Defiance (The Priestess Trilogy) (37 page)

“Perhaps it was nothing more than a nightmare?” suggested Earnán. “The priestess has been through much since her departure from Rúnda
, s
uch dreams can come unbidden.”

Ceallach shook his head. “
This was no nightmare,” he replied in a low voice. “
Shiovra
has foreseen the death of Ainmire. And, with the recent betrayal of Gráinne
,
there is no doubt in my mind that she will have a hand in it.
” His jaw tensed as anger burned within him.

Earnán rubbed the back of his neck. “Does Ainmire know?”

“No, and he shall not,” replied Ceallach firmly. “
We must move without his knowledge.”

Exhaling, Earnán nodded. “Understood.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

The fall equinox had come upon
Tara and with it came the impending union between Daire and Úna
.
The village was alive with excitement for the festivities. Mead and ale was ready at hand, while a grand feast
had been
laid out within the Banqueting House
.

Shiovra
spent most of the day in her cottage with
Meara, helping Úna prepare for her marriage to Daire
.
Weaving together a crown of flowers,
Shiovra
pla
ced it upon Úna’s unbound hair as the woman sat
nervously
, hands
clenched
tightly in her lap
.
Meara smiled warmly as she caught up Úna’s hand and slipped a bronze bracelet around her wrist.

“Do not fret,” said Meara. “You have already bedded Daire, so the hard part is over.”

A small laugh escaped Úna’s lips.

Meara’s smile stretched and she straightened, placing her hands on her hips. “There, that is much better.”

A soft knock sounded upon the door before a village woman poked her head in. “It is time.”

Shiovra
nodded.
“
Come, Úna
,”
she
said
, t
ouching the Neimidh woman’
s shoulder.

Úna
smiled nervously, nodding as she
rose to her feet, her hands fidgeting nervously with the fold of her clothing.

The priestess stepped from the cottage first, followed by Úna and Meara.

Earnán and Naal waited to escort them to the main cottage
.

They walked silently along the well wo
rn path to the main cottage
.
Nearly the entire village had gathered
to watch
, leaving a
narrow
path leading
Ainmire
. The chieftain stood with his hands clasped behind his back,
flanked by Mahon
and
Daire
.

As they reached th
e crest of the hill
Shiovra
stepped a
side, allowing Úna to pass. She nodded reassuringly to the woman as she hesitated.

Ainmire stepped forward.
“Úna of the Neimidh, do you come willingly i
nto this union?” he asked
.

“Aye, my lord,”
Úna replied,
face flushed brightly.

The chieftain
turned to
Daire
. “
Daire
of the Túath clan of Tara, do you come willingly into the union?”

“
Aye, my lord,” he replied with a nod
.

“People of Tara, bear witness now the bond of marriage sought by both Úna and
Daire
,” Ainmire stated loudly.
Turning back to the man and woman, he ordered,
“Join hands.”

As they di
d so,
Shiovra
stepped forward
and placed her hands on theirs
. “Oh, Mother of us all, fair Dana of the Light, Danu of Darkness, whose womb is the earth, who brings us happiness and mirth with every loving touch. Please come to us now and join these two in this sacred rite. Give them
y
our love and light!”
Shiovra
said.  “Oh, Dagda, Father of places wild and free, who brings us pleasure, joy, and mirth. Who is the Sun that shines above, who warms us with His light and love. Who brings us health, prosperity, and changes all is it should be. Please come to us now and join these two in this sacred rite. Give them
y
our love and light!”

She turned to
Mahon
as he stepped forward, a dagger resting across the palms of his hands. Wrapping her fingers around
the
dagger
’s hilt,
Shiovra
pointed it at
Daire
’s chest and said, “Bear witness now, that which they have to declare!”

“I,
Daire
, do come here of my own free will, to seek partnership of Úna,”
Daire
declared
boldly. “I come with all love, honor, and sincerity, wishing only to become one with her whom I care for. Her life I shall defend before my own. May the dagger be plunged into my heart should I not be sincere in all that I declare. And this I swear in the names of the Dagda and Dana. May they give me strength to keep my vow. So mote it be.”

Shiovra
turned
the
dagger towards Úna, pointing
it
at the younger woman’s breast.

“I, Úna, do come here of my own free will, to seek partnership of
Daire
,” she said softly. “I come with all love, honor, and sincerity, wishing only to become one with he whom I love. His life I shall defend before my own. May the dagger be plunged into my heart should I not be sincere in all that I declare and thus I swear in the names of the Dagda and Dana. May they give me strength to keep my vow. So mote it be.”

Shiovra
lowered
the
dagger. “As you give love; so will you receive love. As you give strength, so will you receive strength,” she said. “Together you are one, apart you are nothing. Know that no two people can be exactly alike. No more can any two people fit together, perfect in
every way
. It is no weakness to admit a wrong; more is it a strength and a sign of learning.”

“Ever love, help, and respect each other, and then know truly that you are one in the eyes of the Dagda and Dana, and all of Éire,”
Ainmire told Daire and Úna. “So mote it be.” He held his hand out, two simple bronze bands resting in his palm.
“One for each, a sign of the strong alliance and union that has been forged between the two of you,” he said, handing each a ring. After the rings had been placed upon their fingers and a simple kiss was exchanged, Ainmire continued. “Retire now to the cottage and join us later for the festival.”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Réalta stood with her back to the fire, arms crossed over her chest. Though Caher Dearg had fallen, she knew he mother was not so easily defeated. Méav would lay in wait, striking at the most opportune time. As for Gráinne, well Gráinne would definitely be a dagger in their backs.
“My sister has always lacked the power m
other and I ho
ld sway over, so she sought her own means to
such
,” Réalta remarked. “
It is no surprise that she would ally herself with Ailill to gain such power and control
.”

“
She aims for Tara,” came Ceallach’s voice. “
S
he made that
much apparent when she attacked
Shiovra
in Caher Dearg.”

Réalta turned to the fire, setting her eyes upon the fiery form of her lover. “
Most likely she has not returned to her husband in Tréigthe
then
,” she murmured in thought. “If anything, she has gone to Dún Scáth to place herself in the service of your brother.”

Ceallach was silent a moment. “
Then it will be one of the huntsmen under Caillte’s command who will lead the attack,” he said, rubbing his chin.
“And with the misshapen ones mucking about, we should expect they will play a hand in the attack.”

Dropping her arms, Réalta circled the fire. “There have been dark whisperings, Ceallach,”
she told him,
“
s
trange riddles to which I can find no answer. A great storm is
brewing; one that I fear may destroy us all. The gathering of the Fomorii, Ailill’s plots of revenge, the unstable peace between the High Chieftains and the sons of Míl…all warn of the fall of the Túath.”

“You foresaw the coming of the Milidh when you were a child,” he reminded. “There was only so much we could do to prevent it.”

“Aye,” she replied, “but there is something more. Something close to kin and clan that strengthens the violent winds.”

Silence greeted her at first and then Ceallach stated,
“
Shiovra
has foreseen Ainmire’s death.
”

A moment of pause was brought to Réalta’s step as her heart dropped. There was the answer to the riddles, the
strength behind the storm. If Ainmire was to die, if Tara was lost, then everything would begin falling apart. Dropping her arms, she turned her gaze upon the form of Ceallach.
“The death of Ainmire will be the beginning of our end. It must not happen…”

* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *

Nightfall stretched across Tara and the
Banqueting House
remained lively
with music and merriment.
A grand feast was enjoyed and cups filled to the brim with mead
. Congratulations had been g
iven to the newly wedded couple, leaving Úna flushing brightly and Daire grinning
. Ainmire sat
with them
at the head
table, well into his
cups of mead.

Shiovra
sat at a table adjoining Ainmire’s
, Odhrán at her side. She glanced towards her cousin
, raising her cup to him when he met her gaze. “Health and long life you
to
the two of you,” she told him with a smile
, b
ringing
the cup to her lips and taking
a drink.

Daire
no
dded his thanks before raising his own cup to his lips
.

Lowering the cup, she looked down at the dark liquid inside. She was not one for drinking mead and very seldom partook in it.
Yet, with the marriage celebration and all the troubles they had faced of late, Shiovra decided to enjoy a cup. The thick liquid was heavily sweetened with honey and filled her with warmth. Smiling to herself, she took another drink.

Glancing
at
Odhrán,
she found he
had fallen into deep conversation with Earnán and Ceallach.
Shiovra
could not hear what they spoke of, the din of the celebration
drowning out their hushed tones, but from the expressions on their faces, she knew it must have to do with Ainmire. With a sigh, she stood and began making her way around the table.

She had not gotten far before she found Eiladyr stumbling
t
owards her, cup of mead in hand.
And,
when she slipped aside to allow him passage,
he suddenly
slung an
arm about her
shoulders.
Frowning
, she looked at him in question, the weight of his arm heavy.

Grinning at her drunkenly, he slurred,
“I thin
k drunk…I am! And you…you know what…? This mead…
it beats Artis’
winter mead
!” Laughing, Eiladyr
took a swig of mead.

Shiovra
shook her head and sighed. The man had obviously had more
than his fair share of drink and would suffer the pains of it come morning, of that she was certain.

“You know…you know
what else…?” Eiladyr continued.

“No, but I am afraid you are going to tell me anyway,” replied
Shiovra
.

He grinned. “Not all my brothers…were bad
!” he stated, taking another drink. “
I had one brother…who would drink with me
.
Pity…looks like there is more drink for me then!
”
Eiladyr burst into a fit of laughter.

Shiovra
watched him a moment. Though he laughed as if he had nary a care in the world, she had noticed a touch of sadness to his voice. Grabbing the hand slung over her shoulders, she began to walk with him.
“I believe that you have had enough to drink for the night.”