would have found a nursing mother for him at Braleah, and Cailin knew she would have to do something to rid herself of her milk.
Cailin took bread from the bake house and a small cheese from the dairy. The servants would have put several pitchers of water in the solar, as was the usual practice. Entering the hall, Cailin saw that Ragnar Strongspear was not there. With a chuckle she climbed up to the solar and, pulling the ladder behind her, bolted the door fast. There was no other ladder available that would reach the chamber. She would be safe for a time. Removing her tunic dress, she sighed at the sight of her soaked camisa. She pulled it off, too, and then expressed the milk from her swollen breasts into an empty basin. Immediately she felt better, and washing herself off, she put on clean garments.
She could hear fresh activity in the hall below. She had given her menservants orders to serve the evening meal as usual, and deny the intruders nothing in the way of food and drink. She had to keep Ragnar Strongspear and his men as content as possible until Wulf Ironfist returned. Cailin had absolutely no doubt that her husband would come, and when he did, he would regain Cadda-wic. No one was going to take this land from her,
'Lady? Are you in the solar?' She heard Ragnar Strongspear calling up to her. 'Lady, I would have you join us at table. Come down.'
'I am ill,' Cailin answered him. 'The excitement of today has been too much for me, Ragnar Strongspear. I must rest. It has been but a short time since I gave birth to my son. I am yet weak.'
'You would feel better, lady, if you ate. It will help to build your strength up. Come down, my little fox vixen. I will feed you dainty morsels of meat from my own plate, and give you sweet wine to ease your distress,' he told her in dulcet tones.
Cailin smothered her giggles. 'I think not, Ragnar Strongspear. I am best left alone,' she replied, and then made a series of rather convincing noises to give the impression that she was retching, and quite close to vomiting. 'Ohhhh,' she moaned, sounding quite desperate.
'Perhaps you are better alone,' he agreed nervously, and she heard him hastily moving away from below the solar door. 'I will see you tomorrow, lady.'
Nothing, Cailin thought with a mischievous grin, discouraged a lustful man from his chosen path more than a woman threatening to disgorge the contents of her stomach in his lap. She tore a chunk of bread from the loaf and sliced a wedge of cheese off the piece she had taken. She washed them down with cool water from a pitcher, and then sat down to work her tapestry.
When the light had faded from the sky, so that she could no longer see what she was doing, Cailin sat quietly listening to the sounds from the hall below. The men were growing drunk. She could tell by the high hilarity, the laughter, and the singing. Occasionally she heard the sound of breaking crockery and was angered. It was difficult obtaining good Samienware now. Eventually, however, the din lessened, and finally the hall grew silent.
Satisfied that the intruders were sleeping a drunken sleep, Cailin arose and stretched. She was exhausted with the tension involved in keeping a step ahead of Ragnar Strongspear. With her very last bit of strength, she shoved two storage chests over the solar door for extra protection. The windows were much too narrow for anyone to get through. She wondered what had happened to Aelfa. The bitch would have been the only woman in evidence tonight. Cailin removed her tunic dress and lay down in her bed space. How long would it take Wulf to return? she wondered, and then fell into an uneasy sleep.
She awoke automatically, as she always did and, arising, went to the window to look out. The sky was already growing light, and she could see smoke coming from the bake house. Her breasts were full again, and she once more expressed her milk. Cailin splashed water on her face, relieved herself, and quickly dressed. Pushing the chests away from the solar door, she slipped the bolt silently. Opening the door, she lowered the ladder to climb down into the hall.
About her she observed Ragnar Strongspear and his men sprawled in their drunken slumber. There was absolutely no sign of Aelfa, but then the wench was no longer her concern. The hall was a shambles of overturned benches and tables, broken pottery and vomit. Cailin wrinkled her nose distastefully. The rushes would have to be changed immediately. The hall door had not been bolted, and so she slipped out into the courtyard. Although the gates were barred, she could see no one on duty.
Hurrying to the bake house, she entered and asked the baker, 'Where are the men? There is no one in the yard.'
'I do not know, lady,' the baker replied nervously. 'I have not left the bake house since the intruders came. I am safest here, I think.'
'Aye,' Cailin agreed, 'you are. Do not fear, Wulf Ironfist will come soon, and then these men will be driven from Cadda-wic.'
Cailin left the bake house and hurried to the storage barn. 'Come out,' she called to the women servants. 'It is morning, and the invaders lie drunk in the hall. It is safe now.'
The women climbed up from the cellar beneath the barn and stood before their mistress. She viewed them carefully. Two were young and very pretty. They were still apt to be in danger, but the others, older and plainer, would not be unless the men were very drunk and very randy. She sent the two pretty maids to the bake house.
'Tell the baker you are to remain with him. You should be safe if you stay there. If any of Ragnar Strongspear's men come in, keep your heads down, your eyes lowered, and if you must look up, twist your faces to look ugly. It may be your only protection. Go now. The yard is safe and empty. Our men seem to have disappeared.'
The two girls ran off, and Cailin then told the remaining women, 'Go about your duties as you normally would. If Wulf Ironfist does not come today, then you must hide here again tonight. I will not be able to come for you when the time is right. You must help yourselves. It is all I can do to stay out of Ragnar Strongspear's clutches.'
The trespasser and his men finally awoke and stumbled from the hall to relieve themselves. Cailin and her women swept the hall free of debris and all signs of sickness. Fresh rushes were laid, mixed with fragrant herbs. The morning meal was served, but eaten by few before being cleared away.
Ragnar sat at the high board, a large goblet of wine gripped in his fist. 'Where are your men?' he demanded of Cailin.
'I do not know,' she said. 'I thought, perhaps, that you had locked them up somewhere. When I awoke this morning, they were gone. If they knew a means of escape, I am angry at them that they did not take me with them,' she concluded, and her irritated tone convinced him more than her words that she was speaking the truth.
He nodded. 'Very well. I see your women have returned.'
'I sent them into safe keeping for the night,' Cailin answered tartly. 'I will have no rape or abuse of the women in my charge. Where is Aelfa? I have not seen your niece all morning.'
'She is to marry Harald at Lugh. They are probably somewhere making the beast with two backs. Aelfa is a very passionate girl.'
'She has the morals of a mink,' Cailin observed dryly.
'Aye, she does,' Ragnar said with a hearty laugh. 'I have warned Harald that she will make him a very bad wife, but he is determined to have her, so what can I do? My brother has given his permission for the marriage. I could not withhold mine.'
The remainder of the day seemed to pass more slowly than any day she could remember. As the sun began to set, Cailin was pleased to see that the women had all disappeared once again. She hurried to reach the solar before Ragnar Strongspear could find and stop her. Her breasts were near to bursting with her milk, and it was already leaking through her clothing once more. Quickly climbing the ladder, she pulled it up behind her, closing and bolting the door. She shoved the clothing chests atop the door and sighed, relieved. Stripping off her garments, she reached for the basin and began to relieve herself of the pressure that was making her breasts ache so unbearably. Where was Wulf? If he didn't come soon, her milk would finally run dry. Then she would have to give her precious Royse to some other woman to nurse.
