‘I do not understand,’ she said softly.
Out to sea the foam-flecked waves rose and fell across the troughs.
‘Look!’ cried Flann. ‘By the gods, look!’
They stared into the spraying sea.
For a moment they saw old Ruacán resplendent in brilliant white robes edged with gold, his white hair streaming behind him; it was as if he were sitting on a great white charger and riding across the waves. The vision lasted only for a split second. Then it was gone. The sea was suddenly calm again and there was no sign of Ruacán.
‘Did we see that?’ whispered Flann shaking his head in disbelief.
Scáthach smiled gently. It was suddenly clear to her now.
‘We saw it. And now I understand everything. Your suspicions about Ruacán were partly right, Flann. He was not simply a druid. He was Manánnan Mac Lir, the ocean god, obeying the prayers of the father I never knew.’
The sea was calm and blue around the bright green island, reflecting the cloudless sky in which the sun rode high in the heavens. Even the grey walls of Dun Scaith seemed friendly and not as threatening as they had seemed before.
‘Come, Flann,’ chuckled Scáthach. ‘Let us turn this Island of Shadows into an Island of Light.’
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Island of Shadows Page 29