fist attached to my wrist. Cialtie thought this was so funny, he cackled loud enough to alert the nurse. He explained to her that he was overcome with joy, seeing that his brother was going to recover, and danced out of the room.
‘Eth arrived just after Cialtie left. He was beside himself with grief. He blamed himself for what happened to me. It wasn’t his fault. I am sure he was enchanted by that Banshee witch Mna, but I was tired and angry. I shouted at him. I told him he was weak, that this was all his fault and that I never wanted to see him again. He left the castle that day. I never had the chance to tell him I didn’t mean it.
‘In one day I had lost my love, my best friend, my hand and had given my crown to the most evil man in The Land. If I had had the strength-I would have killed myself then and there.’
Dad stopped talking, looked down and wiped his eyes. How could I have lived with a man all of my life and never really known him? I stood up and put my arms around him.
Mom picked up the story. ‘After Cialtie’s Choosing (where he surprisingly chose the Reed Rune), Oisin came to find me here in the Fililands. By then I was very pregnant with you, Conor. Even the Fili were concerned when they saw that I was carrying the child of the one-handed prince. We consulted the Shadowrunes and came up with a plan. Your father and you would give up your immortality, just like the Fili Druids had done, and then, after a full mortal life, the son of the one-handed prince would die a natural death in the Real World. It was the best we could do for you, Conor. I performed the spell that sent the two of you to the Real World-it was the worst day of my life.’
This lunch was starting to turn into a blubber-fest. I let go of Dad and hugged Mom, and when I could finally speak again I asked, ‘Why didn’t you come with us?’
‘The Shadowrunes forbade it,’ she said.
‘These Shadowrunes,’ I asked, ‘are they really as clear as all that? All of the fortune-telling I have seen in my life was always so vague that it could be interpreted as anything.’
Before Mom could answer, a voice startled me from behind. ‘Why don’t you see for yourself?’ It was Fand. She was standing in the doorway-I was surprised to see that it had grown dark outside. ‘The Shadowcasting is ready’
Mom stood. ‘Well, let us see if the Shadowrunes can tell us of Master Fergal’s lineage.’
Chapter Twenty
We walked among the rowan trees in fading light. It would soon be pitch dark, not that that would bother our escorts-the Fili seemed to be as much a part of these woods as the trees themselves. Fergal walked like a man in a trance. I caught up to him.
‘Are you cool about this?’ I asked.
Fergal gave me a strange look. ‘I’m a little cool, but it’s pleasant out.’
‘Sorry, that’s not what I meant.’ I laughed. ‘Are you worried about finding out about your parents?’
‘Oh, ah no…well, yes…oh, I don’t know what I think,’ he said, ‘I just have to know. All my life I have been fantasising about having parents-I feel like I won’t be whole until I find out. Do you understand?’
‘If anyone understands, my friend, it’s me.’ I stopped him, gave him a hug and whispered in his ear. ‘No matter what happens, Fergal, I’m there for you.’
‘And I for you, Conor,’ he replied, and slapped me on the back. I gave him a dirty look for the slap, and he returned it with a twinkling smile.
We arrived in a glade surrounded by a ring of very old rowan trees. Light was provided by glowing pinecones in glass holders. The golden glow showed the seriousness on everyone’s faces. It made me want to crack a joke, but I decided against it. Maybe I was growing up a bit, or maybe I was just chicken.
Mom sat cross-legged on the ground next to two large bowls. We all sat around her.
‘Before we begin,’ she announced, ‘we must state our intentions. Shadowmagic, like any power, can be corrupted. Only by keeping our motives pure can sins, like those done in the past, be avoided. This sap,’ she said, pointing to a bronze bowl full of the stuff, ‘was given freely by trees who knew what it was for. We thank them.’
The Fili in the circle thanked the trees aloud and then so did we. Mom continued.
‘Fergal of Ur, come sit by me.’
Fergal stood up, flashed a forced Fergal-ish smile to Araf and me, and sat next to Deirdre.
‘Do you, Fergal of Ur, come to this Shadowcasting freely?’
‘I do,’ Fergal replied.
‘Why do you seek this Shadowcasting?’
‘I want to know who my parents are.’
‘Do you seek this knowledge out of malice or revenge?’
‘I just want to know,’ Fergal said, his eyes sparkling in the Shadowlight.
‘Very well,’ she said, ‘I shall instruct the runes to tell us of your life as it has affected others. This may be painful to watch and difficult to share. Are you still willing?’
Fergal thought for a bit, then answered with resolve. ‘I am.’
‘We shall begin.’
Mom waved her hand and the pinecone lights dimmed. She took a pebble-sized dollop of sap and rubbed it between her palms. She spoke in a language I didn’t understand-Ogham, the oldest tongue-the language of the trees. She pressed her ball of sap between her hands and spoke the Ogham word, ‘Beith.’
Mom looked to me for recognition. When she saw none she translated.
‘Beith- birch.’
She opened her hand, revealing a glowing amber disc, and when she turned it over it was engraved with a rune-the Birch Rune. She carefully placed it on the ground between her and Fergal. She rolled and pressed another bit of sap between her palms.
‘Luis- rowan.’
A second glowing rune was placed next to the birch one. The next word she spoke I did recognise.
‘Cull- hazel.’
The Hazel Rune, my mother’s rune. The real one was destroyed-here was its shadow. Mom made a point of showing it to me before she placed it with the rest. She continued to produce runes for a long time.
‘ Fearn -alder.
Saille -willow.
Nuin -hawthorn.
Duir- oak.
Tinne -holly.
Quert- apple.
Muhn -vine.
Ur -heather.
Nion -ash.
Gort- ivy.
Getal- reed.
Straif- blackthorn.
Ruis -elder.
Ailm- silver fir.
Onn -gorse.
Eadth -poplar. lodhadh -yew.’
Each rune was placed in a specific order. When she was finished, I couldn’t help thinking how it reminded me of an old chemistry class. There were empty spaces for runes not yet discovered, just like in the Periodic Table of Elements.
