Clodagh got to her feet, her anger almost palpable, and walked off down the garden without a word, hugging her shawl tightly around her. Cathal muttered something under his breath and strode off after her. Muirrin got up as if to follow, then sat down again.

“Biddy,” Johnny said, “I do understand what this means, both for those who go and for those they leave behind. Every time I send men into battle it is the same. You’ve cause to understand better than most, I know. But we’ve all had losses.”

I looked around the circle of faces, each one of them beset by doubt. Meeting Johnny’s eye, I dug deep for my most confident tone and the look to match it. “We must think of this as the heroic rescue mission that captured your men’s imagination,” I said, “and not as a wild and perilous venture in which lives may be lost. You have an expert captain,” I nodded toward Gareth, “and a fine crew. In Gull, you have a steady beating heart for your mission. In Svala you have one who knows the way. Her fierce desire to return home will carry Liadan across those stormy waters. In Felix you have the fair wind that fills the sails, a fresh breeze of courage and determination. As for me,” I thought fast, not being prepared to call myself a torch to light the way, “my presence acknowledges the will of the gods. I am attuned to their voices, and while I travel with Liadan, she goes under their protection. We cannot afford to dwell on possible disasters, on personal grief, on guilt and uncertainty. Now that the decision is made to do this, we must set our course forward.”

A smile spread slowly across Johnny’s features. I saw its echo on Gareth’s face, and on Gull’s.

“Well spoken, Sibeal,” my cousin said. “You speak with the voice of hope. And that, I believe, is essential on a voyage into the unknown.”

I struggled to maintain the tone and demeanor of a druid. “You’re saying I can go,” I managed.

“I am. As leader here I take full responsibility for the venture and the safety of those who are part of it. May the gods look kindly on all of us. I cannot imagine a better team with whom to share this burden, and I only regret that I may not travel with you and stand beside you in that far place.” He glanced at Gareth. “Tomorrow we’ll let the community know who’s going. From that point on, Gareth’s in charge. And, Sibeal, you might ask the gods to set a favorable wind in Liadan’s sails. The sooner she gets back here, the sooner she can set sail again.”