We rode steadily another ten-day until we were near to the edge of Merrowdale. Leaving the women and children to wait with Levas’s men, we three rode on down the shallow road to the dale. I had not seen it since a visit with Ithia the year before she was slain. But we had stayed some weeks so I remembered it well enough. What a change was there. The dale, once beautiful and well farmed, was desolate. Fields were overgrown, the remnants of crops straggled up again in places. Some of the cottages had burned. The main door to the keep was broken and hung askew.
Neeco and his friends had never returned. I had seen to that. Those from Merrowdale who fled to join us had not returned home before the bandits came also to Landale. Perhaps they feared to leave, or perchance our lord had bidden them stay lest coming and going from our home they were followed back. If so, then he might as well have saved his breath. With Neeco’s aid we had been found anyway. I had stood only moments alone thinking thus before I opened a door. I stepped back at once with a small cry of disgust and horror. Lorcan was at my side even as I cried out.
“What … oh!” He signaled Levas to join him. “I think we have work to do before we consider anything else.”
Lorcan called some others of our men to join us, and gave orders. They were busy for some hours as they went from house to house and through the keep. I went elsewhere. I did not wish to see the poor bundles of rag and bone which had been those inhabitants of Merrowdale who had remained forever, as they were carried out, wrapped in linen from their homes, to be laid in the earth.
The work went swiftly though, and when at last I returned to see what Lorcan and our men did, I found Lorcan to have discovered a deep crack in the earth against a side of the surrounding cliff. There he had dropped in fresh branches and grass. Those who had once lived here would lie decently enough. Without the need to dig trenches but only to fill in the graves, the work was over quickly.
“If Lord Salas brings his people here they will bring their own possessions?” Levas, who had heard of our plan for Merrowdale, asked us. Lorcan looked at me. I nodded. “Then all here which we can salvage belongs to Landale?”
Neither of us had thought of that but it was the practical sense of a blank-shield and he was right.
“Not the sheep,” I said. “I think we shall not require so many as are now about. Let us take a dozen of the ewes, the lambs they have at foot, and a young ram or two, but no more.” I recalled something. “They had two flocks here. One, the greater number, were white, but they had some few that were black or brown. Let us take all of the smaller flock in those colors. Thus we can exchange fleeces with Merrowdale. And there will not be any question as to whose sheep they are if any stray.”
Levas eyed me with approval. “That is good sense and will help to bind the two dales closer with the exchanges of wool. Now, Lord. You have said you plan to extend your keep. To enlarge it and add guard houses. Here there is spare worked stone; we need not take stone from their keep here. The land is baked hard with summer. If you have beasts enough we can build stone-boats with which to drag the worked stones from this dale to your own. Moreover, once Winter is come, then Spring again, the weather will hide any marks we make in doing this.”
As he spoke, his hand gestured towards the two cottages nearest the dale mouth. I believe they may have been the oldest buildings in Merrowdale, since both were of a considerable size, half cot, half barn. Both were built from roughly-squared blocks of stone. I suspected that originally they would have held those who came here until the proper keep, barns, and cots were built.
“The road out is steep, yet if we harness six of our strongest beasts they may pull a fair load.” Levas looked a little doubtful as he studied the slope, shallow though it was from Merrowdale. I smiled.
“Once we reach my home we shall have a matched six-horse team. Heavy horses of size and power.”
Levas gaped at me. “Lady, such are worth half a dale. From where got you those?”
“From bandits,” I said wryly. “They were not willing but I insisted.”
His gaze became respectful. “Lady, I believe you. Now, let us search each house. We need not take all we find at once, but let it be marked so we can return for it once we are settled.”
Lorcan ran for paper, though it cost heavily. Several times as we halted at markets during our journey he had bought us some sheets. I had writ on many sheets, telling my own story as he had suggested. I knew he, too, had done this. But some unused sheets we had still.
From house to house we went, listing items we could return to take, calling each other to see what treasures we found. They were not such things as would appeal to bandits. What use would they have for dye cauldrons, for bolts of plain cloth put away in chests? But to us they were treasures. Before dusk Levas brought down the remainder of our party. Elesha saw to it that food was prepared and beds allocated.
With the dawn we rose to eat. Then we readied our mounts. I led. It would be a long ride but I was determined. This time we should not stop until we reached Honeycoombe. I had left the hives safe. The ponies, too, should still be grazing by my cave. Before Summer’s end I must fetch them home and I would be glad to do so. I would bespeak my Lady of the Bees, once I had time to make the journey to her shrine, sharing with her all I had seen and done. I hoped she would feel I had been worthy of her. If Lord Salas’s resolution did not fail him so that he came next Spring, then would I take Merria to the Shrine in another year or two. I dreamed away the journey home so it was a surprise to me when Lorcan called.
“Meive, are we not close?” I roused, seeing that it would soon be dusk. The land about me was familiar. The joy in my voice must have been clear when I replied.
“Very close. Half a candlemark to the entrance, no more. We shall go to the keep. It is large enough to house us all at first while we make plans.”
I spoke the truth. In less than the half-candlemark we were entering the upper trail to Honeycoombe. A little longer and ahead in the gathering dusk we could see the dark bulk of the keep. I left Levas and his men to deal with the horses and our two mules. I took up a lantern, led Elesha within, then waved about us.
“Let your family sleep where you will tonight. In the morning we shall talk.” She wasted no time but gave orders. Her daughter Vari swept the children upstairs in search of a bedroom. With them went their own packs. For some time all was abustle. I remained in the great kitchen to make suggestions from what I knew of the keep. One of Levas’s men came in with firewood, lit the fire, then left again. I put on soup and a kettle filled with good clear water.
It all took time. In the end it was far into the night before I could seek my bedding. I lay awake a while remembering how Landale had been before Neeco came with his friends. It been my home and I had loved it. But the wheel turns. Those who had made Landale my home were gone. Now it was for Lorcan and me to build anew.
We would make a stronger, safer place with good people who would care for each other. But not so good they would not fight for their home. Nor so foolish they would assume all were as good as they. My grin was fierce in the dark.
I would finish writing the story of what had happened when Landale had been betrayed and attacked. Those who joined us should learn from the tale. Lorcan had talked of guards and secret places from which they could watch our road. I would see that he did not forget.
After that night it seemed as if time flew. Goats roamed all over my dale eating the outer land bare, too many of them, and several went into the stewpot over the next ten-day. The horse team were where we had left them, as were the cattle and other horses. We made stone-boats, and with those and the team, Levas and his men dismantled the two ancient barns in Merrowdale and dragged back all the stones we required to extend what had once been the lord’s house, to make our larger and more fortified keep here.
That work they did first, saying that there was food enough to be found and it was too late to plant crops. Better they built a keep where we could be safe. At that task they worked mi
ghtily, they and those of us women who could do anything to help. But before we began the building Levas came with Vari to bespeak me.
“Lady,” her eyes were shy. “Levas and I would wed?” Of course I was pleased. I hugged her several times and even kissed Levas’s weathered cheek. Then I saw the deeper implications of such a request. In asking permission, both acknowledged me as Landale’s Lady. I must behave aright else they would feel themselves lessened. I stepped back, making my face serious.
“For such a wedding all must be as it should be. Vari, I will give you cloth to make a dress. You shall chose one of the cottages in which to live. Levas, you shall choose two milk-goats for your house. There shall be a feast and you will stand before us all.”
“Will you say the words of Cup and Flame, Lady?”
I promised and they went away happy. But after I had considered further I sought out Lorcan to talk to him apart from our friends. If I was accepted as lady to our folk then he was their lord. Yet we were neither wed nor kin. Before any visitors came here to look askance at us and gossip, we must decide how we wished to appear before them. Should we wed, or at least announce ourselves as officially betrothed? That decision I could hardly make on my own.
XIII
Lorcan
I lay in my bedding the night after we had saved Elesha and her kin. Sleep was far from me as I recalled Meive’s tears. I had known many good men in my time. Yet I had to admit I had known many evil ones as well. In times of war it seemed as if all the wrong in a man leaped to the surface. Men who in their dale had been decent kindly husbands, loving fathers, became demons once they rode under the banners of war.
I grieved that my lady might be able to consider me one of these. And yet, how should she know I was not? I had known she watched me at first and that her small warriors had watched me as well. I had striven, with all I was, to show her she need never fear harm at my hands. She had begun to trust, then we had happened upon this and all my patience was gone for naught again. I sighed as I stared upwards at the unseen rooftree. I would remain patient Eventually she would come to trust me fully. Then might I speak.
After that my days and nights were too busy for me to brood over what had been. We found good men to ride with us, blank-shields but with a leader who was not quite of the common sort. I’d wager his breeding was good, though from the left-hand side most likely. Many a bastard took up the blank-shield when there was no other place for him. They mostly did well, being often trained by a noble father’s weapons-master. Once I had gained back some of my keep’s silver and we were on the road towards Honeycoombe again I asked Levas about his House. We had ridden on, just we two, scouting forward on our road. It was then I questioned him, speaking casually. He answered in the same way.
“Aye. My father was keep-heir in a small dale far to the North of here. My mother was a lass from his dale. It was no shame to either that they loved, but they could not wed. He was betrothed as a child and unable to marry elsewhere. She wed later, with a dowry given by him, to a good man who laid no hands upon me unjustly. My father wed as well when the time came that his betrothed could travel to him. I’ll say for him that he did do reasonably by me. I was trained by the keep’s own weapons-master. When I left to be a blank-shield he gave me good chain and sword, a fair mount, and a belt pouch full of silver.”
“What of your dale then?”
“I’ve never returned. I heard the invaders had struck hard. I know not who lived or died. Nor does it matter to me. I have no claim on the House and my mother died of the winter cough soon after I departed. She had no other children. Her man remarried. I had some word of the place from time to time until they fell.”
“Are you sure you have no claim?” I asked shrewdly. “In this war many lords and heirs have fallen. Often enough the whole family has died out leaving none save those of the left-hand side. You have the blood of the lord of your dale, and that was known. You could return there, wed a girl of the house, and hold the dale.”
It was a reasonable idea. Many of noble blood had fallen, but most had got away their women first to some sort of safety. There would be many dales now with only women of the house left alive to inherit, and many dales, too, which were ruined. There would be a great shaking-up of noble houses in the years to come. New blood would enter the lines of many houses, and I thought that to be no bad thing. Levas was shaking his head.
“There were sons of my father’s begetting. They may have stayed to fight and die. But the eldest had also wed and his wife had a son and daughter of him. They’d have been very young, and noble children such as they would have been sent to safety, I’d have no doubt. They’ll inherit, if there is anything left. Nay, there was nothing there for me. I’ve thought well on your offer. I’m willing to take it up so long as there be a home for us. My men and I will be guard to your dale if that pleases you and the lady?”
“She has told me it would please her well. She sees you as one who can be trusted, come sword come fire,” I made reply. “As do I, Master-at-Arms to Landale.” I saw his cheeks redden slightly.
“You do me honor to name me so to your dale.”
I grinned at him. “Great boast, little roast. It’s an honest title but will bring little but hard work and long hours to begin with. Yet if all goes well it may be a position of honor in years to come.”
“I am content to wait.”
“That’s as well, since you’ll have to. As for the cottage, she has said you should see the dale then choose for yourself. There are a number, though you must also have rooms in the keep.” I turned to another thing which worried me.
“Levas, you’ve ridden not only in this war but as a fighter. Once we reach our dale look about you. I would value your opinion. Landale fell by treachery, but also it trusted too much in isolation. Their lord raised no guardhouses, manned no sentry-posts. I shall not make that mistake. Let you spy out the land and see where you would put such positions if you had the placing of them.” He nodded and we fell to scanning about us as we rode.
We reached Merrowdale and a woeful sight it was to me. There is nothing so sad as a place that has been abandoned by its inhabitants. At least, that was my belief, until Meive opened a door and cried out. I was at her side in an instant. I drew her away gently. After that Levas and I and his men worked hard to clear keep and cot. We laid the pitiful remnants of the people of Merrowdale to rest, and I spoke the words of Cup and Flame over them. The women cooked food for us so that we ate while Meive showed me lists. There was much here still which the bandits had not valued, but we should. Not the least of that would be the stones to rebuild and enlarge the keep at Landale.
“Do you think it right we despoil the dale when Salas may come?” Meive asked me.
I pursed my lips in thought. “Levas spoke of that and I think that what he said is right. Will Salas not bring all he and his can carry of their own possessions? Sheep he will find here, and a keep which stands strong apart from the door. Cottages and barns, all are here. Let him be content with the bounty he finds—and I think he will be. There is also this. Tildale, which he leaves to come here, was never taken by invaders or bandits. Those we find as new settlers and bring in to our dale will often have little of their own. They have need of anything we can provide them. Why spend our coin to do so when we can scavenge here?”
Meive nodded. “I have thought about Landale. Lorcan, I believe we should take for it another name. It was named Landale for he who first took it as his place, though few used the name. But his line is gone. You have said you will not be lord in Paltendale’s name?”
“So I have said. What name do you think then to give it?”
“I have thought on that. It seems to me that since all knew it as Honeycoombe then that should be the name?”
Her tone questioned, so I considered that for a while. She was right, for I would never again name myself of Paltendale. Nor would I lay that house or name on my new home. Dales are usually named for the lord who takes up the land fo
r his own, yet here that lord and all his line were gone. Meive was of his dale but clearly did not wish to use the name still. I nodded at last.
“Let it be Honeycoombe. Furthermore, let the arms of our home be thus: halved diagonal by a rope of braided straw, a sword held point down. A sign that we live in peace yet can we fight at need. And upon the other half …” I nodded to her, “a spiral of bees rising, queen in the lead. The background shall be green, the sword in silver and gray, the bees black and gold, the straw rope a pale yellow.” I thought that well. Hives were made in our dales from straw rope, braided and coiled. The sword for me, the bees for Meive. I looked to see her smile and was well pleased when I saw she approved.
“It feels well to me. It is right, Lorcan. I shall tell Elesha that we will begin to embroider feast tabards once we have time and are settled.”
“Then best we sleep so that the time shall come the swifter.”
I watched as she went from me to her bed, wishing I had not the thoughts which burned in me. I hungered for her. But I loved her, too; I would not frighten her by moving too quickly. As it was, once we were in Honeycoombe our situation would be awkward. We were neither wed nor kin. I must give thought to what might be done about that.
In the event, I had no time to sit about considering my desires. We labored from dawn until dusk, the women to till the fields, the men to repair the keep. Once that was completed I walked with Levas and my lady to study the walls and what lay about them. There was a good spring within the inner wall. Doubtless it was why the keep had been placed in that spot. But Meive led us sideways about the keep. Then she pointed.
“See, there is the entrance to the inner vale. If we built out to encompass that from the keep we could have twice a keep, a second in the vale entrance, and we could retire from one to the other at need.”
Levas and I considered that. In the steep cliff which bounded Honeycoombe at this end of the dale the valley entrance was a crack, perhaps twenty feet wide at the bottom, narrowing towards the top. The keep had been sited close by, its back against the cliff also. But it would cost us greatly in stone to build several walls and enclosures out from the valley entrance to the keep. Yet I thought it no bad idea. How could we use keep and vale as retreat but still allow access to both while building walls?