The Marquis (40 page)

‘There is no real problem… aside from the fact that Albega is the daughter of a Thane and as such needs the Eaorl’s approval.’

‘And will that not be forthcoming?’

Lile shook her head. ‘Marquis Cadred il Barion is unlikely to approve the match…he and my family have a feud that goes back some time. It began when…’

‘Your family?’

‘Yes, my mother was Ceolda, the niece and granddaughter of Thanes of Hatria. Her father was the Folctoga. Sigbad is my cousin.’

Conn raised his hand. ‘Is this going to be a long story?’ She nodded. ‘Then let’s get food and drink – we might need it.’ Servants were sent for wine and Conn settled everyone around the fireplace in the middle of the roundhouse.  Settled, he returned to the problem. ‘You were saying…’

‘Did I tell you about my mother?’

‘No, you did not.’

‘As I said, my mother was the niece of the Thane of Hatria. When she was a girl she became the servant of Godreda il Barion; the daughter of Cadred, Marquis, who had long been destined to be the bedda to Tredian. When they were of age, my mother accompanied Godreda here to Sytha, and things didn’t go to plan – instead of just taking Godreda as bedda, he took both girls. As you have learnt, Tredian has a wandering eye, and is said that my mother was very beautiful. I was also his firstborn child and Eomon was his second; Godreda’s child. Godreda was not happy, and she despised my mother for that.’

‘Does this have anything to do with you becoming Folgere?’ Conn had never understood why.

Lile nodded. ‘Unfortunately my mother died when I was five – and my father grieved for her. She died in childbirth with my brother – they both died. But her death was also caused by the treatment she received from Godreda – she refused to send for a medic until it was too late so I hold her personally responsible. Anyway, I became his favourite child – which of course upset Godreda even more. I love my brother, but of all my father’s children he is least suited to become Healdend. Growing up without a mother was horrific for me – whenever my father was away Godreda made it her mission my make my life miserable for me. When I was sixteen, I received a summons to the Cirice – the Gyden had called me to be Folgere. The Gyden know when women are in distress so they are the ones that are called. They are the reasons why the Marquis will never approve the match. Godelda will not let him.’

It explained so much to Conn and increased his willingness to be a conspirator. ‘So how can I assist?’

‘Did you know that it was possible for any Thane to raise his standing by a suitable payment to his overlord, and his overlord’s overlord?’

‘No. How much?’

‘Hatria can become an Eaorldom for two hundred thousand Ryals.’

Conn pondered it for a moment. It was so improbable an amount to save that such an event was almost inconceivable, and designed so. Two hundred thousand Ryals could finance a small war.

‘I can give him the money but I presume it is not that easy.’ There always was something.

‘Yes, no one could give the money or lend that much money to Sigbad – it is not appropriate as his demesne is not worth that much. It needs to be his money but he doesn’t have it.’

‘I see.’ Conn got up and walked around for a while – stopping everyone who was about to say anything from speaking. After a while he broke out into a grin. ‘I have a plan.’

‘Is Tredian going to like it?’ Derryth asked from under the pile of children that lay on him. He was a very popular ‘uncle’.

Conn shook his head. ‘I very much doubt it.’

‘I like it already. What do we need to do?’

‘Cynilda,’ Conn requested, ‘where is Cynrys?’

Lile and Cynilda looked at each other in confusion. ‘What does this have to do with Cynrys?’

‘Everything. She makes the whole thing possible.’

Cynrys had been theoretically out of bounds to Conn as a bed partner because he couldn’t have two sisters in his hird. Sometimes, however, it was impossible to know who was creeping into your bed in the middle of the night when it was dark, and leaving before anyone knew. He didn’t think anyone knew – or at least no one said anything. Consequently he was very familiar with Cynrys, and he knew she would be in agreement with his plan.

~oo0oo~

The next morning Conn and his hird, augmented by the Twacuman and the cousins from Hatria, headed for the donjon. They had an appointment with the Healdend. After the usual pleasantries where the Healdend tried to display his understanding of everything that was happening, and failing, he asked Conn to explain his business.

‘Healdend, as you know I have a woman in my hird that is not my bedda.’

Tredian nodded as he had knew of Cynrys.

‘Well, as you know, Cynrys il Sinope is a Mundbora of Sinope, and it has always been my intention to find a suitable match for her here in Sytha. I have been approached by Sigbad, the Thane of Hatria.’

The Healdend considered the matter for a moment before nodding. ‘I can see no reason that is not acceptable. He is a relative to Lile. I understand that his father has passed unexpectedly and he has yet to take bedda.’

Conn nodded and then put on a worried face. ‘There is one small problem – he is but a Thane – and as you know, Cynrys is a Munbora and the daughter and sister to a Mundborak… if she were to return home she would be entitled to a demesne and title greater than a Thane but less than a Eaorl – a Barony perhaps.’ It was like fly fishing in Conn’s mind.

‘I heard that term Baron before in your titles – can you explain that further?’

Conn explained it as four Thane fiefs combined into one. He shrugged, ‘Is there any way…?’

Tredian contemplated the situation for a moment; the Marquis of Barion was a member of his inner circle and in the donjon. He called the Marquis over and asked him about the demesne.

‘Hatria is on the coast in the west. It has a long valley that goes to the sea with a small port. It borders Larsa but the range is impassable. It is the poorest of all my Thane fiefs as the soil is rocky and grows little, but it by far the largest.’

The Healdend nodded and looked back at Conn. ‘There is a way but it is expensive. I can raise Sigbad to be, what did you call it, a Baron of Hatria but it will cost…’ he looked for assistance from his staff and quickly one of them whispered in his ear, ‘one hundred thousand Ryals.’ He quickly added ‘Your Meshechian Ryals – not my Ryals…’

Conn made the appearance of being contemplative but then nodded. ‘It might be possible – because Cynrys has no demesne to claim here in Sytha, the Mundborak obliges me to give a dowry to Cynrys – of two hundred thousand Ryals – in compensation for her demesne in Sinope.’

Tredian saw gold. He interrupted. ‘Of course, in exchange for
two
hundred thousand Ryals, we could raise Sigbad all the way to an Eaorl…it is after all a large demesne.’ He turned to Barion. ‘Marquis, would you not agree?’ One hundred thousand each was much better than fifty thousand each.

Conn then interrupted. ‘Did the Marquis not say that Hatria is on the border – would it not be a March than instead of an Eaorldom?’

Greed replaced logical thinking in the minds of both the Healdend and the Marquis and after they had considered the matter for far too short a time; they agreed. For the payment of the two hundred thousand Ryals Sigbad would be Marquis of Hatria, and he could take Cynrys as bedda – without any loss of face on her part. It was a win-win situation, they thought. Problem for them was they didn’t think it out carefully.

The next morning, the Ryals was delivered to the Healdend and he divvied it up between the two of them. In the afternoon, Sigbad arrived to take his oath as the new Marquis of Hatria, and took Cynrys as her bedda in a ceremony in Conn’s roundhouse in the evening; after which they stayed to celebrate – it was the place to be as Conn had the best wine, cider and food in the town. Even better than the Healdend.

As they ate and drank the Healdend asked a question of Conn. ‘Who is that girl talking to Ceolrys – I do not recognize her?’

Lile answered. ‘That is my cousin Albega il Hatria; the younger sister to the new Marquis.’

‘Really! I didn’t remember that he had a sister here in the town. That is interesting.’ The Healdend moved on to other things for a while but he eyes kept moving back to Albega. ‘They seem very friendly… you don’t think.’ He looked back at his daughter. ‘Lile, you haven’t, have you?’

‘I haven’t what, father?’ as she smiled sweetly at her father.

~oo0oo~

A few days later, the two weeks were up and Ceolrys had to choose his bedda. With Lile and Hallvi in tow, he had visited the residences of all the Eaorls who had daughters who were prepared to ‘sacrifice’ themselves. With that information in mind, he stood before the Healdend and responded to the question when asked. The Healdend was flabbergasted, but ultimately not surprised.

‘Really?’ was his response, as he looked around the room. ‘Can I ask why?’

‘My father told me that his grandmother found it very hard living so way from her family – who she never saw again. Albega is of the countryside – her home is I understand a long way from the town so she has less to miss.’

‘But her family – her connections are … well… minor in my realm…’

‘Is she not connected to your daughter and through her to the family of the Marquis of Rila? I think that would connect her children to many ….’ He left the statement unsaid – that those connections were far greater than any in his realm.

Finally accepting that he had been conned, the Healdend nodded in agreement. ‘Very well, Ceolrys, I accept your decision. The ceremony will be held tomorrow. The new Marquis of Hatria has had a very fortunate couple of weeks.’

Later than evening, Sigbad went to visit Conn to thank him for his assistance. His connection to Conn had certainly been to his benefit. He had his men carry in several heavy bags of what looked like rocks and placed them on the table.

Conn went and looked at the contents. ‘Do you know what you have here?’

Sigbad nodded. ‘Ore – some copper, silver and others, I think. We have several areas in Hatria where such rocks are plentiful.’

‘Do you have mines and mills to process the ores?’

He shook his head. ‘No, we did not want to make the Marquis of Barion rich so we never told him. I understand that you have the skills and the money …’

‘I do – and I will be happy to finance it for you. If the quality here is any indication, you will have a mine that will produce more wealth than you will need.’ 

Derryth was excited also. ‘Do we get to tell the Healdend? I want to see how many times he says ‘Really’ or ‘Seriously’!’

The poor Healdend didn’t say anything – possibly because the Marquis of Barion actually collapsed from the shock of realizing that he was missing out on his share of the potential fortune. The Healdend’s share was not going to change – but the Marquis of Barion would get nothing. Lile didn’t help the situation by smiling at him and Godelda, the woman who had made her childhood unbearable.

In the following year, hundreds of families would head west to Hatria for work – the new Marquis, with Conn as his silent partner via the Sytha Insurance and Investment Company, promised excellent pay and conditions. Dozens of ships would arrive from Meshech with craeftiga with the knowledge and skills to build the mines, the factories and the harbour. And over the next ten years Hatria would become the richest demesne in Sytha. Lile had her revenge on Godreda, but as Conn discovered years later, she found it bitter-sweet at best.

Having done as much ‘damage’ as he could to the Sythans, Conn headed east as soon four weeks after the summer festival. Three thousand horses and one thousand men left Sytha for Rila, and within the fyrd were companies of Kerchian, Pontian, Meshechian and Sythan wiga. He had also been able to recruit an additional two hundred Sythan wiga for his Rila fyrd.

Still in Sytha were over three hundred Meshechians in Siris. Next spring, Eowen would take the Sythan fyrd to join up with them and then cross the highlands to join the fyrd of the Eaorl of Kucha. They would all wear the surcoats and carry the guidons and vexillum of the Marquis of Patria; Pontian colours.

Tredian complained long and hard about handing over control of his wiga. Conn argued that it was the only way it could work.

‘Do we always have to do everything your way, Marquis?’ Tredian exclaimed, ‘surely you are not always right?’ He looked to Derryth for support, using his hands to request a response.

Derryth didn’t answer for a moment, contemplating. Finally, he shook his head. ‘Sorry, Healdend, you got me there. If you know if he is ever wrong, let me know, because I can’t recall any occasions.’

Unable to get his own way, and after inspecting the troops in training, he conceded. ‘They are magnificent. All I can say is that I’m really glad that I’m on your side.’

~oo0oo~

The trip to Rila by road was over thirty days in duration, and he also had a side visit to Hatusa to return the Folgere to the “only” real Cirice in Sytha. That could add another twenty days. He would arrive just as winter started.

Farewelling the Healdend, Conn joined the long line of animals. Sir Njil was in harbour to take with him the children and the women who didn’t want to spend over six weeks in a saddle.  They didn’t just go and wait however; they travelled to each of the Earldoms along the way and prepared for his arrival. After twenty days they would be in Waliwa. Sir Njil was heading there.

The first demesne to cross was Felsini and then Ikaria, but their towns were on the ocean and too far off the path that Conn was taking. Their Eaorls met him as he arrived and they travelled with him as he passed through their demesne as a matter of courtesy. Conn had Sythan wiga in his fyrd but had rejected the offer of any Eaorl led squads to be placed in his fyrd. He was not fond of part time wiga. They were welcome to be part of Eomon’s fyrd if they wished but most were too proud to take orders from a Pontian.  Eomon had no choice.

After twenty days on the road, they arrived in Waliwa, where the Eaorl Godwah was delighted to see them. Probably because Lile and Cynilda had been there for days and were having an unsettling effect on his house. The Eaorl was not yet thirty – his father had been killed years earlier in a skirmish with a Pontian fyrd that had infiltrated his northern borders. It was the same fyrd that carried off Cynrys, Alyasa, and Bylna from the Cirice in the Thane fief of Hatusa. With the return of the three Folgere he was also conscious that his house hadn’t protected the Cirice. He felt much better after the three held a private “consultation” with him soon after their arrival.

After a rest of a few days, Conn set the main part of the fyrd into motion toward Rila under Sir Byrs’ command while he led a smaller group of a five companies of Kerchians north to Hatusa. Godwah accompanied them, with his own company of men.

They arrived near the village of the Thane of Hatusa after nine days – it was a long way south and high into the mountains. Just as they were about to crest the last range that led down to the river valley that was Hatusa, Wilric galloped in. He had been scouting.

‘Feorhhyrde, something is wrong – there are many small fires in the distance – smoke is just starting to rise.’

‘A Pontian fyrd? I was not aware they were still trying these things.’ Conn immediately rode to the high ground and used his telescope to survey the countryside.

‘What will the Thane do?’ he asked Godwah.

‘Go behind his walls – he is used to attacks.’

Handing the glass to Derryth, Conn gave directions. ‘I’m splitting us into two – Godwah, I’d like you take your squad and the 3
rd
Kerchian Squad and head at a reasonable pace to the village and the fort. I do not want you to attack – as soon as you are in sight just stand firm and defend your line. The Kerchians are excellent bowmen and you will be well protected. The 4
th
will stay here to protect Logistics and I’ll take the 1
st
and 2
nd
squads with me and we’ll come in from the side. We will be quicker and we will be attacking.’

As he rode away, Conn reiterated. ‘Whatever you do, don’t attack them – just stand your line. You will get in our way.’

Conn headed down the hill, Derryth and the others following, and the two squads in close pursuit. They cantered rather than galloped; trying to preserve the stamina of their animals as they skirted the outskirts of the village. Everyone wore brigandine armour covered with brown surcoats depicting the device of the March of Rila – a snow white owl on a field of green. A small golden sun was over the owl’s head.

They encountered the first group of Pontians wiga as they arrived in the outskirts of the village; they were heading towards a group of roundhouses carrying flaming torches. Conn’s first arrow felled the lead rider like a sack of potatoes and the next ten fell as a barrage of arrow arrived simultaneously. Their surprise of coming under attack cause confusion which meant their desired escape to safety failed, and the no one made it out to warn the main body of wiga.

Leaving wiga behind to deal with the dead and wounded, Conn continued through the village and towards the fort; when they crested a hill they could now see the fort under siege from a large number of Pontians wiga. As soon as they saw Conn’s squads, they regrouped to face him and then had to reorder when to Conn’s left, they saw the arrival of Godwah and the 3
rd
. As instructed the 3
rd
halted, and set up a defensive line of lancers and bowmen. Conn gave an order and his squads formed a line ten horses wide.

Balios was eager to continue, he stomped his feet to say, “What are we waiting for”.

‘That horse,’ Derryth noted, ‘has the same appreciation of odds as you do. They have over three hundred lancers, and we have fifty here – and twenty five over there – who aren’t going to be any good over here.’

‘Derryth, don’t you agree that we are at least giving them a fighting chance. They don’t even have any proper bowmen. Can you see who is in charge?’

Derryth had the telescope. ‘I’m thinking the guy over there in the middle of that bunch to the right. Big black horse. He was the black badger device on a red shield. The rest have white shields. They seemed to be getting ready to charge us – but seem unsure.’

‘I detest indecision. Let’s make their mind up for them.’

Hallvi was in the front line and looked at Derryth confused. ‘The Feorhhyrde does know that the odds are six to one – and not on our favour.’

‘I know – hardly seems fair.’ Derryth informed her. ‘Would you like to stay and observe?’

She laughed wryly. ‘No – but I think you are all mad.’

Conn gave the order and the trumpet sounded and Conn charged. The Pontians responded in kind. Within a hundred yards they were in bow range – twenty yards before the Pontians would have been if they were carrying bows of any quality, and that was their advantage despite the lack of numbers. As the best trained cavalry archers on the planets, a hundred Pontians had been hit by arrows before any physical contact. Accordingly the edges of the Pontian charge folded – as one man decided enough for enough, more and more followed and when the two line of cavalry did collided, there were only a hundred Pontians left – and two to one was not even close to fair.

Conn had the Claymore in his hand when they did and he aimed for the leader; hacking and leaping his way across fallen men and animals on Balios until the big sword had engaged with and decapitated the group’s leader. On that action, the trumpeter bugled a second note and Conn’s wiga stopped killing and separated from the melee to regroup a hundred yards away.

Carnage was left behind; over two hundred men lay on the ground dead or wounded while horses ran in all directions. Conn called in reports. His had lost a couple and while many more were wounded. He then issued further orders. The trumpeter called another tune and the 3
rd
left the defensive line and joined the 1
st
and 2
nd
in rounding everyone up. Conn did not expect any resistance.

Beside him, Hallvi and Ceolrys sat on their horses ashen faced. Hallvi had tears running down her face. She tried to speak but said nothing. Derryth rode up beside her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.

‘Now you know why I’m very glad I’m on his side.’

Moments later, Brictdred rode up to report in. ‘These are wiga belonging to the Eaorl of Kotan. It was the Eaorl Beornyn that you killed.’

‘Very well. Take everyone to the fort; we’ll go and help Logistics set up.’

Taking a deep breath, he looked around. ‘Where’s Wilric?’

Hallvi answered. ‘He went with Alana…’

Conn stooped and turned to look at Derryth. ‘But she is a member of the 4
th
. Why would Wilric stay with Logistics?’

Alana didn’t want to go by boat to Rila; she decided that she was going to ride with her father.  Conn compromised by making her a Cornet in the 4
th
. She did as they did and she was happy with that. Of all the tribes, the Priecuman were the only ones not to have females in their ranks, and while they were a normal part of a Twacuman society, Conn suspected that the Ancuman fyrds used them as a means of institutionalizing sexual abuse and degradation of female wiga from the Southern Isles. Continual debasement by Axum wiga, both males and females, kept them “in their place”.

Derryth knew about that. ‘She swapped out of the 4
th
into the 3
rd
. Wilric decided to help out.’

‘Swapped out? Without telling me?’ Conn was almost angry.

‘Is she supposed to? The 3
rd
were down in numbers because their Cornet is ill. She volunteered.’

‘Yes, she should have; if I had known, I’d have given the 3
rd
the task of guarding Logistics. If she gets herself killed, I’m going to kill her.’

Derryth wasn’t worried. ‘I not sure how that will work, but she has Wilric and she has your luck. She will be fine.’

Conn headed out across the field to the fort to inquire of his daughter. The line created by the 3
rd
was totally intact; the Pontians hadn’t gotten around to charging it because they had enough to deal with already. He asked after his daughter and was told that she went off to investigate something. Asking for directions, he quickly followed her trail through the village, and with the help of locals who seem to have materialized out of nowhere, he tracked her down. She was standing with Wilric behind a barn door; and was standing guard over a small roundhouse.

As he rode up to her, she turned and looked at his scowling face. ‘I really ought to put you across my knee. Wandering off like that.’

She smiled. ‘Papa, you are my role model and my teacher. Do you not teach us that “adaptability creates opportunity”?’

‘And “opportunity creates success”’. Derryth joined the discussion. ‘She has a point there – and don’t you also say that an order is only as good as the conditions that created it – if conditions change…’

‘Derryth, sometime you are just no help.’ He got down from the stallion. ‘Just don’t wander off again, all right. So what do you have?

‘I was studying the Pontians as they charged you and I noticed a group of horsemen right at the back suddenly turn and run – they didn’t even try to get involved. I decided to investigate by going around the back of the fort with Wilric. I was lucky in that they ran into a dead end in the village – there are fences all around here and when they turned to escape the saw me—they charged until I put an arrow in the saddle of one of them – they then turned and dismounted and we kind of forced them to run into that building over there. I don’t think they have bows but I thought I’d wait for you. I knew you’d turn up eventually.’

‘Wise. Isn’t that a pig pen?’

She nodded, smiling mischievously. ‘I hope so. Wilric checked for me and there is no other exit.’

Derryth laughed. ‘She has a streak of nasty just like her father.’

Conn stepped out and walked to talking range of the building. ‘Let’s see what we have here.’ He had three people beside him with bows ready. ‘Ooi,’ he shouted, ‘you lot inside the pig pen. I think you need to come out and surrender.’

‘Or what?’ someone shouted back defiantly.

‘Or I’m going to leave you there for the next three days – and worse still, I’m going to get as many pigs as I can get and put them in the yard – just so that you have as much company as you can get at night. I’m not going to feed them either.’

‘You can’t be serious! That is just cruel.’ and then there was silence for a few moments – before ‘Who are we surrendering to – if we surrender?