XXXIII
There was a man called Rogyoro. He was beholden to Yalmalo Rogwalonnan when he was the Steward of Ennaslad, and when he went north with the king, so too did Rogyoro. He proved himself to be a stalwart fighter, but nonetheless a shrewd and discerning fellow. Though Yalmalo died at Falswol, Rogyoro survived the battle, choosing not to avenge his lord, but to save himself, and likewise survived the war. He returned to Pearmol with Karvalo, and there he became a distinguished member of Gonwela’s retinue. Neither she nor Karvalo held his betrayal of Yalmalo against him.
Rogyoro later took up the Stewardship of Syarglad. Syarglad was a steward town of the Lordship of Samnew, but the steward was customarily appointed instead by the Lord of Pearmol. The previous holder was Alfrela, the youngest daughter of Gonwela, although Arleno, Lord of Samnew, was the one to offer it. He sought to make amends following the death of her husband, Godmalo, whom he had so eagerly sent off to war. Alfrela did not want to accept this. Her heart was yet much too heavy for one so young, but her mother forced her.
‘Foolish girl,’ said Gonwela. ‘I raised you better than to turn your nose up at a hot meal freely given. You will accept this offer, or you will regret it.’
And Alfrela, the canny lass, managed both. She accepted Arleno’s offer, and she held the stewardship for nine years, hating each twice as much as the last, until she could bear it no longer. She cast aside her lordly life and went southwards to Baklalonn, where she became a priest for a while.
Gonwela then granted the stewardship to Rogyoro, and Arleno concurred. Upon Gonwela’s death, Karvalo made his own oath with Rogyoro, reaffirming his position. Rogyoro would hold the Stewardship of Syarglad for very many years thereafter.
When Arleno himself died, he was, of course, succeeded by Trewgeo. He deemed Rogyoro to be little more than Karvalo’s lapdog intruding in another lord’s domain, and he wanted nothing more than to oust him from the town. This did not come to pass, however, for Trewgeo was counselled against it.
‘Rogyoro is a man of utmost honour,’ said his uncle Kardano. ‘I have fought beside him, and I know him to be true. He may be Karvalo’s man, but he will serve you just as nobly, if only you would let him.’
‘And furthermore,’ said his aunt Yorrona, ‘it would be best not to provoke Karvalo if you can help it. I understand you have your differences, but you must put yourself above them if you are to hold your lordship with dignity.’
‘That is no concern,’ said Trewgeo. ‘I have the king behind me. Karvalo is a bull-man, but even he knows when to lift his horns.’
To this, Yorrona said, ‘Heed me, Trewgeo. Do not count upon the king to free you from the consequences of your every fault. He is a valuable ally, but he will not swim to your rescue if you choose to drown yourself.’
Trewgeo did as Yorrona bade. He did not oust Rogyoro from Syarglad, but neither did he give him his blessing.
So things were quiet for Rogyoro until a year or so later. That was shortly after Karvalo discovered Trewgeo had been responsible for the failures of his sheriffs. He went to Syarglad to make an agreement with Rogyoro.
‘This matter,’ said Karvalo, ‘cannot be resolved peacefully. When the time comes, I bid you stand not beside your lord by right, but by the lord who stands beside you. And worry not about your mutual oaths. I will not ask you to break them before Trewgeo breaks them himself.’
‘There is no need to worry about that,’ said Rogyoro, ‘for no such oaths yet bind us.’
Then Karvalo went home, and he was right chuffed with himself.
Early in the following year, Karvalo visited Rogyoro again, and he asked him to invite Trewgeo to Syarglad. Trewgeo accepted the invitation, but he did so begrudgingly. When he arrived, he came to the gate and demanded to be let in, but the gate did not move. He called out again and again, and he received no reply, until Karvalo appeared atop it.
‘Trewgeo!’ he said. ‘Welcome to Syarglad. Tell me, why is it I must suffer you now?’
‘Bah!’ said Trewgeo. ‘I have no time for this.’
‘You always have time for me, man. Indeed, you seem to have no time for anyone else, or is your wife merely too timid to ever be seen? If only you were the same.’
‘I did not come here to listen to your bluster. Where is Rogyoro?’
‘Rogyoro has nothing to do with our meeting here, nor will he. You will not turn him against me.’
Trewgeo now understood what Karvalo meant, and a great anger welled within his breast, but he held it in.
Karvalo continued, ‘You want to take my sheriffs from me? Then I will take your steward, for such is my right. Your domain is mine, your hall mine, your life mine. You will not step foot beyond this gate unless I alone will it.’
Though he was right fuming, Trewgeo turned away without a word, and he went home. Karvalo went home likewise.
Not three days later, Trewgeo, against all good advice, sent a troop to lay siege to Syarglad and force Rogyoro out. They were led by a beautiful young man named Yorvadho, and he was called Yorvadho the Tall, because he was quite tall. They set up outside the town and tried to force their way inside, but Rogyoro kept up the defence long enough to send a ship northwards to Pearmol. When Karvalo heard what was going on, he leapt up from his seat, his heart filled with as much pleasure as rage.
‘That miscreant!’ he said. ‘He will rue this day!’
Karvalo sent Awldano to ride to Syarglad with all haste and break the siege. Thalo went in his company atop relentless Ondayo, as often he was, and they reached Syarglad as the evening was setting in. Awldano held his axe aloft, let out a fearsome howl, and rushed forth his troop. The folk from Samnew saw them coming, all glittering in the sunset, and that was enough. They fled the scene before any blows could be exchanged.
Awldano brought his horsemen to a halt before the gate, where Thalo came up beside him.
‘Why are we stopping?’ he said. ‘We must follow them, run them down, and lay waste to the lot of them. Not one should leave this place alive!’
‘No,’ said Awldano. ‘There is no need for that. We were sent here to clear them off, and we have done just that.’
‘And what if they return?’
‘Then so shall we. But for now, our work is done.’
Thalo was not best pleased with this, but it was not his place to say so.
Awldano and his company spent that night at Syarglad and went home the next day.
After this affair, Trewgeo knew Karvalo would be more than willing to meet him in battle.
‘It seems,’ he said, ‘that I must get ahead of him.’
Then things were quiet for a couple of months while Trewgeo made his arrangements. As the summer was waning, he gathered his most trusted thanes and told them what he meant to do.
‘We must be the first to move,’ said Trewgeo. ‘To that end, I have devised a most cunning plan. We will muster all the might we can, force our way into Pearmol, and capture Karvalo. Then I will do with him as I will, and this will all be behind us.’
Everyone else in the room agreed that this was a terrible idea.
‘What nonsense.’ said Yorrona. ‘How do you mean to get into Pearmol? None but old Folgono have done so, and even he had to be let in.’
‘Know that I love you, nephew,’ said Kardano, ‘but never have I heard such nonsense. Such an attack would risk everything, and for what?’
‘I trust in my companions,’ said beautiful Yorvadho, ‘but we are not fit for fighting against the men of Pearmol, at least not by ourselves.’
Trewgeo said, ‘What treachery is this? Am I not the Lord of Samnew? Are you not my retinue, bound to do my bidding?’
‘You are the Lord of Samnew,’ said Yorrona, ‘bound to serve your thanes as they serve you. Sending them all to die at Pearmol is unwise.’
‘Shut up! I am your lord, so do as I say!’
Then Trewgeo left the room.
Kardano agreed to lead the attack on Pearmol, even though he knew how it would end. He was a fellow of such profound dignity, such unbending honour, that he could not refuse his lord, even if it would cost him his life. Yorrona, however, was much more reasonable. She could not let this go ahead. Thus, she gathered as many of Trewgeo’s thanes as she could and marched them into his hall to depose their lord.
‘What is the meaning of this?’ said Trewgeo.
‘You are not fit to hold the lordship,’ said Yorrona. ‘I have come to relieve you of it. Surrender to me, and there will be no need to fight.’
‘I will do no such thing!’
Then Trewgeo called forth his bodyguard, and they all set upon Yorrona and her allies. The fight was long and hard, but when it was done, Trewgeo’s side took the victory. Yorrona was captured and put in bonds, while those who had fought alongside her were all either slain or forced to flee.
Trewgeo held Yorrona captive for a few days while things settled down, after which he had her dragged outside and into the town. She was pushed down to her knees, and Kardano stood above her, his sword drawn.
‘This wretched woman,’ said Trewgeo, ‘tried to usurp my lordship. There can be forgiveness for that.’
Kardano lifted his sword, and shedding a single tear, he said, ‘Forgive me, my sister.’
Then he stabbed her through the back.
‘I am Trewgeo,’ said Trewgeo, ‘and I alone am the Lord of Samnew!’
Then he went back inside.
Although Yorrona failed to seize the lordship, her death was not wholly fruitless. These events left Trewgeo’s retinue in such a sorry state that even he could not justify attacking Pearmol. He put his plan aside, and it would never come to fruition.
On the day of Yorrona’s death, her daughter, Odwala, fled Samnew. She left in the company of only one other, an accomplished thane named Oze, who had fought alongside Yorrona, and who had since pledged themself to Odwala in her stead. Oze was sometimes called Oze the Bald, for they were bald. This was uncommon among well-to-do folk in those days, except, of course, for old men who had no say in the matter. But unlike them, Oze chose to be bald, and they often got strange looks for it.
Odwala and Oze came to Pearmol and fell upon Karvalo’s mercy.
‘I bring dire news from Samnew,’ said Odwala. ‘Lord of Pearmol, I bid you hear me and house me.’
‘Tell me what news this is,’ said Karvalo, ‘and only then will I decide what I am to do with you.’
Odwala told Karvalo all she knew. She said that Trewgeo had planned to attack Pearmol, and that Yorrona had tried to seize control of his retinue and prevent it, though she was slain in the effort.
‘A likely story,’ said Karvalo. ‘Even stones-for-brains Trewgeo would not be so reckless as to fight me here. No, he has no doubt sent his cavegirl cousin to spread lies in my house, and to thereby attempt to induce in me great folly. To that, I say this: your efforts are futile. I see through you, Odwala woman. I will house you as I house a pig set for slaughter.’
Then Karvalo had Odwala bound in ropes. Oze drew their sword to defend her, but they were bested and bound likewise, whereupon the sorry pair were dragged out of the hall and stored in the dark to await their punishment.
Yet their captivity was brief, for keen-eyed Eyge arrived the next day, and she told Karvalo about all that had happened at Samnew. She said much the same as Odwala had the day prior.
Karvalo heard this with his head shaking, and he said, ‘I dare not believe it, but you are a trustworthy pair of eyes.’
He had Odwala and Oze released immediately. When they came back to the hall, he knelt before them and offered them each his sincerest apologies.
‘But you must surely understand my need to be wary,’ he said. ‘Stay in my house awhile and let there be no need for satisfaction.’
‘I understand,’ said Odwala, and she bade Karvalo rise. ‘I fear I would have enjoyed no better treatment at home than I have here. Let there be no need for satisfaction.’
Thereafter, Odwala and Oze remained at Pearmol together, and Karvalo would in time be glad to have them. He was likewise pleased by Trewgeo’s troubles.
‘We need concern ourselves with him no longer,’ he said as he spoke with Thorreda one morning. ‘I have long sought to bring him down, but he is doing a fine enough job of it himself.’
‘Do not be complacent,’ said Thorreda. ‘Has he not proven his willingness to act without thought?’
‘Such a foe is more easily managed than one who is careful and cunning, so long as I am the mightier of us. I will not be complacent, but neither will I be too forward about things. Time has ever been my most dependable ally.’
Then they parted ways.