‘Come out of that!’ he shouted in a thunderous bellow.
A moment later a small head and shoulders emerged.
A frightened fair-haired boy, freckle-faced, terror in the blue eyes that peered round at the company. His hair was matted and his face smudged with dirt.
‘It’s a boy!’ cried Conri in surprise, then he bent with one hand and hauled the child bodily up into the room. The lad could have been no uaimh talun, an underground chamber for storing food.’
It was clear that the boy was still very frightened.
Fidelma smiled encouragingly at him.
‘Come here, child,’ she instructed. ‘Come, tell me your name.’
The boy shuffled forward a step.
‘I am Iobcar, son of Starn the blacksmith,’ he said hesitantly yet with a curious dignity.
‘Well,’ Fidelma’s smile widened at the child’s tone, ‘well, Iobcar son of Starn the blacksmith, I am Fidelma of Cashel. Tell me what you were doing in that souterrain?’
‘Hiding,’ the boy said simply.
‘From whom?’
‘From you,’ the boy replied without guile, causing some merriment from the two warriors.
‘Tell us, Iobcar son of Starn the blacksmith,’ invited Fidelma, ‘why would you be hiding from us?’
‘I thought you were the bad people.’
‘The bad people?’
‘The people of Uaman the Leper.’
Eadulf frowned in irritation.
‘Uaman the Leper is long dead, boy,’ he snapped and received a look of rebuke from Fidelma for his manner.
‘My father said that he was so bad that the Otherworld would not have him and he had to return to this one.’
Fidelma tried to hide her chuckle of amusement.
‘So your father Starn is a philosopher?’ observed Eadulf sarcastically. The boy shook his head, taking the question seriously.
‘He is a blacksmith,’ he protested. ‘I have told you as much.’
‘Very well, Iobcar,’ intervened Fidelma. ‘But tell us where the people of this village have gone and why.’
The boy examined her thoughtfully.
‘I cannot tell you where they have gone, for that is a secret,’ he said after some hesitation. ‘But the reason why is because they were fearful that Uaman would punish them now that he has returned from the Otherworld.’
Eadulf was about to interrupt to correct the boy again but Fidelma gave him a warning glance. He held his peace.
‘So when was this? When did they leave?’
‘Last week.’
‘And why were you left here?’
‘I was not. I returned here to find something that I had left behind.’ He glanced nervously over his shoulder at the underground storage space. Seeing the movement, Conri bent down again and with a grunt of triumph he came up with a small bow, not large but fit enough for use by the boy. The boy’s face was immediately troubled but Fidelma again smiled encouragement.
‘We do not want your bow, Iobcar,’ she said, motioning Conri to give it to the boy. ‘Nor do we want you to betray the secret of where your people have gone. We would like to know more details about why they felt forced to evacuate this place.’
The boy took his bow and stood for a moment staring at Fidelma as if trying to read her mind.
‘My father used to say that Uaman was the great curse of our people when he dwelt below on the island. His men would often raid our village for sheep and goats and… well, other things. Then perhaps two moons ago it was reported that he was dead and the villagers went down to the island and burnt his fortress and took back what was theirs.’
They waited patiently while the boy paused again, as if to gather his thoughts.
‘Not long ago Uaman’s men appeared in our village again. They demanded tribute on behalf of the master. The village elders gave them what they could. One day soon afterwards my father went to the island and came back and said these men had wrecked a ship there. The elders met and decided the village must move beyond the mountains. We all left about seven days ago to find a new village. Yesterday I found I had forgotten my bow and so today I came in search of it. I had just found it when I heard you calling and thinking you to be Uaman’s people I hid myself in the uaimh talun. But you found me.’
‘I see,’ Fidelma said. ‘Well, we mean you no harm, nor harm to your people. We are not Uaman’s men. Anyway, it is late now, so eat with us and stay so that you are refreshed to return to your people in the morning.’
The boy was hesitant.
‘They will be worried.’
‘But more worried if you set out to traverse these mountains in the blackness of the night, Iobcar son of Starn the blacksmith,’ she replied solemnly.
Iobcar considered the matter and then, sniffing at the odour of roasted rabbit, nodded slowly.
Conri began to slice the meat from the carcasses that he had been cooking on his skewer. Eadulf had not finished questioning the boy but he waited until the lad was settled and munching on the roasted meat.
‘Tell me, Iobcar,’ he asked, ‘do you know anything about those you call Uaman’s people?’
‘Only that my father says they are bad people,’ the boy said between mouthfuls of meat.
‘Have you heard of any religious being killed near here by them?’
Again the boy shook his head.
‘But when my father came back from the island, he said that he saw some warriors taking some women prisoners along the road.’
Eadulf exchanged a quick glance with Fidelma.
‘Women prisoners? And that was when he reported to the village that a ship had been wrecked there?’
‘The same time,’ agreed the boy.
Eadulf glanced triumphantly at Fidelma.
‘And in which direction were Uaman’s men taking these prisoners? Towards the east to the Abbey of Colman or west to Daingean, the fortress of the chieftain of the Corco Duibhne?’
The boy paused, frowning for a moment.
‘Neither. My father said they were going north.’
‘North into the mountains?’ Conri frowned in surprise. He and Eadulf had expected that the raiders would be returning to Slebene’s fortress.
‘Along the track that leads up the mountain valley, where the River Imligh flows,’ agreed the boy. ‘They were heading north.’
Eadulf turned to Fidelma.
‘I know part of that way, for that is the path we travelled in search of little Alchu.’ There was a tense quality in his voice as he spoke which only Fidelma picked up, realising he was remembering his frantic search for their abducted son.
‘Then that is the road we must take tomorrow,’ Fidelma decided with a firmness that admitted no dissension. She waited until she and Eadulf were alone and then she reached out and laid her hand on Eadulf’s arm.
Eadulf sighed sadly and patted her hand.
‘Yet the memories come, especially in this place. It is such a short time that has passed since last I was here. The memories of what happened here are sharp and I am still anxious.’
Fidelma grimaced and Eadulf realised that her eyes were unnaturally bright.
‘Forgive me,’ he suddenly said in a soft tone.
