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

time they were escorted into Conn’s tent. Conn stood to greet them, and laughed when he saw who one was. He welcomed him warmly.
    ‘Volund il Alwa, you pop up in the most unexpected of places. I can’t imagine what you are doing here.’
    ‘Kutidi sent me to take care of Sarun – just in case he turned up. I even had to join the infantry. I’m a sailor. I hate walking and riding. And training even more.’
    Conn looked to the second wiga. He looked most uncomfortable at the friendly nature of the relationship that Conn and Volund had. ‘And this is?’
    ‘This is Agingur il Sinjar in Saba; brother of the Jarl of Sinjar and commander of the Saba forces, and uncle to Farrun and Asbera’s mother Elddis. He thinks I’m a traitor because I’m on speaking terms with you.’
    Conn greeted the elderly Jarl respectfully. ‘Jarl, welcome to my camp. Be assured that I am not an enemy of the Ancuman – I am just in opposition to Axum policies that affect me and mine.’
    He bowed back and smiled thinly. ‘It seems that you and yours extends to all of Meshech and Sytha – and it would seem now Saba and Nobatia. You and the Bretwalda have more in common than it would otherwise appear.’
    Conn smiled back. ‘It has been noted. But I guarantee that my methods are nothing like his and my objectives are different as well.’
    Agingur nodded. ‘Perhaps. Not that it detracts from the fact that I owe you a debt of gratitude for saving my niece’s life. She was one of the last of her line.’
    ‘I am sorry that it was not for longer. I thought her wound had healed.’
    ‘It had – but the birth caused problems – possibly because it was twins. Also she was very distraught after the event. When twins are born in Kishdah, the weaker one is always left to die. Twins are very unusual amongst the Ancuman – and are considered bad luck. To have twins that are not the same gender is almost unheard of.’
    ‘Who was the weaker?’
    ‘The boy – Farrun. He was born second but we were unable to seek a medic because they would have taken him away to die. There are so few of the house of Nobatia – no boys are born to any other than the Aebeling. We were not about to give a boy to an Axum medic.’
    ‘So how did you hide him?’
    ‘I had no bedda – so I took a woman as my bedda who is of my clan. She was the daughter and heir of the Jarl of Kinjan and we adopted him. No one knew that Elddis had a son – just a daughter, as would have been a reasonable and expected outcome of being captured and raped.’
    Conn interrupted. ‘I didn’t rape her.’
    Agingur acknowledged the fact. ‘I know – she told us. But it suited her survival better if that small detail was not widely known. In her shame as a wiga she sought permission to move to Aeaea. She received that and my uncle took her there. The rest I think you know.’
    ‘I do. I am uncertain on one point. Farrun is known now as of Nobatia but you intimated that he was raised as of Kinjan. When was his identity discovered?’
    ‘When he joined the Folctoga Military Academy. The Axum are very particular about who goes in. When he was doing so well they investigated further and uncovered who he was but were unable to do anything about it. He is the youngest Folctoga to graduate from the Academy.’
    ‘Did anyone know that I am his father?’
    Agingur shook his head. ‘No, no one knew. Not even me.  Which was just as well – it is not possible to lie to a Folgere. They sent some to question me and even more were sent to Aeaea to question my uncle and Elddis, but they were both dead – and Asbera had disappeared.’ He involuntarily shivered. ‘Damn folgere.’
    ‘So they are trying to get him killed by sending him to Kania under-resourced?’
    ‘Yes, that is the conclusion we have drawn.’
    ‘We’ll have to do something about that.’ Conn turned back to Volund. ‘So are my children safe?’
    Volund answered. ‘Of course – Sarun and his kin are now protected by a