‘All right, I will,’ I snapped. ‘But not here. And not in front of Cionnaola and Cúan, either. It’ll have to wait until we’re back at Dreamer’s Wood. And I doubt those two will be happy about yet another delay.’

He didn’t say anything. I remembered that he had spent hours trussed up in the dark, not knowing what came next. That he had a head wound and had lost quite a lot of blood. That I was expecting him to get on a horse and ride off to some unknown place without any kind of rest first. ‘I’ll tell them you need a meal and a bath before we go on.’

‘Mm-hm.’

‘What?’

‘Might be night time before we get going.’

‘It might. That’s why we need Conmael. Look, those two are on their way back. Let’s go, big man. One step at a time, yes?’

‘Lady.’

‘You know I don’t like you calling me that. What?’

‘Thanks for saving me. Thanks for . . . I still can’t get my head around it.’

‘Don’t try,’ I said. ‘It’s what we do, isn’t it? Save each other?’

Chapter Forty-five: Bardán

45

~Bardán~

As they make their way to Longwater, he hears his mother’s voice, singing: Feather bright and feather fine, none shall harm this child of mine. And here is his child, safe. Walking beside him. Returned to him. His girl, his own Brígh. On her face he sees his wife’s sweet smile. In her voice he hears his wife’s kindness. But his daughter is strong, too; as strong as a fine young oak. He remembers her half-hidden in a dapple of green leaves and golden light. How could he not have known her instantly?

The world is so full of wonder. Sorrow has blinded him to that, but now he sees clear. The sun on still water. A baby’s tiny hands, a miracle. The flight of a bird. A friend’s touch in the dark. Kind words and gentleness. Truth, and a pathway forward. He is mended. His child has come home, and he is whole again.

Chapter Forty-six: Grim

46

~Grim~

Too much to think about. Bardán and his daughter. Gormán going off into the woods like that. Like he wasn’t ever coming back. That eats at me. Wish I could go after him, find him before he does himself some mischief. Tell him that even if good men do bad things sometimes, there’s a way back. But that forest’s big and he knows it inside out. If he wants to lose himself, nobody’s ever going to find him.