by Sam Taw
Our route was a well-trodden one, scattered with ruined homesteads and abandoned moorland shelters. These were the borderland farms of those who’d been driven away by the constant Duro raids. As tragic as these remains were, they served to provide us with shelter along our journey. We even managed to barter with other travellers, providing us with some fresh fish for our first night out on the starry moors.
Blydh was unnervingly quiet in the evening. Endelyn entertained us all with stories from the rituals at the stone circles and the peculiar tales she’d heard from those journeying to engage her services. Tallack asked her if she knew anything about the Belgae and their religious practices, but she had not visited their region during her time with the Priest Sect. The odd snippet of information came from traders who claimed that the Belgae were a mean spirited and violent tribe and best avoided. That was not encouraging news for any of us.
It was after we’d eaten the trout and supped a little ale that Blydh began referring to Endelyn as Kerensa again. I couldn’t tell if this was due to over consumption of beer, his poor sight, or a knock to his memory. Whatever the reason, it made Tallack and the warriors uneasy to see their Chief so confused. His manner was so gruff and obstinate, Endelyn chose to sleep next to me for safety. Despite all her bravado, she was just as frightened of his temper as me.
Come morning, the mist was thick. With dampened clothes and dripping hair, I set about the chores and began packing our things away. Endelyn still lay under her furs at the narrowest end of the shelter, warm and dry. Tallack loomed towards me fixing the belt around his tunic and leggings and securing his weapons ready for the ride.
Counting visible heads, I noticed we were short by two. I said nothing for a while, assuming that both would reappear when they had completed their ablutions but as time passed, neither Ren nor Blydh returned. Casting a glance about, I saw only one horse missing, the black stallion belonging to my nephew.
“Where has Blydh gone?” I barked at Tallack, suddenly fearful.
“He’s ridden on ahead.”
“And you didn’t stop him?” It came out of me as a shriek of panic. Tallack just rolled his eyes at me in response. No one, not even his brother, could prevent Blydh from leaving us. The question remained, would he wait for us further along the track, or disappear altogether? More importantly, would he have one of his episodes and lay a trap for us thinking that we were the enemy?
I could tell that Tallack was pondering on a similar line of thought. Every muffled sound coming from the warriors, or from Endelyn as she stirred, startled him until eventually he rested his hand on the hilt of his blade in readiness. I scooped globs of porridge into bowls and handed them to the men. They were less perturbed by Blydh’s actions, but then they had no reason to doubt him. Only Tallack, Ren, the priestess, and I knew about his true affliction.
After our meal, we kicked earth onto the fire and packed the last of our things onto the horses. The fog encircled us, unsettling the ponies and making it hard to fathom directions. Just as I was about to struggle onto my old pony, a dark shape blocked the white glow of the low sun ahead of us. Tallack drew his sword a short way out of its scabbard, expecting trouble.
I froze to the spot, squinting into the haze. As the figure of a man grew larger, I could just make out the limp bodies of dead rabbits swinging on either side.
Tallack blew out his cheeks in relief, pushing home his blade. “Can’t you learn to whistle or something?”
Ren chuckled. “Why’s that chief? Give you a fright, did I?” The men jostled together before exchanging light-hearted thumps to the upper arms. We were all together again, barring Blydh. Ren strapped the meat to the spare horse and saddled up next to me. I must say, he never fails to think ahead. We were aiming for the windswept coast on the northern shore to wait for the boats to arrive. We had no idea how long that would take, considering the alchemists’ reluctance to comply with our Chiefs’ orders in the past. Our stay could well be for days and a few rabbits would set us up for the night.
Throughout the day, we saw a surprising number of animals, many of which could have fed us for a whole moon, but we had no time to stay and hunt. Some of those creatures we passed were deer. With every head flick and ear twitch, I was reminded of my white hart and the sight of his bloodied lolling tongue. My nephews and the priestess may think that they were appeasing the gods by sacrificing him, I thought the opposite. The more I pondered on the subject, the more convinced I became that we had angered Cernonnus. If the stag truly was the vessel for the God of Death and the Wild Forest, then his life should have been preserved and respected. All we can do now is wait and hope that he will not exact his vengeance upon us.
Blydh was waiting at the end of the long ride to the northern shore. We saw the fire smoke from some distance and altered our course to intercept him. As we rode closer, I saw that he was forcing open shellfish with his blade and eating them raw. Tallack and I glanced at each other but said nothing.
Ren jumped down from his horse and set to work preparing the rabbits to roast. A couple of Blydh’s warriors were kind enough to see to my pony, leaving me to help set up camp. Blydh had chosen a sheltered spot at the top of the beach and out of the biting wind. Even after Ren had staked the meat over the embers to cook, Blydh continued to chew on the salty raw cockles and mussels.
One look at his sinister glower was enough to know which personality was in charge of his body. I withdrew and took my blades in search of dry grasses for my bedding. When I got back to the fireside, Blydh was belching and complaining of a gut ache. It was hardly a surprise.
Before he could ask, I took what little dried mallow leaves I had from the edge of the forest back home and crushed them into a cup of water. A hot knife soon brought the water to the boil, turning the liquid green and murky. While the tea steeped, I stomped over to our ailing Chief and thrust it under his nose.
“What is it?” Blydh growled.
“It’ll help or it won’t. Your choice.” I sighed, bending down to push the cup into the sand by his side.
“Are you and Brea trying to poison me, like she did my father?”
“If I was trying to kill you, nephew, I would have let you die when your head was caved in.” I snapped. It had been a long day and my patience had worn thin. Every muscle in my back and shoulders ached from the ride and my arse was sore from the rough trails. We were all exhausted and had little effort for idle chatter. Tallack urged the men to curb their appetite for ale. Supplies were limited and there was no chance of trading for more.
Ren and the warriors built three shelters, one of which was reserved for Endelyn and myself, although I did wonder whether I’d end up sleeping alone. Blydh was sober and grumpy, but showed no inclination towards violence. He let my concoction get cold, muttering and farting, belching and rubbing his belly before giving in and drinking my mallow tea. I got under my furs and went to sleep, long before it had a chance to ease his suffering.
Come morning, the clouds cleared and the wind died down to a mild breeze. It was beginning to look like spring had finally arrived. The sun glinted from the rippling waves and gulls tucked in their wings and bombed the shoals of mackerel from a great height. I felt refreshed for once and keen to continue our journey. The only snag in that plan was that Clemo and the alchemists failed to show. We spent the day foraging and gathering, preparing food and collecting wood for the evening fire.
Endelyn was quite delightful company, cutting seaweed, harvesting cockles and collecting live crabs for the pot. Her chatter and lively stories were a welcome change from the one-word responses I’d grown used to with Kewri. It was almost like having my Jago back with me, although his conversations were usually tales about his homeland. How long would it be before my grief would leave me alone?
Our second night on the beach was filled with laughter and good cheer. Tallack sang a few of his bawdier tunes while one of his men played a pipe. Blydh seemed to be vastly improved. At one point during the course of the eve
ning, I thought I saw him smile. This is what a decent night’s sleep and a full day of rest can do for you. Endelyn must have decided the same thing as she sat close to the Chiefs and regaled them with a new selection of entertaining stories.
By the time the moon was high and the night air cold, I retreated to my furs. To my surprise, Endelyn joined me in our shelter, tucking my bedding around my back and shoulders as though I was her kin. I would have bet my whole tin pouch that she would spend the night with Blydh. At the time, I thought I had misjudged the woman. Perhaps she genuinely cared for both my nephews. Maybe her sights were not on the Ruvane chair after all.
Come morning, I rose to find Renowden gazing into the horizon. Curious as to what he’d spotted, I wandered down the shoreline to meet him. “Can you see the boats?” I narrowed my eyes and strained my vision, but saw nothing except water and seagulls.
“Nope, but they’ll be here by mid-afternoon.” He smiled down at me.
“How can you tell?”
“Wind’s changed direction. Should blow them here in no time at all.”
I didn’t argue with him. Ren had spent longer at sea than anyone in our tribe. He knew every stretch of coastline better than his own face and could read the weather a day before it arrived. “Gods willing.” I muttered. It was more of a plea than a statement. We were at their mercy now, yet needed their protection more than ever.
Ren was spot on in his prediction. The Alchemists took their time sailing to shore, their inexperience with boats showing with every wave slap and near capsize. They’d brought two small boats, each with rough sails and oars but large enough to accommodate our party.
Clemo clutched the tiller in the lead boat, while a younger man steered the other. I recognised him at once. It was Kerensa’s brother, Hellyer. Neither Tallack nor I could’ve predicted that two of Kerensa’s kinfolk would deliver the vessels. I scurried back towards the fire to warn Tallack but his sight was far better than mine.
He already knew the potential for Blydh to create problems. “We can’t tell them that she’s dead. They will want the details and to make offerings. They could insist on going straight to Kenver and telling him the news.” Tallack growled in a low voice. I knew what he had to say, but wondered if it was a sensible lie to tell.
Jumping to his feet, Tallack approached his brother. He leaned low and whispered into his ear.
“Remember our little talk about Kerensa. Should her uncle or brother ask, she is travelling back to the Bentewyn mines over land. Got it?”
Blydh just glared up at him. He made no sign that he understood the situation or whether he would go along with the ruse. My heart quickened as the boats were hauled up onto the beach and the men jumped out to greet everyone. Young Hellyer seemed particularly pleased to see me. After he’d formally grasped the forearms of both Tallack and Blydh, he approached me with a beaming smile.
“So good to see you again, Fur Benyn.” He said, as though it had been a number of cycles since we last saw one another and not half a season. I guessed that his effusive greeting stemmed from the medicines I’d given to his family during the winter sickness at the Bentewyn mines. I also assumed that he was unaware of the fate of his sister or the manner of our meeting would have taken a turn for the worse.
“We set off as soon as we got news from the messenger about your trip.” He turned back towards the boats where Tallack’s men were unloading a wooden crate of tin ingots from the northern mine. “It was all that could be spared, but I imagine it’s more metal than the Belgae have seen in a while.”
Blydh and Tallack inspected the haul and extended their thanks to the Alchemists. The lull in conversation worried me. I felt compelled to steer the boy away from family matters for the sake of safety.
“Have you been at the northern mine for long?”
He smiled at me with pride. “Father sent me to learn from the men there shortly after you left us in the winter. He expects me to take over by mid-summer to prepare me for when I lead the clan.” It seemed odd to me that someone so young and inexperienced should lead such a complex operation as the mining camps.
After all my time in this world, I still had not learnt how they managed to turn rock into tin. It was a guarded secret passed down from father to son and never outside their clan. It gave them a level of power that unsettled our Chieftains through the ages. Keeping them agreeable required patience and fortitude, more than either of our current Chiefs possessed.
“And I’m sure you’ll do a fine job. You’ll make your father proud.”
Without prior warning or plan, Ren, Endelyn and Tallack occupied our guests with light-hearted chatter and good food until the daylight ducked behind the cliffs and threw us into darkness. That was when the ale flowed a little too generously. Clemo and the Alchemist warriors had brought their own beer to supplement ours and most had drunk to excess.
When we’d eaten our fill of day-old roasted rabbit and fresh caught fish, Hellyer relaxed and leaned back in the sand. “I think I would like to come with you on your journey to the sacred springs. It would give us all a chance to get to know one another better, before I become the leader of the Alchemists. What say you, Fur Benyn?”
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Getting through one evening without speaking about Kerensa was challenging enough. The thought of extending the problem indefinitely, made me choke. Hellyer had caught me off guard. I was left sitting there with my mouth wide open and no answer for him.
Tallack jumped in to save me. “I’d feel easier knowing that you were back at the northern mine keeping your eye on things. After all the troubles we’ve had recently, I wouldn’t put it past the mountain folk to paddle across from Kembra to invade and take control.”
Clemo piped up. “Don’t worry about that, Chief. My boy has it all under control until I get back there. The place is locked down tighter than a duck’s arse. Taught him everything I know. It’ll be fine while you’re away.”
Tallack forced a smile onto his face. We had no way of ditching this lad no matter what obstacles were laid down before him. Everything was settled before we had a chance to think of an escape. Come morning, the treasure trove and supplies were loaded back onto the boats, leaving Clemo and his men watching over the horses in camp.
Tallack took control over who and what was stowed in each boat, ensuring even distribution of weight and making sure that Blydh and Hellyer were separated for the journey. I’m ashamed to admit that I was relieved when Tallack insisted that I sailed with him, alongside his men and the young Alchemist. Blydh’s constant swings in mood kept me on my mettle leaving no room for rest.
Ren took the tiller of Blydh’s boat and led the way along the coast towards the mouth of the River Avon. Both vessels were low in the chilly water, making us vulnerable to the waves. I was tasked with bailing out as much as I could from the hull, but as soon as I scooped the brine over the side, more found its way on board. Endelyn was doing the same in the boat ahead of us, with the men all taking it in turns to row between the choppy waves.
When we were far enough away from the coast to defy the pull of the tide, Tallack hoisted the sail and kept his eye on the prevailing winds. Although it was unlikely that we’d be spotted by the Duros while we sailed along their stretch of the coastline, landing at the mouth of the Avon was fraught with danger. The river marked the boundary between the Duros and the Belgae. Ren had warned us before we set off, that the tidal surge and currents were strong.
If we were pushed off course and close to the Duros’ shore, it was likely that we’d find ourselves showered in flaming arrows. Mind you, we couldn’t rely on our white banners protecting us from the same treatment from the Belgae. All in all, we had too few allies and too many enemies surrounding our land. It made me even more determined to forge a lasting peace with our neighbours.
The men were in good spirits for the first part of our voyage, keen to take their turn at the oars to hasten the journey along. When they tired, they let the wind carry us
in a north easterly direction towards the gaping estuary that funnelled into the vast River Severn. The further into the Severn Estuary we sailed, the clearer the southern coastline of Kembra became. We had no quarrel with the Silures, and often traded with them, but their neighbouring mountain tribes were a slippery bunch.
By late afternoon, it was obvious to all that we would never make it to the Belgae lands beyond the mouth of the Avon before nightfall. Ren and Tallack steered our vessels until we were close enough to shout between boats.
The Chiefs had a decision to make. Would they insist on pulling in for the night, risking attack from our arch enemies or force us to push on through the darkness? I hoped that the gods would guide them into making the right choice. Blydh looked to be in pain once again. He squinted at his brother as Tallack explained our predicament.
Blydh rubbed at his eyes with a stiff knuckle. “We should land on the Duros’ side and enter the mouth of the River Avon in the morning.”
Tallack drew in breath and stole a glance at Ren. “The Duros may well have seen our sails. I don’t think that’s a good idea, Brother.” The swell of the waves parted us for a few moments, their boat soaring high while we plunged into a dip. My stomach went with it, making me swallow back bile. When we were almost level, the men held the oars out until they could grasp the shafts and pull the vessels together as one.
“If you’d already made your mind up, why bother asking me? I’m only the kyjyan Chief. What right do I have to give orders?” We could all see that Blydh was spoiling for a fight. It needed someone liked by all to break the deadlock. I shot a pleading look in Ren’s direction, hoping that he’d infer my meaning. It seemed to do the trick.
“Begging your pardons, Chiefs, but landing on either tribes’ land would be too high risk. If it were my decision to make, I’d weigh anchor in the Severn Estuary and set up a watch over night. All being well, we could row towards the Avon at sun up and hope for a favourable welcome.”
