Pagan Siege (Tribes of Britain Book 5) by Sam Taw (10 best novels of all time TXT) 📕

clan leader.” She was certainly in a difficult situation. I looked over at my slumbering friend. Perhaps my nephew still held enough respect for Ren to pay heed to his advice.

While Senara went to prepare her horse for the attack, I woke Ren and updated him on Senara’s news that Kitto had announced his intentions to kill Tallack. He wasn’t at all surprised. Splashing water on his face and hair, he stared out at the horses grazing on the river banks in the distance. Many of the Hunters were already fastening reins and leading the ponies towards the mouth of the adjoining gorge.

“I’d better try and catch Tallack before it’s too late.” Ren said, slipping his leggings and shoes on and heading for the open door.

“Wait, I’ll come too.” It was hard to keep up with his long strides. Ren was a man on a mission and nothing would stand in his way, not even the dozens of warriors loading up their ponies with shields and spears, scabbards and blades. For so many people milling about, the valley was ominously quiet. This would normally be the time when someone from the Priest Sect would take a moment to give an offering to the gods and ask for their support, but I saw no such devotional rituals among the Head Hunters. The Sea Warriors were guarding the perimeter and looked set to stay where they were. What orders had Tallack given them? Were they not a part of the planned stampede on the miners?

Every one of the warriors we passed wore a grim stare of defiance as we walked between them on our way to the Chief’s hut. Tallack was alone when we reached the doorway, the coverings pinned back just as we had done. Poking my head inside, my eyes adjusted to the gloom to see my nephew struggling to fasten the leather straps securing his wrist guards. Without invitation, I wandered over to assist him. He let me, turning his gaze to Ren.

“You’ve come to talk me out of the attack.” He picked up the second wrist guard and passed it to me, raising his other forearm so that I could repeat the process.

Ren held the Chief’s stare. “I have. We’ve heard about a plot against you.”

I expected Tallack to be shocked, to demand details or get angry over our interference. Instead, he merely nodded and then checked my handiwork. “I know you both have my best interests at heart, you are loyal to a fault, but you should not concern yourself with Chieftain matters. I have everything under control.”

“We think Kitto…” Ren began, but his protestations were met with the Chief shushing him and steering my friend and I back towards the door.

“If you want to make yourselves useful, find food, prepare medicines and make the camp more secure. I’m leaving my best men to defend you while we’re gone.” That was all we could get from my deeply altered nephew. I had attributed most of his mood changes to the loss of his twin brother but this was a whole new level of arrogance. It began when the priestess declared herself Ruvane of our tribe.

With a little shove, we were expelled from his presence and sent packing. More and more warriors gathered at the foot of the headland, close to our hut. Senara was among them, waiting for her friend to return with fresh drinking water from the springs. I took a few moments to check the contents of my healing kit and went in search of Kewri. He too was preparing for the attack, looking for a spare horse that could carry his hulking great weight.

Even I could tell him that no such pony existed in this neck of the woods. When I pointed this fact out to him, he pouted, and then announced his intention to run up the gorge track after the warriors. Either way, I could not dissuade him.

“You have Ren to protect you now, Fur Benyn. You don’t need me anymore.” There was a sadness in his eyes that crushed my heart. My growing fondness for Renowden had displaced the giant in my household. Now the poor lad didn’t know where he belonged. I wondered if my nephew had given him different orders to follow, dismissing him from the duty of protecting me. When I enquired if this was the case, Kewri shook his head.

“Chief Tallack hasn’t spoken to me.” His bottom lip trembled. “Now that Vina’s your apprentice, I just assumed…” His shoulders scrunched up around his ears. How hadn’t I seen this sooner? He was elated when I welcomed him into my home. I’d lost track how many times he’d saved my life or helped me when no one else could. With all the turmoil on the island compound, I’d overlooked the giant.

Grabbing his wrist, I stopped him and spun him about until he was facing me. “Kewri, you are my friend. I cannot ever repay your kindness towards me. You’ll always have a place at my fireside and under my roof until such time you ever wish to leave. Do not think me ungrateful or that I don’t need you, because I do. My home and my heart are large enough for us all.”

The corners of his mouth edged upwards and his cheeks flushed with a rosy glow.

“You are part of the family now, lad. You can’t get rid of me that easily.” I winked at him, making him chuckle. Together, we hurried back across the bridge to where Kitto sat on his huge black stallion calling his men around.

Senara led her pale horse past our hut where Ren was standing. He flicked his hand at her, beckoning her closer. She leaned down the side of her pony’s neck until she was level with Ren’s head.

Whatever he said to her made the shield maiden dismount and hand the reins to him. With a curt nod, she loaded herself up with her weapons and water and shot off into the