Chapter 5
Orleena stood in her mother’s courtyard, a large crowd had gathered to welcome Olav back to the city. He was now a man who towered above everyone else, his body a large, wall muscle, but he still had his young, mischievous smile.
Olav chattered lively with the Royal Kin that had gathered. Next to him stood Kara, her hand lightly gripping the hand of her betrothed.
Last night, the arrangement had been formally agreed in Uncle’s tower between Olav and the Ulnsearth visor while Grand Pa had watched on. The Uln was immediately taken by escort to Edgelight to deliver the joyous news back to the High Lord Braggan.
Grand Pa had embraced the two and welcomed Kara into his family. Orleena said the words she thought she should say, but she did not like the marriage at all.
Kara was a good woman and had spent the last year, while waiting for Olav to return from The Rough, learning from Orleena the ways of the Free Man. She was kind and gracious in all her dealings, she was smart and humorous, but that did not mean she deserved her brother, or that he deserved her.
Olav must win the love of his wife and Kara must win the love of her husband, marriage and love were not gifts to be handed out to High Lords by her grandfather to secure an alliance. But Orleena put her reservations aside and enjoyed the homecoming. She got to see her brother again which made her happier than she had been in a long time.
“My lady,” a merchant approached his eyes bulging beneath his thick spectacles.
“No business tonight, Jorn,” said Orleena quietly but firmly.
“I am not here to discuss the trade,” he said politely, “it is just, seeing the happy betrothed has made me realise that you are yet to show any interest in a possible husband.”
“I will speak when I choose to speak,” she growled and then added, “you are a brave man. Are your son’s as brave?”
“Much braver, Princess.”
“Then send your finest tomorrow evening,” she said simply, “though I doubt he will be acceptable as a husband, I may have use of him.”
“Yes, of course, Princess,” said the merchant excitedly and then his voice went quite, “it is wondrous sight to see your brother back in city, but the question comes to mind, who is holding The Rough while he is here?”
“I said no business tonight your goods will be delivered safely to To’anray.”
“I would not believe that if Helena told me herself,” he chuckled, “let me leave you to celebrate. My son will be at your tower at dusk tomorrow evening.”
Jorn was notorious for offloading bad deals before they came to bite. If he thought his goods were in danger, he would immediately find some poor carpenter who knew nothing of pirates and trade routes to take the ownerships right from him for an unfair price. Jorn was crafty and sharp, if devious and unscrupulous, his son may be a useful addition to her Kin, but definitely not a man she would marry.
In the ancient culture of the Northern Men there had always been two castes, the Free Men and the Chained Men. The Free Men came from the ruling families of the tribes, they were born with the right to hold land, take wives and have children. The Chained Men were their lessers, forbidden to have wealth greater then that of two bulls, forbidden to marry and may never father or bare children. Illegal children born to the Chained Men were left in the wilds for the beasts to feed upon.
A Free Man though could take a Chained Man into their family and the Chained Man would became known as their Kin. Kinship gave the Chained Men all the rights of a Free Men in exchange they were duty bound to that Free Man and his causes alone, the Kin became known as the Free Man’s son or daughter and the Free Man became know as the Chained Man’s mother or father. Though the bond was not passed to the Kin’s children and all who were born to the Kin were born in chains until a Free Man took them in. So, many of Kin spent much of their energy securing a place their children in the social order. This was the way of the Northern Men, a system that went back to Hama and Gella in the Age of Men before the Dragons that ruled the skies.
Now, that Uncle was back and had taken on the duties of the court and Chancellor, Orleena decided it might be a good time to start choosing her Kin and building her family.
Da Raloff appeared at the columns that stood at the edge of courtyard, dressed in a stunning purple dress. The shoulders of dress went out further then her own and then quickly tapered down to a tiny waist and then went wide again, the left side of the dress flowed to her ankle while the right stayed level with her knee. Her black hair, freshly dyed made its colour deeper than usual, sat above her head in a tightly woven tower sculpted smooth with wax and given shape by unseen twigs. The left of her face was beautifully made up showing off her large eyes and make her lips brilliant, the right of her face bare showing the aged lines around her mouth, nose and deep, hard eye. She walked across the courtyard, the dress swishing, vibrantly with every move of her hips. Orleena laughed with joy, Da Raloff was a woman who loved to be noticed when she was invited to mingle with the Royal Kin.
“Da Raloff, I am betrothed now,” laughed Olav loudly, “this is hardly fair.”
“I am glad you are impressed, my boy,” she smiled and found a glass of Lowland wine on a table, “the envoys from Kabrace says these lines are the latest fashion in the north.”
“Indeed,” smiled Kara, “but I must say you keep the lines better then the less active woman of Kabrace.”
“Well you know what they say, where the Kaborn try, the Northern Men succeed,” laughed Da Raloff.
Kara laughed and sipped her wine.
“The Northern Men would still be under the whip Dun if it wasn’t for us, my lady,” said a voice from the crowed.
Orleena looked and saw a slender, bronze coloured men with black straight haired standing at the back dressed in a silk suit cut with the similar exaggerated lines.
“It was joke, Aran. Let’s not get political just yet, I have not had enough wine,” smiled Da Raloff, “tell me, what do you think?”
The man approached and took Da Raloff’s hand and kissed it.
“I wonder why such a beautiful woman has come alone, surely there’s a man in Hallow’s Keep worthy of such bewitching grace.”
Da Raloff lent down and whispered in the small man’s ear and he laughed heartily.
The group went back to discussing matters amongst themselves, Da Raloff moved from group to group, her dress drawing attention wherever it went.
Orleena decided it was time to she did same, took a large mouthful of wine and walked into the sea of belts and lace.
As Orleena moved through the group the crowd parted for her, the guests were eager to kiss her hand or bow, all desperate to know what she planned to do now Uncle had retuned to city. She smiled and gave vague answers, she had become bored with slower pace of her life, but she was not willing to discuss that with anyone.
While in middle of discussing the tales of strange creatures that had been seen emerging from the old woods, which her Aunt’s Kin had brought from the northern region, her brother pulled her aside.
“Walk me to my room,” he said with his grin, “I have had a bit too much wine and need to clear my head.”
“Of course,” nodded Orleena.
The pair had not had a moment alone since her brother had arrived and Orleena welcomed the chance to speak with him in private. As they walked down the hallway Olav talked as he always did, without breath.
“It was amazing on the high seas, Orleena. I once spent four weeks without seeing even the smallest piece of land. The supplies from Edgelight kept us well stocked, so, luckily, we wanted for nothing. A rolling feast we had every night.
“We spent the so long picking at the pirate ships that crossed our path. I learnt to climb the mast myself, the height was dizzying at first with ship moves beneath you like some huge horse, but you get used to it after a while.
“I bordered about twenty pirate ships, myself. The pirates are all types, some are really old with long beards and a twenty or
more scars, but, Orleena, its the kids you have to watch for, about the same age as you and me, boys and girls. When they fight its like fighting a dog raised on the street, teeth, spitting and nails, even Uncle Frank would’ve been scared. I preferred the old men with beards, they were so drunk and slow you could stick five of them before any of ‘em knew what was what.
“Things got quiet though, when we took The Rough, you sink a hundred pirate ships, they just send more, but you take a city and everyone starts to fear you, that’s what I learnt. Did you hear? ‘Cause I took the Silent Stone the men now call me Olav the Silent. Even the pirates have started calling me that now. Its amazing, Orleena, to be out there having men fear your name.
”You should come, now Uncle is back, we can take on the pirates together as brother and sister. We will have to think of name for you, Orleena the Savage. Do you still train with Uncle Frank? I still have bruises from where you used to get me. When we trained on the ship and I was called for hitting someone too hard I would just say, ‘You’re just lucky my sister isn’t here,’ and you know what they didn’t question that one bit. Our family is one of most feared names across the land, a merchant from the Silent Stone told me once.”
Orleena laughed and listened, the energy and warmth that erupted from her brother gave her the most joy she had felt in the two years he had been absent. She had not realised how lonely she had become until she saw him the night before in Uncle’s tower. And now they walked the halls of the Royal Keep like they did before as Olav talked and dreamed and she listened and was swept away with the enthusiasm.
“What do you think of Kara?” he asked suddenly and then fell silent.
There was a moment as Orleena realised Olav was waiting for a response.
“She is a good woman,” said Orleena choosing her words carefully, “she prays to Helena since she has arrived, she insists I spend the morning teaching her the words of Roland and when I am busy she is in the library reading our books.”
“Why do you hesitate?”
“She wants to love you, Olav,” said Orleena, “but that does not mean she can.”
“Did you read that in your books?”
“Yes,” said Orleena sternly, “you should know that.”
Olav laughed.
“You know how I am.”
“We do not marry strangers, they must win our love and we must win theirs.”
“That was the old way, but we are an empire now,” said Olav, “when the war ends and the other Empires are at peace we will need allies in case the Dun look south again.”
Orleena looked at Olav, her eyes hard. Olav looked away.
“Who told you that?”
“Grand Pa,” said Olav quietly looking at the ground.
Orleena shook her head. The words were lost on her brother, but she knew what they meant and it made her mind flood with anger.
“Maybe, we can learn to love each other,” said Olav looking back with a smile, “then it is like the old ways, just the other way around.”
“It is your choice,” said Orleena because she felt she should, “if you take Kara as a wife I will treat her as a sister.”
Olav suddenly looked very concern.
“Grand Pa says I must stay in the city until I am married with Kara,” he said, the joy returned to his voice, “that means we can train again. Grand Pa is making me captain of the city guard while I’m here.”
“That is excellent news,” laughed Orleena letting her concerns melt away, “the guard needs a true commander.”
“Just before dawn at the watch house,” he grinned, “thats when the men train. You should join us.”
“Tomorrow?” she asked nervously.
“Of course.”
“I have not swung a sword since you left.”
“Then I may stand a chance,” he laughed, “please, Orleena, there’ll be no challenge without you.”
“If you insist,” laughed Orleena, nervously.
“We should return to the courtyard, I shouldn’t leave Kara alone with the others any longer.”
She nodded and smiled. Olav started to talk again, this time about the tricks he had learnt on how to fight on a ship, listing of the ways he had sent the pirates to their doom.
While Olav talked Orleena’s mind wandered. Maybe they could find love, maybe she was seeing a problem where there was none, the ways of Roland had stood for a thousand of years… But Grand Pa never seemed to interested in Roland or his teachings… But Grand Pa was old and soon the crown would pass to Pa… But look at Grand Pa, the Arn blood of his father is strong… He may even out last Pa… Did Pa even care what was happening here or were the ways lost to him as well… She didn’t like these thoughts.
The gathering stretched into the evening as the courtyard became golden. The guests had been awaiting the last guest, but he was notoriously unreliable and they had started to vacate the courtyard returning to their wings in the keep or their homes in the city, to have their supper and nurse their heads, now spinning from the sweet wine.
Da Raloff lounged on a wooden bench her once pristine dress now creased and ruffled with wear, her make up had become smeared and spoilt. The silk-suited Kaborn sat next to her, pouring more wine into her glass.
Uncle had joined during the afternoon and now sat quietly with a couple of the merchants.
Olav and Kara found chairs around a small table and Orleena sat with them.
“Kara would like to continue staying at our tower,” said Olav with a yawn, “is that possible?”
“Of course,” said Orleena, “as long as you need but why?”
“Our lessons are the brightest part of my day,” said Kara her eyes looked tired, “I didn’t want to lose them.”
“I’ll be glad to have the company.”
“It seems the night will be here soon,” said Olav, “I think I’ll get some sleep. I have to meet my men at dawn. Don’t forget, Orleena.”
“Now I know who my true friends are,” came Pa’s loud voice from the entrance way, “thank you for staying to greet me.”
Orleena jumped awake and Olav was suddenly on his feet.
“Pa,” he cried, “you’re late.”
“The roads from Orleena are still troublesome, but they can not keep a father from his children,” said Pa walking into the yard, “by Helena, you’re huge.”
He grabbed Olav and hugged him fiercely, both laughing joyously.
“Welcome back, Pa,” said Orleena from behind and Pa released Olav and ran over and scooped Orleena into his arms.
“You’re also starting to get big, too,” laughed Pa, “have you been getting the fruits I have been sending?”
“Yes. You have spoiled Irana, he refuses to use silvertops or black root anymore.”
Pa laughed and then glanced over to Kara standing a few feet back. Pa put down Orleena and walked over to Kara.
“Greetings, Crown Prince Soven, it is a great honour to meet one such as yourself. The men of Ulnsearth sing of your victories in your war with Dun,” said Kara approaching the family, “and I am sure they are left amazed by your swift conquest of the Lowlands. My brothers have toasted your name and wish for the end to our shared enemies.”
Kara curtsied deeply and rose.
“The Free Men of Hallow’s Swamp hope to one day be as brave as the Men of Ulnsearth the fearless guardians of Deep Lands,” said Pa bowing deeply, “and I am humbled to be in presence of the very beautiful, daughter of the great High Lord Braggan.”
Pa rose and looked at his brother.
“Does that greeting meet with your approval?” Pa smiled at Di Aliza who had made his way over to the group.
“It needs to be personal, brother,” sighed Uncle, “vague statements of fearless guardians and beauty make you look like a grovelling commoner.”
“It was a wonderful greeting, Crowned Prince Soven,” laughed Kara, “thank you for your welcome.”
“Please, no titles,” said Pa with a wave of his hand, “now tell me, Kara,
are you to join our family?”
“Your son has accepted me and I, him,” she nodded with a smile.
Pa erupted with a cheer a pick up his large son again and flung him around some more.
“I expect my first grandchild by the time I return,” exclaimed Pa.
“Where are you going?” asked Orleena quickly.
“I am to go The Rough,” said Pa, “Grand Pa has set his sights on the Silent Stone, tower and all.”
“I started siege,“ challenged Olav, “I’ll finish it.”
“I will not hear of it,” smiled Pa, “you will stay here with your beautiful wife. A hundred grandchildren, I demand, no less.”
Pa looked at Orleena, her face had lost its smile.
“Do not worry, Orleena, I have told Pa I am staying for at least two months. The Silent Stone has stood for a thousand ages, it will still be there after I have heard everything my glorious children have done with these last years.”
“Soven,” called Da Raloff from the entrance way, “it is good to see you again.”
And she left without another word she turned and left, the suited man quickly following behind.
“Then there is no one to hear my announcement,” said Pa looking at courtyard empty of all but a few dotted here and there.
“Then you should have been on time,” snapped Uncle.
“You know how I am, brother,” replied Pa, “no matter, the people who are important to me are here and that is what is important. Now, I want you all to know that I am an old man.”
“Wait,” interrupted Uncle, “I’ll get Pa.”
“Don’t waste your effort, Pa was never one for this,” said Pa shaking his head and started the age old speech of the Free Men again, “I want you all to know that I am an old man now and this is clear by the pace of my children. I, Soven of Hallow, realise that none will remember me or know me for I have a child who has eclipsed me. So, I need no name of my own and will now only be known as the father of the great Free Man Olav.”
“Soven of Hallow is forgotten, I remember Olav,” cheered Orleena, Uncle and a hand full of Royal Kin who remained at the edges of the courtyard in the unison, Kara watched on quietly.
Olav then embraced his father tears streaming from his face.
“You have done well, son,” said Pa known from that moment only as Di Olav.