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

blessing, Chief. When that kyjyan’s out of the way, my lads can keep everything running for you in the meantime.” He seemed to have everything trussed up neatly and all arranged in his favour.

While Ren and a few others prepared to paddle out to Tallack’s boat, I followed my nephew around trying to make him understand the folly in trusting someone such as Nectan so soon after we’d dispatched Kenver, but he would not listen. Tallack had spent little time with the man, and Nectan had a way of seeming useful and compliant whenever he was close to the Chief. As far as I could tell, we were simply swapping one rogue with grand ambitions for another. I said as much to Ren, when we were alone, but he quickly dismissed the issue.

“What do you want me to do, Mel? I don’t have as much influence over Tallack as you seem to think.” That was all he would say on the matter.

We rested for a while on the beach, exhausted but too agitated to sleep. I covered my eyes with my cloak to blot out the sunlight, but the trapped heat made it even more uncomfortable. Later in the day, Tallack gave Massen specific orders, before we rowed out to the Phoenician ship in the small boat.

My words of caution must have sunk into my nephew, since he insisted that Nectan sailed with us to the bay where land ends. Ren and I stayed close to the Alchemist, asking him more and more questions about the island where the miners’ women and children were hiding.

He explained that Kenver had discovered more tin deposits some time ago, but had managed to keep it a secret from all but a few close friends and relatives. Kenver’s youngest and only living son spent most of his time there, signalling foreign ships with lit beacons on the seaward side of the island. Those that dropped anchor carried exotic goods in exchange for our tin. That must have been how Kenver got hold of such fine weapons, many that were different in shape and metal to our usual ones.

During our voyage, tacking against the wind and currents, I tried hard to get Nectan to explain the process of turning rocks into pure tin, but he refused. I thought he might crumble and tell all when Ren stood over him with his hand on the hilt of his dagger, but he would not talk.

“It’s more than my life’s worth to tell you, Fur Benyn, much as I would like to. The magical ability is passed from father to son on the fourth moon after spring equinox. I was initiated when I’d seen twelve summers. Only the chosen families ever get to learn the ways of the rocks. If they speak of it to anyone outside that sacred bond, the gods would cut out our tongues and strike us dead with a lightning bolt so vicious, it would wipe out our entire family, women and children too.”

I glared at him, assessing the truth in his eyes. That sounded like a tall tale spread about to scare the young, but for someone as cowardly as Nectan to risk death rather than reveal the secret, it had to be true. Mind you, he can find his courage when he has no other choice. He managed to talk his way out of slaughter when Ren and I caught him leaving the tunnels. He’s a slippery one and someone I vowed never to trust.

By the time we were closing in on the bay where the land ends, I remembered the missing purple pennant from the ship. It had been present for every journey I’d taken with my nephew in seasons past, and it had barely faded from the sun at all. It was a colour that I’d only ever seen once before, worn by the Phoenician Prince who had caused me so much heartache and pain. I wondered how many foreign sea snails had to die in order to achieve such a rich hue.

We sailed all through the night and arrived at the bay as the sun was falling again in the sky. I knew that Kenver’s son would have spotted us. There was no way to sneak about with such a conspicuous vessel as ours. We should have ridden around the headland from the mining settlement with Massen and his crew, travelling in Kenver’s ship. That would have enabled us to use stealth in our approach. All we could do was hope that none of the woman were armed. They couldn’t defeat us, but no one wanted to use force against them.

Tallack, Senara, Nectan, Ren and I took the row boat ashore first. It was high tide and the gravel causeway linking the mainland to the island was deep under water. It gave us time to think of our options.

“I’ll row around to the rocky cliffs at the back and scout out the island, Chief.” Senara offered, keen to prove herself again.

“Nice offer, Senara, but that won’t work. Kenver’s lad will have the youngsters hidden and keeping watch. You can’t creep about on the ocean like you can on land.” Tallack tried to mask his amusement, turning away from her. The girl was from homesteader stock. She had no experience of the sea at all.

“We’ll wait until the tide changes at dusk and walk across.  They can’t get off the island without us noticing.” Tallack said, settling down to rest.

“They’ll hide.” Nectan said, jabbing his thumb over his shoulder towards the tall craggy rocks jutting out from the sea. “They’ll be hoping that you’re just passing. There’s a slim chance that they’ve never seen your fine ship before, Chief. They could mistake you for a foreign trader. Better to wait until dark to see if they light the beacons.”

I couldn’t see that being the case at all. Tallack’s fine Phoenician ship was the pride of our tribe. Having spent the winter season in and out of the mining settlement at