The Dove of Death

Chapter Sixteen

There was an air of nervous expectation in the fortress of Brilhag. A warrior had retrieved the carcass of Macliau’s little dog Albiorix from the pigpen at Barbatil’s farmstead. Macliau, clearly stricken with a grief that Fidelma found surprising, had insisted on personally digging a little grave in the gardens of the fortress, observed only by Trifina and Fidelma. He had said nothing to them or they to him. After Macliau had interred his dog, he had retired to his chamber with a flagon of wine, moody and uncommunicative.

‘Does Iuna know Budic?’ Fidelma asked, as Trifina accompanied her slowly back to the great hall.

The other woman glanced at her in surprise. ‘I don’t think so. What makes you ask?’

‘I just had a feeling,’ Fidelma replied. ‘Had Budic visited Brilhag before? I thought Riwanon said she had been to the Abbey of Gildas in the past. I thought they might have met then.’

Trifina shook her head. ‘That was a long time ago, before Riwanon married Alain. Budic has never been here. However…’

Fidelma raised an eyebrow. ‘However?’

‘Iuna has accompanied my father a few times to the court of Alain Hir in Brekilien.’

‘I thought Brekilien was a forest?’

‘So it is, but within it is the location of the royal court, near the Abbey Pempont, which King Judicael founded some years before his death. It is our great religious and royal centre.’

At this point, Trifina bade Fidelma farewell and retired to her own chamber. Fidelma herself went on to the great hall, but found only two occupants. At the far end of the hall, Riwanon and Budic were standing together before the fire locked in earnest conversation. What caused Fidelma to stop in surprise was the proximity of their bodies to one another; too close for the normal relationship between a Queen and the commander of her bodyguard. Budic was very close, staring down into the upturned face of Riwanon. Their voices were low and urgent.

Fidelma closed the door behind her, perhaps with a little more force than necessary, and the two sprang apart.

‘Fidelma.’ Riwanon forced a smile. ‘Any news?’

‘Bleidbara has not returned yet,’ Fidelma said, moving forward to the fire. Although it was summer, the great hall seemed cold. ‘And Macliau has just buried his dog.’

Budic sniffed disparagingly.

‘Do you still think him innocent?’ There was the familiar sneer in his voice.

‘It matters not what I think,’ replied Fidelma. ‘It is what the bretat will judge when he hears the evidence.’

‘It is no justice when one has to wait so long for it,’ replied Budic. ‘He should have been tried at once.’

‘I did not think it was your law to try someone without a qualified judge present? No one, surely, should be tried by an emotional mob.’

Budic was about to respond but then he merely shrugged and moved away to sink in a chair before the fire. Riwanon looked at her guard commander with irritation at his rudeness.

‘We are a little tense waiting for news…waiting for what might be an attack on this fortress by these brigands,’ she said, almost in apology.

‘Indeed,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘But we must all try to relax as best we can. From what I have seen of this fortress, we are well protected.’

‘I hope your Saxon friend and Bleidbara can say the same,’ muttered Budic from his chair.

Eadulf was seated on his horse, his heart pounding as Boric, the tracker and scout, came galloping back along the path to the clearing where he, Bleidbara and the others had halted.

‘A horseman is coming!’ He cried a warning in a low voice. ‘A single rider, coming at the gallop!’

With one motion of his arm, Bleidbara signalled his men to take cover on either side of the forest path, ensuring that Eadulf followed him into the cover of the thick undergrowth. Indeed, no time seemed to pass before they could hear the thudding of hooves along the muddy track. The rider was bent low over the straining neck of the beast. He was clearly in a hurry. Before he drew near, Eadulf saw that he was no ordinary warrior. He was well dressed with a multi-coloured cloak snapping in the air behind his shoulders. He had an ornate polished helmet, and a saffron-coloured tunic with designs that Eadulf could not clearly make out. The man wore a sword but carried neither shield nor spear.

As he drew near, Bleidbara urged his horse forward to block the rider’s path while his comrades came up behind him. For a second or two, the rider’s horse shied and kicked the air with its forehooves.

‘Out of the way!’ roared the rider angrily, his hand falling to his sword. ‘In the name of the King, out of the way!’

‘Who are you?’ Bleidbara demanded.

‘A messenger from King Alain on his business. Now move!’

‘I am commander of the guard at the fortress of Brilhag,’ replied Bleidbara. ‘You ride in dangerous country, my friend.’

‘Not if the mac’htiern of Brilhag is loyal to my King,’ the man declared haughtily.

‘Brilhag is loyal but there are enemies that lurk in these woods.’

‘You do not have to tell me that. I was nearly caught by a band of cut-throats not far back along this track. They loosed some arrows at me but my horse was faster than they were. Are you seeking them?’

‘You saw them?’

‘Three men were all I saw.’

‘We are in pursuit of them.’

‘Then follow this path. I came on them making camp in a small clearing near a stream.’

Bleidbara was puzzled at the news. ‘Camped already? But it is several hours until nightfall. Why, we could ride back to Brilhag from here and arrive before it grows dark.’

‘And it is there that I have to go, on King Alain’s business. Is the Queen Riwanon there?’

‘She is,’ asserted Bleidbara.

‘Good. I am to inform her that her husband, Alain, will be at Brilhag by dusk tomorrow. He rides together with the lord of Brilhag and an escort of his warriors.’

‘Then continue on your way, my friend,’ Bleidbara said, moving his horse aside.

A short time later, Boric, who was scouting ahead again, returned.

‘The messenger was right. There are three men camped in a small clearing ahead.’

‘But why so early?’ Bleidbara queried. ‘That I really cannot understand. They could make more time before nightfall.’

Boric grimaced. ‘I am afraid that they have their reasons,’ he replied. ‘The men have the female with them — the maid of Queen Riwanon.’

‘Then Ceingar is still alive?’ Eadulf’s question was unnecessary.

The stout tracker nodded.

‘It was my intention to just follow them until we find their lair,’ Bleidbara said reflectively. ‘Now I do not think we have a choice.’

‘Agreed,’ Eadulf said, ‘there is no choice. We must rescue the girl.’

‘How far ahead are they?’ Bleidbara asked and, when the position was outlined, he turned to his men. ‘We will leave the horses here and move quietly forward on foot. We will surround their camp and come on them suddenly. Hopefully, they will give up without a fight. But be careful — these men are ruthless and they kill.’

He glanced at Eadulf. ‘Do you want to stay here to look after the horses?’

Eadulf shook his head firmly. ‘I’ll come with you, of course.’

They moved forward cautiously and, at a silent signal from Bleidbara, they spread out left and right to encircle the camp which announced itself by the sound of a crackling fire in the clearing ahead of them. As they drew near, Eadulf could see through the undergrowth the light of the blazing campfire. Two raiders were squatting before it, their weapons at their sides. There was no sign of the third man nor of the female prisoner. The two men were talking to one another in loud voices, and now and then glancing towards the far side of the small clearing and laughing lewdly. Eadulf raised his eyes and saw a movement from the bushes at which their glances were directed.

He reached forward, tapped Bleidbara on the arm and pointed.

The warrior nodded to indicate that he had understood. Then he held up his dagger, gesturing at himself and then at the bush. Bleidbara’s men were highly trained. The young commander was already moving silently and rapidly, skirting the camp, making directly for his target. Eadulf kept close behind him.

They came on the scene that Eadulf had already suspected might meet their eyes. The girl, Ceingar, was stretched on the ground. Her dress was raised. She lay without struggling as the man panted and heaved on top of her.

In a couple of strides Bleidbara had moved across the intervening distance, grabbed the rapist by the hair and yanked him backwards. The man’s reactions were quick. He gave a cry of alarm as he was wrenched off by Bleidbara’s strong arm but, at the same time, he was grabbing for the dagger in his belt. Bleidbara had no choice but to use his own weapon, plunging it under the man’s ribcage.

From the camp, Eadulf could hear the cries of alarm as Bleidbara’s men closed with the other raiders. The inert form of the girl now came alive; screaming, she scrambled up, pulling down her dress and staring wildly about.

Eadulf moved forward.

‘Have no fear!’ he yelled. ‘We are your rescuers. You are free!’

She was staring at him like one demented and, to his surprise, she lunged forward, clutching at the warrior’s discarded knife and raising it. For a moment Eadulf froze. The girl would have struck home but Bleidbara, having dropped the dead form of the assailant, took a pace forward and grabbed the girl by the wrist, twisting it slightly so that she was forced to drop the knife.

He said something to her and she slumped forward as if in exhaustion and sank to the ground again.

‘It’s all right,’ Bleidbara said to Eadulf. ‘The girl did not know who we were and acted out of instinct. Let her sit still for a moment.’

Boric suddenly appeared. His face was grim with satisfaction.

‘They are both dead,’ he said, jerking his thumb across his shoulder.

‘You killed them?’ Eadulf felt disappointment. ‘We could have questioned them.’

‘I am afraid not, Brother Eadulf,’ replied Boric without remorse. ‘They fought like demons and had no intention of allowing themselves to become prisoners. They had the battle fever on them. There was nothing else we could do but meet their steel with our own.’

Eadulf glanced to where the girl, Ceingar, was huddled on a log, her knees drawn up to her chin, arms clasped around them, rocking back and forth. Her eyes were wide and bright, gazing in horror at the body of the man who had violated her.

‘Does she know that she is safe?’ he asked Bleidbara.

The warrior gave an affirmative gesture. He spoke to the girl and she eventually raised her head and stared from Bleidbara to Eadulf.

‘She recognises us.’

‘Ask her what happened,’ Eadulf instructed.

‘She says that they had been out riding, her mistress, Queen Riwanon, and her party. Suddenly, arrows flew. Two of the warriors were cut down. Riwanon and Budic galloped off but, as Ceingar made to follow them, one of the members of the ambush party leaped out and caught her horse’s bridle and thus she was trapped.’

‘What happened to the bodies of the warriors who were slain?’

There was some hesitation on the girl’s face, a look of distaste before she spoke.

‘The attackers put their bodies on one of the horses and took them away.’

‘And what happened to her?’

‘They told her that she was a prisoner and for a while they bound her wrists. They released her only when…’He gestured silently to the spot where they had found her.

‘How many were there in this attacking party?’

‘About half-a-dozen.’

‘What happened after she was captured?’

‘They rode along the track and over a hill until they saw a farmstead. The leader…’

‘Who was the leader?’ interrupted Eadulf. ‘Did you recognise him?’

The girl pointed at her slain assailant. Eadulf was disappointed, as clearly this man was not the ‘Dove of Death’.

‘And what did he do at the farmstead?’

‘They rode down on it and killed the farmer, then set fire to the buildings. Then a group of people appeared on the hill and came running towards them, bearing weapons. They were a large crowd, too large for them to fight off. So they rode away.’

‘To the oratory?’

The girl frowned uncertainly.

‘We saw your tracks there,’ he explained. ‘Was that where the ship was waiting?’

Again her eyes were wide. ‘There are no tracks on water,’ she said hoarsely, obviously still in shock. ‘How did you know that?’

‘A logical deduction — from the tracks,’ Eadulf smiled. ‘Three of your captors went on board the ship and then the other three took their horses with you and came here. Is that right?’

Ceingar sighed deeply. ‘We came here and camped and…’ She shivered violently.

‘Well, it’s all over now,’ Eadulf said. ‘Do you know where you were heading? Why did some of the attackers go aboard the vessel?’

As he expected, she did not know. ‘They said nothing to me and I heard nothing of their plans,’ she replied.

‘We might as well take their horses and ride back to Brilhag,’ Bleidbara said. He turned to the girl. ‘Are you fit enough to travel?’

‘I think so.’

Bleidbara was examining the sky. ‘If we leave now, we should get to Brilhag by nightfall.’

At a signal, his men doused the fire, gathered the weapons of the raiders and some few items they found on their persons, and tied their horses together on a lead rope. Then they remounted and started back along the track at a swift canter.

‘Bleidbara has returned,’ Iuna announced as she moved to the doors of the great hall. Those gathered there had already heard the call of the trumpet from the main gates.

Even before Iuna spoke, the gates had swung open and the warriors, closely followed by Eadulf, came in. Behind them was the pale figure of Ceingar, looking dishevelled. She gazed quickly around, saw Riwanon and ran to her, casting herself on her knees before her and speaking rapidly, sobbing as she did so. Riwanon replied sternly and turned to Iuna, saying something. Iuna moved forward and helped the girl to her feet and, after a few words from Riwanon to Ceingar, led her away.

‘The girl is distraught,’ Riwanon told Fidelma, ‘so I have sent her to clean herself and rest.’

‘I would like to question her,’ Fidelma said. ‘We need to find out as much as we can about these attackers.’

‘It will have to be later when she is more composed,’ the Queen replied firmly.

‘Very well.’ Fidelma turned to Eadulf with a warning look to convey that she did not want him to discuss his observations in front of the others.

Bleidbara, however, recounted what had happened.

‘Thanks be that you were able to save poor Ceingar.’ Riwanon looked sad. ‘I can only imagine the fate that those beasts had in store for her. But my warriors, ah…it distresses me. Both killed, you say?’

‘We were unable to recover their bodies. Ceingar said that only she was taken alive in the ambush,’ Bleidbara replied. ‘She was not sure what the captors did with the bodies, but they took their horses. We have, of course, brought all the horses back to the fortress with us.’

‘And you say that this attacking party split into two — that some of them went on shipboard while the others, together with the girl, rode towards the north-east?’ asked Fidelma.

‘That is so, lady,’ Bleidbara agreed.

‘It is a pity that you didn’t take one of those men prisoner,’ commented Trifina, ‘then we should have found out the truth about this Koulm ar Maro.’

Bleidbara seemed a little irritated by the criticism.

‘Lady, they did not want to surrender,’ he replied stiffly. ‘They fought to the death, with a fanatical zeal that I have not seen before.’

‘You found that curious?’ Fidelma was interested by the comment.

‘It was unusual,’ agreed the warrior. ‘Our warriors might not contemplate surrender to the Franks, but with our own people, they know they would not be badly treated.’

‘And you gave them the opportunity to surrender?’

‘I am not in the habit of slaughtering men who would rather live, lady,’ he replied firmly.

‘Of course not. I just wanted to be sure that I had the facts.’

‘But we are no further forward than before!’ Trifina said petulantly. ‘My brother still stands accused of murder. These brigands still attack unarmed farmsteads, kill merchants, even attack and capture foreign ships on the high seas — and we still do not know who they are or who is behind them.’

‘We know one thing — that they do so under the flag of the mac’htiern of Brilhag,’ pointed out Riwanon.

‘That is just a ruse to mislead people,’ snapped Trifina, colouring hotly.

Riwanon spread her hands and smiled.

‘But it must be proved, must it not?’ This last question was aimed at Fidelma.

‘That is so,’ agreed Fidelma. ‘The people of this peninsula need to be shown, in a way that leaves little doubt, that these brigands and their leader are not connected with this household.’

‘So it is a pity, Bleidbara, that you were not able to bring one of them here, even if they were wounded,’ ended Riwanon.

Bleidbara coloured. ‘I have already explained that we did not have the opportunity, lady.’

‘But a pity, nevertheless,’ she sighed.

Later, in their chamber after the evening meal, as Fidelma sat combing her long red tresses and preparing for bed, she was able to talk over the matter with Eadulf. She asked him to describe everything that had happened.

‘And you are sure that Bleidbara gave every opportunity to the brigands to surrender so he could take one alive?’

Eadulf confirmed it.

‘We were worried about the fate of the girl, Ceingar,’ he explained. ‘That was why we decided to attack the camp. Our original plan was simply to track them back to their lair. We thought that they would take the horses overland to some secret harbour where we might find the Koulm ar Maro, moored somewhere on the eastern side of the Morbihan.’

‘It was certainly a logical plan,’ agreed Fidelma.

‘Then when we saw one of the brigands having his way with Ceingar…’ Eadulf shrugged. ‘Well, Bleidbara gave the signal to attack. I thought the other two, who were probably waiting their turn with her, poor girl, would surrender when they saw the odds were against them. But they refused and fought with such a fury that it could only have ended with their deaths or our own. Deo adjuvante, Bleidbara’s men were good and the raiders paid the price for their sins.’

‘It is a pity that I am not able to question Ceingar until tomorrow. She might have had some information about the leaders of this band by which we could track them.’

‘She has suffered much, that one,’ Eadulf reflected. ‘Best that she have a good rest to recover from her ordeal. Then her mind will be clearer.’

‘Yes, although sometimes a fresh remembrance of things is more helpful than letting a person rest on the memory. After a time, the mind begins to rationalise, make interpretations of the memory and thereby time distorts it.’

‘It seems that we are no further forward to a solution to all this,’ Eadulf said, rather wearily. ‘We have been dragged into some local mystery not of our own choosing — and, to be honest, we don’t understand the half of it. What makes it worse is that we know almost nothing of the language and have to rely on others for interpretation.’

‘We know a little of the language of the Britons, thanks to our time in the Kingdom of Dyfed. So we have some idea of what is being said.’

Eadulf was moody.

‘A little knowledge is dangerous,’ he grumbled. ‘The words might be similar here but we still have to look to others for detailed information. I do not think we should have become involved in this business. At least, I think Riwanon’s commission to you was ill-advised.’

Fidelma’s mouth tightened.

‘We became involved when my Cousin Bressal was murdered, when our friend Murchad was cut down. We are involved and I will stay involved until I have resolved this mystery.’

Eadulf was about to respond but thought better of it. It was no use arguing when Fidelma was in this kind of mood.

‘Well, I am for bed,’ he said. ‘It has been another long and tiring day, and I am exhausted.’

Annoyed at Eadulf’s lack of understanding, Fidelma did not reply. She sat for a long time by the window looking out onto the shimmering moonlit waters of the Morbihan with its dark shadows of islands. Carefully, she turned over the events of the last few days in her mind. There was something there which nearly made sense…but not quite. She was sure that the answer was almost within her grasp; almost, but not quite. It needed something, some simple key, to make everything fit into place.

‘There is no sign of the girl Iuna this morning,’ remarked Riwanon. ‘Do we have to fend for ourselves?’

Fidelma and Eadulf had come down that morning in a sombre mood to find Riwanon already seated at the table. Macliau was sitting in a corner by the hearth, staring with moody unseeing eyes at the embers of a fire that had not been attended to for some time. He neither raised his hand nor acknowledged anyone. Brother Metellus had returned to the abbey on the previous afternoon as matters there needed his attention. As they came down the stairway into the great hall, the door opened. Bleidbara entered and stood looking about uncertainly.

Fidelma noted the peevish tone in Riwanon’s voice, but she understood that the Queen had been through much these recent days, with the attack on her and her entourage, and must be feeling the strain.

‘Where’s Budic?’ asked Riwanon now. ‘I seem deserted by my bodyguard, as well as my maidservant.’

‘Budic is in the stables, practising his swordsmanship with Boric,’ Bleidbara said.

‘And Ceingar? Is she still abed?’

‘I’ll go to the kitchens to see if she is there with Iuna, shall I?’ he suggested.

‘It would be helpful,’ Fidelma intervened, noting that Trifina was also missing. ‘Meanwhile, I’ll check that she is not in her room. There is an excuse for everyone to have overslept this morning.’ She turned to Eadulf: ‘Throw some logs on the fire before it goes out.’ She raised her eyebrows, indicating Riwanon. From her expression, he understood that it fell to him to keep the company distracted in some way so that the heavy atmosphere could be lifted.

Fidelma ran lightly up the stairs. Instead of going straight to Ceingar’s room, she made her way along the corridor to Iuna’s chamber and knocked gently on the door. Iuna was always up early and her absence puzzled Fidelma even more than Ceingar’s did. There was no answer. She knocked again, this time a little louder, then waited a moment before she tried the handle. The door swung open. The room was in semi-gloom but Fidelma saw that the bed was empty. The bedlinen was rumpled almost as if a struggle had taken place there. Then she noticed the pieces of a broken clay bowl on the floor beside the bed and a spoon, as if someone had been eating from the bowl and dropped it, breaking it. Certainly Iuna had left the room in a hurry.

Fidelma quickly examined the chamber. She noticed that the door to the adjoining chamber was slightly ajar and remembered that Iuna had said she slept in the room next to Trifina.

She walked across the chamber and pushed the door open. Again she saw that the bed was empty — but here the bedlinen had been pulled back as if in haste. A jug had been overturned near the bed; it had fallen onto a thickly woven carpet, spilling some water, but obviously the carpet had cushioned it so that it had not broken, nor would it have created any noise as it fell.

Fidelma was about to walk out of the room when she noticed a dark stain on the linen sheet. She moved across and peered at it, wishing there was more light, then she put forward a finger and touched it. It was damp. She raised the finger, examined it and realised that it was blood.

She stood undecided for a moment or two before leaving through the main door into the corridor. She was about to go back to rejoin the others when she remembered the object of her mission — to locate Ceingar. Riwanon’s maid had been allocated a nearby chamber.

Fidelma paused and knocked upon the door. She was not expecting an answer and so, when none came, she merely opened the door and looked inside.

She was expecting another empty bed. In that expectation, she was unfulfilled. For Ceingar lay in the bed. She lay on her back, her white face turned to the ceiling, her mouth open slightly, and her eyes wide and staring. There was a knife buried in her chest and the dark stains of blood were all over her body and over the sheets.

Fidelma did not have to examine the knife too closely to see that it was a dagger — with the emblem of a dove on its handle.

There was a sense of shock in the fortress after Fidelma had told the others about her grim findings. Only her own quiet authority stemmed the mood of panic among them. There was much disquiet among the servants and the guards at the news. Macliau had retired to his chamber in his now usual uncommunicative mood. His dazed features seemed genuine enough, and Fidelma saw that he had taken a small amphora of wine with him. Only Riwanon and Budic remained in the great hall.

‘I just pray that my husband, Alain, reaches here safely,’ Riwanon confided to Fidelma. ‘There is much evil here in Brilhag and I do not think we will be safe until he arrives.’

‘I agree that there is much evil,’ Fidelma replied quietly. ‘And with your continued permission, I shall try to make what sense I can of these events.’

Riwanon made a small gesture with her hand.

‘I am afraid, my Hibernian sister, there is little you can do here. I was foolish to suggest that you could help. After all, you are in a foreign land and do not speak our language. Best stay here in safety and pray for the safe arrival of my husband. I was wondering if we should send a messenger to hasten him.’

‘While it is wise to be cautious, his messenger said he would be here before dusk today. I feel I must do what I can, however limited my means of doing so,’ insisted Fidelma. ‘But, by all means, send one of your men to find your husband.’

Riwanon smiled softly.

‘You have a good heart, Fidelma. If you feel you must persist in your enquiries, then carry on. You have my authority to do what you can to resolve the mysteries that beset this place.’

‘Your authority?’ pressed Fidelma.

‘My full authority,’ confirmed Riwanon. ‘But I will remain here with Budic as my bodyguard until my husband comes.’

Outside the great hall, Eadulf said: ‘I don’t understand this. Is there a logic that Ceingar be killed and Trifina and Iuna abducted?’

‘Even in the most bizarre set of circumstances you will find a logic, Eadulf,’ Fidelma replied. ‘From what you have told me of your finding of Ceingar, I think there is a reason why she was killed. But the abduction of both Trifina and Iuna is more puzzling. Let us see if we can trace how they were taken from their rooms and by what method transported.’

It was at that moment that Bleidbara approached them. His features were set hard.

‘We’ve found another body,’ he announced.

‘Is it Trifina or Iuna?’ asked Eadulf immediately.

‘Neither. It is one of my men who was on watch at the small harbour below. His throat was cut. I think that Trifina and Iuna were removed by boat.’

‘Kidnapped on the Koulm ar Maro?’ Fidelma asked.

‘Without question,’ asserted Bleidbara. ‘You know that I have been scouring these islands under the orders of Trifina for the last week, searching for this Koulm ar Maro? Yet I have not found its hiding-place. They must have raided the fortress last night.’

‘But why kill Ceingar? Why abduct Iuna and Trifina?’ Fidelma was thoughtful. ‘It doesn’t make sense unless…’ She paused and then asked: ‘What is the last place you would look for Trifina, if she was abducted?’

‘The last place?’ Bleidbara looked puzzled. ‘I do not follow your logic, lady.’

Fidelma pointed across the headland, saying, ‘You would not look for her in her own villa…on Govihan?’

‘But there are servants on Govihan — Heraclius the apothecary and others. Why would she be taken there?’

‘Because, as I have said, that is the last place they would think that we would look. Come on, let us sail for Govihan. You have your ship ready, it should not take long.’

Below, they could see the Morvan, still anchored in the bay.

Bleidbara looked undecided for a moment and then he shrugged.

‘I suppose it is worth a try,’ he admitted. ‘I certainly have no better idea.’

On the quayside Boric joined them. He seemed excited.

‘One of my men saw something, just before dawn,’ he told them. ‘He observed a man carrying the body of a woman on his shoulders, place her into a boat and sail off.’

Bleidbara stared at him, astounded. ‘Then why didn’t he report it immediately?’ he almost shouted.

Boric spread his hands. ‘The man was fearful lest he get into trouble. He shouted a challenge and when the man carrying the body did not stop, he loosed an arrow — which he was sure hit him. However, this man did not stop or release his burden. He climbed into the boat, hoisted sail, and away went the boat before the guard could reach it. It was then that the sentinel realised his mistake — and this is why he failed to report the matter.’

‘Mistake?’ Bleidbara stared at him. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘The man he shot at was Iarnbud, and the orders of the lord of Brilhag are that Iarnbud is his bretat and has the right to come and go as he will. My guard only mentioned this to me just now when he heard the news of the disappearance of Trifina and Iuna. He is still afraid of being punished for shooting at the bretat.’

Bleidbara was angry. ‘The man is an imbecile and shall answer to me when I return. He is sure that Iarnbud was carrying the body of a woman? In what direction did his boat go?’

‘To the islands — he is not sure where.’

Fidelma looked grimly at Bleidbara. ‘We will try Govihan first,’ she said.

The young apothecary from Constantinopolis greeted them on the island of Govihan. He looked shocked when Fidelma told him the purpose of their visit.

‘We have not seen Trifina since she returned to Brilhag with you, lady, the day before yesterday,’ he said. ‘As for the lady Iuna, she scarcely visits here.’

‘I thought it was too simple,’ Bleidbara said glumly, turning to Fidelma ‘But we had better search the villa now we’re here.’

‘We will do what we can to find the lady Trifina,’ Heraclius said, calling one of the maids to gather the servants together.

The search of the villa proved futile; even Heraclius, under Bleidbara’s instruction, unlocked his stone-built hut so that they could look inside, but on condition that they touched nothing. As they came out, and Heraclius relocked it and disappeared through the walled garden to find out how the other members of the household were proceeding, Bleidbara, Fidelma and Eadulf stood on the clifftop, surveying the sea before them.

‘There are a lot of islands out there,’ Bleidbara said heavily. ‘It’s an impossible task to search them all.’

‘If they were taken on board this sea raider — let’s call it the Koulm ar Maro — from Brilhag, why did no one notice the ship in the bay?’ demanded Eadulf. ‘Surely you have lookouts on the Morvran who would have noticed such a large ship come into the inlet below the fortress — even at dead of night?’

Bleidbara was defensive.

‘The Morvran was anchored in the bay under the fortress walls,’ he said. ‘They would not see anything if the Koulm ar Maro came to anchor on the other side of the headland.’

Eadulf flushed a little at the rebuke because he had no sooner made his comment than he realised the answer.

‘The question is — what now?’ Bleidbara went on. ‘I have sent men around the island to ensure that there is nowhere we have overlooked — caves or undergrowth, for instance. We have searched the villa, so there seems no way forward.’

Fidelma suddenly gave an exclamation of surprise.

She pointed downwards at the rocky coast below them. A little boat was bobbing on the water and a tiny figure was desperately trying to make it to shore. The surging waves brought the little boat tantalisingly close, but then pulled it back. The figure seemed to have no oar to guide the boat in. Then a larger wave than the rest suddenly propelled the boat right up the beach, and when the water receded, the boat remained there, held fast by the pebbles and rocks. The figure seemed to fall over the side of the boat into the still-frothing water and crawl using only one arm for a short distance before collapsing face down.

All those present on the clifftop shared the same thought: there was something very familiar about this lone sailor.