Page 68 of Celtic Love and Legends (Lords of Eire)

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

H e hated this city.

Geric had hated it since he’d been a child—a city where people had been kind to one another and the land was peaceful. He remembered his father taking him and Conor into the city to meet the people and learn the way of things, to teach his sons to become close to their subjects.

But Geric had only seen subjects to be dominated.

Seoirse—or George—the Wise had been their father, a good and true king who was connected with his people. He had imparted that particular importance to Conor, but not Geric. Geric had no interest in benevolence or being a good king. He simply wanted to rule because of the riches that would belong to him, riches he could hoard or spend as he pleased.

That was all he’d ever wanted.

And he’d had it for about a year. All of that money his father and brother had controlled had become his, and he’d spent it on Northmen who brought him more wealth with their raids.

What he hadn’t realized was that he spent more on their services than they brought him, so it was a one-sided relationship and bad financial planning. Still, he felt powerful with Northmen at his disposal.

Northmen that were in the city now, shielded.

Geric was playing a waiting game.

Ranak had gone to sea with about half of the Northman army, on longships that had been moored up the coast because while some of the army had been raiding inland, others had been tearing apart seaports.

Olc had come with Geric, and, even now, they were planted in a dirty little tavern on the northern edge of the city, just beyond the city walls. Geric had brought one of Ranak’s men with him, a fellow by the name of Skeld, and there were about a hundred Northmen in the city, while the bulk of the army were holed up on the outskirts.

Conor was sending out patrols, and it had taken some doing to evade them, but they hadn’t been avoided completely. The patrols were seeing signs of encampments that could, or could not, be Geric and his men.

Geric wasn’t sure how much Conor knew. But he was certain his brother knew that Geric wouldn’t take the return of the true king lying down. He had to know that Geric was waiting for the right time to move.

And move he would.

He intended to enter the city before sunset and find a corner to hide in. Over the past six weeks, he’d changed his appearance so as not to be readily recognized. It never occurred to him that, because of Olc’s curse, Conor wouldn’t even recognize him. In Dublin, he’d picked up crushed black walnut hulls that turned his light hair quite dark and streaked, and he grew a beard that came in red with patches of white. He realized the citizens of Ciannachta would know him on sight, unlike his brother, so he did his best to change his appearance.

Geric had been in Ciannachta for about two weeks, watching the patrols, getting a sense of the security his brother had. It hadn’t been particularly tight, but over the past couple of days, something seemed to have changed. Gates that were normally open were suddenly closed. The castle itself seemed to be heavily manned on the battlements. This told him that, somehow, Conor must have been alerted to his presence, or was at least anticipating his approach.

Or perhaps it was simply Conor being paranoid.

For good reason.

“We must get into the city before they lock the gates,” Geric said to Olc. “We’ll go to the side of town where the smithies and metalworkers are. We can find shelter in one of the stalls over there. Several have been abandoned, so it should be a simple thing.”

Olc had been sleeping sitting up. The noise and smoke of the tavern hadn’t bothered him in the least.

He cracked an eye open as Geric spoke. “Where are your Northman friends?” he muttered.

Geric gestured toward the livery. “With the horses,” he said. “You know that they prefer their own company. They do not like to mix with the men of Eire.”

“Then they can remain in the livery so they are not discovered,” Olc said, yawning. “Perhaps you and I should leave now and go into the city. Tell the Northmen to follow before the city gates close. We should not travel in a big group.”

Geric nodded. After a moment, he slipped outside to tell the men with him to enter the city later that day. He also instructed them to summon the men who were outside the city, for now was the time to start moving them in. There were other Northmen in the city, blending in with the subjects, because Olc was correct—they couldn’t travel in groups or they would look suspicious.

“If we are to go, let us do it now,” Geric said.

With that, he stood up from the chair he’d been more or less living in for the past two weeks. Olc, who had shaved his head and eyebrows in his attempt not to be recognized, stood up beside him and pulled his hood over his head.

Geric tossed a coin to the tavern keep and headed outside, to the road that led into Ciannachta. There had been rains a few days ago, and the road was still muddy, still difficult to travel, but he and Olc trudged down it, heading for the northern city gate, which was currently open.

They hurried to get inside.

The town appeared normal enough but for the fact that there were soldiers out on the streets. Geric hadn’t noticed that before, so that was something new. The soldiers seemed to be traveling in groups of four, and Geric kept his head down, pulling Olc along. The sorcerer didn’t move very well as it was, and on normal occasions would be riding a pony, but not today. Today, he was walking, using a branch that was taller than he was as a walking stick.

Into the heart of Ciannachta they went.

The sky above was deep blue, with gulls screeching overhead—only to be chased away by a vicious flock of ravens. These were Olc’s ravens, his fitheach army, and there were at least fifteen or twenty of them. Big, nasty birds the size of small dogs that spied for Olc from the air. They came to him and whispered in his ear of the things they’d seen, and Olc had learned to trust them. But they were somewhat conspicuous, and he ordered them away with a flick of his wrist.

The ravens flew toward the castle.

In order to get to the avenue of the smithies, Geric and Olc had to pass by the gatehouse of Cashel Cian. There were few people about, so they kept their heads down and tried to move quickly, tucking in behind those who were walking in the direction they wanted to go. Neither dared to look up at the castle for fear they would be seen and recognized, so they simply moved quickly until they completely passed the gatehouse and headed toward the town center.

The center of Ciannachta had a large well in the middle and several big stones that had been rolled into place as washing surfaces. Women from the city would come and do their laundry, although some went down to the River Boyne to do the same. It was a central area for gossip and conversation, and there were always a few women there, doing their wash and talking. The most recent talk, of course, had been about the return of Conor and Etain, but as Geric and Olc passed by four or five women near the well, they could only hear talk of children.

They continued on.

Just past the city center, the road forked. The right went toward the weavers and merchants, while the left went toward the smithies and livestock area of town, where farmers would bring in their sheep or goats for market.

Geric was slightly ahead of Olc as they headed down the avenue, straight into the avenue of the smithies, when he dared to look up from his lowered hood to get a feel for their surroundings.

And that was when he came to a dead stop.

Olc plowed into him, but Geric didn’t apologize. He was fixated on a woman and her son several yards away as the boy looked at a small saddle in the front of a smithy stall. Olc happened to catch a glimpse of what had Geric noticed.

His heart began to race.

“’Tis her ,” Olc whispered.

Geric could only nod.

*

“Please, Mother,” Mattock said. “Please… I need to go into the town. May I go? Please?”

Destry was in the kitchens of Cashel Cian, a catacomb of rooms set in the sublevel with stairs that led up to the kitchen yard. She had been working with the cook, frying up turnip chips that her family seemed to love so much and trying to get a feel for what kind of cheese she could sprinkle on them. Parmesan would have been perfect, but in the absence of that, she was trying out a couple of hard white cheeses that were strongly tangy. The problem was that they didn’t shred very well, and she was trying to figure out how to do it.

Mattock’s begging was getting on her nerves. “For what?” she said impatiently.

He was fidgeting. “It… it is a surprise,” he said. “I cannot tell you.”

“Then you’ll have to ask your father.”

“Nay!” Mattock nearly shouted, calming quickly when Destry looked at him strangely. “It is a surprise for Dada. I cannot ask him, or he will know.”

She sighed heavily and stood up from where she’d been bent over a table working with the cheese. Brushing off her hands, she eyed him suspiciously. “What kind of surprise?”

“If I tell you, you will tell him,” Mattock said. “But I need your permission to go into town.”

“Alone?”

“Aye.”

Destry shook her head. “Look, Matt, I don’t know what you’re trying to pull, but you look edgy.”

Mattock cocked his head. “What do I look like?”

“Nervous,” Destry clarified. “You look like you’re about to rob a bank.”

“What is a bank?”

Destry rolled her eyes. “Never mind,” she said. “You can’t go into town by yourself, but if you do this quickly, I’ll go with you.”

Mattock frowned. “I do not need an escort.”

“Yes, you do.”

“But you’ll tell Dada!”

“I promise I won’t tell him, but we have to do this quickly,” she said. “Where are we going?”

Mattock pointed a finger in a general southerly direction. “That way,” he said. “I will tell you when we get there. And you will not tell Dada?”

“I won’t, but we need to hurry,” she said. “We’ll run out there and come right back.”

Mattock hugged her. “Thank you, Mamai ,” he said, using a childish, affectionate title for her now that he had his way. “Thank you very much. Will you bring money?”

Destry was removing her apron. “Wait,” she said. “ I have to bring money? Isn’t this your surprise?”

“But I have no money.”

Destry wasn’t going to argue with him. Truth be told, she was glad he had asked her, because she’d been having trouble bonding with the boy. He spent so much time with Conor and the other warriors that she rarely had any time alone with him, so she looked at this as an opportunity. He was a serious lad, mature for his age, so this begging wasn’t like him. Thinking that giving permission for this secretive venture might endear her to him just a little, she was more than willing to take him into the village for whatever surprise he had planned for Conor.

After telling the cook that she would return shortly, Destry washed her hands quickly in a basin of cold water before heading up to the chamber she shared with Conor to retrieve her cloak. It was a cream color, something Conor had purchased for her a few weeks back, and it was lamb’s wool, so it was very soft. She really loved it. She grabbed her cloak and swung it over the simple yellow dress she was wearing, then stopped to take a few coins out of Conor’s purse under the bed. Mattock was waiting for her in the doorway, and together, the two of them headed out of the keep.

There was no sign of Conor as they headed to the gatehouse, but Destry caught sight of Brone, who was on the battlements. He wasn’t looking at her, but rather in the direction of the sea, so she was able to slip out with just the gatehouse soldiers noting her departure. They offered to escort her, but she called them off because Mattock started to protest, fearful they’d tell his father. Destry had only been out in the city with Conor, and to her it seemed relatively safe, so she didn’t see any problem with just her and Mattock making a quick trip to wherever he wanted to go. Just a Mom and Mattock trip.

Out into the city they went.

Mattock was so excited that he couldn’t even walk with her. He was a few paces ahead, grinning at her and hoping his fast pace would encourage her to walk faster, too.

“This must be quite a surprise,” she said, noting his quick steps. “Where are we going?”

Mattock reached out to take her hand, the first time he’d ever done that. “To the avenue of the smithies,” he said. “I want to show you something.”

“What?”

“The surprise.”

“Like I said—it must be quite a surprise.”

“It is,” Mattock said, pulling her along. “Thank you for not telling Dada.”

“You’re welcome.”

“And thank you for not insisting Dev come along.”

“He admires you a great deal, Matt. He likes to be with you.”

Mattock slowed his pace. “I know,” he said. “But sometimes I want to do things without him.”

“And that’s fine,” Destry said. “But remember, he is your brother and he loves you. Not all brothers behave like your father and his brother. Your Uncle Geric is just a very nasty man.”

“I know,” he said. “I learned that. When I was a boy, he was very nice to me, and we did many things together, but I found out when I was older that he was wicked.”

“He sure is.”

“Can I ask you what it felt like to be banished to the nether realm?” he said. “Did it hurt?”

It was the first time he’d asked her a question about the “before time,” and Destry took the question seriously. “Truthfully, I don’t remember what it felt like to be banished,” she said. “But I will tell you that where your father and I lived was a wonderful place with wonderful things.”

“Like what?”

Destry thought on that, trying to explain it in terms he could understand. “Well, like travel, for instance,” she said. “You know how a ship on the ocean takes people from one port to another?”

“Aye.”

“Where we lived, there were ships that flew like birds,” she said, looking up into the blue sky. “They are called airplanes. They take people all over the world through the air.”

Mattock was listening with interest. “Do they have wings?”

“They do, but the wings don’t move. They have engines for that.”

“What’s ‘engine’?”

Destry wasn’t sure how she could explain it with nothing to really compare it to. “I’ll ask your dad how to describe that one to you,” she said. “But it was really wonderful, I promise.”

Mattock grinned at her, and she let the subject drop, at least for the moment, because he seemed to be more interested in their surroundings at this point. They’d reached a street that was full of blacksmiths, and the smell of molten metal was heavy in the air. So was the smell of smoke.

Mattock practically dragged her over to a larger stall that had a few men working in it. Right up front, slung over a rail, was a fine leather saddle on a wooden frame.

Mattock walked right up to it. “There,” he said, gesturing to the saddle. “ This is the surprise.”

Destry looked at the saddle, puzzled. “For your father?”

Mattock shrugged. Then he reluctantly shook his head. “For me,” he said. “Will you please convince Dada that I need it? I cannot become a warrior if I do not have a proper saddle. Please?”

Destry wasn’t happy. She looked at the boy, who was nearly as tall as she was, and folded her arms across her chest.

“So this is the saddle you were talking about last night?” she asked.

He nodded eagerly. “Aye.”

Destry was coming to see that she had been used. “And this is why you brought me out here,” she said, shaking her head in disappointment. “This wasn’t so much a surprise for your father as it was tricking me into buying it for you.”

Mattock refused to look guilty. “It will be a surprise for Dada when you buy it for me.”

Destry had to snort at the child’s logic, self-serving as it was. “Mattock, I’m going to point something out to you, so I want you to listen carefully. Are you listening?”

“Aye, Mamai .”

“You lied to me to get me out here,” she said. “You lied to me and you manipulated me, and neither one of those things are honorable. Your father would have never done that to me, so why did you think it was acceptable to do that? Can you tell me?”

That wasn’t the reaction Mattock had been expecting. “Then you will not tell Dada I need the saddle?”

Destry cocked an eyebrow. “I’m going to tell him that you tricked me to get me out here and then tried to manipulate me. What do you think he is going to say?”

Finally, Mattock was losing his confidence. He was becoming both defensive and remorseful. “I did not trick you,” he said. “I convinced you.”

“You lied.”

“Sometimes men must lie to get what they want.”

“Who in the hell told you that?”

Mattock was sliding more into the dark side of remorse now. “I’ve heard the soldiers say things like that,” he said. “I thought… I thought if I told you the truth, you would not come.”

“And you would have been right,” she said. “What you did was not very nice. Would you have done this to your father?”

Mattock hesitated before shaking his head and lowering his gaze. “Nay, Mamai .”

“Then why did you feel as if you could do it to me?”

“I do not know.”

Destry didn’t want to lose this moment with him, though she was pissed off because he’d lied to her. She didn’t remember raising Mattock, or his brothers, so she was still very new at this parenting gig. Therefore, she tried to be rational about it.

“I know we haven’t spent a lot of time together, so maybe this was your way of coming to know me, as your mother,” she said. “Maybe you thought I’d be easier to trick than your father would be, but I promise you, I’m not easy to trick. I love you and I would like to be a mother you love and respect, but this isn’t the way to do it. Do you understand that?”

Mattock nodded, lifting her head to look at her. “Will you punish me?”

Destry shook her head. “Not this time,” she said. “I will give you a warning. But if this happens again, I will have to punish you. Is that clear?”

He nodded. “Thank you, Mamai .”

Destry let her gaze linger on him for a moment before reaching out to take his hand. “Come on,” she said. “We’ll go back to the castle, and I’ll tell your dad about this amazing saddle you need. Maybe he’ll buy it for you.”

Mattock’s face lit up with surprise. “You will?”

“I will. But you’d better not lie to me again. Understood?”

“Aye,” the boy said, throwing his arms around her and hugging her. “Thank you, Mamai !”

Destry gave the boy a squeeze. But just as he pulled back, he caught sight of something over her shoulder, and his expression went from confusion to surprise to horror very quickly. Puzzled, Destry turned around to see a man with oddly colored dark hair several feet away, heading in her direction. She had no idea who he was until Mattock grabbed her by the arm and pulled her away, very quickly.

“Run,” Mattock told her in a panic. “Run back to Cian! Run! ”

Destry had no idea why she was running and no idea why Mattock was nearly hysterical. She started to run with him, stumbling, but the man with the dark hair intercepted them both. Mattock managed to get out of the way, but Destry tripped on her long cloak, unused to wearing heavy dresses and cloaks with material around her legs. She started to fall, but the man was in front of her, and she caught a glint of metal. She had no idea what it was, or what was going on, until searing pain carved into her midsection as the blade the man was holding plunged right into her belly.

Down she went, into the dirt.

And that was when all hell broke loose.