Dagarr thought as he nodded. ‘I understand. In fact, her presence on the vessel will give me added credibility, and will allow us to get home easily, so yes, I accept her and I promise to do whatever she wants after we arrive.’
Without a word, Dorte turned, hugged Conn and Cynilda, and walked up the gangplank onto the cog. She then disappeared below deck.
Dagarr held out his hand. ‘Farewell Marquis, you are a very unconventional and worthy adversary. Even my noble ancestor would have found you a challenging opponent. I understand why the Bretwalda is afraid of you and is losing. I think my son is safer with you than anyone. If we don’t meet again, I’m sure I’ll hear of you.’
Conn shook his hand. ‘Hopefully not in celebration.’
‘You have my son. I hope not too.’
~oo0oo~
They watched the cog leave harbour before heading back to the Great hall. Derryth met them as they walked.
‘Isn’t it curious that no one knew that Dagarr had a son?’
Conn stopped in his tracks. ‘What do you mean, no one knew?’
‘Kytha’s boy Vigbert; no one knew that he was Dagarr’s boy. I gather that everyone thought that he was Angatur’s son.’
Conn looked at Cynilda and she agreed. ‘They kept it a secret.’
‘Why?’ Conn had that tingling feeling again. The one he had when he felt someone was messing with him.
‘Well, if they had of known it was Dagarr’s son, he would have been killed by the Axum wiga. Apparently, no sons of the Geirfrith line are allowed to live anymore.’
‘Why?’ It had to be asked.
‘Kytha doesn’t know. Just that the Axum Gyden wanted them all dead. Vigbert was born just 38 weeks after her arrival in Bata so it seemed to everyone that Angatur was the father.’
‘And no one thought to tell me this before Dagarr left?’
Cynilda and Derryth looked at each other curiously, and then back at him. They spoke together. ‘We thought you knew. Don’t you know everything?’
They stayed in Bata for another week before departing across the border into Pontia and its demesne of Kucha. From there they would go north into the highlands again and then across the vast plains to Sytha. Conn had decided to send a messenger to the Eaorl of Kucha and ask for permission after a discussion with the Mundborak. The Eaorl, apparently, was not unfriendly, and Dagarr had mentioned previously that Kucha was not a place where Ancuman were welcome – hence the interest in the Ancuman gaining control of Bata. Those two things created the possibility of a far easier trip than the more arduous one on the Bata side of the river.
Conn’s message to the Eaorl was simple: the Marquis of Kerch is desirous of passing through Kucha on his way to Sytha and would like to do in a manner of least inconvenience and pain to the Eaorl. He would welcome the Eaorl’s forbearance and guidance of his five hundred cavalry to the highlands.
The word pain was deliberately ambiguous. He sent Brictdred and a squad mounted on his largest grey horses to deliver the request to demonstrate his power.
Everyone was surprised when Brictdred returned to saying that the Eaorl was happy to guide the Marquis to the highlands - in exchange for a hundred thousand Ryals.
Even more surprised when Conn agreed and sent a messenger back to nominate the date, a week later.
~oo0oo~
When they reached the river that divided the two demesnes, eight days later, a welcoming committee was on the other side. Brictdred led the way across, and did the introductions.
‘Marquis, this is Eadhart il Kucha, Folctoga, and son of Godrys il Kucha, Eaorl.’
Conn bowed respectfully. ‘Eadhart, I thank you for the courtesy. Pontia is not always so welcoming. I would like to introduce you to some Pontian members of my fyrd.’
Brandur, Godhart and Keowyn rode forward, and Conn completed the formalities to a stunned Eadhart. They then silently watched the Pontian companies ride past before Conn’s hird and then the Kerchian and Merian companies; seven hundred wiga and nearly two thousand horses.
The Folctoga was silent until the entire fyrd has passed and was about to speak when the three Twacuman arrived. They had been sent on a scouting trip under cover of the night to ensure that the fyrd was not going to meet any surprises when it arrived on the other side of the river. The benefit of riding Elfina and having good night vision.
Soon after they arrived, Conn did the introductions.
Eadhart was now looking extremely confused. ‘I have no idea what is going on – but I will ask that any explanation wait until we arrive in Patria – it is a village some days north of here. The Eaorl awaits us. I think that one explanation should be enough.’
With the Folctoga and his company leading, they travelled north for ten days on long established but extremely under maintained thoroughfare before arriving at the village of Patria.
Kucha was much like Meria; villages scattered across the landscape; the main difference was that the roundhouses were all within Palisades of timber; a waring past seemed prevalent, and horsemen guarded flocks of cattle and goats. Goats, however, were far more common in Pontia than anywhere else he had seen in Meshech or Sytha, and even more so as they got to the foothills, where vast flocks grazed under the watchful eyes of shepherds.
Accordingly the clothing worn by the Pontians contained large quantities of mohair. Although they all wore woollen and linen blended trousers, their shirts were unusually Japanese in style; a light linen styled happi under a mostly mohair blended happi in darker colours. They also had a heavier coat similar to a haori that they wore at night for warmth that was a richer blend. They brought wool from traders, probably Larsan, while the mohair was their own.
As they rode north, Brandur and Godhart would ride alongside the Folctoga; and increasingly Keowyn would join them, engaging in conversation. When the Folctoga sat with Conn at night, he mainly discussed the fyrd; he was very impressed with the Sagittari, and he asked many questions about equipment and training. Conn asked about farming and commerce. The mohair would suit his trading empire perfectly.
When they arrived outside of Patria, the fyrd was directed to a field to set up camp. Eadhart then guided a smaller party inside to meet his father.
Godrys, Eaorl of Kucha had been pre-warned by riders sent ahead by his son, and welcomed them all without showing too much surprise, albeit with muted curiosity. The great hall inside the roundhouse was large, full of very interested people who sat quietly around the outside of the room. Conn had cause to take a sudden sweep of the room with his eyes, before he turned to speak to Hallvi and Wilric and whispered instructions. The siblings nodded, bowed to the Eaorl, turned and left.
Conn explained as he handed over the Ryals.
‘Eaorl, My apologies. I’m getting forgetful; I have some fine Meshechian wine that I was going to share with you. I have sent them to fetch it.’
Godrys thanked him for the Ryals – a mixture of Merian, Larsan and Sythan coins, but all the same weight and two hundred in total. ‘Unusual for someone to have Twacuman as errant boys but then there is so much unusual here that I don’t know what to think. I thank you for the Ryals – though my son tells me that your wiga don’t really need to ask permission to do anything.’ He directed Conn to benches and stools, and instructed that servants bring out more food and drink.
‘Marquis, I accept also that you are not obliged to tell me anything, but I would certainly appreciate you telling me why you are here and how you have such an unusual group of people all together.’
Before Conn had a chance to answer a young woman walked into the roundhouse. Long black hair, she was dressed in the happi style shirt but instead of pants, she wore a shirt; a fairly short one at that, and the top was reasonably revealing of her excellent bosom. The outfit was flattering.
Surprised at the newcomers, she bowed to Conn and his party before bowing to the Eaorl.
‘Father, my apologies for interrupting, but I just saw my so-called fervent suitor depart the village very suddenly? He only arrived this morning. Have you sent him away without telling me?’
Godrys apologized to Conn. ‘This is my daughter Reilda. I apologize for her rudeness.’ He turned back to her. ‘No I didn’t send him away. I’ve been taking my time. Last I looked, he was in here with me. If he has left, he has done without my leave.’ He turned back to Conn in way of explanation. ‘The suitor in question is called Adbert il Kashgar, and he is here seeking my daughter as bedda. He comes every year and is rejected but comes again the next. I give him credit for perseverance.’
‘Was he the gentleman with the dark blue coat? I saw him leave not long after I arrived.’
They agreed.
‘Well, if you seek the personal satisfaction of rejecting him, do not despair. He will be back soon – perhaps in an hour or so.’
They looked at Conn with total confusion, so he continued. ‘He is an Ancuman spy – he left as soon as he recognized me. He will be back because he has to try to evade two Twacuman wiga – at night.’
‘Ancuman spy? I find that hard to believe – I know he spies for the Healdend, but we expect that. But the Ancuman? That I do not accept. That is treason. Be that as it may, when he returns we will ask him. In the meanwhile, please, drink and eat, and tell me why you are here. I apologize for the quality of my hospitality – Patria is a summer camp only – it is deserted for most of the year now so I am limited in what I have to offer. I hope you like chevron. After a time up here, even I don’t like chevron.'’
Over the next hour of two, Conn explained as easily as he could his fight against the Ancuman over two continents and how he was on his way to help the Sythan Healdend in his war against Pontia. He told it as it was but left out a lot of the details. As well as Marquis of Kerch, he explained that he also held demesne in Samaria, Larsa and Meria. In Sytha he was the Marquis of Rila.
Godrys laughed. ‘I would call you a liar except that I cannot because you have the proof with you. It is all beyond my comprehension. As for the war with Sytha, that is none of my doing but what you say does explain why there are Ancuman in the Healdend’s fyrd as he fights his war against Sytha. I refused to join the fyrd so Kucha has been as much a victim as Sytha. North of here none of the villages we once had remain – all destroyed. This one is mostly deserted – it now belongs to the Healdend because I refused to cooperate. Although it once belonging to a Thane, he confiscated it and then declared it a new March and was the demesne of some Ancuman Folctoga as the Marquis of Patria. Unfortunately for him but fortunately for us, he died in the last battle against the Sythans and no one has come to claim it. You could say that we are currently unwelcome guests.’
‘So what was the reason behind the war?’ Conn asked as they started supper. ‘I heard that Pontia and Sytha have shared the highlands for hundreds of years without conflict?’
‘Indeed they have – there is room enough for everyone. However, the Healdend of Pontia was assassinated ten years ago – and it was claimed that he was assassinated by agents of Sytha. Prior to that herds of cows and goats taken to the highlands for grazing by Kotan and Kashi had been raided and the brigands were said to be Sythan. Sytha denied it, of course.’
‘Surely such claims would not be made without evidence.’
‘It is complicated. The cousin of the former Healdend, and now current Healdend, was then the Eaorl of Kashgar. He was also commander of the Healdend’s fyrd, an appointment that the witan opposed. He claimed he had such evidence, but when the Witan demanded to see the evidence, it was summarily disbanded. It has now not met for over ten years. After the assassination, The Eaorl of Kashgar then summarily declared himself Healdend. The dead Healdend didn’t have any children – he was much too fond of young men – particularly young Ancuman men – to sire many children. I think he had some daughters. The new Healdend then started his war against Sytha without Witan approval.’
‘Was he the heir to the Healdend?’
Godrys shook his head. ‘No, the Eaorl of Kashgar is not the person with the right to be Healdend – but no one was prepared to dispute his usurping of the position because he has some very powerful connections.’
‘Ancuman friends?’
‘Yes, Kashgar has an Ancuman mother, and the former Healdend himself had an Ancuman grandmother. Once Healdend, he made his brother the Eaorl of Kashgar in his stead.’ He pointed to the Pontians that Conn had with him. ‘I’m sure you are fully informed as to what happened in Kapisi – and also in Iladion. After the Eaorl’s demise, the Healdend gave that demesne to the Folctoga of his Ancuman fyrd. Even today he has over a thousand Ancuman wiga scattered around Pontia.’
‘So when did the Healdend last raid Sytha?’
‘Five years ago. It was all very strange because every year they would come and raid Sytha with impunity – then for some reason the Sythan fyrd got strong enough to defend Sytha, and whilst the Healdend’s forces were not defeated, they could not advance and so returned empty handed.’ He then looked at Conn curiously. ‘You don’t seem so shocked.’
‘No, I am not. I have over a thousand men with the Healdend of Sytha and in Rila to prevent these attacks.
He took a deep breath. ‘From what my son tells me about your wiga, I can see the problem he faced.’
Conn didn’t have the heart to tell him that half the cavalry in Sytha were cataphracts; twice as effective as the Sagittari.
‘So who should be the Healdend of Pontia?’ He hadn’t completed the question completed before he saw Derryth’s broad smile, and note his struggle to not burst out laughing.
‘The Bear Clan – my clan. We were selected by the Casere to rules Pontia after the expulsion of the Ancuman – and we were betrayed a couple of hundred years later because we would not allow Ancuman into Pontia. My ancestor was assassinated by his Folctoga, and my clan banished to Kucha in exchange for our lives. There was a condition – with the death of his line, ours would be returned. That didn’t happen.’
As he concluded that statement, and before Conn had a chance to comment, Wilric and Hallvi walked in carrying a large saddle cloth wrapped like a cocoon. They unrolled the cloth to reveal an unconscious Adbert. The Eaorl had a servant tip a bucket of water over him and the Kashgarian spluttered to life. Conn went and cut the rope from around his wrists, and as he did so he also removed from around his neck a leather lace with a black stone on the end; a haligdom of Ashtoreth. As an Aebeling of Axum, Adbert was unusual – he was obviously of the line of the Bretwalda but had a lot of Pontian blood as well.
He stood up, confused and outraged, and as soon as he knew where he was – to his surprise, he addressed the Eaorl.
‘Godrys, I demand an apology for the treatment I received from your guards. And a substantial wergild. I am not a common thief in the night. I was attacked on the road – my men and I were beaten up and I was then rolled up into a piece of cloth like a piece of meat. I want them executed.’ He tapped around his pocket and neck. ‘They have also stolen something from me.’
‘No, they didn’t. I have it.’ Adbert spun to the sound of Conn’s voice. ‘Is this what you are looking for?’
‘Feorrancund! I demand you give it back to me now! Immediately!’ He looked for a sword but he had none.
‘Aebeling, I would not try for a weapon if I was you. Far greater wiga than you have tried and obviously failed. As for your haligdom, I will give it back to you when you tell the Eaorl what you have been doing in Kucha… other than seeking his daughter as bedda of course. I gather she was very disappointed to learn that you had left so suddenly after your arrival.’