‘It’s the first time I have heard someone demanding to be a suspect in a murder.’
Eadulf grinned. ‘All I am saying is that Aillín has a point.’
‘Aillín is a bitter old man who was not talented enough to be endorsed as Chief Brehon by the Council of Brehons. Only Áedo’s death caused him to reach the position he has, as my brother said. Unfortunately, he has no breadth of vision, no imagination to see beyond literal fact. Anyway, enough of Aillín. Let us go and speak with Brother Conchobhar and see if he has anything more to tell us, now that he has examined the body.’
But Brother Conchobhar could tell them nothing more than to confirm the manner of Brother Cerdic’s death, which they already knew. With a feeling of frustration the couple left the apothecary. A call arrested their attention and they turned to see Gormán hurrying after them.
‘Gormán!’ Fidelma smiled at the newly appointed commander of her brother’s bodyguard. ‘It is good to see that you have returned safely. Did you resolve the dispute at Áth Thine? Is all well?’
Gormán returned the greeting with a big smile. ‘Áth Thine was nothing more complicated than an argument that a local Brehon could have resolved, lady. It was a simple dispute over cattle straying across the border. However, there seems to be a more serious dispute brewing among the Déisi.’
‘More serious?’ queried Eadulf.
‘Some travellers were attacked on the river east of the Field of Honey, and two boatmen and one of the travellers, an elderly religieux, were killed. It occurred on the river just beyond Brother Siolán’s little chapel,’ confirmed Gormán. ‘We were just crossing the Mountain of Women, heading for the Field of Honey in the late afternoon, when we came across the scene.’
Fidelma was shocked. ‘Who attacked these travellers?’
‘We heard that Prince Cummasach of the Déisi has been having trouble with some of his young men of late. We reported the matter to the Brehon at the Field of Honey and he will investigate. One of the travellers survived and said they had arranged to meet a Brother Docgan there. We asked around, but no one had heard of such a man.’
‘Docgan is a Saxon name,’ Eadulf told them. ‘It means “a little dog”.’
‘You say there was a survivor?’ Fidelma asked.
‘Yes. We brought him here with us. I think you should speak with him, friend Eadulf. I have taken him to your chamber.’
Eadulf gazed at the young warrior for a moment, waiting for him to explain further.
‘You are being very mysterious, Gormán.’ It was Fidelma who made the comment.
The warrior shrugged diffidently. ‘I just need to make sure that the man I have escorted here is who he says he is. Friend Eadulf needs to see the man first.’
Eadulf was puzzled, but quickly realising that he would get no more information from Gormán, he said: ‘Then the sooner I see this survivor, the better.’
He turned and led the way to the chambers that he shared with Fidelma.
Entering, they were aware that Gormán had apparently left Enda to watch over the guest. The warrior greeted them with a quick nod and smile before they turned to examine the figure on the far side of the chamber, standing with its back towards them, gazing out of the window. Hearing their entrance, it slowly turned. It was a young man.
Eadulf moved involuntarily backwards with a gasp. ‘You!’ was all he said.
CHAPTER FOUR
The young man simply stood with arms held out.
‘It is indeed myself, Eadulf,’ he replied with a chuckle. The words were exchanged in their own language but Fidelma knew enough of it to understand.
‘I believed you to be dead, these many years,’ Eadulf said with emotion.
‘Far be it for me to shatter your beliefs, dear brother,’ replied the other, still smiling. ‘Yet, in this matter, I am glad that I can do so.’
‘Egric, it is truly you?’ Eadulf was still shaking his head in disbelief.
‘And ten years older, brother.’
Eadulf suddenly moved, crossing the distance between them, and flung his arms around the young man. A torrent of his native language poured from him that Fidelma had no hope of following, so rapid and inflected was it.
The newcomer laughingly disengaged himself, replying in the same language. Then he looked towards Fidelma and seemed to ask a question. Eadulf turned with an apology.
‘This is my younger brother, Egric.’ The introduction was almost unnecessary. With the two of them, side by side, the likeness was obvious.
‘He said as much,’ Gormán told them. ‘But I had to make sure. Now we shall leave you to your family reunion.’ He motioned to Enda to follow him from the room.
After Eadulf had introduced Fidelma, Muirgen was summoned to bring drinks and refreshment as they seated themselves before the fire.
‘There is obviously much to catch up on,’ Eadulf said, first in his own tongue and then he lapsed into Latin, knowing that Fidelma was fluent in that. ‘Do you know enough of the tongue to follow?’ he asked his brother.
Egric chuckled. ‘I spent some time among the followers of the New Faith, but I also speak a dialect of the tongue of this country. I was converted to the Faith by teachers from this land, just as you were. Not only that, I spent some years among the Cruthin of the north as a missionary after Oswy defeated them in battle. There were many from Dál Riada who had settled among them and speaking a similar tongue, so I was able to extend my knowledge.’
‘You and Eadulf will have much to talk about.’ Fidelma reverted to her own language, deciding to test Egric’s knowledge. The thought had struck her that he must have had a sufficient command of the language to have communicated to Gormán and the others. ‘But first things first: what purpose brought you here?’
‘It is a long story but I shall make it short,’ replied Egric. ‘I don’t know whether Eadulf has told you of my past?’
Fidelma frowned for a moment and then decided that she could only speak the truth. ‘I am afraid that he has never mentioned his brother.’
Eadulf appeared uncomfortable for a moment. ‘It was because I thought him dead. As young men we were converted to the New Faith by Fursa and his brothers. They were missionaries from this land who came to preach in the Kingdom of the East Angles. Fursa inspired me to study at Tuam Brecain and so I left Seaxmund’s Ham. I had thought young Egric had gone to join Athelwold’s warriors at Rendel’s Ham. Egric was always dreaming about becoming a warrior. At the time, our land was threatened by Wulfhere of Mercia and an army was being raised. When I returned to Seaxmund’s Ham, no one had news of Egric. I never heard from him again until this moment. I truly thought he had perished in a battle.’
‘A boy may grow to maturity,’ shrugged Egric. ‘I decided to follow the Faith and not the army.’
‘But it is amazing to meet up after all these years — and to meet here, of all places in the world!’ Eadulf exclaimed.
‘Our paths never seemed to cross after you left Seaxmund’s Ham, brother. I found myself among a band of brethren at the court of Oswy at Streonshalh. It was there I heard your name spoken of in connection with the Great Debate that had been held there. But it was said that you had gone on to Rome.’
‘True enough,’ agreed Eadulf. ‘That was my second journey to Rome.’
‘Oswy had accepted the Rule of Rome, even though there were still some among his priests and bishops who favoured the ways of the missionaries of Aidan of Iona, who brought the Faith to Northumbria,’ explained Fidelma. ‘Eadulf and I made the journey to Rome together. So what abbey did you join when you were in Streonshalh?’
‘I did not,’ Egric replied. ‘Oswy wanted new missionaries to preach the Faith among the Cruthin over whose kingdom he ruled as lord. Thus I went to that land and spent some years preaching among them as well as learning their language.’ He paused and then went on: ‘Last year, before spring was on us, Oswy died. The Cruthin were then ruled by Drust, son of Donal, who had been a client king under Oswy. The Cruthin had long chafed under what they saw as rule by foreigners, and now they rose up in rebellion. I had to flee for my life. I managed to make my way back to Streonshalh.