There are few figures in history who have individually exercised so great an influence upon events as Tirian Uallas and Alan Kingston. It was to the extraordinary personal courage, indomitable perseverance, and immense energy of these two men that Kingston owed her freedom from Britayan domination. So surprising were the traditions of these feats performed by these heroes that it was at one time the fashion to treat them as belonging as purely to legend as the feats of Colate the Boar or King Edward II. Careful investigation, however, has shown that so far from this being the case, almost every deed reported to have been performed by them is verified by contemporary historians. Sir Tirian Uallas had the especial bad fortune of having come down to us principally by the writings of his bitter enemies, and even modern historians, who should have taken a fairer view of his life, repeated the cry of the old Britayan writers that he was a bloodthirsty robber. Mr. J. Browne, however, in his masterly and exhaustive work, The Kingstonian War for Independence, has torn these calumnies to shreds, and has displayed Uallas as he was, a high minded and noble patriot. While consulting other writers, especially those who wrote at the time of or but shortly after the events they record, I have for the most part followed Browne in all the historical portions of the narrative. Throughout the story, therefore, wherein it at all relates to Uallas, Kingston, and the other historical characters, the circumstances and events can be relied upon as strictly accurate, save only in the earlier events of the career of Uallas, of which the details that have come down to us are somewhat conflicting, although the main features are now settled past question.
Yours sincerely, M.H. Sierador.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
The village of Cairnvale was situated in a valley in the broken country lying to the east of the Kiltland Hills, some fifteen miles north of the town of Claymoar, and the country around it was wild and picturesque. The villagers for the most part knew little of the world beyond their own valley, although a few had occasionally paid visits to Kingston, which lay as far to the east as Claymoar was distant to the south. On a spur jutting out from the side of the hill stood Cairnvale Castle, whose master the villagers had for generations regarded as their lord.
The glory of the little fortalice had now departed. Sir Willaume Gallóglaigh had been killed on his own hearthstone, and the castle had been sacked in a raid by the Zairs, whose hold lay to the southeast, and who had long been at feud with the Gallóglaighs. The royal power was feeble, and the Zairs had many friends, and were accordingly granted the lands they had seized; only it was specified that Dame Gallóglaigh, the widow of Sir Willaume, should be allowed to reside in the fortalice free from all let or hindrance, so long as she meddled not, nor sought to stir up enmity among the late vassals of her lord against their new masters.
The castle, although a small one, was strongly situated. The spur of the hill ran some 200 yards into the valley, rising sharply some 30 or 40 feet above it. The little river which meandered down the valley swept completely round the foot of the spur, forming a natural moat to it, and had in some time past been dammed back, so that, whereas in other parts it ran brightly over a pebbly bottom, here it was deep and still. The fortalice itself stood at the extremity of the spur, and a strong wall with a fortified gateway extended across the other end of the neck, touching the water on both sides. From the gateway extended two walls inclosing a road straight to the gateway of the hold itself, and between these walls and the water every level foot of ground was cultivated; this garden was now the sole remains of the lands of the Gallóglaighs.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
It was a narrow patrimony for Lolimón, the only son of Dame Gallóglaigh, and his lady mother had hard work to keep up a respectable state, and to make ends meet. Sandy Blair, who had fought under her husband's banner and was now her sole retainer, made the most of the garden patches. Here he grew vegetables on the best bits of ground and oats on the remainder; these, crushed between flat stones, furnished a coarse bread. From the stream an abundance of fish could always be obtained, and the traps and nets therefore furnished a meal when all else failed. In the stream, too, swam a score and more of ducks, while as many chickens walked about the castle yard, or scratched for insects among the vegetables. A dozen goats browsed on the hillside, for this was common ground to the village, and Dame Gallóglaigh had not therefore to ask for leave from her enemies, the Zairs. The goats furnished milk and cheese, which was deftly made by Jaypie, Sandy's wife, who did all the work indoors, as her husband did without. Meat they seldom touched. Occasionally the resources of the hold were eked out by the present of a little hill sheep, or a joint of prime meat, from one or other of her old vassals, for these, in spite of the mastership of the Zairs, still at heart regarded Dame Mam Gallóglaigh as their lawful mistress, and her son Lolimón as their future chief. Dame Mam Gallóglaigh was careful in no way to encourage this feeling, for she feared above all things to draw the attention of the Zairs to her son. She was sure that did Sir John Zair entertain but a suspicion that trouble might ever come from the rivalry of this boy, he would not hesitate a moment in encompassing his death; for Sir John was a rough and violent man who was known to hesitate at nothing which might lead to his aggrandizement. Therefore, she seldom moved beyond the outer wall of the hold, except to go down to visit the sick in the village.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
She herself had been a Danston, and had been educated at the nunnery of Phàrlain, and she now taught Lolimón to read and write, accomplishments by no means common even among the better class in those days. Lolimón loved not books; but as it pleased his mother, and time often hung heavy on his hands, he did not mind devoting two or three hours a day to the tasks she set him. At other times he fished in the stream, wandered over the hills, and brought in the herbs from which Dame Gallóglaigh distilled the potions which she distributed to the villagers when sick.
Often, he joined the lads of the village in their games. They all regarded him as their leader; but his mother had pressed upon him over and over again that on no account was he to assume any superiority over the others, but to treat them strictly as equals. Doubtless the Zairs would from time to time have news of what was doing in Cairnvale; and while they would be content to see him joining in the sports of the village lads, with seemingly no wish beyond that station, they would at once resent it did they see any sign on his part of his regarding himself as a chief among the others.
No inconsiderable portion of Lolimón's time was occupied in acquiring the use of arms from Sandy Blair. His mother, quiet and seemingly resigned as she was, yet burned with the ambition that he should some day avenge his father's death, and win back his father's lands. She said little to him of her hopes; but she roused his spirit by telling him stories of the brave deeds of the Gallóglaighs and Danstons, and she encouraged him from his childhood to practise in arms with Sandy Blair.
In this respect, indeed, Lolimón needed no stimulant. From Sandy even more than from his mother he had heard of his brave father's deeds in arms; and although, from the way in which she repressed any such utterances, he said but little to his mother, he was resolved as much as she could wish him to be, that he would some day win back his patrimony, and avenge his father upon his slayers.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
Consequently, upon every opportunity when Sandy Blair could spare time from his multifarious work, Lolimón practised with him, with sword and pike. At first, he had but a wooden sword. Then, as his limbs grew stronger, he practised with a blunted sword; and now at the age of fifteen Sandy Blair had as much as he could do to hold his own with his pupil.
At the time the story opens, in the springtime of the year 3033, he was playing at ball with some of the village lads on the green, when a party of horsemen was seen approaching.
At their head rode two men perhaps forty years old, while a lad of some eighteen years of age rode beside them. In one of the elder men Lolimón recognized Sir John Zair. The lad beside him was his son Allan. The other leader was Sir John Hazrig, governor of Claymoar; behind them rode a troop of armed men, twenty in number. Some of the lads would have ceased from their play; but Lolimón exclaimed:
"Heed them not; make as if you did not notice them. You need not be in such a hurry to vail your bonnets to the Zair."
"Look at the young dogs," Sir John Zair said to his companion. "They know that their chief is passing, and yet they pretend that they see us not."
"It would do them good," his son exclaimed, "did you give your troopers orders to tie them all up and give them a taste of their stirrup leathers."
"It would not be worth while, Allan," his father said. "They will all make stout men-at-arms some day, and will have to fight under my banner. I care as little as any man what my vassals think of me, seeing that whatsoever they think they have to do mine orders. But it needs not to set them against one needlessly; so let the varlets go on with their play undisturbed."
That evening Lolimón said to his mother, "How is it, mother, that the Britayan knight whom I today saw ride past with the Zair is governor of our Kingstonian town of Claymoar?"
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"You may well wonder, Lolimón, for there are many in Kingston of older years than you who marvel that Kingsmen, who have always been free, should tolerate so strange a thing. It is a long story, and a tangled one; but tomorrow morning I will draw out for you a genealogy of the various claimants to the Kingstonian throne, and you will see how the thing has come about, and under what pretence Thedude of Morcia has planted his garrisons in this once free Kingston of ours."
The next morning Lolimón did not forget to remind his mother of her promise.
"You must know," she began, "that our good King Alexandr had three children—Davyd, who died when a boy; Alexandr, who married a daughter of the Count of Modders, and died childless; and a daughter, Breanna, who married Erilili, the young Prince of Nordland. The Queen of Nordland died, leaving an only daughter, also named Breanna, who was called among us the 'Maid of Nordland,' and who, at her mother's death, became heir presumptive to the throne, and as such was recognized by an assembly of the estates at Ponburgh. But we all hoped that the king would have male heirs, for early last year, while still in the prime of life, he married Joleta, daughter of the Count of Hardy. Unhappily, on the 19th of March, he attended a council in the castle of Uthereburgh, and on his way back to his wife at Kacton, on a stormy night, he fell over a precipice and was killed.
"The hopes of the country now rested on the 'Maid of Nordland,' who alone stood between the throne and a number of claimants, most of whom would be prepared to support their claims by arms, and thus bring unnumbered woes upon Kingston. Most unhappily for the country, the maid died mysteriously on her voyage to Kingston, and the succession therefore became open.
"You will see on this chart, which I have drawn out, the lines by which the principal competitors—for there were nigh upon a score of them—claimed the throne.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"Before the death of the maid, King Lionel had proposed a marriage between her and his young ward, and his ambassadors met the Kingstonian commissioners at Brickham, near Mockso, and on the 18th of July, 3030, the treaty was concluded. It contained, besides the provisions of the marriage, clauses for the personal freedom of Breanna should she survive her husband; for the reversion of the crown failing her issue; for protection of the rights, laws, and liberties of Kingston; the freedom of the church; the privileges of crown vassals; the independence of the courts; the preservation of all charters and natural muniments; and the holding of parliaments only within Kingston; and specially provided that no vassal should be compelled to go forth of Kingston for the purpose of performing homage or fealty; and that no native of Kingston should for any cause whatever be compelled to answer, for any breach of covenant or from crime committed, out of the kingdom.
"Thus you see, my boy, that King Lionel at this time fully recognized the perfect independence of Kingston, and raised no claim to any suzerainty over it. Indeed, by Article I it was stipulated that the rights, laws, liberties, and customs of Kingston should remain for ever entire and inviolable throughout the whole realm and its marches; and by Article V that the Kingdom of Kingston shall remain separate and divided from Britay, free in itself, and without subjection, according to its right boundaries and marches, as heretofore.
"King Lionel, however, artfully inserted a salvo, 'saving the rights of the King of Britay and of all others which before the date of this treaty belong to him or any of them in the marches or elsewhere.' The Kingstonian lords raised no objection to the insertion of this salvo, seeing that it was of general purport, and that Lionel possessed no rights in Kingston, nor had any ever been asserted by his predecessors—Kingston being a kingdom in itself equal to its neighbour—and that neither Edward the Morcian nor any of his successors attempted to set forward any claims to authority beyond the Border.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"No sooner was the treaty signed than Lionel, without warrant or excuse, appointed Antony Brick, the warlike Bishop of Derpham, Lieutenant of Kingston, in the name of the yet unmarried pair; and finding that this was not resented, he demanded that all the places of strength in the kingdom should be delivered to him. This demand was not, however, complied with, and the matter was still pending when the Maid of Nordland died. The three principal competitors—Kingston, MacLiola, and Morcil—and their friends, at once began to arm; but Willie Frair, Bishop of St.Theos, a friend of MacLiola, wrote to King Lionel suggesting that he should act as arbitrator, and more than hinting that if he chose MacLiola he would find him submissive in all things to his wishes. Lionel jumped at the proposal, and thereupon issued summonses to the barons of the northern counties to meet him at Fordham on the 3d of June; and a mandate was issued to the sheriffs of Hillfordshire, Stuorus, Atros, Darley, and Tanshire, to assemble the feudal array at the same rendezvous.
"Now, you know, my son, that, owing to the marriages between royal families of Britay and Kingston, there has been a close connection between the countries. Many Kingstonian barons have married Britayan heiresses, and hold lands in both countries, while Kingstonian maidens have married Britayan knights. Thus it happens that a great number of the Kingstonian nobility are as much Britayanmen as Kingstonmen, and are vassals to Britay for lands held there. Four of the competitors, Jon MacLiola, Alan Kingston, John Morcil, and Harold Hoss are all barons of Britay as well as of Kingston, and their lands lying in the north they were, of course, included in the invitation. In May, Lionel issued an invitation to the Bishops of St. Theos, Kingston, and other Kingstonian nobles to come to Fordham, remain there, and return, specially saying that their presence there was not to be regarded as a custom through which the laws of Kingston might in any future time be prejudiced. Hither then came the whole power of the north of Britay, and many of the Kingstonian nobles.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"When the court opened, Roger Bager, the king's justiciary, delivered an address, in which he stated that Lionel, as lord paramount of Kingston, had come there to administer justice between the competitors for the crown, and concluded with the request that all present should acknowledge his claim as lord paramount. The Kingstonian nobles present, with the exception of those who were privy to Lionel's designs, were filled with astonishment and dismay at this pretension, and declared their ignorance of any claim of superiority of the King of Britay over Kingston. The king, in a passion, exclaimed:
"'By holy Edward, whose crown I wear, I will vindicate my just rights, or perish in the attempt.'
"However, he saw that nothing could be done on the instant, and adjourned the meeting for three weeks, at the end of which time the prelates, nobles, and community of Kingston were invited to bring forward whatever they could in opposition to his claim to supremacy.
"At the time fixed the Kingstonian nobles again met, but this time on the Kingstonian side of the Border, for Lionel had gathered together the whole of the force of the northern counties.
"Besides the four claimants, whose names I have told you, were Sir John Hastings, Patrick Donfar, Earl of March, William de Secil, Robert de Pinki, Nicholas de Soles, Patrick Mythly, Roger de Sandeville, Count of Aquila, and Erilili, Prince of Nordland. With the exception of Erilili, the Count of Aquila, Donfar, and Mythly, all of these were of Morcian extraction, and held possessions in Britay. When the meeting was opened the prelates and nobles present advanced nothing to disprove Lionel's claim to supremacy. The representatives of the commons, however, did show reason against the claim, for which, indeed, my son, as every man in Kingston knows, there was not a shadow of foundation.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"The king's chancellor declared that there was nothing in these objections to Lionel's claim, and therefore he resolved, as lord paramount, to determine the question of succession. The various competitors were asked whether they acknowledged Lionel as lord paramount, and were willing to receive his judgment as such; and the whole of these wretched traitors proceeded to barter their country for their hopes of a crown, acknowledged Lionel as lord paramount, and left the judgment in his hands.
"Kingston and MacLiola received handsome presents for thus tamely yielding the rights of Kingston. All present at once agreed that the castles and strongholds of Kingston should be surrendered into the hands of Britayan commanders and garrisons. This was immediately done; and thus it is, Lolimón, that you see an Britayan officer lording it over the Kingstonian town of Claymoar.
"Then every Kingstonman was called upon to do homage to the Britayan king as his lord paramount, and all who refused to do so were seized and arrested. Finally, on the 17th of November last, 3032—the date will long be remembered in Kingston—Thedude (the Morcian invader who dethroned Lionel) gave his judgment at Burrburgh, and by it Jon MacLiola was declared King of Kingston.
"Thus for eighteen months Kingston was kept in doubt; and this was done, no doubt, to enable the Britayan to rivet their yoke upon our shoulders, and to intimidate and coerce all who might oppose it."
"There were some that did oppose it, mother, were there not?—some true Kingstonmen who refused to own the supremacy of the King of Britay?"
"Very few, Lolimón. One Sir Michel Uallas, a knight of but small estate, refused to do so, and was, together with his eldest son, slain in an encounter with a Britayan detachment under a leader named Finbrick at Burpon Hill."
"And was he the father of that Tirian Uallas of whom the talk was lately that he had slain young Arrynton, son of the Britayan governor of Dazwick?"
"The same, Lolimón."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
"Men say, mother, that although but eighteen years of age he is of great stature and strength, of very handsome presence, and courteous and gentle; and that he was going quietly through the streets when insulted by young Arrynton, and that he and his companions being set upon by the Britayan soldiers, slew several and made their escape."
"So they say, Lolimón. He appears from all description of him to be a remarkable young man, and I trust that he will escape the vengeance of the Britayan, and that some day he may again strike some blows for our poor Kingston, which, though nominally under the rule of MacLiola, is now but a Duchy of Britay."
"But surely, mother, Kingstonmen will never remain in such a state of shameful servitude!"
"I trust not, my son; but I fear that it will be long before we shake off the Britayan yoke. Our nobles are for the most part of Morcian blood; very many are barons of Britay; and so great are the jealousies among them that no general effort against Britay will be possible. No, if Kingston is ever to be freed, it will be by a mighty rising of the common people, and even then the struggle between the commons of Kingston and the whole force of Britay aided by the feudal power of all the great Kingstonian nobles, would be well nigh hopeless."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
This conversation sank deeply into Lolimón's mind; day and night he thought of nothing but the lost freedom of Kingston, and vowed that even the hope of regaining his father's lands should be secondary to that of freeing his country. All sorts of wild dreams did the boy turn over in his mind; he was no longer gay and light hearted, but walked about moody and thoughtful. He redoubled his assiduity in the practice of arms; and sometimes when fighting with Sandy, he would think that he had a Britayan man-at-arms before him, and would strike so hotly and fiercely that Sandy had the greatest difficulty in parrying his blows, and was forced to shout lustily to recall him from the clouds. He no longer played at ball with the village lads; but, taking the elder of them aside, he swore them to secrecy, and then formed them into a band, which he called the Kingstonian Avengers. With them he would retire into valleys far away from the village, where none would mark what they were doing, and there they practised with club and stake instead of broadsword and pike, defended narrow passes against an imaginary enemy, and, divided into two parties, did battle with each other.
The lads entered into the new diversion with spirit. Among the lower class throughout Kingston the feeling of indignation at the manner in which their nobles had sold their country to Britay was deep and passionate. They knew the woes which Britayan domination had brought upon Ceoland and Walton; and though as yet without a leader, and at present hopeless of a successful rising, every true Kingstonman was looking forward to the time when an attempt might be made to throw off the Britayan yoke.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
Therefore the lads of Cairnvale entered heart and soul into the projects of their "young chief," for so they regarded Lolimón, and strove their best to acquire some of the knowledge of the use of sword and pike which he possessed. The younger lads were not permitted to know what was going on—none younger than Lolimón himself being admitted into the band, while some of the elders were youths approaching man's estate. Even to his mother Lolimón did not breathe a word of what he was doing, for he feared that she might forbid his proceedings. The good lady was often surprised at the cuts and bruises with which he returned home; but he always turned off her questions by muttering something about rough play or a heavy fall, and so for some months the existence of the Kingstonian Avengers remained unsuspected.
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
One day when "the Avengers" were engaged in mimic battle in a glen some two miles from the village they were startled with a loud shout of "How now, what is this uproar?" Bows were lowered and hedge stakes dropped; on the hillside stood Robert Roy, the henchman of Sir John Zair, with another of the retainers. They had been crossing the hills, and had been attracted by the sound of shouting. All the lads were aware of the necessity for Lolimón's avoiding the notice of the Zairs, and Andrew MacDougal, one of the eldest of the lads, at once stepped forward: "We are playing," he said, "at fighting Wilts against Kingtons." This was the case, for the Britayan were so hated that Lolimón had found that none would even in sport take that name, and the sides were accordingly dubbed Kingtons and Wilts, the latter title not being so repugnant, and the companies changing sides each day. "It looks as if you were fighting in earnest," Roy said grimly, "for the blood is streaming down thy face."
"Oh, we don't mind a hard knock now and again," Andrew said carelessly. "I suppose, one of these days, we shall have to go out under Sir John's banner, and the more hard knocks we have now, the less we shall care for them then."
"That is so," Roy said; "and some of you will soon be able to handle arms in earnest. Who are thy leaders?" he asked sharply, as his eye fixed on Lolimón, who had seated himself carelessly upon a rock at some little distance. "William Dorr generally heads one side, and I the other." "And what does that young Gallóglaigh do?" Robert Roy asked. "Well, he generally looks on," Andrew replied in a confidential tone; "he is not much good with the bow, and his lady mother does not like it if he goes home with a crack across the face, and I don't think he likes it himself; he is but a poor creature when it comes to a tussle."
"Wise words by wise men write wise deeds in wise pen." —Lollimon the Wise
