They Mostly Come Out At Night (25 page)

Mother Ogma sat on her bed, letting everything fit into place. "That was Maedoc last night, then. As the Magpie King."

"Adahy did save us from the Wolves, but now there’s something else out there, attacking the villages. Something to do with the Magpie King. Something that dresses like him, answers to him."

"Is there any way this Maedoc could have been hiding something like this from the prince, hiding that bird monster, and maybe more like it?"

"No. Not a chance. There would’ve been nowhere to hide a secret this big. There was nothing like them at the Eyrie, Mother Ogma, not when I’ve seen it at night. This is something new."

At that moment, they heard a commotion out on the green.

"They've probably found the body by now," Mother Ogma muttered. "Stay down here, dearie. I'll go and see what’s happening." The old healer opened the cellar door to the daylight and went upstairs. Seconds later, she ran back down again.

"He's back, Lonan. The tax collector is back." 

Lonan quickly wrapped himself and his wounded hand in a blanket and ran upstairs and outside to the village green to join in the throng surrounding the purple-robed man.

"I have been sent back to support you in this distressing time," Inteus was addressing the people, "and to help to make funeral arrangements for the family."

There were shouts of confusion with families asking the tax man to explain himself.

He raised his hand for silence, then continued. "The Magpie King has told me that one of your number was attacked and killed last night. I have been sent to help you deal with this."

"Who?" This bellow came from Old Man Tumulty. "Was anyone breached?”

"It was the young man known as Lonan Anvil," Inteus announced in a consoling voice. "Alas, he chose to not confine himself to the cellars last night, and our lord reports he has paid the price."

At this, there were shouts throughout the village, and Lonan could pick out Branwen's high pitched wail at the news. However, a few heads close by were beginning to turn in his direction.

"Can you lead me to the body?" Inteus asked the crowd. A murmur spread through the gathered villagers, and they began to part, exposing a stern faced Lonan to the tax collector's searching gaze.

"Well," Lonan addressed him, eyes full of anger, "it looks like someone's lord hasn't quite got their facts straight, doesn’t it?"

"I-I don't understand," the outsider stammered, stooping down to gather his belongings. "I must consult-"

"Oh, I think you must, but your consultations will be taking place a bit closer to home." Lonan ran the last few feet towards the man and grabbed his robes at the chest. Inteus buckled in fear and confusion.

"Now wait just a moment-" Old Man Tumulty began to challenge, but Lonan interrupted by holding up his bandaged hand, the blood from last night's wound staining the white linen red.

"I'm still alive, but something had a pretty good go at me last night. This man knows more than he’s telling us. I reckon my fingers have bought me the right to ask a few questions, so who is going to help this mess to the healer's cottage?" At that final sentence, Lonan's eyes fell on Branwen's, and he knew this time he had earned the anger she shot at him. He turned away, not wanting to let his emotions cloud his judgement.

The Tumulty boys, always game for helping roughhouse a deserving soul, took Inteus from Lonan and helped to bind him to a chair in Mother Ogma's house.

Lonan stood and watched as they did so, losing his thoughts in the gentle rocking of Harlow's chair. He glanced at the old man and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Harlow was looking straight at him. The invalid had never before registered Lonan's existence in the years they had spent under the same roof, but now his accusing eye tracked Lonan as he moved from one side of the room to the other. This uncanny gaze added to the volatile mix of emotions currently assaulting Lonan, his insides pumping a heady mix of adrenaline as his survival instincts kicked in.
If the Magpie King, whoever wears the helm, wants me dead, he’s not going to rest until the job is done. How am I, a Knackless villager, going to be able to stop him? This man must have some information I can use.

"He's all yours, Lonan," Niall Tumulty told him, breaking Lonan's train of thought.

"Thanks guys. Best that you leave, though. If this waste of space knows the Magpie King, and I think he does, the less you all know, the better."

The men left with a little protest, leaving only the inhabitants of the cottage and Inteus behind.

The visitor appeared to have regained some of his composure, despite his now uncomfortable position. "Well, Master Anvil, we are all very pleased you have survived. I am sure my lord will feel so too when I tell him."

Lonan responded by punching the tax collector across the face. "Now, this is going to be slow and painful if we don’t understand each other, so listen closely. You remember your friend, Jarleth Quarry?"

Inteus nodded, silently, shocked at the sudden violence. This was a man who had never experienced a good punch in the face before.

"Didn't see him outside there, did you?"

Inteus thought and shook his head.

Lonan leaned in close to him. "That's because we executed him yesterday. For doing this to me," Lonan indicated the bandages on his head. "You see, Mister Inteus, people in Smithsdown take each other’s safety very seriously. And after this?" He held up his hand to display the stumps that remained of his two eaten digits. "Well, let's just say that this means you are going to have to work very hard to try and stay alive."

"Now listen, young forager, you really cannot be serious-"

Lonan rolled his eyes and hit the man again.

"Knife," Lonan requested, and Mother Ogma handed him a large chopping knife. "Now," he said in a matter of fact tone, "there are people in this village I want to protect. I will not hesitate to use this knife to get what I need from you. So, answer my question: why does the Magpie King want me dead?"

Inteus looked in panic at the weapon. "But... he'll kill me..."

"You do know I'm not planning on tickling you with this, don't you?"

Inteus stared directly at the knife, refusing to answer. Taking a deep breath, Lonan stuck the knife into the skin on Inteus' forehead and began to draw a red line down the right side of the man's face.

"Your dreams, your dreams," the man screamed, and Lonan removed the blade. "He does not like that you dream about him."

"Why not?"

"He would not tell me. He is worried about something you might have seen."

Lonan nodded his head. "How did he know about them, the dreams?"

"He didn't know it was you. He just knew someone in this village had had them."

"How? How could he know something like that?"

"It was his wife. She has sight, a gift of her people, she knows things. Queen Andromeda told him."

A shriek came up from the other side of the room. Harlow lifted himself out of his chair, and then crumpled onto the wooden floor, flopping about like a dying fish, continuing with his moans.

"Is he alright?" Lonan questioned as Mother Ogma ran to him. "What the hell got into him? He's madder than-"

Then Lonan froze, another piece of the mystery sliding into place.

"What is it?" Inteus questioned, straining against his bonds to see behind him. "Is that the old man? He wasn't on my records - who is he?"

"It's just Harlow," Mother Ogma shouted back as she hauled the old man back to his seat. "He's been with me for years."

Lonan remained unmoving.
No. That’s not Harlow. Harlow the simpleton has no part to play in this drama. Harlow the invalid wouldn’t react in such a frenzy at hearing the name of the Magpie King’s wife.

But Adahy would.

For the last ten years, Lonan had been helping to wipe up the dribbles and clean the bedpan of the Magpie King.

Mother Ogma caught Lonan's shocked gaze, looked back at Harlow, and Lonan could tell that her mind was not too far behind his in putting the puzzle pieces together.

Lonan directed his attention back to Inteus to distract him from Mother Ogma. "The queen knew I was dreaming? I must see her then. Where is she?"

"The Eyrie."

Lonan shook his head. "No good. We both know I wouldn't last a second at those gates. She must leave the castle sometimes."

Inteus shrugged and then Lonan pressed the knife close again.

"The temple. She has permission to visit the temple to pray. She does so regularly, under guard."

Lonan raised his eyebrow at that last comment.
Why the guard - to keep her safe, or to keep her under control? 

"Is she happy?" he asked, instinctively.

"Sorry?"

"The queen. Would you say she’s happy?"

"I- it must be a great honour to be consort to the Magpie King." Lonan raised his eyebrow at the tax collector. "But... no. No, I do not think so. The Eyrie is… tense. It is not an easy life, to be so close to the crown. For any of us."

No,
Lonan thought, remembering his journey through Adahy's life.
But I bet it’s a damned sight different now from back in the prince's day.
He looked over at Mother Ogma who was now patting Harlow's - no, Adahy's - hand reverently.

"I have to go," he stated bluntly. "To see the queen. Keep this one under lock and key until I’m gone."

At this, Adahy stood up. It was a shock to see him do so, to see him so in control of his actions. It was like watching a piece of furniture come to life.

"...Harlow?" Lonan questioned, not wishing to give away the true Magpie King's identity.

"I think," Mother Ogma decided, "that our old friend wishes to come with you." Adahy stood, fixing his eye on Lonan, but otherwise not responding.

Lonan shook his head with incredulity at the idea. "Not a chance. He hasn't been out of his chair in decades. He can't even think for himself - he’d get himself killed out there."

At this, Adahy grunted and remained staring at Lonan.

"Dearie," Mother Ogma interceded, "do you really think you should be refusing our friend's command?"

To refuse the command of the king is high treason.

"Fine," Lonan relented, "but I’ve a bad feeling about this."

"Let me get this straight," Inteus sneered, "you escaped almost certain death last night, just to walk back into it now? My lord was wrong to be concerned about you. Such a fool is no threat to the crown."

This insult earned Inteus a slap on the back of his head, which only served to spur the bureaucrat on further. 

"And you think this foolishness will save the life of your family and friends? He knows where you live now, and expects to hear from me within two days. Where do you think he will look first for answers when I do not arrive back? His questioning is not kind."

Lonan pointed the knife at Inteus' face, giving him a steely glare. "I shall not be back here, not while the Magpie King lives. You tell him that if you see him. Mother Ogma, set this fool free after two days. He can go and deliver his message, to keep the village safe.”

“But," and as Lonan uttered this last sentence he lowered his hand so the knife point tickled the end of Inteus' nose, "you’d better pray he doesn’t find me. Because if he does then your name and the information you gave me will be the first thing that I mention to him."

Inteus paled, and was silent.

"Come on then," Lonan motioned to Adahy. The old man continued to stare. Lonan rolled his eyes. "Artemis' beard," he muttered, and took the king's arm to help him totter out of the cottage door.

Mother Ogma came outside with them, bringing travelling cloaks and bags she had hastily prepared with bread and dried meat. "Good gods, the king," she was finally able to whisper to Lonan, free from prying ears. "I've been living with the Magpie King for all this time and didn't know it."

Lonan smiled sadly at her. "I suspect Adahy doesn’t know it either. The wound was bad - I can't imagine there’s much of him left in there."

"I hope not, dearie. A lot of what he has heard and seen under my roof were not fit for a king to weather."

He caught the twinkle in her eye and smiled with her.

Then she frowned. “But dearie, the monsters. Your dreams showed you the Wolves attacking us, and you were able to find their tracks in the morning.

Lonan shrugged. “We always knew monsters roamed the village at night. Of course I was able to find some kind of evidence that something had been there. Not the Wolves though - I reckon there hasn’t been a Wolf in the forest since before I was born, probably since you were young. The thing that got me last night, those are the monsters we hide ourselves from.”

Ogma smiled again. “One less for us to worry about now though.”

Lonan nodded, and then thought for a moment. "So, the temple then?"

Mother Ogma pointed north. Lonan gave her a brief hug and she attempted to do so to Adahy, but received no physical response. With that, Lonan and Adahy trotted out of Smithsdown towards the Eyrie.