Son of the Shadows. Juliet Marillier

did he say to you?’ I was unable to keep silent, for it was a fascinating tale, though terrible.

      ‘His voice was – very even. Very calm. In that place of death, he spoke as if discussing a business transaction. It was only for an instant. He released his grip, and as I drew breath and turned to pursue him, he vanished into the encircling mist, and he said: Learn from this, Eamonn. Learn well. I am not done with you yet. And I was alone. Alone save for my trembling horse, and the broken bodies of my men.’

      ‘You still believe these are not – are not some creatures of the Otherworld?’ asked my mother. There was an unsteadiness in her voice that worried me.

      ‘They are men.’ Eamonn’s tone was controlled, but I could hear the anger in it. ‘Men of awesome skills in the field; skills that would be the envy of any warrior. For all the strength of our forces, we neither killed nor captured a single one of them. But they are no immortals. This I discovered when I heard from their leader again.’

      ‘Did not you say you had never seen this man?’ asked Liam.

      ‘Seen, no. He sent me a message. It was some time later, and we had encountered no more of them. Your reinforcements had arrived, and together we flushed out the rest of my neighbour’s meagre force and sent them packing. Our dead were honoured and laid to rest. Their widows were provided for. The raids ceased. The threat appeared to be over, though folk still shuddered with dread at the memory of what had happened. They had given this murderer a name. They dubbed him the Painted Man. I thought his band gone from my territory. Then the message was brought to me.’

      ‘What message?’

      ‘No simple words of challenge; nothing so honest for this miscreant. The message was … perhaps I should not relate this here. It is not fit for ladies’ ears.’

      ‘You’d better tell us,’ I said bluntly. ‘We’re going to hear it regardless, one way or another.’

      He looked at me again. ‘You’re right, of course, Liadan. But it is – it is not pleasant. None of this story is. I was brought … I was brought a leather pouch, which had been left where my men could not fail to find it. Inside this pouch was a hand. A neatly severed hand.’

      There was total silence.

      ‘By the rings it wore, we knew this was removed, with some skill, from one of our own. I interpret the gesture as a challenge. He tells me he is strong; I know already that he is arrogant. His services, and those of the men he leads, are now for sale in these parts. Of that we must take heed, in planning any venture.’

      We sat stunned for a while. At last my father said, ‘You think this fellow would have the gall to offer any of us his services after what he has done? To ask for payment?’

      ‘He knows the value of what he has,’ said Liam drily. ‘And he’s right. There’s many a chieftain whose scruples would not stop him from accepting such an offer, had he the resources to finance it. I imagine they would not come cheap.’

      ‘One could hardly consider it seriously,’ said my mother. ‘Who could ever trust such a man? It appears he would change his allegiance in an instant.’

      ‘A mercenary has no allegiance,’ said Eamonn. ‘He belongs to the man with the fattest purse.’

      ‘Nonetheless,’ Sean spoke slowly, as if working something out, ‘I would like to know if their skills by water equal those they showed in ambush. Such a force, used in conjunction with a well-disciplined, larger troop of warriors, would give one a great advantage. Do you know how many men he has?’

      ‘You would not seriously consider employing a rabble such as this?’ asked Liam, shocked.

      ‘Rabble? From Eamonn’s account, this is no unruly band of oafs. They seem to strike with the utmost control, and plan their raids with a keen intelligence.’ Sean was still thinking hard.

      ‘They may work cleverly, but they are worse than fianna, for they carry out their missions without pride, without commitment save to the deed itself, and the payment,’ said Eamonn. ‘This man has misread me badly. When he dies, it will be at my hands. He will pay in blood if he sets foot on my territory, or touches what is mine. I have sworn it. And I will make sure my intention reaches his own ears. His life is forfeit, should he cross my path again.’

      At this point Sean wisely held his tongue, though I could sense the suppressed excitement in him. Eamonn took another goblet of wine, and was soon surrounded by eager questioners. I thought this was probably the last thing he wanted at that moment, when his tale had brought the memory of his losses back starkly into his mind. But I was not his keeper.

      I suppose that night was the first time I had seen Eamonn come close to conceding he was not in control of a situation. If he had any outstanding quality, it was authority, and next to that was his commitment to what he believed in. It was no wonder, therefore, that the precision and audacity of the Painted Man’s attack, and the arrogance of its sequel, had disturbed him deeply. He was due to escort his sister home the next day, for there were many matters to attend to. I was surprised, therefore, when he came into my garden soon after I began my morning’s work, as if our previous appointment had merely been slightly postponed.

      ‘Good morning, Liadan,’ he said politely.

      ‘Good morning,’ I replied, and I went on cutting the spent blooms from my ancient briar rose. Prune them back now, and they would provide many more flowers as the summer advanced. The hips, later, could be used for a powerful cordial with a multitude of applications, as well as a tasty jelly.

      ‘You’re busy. I don’t wish to interrupt your work. But we leave soon, and I would like to speak with you first.’

      I ventured a glance at him. He did indeed look rather pale and extremely serious. This campaign had aged him beyond his years.

      ‘You will, I suppose, have some notion of what it is I wish to discuss with you.’

      ‘Well, yes,’ I said, realising there was no choice but to stop pretending to work, and hear him out. It would have been helpful if I had had any idea of how I was going to reply. ‘Would you like to sit here awhile?’ We moved to the stone bench, and I sat down, basket on my knees and pruning knife still in my hand, but Eamonn would not sit. Instead, he paced, with hands clenched. How can he be nervous about this, I thought, after all he has endured? But nervous he was, there was not a doubt about it.

      ‘You heard my tale last night,’ he said. ‘These losses have made me think long and hard, about many things. Death; revenge; blood. Dark matters. I did not believe I had it in me to hate so. It’s not a comfortable feeling.’

      ‘This man has done you a wrong, that is certain,’ I said slowly. ‘But perhaps you should set it behind you, and move on. Hatred can eat you up, if you let it. It can become your whole life.’

      ‘I would not see that happen,’ he said, turning to face me. ‘My father made bitter enemies of those who should have been his allies; thus he brought about his own destruction. I would not wish to be consumed by this. But I cannot put it by. I was hoping that … perhaps I should start this again.’

      I looked up at him.

      ‘I need to wed,’ he said bluntly. ‘After this, it seems even more important. It is – it is a balance, to those dark things. I am weary of coming home to a cold hearth and echoing halls. I want a child to secure the future of my name. My estate is significant, as you know, my holdings secure, save for this upstart and his band of cut-throats, and I will deal with them soon enough. I have a great deal to offer. I have – I have admired you for a long time, since you were too young even to contemplate such an alliance. Your industry, your application to a task, your kindness, your loyalty to your family. We would be well suited. And it is not so very far to travel; you could see them often.’ He shocked me by moving closer, and dropping to his knees beside me. ‘Will you be my wife, Liadan?’

      As proposals go, it had been – businesslike. I supposed he had said all the correct things. But I found it somehow lacking.