The Last Days of Magic (36 page)

Moonlight danced upon his chain mail, as shiny as the day it was given to him in Tara. His shimmering form glided above the trail as his black horse merged with the night. A shape materialized ahead, portending something wrong. Conor slowed his horse to a walk as he approached the mass of deep gray in the black moon shadow of a tall rock. Liam’s face emerged. He had been scouting ahead. The company of Gallowglass they were leading reined in and paused along the trail behind them.

“What do you sense?” asked Conor.

“To the west of us, a large column of Sidhe are moving south.”

“Overland. They must be Skeaghshee.”

“Or at least led by the Skeaghshee. Now a group has broken off and turned toward our path.”

“How many?”

Liam cast a look back down the line of Gallowglass. “More than we are, but I’d still bet on my men. The problem is that we don’t have time to stand and fight. Carlow is less than half an hour ahead. Take the company and ride hard. I’ll cover the rear.”

Conor urged his horse into a gallop down the narrow path. Black shapes of trees flashed by. Feeling the energy of the forest as he hadn’t since becoming lord of Dunsany Castle, he effortlessly maneuvered his horse over fallen trees and dodged boulders; the Gallowglass directly behind him copied his every move, and so it went down the line. A flash of green light overtook him, but he did not turn to look.

Breaking from the forest outside Carlow, Conor could see that the village was alive with torches, while a few faerie lights flowed down from the Sidhe rath, an earthen fort crowning a hill to the east. Conor wheeled his horse to face the path they had exited, and the rest of the company took up positions beside him.

Liam did not ride out. Several of the Gallowglass looked from the trail’s mouth to Conor and then back, their horses snorting restlessly. Conor’s chest tightened.
All I want is to be with Aisling,
he thought,
out of that castle and back in the woods, fighting threats one on one.
Face the enemy, kill the enemy, then face the next.

I knew this day would come,
he thought, glancing at Liam’s men.
I thought I was ready, but I was ready to lead my Woodwose, not a company of Gallowglass who’ve had more training than I’ll ever have. What’ll they think of me as a leader? Curse the Gods, Liam, don’t leave me here alone.

Conor walked his horse out in front of the company, toward the trail mouth, and drew his sword.
For Aisling and for my daughters,
he thought,
if I am going to leave them to fight, then by the Goddess Morrígna I am going to fight hard and lead the best I can.

Liam rode out of the trail, his horse in a limping trot, an arrow protruding from its rump. Wiping the blood from his sword, he sheathed it and said, “As soon as they discovered they could not catch
our company, they turned back toward the main column. I tried to take one alive, but he fought to the death.”

Concern for Aisling surged in Conor’s mind. “Do you think they could attack Dunsany?”

“Don’t worry, that column is heading to Waterford,” Liam said. “If Skeaghshee do show up at our home, Brigid and the men we left behind can hold the castle against any threat, at least long enough for us to return.”

Conor sheathed his sword and turned toward the village. Carlow Castle guarded the end of a long stone bridge spanning, by way of a small island, the river Barrow, Ireland’s second-largest river. Having left their men at the edge of the village with instructions to find a replacement horse, Liam and Conor wove their way through crowded groups of mustering Sidhe, Celts, and Gallowglass; female warriors made up one-quarter of the humans, one-half of the Sidhe. At any other time in her life, Aisling would be here, Conor thought.

Outside the castle they intercepted King Murchada of Leinster, his long hair swinging as he strode forward, leading them into the great hall, where High King Art and King Turlough of Meath were bent over a map.

“Where’s Aisling?” Art demanded of Liam.

Conor answered, “In labor.”

“Probably one of the reasons they’re coming now,” said Liam. “Brigid is with her.”

“How could we be so unprepared?” said Art, shaking his head. “Do you think the Fomorian high king is part of their betrayal, that all the Fomorians are joining the English?”

“We’re about to find out,” Liam answered.

Turlough spoke up. “Are you sure they’re headed to Waterford?”

“Yes, my half brother confirmed it himself. He was able to interrogate one of their captains, captain of one of the five hundred ships in the armada.”

“That many,” Murchada said. “I had not heard. How many men are they bringing?”

“Based on the size of the armada, around ten thousand,” said Liam.

“Unbelievable!” Art exclaimed. “Not in my wildest estimation would I have thought Richard would muster so large a force.” The tense looks exchanged throughout the assembly indicated it was a shock to all.

“Thankfully, we caught a break,” continued Art. “King Myndill is already in Waterford, where his son Geir is hosting a feast to celebrate his election as the Viking marshal. Myndill has all twenty-five longboats with him. That plus the twenty-two that Geir has can defend the harbor. In a fight, one longboat is worth at least ten cogs.”

“Not necessarily,” said Liam. He opened his mouth as if to go on, then shut it, deferring to Conor.

“Liam is right,” said Conor, stepping forward, his anxiety in his position fading. “This has been too well orchestrated. If the Viking king is in Waterford, then the English planned for him to be there when they land.”

“You don’t know that,” replied Art.

“Otherwise why would they be sailing to Waterford? It is the last harbor they would attack. For five hundred years, the Vikings have fortified it as their sanctuary. Now it’s by far the most secure port in Ireland.”

Conor placed a finger on the map at Waterford. “Here the bay is pinched into a narrows by two low hills at the mouth of the river Suir, and only one ship can enter at a time.” He traced his finger along the line of the river. “Past the hills the river swells again here, where a small fleet of defensive ships can wait and pick off invaders easily. Ten Viking ships could hold that narrows from the inside, fewer with archers on the hills spanning it. Even if invading ships make it past the narrows, they’d have to launch tenders to tow them around this sharp turn before getting to the port fortifications, all the while under attack.”

“The shore is gentle. They could land and assault the city from the south,” said Art, indicating coastline on the map.

“You’ve never been to Waterford, have you?”

“No reason to.”

“To the south is all bog. As I said, it’s the easiest port in all of Ireland to defend. The only reason the English would sail there is that they are sure of taking it and then that they will be able to defend Waterford against us.”

“Are you saying the Vikings have betrayed us as well?”

“I don’t know, but clearly the English have made arrangements to take Waterford.”

Art nodded in agreement.

“That can’t be right. King Myndill would never side with the Christians. He would die first!” exclaimed Turlough.

“But what about Geir?” asked Liam. “He did let Colmcille build a monastery in Waterford, the first in any Viking city.”

“Where are Colmcille and Patrick?” interrupted Murchada. “Patrick should be here with the Bell.”

“Colmcille has decided this is not the Christians’ fight, and he sent word that Patrick has not yet returned from Rome,” replied Art.

“Patrick is dead,” came a voice from behind them, “and the Blood Bell is captured.”

Fearghal had entered the room with several of his Sidhe captains, his right arm bandaged at the wrist where his hand used to be.

“My friend,” said Art. “An assassination attempt?”

“They did not try to kill me. It is better for the Skeaghshee if I am less than whole and no longer fit to be high king, to stir discord when there is no time for a new election.”

“Does the Sidhe army still follow you?”

Holding up his empty wrist, Fearghal said, “This is the latest, but the least, of the Skeaghshee treachery. They have been fomenting rebellion for over a year, though most Sidhe do not want to fight on either side, not without the Morrígna to bind them to their oaths.
Many decided that it is time to explore paths through the Middle Kingdom to other worlds, time to abandon this world that is being consumed by Christianity.”

“Are you saying the Sidhe will not fight with us?” asked Art.

Fearghal sighed. “Those who have passion enough left to fight mainly want to win Ireland back for the Sidhe only. Few are willing to fight to maintain things as they are.”

“How many?” asked Art.

“I have pledges from only two thousand and but one thousand with me tonight.”

The group stood in stunned silence.

“Tell me you at least have Fire Sprites,” said Liam.

Fearghal shook his head. “I have not seen a Fire Sprite in the Middle Kingdom in two months. The Sidhe setting out on paths to new worlds enlisted them, the Skeaghshee made sure of that. Those with me are mainly Devas and Adhene—it is hard to abandon a kingdom you rule. We will see if they still know how to fight. And a few Brownies.”

“A thousand Sidhe,” repeated Conor. “There were almost that many in just the one column of renegades from the north that we detected. How many Celt and Gallowglass warriors have we mustered?”

“My company plus the forces that have arrived with Turlough and Murchada total around twenty-five hundred,” replied Art. “Forces from Connacht and Ulster will not arrive for two days. Last time I received word, Queen Gormflaith is leading a force from Munster of around one thousand that should make it to Waterford before sunrise, though there have been no messages for many hours.”

“Few messages will get through tonight, not this close to Waterford, not with the Skeaghshee stopping them,” said Fearghal.

“So in total we have thirty-five hundred mustered here, plus Gormflaith’s thousand or so coming from the west,” said Conor, “facing some unknown thousands of Sidhe, probably a Fomorian force, perhaps all of them, and the English.”

“And we don’t yet know what to expect from the Vikings,” added Liam.

“What do you advise?” the high king asked Liam.

“Our advantage is that the English will be most vulnerable when they try to land,” said Liam. “Our disadvantage is that they seem to have allies both in the sea and on shore. But we don’t know their plan, and even if it’s a good one, something could go wrong. I say we ride as fast as possible to Waterford and try to beat the opposing Sidhe forces there. Then, if the Vikings are preparing to hold the port against the armada, we join them, and if we’re very lucky, we take the high ground above the narrows. Then we can hold Waterford until the rest of the Irish forces can be mustered.”

“That’s a lot of luck to count on.”

“What other option is there? If Waterford is captured, the English will have their toehold in Ireland, and we’ll be forced to withdraw and regroup.”

Art stood looking at the map, anger filling his face. “We can’t wait any longer, then. Rally all that are here and ride for Waterford,” he commanded. “Fearghal, how will your Sidhe travel? You could be in Waterford before any of us.”

“Unfortunately, it is best for us to move overland with you. If we try to traverse the Middle Kingdom tonight, much will happen to delay us.”

Conor became aware of a presence. Glancing to his left, he was surprised to see Rhoswen standing close to him.

“Thirty minutes ago Aisling gave birth to twin girls,” she announced.

“Are you sure?” demanded Conor, his heart pounding.

“I have just come from her side. Brigid asked me to tell you all are healthy and safe. She said it would help you to know.”

“It does.” Conor let out a long sigh. He felt light and strong again. “Thank you for bringing word.”

The group gathered around Conor, congratulating him.

“Enough!” announced Art. “There’s no time for celebration. We must make haste to Waterford.”

Fearghal asked Rhoswen, “Daughter, you made fast time. Did you travel through the Middle Kingdom? What is happening there?”

Rhoswen shook her head. “I took a witch path.”

. . . . .

The sunrise was blotted out by an overcast sky as a Viking longship rowed through the river Suir narrows toward Waterford Bay. Flat and gray, the sea ahead would have been indistinguishable from the clouds if not for the mass of English cogs creating a dark artificial horizon, their sails billowing.

The Viking king Myndill glanced up at the empty hills spanning the narrows.
Damn the Celts,
he thought,
where are they?
Damn Kellach, who stilled the sea and slacked the tide that should have been running out, should have been giving speed to my ships and taking it from the English.
“Odin, damn the Fomorians to Hel’s realm,” he cursed aloud as his brother joined him on the bow, “for letting the English through.”

Myndill’s longship entered the bay and glided to a stop followed by five others, three of which were commanded by his son Geir, the new marshal of Waterford. Shouts, too distant to decipher, drifted across the water from the English armada and Myndill knew they were alarms, warning of the dragon ships. He smiled. His dragon figurehead was fitted to the prow, signaling to all that his ship came for battle, not trade.

Ninety-eight feet long and twelve feet wide, Myndill’s longship, a
skei
design built two years earlier in Dublin, held eighty warriors. Sixty of the warriors sat poised with their oars raised, each oar a custom length to match its position on the ship. The mast and the square sail were unneeded and left on shore. A colorful line of round shields, painted with the red, yellow, and black family emblems of the rowers, ran down slots in the gunwale rail. Graceful, elegant, highly maneuverable, and very fast, his ship was deadly, at least when not faced
with five hundred lumbering English cogs.
Even the fiercest dragon can be crushed by a stampede of cows
, Myndill thought.