Страница 93 из 109
'How are you feeling?' she asked him.
'Better,' he heard himself say.
'You will take time to heal, young man.'
'I must be strong by the time of the Feast,' he said. 'I am to wed Arian.' Bane felt the surge of love and need within the youngster, but he saw also the sadness in Vorna's eyes.
'You must rest now,' she ordered him.
Bane-Co
He was helped from his pony, and Bane saw Meria and Ruathain. They helped him to a bed and laid him upon it. The scene shifted and became dark, and from the darkness came a voice. 'I suppose you haven't heard about Arian. She married Casta at the Feast of Samain.'
A groan came from the stricken youngster, and Bane felt sorrow engulf him.
'I'm sorry, Co
Bane felt the grief, and with it almost a seeping away of the will to live. All that saved the young man was a seed of anger, which flowered in his heart like a rose tipped with acid.
'Bane! Bane!' The voice seemed to come from far away, and he felt Vorna's hands upon his shoulders, dragging him back from the body of the Morrigu. He groaned and sat down upon the earth. Then he looked across at the still figure of Co
'What happened?' Bane asked Vorna.
'Her spirit flowed into you. I thought it would kill you.'
Bane rubbed his hands over his eyes. 'I saw things, Vorna. I watched Co
'He loved her very dearly,' she said softly. 'They were to be wed…'
'I know. She… betrayed him.'
'Do not think of it as betrayal,' she said. 'Arian was a fey and troubled woman. She needed someone to lean on, to keep the darkness at bay. Everyone thought Co
The king grunted and sat up. 'We will need to make a stretcher,' he said. 'I could not go through that again.'
'What did you see?' Vorna asked.
'We must cut poles,' said Co
He pushed himself to his feet. Vorna moved to stand before him. 'What did you see, Co
'Too much,' he told her. Drawing his sword he walked away into the trees, returning with two stout lengths of wood. Taking his dagger he chopped twigs and leaves from the lengths. Then he spread Bane's sheepskin cloak upon the earth and cut a series of slits along both sides before sliding the poles through them.
'We've still got to lift her onto it,' said Bane.
'Aye,' agreed Co
Laying the stretcher alongside the Seidh they took up their positions and heaved her onto it. This time there was no flickering light. Bane and Co
'Not yet,' said Vorna.
Slowly they approached the circle. Once more a mist swelled beneath their feet, swirling over the stones, rising higher and higher, blocking the sunlight. Then the mist thickened, growing blacker and darker, forming a dome of night over the stones. At the centre of the circle, beside a long flat altar, a glowing form appeared. Bane and Co
'I'll take it from the left, you from the right,' said Bane, turning towards the king. 'What are you doing?'
Co
'I am not going to fight it at all,' said Co
'Then what is your plan?'
Co
As her body touched the stone the dome of darkness disappeared. Sunlight touched the scaled beast, and it began to shrink and fade. Bane climbed to his feet and, Vorna beside him, walked into the circle. The Morrigu's body began to tremble violently. A flame burst from her chest, setting fire to the cloth of her dress. Fire sprang from her fingers, the flesh falling away, dry and stiff, like shards of clay. The veil caught fire, peeling back from her face as flames roared up from her eyes. Brighter and brighter she burned, and the three onlookers stepped further back from the altar, shielding their eyes.
The fires died down swiftly, but the terrible brightness remained. 'Turn away,' came the now powerful voice of the Morrigu, 'for you must not see the Gateway open.' They obeyed her. Then her voice came again. 'I have always loved this world, which the Seidh named Tir na Nogh. I have cherished the belief that it will one day feed the soul of the universe from which it sprang. You spoke, Co
'Which brother?' asked Co
'You will know. Do you accept this price?'
'I said that I would,' said Co
'That is good,' said the Morrigu. 'And now to Bane. Will you offer me a gift?'