David Gemmell – Rigante 3 – Ravenheart

‘If I see him I’ll tell him, Mr Galliott.’ Kaelin shivered.

‘And get yourself a coat,’ said the officer. Heeling his mount, he rode away. Kaelin watched as the riders cantered towards the town. Sergeant Bindoe glanced back, and Kaelin could feel the malice in the man. Beetlebacks were hated and feared in the highlands. Most – though not all – were Varlish, and over the years had been responsible for many outrages. Only a month previously a woman living in an isolated cabin had walked into town and reported to the magistrate that she had been raped by three beetlebacks, one of whom was Bindoe. Her story had not been believed and she had been birched and jailed for two weeks for fabrication under oath. After all, it was said, what self-respecting Varlish soldier would touch a lice-infested highland slut?

Kaelin waited until the beetlebacks were out of sight then ran on. The wind was less fierce within the woods and he was soon sweating as he ran. The trail wound up, ever higher. He stopped at a break in the trees and gazed down over the hills below. Hundreds of small dwellings dotted the countryside, and many more, he knew, were hidden from his gaze, their sod roofs blending into the landscape. Cattle and sheep and goats were grazing on the new spring grass, and, some way to the west, Kaelin saw more beetlebacks riding the Eldacre Road where it met the shores of the lake.

Cutting away from the main trail he darted up a side slope, hurdling a fallen tree, and sprinted along the final stretch to the crack in the cliff face. It had rained in the night and, glancing down, Kaelin saw that he was leaving footprints in the earth. He continued to run along the line of the cliffs until he reached higher ground, then climbed to the vertical rock. The face was sheer for some fifty feet, but Jaim Grymauch had taught him to overcome his fear of heights, and to glory in the joys of the climb. Wedge holds, hand hams, pressure holds, all were second nature to Kaelin Ring now and he smoothly ascended the wall of rock, traversing back until he was once more alongside the crack in the face. Swinging himself inside he edged along the narrow gap then climbed again, emerging into a deep cave. A fire was burning in a rough-made hearth and a man was sitting beside it, gently burnishing the blade of an enormous broadsword. Kaelin leapt to the floor of the cave and ran to the fire. The man glanced up. He had but one eye, the other covered by a strip of black cloth wound around his bald head, and his face was scarred and pitted. There was a large, purple bruise upon his cheek and a cut to his lip was almost healed. Splashes of dried blood had stained the black cloak and kilt he wore.

‘I hope you learned a goodly amount today,’ said Jaim Grymauch.

Kaelin settled down opposite the big man. ‘I learned that Connavar was a Varlish prince and not a clansman at all,’ he said.

‘Aye, I’ve heard that. Did they also tell you that he shat pearls and pissed fine wine?’ Putting aside the broadsword Jaim reached out and took Kaelin’s hand, turning the palm towards the firelight. ‘I see that you’ve been insolent again. What was it this time?’

‘I told old White-Wig that Connavar was Rigante and that the man who wrote about him being Varlish was a stinking liar.’

‘I’m a great believer in diplomacy, Kaelin, and it pleases me to see you mastering it at such a tender age.’

‘Oh, and I saw Mr Galliott. He says you’ve to pay one chailling and nine daens for damages and you’ve been fined another two chaillings and six daens. He says it must be paid by the end of the month or you’ll be taken before the Moidart.’

‘So how much do I owe in all?’

‘A lot,’ answered Kaelin.

‘I’m not good with numbers, boy. Calculate it for me.’

Kaelin closed his eyes. Best to calculate the daens first, he thought. Nine plus six made … he counted it on his fingers. Fifteen. Suddenly he thought of Banny again, wondering if his cough had improved. Jerking himself back to the problem he calculated that fifteen daens made one chailling and three daens. To which he had to add the fine – two chaillings. Making three chaillings and three daens. He told Jaim the figure.