swale cried.

“You won it for us, Cousin,” said Britu, obviously amazed that Owain should ask such a question. “The soldiers were chanting your name and singing your praises.”

“It was all we could do to contain them,” Swale said.

“There has been much grief over your... death.”

“As there shall be over my newfound life,” Owain replied.

He winced and gripped his back, for the pain there came with no warning and shot up and down his spine until it paralyzed him. His forehead broke out in sweat and his breath
came in short halted gasps.

“Does it hurt?” Britu asked.

Owain could not help but be amused by such a question.

“It is nothing,” he replied. “Tell me, why is the Army called out? I heard that the soldiers are ready for war.”

“We are marching to Gwent,” Britu replied. “But when we news came to Gloui of your resurrection, we had to come straight away and see you for yourselves.”

“It seemed too good to be true,” Swale said.

“It was," Owain replied.

He felt that his life was only half returned but for all his sorrow, he could not express this to his clansmen.

“What happened to you?” Swale asked.

“I hardly know,” Owain replied.

Whatever he had assumed or supposed, Owain would not reveal anything to them.

“I'm scarred,” he continued. “That is all.”

But those scars were deep enough to penetrate his very soul.

“We should have looked for you more,” Swale
said, his eyes downcast. “I am to blame for an insufficient search.”

“Think not on that, Clansman,” Owain replied, kindly. “The weather made it impossible to find anything. I'm certain the rain washed me miles away. I am most fortunate not to have drowned wearing all that armor. Drink with me.”

The servant entered with old wine, bread, and dates, the last being a rare delicacy since constant warring in Gaul had interrupted Roman trade routs. The three friends ate until all was consumed.

“But there is also a selfish reason for our visit,” Swale said.

“Not now,” Britu said to Swale. “He is not strong enough yet.”

Owain put out a calming hand to Britu as if to say “Let Swale
speak.”

“It is the Deisi. They have encroached on Silurae land.”

“Then that is why you go to Gwent," Owain said, with a thoughtful frown. “Why a war in the start of winter? It is an odd move on the part of the Deisi.”

“Strange, I grant,” Swale said. “But there it is. The Deisi march, and therefore so must we.”

“If the Eire take Gwent, the Silurae shall be forced north,” Britu said. “Swale's father is also concerned with this threat to his own territory.”

“He is,” Owain said. “If Gwent falls, Ewyas shall be vulnerable to attack. The Eire must be stopped now.”

“You shall come with us then?” Swale asked.

“I?” Owain said, and his thoughts consumed him.

The choice was plain. Go to Gwent and face more horror over his appearance or stay in Baddan and ignore the world.

“No. No,” he said, at last. “I cannot. You go. And God be with you.”

He turned his back on them and stared into the blazing hearth.

"Owain, you are still
strong, and still dominae over the Army,” Swale said. “Do not hide yourself away for a few scars.”

“Do not speak of what you do not know, Clansman,” Owain replied. “I shall remain here.”

“But-”

“Of course, Owain,” Britu said, restraining Swale’s speech with an angry frown. “We shall visit you on our return.”

Swale and Britu went out the front door and down the steps into the courtyard. They were hardly to their war ponies, when Britu ventured a word.

“Swale,” he said, unable to voice his full horror at his clansman's words, “how could you?”

“I was not trivializing his injuries, Britu.”

“But that is exactly what you were doing! Did you not see the agony he is in? His hand and face are all burned! He holds his back as though there was a knife jabbing into it!”

“Let us go.”

“You should beg his forgiveness, lansman.”

“We are leaving!”

Swale mounted and rode out the gate, and Britu was forced to follow him.

Owain was still in the sitting from, when the steward entered to give him a review of his possessions.

“Leir has taken prodigious care of your things, Prince,” the steward said. “You shall find your weapons in the armory, clean and polished.
As well as your weapons belt that you still wore on your return. Although, one knife was missing from your tent besides the one that you had taken into battle. Prince Swale made a note of its absence in the inventory he made of your possessions.”

“Thank you, Tuathal,” Owain replied, absently.

“I thank God and the ancestors for your safe return to us, Prince,” the steward said. “We would not believe that you were dead. We were so sure that you would come back to us.”

“Thank you.”

Then another thought came to Owain, and he was certain that the steward was the only one who could give him both an honest and thorough response.

“Do you know why a Dobunni wished to murder my wife?” he asked.

The man appeared surprised at such a question but quickly answered it.

“I assumed it was because she had overheard Lord Eisu plotting the king’s death,” he said.

“What!” Owain cried.

He felt pure rage foaming inside of him like some crazed animal about to spring in attack.

“Ie, Prince,” the steward said. “I thought you knew. I had it from the Captain of the Guard. It was an ambush set by Prince Inam, one of Lord Eisu’s brothers.”

“What happened?” Owain asked.

He was infuriated first that the Lord of the Dobunni should attempt to take Leola’s life. And a second time at the thought that Lord Eisu should seek to murder his king, a peaceful man who had not wielded a sword in seventeen years and had even spared the lord's life all that time ago.

“The princess overheard them talking and informed the king, who sent the captain out to discover the truth of it,” the steward continued. “That is truly the extent of my knowledge on the subject, Prince.”

“Of course. Thank you,” Owain replied, and he called his servant. “Leir!”

His servant was there in an instant. “Ie, master," the man said. “What is it?”

“Order a war pony saddled for me,” Owain replied. “And bring my sword and weapons belt.”

“You are going to see Lord Eisu?” the steward asked, when Leir was gone on the errand.

“Ie,” Owain said. “Tell the guard to be ready to ride.”

Owain was armored in a moment and went out to the courtyard where nearly half of the castle guards were assembled and waiting for him.

“May I inquire, Dominae, to where are we going?” the Captain of the Guard asked.

“To the Dobunni,” Owain replied.

“You are displeased with Lord Eisu, Prince?”

Owain's quick ears caught the pleasure in the knight’s voice.

“I'm infuriated,” Owain replied. “Tell me everything as it happened.”

In spite of the cold day, Owain’s determination made it a speedy journey, and they were soon at Lord Eisu’s manor house.

“Where is Lord Eisu?” Owain asked the Dobunni servants as he strode into the front hall.

“He is in the great hall with the queen and his brothers, the princes,” one replied, in haste. “If you would just wait, I shall announce you-”

Owain gave him no reply, but continued his steps from the front hall to the great hall, where he found the Lord of the Dobunni seated at the table at the far end.

Owain recognized Lord Eisu, his wife Queen Deire, and the lord’s two younger brothers, Prince Inam and young Prince Bodvoc.