S Farrell: Holder of Lightning

HOLDER OF LIGHTNING

THE CLOUDMAGES #1 S. L. FARRELL

PART ONE: The Sky’s Stone

(Map: Talamh an Ghlas)

(Map: Ballintubber)

Chapter 1: A Fire in the Sky Chapter 2: A Visitor Chapter 3: A Song at the Inn Chapter 4: The Fire Returns Chapter 5: Attack on the Village Chapter 6: Bog And Forest Chapter 7: Seancoim’s Cavern Chapter 8: The Cairn of Riata Chapter 9: Through the Forest Chapter 10: The Taisteal Chapter 11: Two Encounters Chapter 12: The Lady of the Falls Chapter 13: Smoke and Ruin Chapter 14: Ath Iseal Chapter 15: Niall’s Tale PART TWO: Filleadh (Map: Lar Bhaile)

Chapter 16: Lar Bhaile Chapter 17: The Ri’s Supper Chapter 18: Secrets Chapter 19: An Assassin’s Fate Chapter 20: Love and Weapons Chapter 21: A Familiar Face

Chapter 22: Proposals

Chapter 23: Answers

Chapter 24: The Traitor Chapter 25: Preparations Chapter 26: A World Changed Chapter 27: Bridges Burned Chapter 28: A Return Chapter 29: Awakening Chapter 30: Release PART THREE: The Mad Holder (Map: Inish Thuaidh)

Chapter 31: Taking Leave Chapter 32: Ballintubber Changed Chapter 33: A Battle of Stones Chapter 34: The Gifting Chapter 35: O'Deoradhain's Tale Chapter 36: Ambush and Offer Chapter 37: The White Keep Chapter 38: The Vision of Tadhg Chapter 39: Training Chapter 40: The Ri's Request Chapter 41: Cloch Storm Chapter 42: Dun Kiil Chapter 43: The Dream of Thall Coill Chapter 44: Juggling Possibilities Chapter 45: Torn Apart PART FOUR: The Shadow R1 (Map: Dun Kiil)

Chapter 46: Decisions Chapter 47: Voices

Chapter 48: Glenn Aill

Chapter 49: Leave-taking

Chapter 50: Roads Taken

Chapter 51: The Tale of All-Heart

Chapter 52: The Protector

Chapter 53: Bethiochnead

Chapter 54: Fire and Water

Chapter 55: A Return

Chapter 56: Covenant

Chapter 57: The Battle of Dun Kill

Chapter 58: Retreat

Chapter 59: Death on the Field

Chapter 60: The Gift of Death

PART FIVE: Reunion

Chapter 61: The Banrion

APPENDICES

Characters

Places

Terms

Saimhoir Terms The Daoine Calendar History

The Holders of Lamh Shabala

The Known Clochs Mor, Their Current Manifestations & Holders

COPYRIGHT

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This one'sfor Devon who made me write a "real" fantasy

And for Denise, who is part of all that I do.

PART ONE: The Sky's Stone

(Map: Talamh an Ghlas) (Map: Ballintubber)

Chapter 1: A Fire in the Sky

THE stone was a gift of the glowing sky. Jenna wasn't certain exactly when the first shifting curtain of green and gold shimmered into existence among the stars, for her attention wasn't on the vista above her. She shouldn't have been out this late in the first place-she should have been bringing the sheep into their pen even as the last light of the sun touched the hills. But Old Stubborn, their ancient and cantankerous ram, had insisted on getting himself stuck on a rocky ledge on Knobtop's high pasture, and Jenna had spent far too long pushing and prodding him down while trying to avoid being butted by his curled horns. As she shoved the ram's wooly bottom back down toward the winter scrub grass where the rest of the flock was grazing, her dog Kesh barking and growling to keep Old Stubborn moving, Jenna noticed that the silver light of the stars and crescent moon had shifted, that the landscape around her had been brushed by gold.

She looked up, and saw the sky alight with cold fire.

Jenna gaped, her mouth half open and her breath steaming, staring in wonder at the glowing dance: great sheets and folds of light swaying gracefully above like her mother's dress when she danced with Halden at the Corn Feast last month. The lights throbbed in a strange silence, filling the sky high above her and seeming to wrap around Knobtop.

Jenna thought there should have been sound: wailing pipes, or a crackling bon-fire roar. There was power there; she could feel it, filling the air around her as if a thunderstorm were about to break.

And it did break. The light above flared suddenly, a gold-shattered flash that dazzled her eyes, snatching away her breath and sending her stagger-ing backward with her hands before her face. Her heel caught a rock. She went down hard, the air going out of her in a rush and a cry, her arms flailing out on either side in a vain attempt to break her fall. The rocky, half-frozen ground slammed against her. For a moment, she closed her eyes in pain and surprise. When she opened them again, the sky above her was dark once more, dusted with stars. The strange lights were gone, and Kesh was whining alongside her, prodding her with his black-and-white muzzle. "I'm all right, boy," she told him. "At least I think so."

Jenna sat up cautiously, grimacing. Kesh bounded away, reassured. One of the rocks had bruised her left hip through her woolen coat and skirts, and her neck was stiff. She'd be limping back down to Ballintubber, and Mam would be scolding her not only for getting the sheep back so late, but also for getting her clothes so dirty. "It's your fault, you stupid hard-head," she told Old Stubborn, whose black eyes were gazing at her placidly from a few strides away.

She pushed angrily at the rock that had bruised her. It rolled an arm's length downhill. In the black earth alongside where it had lain, something shone. Jenna scraped at the dirt with a curious forefinger, then sat back, stunned.

Even in the moonlight she could see a gleam: as pure a green as the summer grass in the fields below Knobtop; as bright as if the glowing sky had been captured in a stone. Jenna pulled the pebble free. It was no larger than two joints of her finger, rounded and smooth. She rubbed it between fingers and thumb, scrubbing away the dirt and holding it up to the moonlight. With the touch, for just that second, another vision over-laid the landscape: she saw a man with long red hair, stooped over and peering at the ground, as if searching for something he'd lost. The man halted and looked toward her-he was no one she recognized, and yet. . She felt as if she should know him.

But even as she stared and the man seemed to be about to speak, the vision faded as did the glow from the pebble. Maybe, she thought, none of it had ever been there at all; the vision and the brilliance had simply been the afterimage of the lights in the sky and her fall. Now, in her hand, the stone seemed almost ordinary, dull and small, with no glow or spark at all, though it was difficult to tell under the dim moon. Jenna shrugged, thinking that she would look more closely at the rock later, in the morn-ing. She put the pebble in the pocket of her coat and whistled to Kesh.

"Let’s get ’em home, boy," she said. Kesh yipped once and circled the flock, nipping at their heels to get them moving. The sheep protested, kicking at Kesh and baaing in irritation, then started to move, following Old Stubborn down Knobtop toward the scent of peat and home.

By the time they came down the slope and crossed the ridge between the bogs and saw the thatched roofs of Ballintubber, Jenna had forgotten about the stone entirely, though the dancing, glowing draperies of light remained bright in her mind.

The expected scolding didn’t come. Her mam, Maeve, rushed out from the cottage when she heard the dull clunking of the tin bells around Old Stubborn’s neck. Kesh went running to her, barking and racing a great circle around all of them.

"Jenna!" Maeve said, her voice full of relief. She brushed black hair away from her forehead.

"Thanks the gods! I was worried, you were so late getting back. Did you see the lights?"

Jenna nodded, her eyes wide with the remembrance. "Aye, I did. Great and beautiful, and so bright. What were they, Mam?"

Maeve didn’t answer right away. Instead, she threw her shawl over her shoulders and shivered. "Get the sheep in, then clean yourself up while I feed Kesh, and we’ll go up to Tara’s. Everyone’s there, I’m sure. Go on, now!"