The Boar Stone: Book Three of the Dalriada Trilogy (54 page)

She clambered up on the log beside Finola. The oak trees in this little hollow were festooned with moss, and ferns curled over her feet. Nearby she heard Orla singing as she chased butterflies, and scuffles from Lia’s paws. ‘We use the brown mushroom when there are pains …’ she prompted Finola.

‘In the tummy!’ the little girl finished, her solemn face lighting up.

Minna beamed. ‘Good. The Lady Breda’s children have griping pains in the belly, and I think it might be those horrid little worms.’ She tickled Finola, and the child squealed and laughed. Though the youngest, it was she who showed an aptitude for the herbs, healing and dreams, while Orla, with her quicksilver emotions, preferred music and words.

‘Minna!’ Orla suddenly called in a sing-song voice. ‘Someone’s coming, a man on a horse.’

Lia began barking, as Minna lifted Finola on her back and tramped through the bracken to the rough-hewn track. Orla was crouched in the middle of the path, holding back the lunging puppy from one of Dunadd’s mounted guards. Minna let Finola slide to the ground.

‘Lady.’ The man seemed perplexed. ‘The Queen of the Picts is here demanding to see you. She arrived by sea this morning and came to Dunadd. I left to find you, but she insisted on accompanying me. She is not far behind.’

‘Queen Nessa is
here
? Did she say why?’

‘She said she will only speak with you, lady.’

Minna dropped Finola’s hand. Nessa would never risk such a journey on a whim. She strode blindly past the guard, then began to run.

The track dropped from hilly ground to the marshes, and she saw Nessa walking a borrowed horse not far behind, accompanied by a warrior of her own kin. Nessa gestured the man to stop, then walked the horse on some way before pulling up, raising her hand.

Minna’s impulse was to keep running, but each leg felt as if it were sunk in mud now, and she could only walk on unsteadily. As she approached Nessa, the bowl of the land began to echo with a soft, discordant song.

‘Why are you here?’ Her voice was faint. ‘What is wrong?’

Nessa’s chest was fluttering, though she had not moved. ‘I have something urgent to tell you that I could entrust to no messenger. I come because of the friendship we share.’ She was struggling not to cry, her mouth twisting.

‘What?’ Minna whispered.

Nessa’s eyes tightened with pain. ‘It is about Cahir. He is in terrible danger – but not from the Romans alone.’

The faint song all around Minna became a drum, beating out her heart’s life.

Chapter 49

M
inna paced before the hearth in the king’s hall, her knuckles pressed to her mouth.

Finbar, Donal, Keeva and Clíona were all there, and Nessa sat in Cahir’s chair, her feet in a basin of hot water. Riona had stumbled upon them and, seeing Minna’s expression, taken her own seat.

‘Tell them what you told me,’ Minna whispered to Nessa. ‘I cannot put the words together.’

Nessa gulped, addressing Finbar. ‘After Gede left, I began to venture among the people more, because of things Minna said to me … the way she made me feel …’ Her shoulders fell. ‘I have been out both day and night, walking and listening, and taking more interest. The dun is nearly empty of fighting men, but I learned much from those left.’ Her eyes rose, large and frightened, to Finbar’s face. ‘One night I was by myself on the walls, when everyone thought I was abed.’

Minna turned away to the fire.
Cahir.

Nessa rushed on. ‘I heard the captain of the defences speaking with another warrior. They didn’t know I was there. The guard made some remark about how bored he was and the captain said: “No matter. We’ll soon have leagues of new territory to divide up – you can be chief of your own fancy dun.” They laughed then, and I thought they were talking about Roman lands, after the war. But then the first added something I can’t even repeat about … Dalriadan women.’

There was a shocked silence from everyone. Minna’s eyes closed tight, her back to them. ‘Tell them what it means, Nessa.’

There was a pause. ‘I sent my man Urp among the men, and he found out … he found out … that Gede doesn’t intend to only win the Roman lands. He wants all of Alba, too. He wants Dalriada.’

A muffled expletive burst from Donal. Then Finbar’s voice came, hard as iron. ‘Gede is in the south fighting Romans. What is he talking about?’

Minna spun on her heel. ‘The only reason he agreed to the alliance was so that Cahir would help him destroy the Romans. And then she had to spit it out, ‘when it was done, turn on Cahir and betray him.’

‘No!’ Riona was aghast; Clíona and Keeva white with shock.

Donal bit off a curse as he and Finbar both came to their feet, their fury palpable.

Nessa buried her face in her hands. ‘I am so ashamed. That my own husband, and king, could plan such a crime.’

‘How will it happen?’ Finbar demanded, impatient with Nessa’s tears. ‘
Where
?’

‘I don’t know.’ Nessa dropped her hands in despair. ‘I only know that once he has the victory he needs over the Romans, he will find a way to turn on Cahir without implicating himself and m–murder him.’

Minna grasped for the nearest roofpost, pressing her back to it. Keeva was on her feet, holding her arm. ‘Sit down before you faint.’

‘No, no, leave me.’ She was seeing again Gede’s sardonic smile at the feast. Why hadn’t she seen him for what he was? Instead, she had been too distracted by her own new gifts – gifts that had limits, as she had not realized then. She turned and leaned her forehead against the cool wood. Gede was so tangled he was almost impossible to read, but she should have tried harder. She had failed Cahir.
You have murdered him.
‘No,’ she whispered.

‘And your warriors agreed to this?’ Donal demanded of Nessa. ‘Betraying those you have fought beside breaks a sacred oath. It dishonours their swords, their shields, their very blood.’

‘I know,’ Nessa stammered. ‘And though it offends many, enough are content to receive Gede’s spoils and forget their shame.’

In the silence that ensued, Minna raised her face. ‘He cannot get away with this. I will not let him.’ Fury was bracing her now; that Gede would seek to take from her what she had so long sought.

Donal’s face was set. ‘We must get a message to Cahir at once, Finbar.’

‘If he’s taken the western part of the Wall, then there will be men stationed there who will know where he is. We could relay a message—’

‘
Relay
?’ Minna’s voice cut in harshly. ‘Use warriors as messengers and they are targets for attack – one goes down, and the message is lost.’

As they all stared, surprised at her vehemence, a sense of familiarity came over her. Facing down men and declaring she would make up her own mind to go into danger.
Yes,
Rhiann whispered to her.
Listen to the past. It was me
. But Minna did it now for love, and there was nothing stronger. Cahir was her anchor; she needed to be with him no matter what happened.

‘And what do you propose instead?’ Finbar asked disdainfully. He had not seen Minna in the cave in the north; he had never understood what she was or had become.

‘Have you forgotten where I was born?’ She returned his look. ‘I am Roman by blood. I’ve already travelled those lands, walked those roads. I speak Latin, and can pass as Roman or Dalriadan.
Can you
?’

‘Minna!’ Nessa cried, as the implications sank in.

‘Now, lady,’ Donal began, groping for the authority of his sword, which he then discovered he had left aside. ‘The idea of
you
undertaking this is nonsense. With a few men I can travel far more swiftly—’

‘
Wait
!’ Finbar stormed. ‘Donal, what are you blathering about? We will send men to Cahir, aye, but there’s no sense in you going, and damn well no sense in this girl going. She’s the king’s
lennan
! Do you have any idea what he would do to us?’

She placed herself in front of him. ‘A party of Dalriadan warriors is more likely to be attacked than me. If we meet any Roman soldiers then I am simply a Latin lady trying to return home – there must be many people on the roads fleeing the armies.’

‘Madness!’ Finbar raked hands through his grey hair, making it stick out. But the faces of the women told a different story. Keeva was grinning, eyes alight. Riona looked admiring, and Clíona wryly resigned. Only Nessa was appalled.

‘And there is another thing,’ Minna declared, with a last burst of inspiration. ‘I have been named by Cahir not only as his
lennan
but as his seer. I received visions from your gods, your ancestors who guide his kingship. Your men may need the connection between us to find him in time.’ She paused, then added softly. ‘And
he
will need me.’

She met Donal’s eyes as his indecision dissolved into amused horror, like a kitten had just sunk its claws into his hand.

‘This is ridiculous.’ Finbar turned on Donal. ‘Utterly foolish!’

Donal merely sighed. ‘If she says she wants to go, brother, I don’t see how we can stop her. We weren’t appointed
her
guards, after all.’

Minna hadn’t actually thought of that. No one guarded her any more.

Finbar crossed his arms across his barrel chest. ‘Well, she can’t go without an escort, and I do have say over that.’

Donal shrugged. ‘I will go as her escort.’

‘Ha!’ Finbar jabbed a finger at him. ‘You always wanted to join this battle. That’s what this is really about, isn’t it? Admit it!’ Donal smiled and shrugged again. Finbar glanced at Minna, eyes narrowed. ‘We need all our men to defend this dun.’

‘We won’t need many,’ Donal argued. ‘The fewer the better – then we can lay low more easily.’

‘Of course it’s far too dangerous, Minna,’ Nessa suddenly interrupted. ‘What are you thinking?’ She sniffed, dashing away tears.

Minna knelt before her. ‘You, of all people, must understand – you came all this way for me.’ She took Nessa’s hand. ‘My heart is bound to Cahir’s. I cannot sit here while he is so threatened.
I will go mad
.’

Nessa’s eyes searched hers, and at last her mouth softened.

‘If it were
my
man,’ Riona said stoutly, ‘I would go to him, too. In the old days the women went to war, didn’t they?’

‘Yes,’ Keeva put in eagerly. ‘Oh, Minna, the bards will sing of you—’

Donal stifled a squawk. ‘She’s not going to war! She’s travelling in the wake of an army. If the king thought that …’ He trailed away, speaking so glumly that Minna smiled at him. Then her eyes came to rest on Clíona.

‘What are you looking at me for?’ the older woman sniffed. You’ll only do exactly what you want to do; I can see it in your face.’

That was the truest thing said. For the first time in Minna’s life no one could stop her. She was an entirely free woman, and as Cahir had made her so, even he could not gainsay her. She clambered to her feet and faced Donal. ‘Are you really willing to do this for Cahir, for me?’

‘I am more than willing.’ Donal’s face showed clear admiration.

‘Pah!’ Finbar sat down. ‘Let it not be on my head, then.’ But though his frown remained, he raised no more objections.

As the others dispersed, Nessa spoke Minna’s name in a soft voice, and she turned from speaking with Clíona about provisions. Dwarfed by Cahir’s chair, Nessa was limp, head down. ‘There is something else I must tell you.’

Minna sank warily to the bench beside her. Nessa’s eyes had almost disappeared into hollows, her face was so strained. ‘It’s my fault this happened.’

‘Of course it isn’t.’

‘It is!’ Nessa hissed.

Minna waited until Clíona left, and lowered her voice. ‘What are you talking about?’

Nessa’s eyes shifted to the fire, her lip quavering. ‘I have to tell you about the real history between Gede and I.’

She thought of the secrets she had sensed at the Dun of Bright Water, and felt the weight of that darkness descend between them again. ‘Tell me,’ she said.

It tumbled out. Gede once had an elder brother, called Drustan. Their warlike family seized the kingship by force at a moment of weakness, even though they were not prime candidates for the throne. They demanded Nessa as Drustan’s bride to bestow her royal blood through marriage, legitimizing his claim. This would also strengthen the claim of any son that came after him. Nessa dutifully bore the son – little Drust.

Minna’s skin began to prickle over her arms, her neck. Suddenly Nessa burst out, ‘But I did not know it would end that way!’

Her mouth went dry. ‘What would end?’

Nessa turned her head. ‘When I first came to the dun Gede would watch me, and then he began catching me alone, wooing me, kissing and touching. I never had such soft words from Drustan, only coldness, and, young fool that I was, I grew mad with desire for Gede. I thought he loved me. I didn’t know he could ever do such a thing.’

Minna’s heart beat slowly, as the darkness fell over her. Nessa curled up like a dying leaf, barely able to whisper how Drustan went away to raid over the Wall, and there died, though not from a wound.

Gede killed him, his own brother.