Leaping Wolf, page 40
part #2 of Caledon Saga Series
‘Since last night I have spoken to several others who were present at that battle. I have accepted the sworn testimonies of Eifion son of Owen, Dewi son of Derion, Omren son of Rhisiart, Struen son of Rhisiart...’
He went on to name some half-a-dozen other men, and since the legion was still down south, Gawan assumed they were all Caderyn who had been among Alraig’s section in the battle. The sour look that flashed across the older chief’s face confirmed his suspicions. Clever boy. The various headmen continued to listen as Taliesyn finished reciting his list.
‘All of these men agree that had Rhianwyn not acted as she had, and the Blackbirds had not come, then what began as a battle would have become a slaughter at the hands of this man before you.’
He pointed at Caserach who kept his composure despite the anger in his eyes. He clearly wanted to say something but Taliesyn kept going before he could.
‘Speak truly comrades; how many of us would think it just to cut off the hand of a man who had stolen a loaf to save his starving child? Desperate times sometimes call for desperate actions.’
A few men shook their heads but mostly the room remained quiet and motionless. It was Alraig who broke the silence.
‘If a man is a thief he is a thief. And a man whose child is starving should go to his chief to ask for aid.’ He paused and looked around him. ‘He should place his trust in his tribe.’
There were more nods to this than there’d been shaken heads at Taliesyn’s question, and given how Alraig had put it, Gawan wondered if the time had come for Taliesyn to sit down again. Persuasive though he could be he was still a Gorvic addressing Caderyn after all. Rhianwyn seemed to have come to the same conclusion because she took a small step forwards and placed a hand on Taliesyn’s arm. Gawan felt a jolt of absurd jealousy but he kept it from showing on his face.
‘Your point is well made Taliesyn, thank you for your words.’
The Gorvic took the hint and bowed his head before walking back to the bench. Gawan shuffled up to make space for him. He had lain some good foundations for her but the First Man was still uncertain. Some of the Caderyn chiefs were trying to hide their nervousness, and Gawan assumed that Caserach had spoken to them, threatening those near the coast if they dared to oppose him. Karadoc had stayed silent for now at least, neither helping nor hindering either party, and Gawan supposed that counted as good news for them. Rhianwyn looked up to the high table and began to speak.
‘I do not deny that the law I have made has been broken, if looked at with the strictest eye.’ Alraig glared a little but didn’t comment. ‘I also know that some of you are wary of our alliance with the Gaians and are concerned about how my leadership might change our way of life.’
There were a few murmurs of agreement but no statements were made. Rhianwyn held up three fingers and looked around the hall, taking in each face.
‘I would say three things to you in answer for all this. Firstly, I say that any changes made to the Caderyn or the Caledon would only be considered if I thought them beneficial to our people, and I vow to never introduce any Gaian practice that is objectionable to my headmen. Always I will consult them before such an action.’
Gawan approved of her tone. She was speaking with an easy confidence, as if her remaining as chieftain here was a foregone conclusion.
‘Secondly, as Taliesyn has made clear, the assistance of the Blackbird Legion was vital to our victory at Moon Ridge and without them many lives would have been needlessly lost.’
Caserach received a few unpleasant looks but he weathered them easily, affecting a look of boredom.
‘And thirdly,’ Rhianwyn continued, ‘the law exists for the protection of the people. And to manipulate a law that was broken for a good cause merely to inflict harm upon a leader, is as Gaian an act as any invasion of legionaries.’
For the first time Gawan thought that Alraig might lose control. His face flushed red and he stood up with pure murder in his eyes. Caserach was also staring at Rhianwyn, his nostrils flaring and his hands clenched into fists. Yet many, if not most, of the chiefs seemed to approve of what she said, and old Merwyn was actually smiling. It was easy to imagine what they were all thinking; Rhianwyn was indeed a credit to her father. Of course, that was when it all started to go wrong.
Before either Alraig or Caserach could give vent to their anger, the heavy doors at the far end of the longhall were thrown open. Like everyone else Gawan turned to see what was happening and he almost groaned aloud at what he saw. A young man, who looked so like Alraig that he must have been his son, was leading a pair of armoured men into the hall, and every headman in the room stood up from his bench to stare at them. General Galerian and Tribune Derrio marched in perfect unison, their eyes fixed ahead of them and their backs arrow-straight. Almost at once voices of disapproval came from the crowd of chiefs, and Merwyn and Alraig both had to pound their fists against the table until they quietened. Eventually the assembly took their seats again but Gawan remained on his feet. He wanted to make sure that he spoke before Alraig could say anything.
‘Comrades, I present to you General Galerian of the Blackbird Legion. I have asked him to come here to give us his account.’
Gawan saw Derrio quietly translating his words to the general as Caserach pointed a finger at the Gaians.
‘He has no voice here!’
Gawan took a tiny step towards him and fixed him with a glare.
‘But I do. I am First Man of the Gorvicae and I say he is an important witness to this trial. Do you or any other man here dare to call me a liar?’
Gawan made no effort at all to hide the threat behind his words, though he suspected it would not win him many favours among the chiefs. From Rhianwyn’s blank expression it was hard to tell if she was more relieved or annoyed by Galerian’s arrival, and once again Gawan worried that this might all have been a terrible mistake. He had reached out to the Gaians in panic when he had thought he’d need men to rescue Rhianwyn. With so much of that threat nullified by the words of Taliesyn, he got the sinking feeling that the Gaian’s presence would now damage her cause more than help it. But the stone was cast now, and there was no summoning it back. He saw Alraig turn his way.
‘I would not call a Gadarim a liar Leaping Wolf, but this trial has already admitted men from tribes outside our own. You ask too much of us to allow an invader to speak in it as well.’
The headmen murmured agreement but Merwyn shook his head, leaning forwards with his elbows on the table.
‘A witness vouched for by a chief, a druid or a First Man is generally permitted to speak during a trial.’
Alraig turned to his fellow chief.
‘Generally, yes. But this man is not Caderyn, he is not even Lurian. Never has such an outsider spoken in judgement over one of us before.’ He curled his lip a little at the soldiers. ‘At least, not legitimately.’
Merwyn made to speak again but Hywel placed a hand on his arm. Come on damn you, involve yourself!
‘What else is a trial but a search for the truth?’ He addressed the Gaians. ‘Will you swear by your gods to speak no falsehood under this roof?’
It took a moment for Derrio to translate and Gawan half-expected Alraig to continue his objections, but it seemed he was unwilling to argue with the most senior druid present. Once he’d heard the words from the tribune Galerian looked up at the high table to answer. He placed a hand over his heart and Gawan just about followed his words.
‘I swear by the justice of Gron Camelas, the wisdom of Cassio Marna, the courage of Vulco Taranis and the purity of Sulis Mehine; I shall speak the truth.’
The oath was unfamiliar to Gawan but it sounded impressive enough, and he saw Rhianwyn nod slightly in approval. Galerian had clearly asked the right questions before coming here, and including both his own and the Lurian gods in his vow would make the chiefs more willing to trust him. As much as they ever would, anyway. Hywel nodded his head and turned to face Gawan.
‘Leaping Wolf, will you vouch for this man’s honesty?’
It took all his willpower not to hesitate before answering. Galerian was an enemy but this was for Rhianwyn, and mistake or not he had to see it through.
‘I shall.’
There were looks exchanged all around but Gawan ignored them and gestured for Galerian to come forward. He bowed his head both to Rhianwyn and to the chiefs. Alraig gave Merwyn a glance of serious disapproval but he opened up his hands and sighed.
‘Speak your piece, Gaian.’
Once again Galerian bowed politely and proceeded to speak through Derrio.
‘Greetings, honoured lords of the Caledon. What I have to say will not take long.’ He gestured to Rhianwyn with one hand. ‘I should like first to express my admiration for Chief Rhianwyn. I know and respect her well and I am confident that, under her leadership, the Caledon and the Empire may thrive together in a brighter future.’
The chiefs were watching him stone-faced, and Gawan hoped they were taking in his words and not just waiting for a chance to object to them. Galerian kept on talking, seemingly oblivious to his audience’s lack of reaction.
‘I will also state, under oath, that as commander of the First Legion and de facto ruler of Tamora at the present time, I have no hostile intentions of any sort towards the Caledon Alliance. I have only the greatest respect for your tribes and for the Dragon Legion, and will make every effort to encourage that same respect among my people.’
Gawan saw the odd look of approval from the headmen but most still watched him without much expression. The General had only paused in his speech to let Derrio catch up properly but Alraig leaped in as soon as the translation was complete. He stood up from his bench holding what looked like the same paper that he’d had the day before, and he approached the Gaian general with the document held out. Galerian took it and presumably read the words.
‘Given that you have been vouched for I will not doubt your word General Galerian.’ The blatant cynicism in his tone made the title seem more like an insult. ‘But be so kind as to tell me; what does this paper say?’
The Gaian looked up at him and Gawan saw Alraig’s lip twitch in half a sneer.
‘You must forgive us ignorant tribesmen. We are unaccustomed to reading your words.’
Galerian resisted the taunt and spoke plainly.
‘It states that no Gaian force may enter your lands under arms.’
Alraig nodded and placed a finger on the paper.
‘And is this your mark, here?’
Galerian’s face remained blank.
‘It is.’
Alraig moved his finger to another point.
‘And this is Rhianwyn’s?’
Galerian looked down at it.
‘This is indeed the signature of Lady Dessida.’
Alraig almost smiled.
‘Then is it not true that by your own laws as well as ours, Rhianwyn is foresworn?’
The Gaian was fighting back a grimace as he replied and Gawan felt his heart sink.
‘That is so. However...’
But before Derrio could even complete the translation, Caserach was on his feet.
‘By his own lips! Even her Gaian friends say she is false!’
Rhianwyn’s face hardened and she spun to face him.
‘You dare to speak of falsehood?’
Both Alraig and Merwyn began speaking at the same time but they were drowned out when Karadoc stood up from the Gorvicae bench.
‘I have stayed silent until now but this has swayed me. Rhianwyn has betrayed us all and must face punishment for it!’
At least a dozen Caderyn chiefs began shouting objections at him, even as others raised their voices in agreement. Gawan saw Alraig and Merwyn engaged in furious conversation while Rhianwyn and Caserach continued to argue. Galerian seemed not to know how to undo the damage he had done and remained silent, listening as Derrio translated choice snippets of the discussion. Not that he couldn’t have worked it out for himself; the tone was very clear. Gawan scowled as the hall descended into chaos. He’d thought he had done the right thing in summoning the Gaians but he had simply made the situation a hundred times worse. Damn it all she was swaying them until Galerian came marching in! What were you thinking you damned fool? But he knew what he’d been thinking. He’d been thinking more of rescuing her by force and the men he might need to do it. He should have sent messages to Galerian to stay away until he knew more, and to come only at some given signal. He sighed. Well, I may need his soldiers now after all. But before anything else this hall needed order.
He began banging his fist on the table and calling out for quiet, and was almost grateful when he saw that Alraig was doing the same thing. It did little good however, until Merwyn appealed to Hywel and the druid stood up from his seat. The slender Caderyn druid stood with him and as one they raised their staffs and cracked the ends down hard against the wooden floor. The effect was immediate. Gawan didn’t know what magic it was that the druids channelled through them, but the oaken staffs struck the boards with a sound like Taran’s thunder, and every soul in the hall fell silent as a graveside. Gawan’s heart was hammering fast but he slowed it with an effort. Only fools had no fear of druids, but he knew full well that they did not mean to do harm. All the same, it was always unnerving to see their power in use. The two holy men stood still for a moment, casting piercing eyes around the hall at the various headmen, until the Caderyn man gestured towards Merwyn and Alraig. Both men bowed their heads deeply to the druids before turning towards the assembled headmen. Merwyn spoke first.
‘This bickering is pointless.’
Alraig nodded beside him.
‘I agree. And it seems to me that all that can be said has been said. I say we end this now by show of hands. Does any man here object?’
Gawan looked around at the assembly. There were plenty of men who would clearly prefer to go an arguing but most seemed to realise that more talk would do little good. No objection was raised. Alraig nodded politely to Merwyn, who raised his hands for a moment.
‘Comrades, take your seats.’
Gawan joined the others in returning to the bench, and even Rhianwyn consented to sit down for a moment. The thin druid addressed them, his voice raspy but clear.
‘All those who would call Rhianwyn innocent of wrongdoing, and would have her remain as our chieftain, show your hands.’
All around the hall hands went up, including Gawan’s own, along with Taliesyn’s, Merwyn’s, Hywel’s and Kyran’s. Gawan couldn’t really tell but it seemed that about half of the chiefs in the hall were for Rhianwyn. A pair of younger Caderyn druids walked about to count the hands but Gawan kept his eyes forward. It was generally considered bad form to be seen trying to guess at a result. The young men went up to the high table and spoke quietly to the Caderyn druid, who nodded to both of them before speaking again.
‘All those who would call Rhianwyn guilty of wrongdoing, and would have her surrender the chieftain’s chair, show your hands.’
Unsurprisingly Caserach and Alraig both showed their hands, as did Karadoc and no small number of Caderyn headmen. Once again Gawan tried not to count the hands in his head but the numbers looked more or less equal. What will happen if they are exactly matched? Will Hywel and the Caderyn man make the decision? Not for the first time he found himself wishing Reaghan was still with them. But wishes were for children and fools.
The counting seemed to take forever but eventually the skeletal druid gave the nod to his disciples. Like Hywel he did not waste time with suspense.
‘Thirty hands declare that Rhianwyn is innocent.’ Gawan was sure he heard him sigh. ‘Thirty-one hands declare her guilt.’
Caserach’s mouth widened into a shark-like grin and even Alraig looked pleased, even if he didn’t smile. Gawan felt as though he’d just swallowed a bowl of eels and when he looked at Rhianwyn her face was composed, but deathly pale. For a moment it seemed that more talking would ensue, either to gloat or to complain, but Hywel stood up first, his hands held up to encompass the room.
‘Comrades; since this verdict was so close a decision, I would advise that whatever punishment is to be inflicted be as lenient as possible to reflect the views of the chiefs.’ He turned to the thin man. ‘Brother Gryg, would you agree?’
The thin man nodded gravely. Gawan couldn’t decide if he was grateful to the Gorvic druid or angry with him. Bloody advising again; just tell them what to do damn it! Caserach stood up but Merwyn spoke before he could argue.
‘I suggest that the sentence be her removal as chieftain and her banishment from the town of Bryngarth.’
Even to Gawan that sounded soft and he wasn’t surprised by the angry voices that responded to him, Karadoc’s foremost among them.
‘Not good enough! I say to keep her life after such betrayal would be too lenient, but at the very mildest she must be cast out of all Caledon lands forever!’
Given Karadoc’s antipathy towards the Caledon Gawan thought that was pretty rich coming from him, but then he was just angling for a harsher punishment. Alraig spoke up next.
‘From Caderyn lands at the very least, and still I would call it merciful!’
Merwyn argued back.
‘So long as she and her son are no longer permitted here, neither one can claim Carradan’s chair or have their voice heard in a moot. That is enough to show that her power has been taken from her.’
Gawan saw a flash of emotion pass across Rhianwyn’s face as she watched the elder chief defending her. So many hard men were against her and yet this mild old man still pleaded her cause. Caserach was the next to voice his opinion, and predictable though it was it still made Gawan want to break his teeth.
‘It is my people and the Breiryn who have suffered at the hands of her Gaian friends. The sentence must be death!’
