Undesirable, empty, the isle was well-situated for this meeting. Stand-ing in front of a white tent billowing in the harsh, steady wind, Jenna watched the tiny rowboat approaching her from one of the two ships anchored just offshore, one flying blue and white, the other green and brown. A pair of gardai in green-and-brown cloca stepped out as Jenna's own gardai helped pull the boat onto the wet, narrow shingle. A woman was seated in the boat, stepping out once the craft was ashore. The pas-senger approached the tent slowly, and Jenna could see that she was hold-ing a baby in her arms. She seemed to glance from Jenna to the blue-and-white banner fluttering on the tent poles, then strode purposefully for-ward off the wet shingle, leaving the gardai behind as she came to a stop a few strides from Jenna.
"Mam. ." Jenna breathed. She started to move to her, to take her in her arms and embrace her.
Maeve had changed much in the intervening months. Her face was heavier and paler, the dark hair now liberally streaked with gray. Semicir-cles of brown flesh hung under her eyes, and she stared at Jenna with such scorn that Jenna stopped where she was, her hand still raised. Maeve's gaze went from Jenna's face to the golden tore around her neck, below to where Lamh Shabhala hung on its chain, and further down to her rounding belly.
"Married, and with child. A Riocha," she said. The last word was uttered as if it were a curse. "And more, They tell me you are now Banrion MacEagan. They also say that you rule alone, that your hus-band is not the Ri."
"That’s true," Jenna said. "It was the decision of the Comhairle."
Maeve sniffed. Her eyes shimmered with tears and she looked away. Jenna heard a sob, and she put her hand on Maeve’s shoulder. The baby stared at her from within its swaddling, the chubby face solemn. With the touch, Maeve sniffed and brushed at her eyes with a sleeve, the gesture almost angry. She took a step back from Jenna. "It’s too late for that," she said. "Maybe once. . Not now."
"Mam-"
Maeve shook her head. "I’ve always heard that the Inishlanders are strange, and you. . you fit them well. I can barely believe the stories I’ve heard about you." She stroked the baby’s head; Jenna could remember Maeve doing that with her, long ago. "I can barely believe even what I’ve seen. You’re the Mad Holder, the changeling, the warrior, the great cloudmage, the Banrion." She paused. Her breath hung for a moment like a white cloud between them before the wind tore it away. "The murderer of your brother’s da and my lover."
The cold air pulled tears from Jenna’s eyes. She wanted to answer an-grily: What about me? I’m your daughter, your own flesh and blood and all you have left of Niall, and he would have killed me. You’re talking to me like an unwelcome stranger. Have 1 hurt you that much? Do 1 mean so little to you now? She forced the anger down, taking a breath. "Mam… If I could have changed that, I would have. He gave me no choice."
"Is that what you told yourself about Banrion Cianna also, Daughter?" Maeve retorted. "Would you say that to the widows of all the gardai dead because of you? ’Poor me! I had no choice!’ I tell you this, Jenna, because it’s what I thought every night since you fled Lar Bhaile: you should have stayed in Ballintubber. You should have given that stone-embodied curse you found on Knob top to someone else. Everything since you took Lamh Shabhala has turned to dust and ashes." Maeve barked a short, bitter laugh, looking at the tent. "Often quite literally." The baby stirred and gave a
cry; Maeve rocked him in her arms and he settled down once more. Jenna saw the face again briefly as Maeve brushed aside the swaddling-a mass of red curls, bright blue eyes, a small mouth with pouting lips: a handsome face. A tiny hand closed around one of Maeve's fingers. Jenna wanted to ask to hold the infant, to be able to look closely at him.
"That's my brother?"
Looking down at him, Maeve's face had softened for the first time. "Aye. His name's Doyle Mac Ard." She looked back to Jenna and the hardness returned to the lines around her eyes and mouth. "Padraic's final will gives the boy his surname and an estate-Padraic showed the document to me before he left Falcarragh and the Rl Ard has confirmed it. At least Doyle will have that, even though they will always whisper that he is 'the bastard Mac Ard child.'" Her gaze drifted past Jenna to the tent. "Padraic's body's in there?"
"Aye. I brought it with me from Dun Kill." Jenna's acknowledgment was less than a whisper. Maeve walked past Jenna. As she passed, Jenna started to lift her hand to touch her mam, but Maeve cast her a cold stare. Jenna watched her go to the tent, lift the flap, and walk inside. After a moment, Jenna followed her.
Mac Ard's body was wrapped in cloth saturated with unguents and oils: Loman's work. The gardai had laid it on a low pyre built of logs brought with them from Inish Thuaidh. The smell of oil was thick in the tent, cloying. Maeve didn't seem to notice, though Doyle started crying again. Maeve rocked him as she stood staring at the body, standing at the edge of the pyre. "It took weeks to bring him back from Thall Coill," Jenna said to Maeve's back. "I didn't know what you would want, whether you would want to send him to the Mother here or take the body home to whatever end he desired. Tell me what you want, and I'll have my gardai take care of it."
"What I want is for Padraic to be alive," Maeve answered, still facing the pyre. "Can you give me that, Jenna? Can the First Holder, the new Banrion, do that for me? Is that within your vast power?"
The questions tore holes in Jenna's soul. She felt the child inside her stir, and she placed her hands protectively over her stomach. "No." The wind snapped the canvas of the tent, punctuating the
Maeve swiveled. "What of the Cloch Mor that Padraic held? Give me that, so I can give it to Doyle as his legacy as a Mac Ard."
Jenna shook her head. "I can’t-I won’t-do that. It belongs. ."Jenna paused, taking a breath. It belongs to the child 1 carry. It’s Ennis’ legacy."… to Inishfeirm and Inish Thuaidh."
Maeve nodded, her mouth tightening. "Then can you at least manage to give me a torch?"
Jenna went to one of the tent posts, where two circles of copper held a smoldering brand. She pulled it from the rings and gave it to her mam.
"You may leave now," Maeve told her.
"Mam-"
Maeve shook her head vigorously, the flame flickering in her hand. "I’m not your mam. I’m the woman who loved your enemy. My allegiance is to the Ri Ard, not the woman who calls herself Banrion in the pigsty of Dun Kiil. Leave me to say farewell in private. Go back to your ship and your island and forget me. Give me that much."
Jenna’s mouth hung open; a dozen unsaid replies filling her head. A gulf wider than the Westering Sea separated them, and Jenna could think of no way to bridge it. The infant Mac Ard was crying again, but Maeve’s face reflected only a stoic suffering. Jenna started to take a step toward her but Maeve’s eyes narrowed warningly and she stopped. Finally, Jenna ducked her heard and left the tent, going out into the wind again. Her gardai were waiting for her. They looked at her questioningly.
"We’re leaving," she told them.
Jenna sat in the boat as they rowed back to their ship, gazing backward at Inishduan. She saw Maeve come out of the tent, Doyle cradled in one arm. Smoke gushed white around the central pole as Maeve walked down to the beach without looking back. A few seconds later, the first flames appeared, leaping high into the air. Smoke rolled gray with the oils, the wind smearing it west and south toward Talamh an Ghlas.
They arrived at the ship. Hands reached down to help Jenna up onto the deck. Standing at the rail, she looked back to the island: to the boat that was
carrying Maeve and Jenna's half brother back to their own vessel; to the conflagration rising high into the sky.
"Are you ready, Banrion?" the captain asked. Jenna nodded. "Aye," she said. "Take me home."
Appendices
Characters (in order of appearance):
A young woman from the village of Ballintubber Jenna's mam
Jenna Aoire
Maeve Aoire (nee Oldspring)
Tara
Kesh
Old Stubborn Halden
/> Coelin Singer
Songmaster
Curragh
Mother-Creator
Aldwoman Pearce Tom Mullin
One Hand Bailey
Erin the Healer
Maghera
Ellia
Matron Kelly Niall Aoire Chamis Redface
Rafea
Sean
Eliath
Padraic Mac Ard
Conhal
Mael Armagh
Owner of a tavern in Ballintubber
Jenna's herding dog
The ancient ram in Jenna's flock
A resident of Ballintubber, danced with Maeve at Corn Festival
A musician in Ballintubber Coelin's mentor, dead three years
Goddess: creator of the world
The oldest person in Ballintubber and the Teller of Tales
Ballintubber resident Ballintubber resident
Ballintubber resident A character in song and legend, female Tara's daughter, enamored of Coelin Ballintubber resident, keeps cows Jenna's da (father)
A Ballintubber resident who teased Jenna as a child
Ballintubber resident, weaves cloth Matron Kelly's son, brain-damaged by fever Tara's youngest son
A tiarna (lord) who comes to Ballintubber Mac Ard's horse
An ancient king of Tuath Infochla who tried to conquer Inish Thuaidh;
Severii The Inish chieftain who defeated Mael Armagh
O’Coulghan
Buckles A resident of Ballintubber, an old man
Fiacra De Derga A tiarna from Tuath Connachta, a cousin of Mac Ard
RB Gabair The king of Tuath Gabair
RB Connachta The king of Tuath Connachta
Daragh A resident of Ballintubber, killed by a falling tree in Doire Coill
O’Rheallagh
Widow The wife of Daragh
O’Rheallagh
Denmark Seancoim’s companion crow, and his eyes
Seancoim The old guardian of Doire Coill
Seed-Daughter Goddess: the daughter of the Mother-Creator, who planted the fi
Ruaidhri Bunus Muintir chieftain, died in the Battle of Lough Dubh
Crenel Dahgnon Daoine king who fought Ruaidhri at the Battle of Lough Dubh
Riata Bunus Muintir chieftain, the last of the Bunus cloudmages
Davali Bunus Muintir cloudmage who possessed Lamh Shabhala before RBata
Oengus Bunus Muintir cloudmage who possessed Lamh Shabhala before Daval
Declan Sheehan Head of Clan Sheehan, one of the roving Taisteal bands
Edan One of the Taisteal
Hilde One of the Taisteal
Bran One of the Taisteal
Ennis Inishlander who meets Jenna in the Taisteal encampment
O’Deoradhain
Aodhfin O RB of the small kingdom of Bhaile, Holder of the cloch after Eilis MacG;
Liathain
Fills A Holder of the Lamh Shabhala, killed in the Battle of Lough Lar by Ac
MacGairbhith Liathain
Kerys Aoire Jenna’s great-mam, who fled from Inishfeirm when she
became pregnant
Niall An acolyte of the Order of Inishfeirm who fell in love with Kerys Aoire.
great-da. His last name is unknown
Conn Hagan Head of the family that took in Kerys Aoire after her flight
from Inishfeirm, and eventually married her
Torin Mallaghan The RB Gabair
Aoife A servant girl in Jenna’s employ at Lar Bhaile
Du Val An apothecary in Lar Bhaile who supplies Jenna with leaf
Kiernan O The RB Ard, or High King
Liathain
Nevan O The RB Ard’s first son and Tanaise RBg (Heir Apparent)
Liathain
Cianna The RB Gabair’s wife
Mallaghan
Rowan Beirne Holder of Lamh Shabhala from 648-651
Mam of Rowan, Holder of Lamh Shabhala from 622-648
The Inish cloudmage who took the cloch from Rowan Beirne in the year 651
Bryth Beirne (nee Mac Ard) Garad Mhullien
Anrai Beirne
Ailen O'Curragh Sinna Mac Ard
Slevin Mac Ard
Galen Aheron
Baird
Murrin
Labras
Damhlaic
Gairbith
WaterMother
Garrentha
Flynn Meagher
Maister
Cleurach
Mundy Kirwan
Tadhg
O'Coulghan
Maher
Scanlan
Aithne MacBradaigh Ionhar MacBradaigh Thraisha Aron O Dochartaigh Kyle MacEagan
Kianna
Ciomhsog
Peria O RBain
Aidan
Terrain
Littlest
The tiarna who married Bryth Mac Ard — da of Rowan Beirne
Holder of Lamh Shabhala from 597-612
Original surname Hannroia, married to Ailen O'Curragh
and then Teador Mac Ard, mother of Bryth Mac Ard,
Holder of Lamh Shabhala from 612-622
Bryth's brother, and the ancestor of Padraic Mac Ard
Tiarna from Tuath Infochla, at the RB Gabair's Keep
One of Nevan O Liathain's men, a tiarna
The widow woman from whom O’Deoradhain rents a
room in Lar Bhaile
One of Cianna's gardai
Commander of the RB Gabair's forces
The chief god of the blue seals
The blue seal who rescues Jenna from an attack by an underwater creature A sailor from the village of Banshaigh Head of the Order of Inishfeirm
A friend of Ennis O’Deoradhain and a Brathair of the Order of Inishfeirm
Founder of the Order of Inishfeirm, and da to Severii, the Last cloudm Before
Librarian of the Order of Inishfeirm
Keeper of the Order of Inishfeirm, killed when the White Keep was invaded Banrion of Inish Thuaidh
RB of Inish Thuaidh
A blue seal on Inishfeirm, the First of the Saimhoir
A tiarna of Inish Thuaidh from the townland of Rubha na Scarbh, Heat
Cormorants
A tiarna of Inish Thuaidh from the townland of Be an Mhuilinn, Bay of A bantiarna of Inish Thuaidh from the townland of An Cnocan, the Hill
A Holder of Lamh Shabhala, from whom the cloch passed to Tadhg O'Coulghan A page from the Keep at Dun Kiil
"The Guide," one of the Creneach An infant of the Creneach
The Creneach name for the Mother-Creator
Literally, "Spouse," the companion Anchead made for Itself, and from whose body came the All-Heart, perhaps analogous to the Daoine "Seed-Daughter"
Anchead
Ceile
Loman
Keira
Greatness
Toryn
An Phionos
Dwaine
Alby
Keira
Mahon
MacBreen
Deelan MacBreen Tiarna O Beollain
Places:
An Cnocan
An Deann Ramhar
Ath lseal
Bacathair Ballintubber Banshaigh Be An Mhuillian Bethiochnead
Cat's Alley Ceile Mhor
Croc a Scroilm Doire Coill Duan Mouth
Dubh Bhaile Dun Kiil Dun Laoghaire Falcarragh Foraois Coill
The Bunus Muintir who is the Protector of Thall Coill
Seancoim's pledge-daughter in Doire Coill
The Bunus Muintir term for the Mother-Creator
Loman's pledge-son in Thall Coill
"The Punishment," the statue-creature in Thall Coill
A young child on the island of Inishfeirm
Tiarna MacEagan's attendant
Jenna's attendant in Tiarna MacEagan's household
A child whose father Deelan was killed at the Battle of Dun Kiil
Killed in the Battle of Dun Kiil
A tiarna of Baile Nua, killed in the assault on Dun Kiil
Keep
A townland in Inish Thuaidh A townland in Inish Thuaidh
A village on River Duan, where the High Road crosses the river
Capital city of Tuath Locha Lein, on the west coast of the peninsula The village where Jenna was born A village on Lough Glas in Tuath Connachta A townland in Inish Thuaidh
The "Beast-Nest," the location in Thall Coill where the Scrudu takes pl A back street in Lar Bhaile
The far larger peninsula to which Talamh an Ghlas is connected by the of mountainous land
The "Hill of Screaming," the mountain that faces Dun Kiil Bay The "Forest of Oaks"
The mountain-girdled and long end of the River Duan,which ends in an bay
A city in Tuath Gabair, south of Lar Gabair on the Lough Dubh Seat of Inish Thuaidh
Main city of the peninsula, seat of the High King
Capital city of Tuath Infochla
Another old growth forest, in Tuath Infochla
A fortress mansion in Rubha na Scarbh (Inish Thuaidh)
The sea to the north of the peninsula A townland in Inish Thuaidh
Glen Aill Ice Sea
Ingean na nUan Inishcoill
Inishfeirm
Knobtop
Lar Bhaile
Lough
Crithlaigh
Lough Dhub
Lough Glas Lough Lar
Maoil na nDreas Nealmhar Ford
Rubha na Scarbh
Sliabh
Bacaghorth
Sliabh Collain Sliabh
Michinniuint
Talamh an Ghlas Thall Coill
Thall Mor-roinn
The Black Gull Thiar
Tuath Airgialla
Tuath
Connachta
Tuath
Eoganacht
Tuath Gabair Tuath Infochla Tuath Locha Lein Valleylair
A large island off the coast of Tuath Airgialla, entirely covered in old gi
A small island off Inish Thuaidh, home of the Order of Inishfeirm and o great-mam and great-da
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