by Kate Forsyth
At the sight of Rhiannon, Fèlice ran forward, her hands held out, her face shining. The two girls embraced eagerly, though Rhiannon could not help wincing and pulling away at the fresh pain in her shoulder. They had much to tell each other, and sat exchanging stories for quite some time, while everyone else ate and drank and talked around them.
‘But your hair, your bonny hair,’ Rhiannon said. ‘How could ye cut it all off!’
Fèlice tossed her head. ‘It took only a second, I assure ye, and I’ve no’ missed it at all! I feel much lighter and freer without it. Besides, I’ll wager ye that it’ll be all the rage the day after I get back! All the lassies will be cutting their hair off too, I promise ye.’
Rhiannon grinned. ‘I only make bets when I can be sure o’ winning them,’ she said. ‘Oh, Fèlice, it’s so good to see ye!’
‘I was so worried about ye,’ Fèlice said. ‘Is everything … is everything all right now?’ She searched Rhiannon’s face.
Rhiannon smiled broadly. ‘It’s better than all right.’
‘I’m so glad,’ Fèlice said and squeezed her hand. Then she leant forward and whispered, with a quick sideways glance at Owein, ‘I think everything’s all right for me too.’
‘I ken it is,’ Rhiannon replied, and cast Owein a laughing glance.
By noon, the ships were ready to leave the Pirate Isles behind them.
‘It is too far for ye to fly back to Dùn Gorm,’ Iseult said. ‘Let us tether your horses on the deck, and ye can travel back with us.’
‘No, thank ye,’ Lewen said firmly. ‘Lightning would no’ like that at all.’
‘Nor Blackthorn,’ Rhiannon said.
‘Are ye sure?’
‘Sure we’re sure,’ Lewen said. ‘Leave us some supplies, and we’ll rest up here for tonight and fly home in the morning.’
‘We’ll beat ye home,’ Rhiannon said challengingly.
Owein grinned at his friend. ‘Cunning dog,’ he said in a low voice, knowing how crowded and noisy the ship would be, and how difficult it would be for him to get Fèlice alone, as he so wanted to do.
Lewen smiled. ‘Have a pleasant trip. See ye at Rhyssmadill!’
They stood together on the jetty and waved until the ships were sailing out of the lagoon, then Lewen turned and seized Rhiannon fiercely. ‘Now where shall we go?’ he demanded, bending to kiss her throat. ‘The pirate town’s a ruin, so that leaves the fort or the forest.’
Rhiannon laughed at him. ‘Can we try the fort?’ she asked plaintively. ‘I would so like to make love in a bed, with pillows and sheets, just for something new.’
Lewen laughed. ‘That’s another thing I love about ye, Rhiannon,’ he said. ‘There’s never any pretence at coyness.’
‘I’m no’ quite sure what that means,’ Rhiannon said, ‘but I’m guessing it’s a compliment.’
‘It is, believe me, it is.’
‘Well, let’s go and check out the auld fort,’ Rhiannon said. ‘I can tell ye they have one very cold and uncomfortable cell, but other than that, I ken naught.’
She swung herself up onto Blackthorn’s back, smoothing the mare’s silky black hide with a loving hand.
‘Race ye?’ she asked with a wicked grin, then dug her heels into the mare’s sides so that Blackthorn leapt straight up into the air, wings snapping open.
Laughing and cursing, Lewen leapt onto Lightning’s back and bent low, urging his stallion to follow. The big bay spread his dark wings and soared in pursuit. Darting ahead of them, carolling in joy, flew the bluebird.
Higher and higher, the two winged horses climbed, until the sea lay below them like a discarded gown, and the misty horizon curved. Then slowly, enjoying the tilt of the earth on its axis, they circled down, in search of a place where they could love one another in peace.
‘Thence we came forth to see the stars again’
DANTE ALIGHIERI,
Divina Commedia, 1314–1320
The grand dining room of the Theurgia was humming with talk and laughter as the morning meal was brought in by a long line of servants.
Rhiannon sat at a long trestle table with Fèlice, both dressed in the sober black robes of apprentice-witches, giggling and pretending to ignore the winks and waves of Owein and Lewen at the boys’ table alongside. It had been almost three weeks since Olwynne’s death, and although Owein still grieved for his murdered twin, he was by nature buoyant and optimistic, and even more determined than ever to enjoy his life to the full.
‘Fèlice!’ he cried. ‘Do ye want to go to the Nisse and Nixie tonight? Maya the Mesmerising is singing again!’
‘Maybe,’ she called back. ‘Is fuzzle-gin on the menu?’
‘For ye, anything!’ he called back.
‘In that case, it’s a date,’ she called back. ‘As long as ye can organise a few extra boys for Maisie and Edithe.’
Owein groaned. ‘Do I have to?’
‘Aye,’ she said sweetly. ‘Else I simply canna come.’
‘Lewen, we need sacrifices, willing or unwilling,’ Owein said. ‘Who do we know?’
Lewen bit back a grin. ‘Got a score to settle with anyone?’ he asked. ‘How about that boy that dared ask Fèlice to dance last night?’
‘I like the way your mind works,’ Owein replied. Then he scowled. ‘As long as he doesna try to ask Fèlice to dance again.’
‘I’m sure he wouldna dare, after the black looks he got from ye last night,’ Lewen said. ‘Besides, once we let Edithe know he’s there to squire her …’
‘I’ll tell her he’s an up-and-coming lord with great prospects at court,’ Owein said triumphantly. ‘She won’t let him out o’ her sight!’
Just then the peace of the morning was disrupted by screams. Lewen and Owen at once leapt to their feet, pulses suddenly hammering painfully. It was not as easy to forget the past as they had thought.
But the screams were caused by the sight of a tiny elven cat resolutely dragging a huge black rat up the aisle. The rat was dead, and three times the size of the little cat.
Goblin dragged the dead rat all the way up to the high table, where Finn and Jay were breakfasting with the other sorcerers. Isabeau and Iseult sat side by side, like mirror images in their white sorceress robes, their eyebrows shooting up in surprise.
Finn put her hand over her mouth. ‘Goblin!’ she cried weakly. ‘Must ye?’
Goblin laid the dead rat down on her shoe, then sat back, purring loudly.
Iseult and Isabeau looked at each other. ‘I wonder …’ the Keybearer said.
‘We will never know,’ Iseult replied.
acolytes: students of witchcraft who have not yet passed their Second Test of Powers; usually aged between eight and sixteen.
ahdayeh: a series of exercises used as meditation in motion. Derived from the Khan’cohban art of fighting.
apprentice-witch: a student of witchcraft who has passed the Second Test of Powers, usually undertaken at the age of sixteen.
arak: a small, monkey-like creature.
Arran: south-east land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacFóghnan clan.
Aslinn: deeply forested land, ruled by the MacAislin clan.
banprionnsa: princess or duchess.
banrìgh: queen.
Beltane: May Day; the first day of summer.
Ben Eyrie: third highest mountain in Eileanan; part of the Broken Ring of Dubhslain.
blaygird: evil, awful.
Blèssem: rich farmland south of Rionnagan, ruled by the MacThanach clan.
Blue Guards: the Yeomen of the Guard, the Rìgh’s own elite company of soldiers. They act as his personal bodyguard, both on the battlefield and in peacetime.
Brann the Raven: one of the First Coven of Witches. Known for probing the darker mysteries of magic, and for fascination with machinery and technology.
Broken Ring of Dubhslain: mountains which curve in a crescent around the highlands of Ravenshaw.
Bronwen NicCuinn: daughter of former Rìgh Jaspar MacCuinn and Maya t
he Ensorcellor; she was named Banrìgh of Eileanan by her father on his deathbed but ruled for just six hours as a newborn baby, before Lachlan the Winged wrested the throne from her.
Candlemas: the end of winter and beginning of spring.
Carraig: land of the sea-witches, the northernmost land of Eileanan, ruled by the MacSeinn clan.
Celestines: race of faery creatures, renowned for empathic abilities and knowledge of stars and prophecy.
Clachan: southernmost land of Eileanan, a province of Rionnagan ruled by the MacCuinn clan.
claymore: a heavy, two-edged sword, often as tall as a man.
cluricaun: small woodland faery.
Connor: a Yeoman of the Guard. Was once a beggar-boy in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
corrigan: mountain faery with the power of assuming the look of a boulder. The most powerful can cast other illusions.
Coven of Witches: the central ruling body for witches in Eileanan, led by the Keybearer and a council of twelve other sorcerers and sorceresses called the Circle. The Coven administers all rites and rituals in the worship of the universal life-force witches call Eà, runs schools and hospitals, and advises the Crown.
Craft: applications of the One Power through spells, incantations and magical objects.
The Cripple: leader of the rebellion against the rule of Jaspar and Maya.
Cuinn Lionheart: leader of the First Coven of Witches; his descendants are called MacCuinn.
Cunning: applications of the One Power through will and desire.
cunning man: village wise man or warlock.
cursehags: wicked faery race, prone to curses and evil spells. Known for their filthy personal habits.
Dai-dein: father.
Day of Betrayal: the day Jaspar the Ensorcelled turned on the witches, exiling or executing them, and burning the Witch Towers.
Dedrie: healer at Fettercairn Castle; was formerly nursemaid to Rory, the young son of Lord Falkner MacFerris.
Dide the Juggler: a jongleur who was rewarded for his part in Lachlan the Winged’s successful rebellion by being made Didier Laverock, Earl of Caerlaverock. Is often called the Rìgh’s minstrel.
Dillon of the Joyous Sword: Captain of the Yeomen of the Guard. Was once a beggar-boy and Captain of the League of the Healing Hand.
Donncan Feargus MacCuinn: eldest son of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan. Has wings like a bird and can fly. Was named for Lachlan’s two brothers, who were transformed into blackbirds by Maya the Ensorcellor.
Dughall MacBrann: the Prionnsa of Ravenshaw and cousin to the Rìgh.
Eà: the Great Life Spirit, mother and father of all.
Eileanan: largest island in the archipelago called the Far Islands.
Elemental Powers: the forces of air, earth, fire, water and spirit which together make up the One Power.
Enit Silverthroat: grandmother of Dide and Nina; died at the Battle of Bonnyblair.
equinox: a time when day and night are of equal length, occurring twice a year.
Fairge; Fairgean: faery creatures who need both sea and land to live.
Falkner MacFerris: former lord of Fettercairn Castle.
Fettercairn Castle: a fortress guarding the pass into the highlands of Ravenshaw, and the Tower of Ravens. Owned by the MacFerris clan.
Finn the Cat: nickname of Fionnghal NicRuraich.
Fionnghal NicRuraich: eldest daughter of Anghus MacRuraich of Rurach; was once a beggar-girl in Lucescere and Lieutenant of the League of the Healing Hand.
First Coven of Witches: thirteen witches who fled persecution in their own land, invoking an ancient spell that folded the fabric of the universe and brought them and all their followers to Eileanan in a journey called the Great Crossing. The eleven great clans of Eileanan are all descended from the First Coven, with the MacCuinn clan being the greatest of the eleven. The thirteen witches were Cuinn Lionheart, his son Owein of the Longbow, Ahearn Horse-laird, Aislinna the Dreamer, Berhtilde the Bright Warrior-Maid, Fóghnan the Thistle, Rùraich the Searcher, Seinneadair the Singer, Sian the Storm-Rider, Tuathanach the Farmer, Brann the Raven, Faodhagan the Red and his twin sister Sorcha the Bright (now called the Murderess).
Gearradh: goddess of death; of the Three Spinners, Gearradh is she who cuts the thread.
gillie: personal servant.
gillie-coise: bodyguard.
Gladrielle the Blue: the smaller of the two moons, lavender-blue in colour.
gravenings: ravenous creatures that nest and swarm together, steal lambs and chickens from farmers, and have been known to steal babies and young children. Will eat anything they can carry away in their claws. Collective noun is ‘screech’.
Greycloaks: the Rìgh’s army, so called because of their camouflaging cloaks.
Hogmanay: New Year’s Eve; an important celebration in the culture of Eileanan.
Horned Ones: another name for the satyricorns, a race of fierce horned faeries.
Irving: seneschal at Fettercairn Castle.
Isabeau the Shapechanger: Keybearer of the Coven; twin sister of the Banrìgh Iseult NicFaghan.
Iseult of the Snows: twin sister of Isabeau NicFaghan; Banrìgh of Eileanan by marriage to Lachlan the Winged.
Iven Yellowbeard: a jongleur and courier in the service of Lachlan the Winged; was formerly a Yeoman of the Guard; married to Nina the Nightingale and father to Roden.
Jaspar MacCuinn: former Rìgh of Eileanan, often called Jaspar the Ensorcelled. Was married to Maya the Ensorcellor.
Jay the Fiddler: a minstrel in the service of Lachlan the Winged. Was once a beggar-boy in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
Johanna: a healer. Was once a beggar-girl in Lucescere and member of the League of the Healing Hand.
jongleur: a travelling minstrel, juggler, conjurer.
journeywitch: a travelling witch who performs rites for villages that do not have a witch, and seeks out children with magical powers who can be taken on as acolytes.
Keybearer: the leader of the Coven of Witches.
Khan’cohbans: a faery race of war-like, snow-skimming nomads who live on the high mountains of the Spine of the World.
Lachlan the Winged: Rìgh of Eileanan.
League of the Healing Hand: a band of beggar children who were instrumental in helping Lachlan the Winged win his throne.
leannan: sweetheart.
Lewen: an apprentice-witch and squire to Lachlan; son of Lilanthe of the Forest and Niall the Bear.
Lilanthe of the Forest: a tree-shifter; married to Niall the Bear, and mother to Lewen and Meriel.
loch; lochan (pl): lake.
Lucescere: ancient city built on an island above the Shining Waters; the traditional home of the MacCuinns and the Tower of Two Moons.
Mac: son of
MacAhern: one of the eleven great clans; descendants of Ahearn Horse-laird.
MacBrann: one of the eleven great clans; descendants of Brann the Raven.
MacCuinn: one of the eleven great clans, descendants of Cuinn Lionheart.
Magnysson the Red: the larger of the two moons, crimson-red in colour, commonly thought of as a symbol of war and conflict. Old tales describe him as a thwarted lover, chasing his lost love, Gladrielle, across the sky.
Malvern MacFerris: lord of Fettercairn Castle; brother of former lord Falkner MacFerris.
Maya the Ensorcellor: former Banrìgh of Eileanan, wife of Jaspar and mother of Bronwen; now known as Maya the Mute.
moonbane: a hallucinogenic drug distilled from the moon-flower plant.
necromancy: the forbidden art of resurrecting the dead.
Niall the Bear: formerly a Yeoman of the Guard; now married to Lilanthe of the Forest, and father to Lewen and Meriel.
Nic: daughter of.
Nila: King of the Fairgean; half-brother of Maya the Ensorcellor.
Nina the Nightingale: jongleur and sorceress of the Coven; sister to Didier Laverock, earl of Caerlaverock, and granddaughter of Enit
Silverthroat.
nisse: small woodland faery.
Olwynne NicCuinn: daughter of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan; twin sister of Owein.
One Power: the life-energy that is contained in all things. Witches draw upon the One Power to perform their acts of magic. The One Power contains all the elemental forces of air, earth, water, fire and spirit, and witches are usually more powerful in one force than others.
Owein MacCuinn: second son of Lachlan MacCuinn and Iseult NicFaghan; twin brother of Olwynne. Has wings like a bird.
prionnsa; prionnsachan (pl): prince, duke.
Ravenscraig: estate of the MacBrann clan. Once their hunting castle, but they moved their home there after Rhyssmadill fell into ruin.
Ravenshaw: deeply forested land west of Rionnagan, ruled by the MacBrann clan, descendants of Brann, one of the First Coven of Witches.
Razor’s Edge: dangerous path through the mountains of the Broken Ring of Dubhslain, only used in times of great need.
Red Guards: soldiers in service to Maya the Ensorcellor during her reign as Banrìgh.
Rhiannon: a half-satyricorn; daughter of One-Horn and a captured human.
Rhyssmadill: the Rìgh’s castle by the sea, once owned by the MacBrann clan.
rìgh; rìghrean (pl): king.
Rionnagan: together with Clachan and Blèssem, the richest lands in Eileanan. Ruled by MacCuinns, descendants of Cuinn Lionheart, leader of the First Coven of Witches.
Roden: son of Nina the Nightingale and Iven Yellowbeard; Viscount Laverock of Caerlaverock.
