Peter Tremayne - Badger's Moon

Fidelma was still unconscious when they dismounted, and Suanach came out to greet them with a worried expression. Menma explained what had happened in terse tones and the woman immediately took charge of matters. Under her instructions, Fidelma was carried into the second room of the bothán that served as the sleeping quarters and laid on the bed. Suanach ushered the two men from the room while she began stripping her and wrapping her body in woollen blankets, rubbing warmth into her cold flesh. She called for Menma to bring a hot drink of corma , a strong ale, and then begin to heat water for bathing the frozen body. To Eadulf, it seemed an age before Suanach called him into the bedroom.

To his relief Fidelma was sitting on the bed, wrapped in blankets but conscious, and there was colour in her cheeks. She smiled almost apologetically.

‘It appears that I owe you and Menma thanks for saving my life.’

Eadulf sat by her side and reached out a hand.

‘What possessed you to reach out into that dangerous pool?’ he demanded, trying to hide his concern in gruffness.

‘I did not mean to overbalance into it,’ she replied with dry humour. ‘The rock was slippery. Anyway,’ she held out a hand, ‘this is what I saw. When I fell into the pool, I must have clenched it tight and my hand remained grasping it, for when Suanach revived me here she found it still clasped in my hand.’

Eadulf reached out a hand to take it. ‘It’s a piece of silver chain? Why risk your life for that?’

Fidelma glanced at him and shook her head.

‘Examine it carefully,’ she instructed.

He did so. It was a broken piece of finely wrought silver chain. He shrugged.

‘What am I suppose to see?’ he demanded.

Fidelma let out a breath of exasperation. She took it back.

‘Have you ever seen such workmanship in these lands?’

Eadulf grimaced.

‘I am not an expert on jewellery,’ he replied defensively.

‘Then by time everything will be revealed,’ she said. ‘I need to go back to that cave and explore further.’

Eadulf stared at her in surprise. ‘I would have thought that you might have had enough of caves. You nearly died back there.’

‘As I did not, it is a superfluous comment.’

‘Well, at least you need to take things easy for the rest of today,’ Eadulf said sternly. ‘Do you know how long you have been unconscious?’

Fidelma brought up her jaw pugnaciously. ‘People’s lives are at risk here, Eadulf. Surely I do not have to remind you of that?’

‘No, you do not. Nor do I have to be reminded that your life is at risk. It is my duty to prevent you putting yourself in harm’s way.’

Eadulf’s stubborn resistance matched Fidelma’s when he believed himself to be right. She glowered at him for a moment and then suddenly relaxed, realising that what he said was true. She was in no condition to return to the cave that day. In spite of the compulsion to pursue the lead that she knew existed in the cave, it would have to wait.

There was a gentle tap on the door and Suanach entered with a bowl of steaming broth.

‘You should have some of this soup and then rest, lady,’ she said, with a reproving glance at Eadulf.

Eadulf rose immediately. ‘I agree. You stay here and rest.’ He glanced at Suanach. ‘That is if it is all right with you?’

The hunter’s wife agreed at once. ‘Of course, the lady must stay here until she is recovered. At least she must stay for this night. She has been through a bad experience.’

Eadulf smiled in satisfaction. ‘That settles it. I will ride back to the fortress and inform Becc of your intentions. Then I shall return here tomorrow morning.’

Fidelma looked at him suspiciously. ‘Eadulf…you will go back to the fortress and…well, you will not go off on your own and do anything foolish? I think we may be facing some evil force that is even more dangerous than we think. I don’t want you moving without me.’

Eadulf was reassuring. ‘You have that broth and rest now. I’ll return in the morning.’

He found Menma outside the hut rubbing down the horses.

‘How is she?’ the hunter enquired anxiously.

‘Recovering and in good spirits,’ Eadulf informed him. ‘I shall be returning to Rath Raithlen to say that she is staying here this night, with your wife’s approval…’

‘Of course, the lady Fidelma will be our guest.’

Eadulf glanced at the sun, observing that it was still not far after midday. There was a whole afternoon that would go to waste.

‘She wants to go back to the caves tomorrow,’ he added quietly.

Menma looked astonished.

‘The lady is tenacious,’ he replied. ‘What does she hope to find there?’

Eadulf did not reply but a thought was stirring in his mind. ‘There are some hours before daylight ends. I wonder…?’

Menma was looking at him expectantly and read his thoughts. ‘Are you intending to go back yourself, Brother Eadulf?’

‘If we had proper lamps to see with…’

‘I have such lamps. When do you intend to go?’

‘There is no time like the present,’ Eadulf replied with confidence.

‘Then saddle the horses again. We can ride back to where you left them before. It will save time. I will go to fetch lamps and some rope, for we might need it if you intend to explore the lower caves.’

A short time later they were approaching the familiar rocky outline of the Derc Crosda. Menma had brought oil lamps and two long pieces of stout hemp rope that they carried between them. He had left his small hound, Luchóc, behind at the bothán , feeling that the animal would be a hindrance in view of the expected cave exploration.

‘What do you expect to find here, Brother Eadulf?’ asked Menma as they reached the dark entrance leading into the rocky cavern. Eadulf had to confess that he did not know and that he was merely pre-empting Fidelma’s exploration.

Menma lit the lamps and they moved through the main cave. This time Eadulf lost no time in moving to the fissure and into the next cave, finding the passageway and descending to the cavern with the circular pool. Things were much clearer now they had proper lights to see by. The stalactites and stalagmites were rather beautiful now they could view them properly. However, Eadulf had his mind on other things.

He walked to the edge of the pool and stood staring at the point where Fidelma had tumbled in. There were many times when he wished Fidelma was more open with her thoughts. What was the significance of the piece of silver chain?

Menma stood quietly behind, waiting patiently.

Then, moving around the dark pool, Eadulf suddenly realised that there were several tunnels leading off from this cave. He raised the lamp so that the light fell on their entrances and he saw that they appeared to be manmade.

‘When was this mine worked out, Menma?’ he asked.

The hunter shrugged. ‘In my grandfather’s day, or so I was told. Apparently, this was a rich mine once but like all mines it was eventually exhausted.’

Eadulf was frowning, trying to remember what it was that Fidelma had said about mining in the area. He was moving round the pool to examine the tunnels. One in particular caught his eye.

‘I would have thought that this had been worked fairly recently,’ he observed, pointing to the markings on the wall.

Menma came forward to examine it and whistled slightly in surprise.

‘It does looks new,’ he admitted. ‘But I should imagine that down here things are better preserved than in the open.’

‘Perhaps,’ Eadulf replied, not convinced. He bent to examine the marks in more detail, holding the lamp close. ‘Let’s explore this one further,’ he suggested, moving off without waiting for Menma’s assent.