‘Thank you, my lord. I’ve been using that new fellow, Grim, from the healer’s place. Good worker, but he’s not always available to help. Gets a lot of jobs around the district. Strong as an ox.’

‘I have met Grim briefly.’ A man of intimidating proportions and few words. A man of considerable skill. ‘Now, is there anything else you want to discuss before the council?’

Iobhar reached over to top up my ale cup. ‘Nothing serious, my lord. We wouldn’t want to be troubling you with too much just now. We all wish you the best for the future. You and Lady Flidais. Good to see her here. The women will like that.’

‘I hope they will, Iobhar. I imagine it is good for them to be able to raise their concerns with Lady Flidais in relative privacy.’

‘Keep her talking all morning, that’d be my guess, my lord.’

‘As to that,’ I said, ‘I’m hoping to ride to Silverlake, so if you’re sure that’s everything, we’d best be off shortly. Thank you for your hospitality. Iobhar, I think you brew the finest ale in all Dalriada.’

Iobhar grinned broadly. ‘Thank you, my lord. I won’t argue with that.’

I sent Garalt to relieve Fergal and to tell Flidais that we would be riding on soon. Then I excused myself to visit the privy, which was out the back of the ale house, near the stable where travellers’ horses were tended to while their riders partook of Iobhar’s fine brew. The meeting had gone well; my mood was much improved.

I was stepping out from the privy, still adjusting my trousers, when someone grabbed my arm and pulled me into a dark corner of the stables. I drew breath to shout, and a small hand placed itself firmly over my mouth.

‘Hush, Oran, it’s me!’ Flidais, pressing herself up against me, her hands now moving down to undo the fastenings I had just tied up, to slip inside my clothing and attach themselves firmly to my manhood. What in the name of the gods was she doing? This, here, in Iobhar’s stables, in the middle of the day with several folk no further away than the other side of the courtyard, and our own guards likely to be looking for us in moments?

‘Flidais, no!’ I tried to extricate myself, but my back was hard up against the wall, and she was hard up against me. It seemed desire would always overcome common sense; even as I saw the folly in the situation, my manhood made a liar of me. ‘Flidais, stop it! Let go!’

Her agile fingers released their grip. I had barely time to snatch one quick relieved breath when she fell to her knees and I realised she had a weapon in her armoury that was new to me, if not in understanding, then most certainly in practice.