Edith Pattou - Hero's Song

Goban had been furious when he found out later that Collun had traded four carrots, three sweet potatoes, and a prize yellow squash for the old woman's secrets.

And Goban had been right, for the things she had taught Collun turned out to be useless. Most of it was superstitious foolishness, such as how to tell a maid whom she would marry by thrusting a turnip root into the fire and seeing which way the sparks flew. There had been a few recipes as well for cure-alls, such as a concoction of moth wings and dandelion greens that was supposed to cure insomnia. He had tried one or two, and they had done nothing, so he discarded the rest. But he remembered there had been one for a salve that would miraculously heal insect bites and burns, no matter how severe. It had been made of mallow and several other ingredients.

"Mordu," he called to the blind man, who had come to the garden to gather herbs for the midday meal. "Do you know of a salve made from mallow that is good for healing burns?"

Mordu scratched his smooth head and thought for a moment. "Yes," he said slowly. "Mallow and leek arid goat's thorn, the leaves only. I think that is all. No, some gentian as well. I have not used it myself but remember it from long ago."

"Equal parts?"

"Yes, except for the mallow. Two of that to every one of the others."

Collun plucked several large fistfuls of the musky-smelling mallow plant with its pink flowers, as well as a quantity of the other ingredients Mordu had mentioned. Whether such a salve would work against the Firewurme's burning guam he did not know, but it would do no harm to bring the ingredients along.

Mordu called him in for a delicious meal of pheasant and gillyflower pie. The maiden once again showered Mordu with praise and ate with such gusto that conversation was almost impossible.

When the maiden had taken her last gulp of wine, she turned to Collun. "Is it still your intent to go to Thule?"

"Yes, Lady."

She sighed. "Very well. Then I will show you the way. Where is your musty old map?"

They bent over the wizard's map. Mealladh's finger traced the route. "You will journey this way through the north of Eirren. When you come to this small river, you will know you are in Scath. Follow along here." Collun watched closely. "It will take you several days, at least. But eventually you will come to the River Omagh. After that it is simple. Just follow the Omagh to the top of Scath. There you will find Thule." She paused. "Now, Mordu has packed some items for your journey. Come."

She led Collun outside, and Fiain had indeed been laden with two leather packs filled with food, blankets, and two extra cloaks lined with fur.

The maiden then presented Collun with a large red apple. "An apple for an apple," she said with a flashing smile. "Though I have already given you far too much. I remember I had a soft spot for your father, as well."

"You knew Cuillean?"

"I met him once or twice, when he was young."

"Do you know where he is now?"

The maiden laughed. "You are allowed only one missing person per visit, Collun, son of Cuillean. Now go"

Thanking Mealladh for the apple, Collun tucked it safely in one of his leather packs and then mounted Fiain.

"Farewell, Collun," Mealladh trilled. "I wish you well on your quest."

Mordu stood behind his mistress and raised his hand, a solemn smile on his pale face.

Collun waved good-bye, and the Ellyl horse broke into a brisk trot, happy to be setting forth once again.

Collun glanced back just before leaving the apple grove and saw Mealladh moving among her trees, weaving apple blossoms into her yellow-gold hair.

***

As he passed the copse of hazel trees, the wind began to blow chill once more. He pulled his cloak tightly around him. When they came close to Trout Beck, Collun spotted a thin curl of wood smoke rising above their old campsite. He cautiously guided Fiain toward the smoke. He could see a figure standing over a campfire. It turned toward him at the sound of Fiain's hooves on the ground. Collun's heart contracted.

It was Brie. She was alone.

He rode up to the fire and dismounted.

"What happened? Where are Talisen and the prince?" He shivered slightly in the cold wind.

Brie poured him a cup of hot chicory. Handing it to him, she said, "On their way to Temair. Not long after we left you, we came across a man on foot; his name was Poddup. He was a messenger from the king. He was traveling with an urgent message for the queen in Temair, but he had lost his horse and almost his life at the hand of Scathians. The tidings he bore were grave. Medb is planning a full-scale invasion in a fortnight. A war host has begun to gather."

"Has there been any talk of the Wurme, of Naid?"

Brie shook her head. "Why?"

Collun told her of Crann's fear that Medb would call on the Firewurme when she invaded Eirren. Collun also told Brie all that had happened in Beara's cottage.

Brie absorbed his story in silence, then said, "Perhaps the Queen of Ghosts plans to summon the Wurme only if the need is great."

"And perhaps she knows even now that I go to Thule. But I must. It is all I know to do."

"Then you will need this." Brie drew Collun's dagger out and handed it to him.

Collun shook his head. "Did you not hear what I just said? If taking Nessa was part of a plan to lure me into bringing the stone to Thule, then I would be playing right into her hands."

"Perhaps," answered Brie. "But the more I thought about it, the more I felt the dagger and the stone belong with you, Collun. And I believe the wizard Crann felt so, too. Otherwise he would have cautioned you against carrying it into Scath."

"But..."

"We will not let the Queen of Ghosts get her hands on the Cailceadon Lir," Brie said, her voice confident. Collun slowly took the dagger from her. Then he stopped.

"What do you mean 'we'?" He gazed around the campsite. "And where is your horse?"

Brie smiled. "I did not come just to give you the dagger. I go with you to Thule, Collun. I gave the messenger Poddup my horse. He will guide Talisen and Gwynedd to Temair much more surely and quickly than I ever could."

Collun shook his head. "No. I would not ask you to face this kind of danger..."

"You did not ask me." She paused. "Anyway, the others are halfway to Temair by now. I'm afraid you are stuck with me."

Collun gazed at Brie, searching her face. Finally he nodded in acceptance. "But I face the Firewurme alone." Brie opened her mouth to protest, but Collun held up his hand. "If you do not promise me this, I will ride off and leave you to find your way back to Temair on foot."

Brie was silent for several moments. "Very well. I promise." She washed out the pan and cups she'd used and doused the fire. Swinging up behind Collun on Fiain, she said, "Talisen grumbled a good deal when I told him what I proposed to do. He accused me of wanting all the glory of the quest for myself, but finally he agreed it was for the best. They dropped me several leagues from here, and I walked the rest."

Fiain broke into a brisk trot, and the campsite was soon far behind them.

The wind grew more bitter as the day wore on. Though Collun could not be sure of the date, he knew it was near the beginning of the month of Ruis, and winter had its grip upon the land.

They had been traveling for three days when they came to a small river, and they realized they had passed into Scath sometime that afternoon.

The terrain grew rockier and the trees fewer, though there were occasional small clusters of pine and yew trees. As Mealladh had promised, the route they followed was uninhabited.

They came across a deserted village on the fourth day. Collun remembered Crann telling them that when Medb came to power, she had moved the Scathians from outlying villages and farms in order to exert her control more easily over them. Now most of the population lived in huge cities hewn out of black rock cut into the sides of the Mountains of Mourne. The only farms that remained were spread out from the cities. The more remote areas were completely empty of people.