Olan Thorensen - Cast Under an Alien Sun

“Uncle . . . er . . . Captain,” stumbled Kiltar, “I’m to report the raid went off as planned. The abbey is ours, and the raiding party is finishing looting and setting the abbey afire. Sub-Captain Adalan says it will take several boat trips to move everything to the ships.”

While Musfar welcomed the oral report, he already knew the raid had gone well. The boat delivering Kiltar and Adel’s message was piled with sacks and boxes he assumed were plunder, and crewmen busied lifting a dozen bound Caedelli aboard ship. Eight were young women and the rest children between three and seven years. All would be slaves, either kept by officers as part of their shares or sent to slave markets. None would ever set foot on their home soil again.

“Casualties?” asked Musfar.

“Three dead,” Kiltar reported, “and seven wounded, one severe. Sub-Captain Adalan says they will be on the next boat out.”

“Good report, Kiltar.” Musfar slapped his nephew on the back. “Get your boat unloaded and back to the shore with you. Tell Sub-Captain Adalan I’ll move around the cape and closer to shore to speed up the transfers. Off with you now.”

Kiltar vanished over the side, shouting at the crewman to hurry with unloading.

The boy was full of himself now and bursting with energy, but he’d learn it wouldn’t always be this easy. Adel would look after him until he had enough experience to keep a clear head.

Musfar turned to a signalman standing nearby. “Host signal flags for all ships to follow us.” The raiding party had put ashore two miles around a rocky cape hiding the ships, while men moved overland to surprise the abbey. Concealment was no longer necessary.

He next turned to a senior sailor in charge of cargo. “Get the prisoners secure in the lower hold, and remind the men to leave the women alone for now. There’ll be time for them later when we’re loaded and heading back to Preddi waters.” Women destined for the slave markets would bring higher prices if pregnant, and during the voyage home, the ships’ crews would do their best to bring about that condition.

Well, well , Musfar mused to himself. The Narthani information was good, again. Maybe this is all going to work out as well as I hoped. Whatever the Narthani plans for Caedellium, he needed to sail in their wake until it was time to leave. Of course, that was the problem— when to leave.

Culich pulled out a paper leaf with a neat outline prepared by Maera. “Major item today is the reports of attacks on Caedellium coasts. So far, we know a Seaborn village and a Pewitt abbey were sacked by seagoing raiders. There’s no confirmation, though evidence points to Buldorians. They come in on five to ten ships, land several hundred men, loot the village, abbey, or both, and take prisoners—usually women and children—undoubtedly to be sold as slaves. They then burn everything they can and are gone before help can arrive. St. Bodwydell’s Abbey in Pewitt was burned to the ground, along with the scholasticum and library, and all brothers and sisters killed, as well as several hundred villagers who initially tried to fight and then surrendered.”

Cries of shock and anger rose from the Keelan boyermen before Culich was halfway through the report.

“There have also been sightings of Eywellese and Selfcellese encroaching into Stent and Moreland Provinces, and similar reports from our Dornfeld district bordering Eywell. Sometimes it’s only a few men, but one incursion involved several hundred Eywellese into Moreland. As soon as trespassers are discovered and locals gather, they ride back to their own provinces. So far, there’s been no major fighting, although several small skirmishes happened in Moreland.

“There are also unconfirmed reports of small numbers of unknown men spotted in the ridges above the Dillagon pass.” The pass led from the main part of Keelan through the Blythrim Mountains to the Dornfeld district on the shore of the Gulf of Witlow and opposite Preddi Province across the gulf.

“How about the Narthani?” asked the Yorm district boyerman.

“Nothing so far,” said Vortig Luwis, Culich’s military advisor, if the clan had had such a title, “but does anyone think the Eywellese and the Selfcellese would be doing this without the knowledge of the Narthani?”

“Luwis is right,” said Culich. “This is all but certain under the Narthani.”

“And similar with the seaborne raids,” said Luwis. “As with the land incursions, it has to be with Narthani knowledge and planning. The Buldorians wouldn’t dare dip their toes into what the Narthani consider their waters unless the Narthani approved.”

“And worse,” said Culich, “the Narthani may think their control of Selfcell and Eywell is firm enough that this is the first step toward other provinces.”

The expressions around the room confirmed that most of the boyermen had had the same thoughts.

“Then what are we to do?” grated the Wycoff District boyerman.

“That’s what we’re here to discuss today,” said Culich. “For one thing, we need to increase patrols in the northern districts and the Dornfeld-Nylamir pass. I’ve also asked Vortig Luwis to look into setting up coastal watch stations to catch signs of Buldorian ships.”

“While that’s all well and good,” said the Nylamir boyerman, “we already have a good third of our men on such patrols. What about crops, trades?”

“Believe me, I understand your concern.” Culich went to the wall with a map of Keelan and the neighboring provinces. “You can see the problem. We have three coasts, as well as our border with Eywell. The coasts are the most vulnerable. I believe we can rule out raids along the Funwir Coast in eastern Keelan. The only coastal settlement is the district seat. The population size and the terrain make it a difficult target. Plus, it’s protected by offshore shoals at that part of the entrance to the Gulf of Normot.

“Dornfeld is the only Keelan settlement on the western coast, across from Preddi on the Gulf of Witlow. Thankfully, Dornfeld’s natural defenses make it an unlikely target, at least for now. More likely is our southern coast. There are several villages and two abbeys the Buldorians may see as attractive targets.

“As far as land incursions, there are the Dornfeld and Nylamir districts bordering Eywell Province. The more central districts are in no immediate danger, but they’ll have to provide assistance to Dornfeld and Nylamir.”

Culich continued, “Those not in immediate danger must worry about your own harvests and trades, but that’s the price to be paid in helping fellow clansmen. Vortig and I have discussed this, and districts will contribute about equal percentages of their men to the patrols. Those not in immediate danger are to help those who are. We’ll have to work out something where distances to patrol areas require too much travel. I’ll want all of your input, but in some cases it may involve relays. For example, if Elywin contributes to Dornfeld patrols, then men from Brums might help with harvests or other major work in Elywin. As I say, we’ll work out the details.

“The rotation of men to those districts in our northwest borders will continue from the other districts. We’ve had no major incidents in Keelan, but let’s not relax our vigilance. I also expect each of you to maintain the training programs for men of fighting age and condition.” He stopped when the last words brought several frowns. “I assure you, I appreciate how this affects your districts by having men more and more occupied away from their normal work, but you’re all aware it’s something we have to tolerate in case the Narthani turn our way. We have to assume they have spies in Keelan, and maybe our preparedness might even discourage them from raiding us.”