The Reward of Anavrea

by Rachel Rossano

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jayne woke to the not-quite muted tones of someone trying to be quiet. Her eyelids were so heavy she didn’t bother opening them.

  “We are just going to let her sleep?”

  “The child was moved to her room,” Patti’s voice answered. “The Lady isn’t disturbing anyone where she is. Let her be.”

  “But...”

  “Hush,” Patti hissed.

  Then silence and Jayne felt herself fading back into sleep. The next time she noticed her surroundings, the kitchen was empty except for someone working at the churn. The plunger rose and fell with a soothing rhythmic plunk. As Jayne opened her eyes and blinked away the sleep, she recognized Patti’s leather covered feet through the forest of table and bench legs.

  Carefully she raised herself into sitting position as she looked around for Trina. A flicker of panic flamed in her breast before she recalled her strange brush with consciousness earlier.

  “Where is Trina?” she asked.

  “Ah, so you are finally awake,” Patti observed without ceasing her plunging of milk in the churn. “We moved Trina to your bedroom. We couldn’t have a sick child in the kitchen while we prepared the morning meal. I have Madam Kerri watching over her.”

  Jayne took her time gaining her feet. “What time is it?”

  “About mid-morning. Liam left orders we were to let you sleep as long as possible.”

  The events of the previous evening came crashing down upon her. Liam was gone, leaving a strange emptiness in her chest. The king had departed, men in tow, and she was alone, responsible for the queen, the vargar, and all the villagers. Fear gripped her heart. Kurios, what do I do?

  “You have just gone white, child. Are you sure you are ready to rise?” Patti let go of the plunger handle with a final thump and hastily crossed the room to peer into Jayne’s face.

  Jayne waved her away. “I am just hungry. That is all.”

  “Then sit. I will fetch you a portion of the stew that is simmering for the noon meal. That and a slice of bread will fix you up well.”

  Jayne slid onto the bench and rested her head on her hands. First, she should check on the defenses. If Klian figured out they were alone, he could be ready to attack within a few hours. “Who did Braxton leave in charge?”

  “I believe a Commander Loxian is in charge. After you have eaten and cleaned up, you can probably find him in the guard house.” Patti set a steaming bowl of vegetables in a thickening beef broth before her. “Eat first though.”

  “Has the queen called for me?” Jayne asked as she took up the spoon.

  “She sent her maid to look for you, but I told her you were still sleeping. The maid hasn’t been back.”

  “She ate breakfast, right?” I asked.

  Patti nodded over her task of emptying the churn. “She cleared the tray I sent up and asked for more. If you are worried about her child, that woman is taking good care of herself. They will be fine.”

  Although she didn’t agree with Patti that staying well fed would guarantee a healthy child, she was happy to hear that the queen seemed to be managing well without the king to keep the servants in line.

  Jayne could see the tasks of the day lining up before her. Although Patti was quick to inform her that Madame Kerri and her daughters were already taking over her usual housecleaning work, Jayne was certain she would keep occupied with the other matters of the vargar. She finished everything that Patti had set before her, thanked the cook, and gathered her bedding before setting off toward the laundry room. After dropping off the heavy blankets in the dirty wash basin, she set her mind to finding this Commander Loxian.

  It took longer than she expected to corner him. Not because he was difficult to find, but because she was interrupted with questions at every turn. Where to put the supplies that were coming in from the village—who was in charge of the storerooms—what to do about the lack of space for the horses—each man or woman had an issue that needed her attention. Liam had been running things with the utmost efficiency, but his sudden departure with all of his men left holes in the work distribution.

  Finally, just as the first gong sounded for the noon meal, she spotted the man she was seeking. He was in the exercise yard barking orders at the marching soldiers. She glimpsed Oran’s blonde head among the ranks as they crossed the yard to the commander’s cries.

  Straightening her shoulders, Jayne reminded herself who she was now. The mistress of the vargar and the superior to this tall man had no reason to fear him, male though he may be. With the protection of rank, she was beyond their control unless she allowed them to rule her.

  “Dismissed,” Commander Loxian yelled. The men broke ranks, filing off toward their various duties. Many of them disposed of their gear and headed toward the keep.

  “Commander Loxian,” Jayne said.

  The commander swung around and met her eyes. Jayne looked up in surprise at the man’s youth. Tall and well muscled, he had the baring of the seasoned warrior, but as she assessed his features, she guessed him to be in his mid twenties.

  “My lady.” He bowed. “How may I serve you?”

  “I wish to know how our defenses stand.”

  Loxian raised an eyebrow, but otherwise did not indicate that this was an irregular request. “Braxton mentioned that you might want to be informed.”

  “I believe we might be attacked very soon, and I wish to be prepared.”

  “Aye, we are ready. At your instructions, we will send word to the villagers and bring them within the walls. We would have done so already, but each day we can store supplies strengthens our position.”

  Jayne understood. “Why not have the farmer’s families make the move within the walls at once? Then, every day the farmers can leave from here to work. It will decrease the chances that someone is left out.”

  “You fear we will be attacked suddenly, my lady?”

  “I do. Klian has no reason to give us notice; he has no chivalry.”

  Loxian frowned and nodded. “I have heard such, but not seen.”

  “Then you have not been here long.” Jayne commented, remembering Klian’s tactics earlier in the harvest.

  “I came with the King, my lady. Thus I will trust your wisdom of experience regarding what Klian is capable of.”

  “Do we have enough men to defend the walls against attack?”

  Loxian frowned as the last of his men disburse. “If I work the shifts and Lord Klian does not launch a full assault on the walls, we should be able to manage. It will be tight though.”

  “How can we increase our defenses?”

  “Well, if Lord Klian lays siege, we can train the farmers and their sons. Other than that, though, I cannot say. It will be in the Kurios’ hands.”

  Jayne glanced at him in surprise, but agreed. It was in God’s hands. All she could do was make certain they were as prepared as they could be for whatever came. The second gong sounded, signaling that everyone should come to the hall.

  “May I escort you to the meal, my lady?” Commander Loxian asked, offering her his arm.

  “Thank you, sir,” Jayne replied with a smile. She wasn’t particularly inclined to be escorted, but it would help Loxian’s image if she showed her trust in him.

  Surprisingly enough, Jayne found she trusted him, in a mild way. As young as he was, she was certain he would do everything within his power to defend the vargar. Laying her hand on his forearm, Jayne couldn’t help thinking of Liam. Kurios, please keep him safe.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Klian gave them a week. Jayne wasn’t sure why. Perhaps it was to be sure that the King and Liam were not going to return immediately. Or maybe the delay was because he was waiting until they were far enough away that Jayne could not send word for help. Whatever the reason, it was a week after the King’s departure for the border.

  Jayne was sitting at Liam’s desk in the study, wrestling with his columns of numbers and her own ink-stained additions, when a panicked young man burst
into the room. The heavy door hit the wall with a somber thud as the warning horn sounded from the walls.

  “Pardon, my lady, but armed men have been spotted along the border between our land and Lord Klian’s. They are in formation and moving this way.”

  “And where are the farmers?” Jayne asked as she set the quill on the writing tray where it wouldn’t make her mess worse. “Will they reach the gates in time?”

  “I don’t know, my lady.” The young man looked at her in bewilderment. She saw the fear flicker across his face. He appeared only two summers older than Oran, and from his reactions, he was untried.

  Though she had never been in combat or stood on the walls while the vargar was surrounded, Jayne knew what it was like to face an enemy. The habitual calm flowed through her veins despite the pounding of her heart and the racing of her thoughts. She placidly powdered the freshly inked page and blotted it before closing the heavy log book. She met the boy’s gaze.

  “Then please find out for me and report back,” she ordered. “I do not want any of our own left outside when Klian arrives. Pass this along to Commander Loxian. I will join him on the walls.”

  “But, my lady...” he protested, but Jayne stopped him with a look.

  “Go.”

  “Yes, my lady,” he responded and bowed his way out. Once he cleared the doorway, he bolted toward the front gates.

  Jayne stared at the cover of the logbook. Is this the beginning of the end? she asked the Kurios. Not so long ago, I thought I was the master of my own being. I was losing the battle with Klian before Liam came, but I had my emotions under control, locked away.

  You sent Liam to reveal to me how small, insignificant, and powerless I truly am. You gave him the ability to break through my defenses. Then just as I was beginning to feel again, You took him away. I am again on my own, defenseless and weak before an insurmountable enemy.

  The only difference is now I care. I want to live and not just for the people, my siblings, or the land. She took a deep and shuddering breath as Liam's voice reminding her to breathe whispered through her mind. Father, I love him. I love him and now he is gone.

  Opening the logbook again, she traced Liam’s numbers as they marched evenly down the page. You have now pressed home to me in every way possible I need him and he is the one You made for me. I had nothing to fear from him.

  “I understand now, and it is too late,” she whispered to the empty room. “He isn’t coming back.” The cold, leaden lump that had been her breakfast grew painful in her stomach. Every time she thought about the fact he was gone, a panicky feeling flooded her chest.

  King Theodoric would return for his heir and his wife, but Liam had no reason to return. There was no title, lands, or purpose for him in Ashwyn Vargar. The only reason he could have for coming back would be her, and she had given him nothing, no encouragement and no hope.

  “It is over. Stand up and face your fate, Jayne,” she told herself. “Fight Klian for king, queen, country, and your siblings. Pray that help comes in time.” She closed the book with a muffled thump. Straightening her shoulders, she lifted her chin. “Kurios, have mercy,” she whispered.

  The loud boom of the front gates closing echoed through the keep. The corridor filled with the slapping of running feet and shouts of alarm. Jayne rose, lugged the heavy logbook to the shelf, and shoved it into place.

  “Everyone is accounted for, my lady,” a breathless soldier announced as he burst into the room. “Commander Loxian is preparing to send out a messenger to the King’s men tonight after dark. He requests your presence at your earliest convenience, my lady.”

  “I shall be right there,” she replied as she turned to the desk to cap the ink. Then she crossed to the door. A part of her was reluctant to leave the study. The room that had once brought memories of her father and associations of fear, anger, and pain had been transformed. It now made her think of Liam.

  Steeling herself against what was to come, Jayne closed the door and locked it. Liam was now in the past and she needed to handle the future. She didn’t feel strong enough to deal with it on her own, but with the Kurios at her side, she could at least face it.

  ~~~~~~

  The defenses held for a week. Clutching her cloak about her shoulders, Jayne followed Loxian as they toured the walls and glanced down at the camped enemy surrounding them.

  “How long do we have in supplies?” Loxian asked as they reached a tower and paused.

  “A month or so... if we really draw it out, we will have two months of water. It will be longer for food. We will die of dehydration long before we starve.”

  “A grim picture, my lady,” Loxian commented.

  “Aye, but true.”

  “From what I am seeing though, we will not have to wait that long. Look over there.” He pointed off behind the camp where the wreckage of a cottage was being used to build something that Jayne couldn’t identify. “They are building siege works for storming the walls. I figure Lord Klian will not wait around for King Theodoric to come and rescue us.”

  “Klian has never been patient,” she agreed as her gaze lingered on the highly ornamented tent in the center of the camp. “But he must be growing desperate if he will damage the walls to get to me.”

  “He has to hurry now. The messengers finally made it through his ranks last night. After a week of trying, they found a gap in the sentries. Considering how fast the King’s company was planning on moving, even if they turn back at once upon getting word, they will reach us in two and a half weeks at the minimum.”

  “And if they don’t?”

  Loxian shrugged and frowned. “I wouldn’t be able to guess.”

  “So, it matters which is more important to the King, the border or the queen.”

  Loxian smiled. “I know that answer. He will come back for her and if she is in danger, he shall come with everything in his control to rescue her.”

  Jayne frowned down on the camp at the foot of the hill. She wasn’t as confident. The king obviously cared for his wife, but this was a matter of state. The borders with the north country were vital for the country’s safety. She wasn’t willing to wager that the King would value his wife and heir as more important than that. He could always marry again, but regaining the border would cost lives and gold.

  “Let me know if anything new develops,” she instructed. “I need to get to the storerooms and give them instructions for rationing.”

  Commander Loxian saluted and then bowed. “Do you need an escort to the ground, my lady?”

  Jayne shook her head. One advantage of spending an hour or more every morning for a week among the armed men was that she was growing more comfortable around them. They grew to be familiar faces as she learned their names and listened to their banter. Loxian made sure they were always respectful, and she treated them as equals. They were the ones who were risking their lives for her and the others. That alone demanded her esteem.

  ~~~~~~

  “Urith has joined the men on the wall,” Rowana informed Jayne gravely one morning a week later.

  Jayne looked up from her task of helping the cook sort herbs to regard her sister mildly. “I know.”

  Rowana’s eyes widened. “You mean you are letting him?”

  “He is now old enough to act like a man. He was fourteen last week and Oran has been working with him.”

  “But he is better at books.”

  “Times have changed. The castle is under siege and we are at war with Lord Klian. I don’t like it any more than you.” Perhaps less, child. I know what can happen to him up there. She bit back the words. This was not the time to shatter Rowana’s world. There would be time enough for that when the walls fell. For she was now certain they would. The siege works were almost complete, and no word had come from the scouts.

  “Jayne,” Ryana cried as she ran around the corner into the pantry. “Larissa sent me. The queen is beginning her pains.”

  Jayne couldn’t help the jump of fear within her breast.
It was the worst time for this. Lord Klian’s siege works were almost done. His men shouted threats and angry insults at the men on the walls. Loxian was constantly walking the ranks to encourage them. The water was low already and there was no sign of rain. Birthing a child now would use up even more of their meager supply. All of these facts flickered through her thoughts as she calmly wiped her hands on her apron.

  “Tell Larissa that I will be right there.”

  Ryana obediently took off at a run.

  “Rowana, go to the waterkeeper and tell him I need six rations of water. If he gives you trouble, tell him it is for the queen’s birthing, but only if he will not give it to you any other way. I don’t want the whole household knowing about this yet. When you have it, carry it carefully up to the queen’s chambers.”

  As Rowana disappeared in the direction of the waterkeeper’s room, Jayne turned to Patti. “I need...”

  “I know, child.” Patti cut her off with a wave. “I have done this often enough to know my part. Go run for your tools, and by the time you reach her, the supplies will be there. May the Kurios keep her.”

  Jayne smiled a hurried thank you and rushed out toward her quarters. Her birthing bag was tucked away in the trunk at the end of her bed. As she knelt before it to unlock the latch, a heavy horn blast sounded the alarm. She listened for the second blast which would change the signal. One meant an attack had begun. A second announced that help was appearing. She waited, but it didn’t come.

  Please spare us, Kurios, she whispered without hope that He would. The end was in sight and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was too soon for the King to have returned and she had other things to tend to. The Queen was in labor, and she had to deliver the child and hide the queen and her newborn before Klian discovered what a prize he had captured.

  Throwing the lid of the trunk open, Jayne grabbed her bag and then slammed the top shut. She didn’t bother to lock it. There was no time. She prayed that the Kurios would allow the babe to come quickly so it and its mother could be whisked away. It was her duty to keep the queen safe.