Peter Tremayne - The Subtle Serpent

The old woman managed to pull herself together though she was obviously distressed. She rubbed her forehead with a frail hand as if trying to dredge up the memory.

‘Fidelma of Kildare? The Fidelma who solved the mystery of the deaths at Ros Ailithir?’

‘Yes. I am Fidelma.’

‘Then you are sister to Colgú, king of Cashel. You must warn your brother. Warn him immediately.’ The old woman’s voice was suddenly strident and Fidelma had to place a placating hand on hers.

‘I do not understand. Of what must I warn him?’

‘His kingdom stands in danger. He must be warned,’ repeated Sister Comnat.

‘Let me understand fully; what has happened since you and Sister Almu set out from the abbey?’

Sister Comnat gathered her wits and took a deep breath.

‘Just over three weeks ago I set out with Sister Almu for the abbey of Ard Fhearta with a copy of a book which we had made for them. We reached as far as Gulban’s fortress. We were thinking to rest there for the night. We received hospitality there but the next morning we perceived that there were countless warriors in training around the fort. Moreover, we saw many strange warriors among them.

‘Sister Almu recognised Torcán of the Ui Fidgenti in the company of Gulban. We know that the Ui Fidgenti are no friends to the people of Loigde so we asked ourselves what could this mean. Almu found a young woman whom she had once known before she entered the abbey. This woman told us that Gulban had formed an alliance with Eoganán of the Ui Fidgenti.’

‘An alliance? For what reason?’ demanded Ross anxiously.

‘It seemed that Gulban was angered at the decision of the assembly of the Loigde to elect Bran Finn, son of Mael Ochtraighe, as chieftain in the place of Salbach.’

‘I know that Gulban argued that he should be made chieftain since Salbach had disgraced the office,’ Fidelma said. ‘I was there at that assembly.’

‘Since Gulban did not get sufficient support from the assembly and Bran Finn is now chieftain, it seems that he is resorting to other means,’ interposed Ross.

‘Does he plan to launch an attack on Bran Finn with the help of the Ui Fidgenti?’

‘Worse still,’ Sister Comnat replied. ‘The Ui Fidgenti princes are very powerful, as you may know. They plan to march on Cashel and overthrow Colgú, the king. In the lands of the Ui Fidgenti, there is an army gathering which Eoganán plans to lead in a direct assault on Cashel. If Colgú is overthrówn, then doubtless Eoganán will reward Gulban by making him ruler of the Loigde and of all southern Muman.’

‘Are you sure of this?’ Fidelma was surprised at the duplicity of the Ui Fidgenti even though she knew full well their prince’s long cherished ambition to seize control of Cashel.

‘If I did not trust the mouth of the young woman, who had thought we were supporters of Gulban, and if I did not trust the evidence of my own eyes, having seen the warriors of Gulban being trained under the direction of Torcán of the Ui Fidgenti, then my own capture, and that of Almu, was enough to confirm the story.’

‘How and why were you captured?’

‘Sister Almu and I discussed what we had learned and wondered what best we should do. We are loyal to Bran Finn who, in turn, is loyal to Colgú of Cashel. We realised that we should warn them of this insurrection. But we were stupid for we roused the suspicion of Gulban’s men by setting off back along the road which would return us to our abbey instead of travelling forward on the road to Ard Fhearta, which we had told them was our destination.’

‘So Gulban made you both prisoners?’

‘Gulban doubtless ordered the deed though we were not confronted by him. We were taken by his warriors to the copper mines where you found me. We were told that we could look after the spiritual and medical needs of the hostages working the mines until such time as Gulban further decided on our fate.’

Brother Eadulf intervened at this point.

‘That is where I met the sister,’ he repeated. ‘It was a week after Sister Comnat’s companion had escaped.’

‘Do you know what Eoganán’s plans are against Cashel?’ Fidelma asked Sister Comnat.

‘Not in the specific,’ she replied with regret. ‘Sister Almu and I were shackled at the end of each day, just as you found me. Sister Almu, being younger and more vigorous than I, decided that she would attempt to escape. I supported her decision and urged her to take whatever opportunity presented itself for her to escape. If she could return to the abbey and alert the community, that was the most important thing. My rescue could come later.’

‘And she was able to escape?’

Sister Comnat gave a long sigh.

‘Not at first. She made one attempt but was recaptured and flogged to ensure we all learnt a lesson. She was beaten on the back with a birch rod! Words are not adequate to describe that sacrilege. It took her several days to recover.’

Fidelma remembered the welts on the back of the corpse. She needed no further identification now.

‘Ten days ago,’ continued Sister Comnat, ‘at the end of the work day, she did not return to the cabin where we were shackled for the night. I later heard that while she had been tending some of the sick, she had, apparently, disappeared — she had escaped into the woods. There was a great furore. However, I believe that she had help in this escape for she told me that she had now made friends with a young man of the Ui Fidgenti who was in a position to help her.’

‘That might imply that he had some authority among them,’ Fidelma observed cautiously. ‘You had no warning that she was going to make an attempted escape?’

‘A sort of warning, I think.’

‘A sort of warning?’

‘Yes. As she left that morning she smiled at me and said something to the effect that she was going to hunt wild boar. I can’t quite remember exactly what she said. It didn’t make sense.’

‘Wild boar?’ Fidelma was perplexed.

‘Anyway, she did not return. I was told that the guards did not even bother to send out search parties after her. Each day I prayed for the success of her escape, although a rumour was spread that she had probably perished on the mountains. Yet I hoped. I hoped for the coming of a rescue party.’ The old woman paused for a moment: then continued: ‘Then, alas, more prisoners arrived, Gauls, and also this Saxon monk, Eadulf, who speaks our tongue so well.’

‘What Sister Comnat says makes sense of what happened to me,’ Eadulf added. ‘The capture of the Gaulish ship with the tormenta aboard, that is. I judge these were arms bought by Gulban on behalf of the Ui Fidgenti.’

‘Weapons to help Eoganán overthrow Cashel?’ queried Ross, wide-eyed.

‘They are good siege weapons,’ Eadulf confirmed.

‘A score of these terrible engines of destruction, togetherwith warriors from Frankia trained in their use,’ muttered Ross, ‘would rain terror on Cashel. I see it. Such weapons have never been seen or used in the five kingdoms before. Our warriors fight face to face, sword, spear and shield. But with these weapons Eoganán or Gulban thinks to take an advantage.’

‘Could the Franks and their tormenta really have such an advantage?’ asked Eadulf, ‘These weapons are well known among the Saxon kingdoms and in Frankia and elsewhere.’

‘I have been a merchant for many years,’ replied Ross, solemnly, ‘but when the fiery cross has been sent out by the king of Cashel, I have answered. I was a young man when I fought at the battle of Cam Conaill during the feast of Pentecost. I don’t suppose you recall that, Fidelma? No? It was when Guaire Aidne of Connacht tried to overthrow the High King, Dairmait Mac Aedo Slaine. Naturally, Cúan, son of Almalgaid, the king of Cashel, led the host of Muman, in support of the High King. But his namesake Cúan, son of Conall, the prince of the Ui Fidgenti, supported Guaire. The Ui Fidgenti were perverse even then, always looking for a short cut to power. That was a bloody battle. Both Cúans were slaughtered. But Guaire ran away from the battlefield and the High King was victorious. That was my first taste of bloody warfare. Thanks be to God, it was my last battle.’