Read Online Priestess of the Fire Temple by Ellen Evert Hopman - Free Book Online Page B

Dálach-gaes with a gift for the school, a large bronze bell that he had carried with great effort in his backpack. Carmac had carried his personal lamdia, a portable bronze idol of a goddess with antlers that were removable from their sockets. The antlers were to be taken out in the dark half of the year, when the sun was on the wane, and put back in at Beltaine, at the start of summer.
    On arrival, the very first thing Carmac did was to set up the lamdia in a place of honor under the yews. He reverently unwound the deerskin coverings and laid a silver plate and cup before the little statue so that everyone could make offerings to her each day of the gathering.
    â€œHe never goes anywhere without that statue. He is under a geis,” said Dunlaing stoically. He had been forced to “feed” the statue every day of their journey, at dawn and at dusk, or risk Carmac’s displeasure. Carmac was a special devotee of the sun goddess in her deer form, and he always made sure that there were fresh flowers and food offerings at the feet of her statue at daybreak and again at twilight.
    As soon as the statue was settled into a place of honor, he welcomed her with a song:
    Beloved Goddess
    Queen of the Sky
    White deer of purity
    You who guide the seekers
    You who welcome the departed spirits
    To your shining realm
    Of immortality
    We welcome you into this place
    Be with us now!
    Making a deep bow, he ceremoniously unwrapped the final silk coverings that covered the little goddess and began to dance in ecstasy before her as the others watched and smiled, clapping their hands to provide accompaniment.
    When Carmac at last settled down, Dálach-gaes approached the two arrivals with brimming cups of mid to formally welcome them to the gathering.
    â€œA cup of joy to welcome you to our tuath,” he said, beaming.
    The next guests to appear were three ban-Druid from Torcrad. Bláthnait was a tall, willowy woman wearing green robes who carried a small harp packed into a sheepskin bag, with the wool side inward to protect the wood and strings.
    Canair was a dark-haired, dark-eyed ban-liaig who wore practical brown robes “because they don’t show the dirt,” as she would often say. Her daily forays into the fields looking for edible greens and medicinal herbs invariably left the hems of her robes stained and muddy.
    Ita was the eldest of the three, a ban-fili in grey robes whose red hair was rapidly fading to white. All three wore thick bronze torques to advertise their rank, and Ita also wore a knob of polished amber on a string around her neck. Embedded within the amber was a dragonfly, the symbol of transformation.
    â€œDragonflies are dedicated warriors who will devour any obstacle in their path. Don’t let their beauty fool you!” she told the children as they stared up at the magnificent necklace. Though Ita was small of stature and thin, she was as fierce as a feral cat when challenged.
    Canair’s sons, Finnlug and Garbhán, were warriors who accompanied the three ban-Druid as guides and protectors. They were both clean shaven save for their moustaches and their dark hair, which was neatly plaited into thick braids. They had deerskin trousers and tunics under their woolen capes, and each carried a sword on their belt and a shield on their back. Being sons of a ban-Drui, they were entitled to wear bronze torques.
    The five were each handed a frothy cup of joy upon their arrival.
    â€œFinnlug and Garbhán, you two will guard the perimeter of the nemed to prevent eavesdropping by curious folk of the rath,” Dálach-gaes announced. The yearly convocation of Druid was no place for warriors.
    The brothers loped off willingly; they had become tired of listening to women day and night. The sights and sounds of the dun would be a welcome diversion.
    Next to arrive from Murthracht were Cainleog and Alda, a newly handfasted pair who were clearly excited to be journeying so far together.