by C.S. Fanning
She pulled with such force that with a sickening rending sound she tore the Sorginak’s head from her shoulders.
Holding the head of the Sorginak above her own she let out an ululating cry of victory. A banshee approached holding a young Sorginak in her talons. The Morrighan tossed the gore covered head at the young man’s feet. “Tell your mistress’s sisters that the Sidhe offer such welcome to any of their kind and that our kindred in Caledonia and Albion will be watching for them as well. Also, tell them that Gaul will be reclaimed so if they wish to live they should go and hide as far to the south as they may.” The young man blanched but nodded his understanding. Clearly he had thought the Sorginak invincible, and the evidence at his feet had shattered this illusion.
The Morrighan turned to the banshee. “Set him upon his way with our message; let not his feet touch the soil of our land again.”
The banshee scooped up the head in her other talon and winged away south, quickly disappearing in the distance. All the gods of Eire, greater and lesser alike, seemed to have gathered upon the battlefield, and among them walked every manner of fey that Aeden had ever heard of and some that he didn’t recognize at all. The battle was over, and even as he watched many of the creatures were fading into the last of the mist that was all but gone now. Aeden could see that the king’s army had not suffered nearly the losses that he had imagined they would, for it appeared that most of the men had turned heel and fled when the mist had enveloped the Sorginak horde.
Turning, he looked back across the field to where he and his valiant friends had made their stand, and a wave of relief swept through him when he saw Fianna, bloodied and hurt, but still supporting Riordan as they made their way toward him.
“I am sorrowful for the suffering you and your friends had to endure my son” the Dagda said. “We will do what we can to heal their wounds.”
Ogma moved forward and was joined by a goddess that Aeden recognized as his mother. Together they intercepted Fianna and Riordan. Aeden could feel the healing magic they wove together flowing over his friends, healing their wounds and soothing them.
“I am glad you survived, and wish that it had not been necessary for you to believe otherwise. Of all the gods, only those born of mortals can interact freely with the realms of man, and then only until they pass beyond mortal life. We could not intercede in this directly without violating the ancient rules of our kind. Your willingness to sacrifice yourself for this land was the key to opening the way for all of us to come and the Sorginak assault upon you and your friends gave us the right” the Dagda informed him.
Aeden was just happy to be alive and that his friends who had borne so much still lived as well. This battle was over, but much was left to do, and there would still be much fighting ahead.
“Yes, unfortunately, you are right” the Dagda said proving that he was indeed privy to Aeden’s thoughts. “We won’t be able to aid you in this way again either. If the Sorginak attempt to enter Eire again we will know and act, but driving them from the lands of our brethren will be up to you and your allies. You may carry our talismans with you as you fight, but we may not leave this land, for we are bound to it.”
The Dagda left him then and Aeden walked over to where his friends sat. His mother hugged him so tightly that he thought his ribs might crack, and Fianna was waiting right behind her to finish the job. Riordan was sitting close by talking softly with Ogma. His hands were charred but he didn’t seem to be in pain. He looked over at Aeden and smiled. “It seems we have survived this fight my friend” he said.
Ogma rose, and gave a strange whistle. Almost instantly the twins appeared. “Bring the leaders together, we must mend the bond that has been broken between ourselves and our people” he told them and they seemed to simply vanish. Turning to Aeden he said “the Dagda has suggested that you sit with Riordan here as our representative in council, and I concur. Riordan will have enough to do with mediating the council, so you will directly represent the will of the gods of Eire.” Aeden was unsure how to feel about this assignment, but when the god of knowledge and wisdom calls upon you, proclaiming you ready, it is unwise to disagree.
“I will prepare a place” Ogma said, “and then we shall depart, for this is the business of men.”
Moments later, the field was clear of bodies and a great pavilion was set on the exact spot where the Sorginak queen had met her end. Inside the pavilion was an enormous wooden table in the form of a circle, and surrounding that were thirteen chairs.
King’s Council
It had taken only minutes to prepare the place for the council; it had taken somewhat longer to assemble the participants and prepare security. Fianna had brought her troops to encircle the pavilion which upset some of the southern lords, many of whom were already upset to discover that they were to be excluded. The lords of each of the four provinces were to select a delegate to represent them. And the druids were to be represented by Finnis and Sianna, Riordan was to sit in as mediator, a job he would like to have given Sianna, but Ogma had forbidden it. Aeden and Fianna set on either side of Riordan and to Aeden’s surprise Faolan was seated beside him.
Two the chairs remained empty, being set aside for members of the high council yet to be replaced. But the final seat was the biggest surprise of all. Aeden hardly recognized his father in the regal clothing he wore, and it was the slight limp in his step that first drew Aeden’s attention. His father had risen far indeed to be offered place among the men of this table and it filled Aeden with pride once more. He had often thought it sad that his father had wasted his life as a simple pig farmer, but it seemed it was never too late to change one’s fate. He couldn’t understand why his father was here, but it was great to see him.
“Let us begin!” intoned Riordan, with a resonance to his voice that brought silence to the room. “The first order of business is to establish order in our land. And I believe that to do that we must first understand what brought us too this pass.”
Riordan explained that the king had been duped through enchantment or bribery to betray his people and wage war against the very gods of Eire. Only the southern lords were unaware of this, but all listened to the tale as Riordan shared what he had gleaned from so many different sources, not the least of which was Ogma himself. When his tale was done, Lord Kildare of Leinster spoke. “We need not waste time seeking justice from the king for he is dead.”
This statement brought stunned silence to the table. “How do you know this?” Lord Donegal enquired, asking the question on everyone’s lips.
“He was determined to lead the charge, and I could not talk him out of it. I convinced him to wear the armor of one of my commanders at least as a precaution. I didn’t want him to make of himself a target but it appears that it didn’t make him any safer. I hadn’t counted on a goddess of war striking him down from farther away than any man can shoot.” Lord Kildare looked pointedly at Fianna, who blanched. She had brought down the tyrant unknowingly.
Lord Kerry of Munster spoke next. “I understand why it had to be done, but can we have peace with a king slayer in our land? Our laws are very specific about this.”
Lord Roscommon of Connaught jumped to his feet. “We should be thanking the Lady for saving us the trouble.”
Everyone at the table began speaking at once then and Aeden feared that pandemonium would ensue. Calmly rising, he looked at Riordan for permission to speak. When Riordan nodded he drew his sword and held it aloft, allowing the controlled rage of the Morrighan to wreath it in white fire. His friends at the table were not surprised by this display but the Lords fell silent, and the rest with them.
“Lords, ladies, druids of Eire and its allies, we are not here to squabble and fight. The fighting is over here, but the danger is not passed. We yet have trials to face. End the bickering, and let us move forward” he demanded in a tone as cold and cruel as the Morrighan in battle.
Aeden couldn’t believe that
he’d spoken in such a tone to the lords of the four provinces. It was a tone he imagined he might have used to scold children who were misbehaving. He looked to his father who had sat impassive at his chair, and was pleased to see the proud smile on Gareth’s face.
Riordan stood, smoothly taking advantage of the silence gained by his friend’s display of power, holding his staff gingerly in his burned hands. “To answer your concerns about the laws of Eire, Fianna here has accepted the post of druid high protector, making her subject to druid law, and not the law of any one land. To be honest when the business of this council is concluded, it may be a long time indeed before the druid high protector returns to Eire, if ever. With the king dead, we shouldn’t concern ourselves with how the traitor died, but focus on the matter of succession.”
Lord Roscommon looked at Riordan strangely. “The king had no living heirs. Succession is not a question; we need to a select a new line from the lords. That would be done at the lord’s conclave during Yule.”
“That is not entirely true” Gareth said. It was the first time he had spoken since the council began and Aeden was not the most surprised. “When old king Finbarr’s wife drank the poison meant for him
