Saint Brigid's Bones (17 page)

A
n hour later the sun was setting and our clothes were still wet from fording the Liffey. We were walking towards the moat and wooden palisade that encircled Illann's farm. Being on the frontier with a sometimes hostile neighboring kingdom, it was more fortified than most compounds. I could see one tall guard at the open gate and another on the watchtower above it.

“This is insane,” Dari declared. “After you humiliated him at his father's feast, Illann wants you dead. He knows you're in charge of finding the bones. He knows you think he stole them. Why didn't we just cut our own throats back there in the woods and save him the trouble?”

“Illann wouldn't dare hurt us, Dari. I'm a bard and we're both sisters of holy Brigid. His father would kill him if he laid a hand on us.”

“What if his father never finds out? This is an isolated place. Our bones could turn up weeks from now under some holly bush miles from here and Illann would say we must have been set upon by outlaws. No one would believe we were foolish enough to come here alone. I don't believe it myself.”

“Have a little faith, Dari, and smile. The guards have seen us.”

The man at the gate picked up his spear and called to his companion above to come down. Then they both stood in front of the entrance and waited for us. They didn't look friendly.

“Blessings on you both this fine evening.”

“Who are you and what do you want?” the taller one growled.

“I am Sister Deirdre and this is Sister Darerca. We are from the monastery of holy Brigid at Kildare and are subjects of your King Dúnlaing. I am a noblewoman, daughter of the great warrior Sualdam. I am also a bard of the king's court.”

I pulled my harp from its case and ran my fingers casually over the strings. They began to look worried. Everyone fears the power of a bard.

“We wish to speak with your lord Illann. Is he in residence?”

The shorter one spoke.

“He—I mean—yes, he's in his feasting hall, but with a guest. Perhaps you could come back another time.”

“Gentlemen, we have travelled all day over mountain and glen. The hospitality of your lord is famous throughout Leinster. Do you really want to be responsible for turning away visitors at his gate?”

Before they could answer, I pushed my way through them with Dari close behind. Illann's compound had a barn on the left and sleeping huts on the right. Animal pens held the sheep and cattle that had already been brought in for the night. Storage sheds and other smaller buildings were scattered
around the back of the palisade. The feasting hall was in the center. Someone else must have seen us and told Illann of our presence for he was standing at the open door with a frown on his face.

“Illann, blessings upon you. Sister Darerca and I were passing by and we wondered if we might trouble you for a bed in your guest house tonight?”

Dari looked at me with eyes wide. Staying the night was not something we had discussed, but I thought if I pushed Illann enough he might reveal something. I was also hungry and whatever was cooking inside the feasting hall smelled wonderful.

“It would be inhospitable of me to refuse,” he said coldly. “I'll have one of my slaves show you to your quarters and bring you some stew.”

“You're very kind, but I wonder if we might join you in your feasting hall for just a moment. I have a bit of a puzzle you might be able to help me solve.”

The interior of the hut was lit by a small fire with an iron pot hanging over it. Shields and spears lined the walls as well as the desiccated heads of several men with their mouths wide open. Head-hunting had become less common in recent years, but some warriors such as Illann still liked to display the trophies of enemies they had slain in battle. I wasn't surprised to see the guest the guard had spoken of was Ailill, Illann's brother.

“Greetings, Ailill. I'm sorry to disturb you in the middle of your dinner. You remember Sister Darerca, don't you?”

He didn't say a word. Illann called for a servant to bring us both a bowl of beef stew as we sat down on a bench. The stew was delicious, with wild onions and just a hint of rosemary.

“Illann, I won't trouble you long. Sister Darerca and I are on our way back from King Cormac's inauguration at Glendalough
and we found ourselves passing near your farm. I told Cormac we might be stopping here for the night.

This last part was a lie, but I wanted Illann to think someone knew we were there. I didn't think he would hurt us, but I wanted to improve our odds.

“You came over Mullaghcleevaun?” he asked. “That's an odd path to take from Glendalough to Kildare.”

“I know, but it was such a lovely day and we wanted to see the last of the mountain flowers before winter sets in. In any case, Cormac told us of a stranger his border guards had killed on his lands not far from here. I wanted to look at the body.”

At those words, Ailill turned white as a sheet. Even Illann looked uncomfortable.

“We found the remains of the poor man lying in a holly bush near a large oak tree split by lightning,” I said. “And I happened to find these hidden inside it.”

I handed him the necklace and fibula.

“Since the man was close to your farm and had such a fine fibula, I wondered if he could have been one of your warriors?”

Illann turned the fibula over in the firelight, then examined the necklace briefly. He glanced at Ailill, who was reaching for his sword, and gave his younger brother a quick shake of his head.

“Yes, I know the owner of this fibula, who I presume was carrying the necklace as well, though I've never seen it. His name was Follamain and he was one of my best men. I sent him to the coast a few weeks ago to meet a trading vessel from Britain, but he never returned. I've been wondering if he was taken by slave raiders. The necklace was probably a gift for his wife. I'll see that she gets it.”

“Ah, please give her my condolences as well.

Ailill then spoke in his gravelly voice.

“Did you find anything else?”

Illann shot him a stern glance.

“Something else?” I asked. “Such as what, Ailill?”

“I—I don't know,” he answered. “Maybe a knife or coins or something.”

“Well, nothing valuable. Though Cormac's men did find this.”

From my cloak, I pulled the parchment letter with the Armagh seal and handed it to Illann.

As soon as Ailill saw it he pulled out his sword. Dari quickly leapt from her seat with her dinner knife in hand and stood her ground next to me. Illann threw himself between the three of us and grabbed his brother's arm with both his hands.

“No, Ailill!”

“Illann, she—“

“Shut up, Ailill! Sit down and keep your mouth shut! I'll handle this.”

Ailill slowly lowered his sword and put it back in its scabbard. Both brothers remained standing, so I rose as well. Dari didn't back down an inch, but she lowered her knife.

“Don't you want to read the message, Illann?” I asked.

He unfolded the parchment and rapidly read the Ogam words. Then he passed it to Ailill, who I could tell was struggling to make out the signs.

“Would you like me to interpret it for you, Ailill?” I asked.

“I can read it myself!”

“So, Illann, you can see why we came to visit. You've confirmed that it was your man who was carrying that message. It provides fairly damning evidence that you were conspiring with the abbot of Armagh to hire Lorcan and do something to Kildare on Michaelmas. I'm going to take a wild guess here, but I bet you were planning to steal the bones of Brigid that night. How am I doing so far?”

I had to admire Illann. I had him trapped, but he forced himself to stay calm.

“Deirdre,” Illann said, “you forget to mention that I never received this letter. If the abbot was planning something against Kildare, word never reached me. Perhaps you should go to Armagh and ask him about it.”

“Oh come now, Illann.” I said. “You expect me to believe the abbot sent a message to you by your own man specifying our monastery, a date, and a notorious outlaw, and this is the first you've heard of it?”

“Yes. Can you prove otherwise?”

“I can talk to your father and tell him what I know.”

Ailill started to move toward me again, but Illann stopped him.

“Go ahead and do that, Deirdre. I'll tell him Cormac forged this letter to cause trouble between our kingdoms. Maybe the young king has the bones himself. He used to be your lover, didn't he?”

“Oh, nice try, Illann. Maybe you could tell Dúnlaing that Cormac and I stole the bones together and now we're trying to blame you and your charming brother?”

“Maybe you are,” he said. “In any case, your evidence against us is rather weak. I think Sister Anna will tell you that you're going to have to do better.”

He clapped his hands and a slave woman appeared.

“Show these two sisters to my guest house. Make sure they have whatever they need.”

The woman bowed and motioned us toward the door.

“And Deirdre,” Illann said, “I would advise you not to place too much faith in Cormac. You and I may not like each other, but at least you know what kind of man I am.”

I
t seems to me, Sister Deirdre, that you have once again accomplished nothing.”

I was in Sister Anna's hut after Dari and I had returned from Illann's farm. I had shown the abbess the letter and told her everything Cormac had said to me—well, almost everything.

“But I've found proof that the abbot and Dúnlaing's sons have been conspiring to destroy the monastery. They must have hired Lorcan to steal the bones!”

“Sister Deirdre, where in the letter does it mention bones? And I'm afraid I'm not as impressed as you are by Cormac's royal oath that the letter is genuine. I have little faith in the vaunted nobility of Irish kings, especially Cormac. He lied to me many times when he was a student here in hope of getting out of trouble, but that never stopped me from taking a switch to his back.”

“But if the letter is genuine, what else could it be about aside from the bones? It's proof the bones were stolen by a thief hired by the abbot and the king's sons. I don't think Illann would dare to keep the bones here in Leinster for fear his father would find out, so they must be on Lorcan's island or in Armagh.”

Sister Anna frowned at me and shook her head.

“Sister Deirdre, you are sorely trying my patience. I repeat, the letter proves nothing. The churchmen of Armagh and the nobles of Dúnlaing have been trying to ruin this monastery since before you were born. I'd be surprised if they haven't been working together for years behind the king's back.”

“But Sister—“

“I'm not finished, young lady.”

Suddenly I was back in Sister Anna's mathematics class when I was ten years old. No matter how hard I worked, it was never good enough for her.

“Let's assume you're right,” she continued, “that the letter is both genuine and its subject is the bones of holy Brigid. What will you do? Go to Lorcan's island and demand them back? All that will gain us is a dead nun. And if the abbot has them in Armagh, do you think he'll just hand them over to you because you asked? You need proof much more solid than this letter to force him to do anything. You need reliable witnesses who can testify before the synod of bishops that the abbot has the bones. That is our only hope of getting them back.”

“Sister Anna, we tried to find witnesses. I don't know where else to look. I'm doing my very best.”

“Then may heaven help us, because it isn't good enough. It's been a month since the bones have gone missing and what have you found? A ribbon, a cross, and a dubious letter—but not the bones. Need I remind you that no pilgrims have visited Kildare recently, our food stores are shrinking every day, and I received another gracious note from the abbot this morning
offering to help us in exchange for selling him our souls. I don't need excuses from you, I need the bones!”

I left Sister Anna's hut and went back to my quarters. There I knelt by my bed, crossed myself, and pounded on my mattress until my fists hurt. What did that woman want from me?

Father Ailbe was standing by the door when I came out.

“So, my child, did you or the mattress win?”

“Abba, I'm sorry.” I put my head on his shoulder. “I'm just so frustrated. Sister Anna expects miracles.”

We sat down on the bench outside the church. The last rays of the sun were fading in the west.

“She has high expectations, certainly, but you have extraordinary abilities.”

“Not extraordinary enough for her. I thought I was making real progress.”

I told him everything that had happened while I was away, about the letter, and about my conversation with Cormac, even the part about the kiss. He was quiet for a while, then spoke.