‘I’m Blackthorn, the healer,’ I said, rolling up my sleeves. ‘Someone make a brew. For yourselves, not for Fann. And have something to eat, all of you. I’ll need you alert and strong.’

‘I’m Fann’s mother.’ An older woman, her hair showing threads of silver, came up next to me as the others busied themselves. She looked wrung out, but was holding her voice steady. ‘My name is Ide. We’re so grateful you were prepared to come all this way, Mistress Blackthorn.’

‘Be glad that Osgar rode to fetch me; a pity it wasn’t earlier. Never mind, we’ll do our best. Tell me how this has gone so far. When did her pains start?’

‘Just after supper last night. But not strong until the middle of the night, and it was well after sun-up when she felt the need to push.’ Ide lowered her voice, turning away from her daughter. ‘It was hard. Very hard. She tired herself out. Now she can’t push anymore. And the pains have died away.’

Danu save us. ‘This is her first child?’

‘That’s right. Ross, that’s Fann’s husband, works on the barges, loading and unloading.’

As she spoke I examined Fann; felt the tightly distended belly, noted the slow pulse, the pallid skin slick with sweat, the eyes that did not quite seem to see me. I attempted a reassuring smile. ‘Good work, Fann, you’re doing well. Someone pass me my bag, will you?’

One of the women brought it over and I got out the finely shaped wooden instrument Grim had made for me. ‘I use this to listen to what’s happening in there,’ I said, knowing from experience that folk found the process frightening if they did not understand. I put one end of the instrument against the taut skin of Fann’s belly and set my ear to the other. ‘Everyone quiet now.’

All the women went still. I could hear the rain coming down again outside, but within the house it was as if even the spiders in the corners and the mice in the walls were waiting for the reassurance of life.

‘Good,’ I said after a little, aiming for a briskly competent tone. I hoped I had not imagined that faint sound, a tiny, tentative drumbeat. ‘We need to get this baby out as quickly as we can. He – or she – seems to be the right way around. But we need to get things moving along. Now, I can smell that someone here knows their herbs. Do you have calamint? In particular, the kind with small greyish flowers? And ordinary garden thyme?’

‘Thyme, yes,’ Ide said. ‘But not the calamint; I didn’t think we’d be needing it. Curse me for a fool!’

‘Can it be gathered close by?’

Fann groaned, moving her head from side to side.