The Rose and the Sword: Hibernia Chronicles: Book Three

By J. Scot Witty

Locked in the long frozen winter of Hibernia, Fayette, the dress maiden of the duchess of Eamhain, awaits for the return of her beloved, Dar LaCross. Still unfamiliar with the magical powers that surge through her, she struggles to wield the magic within her. Clebis DeGalis, an aging soldier charged with the protection of the kingdom, sent Dar to the land of the elves on the far side of the island to forge an alliance against the northern barbarians who had invaded the countryside. They seem very alone in their struggle until one of Clebis’s rangers returns to the kingdom with good news.

News that the Caledonian regent is still alive and is in the independent city-state of Providence to the south with his army has come to light. Clebis takes this as a good omen, while the duchess he serves finds a moment of dread within it and secretly makes a deal with the enemy chieftain, who may become her undoing. Clebis sends his trusted officers, Toran and Dar LaCross, to meet with the regent to convince him to move his legions to Eamhain. Meanwhile, the relationship between Fayette and Dar is tested by the appearance of a strange elf woman who follows Dar everywhere. A catastrophe occurs at the duchess’s castle as Dar returns to try to find his beloved and save her from the designs of the enemy chieftain.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Apr 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796021370

J. Scot Witty

An adventurous soul having hiked across the United States in his early life, J.Scot Witty became rooted in ideas rather than places. With a fascination for words,storytelling became second nature at a young age. Using his rampant imagination, he hascreated new worlds in his writing with a strong focus and preoccupation on characterbuilding. Currently living in Ithaca NY, when not writing, Witty enjoys time with his partnerand children, and playing fantasy role-playing games with the local children at the elementaryschools.During his thirty-five year tenure as a small business owner and manager, Witty hasdeveloped a strong passion for storytelling and became a game master. Witty's actual lifeexperiences, journeys, and adventures fuel an unwavering creative story and it is from herethat the writing launches. Out of his love of world history and study for many years, hebecame a teacher and is now a member of the Writers Guild of America. Witty views historythrough the lens of myth, legend, and wonder. It is with this magic that he enjoys expressingthe ideal that anything in life is possible. The struggle to answer the mystery of man's ownpotential and how it can easily go awry drives his writing.With his stories dealing mostly with the relationships of the characters and how they relateto each other, Witty hopes to effectively show how unity can still be achieved in diversity. "Asmuch as Americans in the U.S. would like to think that we are a melting pot of cultures, wehave become quite galvanized in the question of us vs them instead. Through his novels,Witty hopes to inspire hope and change as he is consistently involved with how to make adifference with today's environmental and socioeconomic issues.

Book preview

Copyright © 2019 by J. Scot Witty.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Rev. date: 03/18/2019

Xlibris

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

792700

Contents

The Waning Winter

Chapter 1 The Drums of Freedom

Chapter 2 Come What May with the Southern Wind

Chapter 3 The Balance

Chapter 4 The General’s Betrayal

Chapter 5 Off the Mark

Chapter 6 The Truth Is Not the Truth

Chapter 7 The Best-Laid Plans

Chapter 8 The Siege of Providence

Chapter 9 The General’s Last Ride

Chapter 10 The Monks of Oak and Ash

Chapter 11 Beyond the Dragon’s Keep

Chapter 12 An Exploit of Deliverance

Chapter 13 No More Secrets

To my dear friend

Hallis ‘Shapechanger’ Mailen

Who always made sure that I had my lantern and grappling hook on my travels.

The Waning Winter

That first winter in the Kingdom of Eamhain was the longest winter that Clebis DeGalis had ever experienced. The many months of below freezing temperatures that marched well into the spring that year had caused the invasions to slow to a stop over the icy plains. As the old soldier stood on the balcony that overlooked the valley, he could only imagine what fate had taken his former general since having to flee from the invading army. He, now a general in the service of the duchess of Eamhain, knew that he had to find any remnants of the once grand Caledonian legions and unite them with the local clans if Hibernia would have a chance to defend against the military might of the invaders that had captured the stronghold of the imperial government. As he stared into the darkness, searching for a sign that the snow would subside, he felt familiar hands caressing his waist and making their way around him. The smiling face of Ysbeth moved to meet his stoic appearance, forcing a smile on his face.

‘You’re worried about the boy, aren’t you?’ Ysbeth asked.

‘It is a long journey to the Eraindii, and I am sure the storm just made it longer. I just hope Ballenger and Dar are able to reach them. This storm serves as a double-edged sword,’ Clebis said.

‘How so?’ she asked as she checked on the steeping herbs that she prepared to help the old soldier sleep unburdened by nightmares that so often kept him awake.

‘To reach the Eraindii, they had to travel through the territories captured by the invaders. The storm will keep their presence hidden as they pass through the territory. The cold, I am sure, has made it dangerous to travel, but there was no other way. I only hope that they could find a way to barter a treaty with the tree people and not get themselves killed in the doing,’ Clebis explained while reaching for the cup from the outstretched hand of the duchess.

Clebis never liked the idea of having to send Dar and Ballenger in his stead. During the last days of the war with the Eraindii, Clebis had met the leaders of the mysterious forest people and managed to end the conflict. It had been a long war with many losses on both sides, and by the time Clebis had been brought into the forest, the Eraindii were ready to end the long-standing conflict. It was agreed that the imperial government would help protect the interests of the Eraindii while respecting their sovereignty. The Eraindii were invited to send diplomats to the Baile, which he thought would ensure peace between their peoples for all times. However, the Eraindii queen had never truly trusted that the Caledonian government would ever truly keep their word, and none were ever sent.

Prior to their leaving, Clebis DeGalis had given Dar his signet ring to show the Eraindii leaders that he was a representative of the promise man himself. Over the many years, there had been stories of traders and trappers who had been unfortunate enough to venture close the vast forest of the Eraindii and were killed without warning. Clebis had hoped that Dar would be able to show them the ring, identifying himself as a friend, before they killed him too.

Although the Celtic Hibernians did not know very much of the Eraindii, they had ideas about them that were coloured by the interaction their people had with one another and were considered a savage people by most. The duchess would often hear complaints from people who believed that their children had been taken by the Eraindii and replaced with children of their own. No one understood why the Eraindii would do this or what purpose it would serve, but when local lords or townspeople attempted to approach the Eraindii about this, they were always met with arrows raining down on them before they could reach the forest edge. This earned them the reputation of savage or cruel, but perhaps they were simply protecting the borders in the way many of the clans of the southern regions would protect their claims on grazing fields or fertile lands.

Savage or not, Clebis had reason to worry. He would have preferred to go and speak with the Eraindii himself since they had already known him, but the kingdom needed his expertise over the winter months to make ready for the wars that would inevitably return in the spring, after the great thaw. Clebis had thought that if all the clans of Hibernia could put aside their differences, then they could resign themselves of another invasion. The clans of Hibernia had differences that ran deep within the thoughts and feelings that kept the clans from working together on any project. Dar had a talent of bringing people together, and Clebis put his hopes in him.

‘Fayette is quite cross with us, you know. I thought she might bite my hand right off today when she, again, scolded me about letting you send Dar to those savage people,’ Ysbeth said mindlessly as she prepared another cup for herself.

‘Fayette needs to realize the greater good at work here. If we don’t get the support of the various clans, we may lose the island to these invaders. I even poured grease on the roads, and yet it seems that nothing we have done has been able to stop them,’ he explained. ‘I would have sent Dar to speak with the armies of ducks that clutter our roads if I thought it would help.’

‘She is only thinking about Dar. I think it is charming that she wants to protect him so. She will get over it in time. It’s young love. Surely you remember what that was like?’

A look of shock came over Clebis of what his ears thought they had just heard. ‘I thought you did not like the idea of them together? Didn’t you once try to have him killed or some such thing?’ Clebis asked while blowing into his cup to cool it down to drink.

‘Well, the boy has a way of growing on a person. You know, like a fungus.’ Ysbeth chuckled. ‘It seems the more you scrub at it, the more it spreads.’

Clebis and Ysbeth had grown more attached to each other since he had returned from the Baile. With his dreams of living a peaceful existence dashed into pieces with the coming of the invaders, Clebis exchanged one dream for another. He had accepted the duchess’s offer to become general in her service to train the army and protect the kingdom, which now included two former imperial legions led by Toran. The duchess had also become accustomed to consulting with Clebis on all matters of state. At court, he would stand in his uniform next to her where the chamberlain had once stood. It was a change that signified to the people that they were once again free from the oppressive conquerors who ravaged the countryside many years ago. As more cities and towns joined her, the duchess felt free at last, but for how long would it remain that way?

Although the chamberlain was still an intricate part of her government, his presence was diminished since the arrival of the ancient woman, Camille, whom he had identified as his sister. They seemed to work both night and day translating both the books that Dar had given them and learning the language of the captured soldier living in their dungeon. After several months of working in seclusion, it seemed that they had something to share at last. As the wind howled outside, a light tapping on the door interrupted their dinner. Clebis wiped his mouth and walked over to see who was at the door. Lady Ysbeth turned and urged him to get rid of whoever it was. Clebis opened the door to find the young errant boy of the chamberlain with a note. Clebis took the note and thanked the boy, who looked like he might faint at any moment. He began to open the note as the boy had run down the hallway as fast as his legs could carry him. Clebis turned, sat at the table across from the duchess, and tucked the note neatly tucked under his plate.

‘You’re not going to read it?’ Ysbeth asked.

Clebis looked up and said, ‘It’s from the chamberlain.’

‘And?’ Ysbeth asked.

‘And what?’ he teased.

‘And what does the note say?’

‘I think it can wait.’ Clebis smiled as he realized that not knowing was driving her crazy.

Ysbeth reached for the note when Clebis snatched it just before she reached it and began to read it. With his eyes darting across the piece of parchment, his lips were moving with the words, but his voice was not reading the words he was reading. Ysbeth sat patiently as she waited for him to read the note to her, but knowing that she was waiting, he did not. She tapped her finger as she waited for him to speak.

The only sound in the room while Ysbeth stared at the top of Clebis’s head was the sound of the wind and snow blowing outside the large lead-lined window. Although it was true that the duchess had always dined with attendants to serve the food, when Clebis was expected, she would dismiss the staff just before his arrival. She preferred to have a quiet supper with him, when they did not have to entertain visitors, but this was too quiet even for her.

‘What is it?’ Ysbeth asked while staring at him.

She watched as Clebis’s lips moved as he read the words on the paper again but did not say what the note was about. The chamberlain had not been seen in several months since Clebis had returned from the north with the prisoner, and she began to imagine all the things that he could have needed to inform Clebis about. Knowing that the note could not be that long, Ysbeth reached over, quickly snatched the paper from the hand of the silent Clebis, and began to read the note herself.

‘The chamberlain says that Camille has learned enough of the invader’s language for us to be able to speak with him. I should see what we could find out about the invaders tomorrow,’ Clebis said while the duchess was reading.

‘Are you daft? We should speak with them now,’ Ysbeth cried as she jumped up stood from the table. ‘Finally, we could discover what they are doing here and what their plans are. You must want to know as much as I do. After all, they destroyed the Baile and have done who knows what with all of the people you’ve known there.’

Clebis came up behind the duchess and placed his hands on her arms to soothe her tirade as he had done in times when she had gotten excited about something during their time spent together. He spoke in a calming voice.

‘My dear, anything the chamberlain needs to tell us can wait until the morning. No one, not even these invaders, are going anywhere in this storm.’

She sat in her chair and took a glass of wine handed to her by Clebis and said in a distant voice, ‘Of course, you are right. We’ve waited this long. Another few hours won’t make the difference.’

The two of them sat quietly listening to the wind howl outside, knowing that tomorrow would be a busy day for them both.

Toran had already brought the ninth legion to the city of Eamhain and was fortifying the crumbling walls. As the sun began to rise, the sound of hammers echoed through the bailey. Clebis stood at the window for a moment, admiring the work of his former sergeant as he organized his men to remove the snowdrifts to begin repairs on the ancient walls. By this time, the duchess was already hard at work in the kitchen, making bread for the people who came to work at the castle. Although the chamberlain had often reminded her that she had people to do this work for her, she felt that those who travelled to the castle to serve her needs deserved a hardy meal and to cook for them was the least that she could do to reward them for their service. The people, in turn, thought of her as a mother to them all and would do anything for her.

Clebis had never had anyone caring for him before, and there was a lift in his walk as he bounced down the main stairs. He smiled at the maids as he passed through the hall and headed for the kitchen. As the door to the kitchen swung open, Clebis stood in awe of the flurry of activity about him. The duchess, not looking much like a duchess at all, was kneading the dough for the loaves of bread. The cook, a large portly man with arms twice the size of any soldier that Clebis had ever seen, was taking the finished loaves from the large stone oven along the far wall. A small girl, the cook’s daughter, walked over to Clebis and began to push him towards the door.

‘I am sorry, Mister General, but there is important work happening here. It is too dangerous for a soldier to be in the kitchen,’ she insisted.

The duchess looked over, saw Clebis, and walked over to rescue him from the menacing child. ‘You had better watch that one. She survived the attack on Teamhrach, you know,’ she said with a smile.

‘I was heading down to see the chamberlain. I thought you wanted to be there?’ he enquired.

The duchess looked around the room at all the people hard at work and turned back to Clebis. ‘I cannot leave them. They are all working so hard. You go, talk to the prisoner, and tell me about it later,’ she said.

‘But the duchess should be present during the interrogation,’ Clebis reminded her.

Ysbeth wiped her hands on her apron, looked into Clebis’s eyes, and said, ‘Normally, my place is by your side, but right now, it is more important that I be right here doing what I am doing. Watching you illicit information from a soldier is not the work that I need to be here doing. I need to be the example and show my appreciation for my people through my actions, not just in words. Do you understand?’ Ysbeth explained.

‘Unfortunately, I do understand,’ he said with a long sigh. ‘I will find out what he has to say and report to you later.’

‘I trust that you will always do what is best for the kingdom. You do not need me to be leering over you at every step,’ she added.

‘It is just the soldier in me that would want you there to bear witness in case something would come up later. I will do my best to get what we need while being your representative to the foreigner. After all, his people will judge all of us on how we treat this man.’ Clebis smiled.

As he turned away, Lady Ysbeth called out to him, ‘Thank you.’

Clebis stopped, smiled, and then resumed walking towards the door of the courtyard. It was cold outside even with the furs that he had stopped to put on. Approaching the door, the soldier stepped aside, but the door was frozen shut. Clebis pushed as hard as he could, but it would take him throwing his shoulder into it before it would snap open. The shivering soldiers pulled the door shut, hoping to capture the escaping heat. Walking across the courtyard, Clebis called to Toran, who was micromanaging the carpenter-soldiers to their chagrin. When Toran saw Clebis walking across the courtyard, he waved and leaped off the scaffolding, making three landings before reaching the ground. Smiling, he took wide strides, making it over to where Clebis was walking.

Clebis shook his head in disbelief of the men working in such weather. ‘I cannot believe you are working in this cold.’

Toran looked around as if he was unaware of the snow around him and said, ‘The repairs are going well, don’t you think?’

‘At the rate they are working, your men should have the battlements fully repaired by the thaw. Hey, have you heard from any of the scouts that we sent to look for the imperial soldiers?’ Clebis asked.

‘None have returned, but in this weather, I am not expecting anyone ’til it be warmin’ up,’ Toran explained.

Clebis stopped his stride in the middle of the courtyard when he noticed Lady Fayette standing on the tower looking over the countryside with her glass, searching for any signs of Dar and Ballenger. He let out a sigh while he also wondered if his two friends were all right. Toran heard his anguish and said, ‘She has been going up there every morning since the spring ceremony. She thinks they should have returned by now. Do you think something might have happened to them?’

‘It is not much of a spring, but we can only hope that they will be home soon and that they have been successful in their mission. Our survival may depend on it,’ Clebis added and then turned his gaze towards the serious face of Toran. ‘If they fail to secure a treaty with the Eraindii, the only thing between us and the invaders will be the walls that you and your team are repairing.’

‘I will have them finished before the thaw. You have my word on that,’ Toran said with pride.

‘See to it then,’ Clebis ordered and then watched as Toran bounced across the courtyard to resume his work. There had not been a single report since the snow began of an attack throughout the Marche, but Clebis knew that this moment of peace would soon come to an end. He needed to learn as much about the invaders as he could learn from the prisoner sitting in the dungeon. As he continued to walk towards the heavy hard wood door to the dungeon, a stream of water splashed against his shoulder. Clebis took a step back and looked up to see where it was coming from. A sheet of ice had precariously slid forward on to the edge of the roof. It was melting, and that could only mean one thing, spring was coming, and with it, war would follow.

Clebis closed the heavy door behind him and took his heavy fur off. There was a place by the door where two soldiers stood where he hung his coat up. The air was stagnated and had a musty smell, but a fire at the bottom of a large metal couldcaldron helped to keep the corridors to the cells warm. Torches lit the way to the cells where they held the prisoners. Clebis opened atiny trap door smaller than his fist designed to check on the prisoner before he opened the cell door. The chamberlain and Camille were still inside, talking to the prisoner. The door let out a creak when it swung open. The guard outside locked it back up after the door swung back into place.

Clebis tapped Camille on the shoulder and asked, ‘Can you translate for me?’

She nodded, and they began. ‘Are you being treated well, and are you getting enough food?’ Clebis opened his discussion with some small talk.

As Camille spoke in his language, the man nodded and smiled. He began to say words and made gestures that Clebis could not make out what he was referring to and waited for Camille to translate. ‘He says that he is a scout and that when his chieftain arrives, he will tell him of the good treatment that he has been receiving.’

‘Great! Now we are getting somewhere!’ Clebis exclaimed. ‘When will his chieftain arrive in Hibernia?’

Camille began to translate, but the man began answering before she finished. ‘You have misunderstood. He is already in Hibernia. He will be coming here to this city.’

An expression of surprise came over Clebis, and he asked, ‘Why have you and your people come here? What do you want?’

The large soldier smiled and began to laugh. He took a drink of water from a bucket in the corner of the room and began, ‘Cedric, chieftain of the northern reaches, intends on taking your green jewel until every parcel of fertile