Chapters (22)
“You’re not thinking, Clodagh.” For a moment Ciarán sounded like what he was, a teacher of druidic lore. “The spell would have been cast long ago, on the day Mac Dara first discovered his son’s whereabouts. It would have hung over the boy like a doom from that day forward. Who knows, Willow may even have heard it spoken. As for explaining to Cathal, would that have made him act differently? Would he then have left you to undertake your quest alone?”
I knew he would still have come with me. “All the same, it would have helped if she’d explained it to us.”
“She is a storyteller. She gave you what you needed.”
“I hope I’ll know how to use it.” My heart was beating hard with anticipation and dread. “Now I suppose I’d better be off, if you’ll show me where to find the portal. Please don’t give Father too many details about what I’ll be trying to do. He’d be so worried.”
“Bring what you need and I will take you to the doorway. You need not travel quite alone; Fiacha will go with you.” Ciarán glanced at the predatory-looking bird on his shoulder, then back at me. “He can guide you, guard you and warn you,” he added. “And he knows the way home.” With that, the raven spread its dark wings, launched itself off his shoulder and flew to perch on a branch of a nearby tree. Its restless stance and piercing eye said quite plainly, Come on, then.
I shouldered my bag. “I’m ready,” I said.
“One more thing,” said Ciarán as we set off down the hill between the birches. “As I said, Mac Dara likes women. My advice would be to approach him in an apparent spirit of conciliation. Ask for Cathal back, since Mac Dara would think it odd if you didn’t, but do it nicely. Let him talk; encourage him to confide in you. Perhaps he is not so unlike his son as you imagine. Play his game as long as you can. My guess is that he will see this as an opportunity to test how well Cathal has learned his lesson.”
“Lesson?” My voice was shaking now.
“The lesson of forgetting,” said Ciarán. “You must prepare yourself for any possibility, Clodagh. Even that the man for whom you risk so much may no longer want to be rescued.”
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 15