by Sam Taw
“My dear lady.” She said, glancing around at my angst-ridden face. “You have brought this about. The sun disc was the only thing keeping the evil spirits out of camp after the ceremony. Now you have infected Blydh with a demon from the Underworld.”
CHAPTER TWO
This news sent me reeling. What had I done? Rather than save my poor nephew from further harm, I had inadvertently embedded an evil spirit inside his skull. I went through my memory of Delen’s naming ceremony, trying to figure out what could have possibly gone wrong. I did everything according to customs and traditions. The demon must have attached itself to the sun disc. How would the tribe ever forgive me?
Endelyn seemed to comprehend my upset. She returned to my side and patted my arm. “Let’s not give up hope. There has to be a cure.”
“He’d never survive a third procedure on his skull, and even if he did, I can’t remove the golden disc or his brain would have no protection at all.” My voice wobbled. I couldn’t hold back the tears.
“That wouldn’t do any good anyway. Once the spirit took up residence inside Blydh it was too late. No. We need to think of another way to drive out the evil.”
I was glad that Endelyn was applying her wisdom to a solution. All I could think about was what Blydh’s mother would say when she found out what I’d done. How would the elders and all the warriors react if they knew one of our Chieftains was under the influence of a demon? They would be unlikely to follow any of Blydh’s orders from then on. I needed to break the news gently to Tallack. Having learnt my lesson about hiding the truth from him, I knew that this was too big to keep to myself.
Leaving the priestess to watch over Blydh, I wandered out into the compound with the intention of looking for Tallack in the Long Hut. The moment I left my own shelter though, I found myself heading south along the boardwalks towards the horse pen. The white hart had grown used to me delivering a few handfuls of grain every day. Whether he truly was the vessel of Cernonnus or just a rare white deer, I’d grown immensely fond of him. Each time I visited, he seemed to wander a little closer to me until I could feed him straight from my cupped hands.
As soon as he saw me opening the gate to the enclosure, the stag appeared from the budding trees and rewarded me with soft grunts of welcome. With the wheat and oats mixed in my palms, I spoke quietly to my god. “I wish you’d taken my offer to free you the day of the attack. Your antlers are growing fast. As soon as they reach the same majestic proportions as when you were first captured, my nephew will sacrifice you and feed you to our people.” The deer sniffed the air close to my hands before edging closer to lick the cereal into his mouth. “Did you stay to warn me about the sun disc? Well, I wish your message could’ve been clearer. I can’t change the past. If this evil spirit really controls Blydh, our whole tribe is in danger.”
The stag grunted louder and backed away by two steps. His ears flicked and he let out a steaming snort from flared nostrils. I turned my head to see Sorcha the new slave watching close by.
“It’s alright, shush now. She won’t harm you.” I murmured, holding out the grain once again. Slowly, his fear subsided and he gobbled up the rest of my offering until my hands were empty and wet from his tongue. “I’ll come back later, my god. Hopefully you will have some advice for me then.” He didn’t hang about once he knew I was out of food. The stag hurried back into the wooded section of the pen while I returned to the boardwalk.
Sorcha waited for me by the gate. “People say that you have the ear of the gods.” She said it as a statement, but it felt more like a question. What did she want me to say, that I hoped the white hart was a messenger and that it showed that the gods favoured us? Did she think me special for enticing a wild and hungry creature with a handful of wheat?
“People have too much time on their hands.” I grumbled, altering my course and aiming for the Long Hut.
“So, it’s not true. You can’t hear Cernonnus as you speak to the beast?”
I gave her a sly look and hoped that she would make up her own mind over the matter. “How are you settling in now?” I asked, keen to change the topic of conversation.
She pulled a face and then tugged at her dirty tunic. “He has me swilling out his clothes, cutting and laying new rushes and all in these filthy rags. I know what my family attempted to do was wrong, but they paid the ultimate price. I don’t see why I should be punished daily too.”
She couldn’t see that Tallack needed her alive to discourage further attacks from her kinfolk, nor could she see that her treatment served as a deterrent for any other tribe who might plot against us. He couldn’t afford to be kind or the word would spread that our Chief was soft. As much as I liked the girl, and wanted the best for her, I was not about to interfere. I had already pushed my luck in securing her life.
The former Ruvane, Cryda, was in the Long Hut with Tallack when we arrived. She sat by his side nursing the babe and wittering on about some jewels she wanted from a passing trader. I caught the tail end of their conversation as I approached.
“No mother, we can’t afford to waste tin or copper on trinkets. We have to build a new fleet of boats and you have no idea how much it costs to trade for sail fabric, not to mention restocking the camp supplies. Make do with what you have.”
I had to stifle a chuckle. At last Tallack was beginning to stand up to his mother and make sensible decisions. Of course, his snappy mood could also have been the result of no sleep.
“Aunt Mel.” He broadcast in a loud voice, partly to silence his mother but mainly to compensate for his brother’s animosity towards me. “Have you come to tell me that Blydh has recovered?”
“No, my Chief, I’m afraid I haven’t. There is something I need to discuss with you in private, but I was also hoping that you might know if anyone about camp has any poppy resin I could trade for since I have just one dose left.” I walked and talked at the same time until I stood just below his tall chair at the top table.
Tallack scratched at the new fluff growing on his chin for a moment and frowned. “No, I can’t think of anyone. How about you, Mother? Would any of your friends have a bead or two stashed for emergencies?”
Cryda thinned her lips and narrowed her eyes at his insinuation. “Why would my ladies have need for such a thing. They’re not addled priests or lazy sea warriors like your men.” She scoffed, annoyed that she could no longer command the attention of our tribe. Her time of power had passed with the death of the twin’s father, Aebba.
“Have you asked Ren? He might know where we can trade for some.” Tallack stepped down from the top table and walked around the raised platform to my side. Sliding his arm about my shoulders, he turned me around and aimed our trajectory towards the back door of the hut. “Now what was it you needed to talk about?”
I dreaded telling him what the priestess had said, but he received the news with a calmness that surprised me. He took a deep inhalation when I had finished and exhaled with a noisy breath. “It would certainly explain his changeable moods.”
“I’m so sorry that this has happened. If I’d known about the possibility of a demon escaping, I never would have…”
“Stop blaming yourself, Aunt Mel. You acted in Blydh’s best interests, and whether he appreciates you or not, you saved his life. Did the priestess have any ideas about how to get the evil spirit out of him?”
I shook my head. “I left her pondering that very thing while I came to look for resin.”
We were standing next to the roasting pits watching Sorcha struggle with a half-plucked bird between her knees. She was utterly out of her depth but none of the other slaves offered to lend her a hand. Perhaps she had offended them with her smart mouth and Skotek brashness.
Tallack lowered his voice and turned his back to the slaves. “Let’s keep this to ourselves, Aunt Mel. There’s no point in panicking the elders or their loose-lipped wives with this. You go and tell Endelyn to stay quiet and I’ll ask about the resin among the men. If you have to, get Kewri to lash Blydh to the
bed and we’ll tell people that it’s to protect his wounds.”
I knew why he’d said that. If a demonic spirit had really taken hold of Blydh, we couldn’t let him roam around the island causing chaos. The thought of restraining my nephew made me nauseous but I was glad to know that I had Tallack’s support should the worst come to pass.
Endelyn was deep in thought when I returned to my hut. Kewri snored from his own bunk and Blydh was restless but asleep in my bed. With the patient’s bunk moved out of my hut, there was no space for me to lay down except on the rushes by the fire.
Had the day been warmer, I would have rested in the shelter that Kewri built for me to treat the sick and injured but as it was, the cold breeze whipped through the open hurdle walls. Perhaps Kewri would finally get a chance to finish building it one of these days.
Endelyn was as I had left her, poking at the fire and supping my ale. I sat by her side and gave her our Chief’s orders about keeping the news to ourselves. She seemed pleased to be a part of the secret, as though it bonded her to our family in some way.
“Tallack is going to ask the men about more resin, but I’m not holding my breath for a positive outcome. Most of the resin was used up after the attack on the compound. I doubt anyone has any from here to the other side of the moors.” I refilled her cup with ale and poured myself a sizable measure too.
Endelyn nodded her agreement with my assessment and then looked up at me and frowned. “I don’t suppose willow is strong enough, is it?”
“Sadly, no. I suspect he’s used to the strong stuff. Now nothing else will do.” We ruminated over this for a short time until Tallack pushed through the door skins.
“Any luck?” I asked, brightening at the sight of my handsome nephew in the entrance.
“The warriors only have hemp weed. Ren gave me all he had and shook down the rest of the men for their supplies too.” He held out the pouches and pipes in his hands.
“It might dull the pain a bit, but not Blydh’s temper.” I thanked my nephew for his efforts. Endelyn poured him a cup of ale and patted the stool next to her. She shone with a hopefulness that frightened me. Everywhere my nephews go, women throw themselves into their paths. I’d say it was in Tallack’s best interests to find a bride to bind with, but with his partiality for his crewman, Treeve, undiminished I feared that may never happen.
I had nothing against her, Endelyn was a fine young woman. It’s just that the elders would insist on a match to further the tribal ties and trade routes for our tin. It was a pity that we were called away from the midsummer gathering at Stonehenge or he could have negotiated a bride with another tribal leader then. As it is, he will have to wait another two cycles before another such opportunity comes his way. From the glint in Endelyn’s eyes, I knew that she would not wait for such an eventuality.
Sleep was all that I could think about, but just as I was about to shoo my visitors from my hut in favour of rest, Blydh began to murmur and thrash about in my bunk. From his half-conscious groaning, I could tell that he was in pain.
Tallack spoke quietly to us both. “You know, he really needs something to cover his head.”
“Like the helmets the Phoenician Princes told us about?” I said.
He nodded, supping his ale at the same time.
“But wouldn’t the metal rub against his skull and cause more problems?” I reached out and touched the furs laying across my bunk, finding the solution to my own question. “Unless the helm was lined with soft materials like sheepskin…”
“Would Blydh consent to wearing such a strange hat?” Endelyn said, looking puzzled at our suggestion. “No one else in the tribe covers their heads like that.”
“No, but we have it on good authority that great warriors across the seas do. If we can convince him that it’s a sign of a great leader to wear one, we might be able to persuade him.” Tallack rose from his stool. “I’ll go and speak to the smithy. See how much metal we have left.”
“It won’t stop his pain though, nephew.” I called after him. “And we have nowhere to trade for more resin.”
Tallack halted his retreat and sat back down to ponder the problem.
“Priests usually have some put by at the stone circles.” Endelyn added helpfully.
“But the closest one is the Nine Maidens on the moor, and you and your companions abandoned the place more than a moon ago.” I said. It was hard to think straight on so little sleep. My eyelids grew more difficult to lift and my chin sagged to my chest. These young ones made no allowance for my age. They might be fresh after a long night of riding, but my old bones lacked their strength.
“They’re not the only circle of nine stones. There is always the Nine Petrified Children at Winterbourne.” Endelyn lowered her voice as though it was dangerous to even utter the name. “I know the priest who leads the rituals there. He’s bound to have resin to trade.”
Tallack drew in a sharp breath. “Beside the fact that those stones are said to be cursed, the circle sits on Duro land. No one in their right mind would go there from our tribe. It’s a suicide mission.” He swept his hand in front of his chest in a defiant gesture. “It’s out of the question. No.”
We sat in silence for some time, listening to Blydh crying out in pain. Tallack’s stern expression softened and then fell into deep anxiety for his brother. “They say that all who enter the circle get a fever within a quarter moon, then black boils appear under their armpits shortly after. Some cough up blood just before death takes them on swift wings into the Underworld.” His voice tapered off into a whisper. I shuddered at his description.
They were just some of the reported symptoms of those who ventured into the sacred space. Some believed the legend of the nine fated children who strayed into the circle, close to the realm of death, and were punished for their trespass.
According to the tale passed down through the generations, they danced about the wooded dell mocking the gods and urinating on the altar. Cernonnus himself was said to have risen in anger and turned them all into stone for their misdemeanour. From then on, all who strayed into the circle felt the vengeance of the nine children, contracting various diseases and ailments with few recovering from their afflictions.
It was hard to think of the God of the Wild Forest and of Death as anything but benevolent, particularly since I felt I had his favour through the white hart in the pony pen. To me he was wise and comforting, but perhaps I had grown complacent to his darker side. Blydh awoke and cried out, grabbing at his head with both hands. The more he jolted the plate in his skull, the more pain he suffered.
Tallack looked to me for an answer to the problem. The way I saw it, there was only one solution. One of us had to make the journey across enemy territory, risking life and limb and the possibility of a gruesome feverish death to obtain the only comfort for our Chief.
“I shall make the trip.” I said and the moment it left my lips, I immediately regretted my decision.
CHAPTER THREE
I’m not sure what I was expecting them to say. Perhaps I wanted them to talk me out of the foolish suggestion, or to insist that a group of strong warriors went in my stead. Neither happened. For an uncomfortable amount of time, Tallack and Endelyn simply stared at me.
“I shall need some sleep first, but I’ll set off as soon as possible.” I didn’t sound very sure of myself. The more they stared at me the more my confidence waned. I stood up and rolled my knives in their leather wrapping and packed them into my healing kit. “I’m sure Kewri will come with me when he wakes.” My voice had reduced to a thin rasp, barely audible to my visitors.
By the time I had gathered up a few of my things to pack, Tallack had risen from his stool and was standing behind me. He touched my shoulder, making me jump. “I can’t let you do this, Aunt. It’s much too dangerous.” He said the words I was longing to hear, but they had no weight behind them. I could tell from his imploring look, that his concern for me was nothing compared to that of his brother. He had no intention
of talking me out of going.
“Have you been there before, Fur Benyn? Do you know the way?” Endelyn said.
“No, but if I head east along the coastal path, I’m sure folk there will direct me.” I didn’t turn to look at her for fear my resolve would fail me.
“I should come with you. We can fly the black banners of the priests. That will allow us safe passage. I have the pennant in my shelter.” She looked to Tallack and I thought I saw a flicker of a smile, urging him to come with us. Her wiles were lost on my nephew. Rather than rush to a damsel’s aid, he offered his men instead.
“I’ll go and find Ren.” Tallack made a lunge for the door. “He and Kewri will keep you both safe. A small party can slip past the Duros under black banners far better than a great horde of us. Get some sleep, Aunt. I’ll have it all arranged for when you awake.” Before either of us could protest, he was gone.
Endelyn looked utterly crestfallen. Her noble offer failed to garner Tallack’s interest. Instead, she’d saddled herself with a treacherous mission without either of the Chiefs accompanying us. With hunched shoulders and a faintly perceptible sigh, she left my hut and returned to her own quarters.
I shook Kewri awake and explained what we had planned. He rolled out of his bunk and set about the chores, giving me his warm bunk to rest in until it was time to leave.
It was past midday when I awoke to the smell of frying pork. Kewri cut the meat in half, wrapping the chunk in waxed fabric for our journey, and in half again to share with me. We ate some fresh traded bread, the meat and a little cheese, before loading up the ponies and walking them to the eastern gates of the island compound. Endelyn was sitting high on her steed waiting for us, next to Ren and one other.
“What’s Sorcha doing here?” I shrieked. “We can’t take a Skotek slave with us. The plan was to keep the numbers of our group small.”
“Chief Tallack’s idea, Fur Benyn.” Ren announced. “Said she could be useful to us with building fires and cooking and stuff.”
