Conn walked around the decrepit buildings and the remnants of a stone keep. The fields had not been planted for many seasons so were overgrown, and it would take some effort to reclaim this domain. There were sufficient buildings, however, to provide them all with shelter for the night, and protection from the rain squalls.
In the morning, and back in sunshine, they resumed their trip to Tabae; staying two more nights along the way. Here the burghs were inhabited and the Thanes hospitable; allowing them to sleep in barns and abandoned houses. Although friendly towards Abrekan, they were cautious of Conn and the Silekians. Outside, farmers were active in the fields with teams of oxen pulling heavy wheeled ploughs, while children herded sheep and goats. Some fields had a ripening crop of winter wheat, albeit a very poor one, but reportedly better than usual.
Osward explained that of the people in the fields, some were Ceorl, who rented land from the Thane to grow crops, while others were common tilia, who worked in exchange for money or food. Yet others were theow; but they were few in Tabae due to the poor harvest and pestilence over the last few years.
By midday on the third day the long convoy arrived outside the cotlif of Tabae; clearly a large settlement that had seen better days, and there were no great walls to protect the townspeople or even the keep itself. Remnants of palisades did exist but were poorly maintained. The guard houses were still manned, however, and the Folctoga reported to the guards and a runner was sent to the Eaorl. Inside the old palisades, occupied and unoccupied longhouses lay scattered along the winding roads that led to the keep; all the buildings were desolate and run down, in need of rethatching and rendering, and with the recent rain providing mud and mold for everything, they also needed a good clean. It fitted Conn’s image of a medieval village even more than the villages in Halani.
They continued their way to the sole Inn in the village; it was old, dark and damp, and it stood next to a livery. They put their animals into stables, enticed the hostler with an excessive amount of silver coins to seek out fresh hay and to release his oat supplies. In the Inn, they organized rooms and a meal for the Silekians. Luckily there was no competition for accommodation – they had the building to themselves. They then went to visit the Eaorl.
The Folctoga informed them as they walked, proudly, that Eaorl of Tabae ruled a domain of about sixty Thanes, and had a population near thirty thousand. The Cotlif itself had a population of around five thousand while each Burh had between three and five hundred people. As proud as he was of the village, as they walked, they saw Craeftiga idle in their workshops and the merchants without customers in their stores.
The main building in Tabae was a longhouse about thirty yards long by ten yards wide; cobbled together over time – it too had seen better days. At the door, they were met by the Burhgerefa, who took them to the Eaorl, who was waiting impatiently. The longhouse had rooms partitioned off at each and a large squarish middle section that held the meeting and eating hall. With the central fireplace, the room was damp, dusty and smoky. They found the Eaorl pacing the longhouse, and he looked up as they entered, greeted Abrekan warmly, and directing them all to sit. Wilga and Shona remained standing.
‘Abrekan, I did not expect you here again so soon – were you not to travel to Trokia from Halani?
‘Yes, Eaorl, but much has happened since we last met – most of which I doubt you would believe if I didn’t have proof. Let me introduce Conn il Taransay. I met him in Halani.’
‘From Taransay you say – I have not heard of such a place – and such a people. To say I am surprised is an understatement. And in Halani? Stranger still.’ Octa greeted Conn by hand. ‘And these two are the Silekians? I understand that there are twenty of them.’
‘This is Wilgar il Melnik. He is the youngest and probably only surviving son of Eaorl Sighard, whose keep has been taken by Rakians. The others in his group are vassals who have escaped and are trying to get to Lykiak. We found them on the road.’
Octa was dressed in plain but sturdy clothes. He wore a cotton kurti type tunic shirt under a padded vest, and coarse wool pants that were tucked into leather riding boots. He was Moetian, and as such was a mix of Silekian and Rakian in appearance, with his dark brown hair, dark eyes and light brown skin.
He greeted Wilgar respectfully. ‘Your father and I are kin, so you are very welcome.’ He turned back to Abrekan, ‘Why did they not seek sanctuary in my hall? I have over a hundred men and women here who have escaped from Silekia – luckily without being branded first.’
‘That is the problem – most here have been branded.’
Abrekan told the tale and Shona or Wilgar supplemented information when invited. Shona showed him the brand on her arm. Abrekan commented that Conn thought the law harsh.
Octa nodded. ‘I agree – the law is harsh. The situation in Silekia is terrible but there is nothing we can do – we have no Aebeling to direct us, and the Healdend in Moetia is too far away to be interested. As for the brands, it is a sorry and sad state, but my hands are tied. The law is the law. If I don’t send them back to the new ‘Eoarl’, I’ll have to imprison them. If they are known to be here, they will be sure to ask for them back. We have had representations before – and have had to hand over people we had no desire to hand over.’
‘I understand that their freedom can be bought.’
‘Yes – but any money they have is tainted – you can’t buy your freedom with what could be stolen coins. The law is clear on that. And given that there are twenty, I would have to demand, what, about eight thousand Ryals – and that is a huge sum.’
Conn offered an alternative. ‘And if I gave you the Ryals?’
‘If you paid it? That would be extremely unusual – very few would have that amount of coins…’
Conn interrupted. ‘Is it legal?’
Octa looked to his Burhgerefa, who helpingly shrugged.
Octa looked back at Conn. ‘I believe that it is. The laws of Meshech, as set down by the first Casere, allow all theow to become free – as long as someone pays for their freedom. The law has rarely been exercised, but I’m sure that it is there.’
‘Do you have to send the money to the former ‘owner’?’
‘No; I’m pretty sure I get to keep it.’ He laughed. ‘A strange side effect of the law.’
‘Very well, I’ll pay the fine.’ Conn had brought with him one of his saddle bags, and he open it up and retrieved a small square packages, wrapped in leather. He opened one up and exposed an ordered array of one hundred 8g gold coins. He withdrew thirty three coins and handed the box to the Eaorl.
‘This, I believe from my discussions with Abrekan, is the equivalent to eighty thousand Ryals. I hope that you will accept my payment on their behalf.’
Octa looked stunned as he stared at the coins. He handed the box to his Burhgerefa, who did as expected – he sent for his Monier and his scales. Octa finally looked away from the coins in his Burhgerefa’s hands.
‘The last few years here have been hard – crops have been poor, illness has been rampant. We have had much better times. I hope this is a sign that our luck has changed – at least for these Silekians.’ He smiled. ‘I will accept your offer, Conn il Taransay. You now have 20 vassals; it represents an excellent outcome to the problem.’
The Silekians had had a disturbing day; yesterday they were runaway slaves without food or shelter; now they were ‘free’ men and women – at least free from risk of death. Technically they were still theow – but now the property of Conn. The sense of relief was too much for Shona; she broke down and cried.
Octa continued, after looking at the girl.
‘So what do you intend to do with them?’
‘I guess I need some land; do you have any to spare?’
‘Land? You would buy land from me?’
‘Yes – I have nowhere else to travel to – and if you will have me, I’d like to establish myself here.’ Conn saw the surprise on Abrekan’s face, and he was surprised himself. He hadn’t star
ted the day with that intention – but Caewyn said that he needed to look after the Silekians. There seemed to be enough here to look after. Conn continued, warming up to the idea.
‘I noticed that much of the land we passed through on the way here was unused. Would you sell me that?’
Octa frowned and sat and thought for a while, sipping his ale. ‘Sadly, there are many without Thane or and more with fewer than usual number of Ceorl or Tilia.’ He looked at Conn for a moment as if to reassess him. ‘May I suggest an alternative? As I said, over the winter we have had much illness, and we lost many young and old with the sickness – including a Thane and his son two winters ago. That domain is near the road as you came from Halani.’
Conn directed his question at the Folctoga. ‘Was that near where we stayed the night?’
‘No, it is further to the east –at least two day’s ride. We stayed in Hama.’
Octa continued, nodding. ‘There is a widow without heirs who inherited the Thane-fief on the death of the Thane. They have struggled ever since – she has used all her resources to survive this winter. She is about to abandon the domain – but it is on the border with Silekia, and needs to be occupied. It is usually an excellent domain as it has good water from a mountain fed river, ample grazing and fertile fields. At the moment, the Burh has less than a hundred families, but has had as many as five times that number. It comes with the rank of Thane, and if you were to take the fief, you would, I think, be doing both of us a favor.’
‘How many acres?’
‘Over thirty thousand acres – the size and distance is a relic of the past when we had many more people. Today each domain is far apart – too far – but the border needs to be watched. As for farming, it depends on the number of Ceorl and Tilia you have – but Haran once farmed around eight thousand acres but it is less than two thousand.’
‘And the cost?’
Octa paused before speaking. ‘It is custom to charge for the working acres. Haram would be around … two hundred thousand Ryals.’
Conn continued. ‘What of Hama? I understand that it too is deserted?’
Octa nodded. ‘It has been deserted for several years now. It is not such a fine domain as the land is harder – and with the seasons it has been hard to find a replacement. I would not recommend that you buy that one as it will take you time to establish yourself.’
‘Can I buy both?’
Octa was surprised. ‘Hama as well as Haran? That would be extremely unusual. The cost would be enormous to start Hama again, and well as Haran.’
Conn reached into another bag that he carried and pulled out another package. He opened it up and exposed a one kilo bar of gold. Each one was about twenty inches long, by forty and twenty deep. He handed it to Octa. It was the equivalent to one hundred and fifty thousand Ryals. ‘I have several like this. How much for the two?’
It took a while for Octa to answer, as he looked at the bar of gold. Finally he looked up. ‘If you feel that you can manage the pair – I would add only another hundred thousand Ryals for Haran – it is deserted and has fields operating.’
‘Are they connected?’
Octa looked at his Burhgerefa, who responded with a no – in between was another domain – called Veii – and it also lacked a Thane; and was in the process f being abandoned. He looked back to Conn. ‘I suppose you want to buy that one as well?’
‘That sound’s reasonable to me, Eoarl. I would hate to have to travel through abandoned land. How much for the three?’
Octa consulted with his Burhgerefa; he commented that Veii was smaller but it had until recently a functioning village and some fields in operation. Octa then suggested a total price of four hundred and fifty thousand Ryals – or seven hundred and fifty gold Ryals.
Conn accepted the offer, to the amazement of everyone in the room. He then handed over three kilos of gold in bars.
Octa was still stunned. He sat down and looked at Abrekan and his keep officials, and then back to Conn. ‘Can I ask why you carry so much gold? It is unusual for one to have so much – and without a dozen wiga to guard you?’
Abrekan explained how Conn was just back from a war where he had successfully ransomed several enemy Eaorls, and how he was on his way to a domain he had been granted, when he was separated from his men – and mysteriously transported to Halani.
Octa nodded his head. It sounded plausible. ‘It is well, then, that you have so much, as the cost to run the domain will be great.’ He called to his servants, and sent them for food and drink. ‘I think a celebration is in order.’ Octa turned to Abrekan. ‘Your friend is a man of many surprises.’
Abrekan laughed. ‘I’ve left the best one to last. The Twacuman call him Feorhhyrde.’
Octa stood in silence for a moment. ‘Feorhhyrde! I have not heard that word since I was a child – wasn’t the last one to be called Feorhhyrde the Casere Sherric, some five hundred years ago?’
‘That is what I believe as well. But I am Trokian – Silekian history is … well, and I’m not even sure what a Feorhhyrde is…’
Octa paused to consider. He shook his head. ‘I don’t either – but I recall that it means a lot to the Twacuman.’
When the ale had arrived, and with everyone’s mugs full, Octa raised his mug and toasted Conn. ‘Very well; Conn il Taransay, I declare that you are the Thane of Haran, Thane of Veii, and Thane of Hama in Tabae. Welcome.’
As he wiped the foam from his beard, he shook his head. ‘This has been a very strange day. It was only this morning that Annisa, the widow of the last Thane, was telling me about Haran. She was here to find new homes for her vassals. And now here you are. Problem solved. It seems a little too easy. I’m always suspicious of things that are too easy. It makes me think that the Gyden are fiddling in Priecuman affairs again. And on top of that you are called Feorhhyrde. A few months ago I thought that everything was as it should be, and that everything would stay the same for ever – as it always has. We only needed to survive the hard times. And now, I have absolutely no idea what is going to happen next. A series of events have resulted from a series of actions that will lead to a series of conclusions that have not been foreseen. I hope the Gyden know what they are doing.’
‘I can only concur.’ Abrekan added, as they joined the toast.
CHAPTER 05
Toast over, Octa sent for Annisa, and they were up to their third mug when the door opened and she walked in. She did not see Conn or Abrekan when she arrived. Annisa was dressed in what Conn decided to be the female fashion of the Priecuman – the equivalent of a kameez and a salwar. She wrapped a long linen cloak around her shoulders. She had with her a younger girl – perhaps fifteen. Both were very attractive; the elder was striking, mid-thirties with long dark brown hair, brown eyes and a light brown complexion. Her smallish nose but large open eyes separated her from the Lykians.
She bowed respectfully. ‘Thane, you requested my attendance.’
‘I did – you might be surprised to find that I have found a new Thane for your domain.’
She was indeed surprised, and appeared almost startled. ‘But how is that possible – none here would be able to afford it.’
‘Annisa, the new Thane is not from here.’ He directed her eyes to the two men sitting at the table. ‘I believe you know the trader, Abrekan il Trokia.’
‘I have indeed. My former bedda spoke highly of him.’ She bowed to Abrekan and he bowed back. Her eyes moved to Conn, who stood in greeting.
‘His companion is Con il Taransay – he is the new Thane.’
Conn bowed; blond haired and half a head taller than the tallest in the room, Annisa did well not to faint. She gathered herself.
‘You are certainly not of these lands are you, Conn il Taransay? And if you have taken on my departed bedda’s Burh, we are indeed indebted to you. This is my sister’s daughter Allowena.’ They both bowed to him.
‘Greetings, Annisa, Allowena. I understand that you have had significant tragedies in recent times.
You have my condolences.’
‘Yes, times have been sad – not only for me. Allowena lost her parents to the winter sickness years ago, and this last winter, we lost many more in Haran. My bedda and son died two winters ago, and without food, even more will die next winter – or we will all end up as theow in Lykiak.’
Octa explained everything to Annisa.
She looked at Conn in genuine appreciation. ‘Three fiefs under one Thane – you have taken on an enormous challenge, Conn il Taransay. As for the Silekians, I am glad that you were able to do something for them. My mother was from Silekia – she was the youngest daughter of the Eaorl of Abri, whose keep has surely fallen to the Rakians. We have tried to do what we could to protect them over the last few years, but...’ she paused, the sadness and regret evident, ‘it has been hard enough to feed our own people.’
Octa asked Annisa what she would do, now that she could leave the domain safe and secure. She thought for a moment.
She directed her answer at Conn. ‘Thane, I have a request – would you be so kind as to allow me to stay in Haran – as the Burhgerefa – as you don’t have one at the moment, and I feel that I owe that to the people that have been part of my life for twenty years? I would really like to help.’
Conn readily agreed, as he felt he needed all the help he could get.
Everything settled, Octa requested them all attend him again in the evening for supper. He said he had some quality mead in his private stores that he had been saving for a special occasion, and that time seemed to have arrived.
Conn and Abrekan took their leave and left to return to the Inn. As they left, Annisa asked if she may meet the rest of the Silekians, and they walked back together. Annisa conversed with Abrekan, and Conn suddenly found Allowena walking by his side. She looked at him curiously from the corner of her eye.
The Aebeling Page 7
