Warwolfe (de Wolfe Pack Book 0)(104)

It was a disheartening tale but, given Alary’s scope of evil, not surprising. “I am sorry to hear that,” Gaetan said. “Has he ever tried to come to your village? It is not terribly far from his seat of Tenebris.”

Antillius shook his head. “He has been in our lands but he had never come close to our home,” he said, “although there are other tribes about that have attacked us from time to time.”

Gaetan listened with interest, mostly for his own education on the tribes in the area. “Warring tribes?”

Antillius nodded. “Mostly,” he said. “Or, they want our women. We keep a very close watch on our women. There is one tribe that tries quite frequently to steal our woman; we call them the Homines Ossium. No one really knows their true name, but they wear the bones of their dead ancestors in great necklaces because they believe the bones of the dead will bless them with the strength of the man the bones once served. Some of the necklaces are quite heavy and elaborate.”

Gaetan wasn’t sure he liked the sound of savages wearing bones. “Where do they live?”

Antillius pointed off to the east. “On the other side of the great river is a valley. They have dug holes into the sides of the hills and they live inside of them. They live like animals and they fight like animals as well. We tell our children frightening tales of the Men of Bones so that the little ones do not wander away from the village.”

Gaetan wriggled his eyebrows in agreement. “It sounds as if those tales are more truth than fable,” he said. “Someone told me these lands are called the shadowlands, where the land itself is cursed. Mayhap that is not far from the truth in some cases.”

Antillius shook his head. “It is not, I assure you,” he said. “Now, you have asked me many questions, King of the Bretons. I would like to ask you some questions as well.”

Gaetan grinned. “My ancestors were the kings of Breton,” he corrected. “The last time I checked, that was not my title.”

“But you have one.”

Gaetan nodded. “Marquis Aulerci. That is the hereditary title of the heirs of Mateudoi, the last King of the Bretons.”

Antillius was clearly impressed. “You must command a great many men.”

“I command enough.”

“I would believe that. Which is why I would like to know why you are only traveling with nine warriors. Should you not bring more men if you are to extract your comrade from Alary’s clutches?”

They were heading into an area where Gaetan wanted to be particularly careful. He didn’t want to speak on how Kristoph was abducted or how they, and an entire Norman army, had come to the shores of England.

“I have two thousand men with me but Alary discovered that we were coming for our comrade and threatened his life,” he said. “I left my men back in a town called Westerham. I believe my knights and I can rescue our friend. We are skilled and resourceful.”

Antillius cocked his head in a dubious gesture. “I admire your bravery, my friend, but surely Alary carries more than nine men with him,” he said. “Tenebris is a dark and mysterious place to the north. I do not know how many men he has there, but there will be more than just a few.”

“Any Norman knight in battle is worth twenty Saxons.”

“And you are confident as well.”

“You’ve not see us fight.”

Antillius grinned. Then, he laughed, looking around the table to the men who were stuffing themselves on the pork and pies. “You are as big as mountains, all of you,” he said. “It would be a terrifying thing to meet you in battle. I pray that I never will.”

Gaetan gave him a half-grin. “You almost did today when you ambushed us with your arrows.”

Antillius waved him off. “I fear we would have lost too many men in that fight,” he said. “We may have had the advantage, but in the end, I would have had to sacrifice a few. Our numbers are not so great that we can afford to lose men.”

“Why is that?”

Antillius’ good humor faded. “Our numbers are less and less every year,” he replied. “Our people have been here for hundreds of years, de Wolfe, and we do not marry allii unless it is absolutely necessary. That means we marry within our tribe and, over the years, we are less and less. There are fewer babies born every year. I fear that someday we will die out completely unless we find new and worthy men to marry our women.”

That comment caused every Norman but Gaetan to look straight at his food and pretend to be occupied with it, for no one wanted to get roped into a marital commitment with a father looking for worthy men for his daughters. Gaetan saw the heads go down and he laughed to himself.

“Not to worry,” he told Antillius. “I am sure you will find worthy husbands for your women, in time. It would be an honor for any man to become part of your tribe, as you are excellent fighters. I could see that earlier today even though a sword was not drawn nor a weapon thrown. It is clear your men are great warriors themselves. In fact, I shall deem all of them honorary Normans. It will be a bond between your men and mine so that, in the future, we shall remember that bond and hold to it.”

Antillius was greatly flattered. “We do not have allies,” he said. “We have always kept to ourselves. We are quite honored by your declaration.”

Gaetan held up a cup to the man as if to toast him. “And I will christen you and your family the House of de Shera, as you must have a Norman name now. Shericus is the ancient name of old, a name of great honor. De Shera is a name for a house that will evolve into greatness.”