then woke the next warrior whose turn it was to stand guard. Soon after he was asleep.
The sky was grey with the approaching dawn when Kastell opened his eyes. He rose quickly and went about the morning’s duties, saddling his horse, helping to harness the
draught horses to wains, load his pack. When all was done and most were breaking their fast, Kastell saw Aguila walk alone to his horse, a big dun animal. Kastell trotted to catch the warrior and
tapped him on the arm.
‘I-I am sorry, for my words to you, yestereve.’ There was a slight tremor in his voice. ‘I misunderstood your meaning.’
Aguila looked at him, then his easy smile returned. ‘It is forgotten, lad,’ he said. Kastell nodded and then, not knowing what else to do, turned and walked away, a smile starting on
his own face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Maquin watching him.
CHAPTER NINE
CORBAN
Heb raised his hands into the air, his frame outlined by the fading sun.
‘Fionn ap Torin, Marrock ben Rhagor,’ he cried in a loud voice that did not seem to match his spindly frame. ‘Your day is done. You have been bound, hand and heart, and lived
the day as one. Now is your time of Choosing. Will you bind yourselves forever, or shall the cord be cut?’
Marrock and Fionn looked at each other and raised their bound hands into the air. ‘We will be bound, one to the other, and live this life as one.’
A murmur rippled through the crowd and Heb stepped forward, taking their bound hands in his.
‘Make your covenant,’ cried the loremaster.
‘Fionn ap Torin,’ Marrock began, ‘I vow to you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my mead . . .’
Corban shifted restlessly.
I’m half starved
, he thought, looking at the long benches that stood in rows near the firepits, bowed with steaming food. His mam was gazing at the
couple in front of them, moisture shining in her eyes. Thannon, his da, stood beside her, a bear of a man beside Gwenith. His hound Buddai lay curled at his feet. A bruise was purpling around one
of Thannon’s eyes and he had a split lip, but it didn’t seem to bother him – he was pugil champion for another year.
Things have worked out much better than they could have
, Corban thought as he stroked his own cut lip. His mam had asked where his cloak was, but seemed satisfied, although nettled,
when he told her that he had left it on Willow in his haste to make it back for the handbinding ceremony. The questions about his cuts and bruises had been explained as an accident involving Dath,
himself and a tree, which was close enough to the truth. His mother’s raised eyebrow and his da’s silent stare had given him some cause for concern, but he had handed out his gifts at
that point and managed to avert any further interrogation.
He sighed.
Why are these ceremonies so boring?
Fortunately Heb was now singing the closing benediction
. . . peace surround you both, and contentment latch your door
.
He held up a wide cup, the couple gripping it with their bound hands. They drank together, then the loremaster cast the cup to the ground and stamped on it.
‘It is done,’ he cried and the crowd erupted in cheering.
‘Come on,’ Dath said, nudging Corban in the ribs. ‘Let’s eat.’
Corban nodded, steering Dath towards the food bench where he had seen Dylan earlier.
Dylan smiled at him. ‘You made it back then.’
‘Aye.’
‘So what happened to your face?’ Dylan asked.
Corban shrugged, anger flickering inside as he thought of Rafe. ‘I went to the Baglun after I saw you,’ he said, wanting to change the subject.
‘Alone?’ Dylan said.
‘Aye. Alone.’
‘You shouldn’t have done that, Ban, you could have got yourself into real trouble.’
Corban snorted.
I did get into real trouble
. ‘I’m not a bairn,’ he snapped instead, not quite sure why. He instantly regretted his words, knew he was angry with Rafe,
not Dylan. A call from Darol summoned Dylan away. Corban
The sky was grey with the approaching dawn when Kastell opened his eyes. He rose quickly and went about the morning’s duties, saddling his horse, helping to harness the
draught horses to wains, load his pack. When all was done and most were breaking their fast, Kastell saw Aguila walk alone to his horse, a big dun animal. Kastell trotted to catch the warrior and
tapped him on the arm.
‘I-I am sorry, for my words to you, yestereve.’ There was a slight tremor in his voice. ‘I misunderstood your meaning.’
Aguila looked at him, then his easy smile returned. ‘It is forgotten, lad,’ he said. Kastell nodded and then, not knowing what else to do, turned and walked away, a smile starting on
his own face. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Maquin watching him.
CHAPTER NINE
CORBAN
Heb raised his hands into the air, his frame outlined by the fading sun.
‘Fionn ap Torin, Marrock ben Rhagor,’ he cried in a loud voice that did not seem to match his spindly frame. ‘Your day is done. You have been bound, hand and heart, and lived
the day as one. Now is your time of Choosing. Will you bind yourselves forever, or shall the cord be cut?’
Marrock and Fionn looked at each other and raised their bound hands into the air. ‘We will be bound, one to the other, and live this life as one.’
A murmur rippled through the crowd and Heb stepped forward, taking their bound hands in his.
‘Make your covenant,’ cried the loremaster.
‘Fionn ap Torin,’ Marrock began, ‘I vow to you the first cut of my meat, the first sip of my mead . . .’
Corban shifted restlessly.
I’m half starved
, he thought, looking at the long benches that stood in rows near the firepits, bowed with steaming food. His mam was gazing at the
couple in front of them, moisture shining in her eyes. Thannon, his da, stood beside her, a bear of a man beside Gwenith. His hound Buddai lay curled at his feet. A bruise was purpling around one
of Thannon’s eyes and he had a split lip, but it didn’t seem to bother him – he was pugil champion for another year.
Things have worked out much better than they could have
, Corban thought as he stroked his own cut lip. His mam had asked where his cloak was, but seemed satisfied, although nettled,
when he told her that he had left it on Willow in his haste to make it back for the handbinding ceremony. The questions about his cuts and bruises had been explained as an accident involving Dath,
himself and a tree, which was close enough to the truth. His mother’s raised eyebrow and his da’s silent stare had given him some cause for concern, but he had handed out his gifts at
that point and managed to avert any further interrogation.
He sighed.
Why are these ceremonies so boring?
Fortunately Heb was now singing the closing benediction
. . . peace surround you both, and contentment latch your door
.
He held up a wide cup, the couple gripping it with their bound hands. They drank together, then the loremaster cast the cup to the ground and stamped on it.
‘It is done,’ he cried and the crowd erupted in cheering.
‘Come on,’ Dath said, nudging Corban in the ribs. ‘Let’s eat.’
Corban nodded, steering Dath towards the food bench where he had seen Dylan earlier.
Dylan smiled at him. ‘You made it back then.’
‘Aye.’
‘So what happened to your face?’ Dylan asked.
Corban shrugged, anger flickering inside as he thought of Rafe. ‘I went to the Baglun after I saw you,’ he said, wanting to change the subject.
‘Alone?’ Dylan said.
‘Aye. Alone.’
‘You shouldn’t have done that, Ban, you could have got yourself into real trouble.’
Corban snorted.
I did get into real trouble
. ‘I’m not a bairn,’ he snapped instead, not quite sure why. He instantly regretted his words, knew he was angry with Rafe,
not Dylan. A call from Darol summoned Dylan away. Corban
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