Caitriona, part six

I almost cried with relief when Declan cut the ropes around my wrists. My shoulders cried out against the cruel treatment they had endured for five days whenever I moved them, but it was a blessing to have that liberty.

Alector, Maelwys, Aneirin, Llewis and I followed Declan out of the little hut, waiting while he made sure we were clear, and then we got on our stomachs and crawled our way to the wood where the horses waited. I could not wait to be away from Anwyn and Conor. If Anwyn found out that Alector had just married Maelwys and I- the thought was still and strange one to me- it would only serve to make him angrier.

I held my breath at every rustle of the grass and brush, even when we were under cover of the big trees where Declan had tied his horse and the four he had brought along. From that spot I could only just see the makeshift huts through the trees myself, and I tried to relax. My brother and Llew had not met Declan and I introduced them while Alec and Maelwys untied the horses.
There were six of us and five horses. I stood uncertainly for a moment, wondering if I ought to ride behind my brother, when Maelwys’s voice above me said, “Cait, you can ride behind me.”

“Thank you.” I had forgotten, so easily, our unconventional marriage, and my new place. “I’m sorry,” I whispered. “Getting a husband and a brother in one week confuses a girl.” I heard him chuckle nervously as we set off.
Declan had chosen his hiding spot well. While on one side of Anwyn’s camp the plain was flat and covered only in sage and scrub, it was nestled up against a ridge, and this side was hilly and shadowed by old and spreading trees. We rode an out- of- the- way route to where Declan had left Ronan.
When we rode over a small hillock to the place, it was empty. It was quickly decided that they must have gone back a short way with Meurig and Bran, perhaps to fool Anwyn into believing that they had given up on us or wanted more time to decide what to do.

I had my arms wrapped around Maelwys’s middle to keep me balanced- he was edgy and his little mare picked up on it, stepping first to this side then to the other. He said tersely, “Alec, Aneirin, Llewis, Cait, follow the hoof-tracks back to Bran’s men. I’m going to see where Anwyn is. Declan, you have your sword. You can come with me.”

I wanted to disagree, to ride with them. For once I felt reasonably safe.
But he would not let me. “Suppose something happened to me. No, Cait, ride with your brother.”

“I will be fine.”

“Cait, please, you need to be safe.”

I could not argue with that, only the day after we had been married for this very reason. So I dismounted the fidgety mare, and clambered up onto Aneirin’s tall gelding.

Maelwys looked worried. “If you run into trouble...”

Alec said confidently, “Don’t worry; we’ll be fine. Take care of yourself, Mael. You too, Declan.”

Maelwys did not share Alector’s confidence. He wanted to deal with Anwyn, but was uneasy about leaving us. “I’ll meet you soon. Stay with Bran’s men.”

Declan added, “Meurig and Bran may have ridden to Ronan, if they wished to trick Anwyn. They should not be very far away.”

Maelwys nodded hopefully and bade us farewell. Then, turning his sidestepping mare so he was next to me, he leaned over and the next moment I was being kissed.

He heeled his horse into a gallop and Declan followed, but not before I saw the bewildered look on his face.

“Now that was a kiss,” my brother said, teasing in his voice.

“Some kind of kiss, alright,” I replied tacitly.

“What does that mean, Cait?”

I sighed. “There are many times when I would like to wring his neck, and he knows it, and does nothing. Then he marries me, demands I ride with him, and then sends me off with my brother and claims a kiss before he goes- not a little kiss, mind. It would be as easy to say I was being scolded by that kiss as seduced.” I shook my head moodily. “I do not understand him.”

Alector laughed. “Every other girl I have ever met, had she been kissed by Maelwys, would be swooning. Only you are irritated by his passion.”

“It wasn’t passion,” I insisted, “it was Maelwys being Maelwys. And why do you say every girl you have ever met would be swooning?”

Alec grinned at me. “Because you are the only one who seems to be immune to his charms. The girls in Derwedd have been vying for his attention for years, and none of them ever succeeded.” He urged his horse into a trot and rode in the direction of Ronan and the warband.

I stared at him in surprise, holding tightly to Aneirin to keep my seat on the big horse. “None? He is twenty-three. Surely one girl in his life has caught his eye or captured his fancy.”

“Only you.”

I gave him a disgusted shake of my head. “I pity him, then, for he is not in love with me and to have never been in love...”

I could have sworn my brother laughed, exchanging glances with Alector, while Llew sat his horse moodily and said nothing. We rode along the trail of hoofbeats left by Ronan’s men and came to a short hill. Out of sight, I heard a voice, muffled by the distance but clearly a man speaking. “Aneirin, did you hear that?”

“What?”

“A man’s voice. Over the hill. I hope we’re close.”

Llew glanced at me from his stallion, seeming to have lost his moodiness. I was glad, for I had rarely seen him any way other than cheerful and expansive. The last few days had wrought a change in my old friend which I could not help but feel was indirectly my fault.

“Are you afraid of Ronan’s men?” he asked with a hint of his old teasing.

I gave him a slight smile. “No.” The voice came again. “Perhaps I am just being paranoid.”

Nevertheless I held to my brother more tightly as we rode closer. I felt dizzy, and flighty, like a shy horse. I held my breath when we rode into sight of the men, praying that I would see Ronan and Bran and the Rhegeddi warriors waiting for us.
“Cait...” Llew’s voice was wary. I looked uneasily to him and then to where his gaze rested.

“Conor,” I whispered. Sorrow snatched at me like a beggar at a lord’s cloak, but I brushed it away, trying to forget the pain I felt at his betrayal. Trust between us was broken, but I was still in command.

“Conor!” I called, drawing myself up as well as I could.

Conor walked over to us slowly, three warriors behind him with hands on sword hilts. “Cait, I’ve been looking for you. Come here so we can speak.”

I dismounted, much to Aneirin, Llew, and Alec’s dislike, knowing I could not win any arguments over Aneirin’s shoulder, and strode over to him. “What is it that you want so badly from me?”

“I want you to come with me.”

“What?" This was not what I had expected. Negotiating for terms, outright murder, lies, pleading. Not a simple request. An odd one.

“Come with me. I’ll tell you where you’re going after you promise to come.”

His affectedly carefree manner both frightened and infuritated me. “You swore a blood-oath to me, Conor! Your life was to keep me alive and well and you have, instead, threatened me several times over. Why do you want me to come with you?”
“Promise first.” His voice was hard as the steel at his hip, but he would not meet my eyes. “Trust me, just come.” He wanted badly for me to simply follow; I could not.

“Caitriona, come here. We need not waste our time any longer.”

I cast a glance at Alector and took a step toward him but did not leave. I did not trust Conor with my back turned anymore- but he was not as sure as he seemed himself. “What will you gain by brining me to your coward of a leader? Would you see me used so? You know Anwyn has no desire for a queen- he wants a mistress, and I will not be that girl.”

“I mean to take you back with me.” Conor drew his sword. “If I have to fight for you, I will.”

“Cait!” Alector cried, vaulting from his horse as Aneirin and Llew drew their swords.

Alec advanced on Conor, who seized my arm in a vice grip and pulled me over to him.

“Let her go,” Alec growled.

“I said I mean to have what I want.”

I tried to remain still, growing frightened. “Conor, either let me go or put up your sword. I do not want anyone to take an injury over me.”

Conor hesitated, then shoved me over to one of Anwyn’s warriors. The man held me firmly by the arms and it was impossible to get away from him- I could only watch to see what would happen.

Alector and Conor crossed swords once, twice. Alec’s third stroke left Conor with a bleeding cut on his shoulder, which made Conor more angry, and the fight grew more deliberate.

“Alec!” I called. “Let it be, I will go with Conor.”

“You will come with me, Cait, but you lost the chance to come without a fight,” Conor replied, without breaking stride. He and Alector did not pause in the rhythm of their skirmish but kept up the deadly dance with frightening accuracy. Llew and Aneirin stepped in but both were afraid to injure Alector accidentally.

All of a sudden Alec took a hard swing to the side. I cried out and struggled against the man holding me but couldn’t get free. I expected then that I would merely have to watch as one of my friends was killed, helpless to do anything. I felt so dizzy all of a sudden I nearly collapsed.

In a few minutes, I felt a hand on my face. I had not even realized I'd closed my eyes until Aneirin pulled me up.

"What happened? Where is Conor? Is everyone alright?"

"Conor is beaten. He's trussed and tied and we will take him to Maelwys.Alector took another hard swing to the side, and we need to get him back."

He helped me onto his horse, and I was released with nothing more than a bruised arm where Anwyn’s man had gripped me.

The next long hour was vague to me. I rode behind Alector this time, in case he was too weak to ride- though he protested that he was fine, his face was a ghostly white and the wound at his side would not stop bleeding. Soon he slumped in the saddle with the effort of sitting up. I felt better myself, and supported him while we looked for our friends.

But then we heard more men, a little east of Anwyn’s camp, and this time, it was our warband. Declan and Maelwys were with them.

Maelwys was deathly pale when he reached us. “What happened?” he asked anxiously. “We were beginning to wonder if you’d all been killed. Where were you?”
Aneirin’s face was drawn. “We ran into Conor with some of Anwyn’s men. He tried to take Cait with him- he wouldn’t say where. He is here-” he indicated Conor, bound on his horse, “but Alector needs help.”

“I am glad you’re safe,” he said, with a dark look at Conor. “I hoped you would find us soon. Declan, go find Bran’s bard for Alec.” Declan hurried off to find the man, who was both warrior and bard and stayed with Bran’s warband to help after battles. He helped Alec to one of the tents taken from Anwyn’s camp, and four of the men took Conor to a tent where he was held as Maelwys, Llew, Aneirin and I had been for the past five days.

“Bran,” I called after the warleader as he led Conor away, “Please... be kinder to him than he deserves.”

Bran gave me a puzzled look but nodded. “I will, Princess.”

Once that was done and Maelwys was talking to Bran, Declan explained that he and Maelwys had found Anwyn, with only five of his men with him. The others Bran and his men had killed when they came upon their hideout. Declan and Alec had killed Anwyn’s men, Maelwys had fought with Anwyn, and Anwyn was dead.

Shortly after riding on to look for the rest of us, they had found Bran and Meurig, but not us. So, worried, they had set up camp, knowing we would more easily find them if they stayed in one place. Maelwys, Bran, Ronan, Declan, and Meurig had discussed what to do next: Maelwys’ men and Llew and I would would ride to Caer Seiont the next day and Bran’s men would ride back to Rheged after bringing Conor to Derwedd.

Campfires were lit when several of Bran’s warriors returned to camp with two bucks and a young boar, and the whole warband gathered around hungrily. Ale was brought out- Bran told me with a wink that they liked to travel prepared-and the men were eager to celebrate the victory of the day.

I was anxious to see how Alector was doing, and found him asleep in the tent with Bran’s bard Dafyd nearby. Alec opened his eyes when I sat down beside him.

“How do you feel?” I asked.

“It’s not too bad,” he answered bravely. It was obvious that it hurt, and he was still pale, but he was conscious.

“Good. Are you hungry?”

“I am not sure I feel like eating right now.” He smiled at me. “Thank you, Cait. Do not worry over me, I’ll be fine.”

“Thank you for saving me, Alec. I owe you my life and you risked your own for it. I cannot thank you enough.”

Alec shook his head slightly, still smiling. “I was only doing what I promised I would. I am glad you are safe.”

I left him a few minutes later, with Dafyd’s assurance that Alec would be fine with rest, and was surrounded by happy warriors. “Drink a toast, Lady Cait!” One of them thrust a mug of ale at me. Another one offered me a haunch of meat. “We won! Come on, Cait, celebrate!”

I grinned. “I will drink a toast to Derwedd’s safety and Alector’s health. Thank you.”
I had forgotten how long it had been since my last real meal until I tasted the haunch of meat, and I hastily took a share before the warriors ate it all, saving some, which I wrapped and brought to Alec’s tent in case he should want it.

The Rhegeddi and Derweddi warriors were good friends- for in even thought they do not all live in Caer Derwedd, in fact they are all men of Derwedd the region, and all answer to Maelwys ultimately- and they had no trouble celebrating after the food and ale had run out. Several of my friends invited me to stay and join the merriment but I did not feel up to it. Now what I really needed to do was talk to Conor.

Bran had hand-picked the four men who guarded my old friend, and it took a great deal of convincing to get past them. I paused at the entrance to accustom my eyes to the dim light inside, then sat next to Conor.

“What are you doing, Cait?” he asked, sounding neither angry nor yet pleased.

I turned my face towards him, held his gaze. “I want to know what you are doing. Why you’re in league with a cowardly murderer and why you tried to take me without even telling me where. And-” I shuddered- “why you would allow Anwyn to have me when you know what he wants me for.”

“I was going to tell you when you came with me.”

“Tell me what?”

“I wasn’t taking you to Anwyn.”

I waited for an explanation.

Finally, minutes later and painfully slowly, Conor replied, “They have my sister.”

A wave of shock washed over me. “Ceridwen? They have Ceridwen? Who has her?”’

“Aedd MacCaenan is holding her captive. He told me to help Anwyn’s band find you and kill you so that I could have her back- you know that Aedd is afraid of the Roman garrison, which is why he does not dare come kill you himself. Well, I helped them find you. And I wasn’t going to hand you over; I was going to save you as soon as I had Ceri back.”

“As soon as? All sorts of things can happen “as soon as.” Oh, Conor... I wish you had told me! I would have helped you! ...If we take all our men now, we could find Aedd and get Ceri back.”

“I don’t know where he is. He said he would know if you were dead.”

I shook my head. “How could he, if he won’t even come far enough north to find me himself? It is simply a matter of finding where he is hiding and raiding his camp the same way Declan and Bran did Anwyn’s. It worked, didn’t it?”

“He’ll kill her. He said he would, if he had the slightest suspicion that I was coming to take her without giving you to him first.”

I blinked back tears for Conor’s sake, knowing how much he must be hurting already. “So I was bait. But not as I thought I was. You’re not even working for Anwyn, then?”

“Only as much as was necessary to find you. I wanted to get you back, Cait. I-” His words dropped to a whisper again. “I hated it. Afraid you’d be killed or taken away or I would never find you. But you must understand that I have to get my sister back too.”

“Yes.”

Conor studied me carefully. “I am ashamed of myself, Caitriona. I should never have put your life in danger. I intended from the beginning to use it as a means of finding you; by myself, I had made no headway. It was by accident that Aedd found me, wandering too far south, afraid he’d gotten you after all.”

“I believe you, Conor. You still have a chance to redeem yourself.”

Conor nodded. “Yes.”

I stood, then paused at the door to look at him again. How could I trust him again?
"Where are you going?”

“To talk to Maelwys.”

Conor said nothing for a moment. Then he met my eyes. “He’s going to want to kill me, you know. You mean a lot to him.”

“No, he won’t kill you,” I told him firmly. “I will not let him. And, well, he feels a certain responsibility for my life.” I sighed. “Goodnight, Conor.”

I slipped out to where Bran and Maelwys’ men were still celebrating our victory, hardly in a more subdued manner than they had an hour before. I heard laughter and songs and tales of the day’s adventures all around me, some mre true than others. The warriors waved to me happily and continued their merriment, and I looked for my husband.