hands of Abbot Ségdae. I also need to find out from the abbot whether he knows anything about these two religieux – Ailgesach and Biasta.’
Enda repeated the instructions. ‘And where will I find you, once I have gathered such information?’ he asked.
‘We shall be heading north for Durlus Éile to see if we can pick up Biasta’s trail. If we have moved on, we shall leave instructions at the fortress of the Éile so that you may follow us. Is that clear?’
‘It is indeed.’
‘Then wait here until Fedach Glas returns with the horse and do your best to return to Cashel quickly.’ She turned to Saer the carpenter. ‘I have to leave you with two unpleasant tasks but there is no alternative.’
The carpenter set aside his ale and gazed at her with a frown. ‘Tasks?’
‘We saw and heard crows around the chapel. You must try to find someone to help you bury the bodies – the one left in the chapel and that of Ailgesach. We cannot tarry any longer to help you in this.’
Grella intervened. ‘My husband will give him a hand. But what of the burial blessing? A religious should bless the grave.’ She glanced with meaning at Eadulf.
‘That I know,’ replied Fidelma. ‘However, we cannot wait. Perhaps, Enda, you could ask that a religious be sent here to fulfil this task?’
‘I don’t like it,’ sniffed Grella. ‘Things should be done according to ritual, otherwise the spirits of the dead will not lie at rest.’
‘It must be, until we can do otherwise,’ Fidelma told her. ‘Better a delay in a ritual than a murderer escapes justice.’
It was apparently the first time that either Grella or Saer understood the reason for Biasta’s flight. Their eyes widened and they exchanged a nervous glance.
‘We will carry out your wishes, lady,’ Saer said in a subdued manner.
Fidelma thanked them, turned to her companions and simply said: ‘Let us set off.’
They bade farewell to Enda, mounted their horses and within moments were cantering northwards along the highway that led to the fortress of the Éile. Fidelma did not really believe that they would overtake Biasta. Indeed, the sun was already well on the rim of the western mountains. She actually began to question her decision to start out so late, for it would soon be dark. It might have been better to spend the night at Fedach Glas’s tavern and make an early start in the morning.
She glanced to her left at the lowering sun. Eadulf, riding alongside her, caught the movement and said, ‘It will not be long before nightfall.’
‘We can cover a lot of ground before then,’ she replied, almost irritated that they had shared the same thought.
Gormán, who was riding in front of them, twisted in his saddle.
‘If we can maintain this pace, before nightfall we will arrive at a place where we can stay. The river comes close to this highway soon, and there on the left is a track that leads to a little chapel and another tavern on the banks of the Suir.’
Fidelma vaguely remembered the place from previous travels.
‘Maybe that is where Biasta is making for,’ Eadulf offered hopefully.
‘I doubt it,’ Gormán grunted. ‘I think he will want to put as much distance between Fedach Glas’s tavern and himself as possible. He will surely realise that we will give chase. I have a feeling that he would have left this main highway as soon as he was able.’
‘You may be right,’ Fidelma agreed. ‘And with the head-start that he had, he will probably have made it to Durlus Éile. Enda’s horse is fast and if Biasta is a good rider … And Durlus is a large enough township that he could be more anonymous than in an isolated country tavern.’
‘Do you agree with Enda that this Biasta is not a genuine religieux, lady?’ asked Gormán. ‘Enda says that he doesn’t wear a tonsure.’
It was Eadulf who answered for her. ‘Even if he did, anyone can cut their hair to create the right appearance.’
‘All we know for certain is that he
Enda repeated the instructions. ‘And where will I find you, once I have gathered such information?’ he asked.
‘We shall be heading north for Durlus Éile to see if we can pick up Biasta’s trail. If we have moved on, we shall leave instructions at the fortress of the Éile so that you may follow us. Is that clear?’
‘It is indeed.’
‘Then wait here until Fedach Glas returns with the horse and do your best to return to Cashel quickly.’ She turned to Saer the carpenter. ‘I have to leave you with two unpleasant tasks but there is no alternative.’
The carpenter set aside his ale and gazed at her with a frown. ‘Tasks?’
‘We saw and heard crows around the chapel. You must try to find someone to help you bury the bodies – the one left in the chapel and that of Ailgesach. We cannot tarry any longer to help you in this.’
Grella intervened. ‘My husband will give him a hand. But what of the burial blessing? A religious should bless the grave.’ She glanced with meaning at Eadulf.
‘That I know,’ replied Fidelma. ‘However, we cannot wait. Perhaps, Enda, you could ask that a religious be sent here to fulfil this task?’
‘I don’t like it,’ sniffed Grella. ‘Things should be done according to ritual, otherwise the spirits of the dead will not lie at rest.’
‘It must be, until we can do otherwise,’ Fidelma told her. ‘Better a delay in a ritual than a murderer escapes justice.’
It was apparently the first time that either Grella or Saer understood the reason for Biasta’s flight. Their eyes widened and they exchanged a nervous glance.
‘We will carry out your wishes, lady,’ Saer said in a subdued manner.
Fidelma thanked them, turned to her companions and simply said: ‘Let us set off.’
They bade farewell to Enda, mounted their horses and within moments were cantering northwards along the highway that led to the fortress of the Éile. Fidelma did not really believe that they would overtake Biasta. Indeed, the sun was already well on the rim of the western mountains. She actually began to question her decision to start out so late, for it would soon be dark. It might have been better to spend the night at Fedach Glas’s tavern and make an early start in the morning.
She glanced to her left at the lowering sun. Eadulf, riding alongside her, caught the movement and said, ‘It will not be long before nightfall.’
‘We can cover a lot of ground before then,’ she replied, almost irritated that they had shared the same thought.
Gormán, who was riding in front of them, twisted in his saddle.
‘If we can maintain this pace, before nightfall we will arrive at a place where we can stay. The river comes close to this highway soon, and there on the left is a track that leads to a little chapel and another tavern on the banks of the Suir.’
Fidelma vaguely remembered the place from previous travels.
‘Maybe that is where Biasta is making for,’ Eadulf offered hopefully.
‘I doubt it,’ Gormán grunted. ‘I think he will want to put as much distance between Fedach Glas’s tavern and himself as possible. He will surely realise that we will give chase. I have a feeling that he would have left this main highway as soon as he was able.’
‘You may be right,’ Fidelma agreed. ‘And with the head-start that he had, he will probably have made it to Durlus Éile. Enda’s horse is fast and if Biasta is a good rider … And Durlus is a large enough township that he could be more anonymous than in an isolated country tavern.’
‘Do you agree with Enda that this Biasta is not a genuine religieux, lady?’ asked Gormán. ‘Enda says that he doesn’t wear a tonsure.’
It was Eadulf who answered for her. ‘Even if he did, anyone can cut their hair to create the right appearance.’
‘All we know for certain is that he
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