Her tone made it clear that she felt the word "consort" was closely related to "whore," and the quick shift of her gaze to Ennis indicated that she might feel that Jenna was little more than that herself. Jenna's eyes narrowed as if she'd been slapped, and it was difficult to keep her voice civil. "Aye, Banrion, that's true, if she hasn't already delivered the baby." The wind freshened slightly, and Jenna felt a drop of rain touch her cheek. But as to my loyalty…" Deliberately, she put her arm through Ennis', who nearly jumped before his
mouth spread into a grin. "This man helped me where no other would. And the Order and Moister Cleurach have taken me in and I owe them for their kindness. Past that, I am loyal only to Lamh Shabhala. My enemies are those who would try to take it from me." Jenna started to remove her arm from Ennis’s, but he brought his arm in to his body to hold her.
That’s well said," the Banrion answered. The wind tossed her light hair lifting the glossy strands from her shoulders as it turned around to blow from the northwest. A splatter of rain drummed over the wooden deck and Jenna glanced up to see the clouds gray and lowering over the oat, though well out in the channel she could still see sunshine, and the White Keep shone far behind. "You’ll find that most of the Riocha here share your attitude. Inish Thuaidh isn’t Tuath Gabair, where the Ri’s word is law. Ask Moister Cleurach how difficult it is to get the Comhairle agree on an action, even if the Ri wishes it."
Above them, canvas snapped angrily, and Uaigneas heeled over abruptly, causing all of them to reach for ropes and railing to keep the balance as a wave crashed white and gray over the side of the shin drenching them. Thunder grumbled somewhere close by, and the day had gone as dark as twilight, though sunlight played on the horizon all around. Sailors scurried across the deck as the captain came over to them "You told me this would be a fair day for sailing," the Banrion shouted at him over the rising wind
The captain had a hand in the pocket of his oiled overcoat, as if the shifting deck were solid ground and he were out for a stroll. "That is what all my experience said, Banrion," he answered. "But blows like this can come suddenly and without warning. You and your guests should go below-it’s becoming dangerous up here."
Another wave pounded the ship, the prow lifting high then falling, sending Moister Cleurach sprawling. Ennis reluctantly let go of Jenna and helped him back to his feet as the rain began to fall in earnest, cold and stinging. The captain alone seemed unperturbed by the ship’s motion, one hand still casually in his pocket. Jenna could see nothing past the rippling gray curtains: Inishfeirm had vanished, as had the chalk cliffs of Inish Thuaidh. The captain shouted to his men to reef the sail which was threat-ening to tear apart in the gale,
and to man the ship's oars. "Banrion, please," he said. "I can't be responsible if you stay on deck."
The ship lurched, turning as the captain shouted directions to the man at the tiller. Jenna followed Aithne to the small deckhouse and down the short flight of stairs into a cabin barely large enough to hold the four of them and the trio of gardai. The wind howled and cold seawater poured in through the hatch before Ennis and one of the gardai managed to push it shut. Uaigneas rolled again, more sharply this time, and they heard an ominous cracking and splintering above, accompanied by a scream. Then the ship seemed to shake off the waves and finally right itself, lifting first bow, then stern. "The captain's turned her to run before the wind," Ennis said. "We're going where the storm wants to take us."
A garda abruptly and noisily threw up. Jenna fought not to be sick herself from the smell and the seawater and the ship's wild careening, For an interminable time, like the others, she huddled in a corner of the cabin, leaning against Ennis with eyes closed as she tried to sleep, her hands out to brace herself. She must have managed to actually doze for bit, but a sharp roll of the ship brought her awake again.
"Beware the storm…" Thraisha had said that before she left, and Jenna wondered if she'd glimpsed this. She'd said more, as well. Jenna took a breath trying to remember as the ship seemed to rise, hesitate a moment, hen plummet back into the sea. "It doesn't follow you; it travels with you."
Jenna remembered the sunlight, playing on the horizon and the peak of Inishfeirm. The storm hadn't come streaking from across the sea toward them; it had developed rapidly above them.
". . it travels with you… "
She fumbled under her soaked clothing for the chain that held Lamh Shabhala. She let her mind touch the cloch as she forced stiff fingers to wrap around the stone; her awareness drifted outward with the cloch's energy.
Aye. There. .
Another cloch na thintri was aboard, its bright energy spraying out-ward and upward, and she could sense the mind wielding it: one that knew the
waters of the channel, knew the ship and how much wind and heavy seas it could handle. Driving us east and south with the storm, toward Talamh an Ghlas.
Jenna pushed herself to her feet, trying to maintain her balance on the rolling, wet planking and still hold onto Lamh Shabhala. "Open the door!" she shouted above the shrieking wind and the drumming of the rain. "Ennis! I need you!"
Ennis noticed Jenna's hand on her cloch, and he immediately clenched his own. The Banrion noticed as well. "Open it!" she ordered the nearest garda. "Go with the Holder."
The garda pushed open the door; water and sheets of sleeting rain poured in as the garda, then Jenna and Ennis, forced their way up the stairs to the deck. "Can you feel it, Ennis?" Jenna shouted to him, blinking against the assault of rain and wind. The crew was at the oar seats, drenched and grim-faced with the task of keeping the ship from being swamped in the heavy seas.
"Aye!" Ennis pointed to the bow of the ship, near the tiller. The captain was there, his gaze turned up toward the sky. One hand remained in the Pocket of his overcoat.
"I'll hold him," Jenna shouted to him. "You and the gardai take him."
Ennis nodded. Jenna let herself fall into Lamh Shabhala’s worldview.
There, the captain's Cloch Mor was a maelstrom of gray and black, swirling and rotating and as yet unaware of her. Psychic winds howled and screeched around it, and Jenna knew those could be directed at her as easily as they now pushed at the ship. She opened Lamh Shabhala fully, letting its radiance swell outward until it touched the cloudy black; as it did, she felt the captain's awareness shift, sensing the attack even as she brought her cloch's energy down on and around the interior storm It battered her, the winds tearing at Lamh Shabhala’s hold like a furious animal. The cloch's strength surprised Jenna, and for a moment the maelstrom nearly slipped through as doubt entered her mind. A gust of wind slammed into Jenna, sending her staggering backward. She went to her knees, gasping and taking in water from the rain and the waves, but she held onto the stone, pushing
back again at the other cloch’s dark energy
She had no choice. She could feel the power draining from Lamh Shabhala with every passing second, but she knew that the same was happening to the captain’s stone. Lamh Shabhala burned in her hand searing her flesh with ice, and she forced herself to hold tightly to it knowing she would pay afterward.
A bolt of lightning cleaved the inner vision, and from the deck there was a cry of pain and alarm.
The maelstrom faltered; Jenna pressed in against it and it collapsed completely. Jenna could see Ennis and the gardai rush the captain, taking him down.