They shuffled their feet.

“Well?” demanded Liam, sounding just like our father.

“Lord Colum, he—he’s not been himself, not since you went away,” ventured the miller. “Things changed for all of us.”

“What do you mean?” asked Cormack, frowning.

But nobody was prepared to voice a reply.

So, with assurances of help, with promises of repairs and supplies, we left the village and made our way up the track toward our old home. And there, by the hawthorn hedges, at last there was a challenge.

“Who goes there? Identify yourself and your business!” We could not see the man, but the voice sounded familiar.

“Rest easy,” responded my eldest brother. “I am Liam of Sevenwaters, returned home with my brothers and my sister.”

“Returned to reclaim what is ours,” put in Diarmid, scowling.

The man stepped out, his sword pointed firmly in our direction. He was clad in a leather jerkin and trousers, and over them a well-worn tunic which bore on its breast the proud symbol of two torque interlinked; the crest of Sevenwaters. The man’s mouth fell open, and the sword dropped.

“Liam!” A broad grin spread across his weathered face.

“Donal!” For it was indeed the old master at arms, who had been banished by our father at his new wife’s behest. “I thought you long gone from these parts! I thought the place quite unguarded. At least there is some sense left here.”

“Precious little,” growled Donal, slapping an arm around Liam’s shoulders and shaking his head in wonderment. “By all that’s holy, it’s good to see you, boy. Come on, come on, I’ll take you up to the house.”

But once we came closer to the courtyard he was not in such a hurry to go in. Instead, we paused on the pathway where once I had heard him take his leave of my father, and Conor explained to him what had happened to us, and where we had been.

“Mm,” mused the old warrior as the strange tale came to a close. “There were plenty of stories flying around, of course, and folk knew she had a hand in it. One look at her, and you knew she was up to no good. Some said you were gone for good, but I knew the seven of you could look after yourselves. Only a matter of waiting for you to come back.” He glanced at Finbar, and gave a little shake of the head. “But I see your brother’s sadly changed.”

Nobody made comment, and Finbar might not have heard, so little did his expression reveal. Donal shook his head again.

“You’ll find things different here,” he warned. “Very different. It shocked me, I can tell you. Came back not so long ago myself, thinking the past might be forgotten, and he might have a place for me. I’m too old to sell my sword to the highest bidder. Three years of that was more than enough. I began to hear tales, around midsummer, that Colum was in trouble. Those brought me back, and I’ve stayed. Someone has to keep watch.”