The Dove of Death

‘What are you saying?’

‘I think Abbot Maelcar was purposely lured to Brilhag to meet his killer. The message was, as Riwanon said, a false one.’

Trifina’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘And so you say that Iuna was the killer and somehow acting in concert with Iarnbud? I say you are mistaken. I know them both and well.’

‘Someone who kills is always known by someone else,’ Fidelma pointed out. ‘Just how long has Iuna served you?’

Trifina considered the question a moment before she decided to answer.

‘She came to be fostered by my father when she was seven years old.’

‘Fostered?’ The girl had used the Latin term curare. Fidelma wondered if it were the same system as the one that prevailed in her own land; the system called altramm which was so important to the society and the rearing of children. For when a child was seven years old, he or she could be sent to a family for education and rearing. The fosterage could be altramm serce, for affection, to families of equal rank in which no fee was paid. There was a second, less usual form, and that was fosterage for a fee. In both cases the foster family had to maintain the child according to the rank in which it was born. This was done under legal contract.

Fidelma tried to outline this to Trifina who, to her surprise, confirmed a fairly similar method among her people.

‘A friend of my father in Brekilien who was also a distant relative sent Iuna to us. He was a noble who soon after lost his life defending the eastern borders against the Franks. Iuna’s mother was killed at the same time. So we became her family.’

‘Iuna has been raised as one of your family? Yet she says she is the house stewardess and acts as your servant.’

Trifina shrugged in a dismissive fashion.

‘She can choose whatever title she is pleased to call herself. Her family being annihilated in a Frankish raid, she has remained with us. We continue to hold her in the affection of our family but she has decided to fulfil the position of…’ she paused, trying to think of a correct word ‘…quae res domesticas dispensat.’

‘A housekeeper,’ supplied Fidelma.

‘The steward of our household. She likes to be in charge of the domestic arrangements, although she can claim the privilege of rank within our family. But she has the temperament of a martyr. It is a role she seems to enjoy and, to be truthful, we welcome it, especially since my mother died of the Yellow Plague some six years ago. Iuna has complete freedom and can come and go as she pleases. In fact, she does. She has her own boat and is an expert at sailing.’

‘I am sorry to hear that your mother succumbed to the plague.’

‘I doubt if there is a family in all the world who was not touched in some way by the onslaught of that plague,’ was all Trifina commented.

‘Did Iuna know Abbot Maelcar well?’

Trifina actually smiled. ‘Know him well? Our family are patrons of his community. We have all known him for several years. Since he took up the Rule of Benedict, my father is not pleased, for he supports the old ways. The Abbot is not originally from this area. In fact, he comes from Brekilien, which is where Iuna’s family originally came from.’

‘And Iarnbud? How does he get on with the Abbot?’

‘You ask a lot of questions,’ frowned Trifina.

‘It is my task in life,’ Fidelma replied defensively. ‘I have mentioned before that I am an advocate of the laws of my own land, and my role-’

Trifina held up her hand for a moment.

‘I have understood that. What I cannot understand is why you are asking your questions here — and of me. You have no authority in this kingdom.’

‘Riwanon has asked me to discover who killed Abbot Maelcar.’

‘That is a curious commission to give a stranger.’ The girl’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

‘It is not the first time that I have been employed by those not of my own country,’ Fidelma said irritably. ‘Saxons, Romans and Britons have all sought my services.’

‘You would have been more competent for the task if you were able to speak our language.’ Trifina sniffed a little in disapproval.

Fidelma flushed for, indeed, it was a weakness that she was well aware of.

There was an awkward silence before Trifina spoke again.

‘So you claim that Iuna left Brilhag in a sailing boat with Iarnbud and they were heading in the direction of this island? Well, I find that hard to believe, and I can assure you that Iuna is not on this island to my knowledge.’ Her words were spoken in a studied fashion and her eyes held those of Fidelma without fear or guile. She was either a good actress or she spoke the truth.

‘You were about to answer my question about Iarnbud,’ Fidelma pressed.

‘Iarnbud is harmless,’ replied Trifina. ‘A crazy man of the woods but my father has known him ever since he was growing up. He is loyal to my family. For charity’s sake, we ensure the man wants for nothing. He employs the fiction that he is my father’s official bretat or judge, although I would not like to be judged by him.’

‘In what way do you mean that?’

‘His idea of judgement is to cut the wood to see if people are guilty or not.’

‘Cut the wood?’ Fidelma was puzzled.

‘We call it prenn dethin…an ancient custom among people where pieces of a sacred tree are cut and these are tossed on the ground. Depending on the way they fall, the person is guilty or not. It is an ancient pagan custom that most people had given up long before Julius Caesar invaded our land.’

The idea reminded Fidelma of something she had heard.

‘I think we had a similar custom in ancient times. It was called crannacher and means the same thing. From what I heard the other evening, when Iarnbud discoursed with Brother Metellus, he was very sharp of mind and knowledge.’

‘Of course. Iarnbud is knowledgeable. But he is one who believes in the old ways, and his old ways stretch back to the dawn of time.’

‘He lives on his boat amongst these islands?’

‘He does. Why do you ask that?’

‘I wondered where he would be going in his boat.’

Trifina frowned. ‘I cannot see that this has anything to do with the Abbot.’ Then she chuckled sourly. ‘You think old Iarnbud persuaded Iuna to kill the Abbot in some dispute about Christianity and the Old Faith? I can tell you that you are wrong. Iarnbud needs people like Brother Melletus and Abbot Maelcar so that he can expound on his criticisms of the New Faith and reinforce him in his own belief. He would not kill Abbot Maelcar.’

‘One of the things I have learned in life is that, given the right circumstances, everyone is capable of killing someone,’ replied Fidelma quietly.

Trifina shook her head in disagreement.

‘Philosophically, you may be right. But practically, I doubt it. Anyway, you are claiming that Iuna and Iarnbud, after killing Abbot Maelcar, ran off…well, sailed off to one of these islands and that is why you pursued them? I don’t believe it.’

‘I am not interested in belief. Only in fact,’ Fidelma responded. ‘Do you have any ideas as to why Iuna and Iarnbud would have any serious business together?’

‘So far as I know, Iuna doesn’t like Iarnbud particularly. She tolerates him out of respect for our family.’

A memory came into Fidelma’s mind.

‘Are you the eldest daughter of the chieftain of Brilhag?’

‘I am the only daughter of my father, Lord Canao,’ replied Trifina sharply.