as her overcloak, dominating a round face networked with fin wrinkles. She shrugged out of the overcloak and tossed it
uncaringly over the nearest chair. Her cloca was a lighter shade of green and finely embroidered; the leine underneath snowy white. An ornate, thick torc of beaten gold hung around her neck, and rings adorned her fingers. Moister Cleurach came hurrying from behind his desk to greet her, and to Jenna's surprise, bowed low as he approached. 'Banrion,' he said. 'I would not have thought that Rl MacBradaigh would send you on this errand.'
'I insisted, Moister Cleurach,' the woman said.
'Or do you think that the return of the Holder of Lamh Shabhala to Inish Thuaidh isn't impor-tant enough for me?' Her voice was pleasant and low with a hint of amusement just below the surface.
But there was a careful posturing to her tone and stance, as if she kept her emotions well concealed and in- tended them to remain so. She glanced at Jenna and Ennis, and Moister Cleurach coughed.
'My pardon, Banrion. This is Holder Jenna Aoire and Ennis O'Deoradhain, both cloudmages of the Order.' Jenna, startled at the title given her, looked quickly at Moister Cleurach, but his eyes told her to say nothing. He nodded at the woman. 'And this is Banrion Aithne MacBradaigh, wife of the Ri Thuaidh, Ionhar MacBradaigh.'
The woman's verdant gaze rested on Ennis for a breath, then went to Jenna, cool and appraising. Jenna, unlike Ennis, didn't politely lower her head, meeting the woman's eyes. 'Ah,' the Banrion said with a slight twist of her lips. 'So very young. I expected someone older and more. .' she paused, as if considering the next word, '. . sinister in appearance,' she finished. 'For being the Mad Holder who gleefully murders Banrions, you look innocent enough.'
Jenna flushed, taken aback. For a moment, she could not speak at all though her mouth opened in protest as Banrion MacBradaigh continued to stare at her. 'That wasn't my intention. Truly. Banrion Cianna was ill and weaker than I thought. I wish it hadn't happened.'
The Banrion gave a slight nod at Jenna's protest. 'Then the rumors of the destruction of the bridge to Ri Gabair's Keep and the death of twenty or so gardai are, no doubt, exaggerated as well. Or were also not in- tended.'
'There is some exaggeration there, aye, Banrion.' Jenna blinked. 'But won't deny there was also
intention-it was my life or theirs. 1 chose mine.'
Again the lips curled in a slight smile. 'A choice most of us would make, I think. So you are more complicated than you appear.' The heat Jenna’s face increased as the Banrion’s gaze dropped to Jenna’s right arm 'The marks of the Holder. . May I see Lamh Shabhala?'
Her tone held the expectation of obedience. Reluctantly, Jenna pulled the cloch out from under her leine. The Banrion took a step toward her and leaned closer to examine it, but made no move to touch the stone. After a few moments, she stepped back again. 'It’s plainer than I would have thought.'
'That’s an oversight others have made,' Jenna answered, 'mistaking an ordinary appearance for weakness.'
The Banrion laughed aloud, clapping her hands twice, the sound loud in the cold morning. 'And you have a bite to your words as well. Excel-lent. I can understand how that fool Torin Mallaghan managed to under-estimate and lose you. He may be Ri Gabair, but he holds his title mostly for his name, not his ability. And that woman he married. My niece’s blood was more her mam’s than that of my brother.' The Banrion laughed again at the expression on Jenna’s face. 'Aye, Cianna was my niece. Ri Mallaghan thought that perhaps it might be a good alliance; as usual, he was mistaken. You needn’t worry, Holder. I had no love for her conniving, scheming soul. But you might be advised to avoid my brother; a da’s love for his daughter is less objective, I’m afraid.'
She turned from Jenna back to Moister Cleurach. 'The Ri requests that you and your cloudmages appear at the court. There are… implications that must be discussed. The Comhairle of Tiarna will be meeting in Dun Kiil in a fortnight, and they are anxious to meet the First Holder. As you might expect, there are complications to Holder Aoire being here in Inish Thuaidh, and we’ve already received open threats from Tuatha Gabair, Infochla, and Connachta, insisting that she be returned to them for vari-ous crimes committed in their territories.' Aithne smiled thinly. 'I don’t think any of us are fooled as to the actual reason they’d like to have the Holder. It’s the prize she wears, not her that they want.'
This time Moister Cleurach lifted his head. 'The
Order is not subject to the Ri's commands,' he told the Banrion. 'That's clear in Severii's Char-ter, as I'm certain the Banrion is aware.'
'I'm aware of the charter, Moister,' Aithne answered calmly, 'even if a charter seven centuries and more old is hardly relevant to today's situation, and I suspect the signatures at that time were made more under duress than by actual agreement with Severii's desires. I said it was a request, not a command, yet the importance of this can't be denied. After all, I was sent, not some anonymous messenger, and the Comhairle has been summoned. The Order may have its independence, but Inishfeirm is the Rls land and the Order but a small part of the island. Nor do I see an army here to protect you should the Tuatha decide to attack.'
'The Rl should have thought of that a few months ago.'
Jenna saw the folds around the Banrion's eyes tighten at the remark but Aithne still smiled grimly. 'That was an unforeseen and a terrible mistake on all of our parts-I'd remind you that your request for help was rather after the fact. Perhaps my husband would have stationed a garrison here if there had been a suggestion from the Moister that the Order's clochs na thintri were so vulnerable.' Her hand waved, dismissing their words. 'None of that can be undone now. It would be more terrible to make a second mistake, now that we realize the import of the clochs.'
'I agree, Banrion. But I must still consider this. Will you stay with us? I could have one of the acolytes take you to the guest cells, and you're welcome to break your fast at our table. .?'
Aithne's lips tightened slightly. She glanced at the tray with its tea and few scones. 'No,' she said. 'I'll return to my lodgings at the Black Gull. I think that may be slightly more comfortable. But only slightly.' She picked up her overcloak and wrapped it around herself. She strode toward the door, and Ennis barely managed to open it before she reached it. Jenna wondered if she would have bothered to open it herself. Jenna heard a conversation suddenly go silent as the gardai outside straightened and fell in to flank the Banrion. Aithne turned back and nodded to Moister Cleurach,
Jenna, and Ennis. 'Holder Aoire, it was good to meet you. Moister, I'll expect to hear your answer this afternoon before my ship departs. I trust it will be one that the RI and the Comhairle hope to hear, and we’ll take ship together.'
The footsteps of the Banrion and her entourage echoed loudly in the marbled halls.
'We only have one answer, you realize,' Moister Cleurach told them as they stood on the balcony watching the Banrion’s carriage wind away down the long road to the village. 'Making her wait for it is just so much pettiness. But it feels good, nonetheless.'
Jenna almost laughed. 'She’s frightening. Those eyes, the way she stands, the tone in her voice.'
'You haven’t met Ri MacBradaigh, Jenna,' Ennis told her. 'Behind his back, they call him the Shadow Ri. It’s Banrion Aithne who is the true power in Inish Thuaidh. She’s the one the Comhairle of Tiarna listen to. The Banrion didn’t come here because the Ri requested it; she came be-cause that’s what she wanted to do.'
'And she knows we’d realize that,' Moister Cleurach finished. He took in a long breath as the Banrion’s carriage vanished behind the trees at the first switchback, and let it out again loudly. The cloud that emerged from his mouth echoed the mist that cloaked the base of Inishfeirm and hid the sea. They seemed to be standing on an island floating in fog. 'The Banrion has her faults, but she’s fair and what she does, she does with all of Inish Thuaidh in mind, not just herself. I might not entirely like her, but 1 do respect her. Most dangerous of all would be to underestimate her.'
'I don’t think that will happen, Moister,' Jenna answered. I did that once before, with Cianna. . Jenna felt the hair at the base of her neck rise with the memory, and a twinge of pain sliced up her right arm.
'Go prepare yourselves to leave,' Moister Cleurach told them. 'I’ll send a messenger to her after the noon meal and tell her that if she will wait until tomorrow morning, we’ll accompany her.' The elderly man snorted. 'She’ll likely bite the head off the poor acolyte I send, but it will do the Banrion good to spend a night here in the Black Gull’s beds, don’t you think?'
'I doubt the innkeeper will ever forgive you, Moister,' Ennis com-mented.
A fleeting smile was the only answer.
Chapter 41: Cloch Storm
