The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) (6 page)

Sir Wynstan nodded sadly. ‘Unfortunately yes; the Eaorl of Katane and the Eaorl of Mazra and their forces were annihilated and we understand that both Eaorls were executed.’

‘Both Osstan and Redgart?’

He nodded.

‘That is too bad. Osstan is an uncle to my children. And in Kania? Is the Eaorl also dead?’

Wynstan shook his head this time. ‘No – surprisingly not. The Eaorl of Tamar has been captured and his demesne overrun, and is a prisoner instead.’

‘So who is commander there? Do we know?’

‘We do have some information – just in the last couple of days because someone escaped from Tamar and got to Dor. We are not certain but we believe that the forces are either under the control of a minor Folctoga named Farrun il Kinjan or a Jarl called Agingur il Sinjar. Another report suggested that the commander was a Folctoga from Nobatia. There is also confusion because this Farrun is supposedly quite young – just in his twenties. He is also not of Axum. Kinjan and Sinjar are both in Nobatia, we believe.’

Conn partly agreed. ‘Kinjan is in Nobatia, but Sinjar is in Saba. That certainly adds to the confusion. Do we know anything about the wiga themselves? I presume there are no Axum troops there?’

‘No; it seems that all the wiga are from all the southern isles – Nobatia, Makurai, Alwa, Saba and Himyar.’

‘Well, that makes more sense. Do we know anything more of Farrun il Nobatia ... or wherever?’ As Conn said the name he looked at Asbera and she looked like she was going to say something. He indicated that she be quiet.

Wynstan nodded. ‘Nothing really; except that he is held in high regard and is by all accounts a very capable leader. As I said, he is reportedly young, but we think that our information may be wrong.’

‘Anything else?’

They continued with the briefing. It seemed that after the initial disasters, everything was back to schedule and the Meshechians were safely ensconced behind the walls that they had been building for the last fifteen years.

‘Where are the Healdends? Have they followed instructions to stay out of the fighting?’ Conn had created a professional fighting force. He didn’t need part timers involved, despite their best intentions and previous skills.

The Grey Jacket’s Major responded. ‘Yes. The Aebeling of Lykia is in Moetia with an extra few companies of sagittari to support the Healdend of Moetia, but they are well out of danger. The Healdend of Gatina is of course surrounded by the Ancuman fyrd but he is safe for the moment. Aisly in Trokia is also secure behind her walls – but the Ancuman have passed her by now anyway.’

‘What about the Regiments?’

‘The Reds and Blues are in Sedina as planned. They have over fifty companies of wiga waiting for you. The Green Jackets are in Tovio in reserve and were able to reinforce either side as you command.’

‘And the Greys?’

‘Colonel Eldward is in Susa and waiting to cross into Moetia on your order. Of course, the presence of the Ancuman fyrd has prevented easy access to Trokia, and they have maintained a defensive line since arrival. The Ancuman however haven’t yet tested them.’

Conn agreed. ‘Which is very strange – it would have been better for them to hit quick and hit fast. They had to have known that Kania and Moetia would have been the weaker lines.’ He stood up and moved around the room, intently studying the map. All eyes followed him. ‘There is something wrong and I need to understand what is going on, so I’m changing the plan that we have been working on for years. I’m not going to Gatina, but instead will go to Tovio. Regards the Green Jackets, I think I’ll take a company with me to reinforce Colonel Eldward in Kania, and I’ll send the rest to Sedina to be ready to support the Red and Blue Jackets. Wynstan, I suggest you go to Sedina in my stead. You are not to cross the river. If you stay on the western side, you should be able to hold the line indefinitely. Eriak will keep you supplied. Devnet will be able to survive inside the walls for a while without me, even if he is surrounded. His artillery companies will keep him from being sacked, and he has enough food to survive three winters in there.’

The Captains were confused. Conn had to explain – not his favourite activity.

‘I don’t understand why the Ancuman forces were split and I don’t understand the purpose of having the fyrd in the north except to use as bait. How many troops does this Farrun have?’

‘As far as we can tell, five to six thousand.’

‘And in the south with the Aebeling?’

‘Over ten thousand – perhaps fifteen.’

‘It just doesn’t make sense. Divided they are weaker. If I was the Aebeling I would want the entire fyrd together.’ Conn paused. ‘Even if this Farrun is as good as they say, we can defeat him but it would be a battle without victors. We would lose valuable wiga and the Axum would lose a capable Folctoga.’ Nodding to himself, Conn sat down again. He turned to the scribes. ‘Take down new orders.’

Within moments runners were sent to tell Njil that there was a change of plan – Conn wanted to get to Tovio as quickly as possible, and the unloading should stop and everyone redirected to Mantu in Silekia. Conn had five hundred wiga on his ships – his Brown Jackets Regiment, and he wanted them there as soon as possible. Pigeons flew to tell all relevant parties of the new plans. Halla was then tasked to get all his children organized to leave with him; they were leaving tonight.

Chapter 6
Farrun il Nobatia

Several hours later, as the sun set over the ocean, the schooner was just easing its way out of the harbour.

‘Can you give me more warning next time?’ Njil complained. ‘I’d only just got your horses off and I had to put them back on again.’

Conn apologized. ‘Ultimately it wasn’t my fault. I only just received a small but critical piece of information.’

‘Is the invasion force stronger than you’d expected?’

‘Yes and No.’ Conn explained the movement of the fyrd and that it had split into two.

‘Why would they do that?’

‘Not really sure but the second fyrd in Kania is clearly there to stop us from encircling the main force easily. But it can’t stop us so I think that it is designed to be expendable. They would appear to be competent enough to cause us some grief if we do attack them.’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘The commander of the second fyrd is Farrun il Kinjan or Nobatia.’

Njil paused to contemplate and then it dawned on him.

‘Farrun? Isn’t Asbera’s brother called Farrun? Surely it is not him?’

Asbera and the rest were all gathered around – they barely left his side – and she responded immediately.

‘Can only be. Farrun is not a common name but it is used in my family. The other names mentioned was Agingur il Sinjar. The name of my uncle who was with me in Aeaea was Boldur il Sinjar.’

Conn agreed. ‘There are just too many coincidences, and I don’t believe in coincidences. So the assumption I’m making is that this Farrun is Asbera’s brother. But we do need to make sure.’

Sigrid il Cyme, his eldest daughter without a bedda, asked the obvious question. As Halla’s daughter, she was starting to typify a Valkeri – muscular, very fit, and very eager to learn how to fight. She trained twice as hard as anyone else. She was a little confused.

‘Papa, Asbera has a brother? I didn’t know that.’

Asbera turned to her. ‘Sister, you don’t understand. He is not just my brother – he is your brother as well. We are twins – just like all of you.’

‘Oh!’ they said in unison. They then all looked at their father. Sigrid spoke again. ‘But we are not going to kill our own brother. That is something we are not allowed to do.’

‘Very true. And he has a similar rule – but, this is the point here, I doubt that he knows that he has siblings here in Meshech.’

What Sigrid said was true. Conn had insisted that Halla instil a code of ethics into the training that all his children received. As well as the usual values of loyalty and piety, another was that all of his children – and his children’s children – vow never to wage war against each other. There was no requirement that they support each other in a war unless the cause was great, but they were never to engage each other in battle. The umpire of these things would be the Twacuman; and part of the “indoctrination” was what would happen to them if they decided to do the wrong thing.

This was part of his plan. With the lure of the wealth they controlled, every one of his many daughters over the age of ten had suitors, and had been receiving gifts and visitors. Conn suspected that within a couple of generations every major demesne in Meshech and even a lot in Sytha would be controlled by his descendants. With all leaders related, “his” peace would prevail.

~oo0oo~

The ships docked a few days later in Mantu where they were met by the Wealdend of Silekia, Eaorl of Tovio and the Baroness of Mantu. The Baroness, Davan, was his third daughter with Sileas, and when she had reached sixteen year of age, Conn had relinquished the demesne to her. Barony of Mantu was now a very significant harbour with extensive ocean fortifications protecting a carefully planned layout of houses, factories, warehouses and shops. Everything was new, and it had surpassed Silekiak as the financial and trade centre of Silekia – and large parts of the former Rakia.

Davan had conveniently taken Macrae il Motya, the grandson of the former Thane of Mantu – and the rightful heir of Mantu – as her bedda, so the circle was complete. With a father killed in battle by Conn and a grandfather who dies in prisoner because he lost a war against Conn, Macrae had every reason to harbour resentment, but he didn’t. He greeted Conn warmly as well. After the fall of Rakia, Conn had ensured that every bedda and child of the vanquished were treated with dignity. None went without. All had demesne, and all received as much opportunities as any other.

Mobbed by a multitude of sisters who fussed over her two children, it was some time before Conn even had a chance to hold his eight born child – or so he thought at the time – in his arms. She had spent a year with him in Sytha and they were close.

She hugged him. ‘Papa, I wasn’t expecting you. You told me you would go to Gatina.’

‘What is the Eight Principle?’

She looked at him and smiled back. ‘Flexibility – one must be prepared to change when confronted by change. So what has changed?’

‘I’ll explain soon.’ Together they joined a thong of people including Sileas, Ailidh, and Kenoth il Enak, Colonel of the Greens, in the Thane Hall, where Conn brought everyone up to date, and issued new orders.

After a couple of days, all the ships were unloaded and three companies of Kerchian wiga on their greys, a company of Iladions on Elfina, and a company of irregulars – made up of Merians, Pontian, Larsans, and Sythans; most of whom served as Engineers and Logistics completed Conn’s Regiment of Brown Jackets. Assembled over the last five years in Sytha, they were as well trained as Conn was capable of. The Colonel of the Regiment was Bricwahl il Kerch.

From the Green Jackets, Conn added five companies of Silekian Cataphracts to his fyrd, while Colonel Kenoth would leave as soon as possible for Gatina with what was left behind.

On the third day, Conn farewelled everyone and headed north, to Halani. He wanted to take the shorter route to Kania. Going via Lykia and over the mountains into Susa was the long way.

~oo0oo~

With the season having changed to summer, and with the fyrd finally assembled, they farewelled the two women and headed north. It was a ten day ride up the mountain pass that gave them entry in Halani; and another twelve to get through the mountains to arrive in Kania, overlooking the Eaorldom of Tamar. Conn was not forcing the pace of his march, if he understood what Farrun was trying to do, it wouldn’t involve attacking the Meshechian forces. He had greater strength defending than attacking. Conn assumed that he understood that and was relying on his staying put.

Once they arrived in Halani they were met by Caewyn, Kaltor, Wilric and Siga – and, to Conn’s surprise, five hundred Twacuman wiga. He greeted Caewyn with a big hug. It had been six years since he had seen them last in Sabatah. The only one missing was Hallvi; she had a child and was back in Sytha having travelled there with Derryth last summer.

Being still so young in Twacuman terms, both Siga and Caewyn were still childless. Both were a picture of health, and virtually glowed.

‘I got your message.’ Caewyn said as she hugged him.

‘I can see that.’ Conn pointed to the long line of wiga on Elfina that lined the road into Halani. ‘But I didn’t say anything about wiga.’

‘Remember I promised you wiga?

‘Twenty-four years ago?

‘Yes; this is them. They will go wherever you want them to go and do whatever you want them to do. Wilric is to go with you as Chief. I know they will serve us proudly.’

‘Of that I have no doubt.’

It was a very long trip through Halani and the almost fifteen hundred and two thousand horses wiga created a line six miles long. By the time the last group of wiga, Twacuman led by Wilric, joined the queue, Conn was a long way ahead. As they rode, Caewyn spoke at length with all of Conn’s children – making special attention of his Ancuman wards. Later as she rode with Conn at the head of the column, she commented about his family.

‘It seems that you have an unusual ability to collect people.’

‘What about Disetha and Albega and Vigbert? I worry that their association with me will put them at risk?’

She paused. ‘I don’t sense that. I sense that they are meant to be connected to you.’

‘How?’

She smiled at him ‘That I do not know. But it is what I sense.’ She stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. ‘But you will know when you need to know. I do know that is important.’

~oo0oo~

After over ten days in Halani, they passed out of the forest into the southern borders of Kania. They were two days from the town of Tamar, where, as far as Conn knew, Farrun had set up his base. They waited until everyone had arrived and set up before Conn considered his next move. As they waited, they observed the surrounds of Kania. Farrun had yet to show his presence.

‘It seems unusual that they missed our arrival. It would seem that Farrun is not doing his job as well as I’d expected.’

‘Oh, he hasn’t missed us’, Derryth reported, ‘we have been observed – they saw us as soon as we arrived.’

‘And you didn’t think to tell me?’

‘You didn’t need to know then – the scouts simply rode away; we are watching, and you will know as soon as we do if the fyrd are coming our way.’

‘I’m happy to hear that. Also, Colonel Eldward should be here soon.’

‘They know.’

Conn had sent Wilric to find him a few days ago. Colonel Eldward was being assisted by Daray and Alduni in Susa, ten days west of their current position, and Wilric was going to guide them into the camp. They arrived not long after them, at dusk.

Colonel Eldward brought some friends; the Aebeling of Lykia and the Healdend of Moetia; Daray and Alduni. Both young men greeted Conn with hugs. Eldward then briefed him on Farrun’s movements.

‘He isn’t attacking,’ the Colonel advised, ‘We have been in sight of him for some days and he hasn’t attacked. Initially he had perhaps three times the forces I had so it is unusual.’

Conn nodded. ‘I’d expect not – if he is who we think he is.’

All three men looked at him curiously. ‘Who is he?’

Derryth chose to explain the genetic relationship.

‘Really? But that doesn’t explain why he doesn’t attack – being your son doesn’t mean that he has your instincts – or your training.’

Conn was embarrassed. ‘It may be because I sent him some reading material. If he got it.’

Derryth laughed. ‘I can’t wait to hear how you managed to get a book to a boy in the Ancuman nations.’

‘Trust me, it wasn’t easy – but it was harder to get it to Kutidi than to Farrun. I asked her to ask the Twacuman to pass it on. I couldn’t risk Kutidi in Aeaea so there has only been two times that we have communicated. Once when I sent her the package for Farrun – which was difficult because I didn’t know where he was. All I had was a name. The second time was from her to say that the Axum were invading.’

‘What was the book?’

‘An expanded version of Geirfrith’s book. The one that is banned in Kishdah. You know it because I translated it into Silekian for use in the Academy and added more thought of Jomini and Sun Tsu, and then translated it back.’

As a child he had studied intensely the Seven Military Classics including Sun Tsu and Zhuge Liang. When he entered the British Army, he shifted his focus to European authors such as Jomini, von Clausewitz and Vauban, before reading about the lives of those people in charge, like Frederick the Great and Bonaparte. Every military action or battle ever recorded he had studied in great detail and it helped his research that his ancestors or members of the extended MacLeod clan had been in most of the major battles since Flodden – the only time they had been on a losing side.

Daray and Alduni knew the book well but Derryth didn’t. He hated to read. ‘So who are Jomini and Sun Tsu?’

‘Just some people from Taransay who had a lot to say about warfare.’

‘I had no idea that you had so much spare time while you were in Sytha. Anyway, what are we going to do about Farrun?’

‘I have a very wild plan that might work.’

‘And if it doesn’t?’

‘I could be short a few children.’

Derryth laughed. ‘Lucky then that you have more than enough to spare.’

Asbera and Sigrid were in the room as well, and they were immediately concerned.

‘Papa, what do you mean; “be short a few children”?’

‘Let me explain.’ He sent for the rest of his children and Fridfina, the Ancuman wiga who was Asbera’s guard and had been faithfully at her side for six years.

Her response was not surprising. ‘You’re insane.’

Derryth agreed. ‘It has been noted in the past – by more than one person.’

Conn ignored him. ‘I’m trusting that Farrun has given his troops instructions not to kill anyone on sight. By all accounts he has spared more lives than he has taken so I’m sure that he will just capture you all, and interrogate you a little.’

‘And if you are wrong?’

Conn took a deep breath. ‘I’m praying that I am not. Remember that he is Asbera’s brother.’

‘That is if he is who you think he is. Even if he is, does he know that he has a sister?’