Sárán announced sharply. âYou all have duties to fulfil and Fineen has brought news which concerns all the people of the Fir-Bolg.â
âSurely it can wait till first light,â Aoife protested. âEven if we left straightaway it would be dark before we arrived home.â
âYour king, your father, has commanded it,â Sárán asserted.
âWeâll come then,â Lom conceded, taking his brother by the arm to shake him affectionately. âIt does my heart good to see you again.â
âIâm glad,â SÅrán answered in a restrained tone, and for the first time Aoife realized that a great distance had come between the twins since they had taken up their separate vocations. They so resembled each other physically it would be hard for most folk to tell them apart. But Sárán had developed an air of seriousness, while Lom had retained the carefree demeanour of a warrior youth.
âLetâs go then,â she reluctantly agreed. âIâm disappointed we couldnât spend a night under the stars inour old home. Iobhar was going to instruct me in the bow.â
âWhat about the Gaedhal?â Lom laughed, pointing at the unconscious youth.
âI suppose Iâd better carry him home,â Mahon sighed. âWe canât leave the emissary of King Eber out on the hills at night. He might imagine we donât think highly of him.â
âWhere would he have got that impression?â Lom asked in mock horror. âWould it be the manner in which our sister has welcomed the poor lad to her bosom?â
âBe quiet, the both of you,â Aoife snapped, âor youâll feel the back of my hand!â
âItâs the knob of your kneecap Iâm fearful of,â Mahon grunted as he carefully lifted the limp body over his shoulder.
âYou did this?â Sárán sneered at his sister. âYou brought this warrior down?â
Aoife shrugged and did her best to look as if it had all been a mishap. âWe had a wager. He reckoned he could run me down before noon. I knew it would take a better man than he.â
âYouâre a Druid!â her brother gasped, stepping closer to look her in the eye. âYouâre forbidden to engage in such sport. Does your teacher know of this?â
Aoife gritted her teeth, picked up her sword and sheathed it. âIâve already had this discussion once today,â she hissed, tired of being rebuked. âItâs time we were heading back to Aillwee.â
Her brother watched the way she handled her blade with confidence and familiarity. He could hardly believe his eyes.
âYou have no right to bear such a weapon!â Sárán whispered in stunned shock. âWhat has become of you? Have you strayed from the path?â
âMy teacher holds no objection to me bearing arms,â she told him. âHe understands that I was born to the blade, not the Bard craft. Iâve never made a secret of the fact that I would be happier following the ways of the Warrior Circle.â
âYour life has been chosen for you! Thereâs no turning back. We must pay the price for our misdeeds. Devotion to the Druid Circle will annul our sins. It is the only hope we have of washing our souls clean.â
Mahon and Lom both looked away, embarrassed by Sáránâs outburst.
âHush! Thatâs enough,â Aoife appealed. âIâll not talk of this with you now. This isnât the time for such things.â The young woman glanced nervously at Mahon, who had propped Iobhar beside the ruined wall that overlooked the bay.
âHave you forgiven us?â Sárán asked the blond warrior.
âI know what happened to my brother Fearna on that night long ago,â the warrior replied without turning to face Sárán. âIâm aware that you and Aoife led him into the winterâs night and abandoned him to his death. But I