Hero's Song

by Edith Pattou

  "She wished it so," Talisen replied. "I do not know why." There was another pause. "I thought you were only a babe when your mother died," Talisen went on, his voice speculative.

  "Losing a mother is hard no matter what your age."

  "Yes," responded Talisen. "Perhaps I am the lucky one. As far as I can remember, I never had a mother to lose."

  Then Quince entered Fial's room. He closed the door behind him, shutting out the sound of the voices.

  "Can I help?"

  Collun shook his head. While Quince built up the fire, Collun crossed to Fial's bedside and looked down at his aunt. Her breathing was more regular, but still she did not awaken. He suppressed an urge to reach down and shake her by her thin shoulders. Collun was sure she knew the truth behind all the secrets Emer had kept hidden. He gazed at her half-expectantly, but the sick woman did not stir, and with a sigh, Collun returned to his work.

  By midday they were ready to depart. The queen generously provided them with horses from the royal stables.

  Collun had decided he would not speak to the queen about Emer now. But if he should ever return to Temair he would go to her at once and tell her everything. Now that his mother was dead, Collun could not believe she meant him to continue this silence. But first he must find Nessa—and Crann, too. His mother had told him to go to Crann when she died.

  As they set out, Collun introduced Brie, still in her boy's raiment, to Prince Gwynedd and Lord Bricriu.

  Bricriu looked closely at Brie. "Your face is familiar to me, Breo-Saight."

  "I do not believe we have met before, m'lord," she replied.

  "No, but. ." His gaze dropped to the bow that Brie wore slung over her shoulder. A look of recognition came across Bricriu's face. "I know that bow! Unless I am much mistaken, I knew your father. Was he not Conall, the great champion of Eirren?"

  Gwynedd, who rode nearby, peered at Brie. "Yes! I see the resemblance myself. But," he added in a puzzled tone, "Conall did not have a son."

  Brie kept her lips tightly closed and motioned with her reins as if to move away from them. Collun saw that her cheeks were flushed.

  Bricriu moved his horse up, blocking Brie's. "If you are not Conall's son, then how did you come by his bow? There cannot be two bows bearing the design of a Sun Bear." Bricriu's voice turned soft. "Unless you were one of his murderers?"

  Brie drew up her reins and twisted in her saddle, facing Bricriu. Her eyes were blazing and her hand flew to the dagger she wore at her waist.

  "No. I thought not," Bricriu responded with a conciliatory smile. "Indeed, I can see your father in your eyes, especially when the battle light comes upon them. You are Conall's daughter, are you not?"

  Brie's mouth opened slightly, then she quickly clamped it shut.

  Talisen laughed from behind. "Your disguise wears thinner and thinner every day, Brie."

  Prince Gwynedd urged his horse up next to Brie's. "You are Conall's daughter? Well met, Breo-Saight!" he said warmly. "I was a great admirer of your father. He was almost an uncle to me. How is it that he never brought you to Temair?"

  "He did, several times, when I was very young. After that I chose not to accompany him. I grew up wearing breeches and running wild," she explained. "I would not have fit in at court."

  Gwynedd gave an engaging laugh. "I know. For myself, I would much rather be off hunting or journeying than wasting time on dancing and feasting and acting polite all day. But tell me, Brie—may I call you Brie?" She nodded. "Are the arrows you carry of your own design? And what kind of feather do you favor?"

  As the prince and Brie launched into a lively discussion of bow and arrow construction and design, Collun felt the stirrings of an emotion he could not name. Something about the self-assured prince and the sound of his voice affected Collun the same way as the noise of iron scraping iron. He felt ill-humored and awkward on top of the large horse. Grimly he reminded himself that it was an honor to be accompanied by the prince of Eirren.

  The companions journeyed well into the night to reach Bricriu's dun, and they were hungry and tired when they arrived. They were provided with rooms and baths, after which Bricriu bade them join him for a late meal before retiring.

  Just as they were sitting down to dinner, a servingman bent to whisper in Bricriu's ear. A troubled expression came across the nobleman's face.

  "Prince Gwynedd, I'm afraid a message has just arrived for you from Temair. It appears that the queen wishes you to return immediately. No reason was given, only the message that it is urgent."

  "A messenger just arrived?"

  "Yes. And both the poor man and his horse are dead with exhaustion. I hope there has not been bad news from the border."

  "I shall leave at once." The prince rose to his feet.

  "Of course, if you wish it. But do you not think you ought to wait until the morning? You are weary from the long ride..."

  "No. If my mother thinks it urgent, then I must go. Collun," Gwynedd said, turning to him, "I am sorry to leave, but I hope we will meet again. Good luck to you." And he gave Collun's hand a last crushing grip. Then he bade the others farewell. Collun thought the prince's smile lingered longest on Brie.

  Lord Bricriu called for food and drink. They were in a small room with a fire crackling in the large stone fireplace, seated on rust-colored cushions around a low round table. Lanterns of red glass gave the room a dim orange glow. The food was savory and elegantly prepared, and it was served by a throng of attentive servingmen who all wore rust-colored hooded cloaks and white gloves.

  Though he was clearly concerned about the abrupt departure of the prince, Lord Bricriu was a charming host. He, Talisen, and Silien did most of the talking. Collun was still numb from the news he had received in Temair, and Brie was characteristically silent.

  After some worried speculation about the queen's urgent message for Gwynedd, the conversation gradually shifted to the heated exchange of the night before about Cuillean.

  "I regret my part in it," Bricriu said. "I should not have repeated the rumor I heard. My own feeling is that, though a body has not been found, Cuillean must be dead. He would not stay away so long, not with our country on the verge of war.

  "And I also fear that he met his end in much the same manner as his friend, Conall," Bricriu added grimly, with a sympathetic look in Brie's direction.

  Brie did not respond, but Collun saw the muscles in her face tighten.

  "It was a heinous crime and a tragic loss for all of Eirren," the nobleman continued, his eyes still on Brie.

  "What were the circumstances, if you do not mind my asking?" Talisen asked Brie.

  She did not reply, and Bricriu answered for her. "There were no witnesses, as far as I know, but those who discovered Conall's body say it was surrounded with the footprints of at least twenty or more men on horseback. But perhaps"—Bricriu looked over at Brie—"it is too painful for you to speak of your father's death?"

  Brie shook her head. "The wound has healed," she said woodenly.

  "He was outnumbered, then, by twenty to one?" said Talisen in revulsion.

  "Twenty or more," replied Bricriu. "From the markings on the ground and all the blood that was spilled, Conall plainly hewed down a goodly number of his attackers. They took their dead with them, of course. But Conall died as he lived"—Bricriu gazed again at Brie as he spoke—"a courageous and honorable champion of Eirren."

  Brie bowed her head but did not respond to his words. Bricriu then called for dessert, and as the servingmen cleared their plates Collun tried to catch Brie's eye. Her mouth was set in a tight line, and a small muscle near her left eye jumped spasmodically. She would not meet Collun's gaze, though he knew she was aware of him.

  Ever since they had left Temair, Collun and Brie had spoken little. At first he thought it was because the prince was monopolizing her attention, but several times he had gotten the distinct impression she was avoiding him. Once, he had even turned toward her to ask a question and caught her staring at him with an ex
pression that looked very much like hatred. It was gone a second later, and he thought he must have imagined it. Surely if she truly felt that way, she would not stay with them. But still he could not shake the memory of that look.

  He looked down at the plate in front of him and saw they had been served an array of sweetmeats as well as a pie of pumpkin and currants, which Talisen was already devouring. With the dessert came cups of steaming mead. The mead had a nutty, slightly bitter taste.

  Bricriu rose to his feet and raised his cup. "A toast before we retire. To the quest we begin tomorrow and to our success in bringing back the maiden Nessa, safe and well. Drink up." As they all dutifully drank the nutty mead, Collun noticed Bricriu's eyes fastened on him. They held an expression he could not fathom.

  Collun suddenly felt uneasy. The orange light in the room was giving him a headache, and his mouth felt dry. He'd become very tired, his head heavy and his limbs sore from riding the queen's horse. He tried to protest when a servingman refilled his cup, but he could not seem to move his tongue. In a daze he watched the gloved hand pouring mead, noticing almost idly that the wrist protruding from the glove had gray skin. With great effort he raised his eyes to look up into the hooded face. A pair of slitted yellow eyes gazed steadily back at him. Collun's body stiffened, and he groped in his fogged memory for the name of the creature with yellow eyes.

  He started to rise to his feet, thinking to warn his host. The last thing he remembered was Bricriu's bright gaze on him with that same indefinable expression.

  TWELVE

  The Labyrinth

  When Collun regained consciousness he was aware of an overwhelming thirst. His tongue felt huge in his mouth and seemed to be covered with fuzz, like the underside of a witch-hazel leaf. He was lying on a hard, cold surface, and as far as he could tell, he was virtually encased in rope. It was thick and prickly and began at his ankles, then circled his legs and body, binding his arms tightly to his sides. The tips of his fingers were tingling, and if his eyes were open or shut, it made no difference. There was only darkness.

  He knew immediately that Bricriu had betrayed them. It had been a morg who served the mead; perhaps all Bricriu's servingmen were morgs. And in a flash Collun understood the strange expression on the nobleman's face. It was a look of sly amusement, as of a cat toying with a dying mouse. And Collun also realized then that Bricriu himself must have been responsible for his sister's disappearance.

  His stomach cramped suddenly, and he let out a small moan.

  "Collun? Is that you?" It was Brie's voice, and she was nearby.

  "Yes. Are you bound, too?" His voice was hoarse.

  "Yes. We were drugged. The mead, I think." He heard her move. "The Ellyl is next to me. Unconscious still. I do not know what has happened to Talisen or Fara."

  The darkness was abruptly filled with the sound of Talisen retching. When the noise finally subsided, he groaned. "Where in Amergin's name are we? I feel like someone has been kicking me in the stomach for a month."

  "The mead we drank was drugged," Collun explained.

  "Lord Bricriu...?" Talisen asked in disbelief.

  "Yes," Brie answered, her voice grim. "Before I lost consciousness I overheard Bricriu order the morgs, who were disguised as his servingmen, to take us down to his dungeon. We now lie in the darkness below the dun. Collun, Bricriu said, is to be taken north in a day or two while the rest of us are left here to die. I heard one of the morgs say there are many tunnels down here but no escape."

  Talisen let out an oath, his voice shaking slightly.

  "Bricriu must be in league with Medb," Collun said, his tongue still thick in his mouth.

  "How will he explain our disappearance?" asked Talisen, clearing his throat.

  "There probably was no messenger from Temair last night," suggested Brie. "Bricriu made it up in order to get the prince away. And Lord Bricriu will no doubt tell the queen there has been another tragic disappearance."

  As Brie spoke, Collun strained to loosen his bonds, but he could not. He was bound as tightly as if it were the cro-olachan vine that held him.

  "Fara," Brie suddenly said. Collun heard a low-pitched rumbling from the faol's throat.

  "Fara is beside me," said Brie. "She is unbound. Can you help us, Fara?"

  There was a short silence. Then Collun could hear a soft rustling sound.

  "What is she doing?" asked Talisen impatiently.

  "Her teeth are sharp," was all Brie said, and before long Fara had chewed through all their bonds, including those of Silien, who had not yet woken.

  Collun quickly checked to see if his dagger was still attached to his belt. It was. That surprised him. He wondered if Bricriu had not been told why Medb sought him, or if he had just been very confident Collun would not be able to escape his bonds.

  "Do you suppose all Ellylon sleep as much as this one does?" said Talisen as he groped away from them in the darkness. "Here's the door," he cried out. "And it isn't locked!"

  They heard him stumble and then give an excited yell. "My harp! And our packs..."

  Collun quickly found his teine stone inside his pack. He hoped to spark a fire so they might see where they were, but nothing in the damp cave was dry enough to provide kindling.

  "Help me wake the Ellyl," said Brie. "We cannot stay here. Bricriu and his men may return at any time."

  They sprinkled water from a skin bag onto the Ellyl's face. Brie slapped his wrists, and gradually Silien returned to consciousness. He was groggy and disoriented. It took some time before he was able to walk. They slowly made their way out of the dungeon.

  "I would make light to guide us," the Ellyl said, his voice fuzzy, "but I do not have the strength. Lord Bricriu must have used the herb meliot to drug us, and meliot makes me ill, too ill to make a light. I will try again later." Then he dropped to a crouching position. They could hear a rumbling sound from Fara's throat. It reminded Collun of the purr of a large cat. They remained quiet until the rumbling stopped and Silien rose shakily to his feet.

  "Fara tells me the dungeon ends at the beginning of a labyrinth. The other way leads back up into Bricriu's dun."

  "What kind of labyrinth?" asked Collun.

  "It is Ellyl. We must decide quickly," said Silien. "Fara says there are two morgs guarding the entrance to the dun."

  "I don't see that we have a choice," came Brie's voice through the darkness. "Even if we could get past those morgs, if we try to escape through Bricriu's dun, we will almost certainly be captured."

  There came the dull banging sound of a door opening and then shutting. It was followed by the hollow echo of footsteps approaching.

  "Is it to be the labyrinth?" whispered Silien.

  "Yes," Collun whispered back, filled with misgivings.

  They moved forward as quickly and quietly as they could in the darkness, feeling their way along the damp, cool rock of the tunnel walls. They passed a number of doorways; more cells, Collun guessed.

  "The labyrinth begins up ahead," whispered Silien.

  "You said it is Ellyl?" Talisen said softly.

  "Yes. Fara knew it at once. I have heard of it but know little beyond this..." The companions drew closer to hear Silien's hushed words as they walked. "It is called Misteir Dearthair and was fashioned long ago by two Ellyl brothers. These brothers both wished to wed the same maiden, who, it was said, loved them equally and could not make the choice between them. She was fond of puzzles, so the brothers came up with the idea of a labyrinth with two ways out. One would lead to the first brother and one to the second. Whichever way she took would lead to the Ellyl she would marry. It took one year to build, so intricate was its design." Silien paused, out of breath.

  "The maiden never found the way out. They believe she fell and injured herself deep within the twists and turnings of the labyrinth. She was dead before they could find her. After that the labyrinth was sealed. It was forbidden to enter it." Silien stopped speaking.

  "No doubt Bricriu purposely built his dun o
ver it," Brie mused.

  "Handy for constructing a dungeon," added Talisen, "as well as a convenient graveyard." He laughed wryly. "Though hopefully not for us."

  "I don't like it," Collun said, reverting to his earlier feelings of misgiving. "If the Ellyl maiden could not find her way out, how can we ever hope to?"

  "It begins here," said Silien.

  Suddenly they heard the sound of muffled shouts and doors banging. The morgs had discovered their escape.

  They plunged forward into the labyrinth. They made several turnings, still feeling the way along the walls with their fingers and choosing at random the path to take.

  They lapsed into silence. Collun found it eerie, walking without sight. He remembered old Neggan, the blind weaver back in Inkberrow. Collun had never thought before about what it must be like, living in darkness as she did. He understood now why she wove elaborate stories into her cloth. They must have brought some color and light into her dark world, even if she could not see them.

  "There was a riddle," Silien finally broke the silence, his voice a faint whisper. "It was given to the maiden to help her find her way out. It provided a clue to the puzzle. I never learned the riddle, nor its answer..." His voice trailed away, then came again, softly, "Fara remembers only the first line of it. 'I go naked in winter yet feel no chill.' That is all."

  "A riddle, eh?" said Talisen, his voice eager. "Well, then, I should be able to get us through this labyrinth in no time at all. 'I go naked in winter...' Just give me a few moments." He began muttering to himself. The rest of them lapsed again into silence.

  After what seemed an eternity of groping in the dark, of doubling back from dead ends and starting over, Silien gave a soft sigh and said, "I can go no farther." He slipped to the ground where he stood and was immediately asleep.

  "We will have to carry him," said Collun. He and Talisen hoisted Silien up, draping one of the Ellyl's arms around Collun's neck, the other around Talisen's. Brie moved into the lead with Fara at her side.

  As he walked, Collun thought about the riddle fragment. He considered asking Brie's opinion, but he hesitated. The strain was still there between them. He had tried many times to identify its cause, but he could not. Nor could he bring himself to ask her.