Edith Pattou - Hero's Song

"And I also fear that he met his end in much the same manner as his friend, Conall," Bricriu added grimly, with a sympathetic look in Brie's direction.

Brie did not respond, but Collun saw the muscles in her face tighten.

"It was a heinous crime and a tragic loss for all of Eirren," the nobleman continued, his eyes still on Brie.

"What were the circumstances, if you do not mind my asking?" Talisen asked Brie.

She did not reply, and Bricriu answered for her. "There were no witnesses, as far as I know, but those who discovered Conall's body say it was surrounded with the footprints of at least twenty or more men on horseback. But perhaps"—Bricriu looked over at Brie—"it is too painful for you to speak of your father's death?"

Brie shook her head. "The wound has healed," she said woodenly.

"He was outnumbered, then, by twenty to one?" said Talisen in revulsion.

"Twenty or more," replied Bricriu. "From the markings on the ground and all the blood that was spilled, Conall plainly hewed down a goodly number of his attackers. They took their dead with them, of course. But Conall died as he lived"—Bricriu gazed again at Brie as he spoke—"a courageous and honorable champion of Eirren."

Brie bowed her head but did not respond to his words. Bricriu then called for dessert, and as the servingmen cleared their plates Collun tried to catch Brie's eye. Her mouth was set in a tight line, and a small muscle near her left eye jumped spasmodically. She would not meet Collun's gaze, though he knew she was aware of him.

Ever since they had left Temair, Collun and Brie had spoken little. At first he thought it was because the prince was monopolizing her attention, but several times he had gotten the distinct impression she was avoiding him. Once, he had even turned toward her to ask a question and caught her staring at him with an expression that looked very much like hatred. It was gone a second later, and he thought he must have imagined it. Surely if she truly felt that way, she would not stay with them. But still he could not shake the memory of that look.

He looked down at the plate in front of him and saw they had been served an array of sweetmeats as well as a pie of pumpkin and currants, which Talisen was already devouring. With the dessert came cups of steaming mead. The mead had a nutty, slightly bitter taste.

Bricriu rose to his feet and raised his cup. "A toast before we retire. To the quest we begin tomorrow and to our success in bringing back the maiden Nessa, safe and well. Drink up." As they all dutifully drank the nutty mead, Collun noticed Bricriu's eyes fastened on him. They held an expression he could not fathom.

Collun suddenly felt uneasy. The orange light in the room was giving him a headache, and his mouth felt dry. He'd become very tired, his head heavy and his limbs sore from riding the queen's horse. He tried to protest when a servingman refilled his cup, but he could not seem to move his tongue. In a daze he watched the gloved hand pouring mead, noticing almost idly that the wrist protruding from the glove had gray skin. With great effort he raised his eyes to look up into the hooded face. A pair of slitted yellow eyes gazed steadily back at him. Collun's body stiffened, and he groped in his fogged memory for the name of the creature with yellow eyes.

He started to rise to his feet, thinking to warn his host. The last thing he remembered was Bricriu's bright gaze on him with that same indefinable expression.

TWELVE

The Labyrinth

When Collun regained consciousness he was aware of an overwhelming thirst. His tongue felt huge in his mouth and seemed to be covered with fuzz, like the underside of a witch-hazel leaf. He was lying on a hard, cold surface, and as far as he could tell, he was virtually encased in rope. It was thick and prickly and began at his ankles, then circled his legs and body, binding his arms tightly to his sides. The tips of his fingers were tingling, and if his eyes were open or shut, it made no difference. There was only darkness.

He knew immediately that Bricriu had betrayed them. It had been a morg who served the mead; perhaps all Bricriu's servingmen were morgs. And in a flash Collun understood the strange expression on the nobleman's face. It was a look of sly amusement, as of a cat toying with a dying mouse. And Collun also realized then that Bricriu himself must have been responsible for his sister's disappearance.

His stomach cramped suddenly, and he let out a small moan.

"Collun? Is that you?" It was Brie's voice, and she was nearby.

"Yes. Are you bound, too?" His voice was hoarse.

"Yes. We were drugged. The mead, I think." He heard her move. "The Ellyl is next to me. Unconscious still. I do not know what has happened to Talisen or Fara."

The darkness was abruptly filled with the sound of Talisen retching. When the noise finally subsided, he groaned. "Where in Amergin's name are we? I feel like someone has been kicking me in the stomach for a month."

"The mead we drank was drugged," Collun explained.

"Lord Bricriu...?" Talisen asked in disbelief.

"Yes," Brie answered, her voice grim. "Before I lost consciousness I overheard Bricriu order the morgs, who were disguised as his servingmen, to take us down to his dungeon. We now lie in the darkness below the dun. Collun, Bricriu said, is to be taken north in a day or two while the rest of us are left here to die. I heard one of the morgs say there are many tunnels down here but no escape."

Talisen let out an oath, his voice shaking slightly.

"Bricriu must be in league with Medb," Collun said, his tongue still thick in his mouth.

"How will he explain our disappearance?" asked Talisen, clearing his throat.

"There probably was no messenger from Temair last night," suggested Brie. "Bricriu made it up in order to get the prince away. And Lord Bricriu will no doubt tell the queen there has been another tragic disappearance."

As Brie spoke, Collun strained to loosen his bonds, but he could not. He was bound as tightly as if it were the cro-olachan vine that held him.

"Fara," Brie suddenly said. Collun heard a low-pitched rumbling from the faol's throat.

"Fara is beside me," said Brie. "She is unbound. Can you help us, Fara?"

There was a short silence. Then Collun could hear a soft rustling sound.

"What is she doing?" asked Talisen impatiently.

"Her teeth are sharp," was all Brie said, and before long Fara had chewed through all their bonds, including those of Silien, who had not yet woken.

Collun quickly checked to see if his dagger was still attached to his belt. It was. That surprised him. He wondered if Bricriu had not been told why Medb sought him, or if he had just been very confident Collun would not be able to escape his bonds.

"Do you suppose all Ellylon sleep as much as this one does?" said Talisen as he groped away from them in the darkness. "Here's the door," he cried out. "And it isn't locked!"

They heard him stumble and then give an excited yell. "My harp! And our packs..."

Collun quickly found his teine stone inside his pack. He hoped to spark a fire so they might see where they were, but nothing in the damp cave was dry enough to provide kindling.

"Help me wake the Ellyl," said Brie. "We cannot stay here. Bricriu and his men may return at any time."

They sprinkled water from a skin bag onto the Ellyl's face. Brie slapped his wrists, and gradually Silien returned to consciousness. He was groggy and disoriented. It took some time before he was able to walk. They slowly made their way out of the dungeon.

"I would make light to guide us," the Ellyl said, his voice fuzzy, "but I do not have the strength. Lord Bricriu must have used the herb meliot to drug us, and meliot makes me ill, too ill to make a light. I will try again later." Then he dropped to a crouching position. They could hear a rumbling sound from Fara's throat. It reminded Collun of the purr of a large cat. They remained quiet until the rumbling stopped and Silien rose shakily to his feet.