Peter Tremayne - Valley of the Shadow

Eadulf blushed furiously.

‘She is only a young girl,’ he muttered. ‘But you are right. There is something that needs to be explained about Rudgal’s behaviour.’

It was an hour or so later when Eadulf left Fidelma at the door of the feasting hall and went off in search of Esnad’s apartments. He knew where they were for he recalled that they were in the building where Murgal’s library was. The same building was shared by the apothecary, Marga, and by Orla and Colla themselves. Walking across the courtyard he saw the portly figure of Cruinn emerging from Marga’s apothecary and he greeted her brightly. The pudgy woman whirled round in the dusk, glared at him, said nothing but hurried away. It was clear that the hostel keeper was firm in her new-found dislike of him.

Eadulf turned into the building. He was surprised to find Laisre standing in the entrance hall. The chieftain also appeared taken unawares to see him and demanded, in a gruff voice, to know what he was doing there. Eadulf felt that he should not mention Esnad and made an excuse that he was going to Murgal’s library. Laisre merely gave a grunt and moved off without another word. He seemed as anxious to leave Eadulf’s company as Eadulf was for him to do so.

Eadulf climbed the stairs to where he had seen the entrance to Esnad’s apartments. He hesitated a moment to summon courage and then knocked on the door. The girl’s voice called for him to enter and he braced his shoulders and did so.

Esnad looked up from a chair in momentary surprise. Then she smiled, almost a proprietorial smile. Before her was a wooden table laid out with the Brandub board and pieces set ready. She was seated at the board and had obviously been examining it for a strategy of play. Eadulf cast a look round. The girl was alone. A fire burnt in the hearth for it was chilly in spite of the summer. A cool eveninggloom hung outside. The girl already had a lamp lit and suspended from the ceiling over the table.

‘Ha, Saxon! I heard that you had returned. Have you come to play Brandub with me?’ she greeted.

‘Er, not exactly,’ he muttered, wondering how to question her.

‘Do not worry, I will show you how to play it.’

Eadulf was about to refuse on an impulse when he realised that he would learn nothing from the daughter of Orla if he let his emotions get the better of him.

‘Come in and close the door,’ she instructed with all the authority of someone of mature years.

He entered and closed the door.

She looked at him with a speculative expression.

‘Have you never played Brandub before?’

Eadulf was about to admit that he had played hardly anything else with his fellow students at Tuam Brecain. However, he caught himself in time and shook his head.

‘I will follow your instructions,’ he announced gravely, as he took the seat opposite her. It was a good opportunity. As the game proceeded he would be able to put his questions to her.

She did not drop her eyes to the gaming table.

‘You know what Brandub means?’

‘That’s easy. Black Raven.’

‘But do you know why we call the game so?’

He had heard the explanation several times but feigned ignorance.

‘The raven is the symbol of the goddess of death and battles. It is the symbol of danger. The purpose of this game is to survive an attack from the hostile forces of the other player — one player attacks and the other defends. Therefore we call the game after the symbol of danger.’

Eadulf tried to appear engrossed by the information, as if he had not heard it before.

‘There,’ the girl gestured with her hand to the board on the table, ‘you see a board which is divided into forty-nine squares, seven squares by seven squares. In the centre square you have one large king piece, you see it?’

He nodded automatically.

‘That symbolises the High King at Tara. Around the High King are four other pieces. Each one represents a provincial king. There are the kings of Cashel in Muman, Cruachan in Connacht, Ailenn in Leinster and Ailech in Ulaidh.’

‘I understand,’ he said gravely.

‘On each side of the board there are two attacking pieces, eight in all. The attacker moves them across the board unless checked by a combination of the provincial king pieces. The purpose is to drive the High King piece into a corner from which he cannot escape. When that happens, the game is won. You follow? But if the attacker cannot overcome the defenders then he loses the game.’

‘I understand.’

‘Then I shall attack first,’ the girl smiled with forced sweetness. ‘I like to attack more than I do to defend. You will defend. Are you ready?’

Eadulf nodded compliantly.

The girl began her moves with Eadulf countering in the required form. He had to admit that the girl attacked with determination and while she lacked a carefully thought out strategy she took chances which sometimes paid off. Force before strategy seemed her technique.

The girl was soon frowning in concentration as he played automatically, having quite forgotten that he was supposed to be a novice at the game, once he had been absorbed in it.

‘You catch on fast, Saxon,’ she finally said begrudgingly as Eadulf continually parried her moves.

‘Merely luck, Esnad,’ he replied, suddenly realising that he’d better allow himself some mistakes in case of angering the girl before he could extract any information from her. He was gratified when she responded to his poor play with a happy smile as she rushed her pieces to capitalise on his ‘errors’.

He gave her a crooked grin.

‘What did I say?’ he said, after he conceded a defeat. ‘The earlier play was mere luck. Let me take my revenge with a second game. I do not mind defending again.’

‘Very well.’ The girl was smiling at him now with a coquettish expression. ‘But let us play for something to make the game interesting.’

Eadulf frowned.

‘A wager? What shall we wager on?’

Esnad placed the tip of her finger between her teeth, chewing gently. Her smile widened.

‘If I win, you must do what I tell you to do.’

Eadulf was hesitant.

‘That might not be a good wager. Without knowing what you have in mind.’

‘Oh, I shall not order you to do anything that will harm you or other people,’ she replied winsomely.

Eadulf shrugged.

‘Then if it is not harmful, I accept. But if I win, what then?’

‘You have but to name your wager,’ the girl replied, still wearing her flirtatious smile.

‘Lay out the pieces,’ Eadulf said gruffly. ‘And I shall think about it.’

The game started again.

‘Why are you so friendly with me when your mother is set against Sister Fidelma and myself?’ Eadulf suddenly asked in the middle of a move.

Esnad did not look up. She appeared totally disinterested.

‘My mother’s quarrels are not mine. Anyway, she is more angered by your companion, Fidelma, than with you. I would not worry about my mother’s attitudes. I don’t.’

‘Your father is tanist and your mother is his wife. Their wishes surely count for something?’

‘Why should I be concerned?’

‘Are you not interested in their affairs?’

‘Not at all. I am more interested in enjoying life than the affairs of Gleann Geis.’

Eadulf paused to consider a particularly dangerous move. It was plain that Esnad did not like his response and she pouted in disapproval as she found that he had countered her attack.

‘Perhaps one day you might marry a chieftain, then you might have to be interested in such matters,’ Eadulf suggested as he moved his king piece into a new position.

The girl laughed dismissively.

‘Perhaps,’ she conceded. ‘But if I married a chieftain, then I would ensure that I did not have to take an interest because the affairs of the clan would be his, not mine. I would have other interests.’