Leaping Wolf, page 41
part #2 of Caledon Saga Series
Gawan couldn’t stop himself from taking a few paces towards him.
‘You suffered nothing you did not earn. Now hold your lying tongue before I nail it to the wall!’
He glared first at him and then over at Broad Kellas, but the big warrior hadn’t even stood up from his bench. He was watching the proceedings without any sign of interest. Caserach stepped towards Gawan, his eyes blazing.
‘Say that again you dog-humping bastard!’
The Gorvic squared up to him.
‘I told you to hold your lying tongue before I nail it to the wall. Whether you are still attached to it or not.’
Caserach took a step closer and Gawan saw his hands flex open and shut. The First Man didn’t move but he put his focus into his centre and kindled the dragonfire, subtly softening his knees as he readied himself to attack. He folded his arms in front of his chest but he held them there loosely, ready to reach for Heartreaver in an eyeblink if he had to. Hywel must have seen what was coming because he crossed the floor faster than any man his age had a right to, and before either man knew it the white-robed druid was standing between them. He said no words but his eyes spoke his thoughts for him, and Gawan took a step back with a nod. No warrior could force a druid to step aside, no matter how much he might want to. Caserach seemed on the verge of shoving the holy man anyway but he controlled his temper and settled for glaring at Gawan around his shoulder. The Gorvic turned his back on him.
The rest of the room had quietened to watch their confrontation and Gawan seized the initiative before anyone else could speak.
‘Barely more than half of you wish for any punishment to be levelled. If any respect is to be shown for the tribe as a whole then the sentence given must be a lenient one.’
There were a few mutterings of agreement and Gawan shot a quick glance at Rhianwyn. She was still holding on to her proud mask but he thought he detected a shadow of gratitude on her face. It was gone again in an instant and replaced by irritation as Caserach spoke again.
‘Nonsense! A chief who betrays his tribe must pay for it with his life.’
Karadoc, along with a few others, lent his voice in encouragement but Merwyn shouted them down before more arguing ensued.
‘Enough!’ He looked first to Karadoc and then to Caserach. ‘None know more of life and death than the holy brethren of druids. We your seniors shall withdraw and confer with them.’
Alraig turned to his fellow Caderyn.
‘Presumably by that you mean yourself, Karadoc, Taliesyn, Caserach and I?’
Gawan didn’t like the sound of that but Merwyn nodded.
‘Yes, we five will discuss it with Gryg, Hywel and their brothers, and let the wisdom of the druids guide our actions.’
A couple of headmen grumbled quietly but none of them dared disagree. Gawan furrowed his brow, wondering if this discussion would be good or bad for Rhianwyn. On the one hand, three of the five chiefs present would be hostile to her, and one had actively called for her death. On the other, druids rarely approved of shedding blood unless there was no other choice, and Hywel at least would be on Rhianwyn’s side, along with Taliesyn. It would be close, and Gawan couldn’t help but think on the many times Hywel had settled for advising rather than taking action. Traditions or not, if a druid gave an actual command the chiefs would have no choice but to follow it. But then it was such a central part of their creed that they never used their power directly. Gawan resisted the urge to clench his fists. Wise they might be, but sometimes he wondered what the point was of a man having power if he refused to use it.
The five chiefs and the handful of druids began moving towards the door beside the high table, leading to the back rooms of Carradan’s hall. Gawan wondered if they would decide their chieftain’s fate in the room where he had once killed his. The headmen remaining began to talk amongst themselves, and Gawan saw Kyran begin to cross the hall towards him. He knew he should probably talk to his fellow First Man but his attention was fixed on Rhianwyn. She had not moved from her spot and was standing suitably silent, with her back straight and her chin thrust forward. It was a fine act, and damned near everyone would have been convinced by it. But even if he couldn’t see it with his eyes, Gawan knew what lay behind that mask. There would be a modicum of fear for her own position and safety, but two other things would be filling the Wildcat’s mind right now; Rhianwyn was always one who thought of others before herself. She would be wondering how the tribes would cope in this new world without her help. And her heart would be breaking as she wondered what fate these men would choose for her son.
Chapter 34. Awaiting The Verdict
The house was still damp, the food was still bland and the mead was barely worthy of the name, but none of it took the shine from Caserach’s mood. He took a draught from his cup and leaned back against the wall, ignoring the thin flavour as he smiled to himself. She had lost. The damned druids had taken their sweet time in deciding what had to be done, but eventually the old fools had come to an agreement. Rhianwyn was to be banished from all Caledon territory, never to return to the lands of the Caderyn, the Dariniae or the Gorvicae upon pain of death. It wasn’t the sentence Caserach had argued for of course, but it had stripped her of all power and protection, and how long could one woman and her whelp hope to last without her mighty Dragon Legion to keep them safe?
He leaned his cup against his leg and let out a sigh of contentment. Once dawn came the headmen would be recalled and told of what the druids had said. At the very least they would be compelled to agree with their verdict, and then when Belenos was high the whole tribe would be told of the sentence. Caserach smirked. If he glared hard enough at the weaker chiefs in the morning they might even be convinced to petition for her death again, not that it really mattered. She was abandoned, helpless, and powerless, and with her went all hope of the Caledon’s survival.
Across the room from him he saw Idwal, idly picking at his nails. The rangy man jerked his chin at him but didn’t stop what he was doing.
‘You seem in a fine mood, all things considered.’
It was a fair point. Caserach had surprised himself by how satisfied the result had made him, but then that was probably due to relief that the damned Caledon hadn’t fallen for Taliesyn’s smart talking. He and Merwyn had argued long and hard and had been in danger of persuading the soft-hearted druids to sympathise with Rhianwyn, but in the end they had been shouted down. Alraig was clever and Karadoc was belligerent, and with Caserach’s help they had made certain that the Gaian bitch would fall into disgrace. He shrugged his shoulders at Idwal.
‘Her power is broken. That is what matters for now.’
Idwal nodded slowly.
‘You think she will try to make for Tamora after it is done?’
Caserach nodded back.
‘In all likelihood.’
Idwal was quiet for a while before he spoke again.
‘A long ride to make alone.’
He spoke casually and Caserach smirked a little. It was good to know that they were of one mind. He was about to speak again when another voice made his hand twitch in surprise. In all their time in the little house Broad Kellas had never spoken unless spoken to, and hearing his booming voice unasked-for almost made Caserach spill his drink.
‘Am I to leave now that the trial is done? Or am I to stay until you return to your people?’
The Darin chief guessed from his tone that the Breiryn didn’t really care either way, but with a voice like his it was difficult to tell. In truth, Caserach had been growing weary of the big man’s lack of interest and probably didn’t need his sombre bodyguard anymore. On the other hand however he still had his own chiefs to contend with and keeping the giant around might be sensible for now. He might make for dull company but Caserach knew he could show enthusiasm enough when it came to violence. Well, I don’t need him here for his conversation.
‘You will remain for now. Once I have dealt with my chiefs and am ready to make for home you may return to Breiryn lands. It should not take long.’
As expected the big Gadarim showed no real reaction and simply nodded quietly. Idwal raised an eyebrow.
‘There might still be trouble with some of them, chief.’
At the word ‘trouble’ Caserach could have sworn he saw a tiny spark of interest in Broad Kellas’ eyes but it died away when the chieftain answered.
‘With one or two perhaps, but once I have been seen to break the power of the Caledon they will be less keen to oppose me. And should…’
But he stopped himself. He’d been about to say that should Kyran try to stir up problems then he could always be dealt with the same way Ierryn had, but he held his tongue at the last instant. Broad Kellas was a brute but he would not take kindly to the idea of their murdering a Gadarim, regardless of what tribe he was from. Caserach had always hated that about the warrior elite. They were more than happy to butcher each other when a chieftain told them to, but then they would pretend to be close as brothers the moment a battle was over. It was ridiculous. A man who was your enemy when the sun arose was still your enemy when it set. Just because he had beaten you in the fight or you had beaten him, that didn’t change the facts of who you were.
Caserach might have let that stream of thought ruin his good mood, but Idwal gave him a knowing smile which reminded him of his victory today. He put his thoughts of Gadarim aside and leaned back on his bed, enjoying the new straw mattress that had been sent at his request. He couldn’t decide what he enjoyed more about it; the fact that it was comfortable, or the searing resentment with which Alraig had granted it to him. The Caderyn fool was a slave to his traditions and had consented to improving his prisoner-guest’s conditions as a result. Caserach smiled. Being treated well by one who you know hates you is truly one of life’s greatest pleasures.
He put his head on the soft straw and let out a contented sigh. In fairness to Edryd, his predictions had come true. Caserach had guessed that Karadoc was the master the little man had spoken of, and it seemed that he would soon be the new High Chieftain of the Gorvicae. Once Rhianwyn was banished Taliesyn’s reputation would be marred forever for having defended her, and it would be known that Karadoc had been the man to insist that justice was done.
Caserach struggled not to laugh out loud. Karadoc had spent his life fighting off Dariniae raiders, and now he would play his part in making his enemies’ lives that much easier. When the Caledon collapsed, as he would no doubt ensure it would, raiding would be plentiful all along the coast again, only now with both Gorvicae and Caderyn so frightened of the Gaians that neither one would dare to mass their warriors in the west. Caserach had lost his battle but the war would be won by the Dariniae again and again, and that victory would be of his enemies own making!
He settled quietly onto his bed with a smile on his face. Accidents would have to be arranged for a few of his chiefs, and for Kyran of course, but it would all fall into place easily once the Caledon had crumbled away. He let his hand drop to the hilt of Greyfang beside the bed. There would be good fighting to be had once he had the tribe at his back, and Ierryn was long forgotten. The coast would be his to ravage at will and not a damned thing the mainlanders could do about it. Rhianwyn had been doomed by the hand of her own people. And the fools had doomed themselves into the bargain.
Chapter. 35 Defeat
Rhia tried for the fifth time to reach for her cup but her limbs just didn’t want to respond. Even in the midst of her fear she had kept up the hope that her people would rally behind her and now… now she would never be among them again. Her whole body felt numb as she sat slumped in her chair, and it was all she could do to keep her face a blank mask. She remembered how much it had irritated her that Marius and patricians like him had hidden their emotions away like that, but today she was glad some of their habits had rubbed off on her. Her heart ached badly enough as it was without the guilt of dragging Lucan down with her.
As it happened he was occupied with something else at present anyway. The boy was sitting at her feet, focusing furiously on trying to untangle a knot he had made in the strap of his shoe. Rhia almost smiled as she watched him. He clearly thought she hadn’t noticed and was hunched over his foot, convinced that he was hiding it from her as he worked to loosen it. She didn’t have the heart to break the illusion. She didn’t have the heart for much at all.
Once again memories of earlier that day ran through her mind, and her stomach felt sick and hollow at the thought of it. She saw again the sadness on Merwyn’s kindly face, and the vaguely apologetic look on Taliesyn’s. Merwyn, his voice full of sorrow, had been the one to tell her that she was to be banished. And for all her preparation it had struck Rhia like a slap in the face. The chiefs would still have to approve but given that the druids had supported this, they could hardly disagree. If anything, Caserach might be able to threaten some of them into making the sentence even harsher. Rhia ground her teeth together as she thought back. Karadoc and Alraig had both looked satisfied when they had returned to the near-empty hall, but Caserach had looked so smug she’d have thought he’d just come from a virgin’s bed, not a council of chiefs. Gregor had still been there and had merely looked at him with disapproval, but Gawan had seemed ready to leap for his throat.
Rhia sighed. Gawan. Part of her wished he had leaped for him. Part of her wished they both had, and that Heartreaver or Silverbite might have hacked the smirk from the Darin’s face. But it would have done no good. She looked down at Lucan, frowning in furtive concentration as he worked at the knotted strap. Had they simply attacked Caserach it would have made matters that much worse, and her boy might now be left without a mother. Instead of just without a home.
Rhia held back a tear as she watched him. He would be staying the night with Olwyn, as usual, but had been permitted to spend a little time with his mother beforehand. She hadn’t told him anything of what had happened. She didn’t know how to. Soon, for the second time in a year, his life would be turned upside-down and there was nothing she could do about it. Her only real choice was to take him back to Tamora. She still had a house there after all, assuming Livilla hadn’t found some way of selling it, and Lucan had family and friends in the Gaian city. He might even prefer it there; he’d spent much more of his life in Tamora than he had at Bryngarth after all. But he had made friends here too and had grown close with his cousins and, more than anything, he had become a part of his tribe. If they went back to the city she might as well call him a Gaian and have done with it. After the defeat of Lepidus she had always pictured him visiting the city, even staying for a while to gain a Gaian education, but to live there and never return? What would it do to his identity? What will it do to mine?
She shook her head a little. That ought to be the least of her cares. The name Dessida still carried weight in Tamora’s society and her banishment, and especially Lucan’s, would be seen as an insult to one of their oldest families. What peace there was with the Empire was fragile at best, and it was only a matter of time before some ambitious general began to look west once more, and now he had that insult to justify himself. Rhia closed her eyes and wished guiltily that she had never become chieftain. She wished that Carradan was still here to lead them and that she could simply follow him and not have to worry about great things. She balled her fist and forced away the thought. It was unworthy of her. Wishes were for fools and she had her duty to do. She just didn’t know how she could do it now.
Anger at her helplessness welled up inside her and she tried to focus it elsewhere, which was harder than she’d thought it would be. First she tried to hate Alraig but it was a struggle; he did what he did for good reasons after all. Then she tried to direct her anger at Karadoc but even he was probably acting only out of fear for his people’s welfare. She tried to hate Gawan for being fool enough to bring Gregor to the trial and antagonising the headmen, but he too had clearly done so with good intentions. It was only when she thought of Caserach again that her rage found a worthy target. That selfish, vicious, ignorant bastard was destroying the best hope for the Lurians’ survival and for no better reason than for his own vanity and greed. She let anger burn away some of her sadness and fear but then let it go again as Lucan looked up at her. His little brow was furrowed and he tilted his head to one side.
‘What’s wrong mama?’
Rhia didn’t really know what to say. So much was wrong but she couldn’t burden a child with it. All the same she didn’t want to lie to him.
‘There are some problems that need fixing, that is all.’ He didn’t seem particularly satisfied with that so she changed the subject before he could say more. ‘Do you ever miss living in the city house?’
Lucan blinked and thought to himself for a few moments, still subtly keeping his foot hidden from view.
‘Sometimes.’
Rhia nodded.
‘Would you like to go back there?’
Once again she saw his brow furrow in child-like thought.
‘Can Siriol come with us?’
Rhia had no idea what would happen to the rest of her family but there was a good chance they would be ostracised in some way or another. Whether she could bring them to Tamora was another question but it was worth a try. She could at least ask Olla and their mother what they thought.
‘Maybe, we’ll have to see.’
Lucan nodded thoughtfully and then looked up at her again.
‘And Aunt Olla?’
Rhia smiled at him.
‘Perhaps.’
‘And Grandmother?’
Rhia touched his arm.
‘Maybe. We shall have to wait and see.’
‘And Gawan?’
This time it was Rhia who frowned. Lucan’s only memory of Gawan would be the time the Gorvic had slapped him for disobedience.
‘Why him?’
Lucan shrugged.
‘Just wondering.’
Rhia didn’t know what to make of that and put it aside for now. Gawan was a confusing enough subject as it was without adding this on top of everything else. She forced another smile.
