Page 16 of The Crown of Moonlight
But rather than apologise for his lack of manners, Fergus gives me a tight smile as if he’s pleased that I’ve noticed his disrespect.
“Your armsmaster,” he says, “told us none of your father’s men have returned as yet, though you still hope for word.”
“No doubt every family hopes for more survivors,” I say.
“There won’t be many.The Raven witch has her army scouring the countryside, and all the routes south from Culodur are cut.That leaves Dunhaelic undefended.”
“As is every other clan holding in the Highlands.But the Dunhaelic warriors who survived my brother’s leadership are more than a match for the queen’s Lowlanders and mercenaries—as the chiefs of smaller branches like yours knew when they took them under their own banners at Culodur.”
“We’re hardly smaller branches now,” Tormod, the Gleanngaradh steward, says, leaning forward.“The Clan Council will have to recognise that’s changed.”
His statement leaves no doubt about why they’ve come.
I’ve managed to convince a few of the older branch chiefs, including Ceapaich and Gleanngaradh, to back me for the chiefship, as my father wanted, but with the war raging, the full council hasn’t been able to meet.Apparently, the new heirs see an opportunity for themselves and want to test their power before their old chiefs are even cold.
Time to put them in their places.If it comes to a battle here, I will meet the enemy on my own terms and no one else’s.
“Not smaller, then,” I say.“Shall we saylesser, instead?”
Tormod’s lips tighten, and his jaw twitches.“Dunhaelic Keep is the last symbol of Domhnall strength, but it needs men to hold it.We can’t let it fall because the line has died.”
“The line and the responsibility rest with me.Our branch has been High Chiefs over all the clan septs and branches since the time of the Cailleach Queens, and everyone knows what my father intended.”
“Your father siding with the Raven Queen was ill-considered.Your younger brothers knew better,” Fergus says.
I think of the Ever and his sense of honour, and I can’t help but concede that Fergus could be correct.If we had to choose a side, my father chose wrong.But that’s the problem.We shouldn’t have joined this fight.
I pause to gather myself before I answer.“My younger brothers, though I loved them dearly, were prideful idiots who would have driven Dunhaelic into the ground.My older brother was too soft for the job, and he and my father knew that.As did the Council.I argued then, as I will argue now, that neither the queen nor the Sun King’s offspring gives a damn about what’s best for Alba Scoria.For us.We should have made small concessions to both sides and kept our warriors to defend ourselves.Thankfully, I didn’t let anyone fight under the scarlet Domhnall banner at Culodur, so Dunhaelic may still escape the queen’s reprisals.I will do whatever’s needed to make certain Dunhaelic survives, and I’ll do my best to appease her fury at the rest of you who sided with the king.You’re the ones in danger.”
I rise to my feet, and Rab mirrors my movements with his hackles raised.
Both men remain seated, and for a moment, I indulge in a fantasy of calling my magic and placing my sword against their necks, then physically removing them from the room.A long, soft growl from Rab suggests that he agrees.
Fergus gives Rab a wary glance.Then he turns his attention back to me.“We meant no offence, but it’s Dughall who’ll be chief of our branch now, and it’s in his mind that a marriage between you could solve several problems.He’d find it no great difficulty to manage Dunhaelic as well as Ceapaich.”
“Is that so?”I place my fists on the table and lean towards him.“Howkindof Dughall to think of me.And please assure him I remember him very well from the summers my family visited Ceapaich.Dughall always paid me suchparticularattention.”
My throat tightens around the words, but I’m surprised to discover there’s no longer fear amid my fury.I’m not eight years old now, and Dughall can’t hold my head underwater, over and over, until my lungs burn and I’m half-drowned and willing to show him the respect he thinks he’s earned.
Fergus opens his mouth to speak again, but there’s too much history that he doesn’t understand, and I’m done wasting time on idiots and their poisonous ambitions when the Ever has actual poison eating his flesh away.
“Does your master have a similar offer?”I ask, turning to Tormod.“Or did you travel all this distance on some other matter of urgent business?”
Colour stains Tormod’s cheeks, and he runs two fingers beneath the collar of his shirt.“No.Well, yes.In a manner of speaking.That is to say, Onghas holds you in high esteem and thought to ask your opinion about a possible match.”
“I see.”I step back from the table.“Naturally, I understand Dughall and Onghas must be too busy to come to me themselves.But given that the queen will have noted both the Ceapaich and Gleanngaradh banners at Culodur, it will only endanger Dunhaelic if I accept a proposal from either of your masters.I’m sure no one wants to see that happen.Now, thank you for coming, but I have urgent matters waiting, and I’m sure you’re both eager to resume your travels.My armsmaster will see you to your horses.”
There’s no need to raise my voice.Faolan still has excellent hearing.
The door to the small receiving chamber creaks open, and Faolan steps out, his hand resting casually on the hilt of the sheathed sword at his side.Well over seventy, he’s hawk-nosed and clear-eyed, and his grizzled hair and broad build might allow him to be mistaken, at first glance, for a man twenty years younger.In truth, both injury and age have damaged his grip, and the sword’s an idle threat.But like Iain, Faolan’s grown adept at helping me distinguish friend from foe.
I have no doubt he’ll have more to tell me once we have a chance to speak.Neither of us will hold out hope that Dughall will accept my rejection and stay away from Dunhaelic.I know less about Tormod’s master, Onghas.He’s at least two decades older than I am, and I remember him only as a quiet presence by his father’s side.
I don’t need the added worry or danger from still more directions.It feels as though I’m running across a bog as solid ground vanishes beneath me.
When I’ve thought about losing Dunhaelic and the chiefship, about having to leave my home and everything I’ve ever known, I imagined that would happen at the Council’s bidding.Now, I wonder if Dughall or Onghas will try to seize the keep by force before the Council votes.
I need to find a way to prove myself once and for all, because Dunhaelic is mine and no one—no one—will take it from me.That makes it even more imperative that I get the Ever off Domhnall land as soon as possible.
