Kurtz, Katherine - The Legends of Camber of Culdi Trilogy [Omnibus] by Kurtz Katherine

Author:Kurtz, Katherine [Kurtz, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Science Fiction
ISBN: 9781504031202
Amazon: B01LXGL10L
Goodreads: 32606096
Publisher: Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Published: 2007-02-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

—Galatians 6:9

The alliance with Sighere somewhat changed Cinhil’s summer plans. Instead of remaining at Valoret to continue his administrative reforms, he accompanied his army into Kheldour with Jebediah and Sighere, observing with increasing interest how those two able generals subdued and consolidated the lands which Sighere had given largely in name.

His chancellor he left at the capital, to assist Queen Megan in her duties as regent during his absence and to direct further work on the judicial reforms which Cinhil proposed to treat at his Winter Court, when he returned. Rhys and Joram also stayed in Valoret, Rhys to attend the expectant queen and Joram to continue his service to the chancellor-bishop.

Almost as an afterthought, Cinhil sent a lesser portion of his army with Earls Fintan and Tamarron, to patrol the Eastmarch-Torenth borderlands and prevent any Torenthi invasion force from cutting off his main van in Kheldour. It was a wise move; for if Nimur of Torenth had contemplated such an invasion with his ransomed men, he did not follow through. In any case, all was quiet on Gwynedd’s new eastern border that summer of 906. Cinhil could never know whether or not his deterrent had been necessary.

In the north, Cinhil’s forces encountered little resistance. The greater part of Kheldour had accepted Sighere’s liberating army the previous autumn, and by now greeted the almost-legendary King Cinhil as a long-awaited friend. Rhendall was more difficult, for the rugged terrain of that mountain region afforded ample hiding places for Festillic forays against the occupying Gwynedd army. But by the end of August, even the last of the Kheldour Festils had been ferreted out of their hiding place between Rhendall’s twin lakes, the young niece and nephew of the slain Termod finally surrendering their fortress stronghold of Rhorau.

Cinhil would not allow the two to be killed, though Sighere urged it and Jebediah counseled the same; for they were, both of them, hardly more than children. Nor could he allow them to go free and breed future Festillic threats. God knew, one such threat in Torenth was enough to anticipate. Reluctantly, he consigned them to the wardenship of Sighere’s eldest son, Ewan, to whom he also gave the lordship of the entire Rhendall region. Ewan would keep the two in close but honorable captivity until the end of their days—a grim fate, but not so grim as some which Cinhil had considered.

Further consolidation was also accomplished during that summer’s campaign. Hrorik, Sighere’s middle son, so distinguished himself in battle that he became a chief vassal of Cinhil in his own right, receiving most of the lands of his father’s former earldom of Eastmarch as his holding. Sighere’s youngest son, also named Sighere, was granted the new earldom to be called Marley, carved out of the northern portions of old Eastmarch, for he had also served Cinhil most valiantly. In all three of Sighere’s sons, Cinhil counted himself fortunate.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.