together with her cousin, Finguine. They wereaccompanied by four warriors. She could not make out the features of the seventh man. There had been only six men when she had last seen Finguine.
‘Adag,’ she whispered to the boy. ‘You’d better go down and see what they want. Answer them truthfully except do not tell them that we are here. On your life. Do you swear it?’
The boy nodded and went off to do as he was bid.
She returned to the window, peering through the chink in the sackcloth curtain. She could hear her cousin, Finguine, saying: ‘It is clear they are not here, Solam. It is not worthwhile rousing the innkeeper.’
‘Better to make sure than make an assumption which might be false,’ replied the Uí Fidgente lawyer.
‘Very well.’ He turned to one of his men. ‘Rouse the innkeeper and … no, wait. Someone is coming.’
Adag came out of the stable and Fidelma saw him approach the riders.
‘Can I help you, lords?’ he asked, his voice piping up proudly.
‘Who are you, boy?’ she heard Solam demand.
‘Adag, son of the innkeeper here.’
Eadulf groaned from his palliasse and Fidelma turned as he sat up.
‘What is …?’ he began.
She quickly put a finger to her lips.
The movement distracted her from the conversation below. She glanced back through the window and saw the boy pointing in the direction of the Cashel road.
‘You’ve been of great help, boy,’ Finguine was saying. ‘Here, catch!’
A coin flickered through the air.
Adag caught it deftly.
Finguine dug his heels into his horse and the whole band of them trotted out of the yard and away in the direction of Cashel. It was only then that she caught the features of the seventh rider as he passed momentarily in the light of the inn’s lamp. It was Nion, the
Fidelma drew the curtain back and heaved a sigh.
‘What is going on?’ demanded Eadulf.
She glanced to where Brother Mochta was still sleeping and then to the stairs for Adag came pounding up with a smile on his face.
‘They rode off for Cashel, Sister,’ he said breathlessly.
‘What did they want?’
‘They wanted to know if there was anyone staying in the inn tonight.I said that there had been some men with wagons who had left on the Cashel road. But I did not say anything about you nor your friends. The horsemen thanked me and rode towards Cashel. They seemed very interested in the wagons.’
Eadulf was looking from the boy to her in bewilderment. Fidelma met his eye.
‘The horsemen were Finguine and Solam,’ she explained slowly. ‘They were accompanied by Nion.’
Chapter Twenty
The journey back to Cashel from the Well of Ara was uneventful. Surprisingly, there were no warriors guarding the bridge across the River Suir at the little fork of Gabhailín where Fidelma and Eadulf had been prevented from crossing some days before. However, when Fidelma thought the matter over, she realised that it would be logical for Gionga to remove his warriors once he learned that Fidelma had reached Imleach.
It was Eadulf who articulated the problem that had been uppermost in Fidelma’s thoughts since they had left Aona’s inn.
‘Is it wise to bring Brother Mochta into Cashel itself?’ he asked. ‘There might be dangers there for him and it is still a few days before the hearing in front of the Brehons.’
Brother Mochta was feeling somewhat better after his night’s rest, with his wounds not paining him so much.
‘Surely no harm will come to me among the religious at Cashel?’ he asked.
‘I would be happier if the presence of yourself and the reliquary in Cashel was not known until the last moment,’ Fidelma announced. ‘There is an unused back road which will bring us to the edge of the town close to where a friend of mine lives. Mochta can stay with her until the day of the hearing.’
‘In the town itself?’ Eadulf asked. ‘Is that wise?’
He was referring to the fact that in towns the people hardly barred their doors and were always in and out of their neighbours’ houses. Towns were usually made up of dwellings of many extended families. There was no fear of strangers.
‘Don’t worry,’ replied Fidelma, ‘my friend is one who does not welcome guests.’
‘I think that you are going to a lot of trouble for nothing,’ Brother Mochta averred. ‘Who could harm me at the royal palace of Cashel?’
The corner of Fidelma’s mouth turned downward momentarily. ‘That is precisely what we have to discover,’ she said quietly. ‘My brother asked the same question.’
They came to Cashel some time later by the back road which Fidelma had led them along. When they came to the edge of the town, Fidelma left Eadulf and Brother Mochta in the shelter of a small copse, after she’d explained that she would go ahead to prepare the way. It was a matter of minutes before she came back. Brother Mochta looked concerned for she was not carrying the reliquary which she had kept carefully since they had left Imleach. She saw his anxious gaze and assured him that she had left it safely with her friend. She led them to a house on the edge of the town, standing a little apart from the others. It was a medium-sized structure with its own outhouse and barn. Fidelma led them immediately into the barn which served as a stable. Eadulf helped Brother Mochta down from the colt while Fidelma secured the horses.
With Eadulf supporting Brother Mochta, Fidelma preceded them to the house. The door opened and together they helped Brother Mochta inside. Fidelma gave a quick glance round, as if to see whether they had been observed, before closing the door behind them.
Inside stood a woman of short stature. She was in her forties yet maturity had not dimmed the youthfulness of her features and the golden abundance of her hair. She wore a smock-like dress which emphasised a good figure whose hips had not broadened and whose limbs were still shapely.
‘This is my friend, Della,’ announced Fidelma. ‘This is Brother Mochta who will stay with you and this is Brother Eadulf.’
Eadulf smiled appreciatively at the attractive woman.
‘Why is it that I have not seen Fidelma’s friend at the court of Colgú?’ he asked in greeting.
He was immediately aware that he had said something wrong.
‘I do not venture out of this house, Brother,’ replied the woman called Della. Her voice was solemn but there was an attractive quality to it. ‘I am reclusive. People in Cashel respect that.’
Fidelma added, almost sharply, as if to cover some error of courtesy: ‘This is why Brother Mochta will be safe here until the day of the hearing.’
‘A reclusive?’ Eadulf was confused. ‘Surely it is hard to be a reclusive in this town?’
‘One can be isolated in the midst of many,’ replied Della calmly.
‘You will look after Brother Mochta, Della?’ Fidelma’s glance told Eadulf that he had said enough.
Della smiled at her friend. ‘You have my word, Fidelma.’ She had already helped the injured monk to a seat. Nearby stood the reliquary of St Ailbe, the sight of which caused Brother Mochta to visibly relax.
Fidelma took Eadulf arm, for he would have stopped and talked more on the principles of solitude, and hurried him to the door.
‘We will be back in time for the hearing, Brother Mochta. Take care of those injuries.’
She raised a hand in farewell to the monk and smiled appreciatively at her friend.
Outside, as they mounted their horses once again, Eadulf remarked: ‘You have a curious friend there, Fidelma.’
‘Della? No, not curious. She is merely a sad woman.’
