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caused him to reach the position he has, as my brother said. Unfortunately, he has no breadth of vision, no imagination to see beyond literal fact. Anyway, enough of Aillín. Let us go and speak with Brother Conchobhar and see if he has anything more to tell us, now that he has examined the body.’
    But Brother Conchobhar could tell them nothing more than to confirm the manner of Brother Cerdic’s death, which they already knew. With a feeling of frustration the couple left the apothecary. A call arrested their attention and they turned to see Gormán hurrying after them.
    ‘Gormán!’ Fidelma smiled at the newly appointed commander of her brother’s bodyguard. ‘It is good to see that you have returned safely. Did you resolve the dispute at Áth Thine? Is all well?’
    Gormán returned the greeting with a big smile. ‘Áth Thine was nothing more complicated than an argument that a local Brehon could have resolved, lady. It was a simple dispute over cattle straying across the border. However, there seems to be a more serious dispute brewing among the Déisi.’
    ‘More serious?’ queried Eadulf.
    ‘Some travellers were attacked on the river east of the Field of Honey, and two boatmen and one of the travellers, an elderly religieux, were killed. It occurred on the river just beyond Brother Siolán’s little chapel,’ confirmed Gormán. ‘We were just crossing the Mountain of Women, heading for the Field of Honey in the late afternoon, when we came across the scene.’
    Fidelma was shocked. ‘Who attacked these travellers?’
    ‘We heard that Prince Cummasach of the Déisi has been having trouble with some of his young men of late. We reported the matter to the Brehon at the Field of Honey and he will investigate. One of the travellers survived and said they had arranged to meet a Brother Docgan there. We asked around, but no one had heard of such a man.’
    ‘Docgan is a Saxon name,’ Eadulf told them. ‘It means “a little dog”.’
    ‘You say there was a survivor?’ Fidelma asked.
    ‘Yes. We brought him here with us. I think you should speak with him, friend Eadulf. I have taken him to your chamber.’
    Eadulf gazed at the young warrior for a moment, waiting for him to explain further.
    ‘You are being very mysterious, Gormán.’ It was Fidelma who made the comment.
    The warrior shrugged diffidently. ‘I just need to make sure that the man I have escorted here
is
who he says he is. Friend Eadulf needs to see the man first.’
    Eadulf was puzzled, but quickly realising that he would get no more information from Gormán, he said: ‘Then the sooner I see this survivor, the better.’
    He turned and led the way to the chambers that he shared with Fidelma.
    Entering, they were aware that Gormán had apparently left Enda to watch over the guest. The warrior greeted them with a quick nod and smile before they turned to examine the figure on the far side of the chamber, standing with its back towards them, gazing out of the window. Hearing their entrance, it slowly turned. It was a young man.
    Eadulf moved involuntarily backwards with a gasp. ‘You!’ was all he said.

CHAPTER FOUR

    T he young man simply stood with arms held out.
    ‘It is indeed myself, Eadulf,’ he replied with a chuckle. The words were exchanged in their own language but Fidelma knew enough of it to understand.
    ‘I believed you to be dead, these many years,’ Eadulf said with emotion.
    ‘Far be it for me to shatter your beliefs, dear brother,’ replied the other, still smiling. ‘Yet, in this matter, I am glad that I can do so.’
    ‘Egric, it is truly you?’ Eadulf was still shaking his head in disbelief.
    ‘And ten years older, brother.’
    Eadulf suddenly moved, crossing the distance between them, and flung his arms around the young man. A torrent of his native language poured from him that Fidelma had no hope of following, so rapid and inflected was it.
    The newcomer laughingly disengaged himself, replying in the same