The Bretwalda (The Casere Book 4) by Michael O'Neill

they will serve us proudly.’
    ‘Of that I have no doubt.’
    It was a very long trip through Halani and the almost fifteen hundred and two thousand horses wiga created a line six miles long. By the time the last group of wiga, Twacuman led by Wilric, joined the queue, Conn was a long way ahead. As they rode, Caewyn spoke at length with all of Conn’s children – making special attention of his Ancuman wards. Later as she rode with Conn at the head of the column, she commented about his family.
    ‘It seems that you have an unusual ability to collect people.’
    ‘What about Disetha and Albega and Vigbert? I worry that their association with me will put them at risk?’
    She paused. ‘I don’t sense that. I sense that they are meant to be connected to you.’
    ‘How?’
    She smiled at him ‘That I do not know. But it is what I sense.’ She stopped smiling and looked at him seriously. ‘But you will know when you need to know. I do know that is important.’
    ~oo0oo~
    After over ten days in Halani, they passed out of the forest into the southern borders of Kania. They were two days from the town of Tamar, where, as far as Conn knew, Farrun had set up his base. They waited until everyone had arrived and set up before Conn considered his next move. As they waited, they observed the surrounds of Kania. Farrun had yet to show his presence.
    ‘It seems unusual that they missed our arrival. It would seem that Farrun is not doing his job as well as I’d expected.’
    ‘Oh, he hasn’t missed us’, Derryth reported, ‘we have been observed – they saw us as soon as we arrived.’
    ‘And you didn’t think to tell me?’
    ‘You didn’t need to know then – the scouts simply rode away; we are watching, and you will know as soon as we do if the fyrd are coming our way.’
    ‘I’m happy to hear that. Also, Colonel Eldward should be here soon.’
    ‘They know.’
    Conn had sent Wilric to find him a few days ago. Colonel Eldward was being assisted by Daray and Alduni in Susa, ten days west of their current position, and Wilric was going to guide them into the camp. They arrived not long after them, at dusk.
    Colonel Eldward brought some friends; the Aebeling of Lykia and the Healdend of Moetia; Daray and Alduni. Both young men greeted Conn with hugs. Eldward then briefed him on Farrun’s movements.
    ‘He isn’t attacking,’ the Colonel advised, ‘We have been in sight of him for some days and he hasn’t attacked. Initially he had perhaps three times the forces I had so it is unusual.’
    Conn nodded. ‘I’d expect not – if he is who we think he is.’
    All three men looked at him curiously. ‘Who is he?’
    Derryth chose to explain the genetic relationship.
    ‘Really? But that doesn’t explain why he doesn’t attack – being your son doesn’t mean that he has your instincts – or your training.’
    Conn was embarrassed. ‘It may be because I sent him some reading material. If he got it.’
    Derryth laughed. ‘I can’t wait to hear how you managed to get a book to a boy in the Ancuman nations.’
    ‘Trust me, it wasn’t easy – but it was harder to get it to Kutidi than to Farrun. I asked her to ask the Twacuman to pass it on. I couldn’t risk Kutidi in Aeaea so there has only been two times that we have communicated. Once when I sent her the package for Farrun – which was difficult because I didn’t know where he was. All I had was a name. The second time was from her to say that the Axum were invading.’
    ‘What was the book?’
    ‘An expanded version of Geirfrith’s book. The one that is banned in Kishdah. You know it because I translated it into Silekian for use in the Academy and added more thought of Jomini and Sun Tsu, and then translated it back.’
    As a child he had studied intensely the Seven Military Classics including Sun Tsu and Zhuge Liang. When he entered the British Army, he shifted his focus to European authors such as Jomini, von Clausewitz and Vauban, before reading