Pagan Siege (Tribes of Britain Book 5) Read online

  PAGAN SIEGE

  Sam Taw

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organisations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Copyright © 2021 Sam Nash writing as Sam Taw. All rights reserved.

  No part of this book, or any portion thereof, may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the publisher or author.

  Cover art supplied by Carantoc Publishing Ltd

  First edition, 2021

  ISBN 978-1-9163059-5-3

  Carantoc Publishing Ltd.

  www.carantocpublishing.com

  Please note that this novel was created by a British author. Except for Cornish words, slang and dialogue, spelling and grammar are corrected to British English. There are also scenes which may offend more sensitive readers. It is not deemed suitable for children.

  CHAPTER ONE

  I hated that crossing point. Every time I went near to the bridge over the River Sid marking the edge of our lands, I came away scared out of my wits or grieved beyond words. This time looked set to be no different. The new leader of the Durotriges sat high on his horse, wearing a frown that would give no quarter. I couldn’t tell if he was about to double- cross us or keep his promise.

  For a little more than a moon, he’d kept my friend Renowden and his fellow Sea Warrior captive. They secured the Chief’s claim over a vast quantity of tin my nephew had pledged to pay. No matter how I twisted my neck to see past the long line of men on the opposite river bank, I couldn’t spot my friend.

  A dozen fears erupted in a tangled mess inside my mind. What if Ren and Massen had been tortured for details about our mines or starved to death? What if they were killed without honour and the whole deal was just a ruse to leave my nephew vulnerable to attack on the bridge? These and many other possibilities crowded my senses until I could hardly breathe.

  Tallack had insisted that all our men turned out in force, in case things turned sour. His Sea Warriors were well ordered and prepared to fight, but the Head Hunter Clan lounged near to their horses smoking hemp and teasing one another. It took three sharp barks at those idle layabouts from our Chief to garner their attention. This is what happens when they are left without a leader for too long. They grow bold and rebellious.

  Even with my old eyes, I could see the Duros smirking. They were keen to lay their hands on our rare metal ingots. It was a handsome sum indeed and now that my nephew had seen justice done, when the Duros overthrew Brea and handed her over to us, he seemed reluctant to pay up.

  It gladdened my heart that Tallack had not exchanged me in return for Brea that day, but I couldn’t help thinking that my nephew might choose to lose his two best warriors instead of passing over the tin due. That would surely undo the peaceful negotiations and set us back on the same troublesome path as before.

  I held my breath as Tallack and two of his largest men led their horses onto the bridge. The Duro leader did the same, until they were facing one another, just as before. Tallack looked tense, but I was glad he was on his mettle. There was no way of knowing whether we could trust this new leader. He was just as likely to attack as consolidate the truce.

  The two Chieftains locked eyes. I crept closer, weaving between my nephew’s men until I could hear them.

  “I was beginning to think you’d never make contact.” Fane held his composure, before a broad grin spread across his face. He needed the tin. Despite the fact that we could ill afford his extortionate terms, I would have given double the ingots to get Ren back. Not that the original deal included him or his shipmate, Massen. The tin was in payment for the traitor, Brea, we just didn’t have the metal ready at the time of transfer.

  “We had a few issues to deal with, otherwise we’d have been here sooner.”

  So far so good. They were not snapping nor sniping. It all sounded perfectly amicable. Maybe the peace treaty would hold.

  Fane looked at his men and then back at Tallack. “Did Brea die well?”

  I couldn’t figure out why the man who took over her position would care how she ended her days, until I recognised an evil streak; that glint in the eye showing how they revel in brutality and vengeance. Brea was not liked during her short reign. She too bore all the markings of a vindictive leader.

  “Let’s just say that there are a number of wolves who won’t need to hunt for a while.” Tallack’s face cracked into a smile and the pair of them snorted in shared amusement. It made me wonder whether Fane had fallen for her allure in the same way Tallack had.

  When their mirth had passed, my nephew frowned. “We have the tin. I need to see that my men were treated well.”

  Fane twisted on his horse’s back and nodded to the line of warriors, each holding a shield and spear. They parted, allowing two women in cloaks to walk forward. From their spry steps, I guessed them to be young, no more than fifteen summers, perhaps a little more.

  Tallack squinted into the midday sun, shielding his eyes with his hand. “What’s this? Where are my men?” His raised voice unsettled the horses. They jostled and whickered, taking a firm hand on the reins to stop them from bolting.

  Fane raised his hand. “It’s fine, your men are back there and unharmed. I simply wish to extend the deal.”

  Tallack pursed his lips, but held his temper well. He must be well accustomed to slippery negotiations after all his summers trading our tin with foreigners and other tribes.

  Fane gestured for the women to move closer to the bridge, allowing us all a clearer view. “We are allies, are we not?”

  “We are.”

  “Then we should bind our families by blood.” He flicked his fingers, beckoning the two young women to the far end of the bridge. One was fair and pretty, one was dark, with a pinched face and a glower that could sour milk. Both had a sullen demeanour.

  Tallack looked back over his shoulder at me as though searching for guidance. Hadn’t the poor dolt understood what was being asked of him? I shrugged my response. Only he could decide on taking a wife, even if the notion was thrust upon him unexpectedly.

  “Show me my men first. When I can see that they are as you say, we can talk about further deals another time.”

  Fane sucked his teeth. He barked out orders to a younger version of himself; a broad lad with the swagger of a clan leader. I took him to be one of their Chieftain’s sons, although neither of the leaders were at the stage in the alliance where cordial introductions were possible. With the presentation of the two young women, I sensed that might follow in haste.

  The warrior stuck two fingers into his mouth and whistled to his men. Within moments, Ren and Massen were brought in front of the line of Duros. Their wrists were tied, their ankles bound with just enough slack to allow a painful shuffle towards the bridge. Both were gaunt and weak, but Ren looked to have suffered the most. He was a lean and sinewy man before his captivity. Massen could afford to lose a little bulk. His fondness for fatty meats served him well.

  I scanned my friend from top to toe. There were no evidence of bruises nor cuts. Apart from their extreme loss of fitness, they were indeed unharmed.

  Tallack nodded at our warriors who both attempted a smile at their Chief. “Good.” He kicked the flanks of his horse, urging it forward until he was within reaching distance of Fane. “The tin, as promised.” My nephew held out the bag of ingots to the Duro Chief. One of our warriors hopped down from his horse to cut Ren and Massen’s bindings as they hobbled over the central line of the bridge.

  My relief was profound. I hurried to my f
riend and offered him my arm for support before remembering that everyone was watching. He had his dignity and reputation to uphold and I had revealed my feelings.

  My face flushed hot as I resisted the urge to fuss over him. “Are you in any pain? I have resin or willow, whichever you prefer.”

  Renowden stopped at my side, looked down at me and smiled. “It’s good to see you too, Mel.”

  My chest swelled and tightened. What was wrong with me? I was giddy with emotion.

  Before we could all turnabout and leave, Fane put his ambition forward more forcefully. “Chief Tallack. In the spirit of friendship, I must insist that you take my daughter as your wife. It will cement our alliance for generations to come.”

  He was right, although having been in a similar situation myself in my youth, I pitied the man’s offspring. Those bindings made through fondness and affection were more successful and long lasting than those forced upon them, as recent history would attest. We all froze on the bridge awaiting Tallack’s answer.

  He pulled on the reins of his horse until he was facing upstream across the bridge. “I understand your urgency, Chief and I will give it serious thought. You will have my answer by midsummer.” From his tone of voice, it was clear that Tallack meant to conclude matters once and for all.

  Fane let out a noisy breath. He was not appeased. “Then I have another request to make of you.”

  This was rapidly turning into an untenable situation. The man had kept his word but the alliance was far from an easy one.

  Tallack held Fane’s gaze. “Name it, by all means, Chief. If I can accommodate your wishes, it shall be done.”

  “We are in need of a healer.”

  Tallack glanced back at me and my stomach lurched. “We have only one who is skilled in the arts of medicine and I cannot spare…”

  “I understand, Chief. You made that apparent during our last meeting. My request is that you take my niece. Step forward girl.” He barked at the dour girl with the puckered face. “If your healer can take her as an apprentice, I’d be most grateful.”

  Tallack’s tense shoulders lowered, slackening the rigid frown lines in his face. “Of course. My aunt would be delighted to be of service, wouldn’t you Aunt Mel?”

  I closed my eyes and sighed. Would my trials ever end? “If it pleases you, Chief, certainly.” There was nothing else I could say. The surly girl huffed and puffed her discontent as she made her way across the bridge. I narrowed my eyes at the wretched creature as she passed me. There was not a hint of compliance in her manner whatsoever. No doubt this was foisted upon the girl against her wishes. At least she was not to be wed to a stranger, unlike her poor cousin on the opposite bank. The fair-haired young woman seemed mightily relieved by Tallack’s reluctance to bind with her. I could tell from Fane’s expression that this would not mark an end to his requests and demands.

  In that moment, I chose to focus on my friend Ren and his poor state of health. She would require firmer handling than a skittish horse and I was ill prepared for the task. Ren and Massen had just enough strength to mount the ponies unaided. I stayed close by their sides, passing water bladders and bread, cheese and whatever else I’d had the presence of mind to pack.

  Both were ravenous, but their stomachs had shrunk from lack of food. I wrapped what they couldn’t force down and kept it handy for the ride back to camp. Ren perked up a little when he’d had time to digest. I told him about the journey out to the Teign River and the wolf pit where Brea met her end, plus the deeply moving burial of our two former Chiefs.

  “What? Scampering about the tors on his own?” Ren said, when I mentioned Tallack’s half-brother, Paega.

  “Yes, the Chief saw him too. He followed us all the way to the cromlech where Aebba and Blydh were laid to rest. I didn’t see him after that.”

  “Do you think he was plotting?”

  I sucked in my lips and shrugged. “It’s hard to tell. He was never the sharpest blade in the toolbox.”

  “But the most conniving.”

  I nodded. He was right enough there. Paega was more slippery than wet clay. Just when you thought you had him pinned down in one place, the kyjyan always managed to escape to cause chaos elsewhere.

  Ren thought for a moment, scratching at his straggly beard. “You think he’s looking for his priestly kin on the moors?”

  “That would make the most sense.”

  He took more water and handed the bladder across to Massen. I wanted to tell him about the incident at the cromlech, but we were surrounded by too many curious ears, least of all those belonging to the new Duro girl. She kept her horse’s nose stuck to the tail of mine all the way home. It made me wonder if she was sent as a spy in our camp rather than to learn healing skills for her tribe.

  When I was sure that Ren was mending well, I cantered to the front of the line to speak with Tallack. I had to say my piece before the Duro girl caught up with me.

  “Chief, I need a word.” I knew I couldn’t rest until I had spoken my mind about the leader of the Alchemist Clan. He was a shrewd man. Too shrewd to be fooled by the pack of lies my kin had fed him over the past quarter moon.

  Tallack slowed to the speed of my old pony. “You’re not going to refuse to teach her, are you?”

  “What? Oh, no. Fane left us with no other choice.”

  “Then what’s all the fuss?”

  “I think you should take Kenver aside and tell him the truth about his daughter’s passing. Regardless of your faith in young Treeve, I’m not convinced he believed a word of his ridiculous tale about keeping her quill necklace safe for him. It was a lame excuse and badly delivered. Kenver was not taken in for one moment.”

  “You worry too much. What can he possibly do?”

  I frowned at my nephew, staring at his features to see if he was joking. He wasn’t. “He’s the leader of the Alchemists. There’s a lot he can do. He controls all the tin for our entire tribe.”

  Tallack took a long breath. “Fine. I’ll speak to him when we get back, but I think you’re worrying unduly. I can reinforce the story that she was killed defending our compound during the attack. He’s a reasonable man. He understood the risks his child took in leaving the mining settlement.”

  “Those risks didn’t include Kerensa siding with our enemies and betraying us.” I lowered my voice to a whisper.

  “Well, I’m not about to tell him what really happened. That’s just asking for trouble. There’s no way he’ll discover the truth. Her body is long gone.”

  I grumbled under my breath, but he wasn’t listening to me. Anything that might cast poor light on his favourite crewman was dismissed. That preferential treatment didn’t go unnoticed by the men. If Tallack was to retain the respect of all our warriors, he would need a fairer approach to governing tribal members than his current one.

  I let my pony slow down until I was back at Ren’s side. The poor man was exhausted, hanging onto his horse with what little strength he had left.

  “What was all that about?” Ren asked. One eyelid drooped, but he was intent on catching up with the news. I think he sensed I was holding something critical back from him.

  I peered over my shoulder at the Duro girl. “Tell you later.”

  The journey home was uneventful, punctuated with regular stops for the horses to take water at the streams and for us to refill our supplies. A dry spring had turned into a scorching summer. The earth baked into sharp peaks on the rough track. I steered my pony out of the ruts, but the hard ground was tough on his bones.

  As we neared the palisade walls of the compound and the ingenious lifting bridge over the River Exe, all I could think about was how I should brew some teas and tinctures to help Ren and Massen’s recovery. They were mere shadows of their former selves. I didn’t give a thought as to where I would put the young Duro girl, until we rode into camp.

  Kewri was chopping logs outside our hut. He dropped the axe to the ground and waved. It was only then I wondered how he might react to another w
oman sleeping under our roof. He was a constant puzzle to me. Neither slave nor clansman, this giant of a man was charged with my protection, a duty he’d taken to the extreme.

  He and I had grown accustomed to one another in an odd sort of way. We’d fallen into a comfortable routine together. He helped with lifting and carrying, keeping the fires going as well as building shelters and such, and I took care of his meals and linens. This Duro girl could not be left to sleep in the shelter next to the goats. She was of Chieftain blood and would no doubt complain bitterly if her treatment was less than satisfactory. It was no use. She’d have to sleep in our hut with us.

  I was about to question the girl, find out her name at least, when Treeve pushed through the door skins of the Long Hut and ran at full pelt towards Tallack and me in the horse enclosure. He was so fleet of foot, I thought he might have a hot ember in his leggings. I knew the boy was Tallack’s favourite, but to be so blatant with his familiarities was a mistake. All the warriors could see the young man’s keenness to be with my nephew.

  “Chief! Thank Cernonnus, you’re back.” He panted, skidding to a halt. I’d mistaken his urgency for affection. I was wrong. The lad’s face was crumpled with deep concern.

  “For kyjya’s sake man. What’s happened?”

  “It’s Kenver. He went for a walk in the marshes.”

  “So?”

  “He came back spitting with fury. I couldn’t figure out why until I went along the track a short way…”

  “Spit it out, Treeve.” Tallack and I both knew what had happened, but he needed to hear it anyway.

  “The water level has dropped. Kerensa’s body was sticking out from the silt.”

  “Where’s Kenver now? I’ll go and try to smooth things over with him, although I have no clue how I’m going to talk my way out of this one.”

  Treeve looked like he might burst into tears. “It’s too late for talking. He left the compound and took his ship from the estuary this morning.”

  CHAPTER TWO