Fire Bringer (42 page)

‘That’s right, it’s me, Rannoch.’

Where just before Bankfoot had been staring at the incarnation of a living god, now he was looking at his old friend again.

‘But h-h-how?’ gasped Bankfoot. ’The fawn, I saw him die.’

‘Not die,’ said Rannoch, smiling, ‘though he was badly stunned when Kaal caught him with his hoofs. That’s why I ordered them all to leave that night. So I could help him. Come on, Ragnur, say hello to Bankfoot.’

The little fawn trotted up quite happily.

‘I saw my real chance when I realized the little one wasn’t dead. Then I really planned to set the fox among them. I’m only sorry I didn’t stop it sooner but with the berries and the ghostly dancing I was caught up too for a while. If Ragnur here hadn’t be so intelligent and helpful I don’t know what I would have done. Together we formed our plan when they had left, didn’t we, Ragnur?’

Ragnur beamed up at Rannoch.

‘I fixed Ragnur up as best I could and then told him to stay by the stones and play dead if anyone came, ready for the next time they wanted to hold a sacrifice.’

Bankfoot nodded, though he was still amazed.

‘First I wanted to get you all away, though, just in case anything went wrong. I couldn’t get a message to you so I had to pretend to order you from the valley, though I’m sorry I had to frighten Willow so badly. But then you nearly spoilt it all,’ chuckled Rannoch, ‘when you blurted out that you’d seen the rite. As it is, though, I think it helped the effect.’

‘So. . . so it was all pretence.’

‘No, Bankfoot, not all,’ answered Rannoch quietly.

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean,’ said Rannoch – and something grave entered his voice – ‘that there was a time when I nearly believed them. When I wanted to believe them.’

‘Your eyes, up there on the hill. They terrified me.’

‘Yes. But that was mostly the berries and the fungi the Slave Herds have been collecting. They have the power to bring on waking dreams, Bankfoot. It affected all of them. It was only after the first sacrifice, when you thought they’d killed Ragnur, that I shook off its influence and from then on I had the devil of a time pretending to eat it in front of Kaal and the stags. But there was something else, Bankfoot, that was more than the fungi. In that circle, when the fawns were dancing in the moonlight. For a moment I almost thought I was Herne. There was something of Herne there, until. . .’

Rannoch fell silent.

‘Until. . . ?’

‘Until they almost killed Ragnur, of course. Then something woke in me and I threw off the visions.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I mean, as I felt the violence of that place, of those stones and the Herla, I remembered a feeling I have had all my life. The feeling I had at the fort and with the wolf. The urge to heal.’

‘And Herne?’ Rannoch smiled.

‘Theirs is a belief that has thrived here for centuries in the High Land and it’s true what Rurl told me – they did have knowledge of man. It comes from the circle. They learnt the rite of sacrifice from watching man among his stones. But I know that if ever the Herla are to live free in the High Land, or anywhere else in the Great Land, then they must never worship Herne like that.’

‘So you . . . ?’

Rannoch looked carefully at Bankfoot.

‘No, Bankfoot,’ he said quietly, ‘I am not Herne. I am a Herla’

‘And the Prophecy?’

Rannoch gazed ahead into the night. A strong breeze was blowing across the High Land into the young deers’ muzzles, but Rannoch didn’t answer. He suddenly felt much older. He stirred in the darkness and as he did so he fancied he had heard something moving beyond the stones.

‘Well, I suppose we should t-t-try and find the others,’ said Bankfoot after a while, ‘though they’ll never believe it.’

‘Bankfoot,’ said Rannoch quietly, ‘I learnt something else too.’

‘W-w-what?’

‘It’s about Sgorr. I know where he’s from,’ whispered Rannoch. ‘This was once his herd.’

Bankfoot looked at Rannoch in astonishment.

‘Sgorr’s herd?’

‘Yes, but there’s something else, Bankfoot,’ said Rannoch.

‘Kaal said it’s to do with an island and something Sgorr hid there long ago. He says Sgorr fears its discovery more than anything else.’

‘What?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Rannoch.’It’s an even darker secret.’

Part Three -
18 The Branding

‘And the Lord set a mark on Cain.’ Genesis 4, 15

‘Alive? What do you mean he’s alive?’

Narl backed away nervously into the shadows. He had never seen Sgorr so angry. His master was older now and the fur around his muzzle was flecked with grey, which somehow gave a more sinister aspect to the scar across his face.

‘It must be him,’ said Narl. ’He’s grown and has his antlers. But that mark on his forehead is just the same. The oak leaf.’

‘But how?’ said Sgorr in disbelief.

‘The spies weren’t sure. But from what they could learn he was hurt and then rescued,’ said Narl, his voice dropping away to a frightened whisper, ‘by humans.’

‘By humans?’ whispered Sgorr. For the first time ever Narl noticed something like fear flicker across Sgorr’s single eye. But it soon passed.

‘Yes, then he escaped into the High Land,’ said Narl nervously, ‘with his friends. The ones who got away from the Sgorrla.’

‘Am I surrounded by incompetents?’ cried Sgorr. ’Have the guards along the Great Glen punished. Kill one guard in each garrison.’

Narl nodded.

‘And why did the spies disobey my orders anyway,’ said Sgorr angrily, ‘and enter the High Land?’ Narl dropped his eyes fearfully.

‘They thought it best, Lord,’ he answered, ‘when they saw that mark.’

‘So he’s alive,’ said Sgorr, looking out into the darkness.

‘Well, well. And in the High Land too. At least they’ll know what to do with him there.’

Narl looked strangely at Sgorr. He didn’t understand what his master meant.

‘There’s more,’ Narl went on slowly, testing Sgorr’s responses all the time. ‘I don’t quite understand it, but the spies spoke of a herd. Herne’s Herd they called it.’

Sgorr swung round suddenly and glared at Narl.

‘Yes,’ he said.

‘You know of them, my lord?’ said Narl with surprise.

‘A little,’ said Sgorr, smiling. ‘Go on.’

‘They ruled in the High Land.’

‘Ruled?’ said Sgorr. ’What do you mean ruled?’

‘Well, that’s the part that’s unclear. The spies say Rannoch has overthrown this herd.’

‘Overthrown Herne’s Herd?’ cried Sgorr, wheeling round in the night. ‘Impossible. Take me to these spies, quickly.’

Narl led Sgorr through the darkness. The air was cold for winter was with them and the ground carried a frost that crunched loudly underfoot. The two spies were waiting fearfully for their leader, surrounded by a contingent of the Sgorrla. It had taken them over a year to get back to the home herd for they had got lost in the north and had wandered hopelessly for suns and moons, half terrified of returning to their master. They were two of the stags Rannoch had overheard by the burn and their breath smoked furiously in the darkness.

‘You,’ cried Sgorr, as he ran up to one of them and thrust his muzzle straight into the spy’s terrified face, ‘tell me everything you know of Rannoch and Herne’s Herd. Leave nothing out. I warn you, I’ll know if you’re embellishing it just to please me.’

So the Sgorrla began. He spoke falteringly at first until Sgorr shouted at him and threatened him with the Sgorrla’s antlers. So he went on, describing the chase across the Great Mountain and the meeting with Birrmagnur. But when he came to their journey from the Slave Herd Sgorr stopped him.

‘And you say he spoke to this grouse?’ said Sgorr, glancing at Narl.

‘Yes, my Lord, though I couldn’t understand what he was saying.’

Sgorr’s face was suddenly thoughtful.

‘Go on,’ he said.

The stag continued, telling all they had seen of Herne’s Herd and the Standing Stones. The tale took a good time, as the stag dared leave nothing out.

‘So,’ said Sgorr when it was over, shaking his head, ‘the fools fled? Herne’s Herd – who have ruled in the High Land for longer than the Herla can remember.’

The spy nodded nervously and looked to his companions. They all wondered why Sgorr seemed to know about Herne’s Herd already. Sgorr looked back at him, his eye pinning the deer to the curtain of night. Then suddenly Sgorr began to shake. His legs shook. His shoulders shook. Even the stumps of bone on his head shook. He was laughing. He threw his head back and let out a great bellow of laughter. The Sgorrla stared at each other in amazement. They had never heard Sgorr laugh before, nor had they heard anything quite so unnerving in all their lives.

‘It’s really too good,’ said Sgorr, as the laughter subsided.

‘This Rannoch, I think I should like to meet him, Narl. Yes, I think I should like to meet him very much. But just before you left,’ Sgorr went on, turning back to the spy, ‘you heard him say he wasn’t Herne?’

Again the deer nodded.

‘You’re certain?’

‘It was the last thing I heard him say before we left, my lord.’

‘No, of course not,’ muttered Sgorr to himself. ‘Of course not.’

‘But my lord,’ said the spy Sgorrla suddenly, ‘can it be the Prophecy?’

The deer regretted the question immediately. Sgorr’s mouth opened and his teeth were suddenly buried in the stag’s throat. The spy barked furiously and when Sgorr finally let go, blood was gushing from his neck.

‘You know it is death to talk of the Prophecy,’ cried Sgorr. He suddenly turned and addressed all the watching Sgorrla.

‘All of you,’ he cried, ‘listen carefully to me. Not a word of what you have heard tonight must pass your lips. Do you understand me? Not one single word. As far as you’re concerned, the fawn with the oak mark died all those years ago by the loch. It will go hard with you if I find that any of it has leaked out to the herds. Do you understand?’

The spies and the assembled Sgorrla nodded.

‘Very well then,’ he said, his tone becoming soft and conciliating as he turned back to the spies. ‘You. You’ve done very well and I am pleased. You will find an honoured place in the inner ranks of the Sgorrla. For tonight, get them to take you to the feeding grounds and give you some extra bark and berries. Come, Narl, I want to get back to the harem.’

Sgorr swung round and, much to the relief of the deer, disappeared again into the darkness.

But as he ran his eye was burning brightly.

‘Narl,’ said Sgorr quietly when they were some distance away.’I want them disposed of.’

‘My lord?’

‘Get rid of them, Narl. It’s the only way to be sure.’

‘The spies, my lord?’ said Narl.

‘No, Narl, you idiot, not just the spies – all of them. All the stags that were there tonight. But try to do it subtly, Narl. Arrange some accidents. Pick them off one by one.’

Narl was silent now as the two of them ran. Normally he would have had no compunction in carrying out his master’s orders but Narl was deeply troubled. One of the deer in the Sgorrla guard was his own brother, Rack. As the two deer neared the thicket where Sgorr had his harem, Narl ventured a question. He knew he was the only deer in the herds who could have got away with it.

‘My lord,’ he said softly.

‘What is it, Narl?’

‘The Prophecy,’

‘What about it?’ said Sgorr irritably, but he seemed strangely distracted.

‘Can it be coming true? You heard what the spies said. He can speak to the Lera and is in the High Land now. And do you remember that line of verse? Then he breaks an ancient power.’

‘It is a surprise, I admit,’ said Sgorr coldly, ‘to hear he has survived. Nothing more. Think, Narl, what this prophecy says. The skies turning black. A Herla commanding man. It is impossible, Narl. And you heard what he said – that he is not Herne. Of course he is not Herne because Herne does not exist.’

‘But he has spent time with man.’

Sgorr was silent now, for somewhere in his own black heart fear was fluttering. Man. Rannoch had knowledge of man. And he had met Herne’s Herd. Tricked the darkest of the Herla. Sgorr was truly amazed and with his astonishment came a nagging doubt. Had Rannoch already found out? Found out the reason he had sealed the High Land from the Herla until he was ready to destroy Herne’s Herd and take revenge? Found out the one thing the herds must never know – his own dark secret?

‘No,’ cried Sgorr, his spirit suddenly rallying, ‘all we have to fear from Rannoch is the superstition and stupidity of the Herla. That’s why the stags who heard tonight must be silenced. I do not believe, Narl, but I know that belief is a very powerful force, whether the object of that belief is true or not. But there’s something else that can only work in our favour. The spies said Rannoch was travelling with his mother, which can only mean that he himself does not know that he is Brechin’s and Eloin’s fawn. Which gives us plenty of time to go to work. To have Rannoch. . . removed.’

As Sgorr’s mind began to race, he felt a power returning to him and a growing confidence that quickly dispelled the spectre that had suddenly risen in the north.

‘Besides, Narl, my dear friend,’ said Sgorr with satisfaction, ‘if it is true about Herne’s Herd, then, without knowing it, this Rannoch is working for my own purposes.’

‘My lord?’

‘He has removed the last true obstacle to my own ambition, barring that fool Colquhar. Now there will be nothing to stop us when we take the Great Herd into the High Land.’

‘Into the High Land?’ said Narl. ’But you sealed it.’

‘I sealed it until I was ready to confront the power that has kept the Herla enslaved, ready to conquer all the herds across the Great Land.’

‘So you did have knowledge of Herne’s Herd?’

‘Oh yes,’ answered Sgorr gravely, his eye narrowing.

He was thinking back to all those years ago when, as hardly more than a fawn himself, they had driven him out of the High Land. For daring— Sgorr stopped himself. Even he feared to remember what he had done that day on the island.

Morning broke like shattered stone around the wintering deer. The icy sky was as white and bleak as loss itself and even the grass seemed to have been drained of colour. Sgorr’s breath hung like a wraith around his lips as he lay there, dreaming fitfully. He trembled and opened his eye.