A Song of Flight by Juliet Marillier

Author:Juliet Marillier [Marillier, Juliet]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2021-07-19T05:41:19+00:00

19

Liobhan

The moment my mother sees me she knows something’s wrong. There’s no hiding secrets from her. Master Donagan greets us on arrival and offers the amenities of the household. Our horses are led off to the stables. And right after that, Mother appears in the courtyard with Galen beside her – Galen upright, walking, his head bandaged and his expression a little wild. I embrace each in turn. Tears are shed. I introduce Hrothgar and Elka to my family. But we can’t talk openly with so many folk close by, even if they are trusted members of Prince Aolu’s household. That will have to wait.

There’s no official meeting planned, I guess because this mission is of a kind that kings and councillors aren’t well equipped to advise on. Donagan says he’ll speak to us later, just to check we have everything we need. Hrothgar and Elka go off to stretch their legs after the ride and work on the cover story. And I follow my mother and brother into the little walled garden that’s one of our favourite spots at the prince’s house. Galen’s acting strangely. He’s up, he’s moving, I should be delighted. I am delighted. But he has a trapped look, and he’s strangely quiet. He settles himself on a low wall near us, saying not a word.

I hardly know where to start. I hate giving them more bad news. Though it’s not news exactly. A vision is not the same as fact. ‘Might we be overheard here?’ I ask in a voice just over a whisper.

Mother lifts her brows. ‘We’re among friends in this household,’ she says.

‘Even so. This can’t be shared with anyone else. Not anyone. Elka and Hrothgar know. Nobody else.’ I draw a steadying breath. ‘It’s not about the search for Aolu. It’s about Brocc.’

I tell them about the cavern and Elka and the winged messenger. I tell them about the vision and see on my mother’s face an expression I wish I could take away. But if I trust anyone I trust her, and she needs to know. I dip into my pouch and bring out the little silk bag in which I’m keeping the two curls of hair and the broken leaf. I tell them the story.

‘Brocc would never use his gift as a weapon,’ Mother says when I reach the end. ‘Never. If what you saw is happening now or about to happen – if he’s been taken away so he can turn the Crow Folk into a fighting force – he must be acting under coercion.’

‘When we saw Brocc working with the Crow Folk, there was no sign of the child.’ Saying this aloud fills me with horror all over again. ‘This woman must have threatened to harm the infant unless he does what she wants.’

‘Would he give in to such a threat?’

I hesitate.

‘Tell me the truth, Liobhan. I haven’t seen Brocc since the two of you went off to Swan Island, bright-eyed and full of hope. Has he changed

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