"Nonsense, that is what the Bryddians would have us believe!" Safiya scoffed, even more a Saski.
Ancelin chuckled indulgently. Saskian women were a dour lot, even beautiful young ladies such as these, who should, by their years and their looks, be amongst the gayest creatures on Aereth.
"Much of what Lady Rigunth has to say is true, if rather fancifully put." he chimed in, his hands clasped before him and his chin on his chest, as if either in great thought or nodding off after a heavy lunch. "However, there is more to be had in Brydd than mere Aerethly merriment and pleasure."
"To what do you allude, Father?" Rigunth asked, her smooth brow wrinkling.
Ancelin chose his words carefully, and directed them chiefly to Safiya.
"Your Father has won a signal victory, My Lady. He is a proud man, and is flushed with victory. Offo seems weak. That makes my task much the more difficult. For it is my duty to try and broker a truce and bring peace to this troubled land."
Rigunth looked huffy "Hmm. Your duty to Offo, who started this whole trouble by sending me into Grayfall with those awful traitorous mercenaries!" she objected.
"No, my child, my duty to Ceros!" the Father countered "I serve Ceros, not Offo..." he collected his thoughts, he must not be distracted from what he had to say by these three young beauties.
"Offo has lost a battle. But he continues the war, by other means. You must know that he has sent his daughter Fredegund into Brydd, where she will meet with the Royal family there, and the powerful nobles who control their armies." he warned.
Rigunth actually laughed out loud.
"Oh, but we both like Fredegund, don't we Saffy?" she smiled, though her sister Audovera looked somewhat more thoughtful. "What possible harm could her visit to a silly old Tournament in Brydd do to Lord Tancred?"
"You do not think that meet, Father?" Rigunth asked, a little put out that, just by pulling a face, he could rain on her parade quite so thoroughly. He shrugged.
"Oh, I am sure that you will be as safe as a pea in a pod, My Lady Rigunth. But how much safer still were you to, say, travel south?" he asked.
Safiya looked askance, "South? What for?" He was also apparently forgetting Rigunth was technically still a captive at Sartell however kindly she was being treated.
"But then we would end up in Brydd! Why on Aereth would we want to go there? Apart from the fact that it is a fairytale land of high fashion and elegant manners and all sorts of other wonders, where handsome knights do gallant challenges at the whims of their ladies fair, and the Sun always shines and everything is bright and gay. Oh, and food is plentiful and most skillfully dressed and the wines are the finest in the world. But apart from that, I understand it is a horrible place."
"Nonsense, that is what the Bryddians would have us believe!" Safiya scoffed, even more a Saski. Her father had told her all about Brydd though she was unsure if he had ever actually been there? Probably not.
"Your sister is more than welcome to stay here with me. She will always have an honored place at our table," Safiya declared.
Rigunth beamed and squeezed Safiya's hand and the Hospitaller gave a nod and a short but grateful "Good. Thank you, My Lady."
Father Ancelin gave a funny little look, as if to say well, that's all very nice, but...
"You do not think that meet, Father?" Rigunth asked, a little put out that, just by pulling a face, he could rain on her parade quite so thoroughly. He shrugged.
"Oh, I am sure that you will be as safe as a pea in a pod, My Lady Rigunth. But how much safer still were you to, say, travel south?" he asked, as if the thought had only just occurred to him.
"But then we would end up in Brydd! Why on Aereth would we want to go there? Apart from the fact that it is a fairytale land of high fashion and elegant manners and all sorts of other wonders, where handsome knights do gallant challenges at the whims of their ladies fair, and the Sun always shines and everything is bright and gay. Oh, and food is plentiful and most skillfully dressed and the wines are the finest in the world. But apart from that, I understand it is a horrible place." the girl said roundly, sticking up for her Saskian prejudice like a good 'un.
"Well, that was before we became sisters: in our hearts, if not by blood." the blue-eyed girl beamed back at the sloe-eyed daughter of Tancred.
Saifya smiled right back but then asked if the sisters wanted a bit of privacy, she would gladly retire out of earshot. She did not put any credence that the young women would plan anything. Well, she didn't know the new one but she had trust in Rigunth.
"By no means, My Lady, what I have to say is fit for your ears, too: though Father Ancelin may wish to withdraw, as what I have to say may not be palatable to his ears." said the warrior-nun quite bluntly, but the man merely shrugged and smiled his usual gentle, knowing smile. "...And that is, that you must at all cost avoid returning to Great Orm and the into the power of our uncle the Tyrant, dear sister, for I believe your life might well be forfeit should you do so!"
Safiya nodded, then glanced to Rigunth. She knew Offal to be one of the most treacherous vile men in the land, this did not surprise her.
"Your sister is more than welcome to stay here with me. She will always have an honored place at our table," Safiya declared.
Angharad, the girl from the Fenlands had never been on the open sea in a giant ship like this; let alone weathered an attack by an enormous sea monster. Still, as she babbled away in her incomprehensible tongue, her sense of duty to her mistress and master overrode any fear or ignorance of what to do in this dire situation. She and the boy had called over more men to help with the rope and, by some miracle, at that moment the gigantic squid-like beast had ceased its attack and slid away back into the deep blue of the brine, leaving the superstructure of the vessel broken and half wrecked, but still seaworthy. They were not shipping water, which was the main thing.
The sailors, a weather eye kept on the surface of the waves, in case the monster should return, helped pull up Sir Aldebrand and his bride. He was coughing and spluttering, but she looked as if her rescue had been too late, she was inert and as white as the foam atop the waves.
With a cry of "Cusan bywyd!" the girl Angharad sprang forward as soon as fair Wynn was lain upon the deck and, throwing herself to her knees on the swamped decking, put her lips to her fellow Gael and puffed the breath of life back into her. The half-drowned woman suddenly coughed and threw up a gush of seawater, Angharad jumping back just in time to avoid the flow, but then quickly was back at her side, rubbing her back and talking comforting words in her native language.
As soon as Wynn realised where she was, she squirmed around with an anxious cry of "Aldebrand?!"
The merest glimpse, as his beloved came up-
No... was lifted up-
Into his arms.
The merest glimpse, and yet the image was magnified in his imagination and burned into his consciousness.
Some twisted, ugly, sea being. Not a tentacled beast. Nor a fish, nor a whale. No... it was a sea person.
Between one instant and the next, a plethora of emotions burned across his heart. Relief, that he had Wynn. Worry, that she might already be drowning. Fear, that this was some strange plot. For Wynn had told the tale of her dream- a dream of sea-beasts and horrid sea hags and the things they'd done to her.
What game was at play, to have a Kraken attack this ship, and then have a sea-person save her from dying in the assault?
But even a racing mind had only so much time when it was sinking into the dark depths of the sea.
The rope went taut. Aldebrand tightened his hold on his new bride. And then he tried to kick and climb back up the tether.
This was easier attempted than accomplished. It was a mighty struggle to gain mere inches, and the growing burning pressure in his lungs told him that soon he'd take a lungful of saltwater and abruptly cease to exist.
But somewhere up there, someone recognized the danger. Someone stronger than a ship's boy and a well-meaning young servant girl. More likely, several someones. The rope began to tug Aldebrand and his precious cargo up from the depths.
He clung to her, growing pale as spots swirled before his eyes. But he vowed to die before he un-clutched Wynn. Perhaps they'd become watery spirits, drowned together, and so cursed to be together in the depths of the ocean for all time.
There were surely worse fates than that...
Love has made me a romantic, he chastised himself from within his mind. But he didn't mind his mind, much.
His heart had taken over.
There were mutual compliments all around, only Rignth objecting to her sister's formal tone.
"I think she sounds just like you when you first arrived...also very formal," Safiya grinned at Rigunth.
"Well, that was before we became sisters: in our hearts, if not by blood." the blue-eyed girl beamed back at the sloe-eyed daughter of Tancred.
"Would you two care to talk privately? I will fade away out of earshot then."
"By no means, My Lady, what I have to say is fit for your ears, too: though Father Ancelin may wish to withdraw, as what I have to say may not be palatable to his ears." said the warrior-nun quite bluntly, but the man merely shrugged and smiled his usual gentle, knowing smile. "...And that is, that you must at all cost avoid returning to Great Orm and the into the power of our uncle the Tyrant, dear sister, for I believe your life might well be forfeit should you do so!"
Rather than disagree, Ancelin just gave a philosophical little nod.
Of course Safiya could not help but be curious about this sister of Rigunth though now that she had heard the girl arrived dressed like a Hospitallier in armor, one mystery was cleared up. That's why she saw no female down below when they watched the army approach the main gate. The priest rang a small bell and the sister appeared. Only this time in a simple gown of a nun. Safiya had heard of this order but honestly had never seen any of it's members.........well, til now. She could only imagine how her own father would have reacted had she ever brought up joining, not that she had any desire to. But then these sisters had lost their father so could explain some of it too.
When she approached, she first showed reverence to Ancelin, as a man of the cloth, then Safiya.
"My thanks, Lady Safiya, for granting me permission see your prisoner. Father Ancelin spoke so highly of you I had little doubt that you would agree."
"Of course! Your sister and I are now dear friends I daresay," Safiya glanced toward Rigunth for confirmation on that.
"And it was kind of Father Ancelin to speak of me so highly, whether deserved is another story," she smiled.
"Oh 'Vera! I know you're a nun now, but must you be so formal?" gasped Rigunth.
"I think she sounds just like you when you first arrived...also very formal," Safiya grinned at Rigunth.
"Would you two care to talk privately? I will fade away out of earshot then."
"Of course you may see her. I would never keep sisters apart for I myself can never seen my own beloved sister again. I know the pain of separation."
Rigunth's face fell and she held out her hand to squeeze that of her new friend. The priest smiled and nodded and picked up a small bell that had been upon the low, straight stone wall along the pond in the middle of the herb garden. It tinkled pleasantly and a door into the verdant area creaked open from another direction from that which the two girls had entered.
The young woman who came toward them, along a pebbled path, through the sweet-smelling shrubs and bushes, was a few years older than the two girls, and even without her hauberk and coif of mail had a martial bearing about her. Her outfit was plain, as was befitting what was essentially a nun, although her order were excused the wimple on account of their military duties.
When she approached, she first showed reverence to Ancelin, as a man of the cloth, then Safiya.
"My thanks, Lady Safiya, for granting me permission see your prisoner. Father Ancelin spoke so highly of you I had little doubt that you would agree."
"Oh 'Vera! I know you're a nun now, but must you be so formal?" gasped Rigunth, although she herself was not immune to that trait.
"Greetings, my children, greetings!" the priest chuckled "My Lady Safiya I recognise, though much grown since last we met, and this second beauty, I suppose, must be the Princess Rigunth, whom I recognise from the similarity to her sister, who is here in Sartell with me, even as we speak."
"Greetings, father, I recognize you too, welcome," Safiya nodded, though she did not recall the man's name and he did not share it either.
Wait? Did he say Rigunth's sister was here? They saw no woman or girl with the returning army. Apparently Rigunth was just as confused.
"Audovera? Here?!!" Gasped Rigunth and grasped Safiya's hand, turning to her and explaining. "Oh, this is signal news indeed, for I did not know whether my sister lived or no after her escape from my uncle's dungeons!"
She now asked to see her.
The priest intoned,
"If your Mistress gives you leave" he answered "For you are a prisoner on your parole: as you required Lord Tancred's leave to speak with me, so you require leave to speak with a Sister of the Order of the Hospital of Saint Bozhena."
More stunning news thought Safiya.
"My sister? A Hospitaller?!"Despite herself, Rigunth laughed out loud.
Safiya put aside her own confusion to let Rigunth know, "Of course you may see her. I would never keep sisters apart for I myself can never seen my own beloved sister again. I know the pain of separation."