Badger's Moon

forefathers used to do.’

It was a long speech for the old apothecary.

‘So you shared this knowledge with Brother Dangila?’

‘Our knowledge was different for our place in this world was different and our culture was different.’

‘Did you tell Escrach to seek him out?’

Liag paused thoughtfully. ‘Escrach was a promising pupil. She must not be judged by a comparison with her uncle Brocc. I did not advise her to seek out Dangila but I mentioned some of the wondrous things he knew. She went of her own accord. I was hoping that one day she would go to one of the secular colleges and be taught by-’

‘By Druids?’ Eadulf broke in disapprovingly.

Liag glanced at him with a smile. ‘One who holds my beliefs is not going to recommend a school of the New Faith where the mind is limited to that which is pleasing only to narrow teaching. Escrach needed to spread herself into the wider world.’

‘She could not communicate properly with Brother Dangila.’

‘I was surprised when she told me that she had attempted to talk to Dangila.’

Fidelma looked quickly at him. ‘You mean that she saw him and then she saw you afterwards?’

‘Did I not make myself clear?’

‘In relation to the day she died, when was this?’

‘Several days before the full moon, if that is what you are asking. No, Dangila did not kill her. She told me that she had been walking and saw Brother Dangila. She took the opportunity to approach him and attempt to ask him if he could expound on her knowledge of the moon’s properties. Questions such as how the moon could move the great seas, the pounding tides along our coasts. She wanted to know. They had not sufficient common language to communicate such matters.’

‘And she came and told you this some days before she was found dead?’

‘That is so. I promised her that soon I would approach Dangila and bring him to our little group so that he might explain his views to all of us. I would be his translator.’

‘Did she agree?’

‘Of course. Some of the others were unhappy with the idea of inviting Dangila to our circle. They were afraid of him.’

‘Of whom was your group constituted then?’

‘Ballgel, Escrach, Gabrán and Creoda. I think I had made a mistake in overemphasising the power of knowledge to them. That our words for the moon and its manifestations as goddess and arbiter of our destinies belonged to us and not to outsiders. What I had meant was that the power to pronounce the names and contact the power directly belonged to the cognoscenti of all peoples. They had taken my meaning to be that it was a special preserve of the Cinél na Áeda. They voiced their resentment of any involvement in our group by Dangila.’

‘I believe that Accobrán had been one of your group? You do not mention him. What was his view?’ asked Fidelma.

‘Accobrán was-’

The sound of a horn blast cut through the air in a long and almost plaintive tone. It came again, sounding more urgently. Puzzled, Fidelma raised her head.

‘The sound came from Rath Raithlen,’ muttered Eadulf apprehensively, glancing towards the hill which was obscured by the trees. ‘What does it mean?’

‘It is the sound of an alarm,’ old Liag said, rising calmly and hauling in his fishing line. ‘I have not heard it in many a year. Usually, it is blown to summon people to the fortress as the territory is under attack.’

Eadulf sprang to his feet. ‘Uí Fidgente. I wager a screpall on it.’

Liag’s face was grim as he turned towards his bothán. ‘I fear that you will find no takers for that wager. After the raid of yesterday, retribution for Accobrán’s enthusiasm may well be the result.’

Fidelma was already mounting her horse with Eadulf following her example.

‘We’ll return to the rath. An attack by the Uí Fidgente might well be an opportune event for some here,’ she said to the old apothecary.

‘Let us hope that it is not a barrier to the course of truth,’ he called in reply as they rode off.

Chapter Sixteen

‘Our sentinels report a sluaghadh of the Uí Fidgente encamped on our borders,’ Becc explained as Fidelma, followed by Eadulf, burst into the great hall and asked the reason for the sounding horn. The harassed chieftain was surrounded by several of his retinue. There was no sign of Accobrán among them.

‘A sluaghadh?’ Eadulf was not familiar with military terms and asked what was meant by the word.

‘A war band,’ explained Fidelma quickly. ‘Is it reported how big this hosting is?’ she asked, turning to Becc.

‘Not large, but too large for us in our present circumstances. The sentinels report that it looks like a lucht-tighe, a house company of no more than four score warriors. However, I doubt whether we can muster a score of fighting men at this moment. I’ve sent for Accobrán and ordered the alarm to be sounded.’

‘He did a foolish thing in not finding out whether the raiding party was an advance guard of a larger band,’ Fidelma muttered. ‘Now we know. Doubtless they are here to avenge their dead.’

Becc was clearly worried. ‘What can we do? We are mostly farmers and woodsmen, with very few warriors left among us. If they are professional warriors then we are outnumbered.’

At that moment, Accobrán entered noisily. He had a grim look.

‘Have you heard the news?’ Becc demanded of him.

The tanist nodded curtly. ‘I can probably raise thirty-five men to face them but of that number only a dozen have been under arms before. Perhaps we can delay them until we have sent out to other parts of our territory and raised more men.’

‘Where are the Uí Fidgente now?’ demanded Fidelma.

‘No more than a mile from here, perhaps less,’ replied Becc.

‘We can find a place to ambush them,’ Accobrán said. ‘We can cut them down before they know it.’

‘And if you don’t surprise them?’ queried Fidelma. ‘Are you prepared to take the risk that you will leave your people defenceless? That is not a good decision for a tanist to make.’

‘What is your proposal, Fidelma?’ Becc asked quietly.

‘Let us go and talk to them and discover what brings them here and what, if any, are their demands. Then we may see if there is any means of ending this matter by talking rather than bloodshed.’

Accobrán laughed harshly. ‘That is a woman’s answer and not a warrior’s way.’

Becc wheeled round on his tanist, his face grim. ‘Remember to whom you are talking, Accobrán. And remember also that some of our great warriors were women. Scáthach was the one who instructed Cúchullain in the martial arts at her academy — was she not a woman? Was not Creidne a woman, one of the most relentless warriors of the Fianna? Did not Medb of Connacht choose a female champion, Erni, to guard her treasures? Here, among the Eóghanacht, was not Mugháin Mhór our greatest warrior queen? Shame on you, Accobrán, that you can forget your inheritance so quickly that you insult your own people by your thoughtless words!’

The tanist flushed angrily but was silent.

Becc turned back with an apologetic look to Fidelma. ‘You are right, cousin. We should first seek the way of peace before resorting to the way of sorrow and bloodshed.’