The King's Executioner Page 23

  “My da was a skilled weapon maker, my mum our story keeper, telling tales of our ancestors each night around the fire. My sister was several years younger than me and was learning our stories so that one day she would take my mum’s place and be our story keeper.”

  Anin felt a piercing pain to her chest and realized her hand lay on his arm. She left it there as he continued, wanting to feel along with him.

  “I had gone out hunting for the tribe. I was skilled with most weapons from the time I was young and I was the best hunter in the tribe, so I often went alone. I was usually gone two sunrises and would return with enough meat to feed our tribe for several sunrises. That was why I was not there when my tribe was attacked.” He grew silent.

  His anger, pain, and sorrow overwhelmed her as he relived the horrible memory. She kept her hand resting on his arm, hoping that her touch would remind him that he was no longer alone. He had her now.

  “Two other tribesmen survived, though one not for long. The other was an elder woman, Della, who had been off gathering berries and plants. When she heard the screams, she hurried back to our camp, but when she saw our tribe being slaughtered, she hid. She knew she had to survive so there would be someone to tell me what had happened to our tribe.” He paused again.

  Anin remained silent and waited. It would be his choice to continue or not.

  He shut his eyes as he spoke. “It was a foreign tribe from the north, a vicious lot that brutalized and butchered and left everything smoldering in their wake even some of the bodies.” He opened his eyes, though did not look at Anin. “The young lad, who had survived along with Della and I, died shortly after we left the camp. Della and I made our way further south and when we came upon an abandoned dwelling, she insisted we stay there. She told me she did not have much time left and before she died she wanted to make sure that the stories of our tribe survived and so they do—on me.”

  Her heart suffered for his tremendous loss and she was amazed at the strength and courage he had taken to continue on after all he had lost. She ran her hand along his arm. “All of this tells the stories of your tribe?”

  “All that my mum told and her mum before her and her mum before her. I carry the stories of my tribe with pride and one day I will tell them to my children so that my tribe will always live on.”

  “I would very much like to hear them and learn them myself, so that I can be sure to share them over and over again with our children.”

  Paine ran a gentle finger down her soft cheek. “You deserve—”

  She gave him a quick kiss. “I got what I deserved... you!”

  “The execu—”

  She kissed him again. “The man who I gave my heart—”

  His quick kiss silenced her. “Foolishly gave your heart to and the man who is most grateful that you did.” He rolled over slowly, easing her onto her back, his leg slipping between her two.

  She held onto his arm, smiling as she felt his need for her take hold deep inside him and felt him grow hard against her. It made her growing need for him soar. She went to speak and he kissed her silent once more.

  He moved his mouth off her lips to kiss along her cheek to her ear, and whisper, “Time to explore.” Paine captured her response with his lips and no more words were spoken as they explored together.

  Chapter Twenty-eight

  Paine walked to the feasting house, worried for Anin. Knowing Bethia would greet Anin warmly, he had taken her to meet the healer. And as he expected, Bethia greeted her generously. He could not say the same for those people they passed on the way to Bethia’s dwelling. Every greeting Anin called out was met with a turned head or downcast eyes. He had grown accustomed to being treated such, but Anin was not, though he was proud that she continued to greet everyone with a smile regardless of how they turned away from her.

  Give them time, she had told him and while he did not agree with her hopefulness, he would not deny her it. Of course, it probably did not help that Bog remained at her side, but he would have it no other way. If he could not be with her to make certain she remained safe, then Bog would. Besides, the wolf had taken a liking to her, especially after this morn when he came across her sitting on the ground, Bog practically in her lap as she looked closely at his paw.

  “There, I have found it,” she had said proudly and held up a tiny stone for Bog to see. “You will do well now.”

  He smiled at the memory. It was not only him and Bog anymore. Now they had Anin and their family would grow. They would have a daughter first if Anin proved to be from the Wyse Tribe. His smile grew at the thought of a small lass just like Anin and he would protect his daughter as fiercely as he protected her mum.

  “That is quite a smile you wear. I take it your wife pleases you?” Wrath said with a chortle as he fell into step beside Paine.

  “Very much,” Paine said his smile softening.

  “At least you two have time to enjoy each other, since there is no telling what will happen when her mum and da arrive.”

  “Their arrival matters not to me. The King has joined us and nothing can separate Anin from me.” He had lost far too much once. He would not allow that to happen again.

  Paine entered the feasting house, his smile gone.

  A few steps in, he and Wrath turned to the left and entered through the open door of the Council Chambers. Wrath acknowledged two of the King’s personal guards who stood to either side of the door. The room held a long table with benches on either side and a single bench at one end. A fire pit sat in the middle of the room and narrow tables sat against the other walls. On the tables were different projects, on a smaller scale and in various stages of construction, created by the King.

  Paine admired the King’s many skills, especially the ability to create things others thought impossible or nonsense. He had helped the King work on many of the small scale dwellings since the day he had pointed out why one of the structures would not hold as the King had planned. He was most proud of the feasting house with not only a second floor, but the two rooms that extended off to the sides. It had taken much work and many changes to secure the strength of the dwelling, but they had done it and it was an example of the King’s brilliance.

  Paine was not part of the High Council, though he was summoned to a meeting when necessary, so he took a stance behind Wrath as the warrior took a seat at the table.

  The High Council was comprised of seven. Gelhard was High Counselor, the most important person on the counsel next to the King. Wrath was the commander of the King’s Personal Guard and often confidant of the King, to the annoyance of the others. Midrent was the Tariff Collector and charged with collecting a portion of what each tribe owed the King. Ebit was the Crop Master charged with the field workers. Bodu was the Master Constructer charged with building. Tarn was the Warrior Commander charged with all of the King’s troops and the King was the seventh to make up the High Counsel. His decisions were law.

  All stood when King Talon entered the room and did not sit until he took his place at the head of the table.

  “I will hear from Ebit first,” the King ordered.

  Ebit stood. He was not a man you would expect to be in charge of anything. He was short and thin and his hands trembled at times, but Paine had learned early on that the King knew people well and placed them where they would benefit the tribe the most.

  Ebit was far wiser than others when it came to planting an abundant and successful crop and dealing with those who worked the fields. His report was brief as usual, finishing with, “The last of the crop is being harvested and with the tariffs collected we are well prepared for the earth to sleep and regain strength.”

  “You do well, Ebit,” the King praised and looked to Bodu.

  Bodu stood as Ebit sat. Bodu was a man of strength and it showed in his large size. He was a stern taskmaster but could often be found drinking mead and telling tales at night with the men who served him.

  His report was brief as well. “The cold will be upon us soon enoug
h and since we finished the new storehouse in less time than planned, I have the men helping the people make repairs to their dwellings before the cold sets in.”

  “Well done,” The King said.

  “Midrent,” the King said and the man stood. “Have the Drust improved their conditions or do we still continue to supply them with needed food?”

  Midrent shook his head. “They continue to do poorly, my King, though I do not understand why. We have replaced their old animals that could birth no more with young ones that should be doing well. Their land is another matter. It still does not flourish as it once did, so we continue to supply what they need. I put together a large stock that should see them through the land’s rest and sent it to them. I wanted to be sure they got it before the cold settles in.”

  “Who reports on the Drust to you?” the King asked.

  “Whoever Tarn assigns the task to,” Midrent answered with a glance to Tarn.

  “Anything else to report?” King Talon asked, keeping his eyes on Midrent.

  The man detailed a few problems here and there, and the King advised as to how they were to be handled and then dismissed Midrent, Ebit, and Bodu.

  “Sit, Paine,” the King ordered after the three men left the room.

  Paine took the bench next to Wrath.

  King Talon looked from his High Counselor to his Warrior Commander. “You both were informed that a Drust was found, tortured, and died here last night. More are in the vicinity and more will come and war will once again bloody our land. I want this stopped before it can start. There is a traitor among us and I want him found so that Paine may take his head.”

  ~~~

  Anin liked Bethia. She wore a smile, on a face that was worn more from the trails of life than years. Her gray hair barely reached her shoulders and she kept it tucked behind her ears. She was taller, by a good head, than Anin and much too thin. Anin did not have to touch her to know she had suffered much in her life.

  “I am so pleased, Paine has wed. He is a good man,” Bethia said as she crushed dried plant leaves on a smooth rock with a smaller, smooth rock.

  Anin sat with Bethia on the ground outside the woman’s dwelling. “I keep telling him that he is a good man, but he refuses to believe me. I am glad someone else feels the same. Though, I wish others felt the same. No one will even acknowledge him with a simple nod.”

  “It comes with his chore, pay it no heed.”

  That was difficult for Anin to do. While it might not bother Paine, she worried what harm it would bring when they had children. Would they be ignored because their father was the executioner?

  Bethia distracted her from her disturbing thoughts by asking her about her family. The two women were soon laughing at Anin’s tales about growing up with four brothers and being the daughter of a Lammok warrior.

  “Forgive me for intruding,” a young woman, cradling a baby, said from a few steps away.

  “Simi,” Bethia greeted with a smile, though when she saw the worried look on the young woman’s face, she quickly got to her feet. “What is wrong?”

  “Wren is still not well,” she said her dark eyes flaring with fear.

  “Let me have a look,” Bethia said softly and Simi gently handed the fussing bairn out to her.

  “He does not sleep well or eat well and cries often.”

  From the tired look of the mum and how thin she was, it appeared to Anin that the young woman was suffering from the same as the bairn.

  Bethia looked the babe over, touching him here and there. “He seems a fit lad.”

  “He fusses all the time and takes from my breast hungrily at times and other times barely suckles, and he wakes often crying.”

  “Let us talk,” Bethia said and turned to Anin, handing her the bairn before walking a distance away with Simi.

  Anin was only too happy to care for the bairn and she cradled him in the crook of her arm and spoke soothingly to him. He continued to fuss and let out a cry now and then. Anin quickly laid her hand to his chest to see if she could discover what was causing his discomfort.

  With the bairn only having been born a few moon cycles ago, Anin did not have to wade through various feelings to discover what bothered the child. She cringed when she felt his hunger. From what she felt, there would be no soothing him until he ate and as soon as Bethia and Simi joined her, she quickly said, “He is hungry.”

  Simi stared at her. “He just fed. That cannot be and how do you know that?”

  Anin had been so concerned for the child that she had not given thought to how her words would be received, though she was quick to cover her stumble. “He suckled my finger eagerly.” She placed her finger at his tiny mouth and he sucked on it frantically.

  “I believe it would be wise if another mum helped you to feed Wren,” Bethia said and reached out to give the bairn’s tiny hand a light squeeze. “You may not be producing enough milk for this hungry, little fellow.”

  “You think that is all it is?” Simi said her face brightening.

  “I believe so,” Bethia assured her. “It happens sometimes and there are always mums willing to share their abundance of milk. Haddie recently mentioned that her breasts are left heavy, her little lass not as hungry as her other children when born. I am sure she will be only too glad to help you.”

  Simi reached for her son, eager to have him in her arms. “I will go see her now. She went to turn away, then stopped and smiled at Anin. “I am grateful for your help. If you should need something, I will be only too glad to oblige.”

  Bethia spoke up. “Anin could use a friend. She wed Paine yesterday.”

  Simi took a step back. “Bless you for being so brave, having the executioner forced on you.”

  Anin smiled. “Paine was not forced on me. I gladly wed him. I care deeply for him and I am proud to be his mate. He is a good man.”

  Simi stared at her, looking bewildered.

  “You should hurry,” Anin said, “Wren is hungry.”

  Simi nodded and appeared glad to hurry off.

  “Are you sure you do not have the gift of healing?” Bethia asked, returning to sit on the ground to continue her task. “You seemed to understand the bairn’s problem by simply holding him.”

  “I am no healer,” Anin said, “and it is time I take my leave and explore the place that is now my home.”

  “Do visit me often,” Bethia said and Anin assured her she would.

  Bog left the spot by Bethia’s dwelling where he had sat waiting for Anin and joined her, though instead of exploring the village, she returned home. Bog stretched out in front of her when she sat on the bench not far from the door, her thoughts troubling.

  She felt like a prisoner, though no shackles bound her, her abilities or curse, whatever it might be, had made her one. First, her mum had forbidden her to speak of it and now the King had forbidden her to speak of it.

  Be who you are.

  It was easy for the Giantess to say that, she was feared, whereas Anin feared anyone learning of her secret. But was her secret her mum had once called a curse, no curse at all? What if it was part of her as she had come to believe? Could that be what the Giantess meant? But if her ability was made known how would others treat her? Would they avoid her like they do Paine? Would they believe her evil?

  Why? Why must she be different?

  ~~~

  Paine sat silent as the others spoke, watching each one, listening to what they had to say.

  “Anyone could have taken one of my warrior’s hooded-cloaks and then returned it,” Tarn said as they discussed what was known about the traitor.

  “You mean my warriors,” King Talon said, turning a scowl on Tarn.

  “Forgive me, my King,” Tarn said hastily and looked to Paine. “You can tell us nothing more?”

  “That was all I saw.”

  “It could be anyone,” Gelhard said and turned to Tarn. “Have any trackers been sent out recently?”

  “The trackers are good men and loyal to the King,�
�� Tarn said annoyed. “What of your personal guard, Gelhard.”

  “You dare accuse one of my men or is it me who you truly accuse?” Gelhard challenged.

  “Enough!” the King said, bringing his fist down on the table and looked to Tarn. “You will take men out and search for the other Drust that are here. Make certain you capture them all, but bring one back alive so that Paine can question him.”

  “As you wish, my King,” Tarn said with a respectful nod.

  “Go see to it now,” the King ordered and just before he reached the door the King called out to him. “Do not fail me, Tarn.”

  Tarn turned and nodded. “I will see it done, my King.”

  King Talon turned to Gelhard once the door closed. “You know everything that goes on here. Have you heard anything about the supplies we have been sending to the Drust not reaching them?”

  Gelhard appeared stunned. “I have heard no such thing. If that is true, then it is being kept very much a secret.”

  “A secret is being kept from you?” the King said in a tone that questioned strongly, though he gave Gelhard no chance to respond. “To achieve such a feat more than one person has to be involved in this? It would take several men to see the supplies we send disappear. And it is difficult to keep secrets when more than one person is involved. Others know about this. Find out who they are and bring that information to me.”

  The King’s word set Paine to thinking. The King was right about secrets. The more people who knew about a secret, the less likely there was a chance of it being kept a secret for too long. If he was right about Anin being part of the Wyse Tribe and it had been kept a secret since she was born, then her mum had to be the only one who knew about it. But how had it all come about?

  “As you wish, my King,” Gelhard said, “but I would consider that this has something to do with the rumblings that you have wed twice and still have not produced a son, no child at all. There are those who fear Pict rule will end, possibly cease to exist if you do not do your duty and produce a son.”