Caradoc of the North Wind - By Allan Frewin Jones Page 0,54
yes!’ hissed Dera. ‘Once the king is in Ironfist’s hands, Llew ap Gelert will be crowned the puppet king of Powys, and will allow the Saxon armies to enter Brython – and our beloved land will be in Saxon thrall for a thousand years!’
Branwen jumped up, burning with hatred and anger for the faithless prince of Bras Mynydd. ‘So, it is as I thought,’ she cried. ‘This treaty between him and the king is all sham and pretence!’ She swept up her shield and drew her sword. ‘Let’s to his chamber and take the head from his neck while the opportunity is there!’
‘No!’ Dera’s voice was sharp. ‘He is surrounded by warriors. We would be cut down before we came close, no matter how fiercely we fought.’
‘Then we go to the king!’
‘Our word against Prince Llew’s?’ said Dera. ‘Cynon would not believe us.’
‘He will, by the Old Gods!’ growled Branwen. ‘I’ll see to that!’
‘I think not,’ insisted Dera. ‘Remember, he trusts Prince Llew – even to the point of making him overlord of all the armies of Powys.’ She rested her hands on Branwen’s shoulders. ‘Besides, he knows we hate the prince – he will think that we purpose the prince’s downfall for our own reasons.’ Branwen looked into Dera’s eyes, knowing she was speaking the truth. ‘I have a better plan, Branwen. A surer plan that will reveal Llew ap Gelert’s treachery in a way that cannot be refuted!’
‘Tell me.’
‘We two should depart Pengwern upon this moment,’ explained Dera.
‘We should go to Bwlch Crug-Glas and hide ourselves among the standing stones and await the coming of the king and Llew and Ironfist. They will be unarmed, as was agreed – but we shall keep our swords at the ready! And the moment that Prince Llew seeks to betray the king, we will rise and strike!’
‘By the Old Gods, I like that plan!’ said Branwen. ‘Three birds killed with but one stone! The king rescued, Llew ap Gelert exposed and, with luck, Ironfist run through with cold iron! But we should not go alone, Dera – we should take the others of the Gwyn Braw with us!’
‘I think not,’ Dera said again. ‘Two may hide among the stones and hope not to be seen, but our chances of being revealed too soon would increase with a greater number. And besides, we two may quit Pengwern unremarked, but if all the Gwyn Braw leave, word will get back to Prince Llew, and his suspicions be roused.’
Branwen frowned. ‘There’s sense in that,’ she admitted. ‘But what of the twenty-five that will follow? How shall we keep them at bay?’
‘If Llew is dead, I believe they will kneel to the king,’ said Dera.
Branwen smiled grimly. ‘Then Llew shall die,’ she said. ‘At my hand shall the treacherous prince meet his end – and if fate allows, my second blow will be to the heart of General Ironfist!’
Leaving Pengwern at dead of night was accomplished without too much difficulty, despite the guards on the gates. For Branwen the hardest part was creeping past the long house of the Gwyn Braw to secure their horses, without rousing her comrades for the adventure that was to come. But Dera was probably right – six riding out together would cause too much of a stir. And there was another, perhaps stronger reason why Branwen was prepared to leave her followers slumbering while she and Dera departed.
She feared that more of her comrades might die. If the Shining Ones had chosen not to protect Linette, why should Branwen assume any others of the Gwyn Braw were safe now? Better to ride into danger with Dera alone, than to drag her friends to potential destruction.
‘Who seeks to pass?’ demanded the gate guard, standing besides a blazing iron brazier and wrapped head to foot in a cloak of thick furs. His eyes narrowed as he saw who it was that had led their horses to the outer bailey. ‘What is your business outside in the deeps of the night?’
‘I have heard word,’ Branwen said, reciting the explanation that she and Dera had practised. ‘The Shining Ones wish to speak with me.’ She regarded the guard captain with a cold eye. ‘The Old Powers will not be denied, master gate warden,’ she said in a low voice. ‘Either you let us out to speak with them, or they will come here. The choice is yours.’
The man’s eyes widened in panic and a few moments later one of the gates was opened