was by the end of the next day. Four well armed Hibernians and a young priest arrived at the gate. The priest spoke. “I am here to speak with the one who calls himself the Warlord, the pagan Lord Lann.”
If this priest, who had barely started shaving, thought he could intimidate me with insults he did not know me. I strode forward. “I am Lord Lann and what do you call yourself little man?”
I saw him colour. “I am Brother Padraigh.”
“Then speak before I give you an early visit to your White Christ.”
He became more than a little agitated at that. “I am a peace emissary and a man of God.”
“It will not worry me to slay a man of God and as for a peaceful emissary; you, I assume, represent those who kidnapped my nephew. Know this, servant of the White Christ, I am, as you say, a pagan. I do not forgive. I do not forget. I do not turn the other cheek. I remember your face and you should fear me.”
The colour left his face and he looked around to the four warriors for support. Their faces remained impassive.
“And I am Myrddyn the Wizard, priest and I do not forget. Remember that I have the power of the darkness and the spirits behind me. Fear me too.” Myrddyn seemed to grow in stature as he threatened the priest.
The priest crossed himself. All his arrogance had evaporated and he spilled out his words quickly the sooner to escape. “Prince Oswald holds your nephew and he will remain unharmed. You will pay a ransom of five hundred gold pieces and your sword, Saxon Slayer. If not Prince Oswald will send him back piece by piece.”
The priest was less than five paces from me and I whipped out Saxon Slayer and held it to his throat before he could move. The four warriors’ hands went to their weapons and I heard Tuanthal hiss, “I have seven arrows aimed at you four. Think carefully about your next move.” The swords slid back into their scabbards.
I noticed a puddle beneath the priest’s feet. “Here is Saxon Slayer, priest. Tell Oswald that you saw it. Now as to the ransom, I do not carry that amount with me. I will have to send back to my home for it.”
His voice almost broke as he gabbled the last part of his message. “You have ten days.” He pointed south. “You are to bring the ransom to the southern end of the Lough. If you bring men then your nephew will die.”
I removed the sword. “Next time ask them to send a man who actually has a backbone.”
The priest fled so fast that the four guards struggled to keep up with him.
The king said, as we returned to the fort. “Will you give up your sword? How will you send for the gold you have no ship.”
I laughed, “I have no intention of paying a ransom. Even if the brothers had some honour it would only lead to more kidnapping. You do not give in to this kind of threat.”
“Beside,” said Myrddyn. “They will kill Morcar and the Warlord when he pays the ransom.” Tuanthal nodded his agreement.
“Then why did you agree?”
“To buy time until your men can discover where he is held.”
“They said he will be at the southern end of the Lough.”
“He will be far from there. That is where the exchange will take place. That is why I have sent for my scouts. No offence, King Fiachnae mac Báetáin , but my scouts are the best trackers in Britannia. They will find him and then I will wreak my revenge on these Saxons.”
Chapter 6
It took the king’s scouts four days to discover that Morcar was being held in the land of Airgialla and its king Mael Odhar Macha was giving the Saxons protection. Fiachnae mac Báetáin had obviously felt guilty about Morcar’s abduction. Certainly he and his brother had had sharp words about his failure to protect his guests and his brother had left the ring fort. It caused bad feeling between the brothers. Perhaps that had also been part of Oswald’s plan to cause dissension between my new allies. The outcome was that the king sent his best scouts and
If this priest, who had barely started shaving, thought he could intimidate me with insults he did not know me. I strode forward. “I am Lord Lann and what do you call yourself little man?”
I saw him colour. “I am Brother Padraigh.”
“Then speak before I give you an early visit to your White Christ.”
He became more than a little agitated at that. “I am a peace emissary and a man of God.”
“It will not worry me to slay a man of God and as for a peaceful emissary; you, I assume, represent those who kidnapped my nephew. Know this, servant of the White Christ, I am, as you say, a pagan. I do not forgive. I do not forget. I do not turn the other cheek. I remember your face and you should fear me.”
The colour left his face and he looked around to the four warriors for support. Their faces remained impassive.
“And I am Myrddyn the Wizard, priest and I do not forget. Remember that I have the power of the darkness and the spirits behind me. Fear me too.” Myrddyn seemed to grow in stature as he threatened the priest.
The priest crossed himself. All his arrogance had evaporated and he spilled out his words quickly the sooner to escape. “Prince Oswald holds your nephew and he will remain unharmed. You will pay a ransom of five hundred gold pieces and your sword, Saxon Slayer. If not Prince Oswald will send him back piece by piece.”
The priest was less than five paces from me and I whipped out Saxon Slayer and held it to his throat before he could move. The four warriors’ hands went to their weapons and I heard Tuanthal hiss, “I have seven arrows aimed at you four. Think carefully about your next move.” The swords slid back into their scabbards.
I noticed a puddle beneath the priest’s feet. “Here is Saxon Slayer, priest. Tell Oswald that you saw it. Now as to the ransom, I do not carry that amount with me. I will have to send back to my home for it.”
His voice almost broke as he gabbled the last part of his message. “You have ten days.” He pointed south. “You are to bring the ransom to the southern end of the Lough. If you bring men then your nephew will die.”
I removed the sword. “Next time ask them to send a man who actually has a backbone.”
The priest fled so fast that the four guards struggled to keep up with him.
The king said, as we returned to the fort. “Will you give up your sword? How will you send for the gold you have no ship.”
I laughed, “I have no intention of paying a ransom. Even if the brothers had some honour it would only lead to more kidnapping. You do not give in to this kind of threat.”
“Beside,” said Myrddyn. “They will kill Morcar and the Warlord when he pays the ransom.” Tuanthal nodded his agreement.
“Then why did you agree?”
“To buy time until your men can discover where he is held.”
“They said he will be at the southern end of the Lough.”
“He will be far from there. That is where the exchange will take place. That is why I have sent for my scouts. No offence, King Fiachnae mac Báetáin , but my scouts are the best trackers in Britannia. They will find him and then I will wreak my revenge on these Saxons.”
Chapter 6
It took the king’s scouts four days to discover that Morcar was being held in the land of Airgialla and its king Mael Odhar Macha was giving the Saxons protection. Fiachnae mac Báetáin had obviously felt guilty about Morcar’s abduction. Certainly he and his brother had had sharp words about his failure to protect his guests and his brother had left the ring fort. It caused bad feeling between the brothers. Perhaps that had also been part of Oswald’s plan to cause dissension between my new allies. The outcome was that the king sent his best scouts and
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