Chosen Wanderers: A Celtic Saga of Warriors and Saints (Z-Rod Book 1) by Haworth Martin C

Author:Haworth, Martin C
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Malcolm Down Publishing
Published: 2021-04-11T00:00:00+00:00

Alpia observed that Oengus was in good spirits as she entered the hall, with the wine no doubt playing a part. He looked like one who felt fortune smiled upon him. The people appeared to be with him, along with the gods it would seem.

“Hey Alpia!” he called brightly, beckoning her to sit beside him.

She hesitated.

“Do not be bashful!” Oengus gesticulated earnestly for her to join him. He rose to his feet, pulling out the vacant chair next to his own with an exaggerated gesture.

“Come here, my dear,” Conchen invited her, which would have been a fortuitous thing were it not the same seat positioned between her and Oengus.

She came over curtly smiling, aware that her cheeks were puffier than usual.

“. . . then he said to me, ‘How do you get three horses from two?’ Then I said, ‘Easy when the two are a mare and a stallion!’” Oengus threw back his head with exaggerated laughter, telling stories and riddles in fast succession.

“Do not tell me that you do not get it?” teased Oengus, his forefinger flicking the underside of a young woman’s chin, who looked naively towards her smiling companions. “I can give you a lesson in private later; then you would understand!”

The girl flushed red, looking unsure of whether to leave or to smile. Her bashful hesitation seemed to amuse Oengus. Her eyes met his with suppressed amusement, before casting a look that conveyed she did not altogether mind his cheekiness.

Did Oengus not presume she had been Taran’s girlfriend, she asked herself? If that was so, then Oengus was no respecter of such things and clearly, he was insensitive. Did he expect that he could just ingratiate himself with her? Did he really consider Taran well and truly out of the way?

She focussed on talking with her aunt, doing her best to ignore Oengus’ attempt to lure her into his talk. How much had Oengus been in the know during the events leading up to Taran’s flight? Was he just a player, like everyone else, in a game determined by Talorgen and his druids? Had Taran not spoken about the tension between them competing for the lordship? Those arrows he had fired implicated him in Taran’s overthrow.

Where was Taran now? Was he as good as dead, as everyone claimed? If he were dead, then surely news would be fast in reaching their court, knowing a reward was to be had? Therefore, he must still be alive, she concluded. Could he really have gone on over to the Circinn though? That seemed like leaping out of the frying pan and into the fire. She could not find even a single grain of rationality in the lie that Taran had connived with their enemy. He had a sincere heart that led him to make noble choices. Then had not Ossian told him to be cunning, something she had encouraged him to bear in mind? Hard as she tried not to think of Taran, just to seek a moment’s rest, she was unable to shift him from her mind.

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