Child of the Kindred, page 9
part #2 of The Rienfield Chronicles Series
“Lean against me, my Lady. Rest for a bit longer out here in the sun. I will hear if anyone should come up the staircase. Think of happier days, being with our loved ones, and I shall do the same,” Logan replied, looking down and smiling at Laurel, as she leant her head against his shoulder.
“You must dearly miss your family, Logan,” Laurel stated in a soft voice, turning her face up slightly to the sunlight.
“I do, Your Highness. I still, however, consider myself most fortunate. For I know that my dear wife and daughter sleep safe and warm every night, waiting for my return. Your husband does not have that luxury. He knows of the miserable conditions you must endure before he can once again bring you safely home. I saw the pain in his eyes, as he watched you on the wall. It is a pain, I pray, I will never have to undergo. So, whatever hardship I must deal with, I consider it of little consequence until I can most happily return you to your husband’s care. I know my dear Sara understands what I must do, and what I have chosen to do. I had word sent to her before I made my way back to the castle,” Logan replied, pausing for a moment smiling back at Laurel. “By tomorrow evening my Lady, we may well be back in our personal beds,” Logan stated, with kind reassurance.
“Master Tramaine; are you awake?” the Master Falconer whispered, peering into the cell.
“Shh, quiet you fool,” Tramaine hissed as he walked up to the heavy wooden door, looking out the small barred opening. “What took you so long?” Tramaine whispered angrily.
“The ruffians are milling about constantly and in numbers. I had to be sure I was not seen,” the Falconer whispered, handing Tramaine a thick piece of bread and a flask of water, which he greedily consumed. “I came to inform you, the Princes have returned, and have already threatened Warrick. Both brothers, Cuddy and Murdoc, have been killed. Warrick displayed the Princess on the wall, further enraging the Prince. It is being whispered, the King of Heathwin himself is advancing with his armies, and will be here at dawn,” the Falconer informed Tramaine with a nervous lilt in his voice.
“And what of our acquaintances to the east, have you informed them of this new development?” Tramaine whispered in trepidation.
“No, Master Tramaine. I have been unable to do so, I am watched very closely, and only allowed to feed my birds, that is all. Though I feel at this time; it is best they do not know of what has transpired. I do feel, however, by having Heathwin come and rid us of this mess that Warrick caused, is to our advantage. He will soon be dead, we can place the blame on him, Heathwin forces things to settle down, and then we shall begin again. It is most likely that you will be appointed to some position of importance, as you were the King’s counsellor,” the Falconer replied, with a sly grin.
“Yes, that is quite likely. All have seen that I have been mistreated as well, it should not be too difficult to gain the barbarians’ trust. This grovelling dog to Heathwin next to me may have to be dealt with. He suspects me of being a party to this. Although being a westerner, King Fergus is a reasonable man. It is his eldest that I will need to be wary of. If I must do a bit of grovelling, then so be it,” Tramaine reasoned, with a heavy sigh.
Phineas opened his eyes, hearing only the last few phrases, which were spoken, then closed his eyes again as he heard Tramaine move away from the door, and lie back down on the hard wide bench. Even though Tramaine had repeatedly denied that he was part of Warrick’s bloody rampage, Phineas did not believe him and told Tramaine in no uncertain terms he suspected him.
“Prince Caleb will return with the military might of his Kingdom, and exact vengeance for the treatment of his beloved, not caring what damage it causes Gwenlais. He will simply look upon it as a means to an end. I can assure you this; he will take great pleasure in killing you, for he too will suspect your hand. Then after what I can only imagine, my dear Princess has suffered because of you, I shall take great pleasure in watching the Prince do this,” Phineas had said earlier, after refusing to speak to Tramaine again.
A great pleasure indeed, Phineas thought to himself, grinning slightly.
Cahir and his Patrol of over two hundred Sentinels, plus an additional three hundred who readily joined him, came thundering onto the main roadway just outside of the city gates. Several mercenaries upon the wall called out an alarm, sending two of the others to ride back to the castle, to inform Warrick of what had just occurred.
Caleb, as well as Aiden, Deaglan and Owain walked up to Cahir as he dismounted.
“We came as quickly as we could Caleb. It is a comfort to see you both; our parents will be greatly relieved,” Cahir announced, with a smile of relief, clasping both Caleb and Aiden on the shoulders. “It is good to see you are well also, Deaglan.”
Ione dismounted, embracing Rian who had walked over hurriedly to greet her.
“What has happened mo chroi?” Ione asked in a low, worried voice, as she glanced over at Caleb.
“Let us join the others mo banphrionsa, and it will all be explained,” Rian answered, placing his hand on the small of Ione’s back, as they walked over together to be with the group.
As they approached, Caleb was just concluding his relating of how Warrick used Laurel to antagonise them all.
“How did she appear Caleb?” Ione asked him in a kind empathetic voice, her lovely face showing her concern.
Caleb paused for a moment before replying, his head slightly bowed, as he collected his thoughts.
“Mo chailin milis was covered in dirt, dishevelled and pale. The bastard had Laurel gagged, and her hands bound, holding her in front of him as a shield. She looked out at us, her eyes searching,” Caleb paused for a moment, gaining control of his anger and frustration as Aiden placed his hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “She looked over to where we were waiting by the forest’s edge, her eyes found me, though I was wearing my hood; she knew I was there. She no longer looked afraid, only sad, and patient. She is waiting for me, waiting for us, to reclaim Gwenlais,” Caleb stated with a deep sigh, as he looked at all of them, their faces all reflecting his grief and weariness.
“And we shall mo dhearthair. Father and the Clann Armies, are only a half a day behind me and will be here by nightfall. He is well aware by now, what has transpired and he will act accordingly. I daresay, Gwenlais will feel the wrath that Warrick has provoked, but we will heal the wounds that will soon be inflicted upon her. Now, tell us of your plans to take back your Treasure,” Cahir said, with a sly grin, hitting Caleb’s arm.
“I will as soon as Crayton returns and tells me of what has gone on in the castle since this morning. I feel that first, we should send news to the river camp that Aiden and I are fine, and for the time being, Laurel is as well,” Caleb replied as he looked about at those who were standing near.
“I will go, Caleb. I wish to tell Uncle Fergus myself what happened, especially as I was the last one to be with Laurel. I want to tell him about the fire in her eyes, the last time she looked at me, waiting to face the filthy rabble. I wish to tell our King, that our Princess, though not a warrior, has the heart of a hawk and is worthy of being the daughter of Clann Seigine,” Owain replied with such passion and conviction that Caleb could only smile at him for a moment, his eyes filling with tears.
Embracing Owain then stepping back, placing his hand on the back of Owain’s neck.
“Safe journey to you Owain. There is no one better, to tell our King of my beloved’s bravery, then you. Ride swiftly, as you will not make the camp until afternoon,” Caleb directed, hitting Owain’s arm roughly.
“I wish to volunteer Sire as well. I would consider it an honour, to serve Her Highness in this way,” Cian, the young Guard spoke up, as he came forward.
“Very w ell Cian. Owain, take two other Sentinels with you and make haste. Tell my father, we will be taking back Gwenlais at dawn,” Caleb remarked, in a determined, and resolute tone.
“It shall be done Sire,” Owain grinned back wryly, then walked away as he and Cian made their way to their waiting horses.
“My dear Alana, please come back inside. Mauve has just informed me that tea has been set and is waiting for us. Your dear Wendell has found the most enchanting old drawings of the first Great Lodge and wished to show them to you,” Annis stated, in a sympathetic tone to her sister.
Annis stood at the main entrance of the Great Lodge, watching with sad concern as Queen Alana as well as Evan and Kerrie, stood outside on the large open front entryway. She listened intently, looking over towards the east, waiting for the sound that would finally give her heart peace. Eavan and Kerrie smiled at each other forlornly, as Eavan reached over and held the Queen’s hand.
“I will be in soon, dear. You may start tea without me. Tell the others, I will be there shortly,” Queen Alana answered without turning around.
Annis smiled, shaking her head, then walked back in, seeing Myra, Kerrie and Glenda, Addis and Bebhinn’s mother, approach her.
“The poor thing has been standing out there, off and on all day. I am most happy that Wendell, Kerrie and Evan have been such a great comfort to her,” Myra mentioned, as she looked out of the doorway with a sad smile.
“Do you know she actually argued with Fergus, to allow her to go with him? I for one, am not surprised he did not let her go. I told her, it would be far too much of a risk, especially not knowing all that is going on. I admit our dear Fergus has, shall we say, mellowed considerably over the seasons, but I knew he would not let her leave Heathwin so soon. I reminded her by asking, now where do you think your eldest gets his protective nature from? We had a bit of a laugh over that, and it seemed to help her. Though I know, she will not relax until…” Annis trailed off as the distinct sound of a loud, and deep horn blast interrupted her.
Thankfully, followed shortly by a second one. A few moments later, Queen Alana, Evan and Kerrie, walked into the Lodge, smiles of relief on their faces.
“Well my dears, let us go and have our tea, shall we? I will need to make ready to leave for Gwenlais sometime soon. I now can breathe a bit easier, at least for now,” Queen Alana said, as she directed them all to the staircase, exhaling deeply for the first time that day.
Crayton made his way out of the forest, riding slowly over to where Caleb had directed a camp be made. Fires had been lit, and the first of the provisions brought from Heathwin, broken out. Caleb and the others were sitting on the ground near one of the camp fires, talking quietly amongst themselves, as Crayton dismounted and walked over to them. He sat down next to Deaglan, who handed him a mug of hot tea and smiled wearily at Caleb, but he still had a twinkle in his eyes, which made Caleb smile back at him curiously.
“Look atop the wall my friend. Their numbers have increased considerably since Cahir’s arrival. They no longer taunt, or challenge us, as they did before. As if staring at us long enough will make us go away,” Caleb said, with a mirthless grin, before taking a drink from his mug.
“Yes, well that comes as no surprise. The buggers jubilant demeanour, from displaying Her Highness on the wall, was short lived. There is considerable disagreement amongst them as to the choice of their new leader. Several fights have broken out, leaving several injured and one dead. They are also noticing that over a dozen of their fellows, have been unaccounted for. The Guards and Sentinels we have been able to slip in, now number nearly twenty. They dispatch whoever lurks about in the darkened corridors or rooms, then Milo has the remaining staff get rid of the bodies, by way of the cellar. They are most superstitious and feel the castle is now cursed, and a few of them have claimed they heard a banshee wailing last night,” Crayton laughed lightly, taking a long drink of his tea.
“Believe in banshees, do they? Well, I shall not leave them feeling disappointed then. What of the mac olc de soith, Warrick? How is his state of mind at this time?” Caleb asked in a low voice, his jaw clenching, as he asked his question.
“Earlier he was quite elated, as he felt t hat he was victorious over you, taunting you with your beloved. As the day progressed, however, his mood continued to deteriorate, until he reached a state of near hysterics. He is furious that Tulla and the children have not been found. Also, the growing tensions amongst the degenerates he has hired is leaving him most unsettled. You will be happy to hear Sire, that Milo was able to arrange and send over, a hearty meal to Logan, whom I know will be sure and see Her Highness has her fill,” Crayton expressed in a kind tone, noting Caleb’s slight change in his intense expression.
“I am most grateful to you and to Logan, for caring for my beloved. I shall not forget this Crayton. I shall not forget what all of you have done for her,” Caleb replied, with heartfelt gratitude.
“She is our Treasure, Sire, and the last heir to the throne of Gwenlais. This…this makes Her Highness even more priceless to us, and we will not fail her. She too, like her mother, will be known as The Queen Ollam. It has already been discussed amongst the nobility and the Scribes, after your certain victory, she will be made Queen. Now, of course, we are all well aware, she will return with you to Heathwin, but that will not change who she will become to her people. It will make the Unification of our Kingdoms, even more joyous and anticipated. It will also do much to help our people in recovering from our loss,” Crayton explained, bowing his head for a moment, becoming overwhelmed with emotion.
Deaglan reached over, patting his grandfather’s shoulder, smiling over at Caleb and the rest of the group.
“What did you mean by not disappointing the muc, concerning banshees?” Aiden asked with a slight laugh, attempting to lighten the mood.
“Seeing as Crayton enlightened us with this bit of information, I think using it would be to our advantage. We have friends who would be more than willing to help us, by playing the part,” Caleb grinned slyly, as Aiden laughed once again, understanding his meaning. “We also need to get Warrick out of the castle at dawn. I want him as far away from Laurel when we begin to take back Gwenlais, as possible. Crayton, are the Guards still being given sanctuary at the House of Healing?” Caleb asked, with an intense, focused expression.
“They are indeed Sire. We have been able to keep Warrick’s attention away from the Ollams and the House, by telling him it is of little value or interest,” Crayton replied, looking at Caleb curiously.
“Well, now it is time to draw his attention to the House of Healing. You mentioned he was near hysterics at not being able to find Tulla and the children. In the early morning hours, just before dawn, make it known to him that they have been found, and that is where they are,” Caleb began to explain.
“But he will only send several of the mercenaries there to bring them back, and when not finding them, will report this to him,” Crayton stated in a patient tone, realising the Prince was devising a plan.
“Normally he would, yes; but if his arrogance and unstable temper are used against him, Warrick will go there just like a rat to a baited trap. That is where he will be when we ride in, and I end his worthless life,” Caleb remarked, his eyes flashing with his anger.
“Who or what do you plan on using as bait?” Aiden asked with a knowing grin, clearly enjoying how the plan was beginning to unfold.
“As Crayton related, Warrick is furious at not finding Tulla and the children. So simply have it said, that Tulla and the children refuse to leave the House. Have it mentioned that Tulla herself said, ‘if he feels he is man enough to bring her back, then have him come himself.’ I strongly doubt, with his prowess being challenged this way, he will refuse to go. Crayton, just be sure that Milo puts on a brilliant display, so as to have Warrick become completely incensed,” Caleb explained, with a cunning smile.
“What of the Ollams Caleb? Should they not be warned and prepared?” Deaglan asked, with mild concern.
“Yes, they should be, as well as the Guards waiting there so they can be ready for our arrival also. I am sure this can be arranged, Crayton?” Caleb asked, though already knowing the answer.
“That will not be a problem, Sire. I can assure you, Milo will be more than willing to cause Warrick humiliation, after what he witnessed the poor girl Tulla and the children suffered at his hands,” Crayton answered back, grinning and shaking his head, as he pictured Warrick’s reaction to Milo’s announcement.
“Perfect. When Warrick leaves the castle for the House of Healing, send someone to alert us of this. Upon Father’s arrival, tonight, we shall inform him to have no torches lit, only a few camp fires. We shall try to keep the noise down to a minimum, in order not to reveal our numbers until the morning. They will have quite the sight to greet them at dawn,” Caleb grinned sardonically, as Aiden and Rian laughed lightly, well knowing what a shock it would be to the mercenaries on the wall.
“Asinine, haughty, bastards. Did they really think we would just back down?” Rian asked disbelievingly, as he still chuckled.
“They expected Caleb and me to be dead, and our father to be a grieving, broken man. That is what Warrick remembers of Garron, he merely felt in his arrogance and stupidity, our father would react the same way,” Aiden replied smiling wryly, as he drank his tea.
“If you will all excuse me for a time. The evening is fast approaching, and I wish to speak with Elfyn before dark. I will be back as soon as I have been able to tell him of my requests. Upon my return, Cahir, I wish for you and your Patrol to go back with Crayton and take your station at the back gate. We will send more men from the armies to you, once they arrive. Ione, I want you to remain here, as we will need your archery skills. Cahir, when you hear the pipes and drums, start your attack on the back gates. When you are through, immediately begin to retake the castle. I want you personally, to go to Laurel,” Caleb spoke up, standing and taking the last drink of his tea.
“I look forward to it mo dhearthair,” Cahir replied, n odding to him.
Caleb then turned and strode purposefully into the forest, soon disappearing from sight.
