King of the Celts by Christo Rose

Author:Christo, Rose [Christo, Rose]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Published: 2013-09-01T04:00:00+00:00

* * * * *

In our house it was quiet, dark, save for the low-burning floor hearth. Fior Cad and I were sitting around the floor hearth and Sionn was standing by the door, only slightly ajar, peeking outside. Teallach and Fiadh-Ros and Clearc Dalta sat together in our alcove. Roisin stocked our shelves with garnish and soda and Aoise paced about.

"You killed the chieftain," Fior Cad said to me, as if I'd somehow forgotten. He laughed with empty disbelief.

"What was that?" Roisin said, and turned around to face us. "I've never seen anything like it."

"It's so dark outside," Sionn whispered. "None of the lochranns are lit."

There was still blood on my axe, blood on Fior Cad's lance, blood on my hands and my hair and my shirt. The stench was terrible, the worst stench on earth. As if reading my mind Fior Cad pulled a water ewer over to us and dipped a rag inside.

"Well," said Fior Cad, "obviously those people weren't willing, and the druids were trying to force them. Didn't know they had that much gall."

"They've never done that before," Roisin said.

"So many Wicker Men," Fiadh-Ros said, sounding distant.

"The Wicker Men aren't lit," Sionn reported, before she drew her head inside and clicked the door shut and locked it. Her bushy red hair frizzed with the heat from the floor hearth. "I don't know what's going on."

"D'you think anyone recognized us?" Fior Cad wondered. "D'you think we'll have to leave Gergovia?"

I was beside myself with sickness. I could not believe I might have cost my family their safety, their peace.

"We'll hide you if it comes to it," Aoise said swiftly. "Don't be a fool."

"I don't know..." Sionn said slowly.

"Why don't you know?"

"What if they come tearing doors down?"

A knock sounded on our door.

"Here we go," Fior Cad said, just as he was wiping the blood from his face. He put the rag aside and we both got up. I pulled Sionn behind me and I pulled the door open.

"Fior Cuin Cedorigh?"

It was so dark outside the door I could not see the shadowed face in front of mine. The voice sounded familiar; but it took me a moment before I realized it belonged to Reim Ionraic, the Helvetian druid. I did not know whether I was wary that he was a druid or relieved that he was my countryman.

"Oh, it's just you," Fior Cad said, and pushed past me. "Come in, then."

Reim Ionraic came inside and we snapped the door shut behind him. Teallach leaned back against it with a slight scowl compromising the corners of her mouth.

"Do you have any idea what you've done?" said Reim, haggard, annoyed.

Fior Cad knelt by the water ewers and resumed washing. I didn't have the presence of mind even for that.

I asked: "Why were you forcing people into the Wicker Men?"

"Didn't you have enough volunteers?" Teallach added hotly.

Reim pinched his wrinkled forehead. "They were invaders," he said. "Senones and Carnutes. Dealgach decided--"

"What?" I said.

Reim shot me a venomous look. "If

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