‘Perhaps half-a-dozen, maybe even a dozen,’ replied Budic hesitantly. ‘We did not see them all.’
‘And you had two warriors and yourself in the party?’
‘The attack came by stealth. My men were shot down from behind the trees and bushes.’
‘And yet one of the ambushers came forward with this banner, thus ensuring that they might be identified? Did you not think that strange?’
‘Strange?’ Budic frowned.
‘To go to such lengths to ambush you, shooting from behind with the intention of killing you all, but then coming forward that you might identify them. I believe that is why you were allowed to survive.’
‘I only glimpsed the banner over my shoulder as Budic whipped up my horse,’ replied Riwanon thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps they emerged to give chase to us?’
Fidelma turned to Trifina. ‘I suggest that Bleidbara take some men and see if he can track these attackers. At least, he can recover the bodies of Riwanon’s maid and guards.’
‘You want Bleidbara and his men to leave the fortress now — when we might be attacked?’ Trifina was astonished.
‘But that will be dangerous!’ cried Riwanon in agreement.
Fidelma smiled at them both.
‘I am sure that these ruffians will not launch an attack here.’ She turned to Eadulf with an apologetic smile. ‘I would like you to accompany Bleidbara and his men. I need your expert eyes, for you know what it is I would like to see. However, I feel that I must remain here for the moment.’
Eadulf looked carefully at her. ‘I do not understand,’ he said. ‘Why is it you want me to go?’
‘Stet pro ratione voluntas,’ she whispered, glancing at the company. Let my will stand as a reason. Then she added quickly in their common language: ‘I don’t want to prejudice you by saying what I think you will find — just observe and report directly back to me. I do not think you will be in any danger.’
‘Very well,’ he replied.
‘I am willing to go, lady,’ Bleidbara now stated. ‘If it means finding out who is behind these attacks.’
‘Bleidbara is a capable warrior,’ Trifina said, ‘but your request places him and your husband in danger.’
‘I disagree, lady. The raiders only attack when the odds are in their favour. I am hoping that Bleidbara might be able to track them to their lair, wherever that is.’
‘Then I should go with them,’ Budic announced, apparently feeling that his reputation as a warrior was in question.
‘As commander of the Queen’s bodyguard, your place is here with her,’ Fidelma pointed out.
‘Where is it that this ambush took place?’ asked Bleidbara.
Budic hesitated, as if trying to recall the exact location. ‘It was along the track, just south of the oratory.’
‘A good place for an ambush, as the road passes through a heavily wooded area. I know it well. We shall proceed carefully. I shall take six men, for it will be best to leave the others here, to prepare for all contingencies. I’ll take Boric the Stout for he is not only a good warrior but the best tracker we have. I hope your optimism that the attackers have fled is not proved wrong, lady.’
‘I would not like to be responsible for sending these men into danger unnecessarily,’ Riwanon said, looking distraught.
‘Be reassured, lady.’ Fidelma’s voice was earnest. ‘There is necessity to this. And I do not believe there is any danger for them.’
Only Eadulf seemed to pick up a hidden meaning in her words.
Every so often, Boric halted the group of riders and slid from his horse, peering at the tracks that they were following. They were some way from Brilhag by now, and he had examined the tracks several times already.
‘I can see signs of two horses heading for Brilhag, but no sign that they were being followed at this point, certainly not along this track,’ he told Bleidbara.
Bleidbara glanced at Eadulf.
‘So Riwanon was mistaken when she thought they were chased to the gates of Brilhag,’ Eadulf said.
‘There is one other thing,’ Boric added. ‘At this point, the tracks indicate that the two horses were proceeding at no more than a walking pace. So they must have realised, at this point, that they were not being followed.’
‘Are you sure?’ Bleidbara frowned. ‘Maybe these are the wrong tracks. When they arrived at Brilhag, they came at a gallop.’
The stocky tracker shook his head. ‘The horses were certainly not galloping here. I’d stake my sword on it.’
‘We will continue — but with caution,’ decided Bleidbara. ‘Keep an eye on the tracks, Boric.’
‘How far to this oratory?’ asked Eadulf as they set off again.
‘We are fairly close now. It is towards the north-east, along the shore of the Morbihan. There are some farmsteads in this area. They are well away from the main course of this track, more towards the south.’
‘Then we should be coming to the bodies of Riwanon’s companions soon,’ Eadulf deduced.
From time to time, Boric had halted and dismounted to check the tracks but he had found no sign of anything untoward until they came to a track that intersected the one they were following. Here he reported that several horses had halted for a little while, for the ground was churned by their hooves.
‘I can see that two horses have left the main group here. They are going back to Brilhag.’
‘Are you sure?’ Bleidbara asked.
‘I can only report what I see on the ground,’ replied Boric stoically. ‘Shall we continue on?’
Bleidbara gestured assent.
Eadulf was thoughtful, still wondering why Fidelma had made him come along. Was there something she already knew or suspected?
After another period had passed, Bleidbara pointed through the trees on their left, north of their position.
‘Those are the waters of Morbihan and the oratory is nearby.’
Eadulf followed his quick gesture and saw waters glistening beyond the trees.
‘Well, one thing is for sure,’ Bleidbara said. ‘The raiders are long gone from this area and certainly did not maintain their pursuit of Riwanon and Budic after they had ambushed them.’
‘That might be so,’ Eadulf agreed as he looked around. ‘However, we haven’t yet come to the spot where the ambush took place.’
‘True enough,’ the other man agreed. ‘We ought by now to have come across the bodies of those warriors who fell and, of course, the girl, Ceingar. The attack was probably closer to the oratory than Riwanon allowed. We’ll continue on…’
He paused, for the stout tracker was standing still. He was sniffing the air suspiciously.
‘I smell a fire,’ he announced.
They could all smell it now. Boric silently pointed to the south, away from Morbihan. There was a gap in the canopy of leafy branches that showed clear sky and something else. A column of black smoke was rising and drifting against the blue.
‘A forest fire?’ demanded Eadulf, looking at it and then glancing at the tall trees on either side of the track that suddenly seemed to grow menacingly around them.
‘I don’t think so,’ Bleidbara replied quietly. ‘That is a man-made fire.’
Boric remounted. ‘I’ll ride on ahead,’ he called over his shoulder as he urged his horse forward at a canter.
Bleidbara signalled his band to follow carefully. The smell of burning wood became stronger.
‘There is a farmstead beyond that hill,’ he said to Eadulf. ‘Perhaps the farmer is burning his fields. It’s that time of year.’
Eadulf vaguely knew that some farmers burned corn stubble in their fields on alternate years to ensure more fertile ground. It was a practice that, not being a farmer, he did not really understand.
‘Why are you sure it is not a forest fire?’ he enquired.
Bleidbara grinned. ‘When you have lived in a forest you begin to develop a feeling, an instinct, and you also develop your eyes for such things.’