to a good recovery.’
‘Has Abbot Maelcar been here to see him?’ asked Brother Metellus.
‘He has. The Abbot has just returned to his own chambers.’
‘Good.’ Brother Metellus ushered them to the bedside. They were surprised to see that the man who lay there was conscious;his eyes were focused on them, though it was plain to see that he was in some discomfort. ‘Hello, Berran,’ Brother Metellus spoke gently. ‘This will not take but a moment. I just want you to repeat to Sister Fidelma here exactly what you told us about the attack.’
Berran was, indeed, a young man, but his face was lined and weather-beaten and also furrowed with deep lines of pain. The eyes were dark and almost fathomless as he turned towards her.
‘We…’ he licked a tongue over his parched lips. ‘We were not far from the abbey. Biscam thought we should reach it by mid-morning. We had fifteen donkeys laden with goods and there were five of us – Biscam, his two brothers, my friend Brioc and myself. The journey from Naoned had been without incident…’
He blinked and paused.
‘It all happened so suddenly. I felt a pain and was knocked over by a blow on the shoulder. It was an arrow. I fell to the ground and was aware of my comrades falling around me. I heard their cries of surprise and pain, then I passed out. The attackers must have thought I was dead like the others but when I woke up, the donkeys and their packs were gone and only the dead lay on the forest pathway. I saw Biscam, his brothers…all dead. Only I survived.’
‘Tell the Sister what you saw before you passed out,’ Brother Metellus urged.
‘I saw the attackers emerging from the trees and bushes that lined the path. They had their bows ready in their hands and swords as well…’
‘And…?’ pressed Brother Metellus.
‘Their leader…’
‘Yes, their leader?’ cajoled the Roman. ‘Tell us of their leader.’
‘He was dressed all in white and wore a mask. He was a thin man with a shrill voice.’
Fidelma exhaled softly and glanced at Eadulf. She turned back to the wounded man.
‘Is there anything else you can tell us about this man?’ she whispered.
Berran was obviously trying to recall. ‘No,’ he gasped. ‘I was overcome with pain and passed out. In fact, I kept coming to and crawling along the path, knowing that I would eventually get to the abbey.’
Brother Metellus turned to Fidelma. ‘You see why you had to hear this? The leader was dressed in white as you described.’
Fidelma nodded thoughtfully.
‘Tell me, Berran, have you ever heard any rumours or stories about robbers in this area? Was this the first time you have been attacked in this fashion?’
The young man’s lips twisted in a spasm of pain before he answered. ‘I have heard nothing of merchants being attacked in this area of Bro-Waroch. There were stories of some attacks on farmsteads when we entered the peninsula two days ago. But there has never been any trouble before.’
‘Forgive me asking you again, Berran, but can you tell us anything more about the identity of these attackers? Apart from their leader, a slim man clad in white, you say?’
‘That is all I can recall.’
‘And you have no idea of where they came fr—’
‘Enough!’ The voice at the door was harsh.
They swung round to see Abbot Maelcar gazing angrily from the doorway.
‘Did I not make myself clear, Sister Fidelma?’ His eyes narrowed on her. ‘You are not welcome in the abbey precincts and certainly not in these buildings reserved for sick members of our community!’
Brother Metellus took a step forward. ‘It is my fault, Father Abbot. The people who attacked Sister Fidelma and BrotherEadulf at sea are the same that attacked Biscam and his men. I felt that she should hear what Berran had to say.’
Abbot Maelcar sniffed disapprovingly. ‘You dare disobey me? You knew my orders!’
‘Isn’t it more important to discover who these murderers are, than keep strictly to the
‘Has Abbot Maelcar been here to see him?’ asked Brother Metellus.
‘He has. The Abbot has just returned to his own chambers.’
‘Good.’ Brother Metellus ushered them to the bedside. They were surprised to see that the man who lay there was conscious;his eyes were focused on them, though it was plain to see that he was in some discomfort. ‘Hello, Berran,’ Brother Metellus spoke gently. ‘This will not take but a moment. I just want you to repeat to Sister Fidelma here exactly what you told us about the attack.’
Berran was, indeed, a young man, but his face was lined and weather-beaten and also furrowed with deep lines of pain. The eyes were dark and almost fathomless as he turned towards her.
‘We…’ he licked a tongue over his parched lips. ‘We were not far from the abbey. Biscam thought we should reach it by mid-morning. We had fifteen donkeys laden with goods and there were five of us – Biscam, his two brothers, my friend Brioc and myself. The journey from Naoned had been without incident…’
He blinked and paused.
‘It all happened so suddenly. I felt a pain and was knocked over by a blow on the shoulder. It was an arrow. I fell to the ground and was aware of my comrades falling around me. I heard their cries of surprise and pain, then I passed out. The attackers must have thought I was dead like the others but when I woke up, the donkeys and their packs were gone and only the dead lay on the forest pathway. I saw Biscam, his brothers…all dead. Only I survived.’
‘Tell the Sister what you saw before you passed out,’ Brother Metellus urged.
‘I saw the attackers emerging from the trees and bushes that lined the path. They had their bows ready in their hands and swords as well…’
‘And…?’ pressed Brother Metellus.
‘Their leader…’
‘Yes, their leader?’ cajoled the Roman. ‘Tell us of their leader.’
‘He was dressed all in white and wore a mask. He was a thin man with a shrill voice.’
Fidelma exhaled softly and glanced at Eadulf. She turned back to the wounded man.
‘Is there anything else you can tell us about this man?’ she whispered.
Berran was obviously trying to recall. ‘No,’ he gasped. ‘I was overcome with pain and passed out. In fact, I kept coming to and crawling along the path, knowing that I would eventually get to the abbey.’
Brother Metellus turned to Fidelma. ‘You see why you had to hear this? The leader was dressed in white as you described.’
Fidelma nodded thoughtfully.
‘Tell me, Berran, have you ever heard any rumours or stories about robbers in this area? Was this the first time you have been attacked in this fashion?’
The young man’s lips twisted in a spasm of pain before he answered. ‘I have heard nothing of merchants being attacked in this area of Bro-Waroch. There were stories of some attacks on farmsteads when we entered the peninsula two days ago. But there has never been any trouble before.’
‘Forgive me asking you again, Berran, but can you tell us anything more about the identity of these attackers? Apart from their leader, a slim man clad in white, you say?’
‘That is all I can recall.’
‘And you have no idea of where they came fr—’
‘Enough!’ The voice at the door was harsh.
They swung round to see Abbot Maelcar gazing angrily from the doorway.
‘Did I not make myself clear, Sister Fidelma?’ His eyes narrowed on her. ‘You are not welcome in the abbey precincts and certainly not in these buildings reserved for sick members of our community!’
Brother Metellus took a step forward. ‘It is my fault, Father Abbot. The people who attacked Sister Fidelma and BrotherEadulf at sea are the same that attacked Biscam and his men. I felt that she should hear what Berran had to say.’
Abbot Maelcar sniffed disapprovingly. ‘You dare disobey me? You knew my orders!’
‘Isn’t it more important to discover who these murderers are, than keep strictly to the
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