Edith Pattou - Hero's Song

Kellean was still speaking. "...After the invasion collapsed and Medb's forces had scattered, my father sent a squad of us west along the border to be sure all was indeed secure. We came across an Ellyl horse. He seemed to want us to follow him, so we did."

"Medb's invasion ... collapsed?" asked Collun in amazement.

"Yes. It happened when the darkness and the thunder came. We couldn't believe it at first."

Brie and Collun looked at each other.

The prince continued. "Medb's invasion was like an evil tide when it first began. There were thousands upon thousands of Scathians and morgs, all armed to the teeth and deadlier than any soldiers I have ever seen. They kept pushing southward. Our casualties were enormous. Even when reinforcements arrived, including a large army of Ellylon, it still looked hopeless.

"Then on the eve of the fourth day of fighting, the Scathian army faltered, becoming disorganized and uncertain. And when the thunder and the thick black clouds came, making night out of day, the Scathian army simply turned and fled. There was no explanation for their flight. It was not the retreat of a defeated army, for they had clearly held the upper hand until the darkness came. My father said it was as though someone was calling them home.

"We tried to get answers out of the few enemy soldiers we had captured and those too wounded to follow the rest. But the soldiers with weapons killed themselves before we could stop them, and the others refused to speak." The prince shook his head, his face clouded.

"The darkness came when we left Thule with Medb's chalcedony," said Collun.

"Chalcedony?"

"Yes. The Cailceadon Lir," Collun said. And with help from Brie and Nessa, he told the prince all that had befallen them, ending with the discovery of Medb's shard of the cailceadon.

When Collun had finished, the prince gave a low whistle. "I see now. Once Medb learned she had lost both Cailceadon Lir and Wurme, she knew she no longer had the power to conquer Eirren. And so she summoned her army home." Prince Kellean put a hand on Collun's shoulder.

"It appears the rumors were true. As your father, Cuillean, saved our country fifteen years ago, so have you saved us, Collun, Wurme-killer."

TWENTY-SEVEN

Cuillean's Dun

It took them ten days to travel to Temair. When they entered the gates, Collun was astonished to see that the streets were lined with Eirrenians and that there were as many calling out for "Wurme-killer" and "son of Cuillean" as there were for Prince Kellean.

By the time they'd made their way to the royal dun, a large throng had gathered at the gates to greet them. Collun quickly spotted Talisen among the crowd, with Silien close behind him.

Collun winced as Talisen enfolded him in an enthusiastic bear hug. There was time only for quick greetings and introductions between Nessa and Silien before Queen Aine whisked Collun, Brie, and Nessa off to the court healers.

The healers were gentle and thorough. They tended to Brie's burnt hands and Nessa's exhaustion and malnourishment, then sent both of them directly to bed. Collun had to stay for several days in the healers' hushed and darkened quarters. They had been impressed by the properties of the mallow salve and told Collun he was lucky not to have lost his arm altogether. They said he would bear faint scars for the rest of his life, but otherwise he could expect to be back to normal in a month or two.

Collun received visits from his friends, from Nessa, and from his aunt Fial, now recovered from her illness.

The afternoon the court healers released him, Collun received word that his presence was requested by the king and queen. Quince guided him to the king's quarters.

Collun was greeted warmly by Queen Aine and King Gwynn, who bade him join them at a table that was laden with food for the afternoon meal. Collun felt shy as he seated himself. The room was drenched in light, bringing out the vivid colors in the many tapestries and murals that decorated the walls.

Queen Aine filled Collun's plate with smoked capon, a mound of crisp runner beans, a creamy cheese tart, and a mouthwatering honey bun. Collun grasped his fork, his head swimming slightly. Since the blizzard he had eaten little. His stomach rumbled loudly and Collun flushed, certain the king and queen could hear it.

But Aine smiled at him, inquired after his health, and asked him to tell them all that had befallen him. "We have heard bits and pieces," she said, "but we would like to hear it in your own words. If you are up to it," she added kindly.

At first Collun's speech faltered, but gradually he relaxed, and between mouthfuls of the delicious food, he told them everything. He apologized to Aine for keeping from her the truth about Emer. She told him she understood, although it had been a shock to her when Silien had told her of Collun's true identity.

"Where is the Cailceadon Lir now? The shard you brought from Thule, that is," asked the king, his eyes serious.

Collun drew the stone from his wallet of herbs. "Please, take it," Collun said. "It belongs in your hands, not mine." He felt a weight lift off his shoulders as King Gwynn took the stone. Then, more reluctantly, Collun reached for his dagger. "And you should have this, too. Then the three shards can be together, as they were meant to be." He placed the dagger that had been a trine on the table.

The king laid the two stones side by side and gazed at them solemnly. Then he looked up, at Collun.

"Son of Cuillean, this would be a sacrifice for you, to give up the stone you have carried since childhood. And it is a sacrifice that I do not believe is necessary. The shard has been in your family's possession perhaps longer than it was part of the one stone. Furthermore, Aine and I believe the three shards of the Cailceadon Lir should never be reunited. It would be far too dangerous. No one, not even those of us who consider ourselves incorruptible"—he gave a ghost of a smile—"should have access to such power. I think the wizard Crann would agree with me.

"However, I will accept your gift of Medb's shard of the Cailceadon Lir, and Aine and I will endeavor to find a hiding place as safe as we believe that of the first shard to be."

King Gwynn then handed Collun's dagger back to him. As Collun took it, Aine spoke, a frown creasing her forehead. "We realize that by asking you to continue to carry this stone, we place you in danger. Although Medb has been defeated and her power severely weakened, it would be naive to believe that we have nothing more to fear from her. There may come a time when she will seek you and your stone again. Have you given thought to the future, Collun?"

Collun gazed up at one of the murals on the wall, the dagger clenched in his hand. During the past few days, as he'd lain in the quiet rooms of the court healers, he had thought about little else. He knew he could not return to the farmhold Aonarach; except for his garden, there was nothing to draw him there. Several days earlier, Nessa had told him she wished to remain in Temair with Fial. She had already written Goban, telling him that she was safe but would not be returning to Inkberrow.

Life in Temair suited Nessa well, Collun knew. The fine food and clothing, the many books, the music, the feasts; she thrived on these things. But Collun was uncomfortable there. The clothing they had given him made him feel awkward. He was a gardener and a farmer, and he sorely missed the fresh air in his lungs and on his face. He missed watching the sunrise, pink and gold, over a field of newly mown hay. He missed the sound of a bird calling through a dusky twilight evening and the stars just beginning to come out, one by one.

"Cuillean's dun...," Collun began hesitantly. "I have heard it lies by the sea."

"Yes," replied Queen Aine, "and it is empty. In the absence of your father, it is yours by right."