war within a war? I gave my sword one more spin, then put it away. I had been lost inside my head for too long. Life was changing in the fortress. It was no longer a sanctuary, and when I arrived, I needed to get to the root of it.

Fódla

Rónnat’s power had always been a mystery. Tomas had prodded and poked me to ask her what she was capable of, and yet she would never answer. It seemed she had been hiding her gifts, hiding her power, for to speak with me like this… it would make her the most powerful witch to have lived in the last five hundred years.

“Only twenty cupbearers. Two weapon-makers… and Fiachre is such a mess these days, he barely counts.”

Murchad mac Brian.

“If you work hard and are kind-hearted, yes. There is always work and welcome for those willing to do their part.” Síle’s feet shuffled, and her hand reached for Anlón’s. She hadn’t decided yet. She wasn’t ready, or perhaps she was too attached to her family here. Aoife had been the same at this age. It was only as she got older and watched other

“Colgú’s land is along the coast. The Vikings could start raiding again, or new clans could sail over. If that happens, it will be Colgú’s land they come to first. They will sail up this river and kill them all.”

“That is today’s lesson, son,” Murchad said, he too having decided to wait for us. “When it comes to secrets, you have to be patient.”

My skills as a warrior were well honed. Blade, axe, spear. I was deadly with them all. But there were other skills we had. Subtle ones. Truth, lies, half-truths and exaggeration. There was an art to dissecting words. I had never used these skills on friends before, but I’d never thought I needed to.