The Last Quarrel (The Complete Edition) (14 page)

“Finbar, should you not have a look inside some of them, see if you can detect anything?” Cavan suggested.

“Alas, highness, that might be a waste of our valuable time,” the wizard said instantly. “It would be better to start at the Duke’s ship, as agreed. After all, every day we delay is costing the lives of our people.”

Cavan forced a smile and a nod of agreement. Finbar had been far less motivated to save time thus far. He had insisted on late starts, early finishes and generous rest stops along the way, saying he could not be tired if he was to perform mighty feats of magic.

“If he knew there was a hot pie and a glass of fresh milk in one of those farms he might sing a different tune,” Dina whispered to Cavan out of the side of her mouth and he smiled wryly.

It was easily two turns of the hourglass after noon when they finally reached Baltimore. The village sprang up at them out of the hills and folds of the countryside.

“I can see why Lunster has been suffering,” Cavan said quietly. “You can be a mile away from someone and not even know they were there.”

“And the coast is even worse. There’re hundreds of little bays and inlets and beaches. Every fisherman has his own secret spot, guarded jealously. It makes them easy prey,” Dina said.

Cavan looked down on the village, pressed in between the river and the sea. The most remarkable thing about it was the Duke’s ship, a two-masted vessel more suited for the seas than the fat-bellied traders he saw in Berry harbor. It loomed large over the village, which consisted of chunky wooden huts.

“I think they have seen us.” Dina pointed.

Down below, it looked as though a stick had been shoved into an ants’ nest: people began running in all directions, forming a guard of welcome.

“I hope they’re not going to make too much of a fuss. We are here to investigate the attacks,” Cavan grumbled.

“Highness, they have never seen anyone like you. You have to remember it is a day that will live long in their memories,” Dina said gently.

Cavan straightened his back. “Well then, I suppose we need to put on a show for them.”

The cheers began as they rode past the first house, people lining the rough path down towards the crude village harbor.

“Aroaril bless you!”

“Long live Prince Cavan!”

“Hooray for the Duchess!”

Their cheers rang out and Cavan smiled and waved as they were guided down to the Duke’s ship, where a small welcoming committee waited. The leader stepped forwards, flanked by a young priestess, a scruffy-looking wizard and three mismatched companions, one short, one tall and one simply large.

“Highness, Duchess, your Grace and Lord Wizard, I am Sergeant Fallon, the Duke’s man in Baltimore. We thank you and your companions for coming here to help us. The ship is available to be searched now, or we can provide food and drink and chairs should you wish to rest first. Command us and we are ready to obey,” he said confidently.

Cavan looked at Fallon carefully. He was a man of average height, with receding hair that had formed a widow’s peak and was turning grey at the temples. His face was square and unremarkable, his shoulders broad and his arms solid. But his eyes looked to be the special thing. They were brown and alive and seemed to both look right through him, and challenge him as well.

“I understand from the Duchess and Captain Hagen that you have been trying to ambush your attackers,” he said.

“Indeed, highness. Myself, my special constables here and many of the townsfolk have been hiding in local farms close to the water, ready to spring a trap on those who have been taking our people. Yet they seem to always know where we will be. We fear there could be one or more people in the county helping them.”

“Or it could be magic!” Finbar said loudly.

Cavan watched Fallon’s eyes flick sideways to the King’s Wizard. “Indeed, sir,” he said. “That is what you are here to find out.”

“Fallon, you have done well indeed. You certainly justified my first impressions and Captain Hagen’s good opinion of you,” Dina said warmly.

“Thank you, my lady.” Fallon bowed.

“I hope you have considered my offer to be a lieutenant in my guard?”

“I have, my lady. And I am most grateful for it.”

“This is hardly the time,” Finbar grumbled.

“Indeed. We are here now: we should get started right away,” Cavan said briskly.

Fallon bowed. “Yes, highness. The ship is empty and has been empty since we first checked it. But, if you wish, either I and my men or some of your guards can go aboard first?”

“We’ll take the guards,” Kynan said immediately. “Who knows what we might stir up on there.”

Cavan signaled to the squad of guards who had ridden behind them the whole way from Berry and they began to dismount, villagers stepping forward to hold their horses. “I want to have a look as well,” he announced.

“Highness, surely it would be safer for you to stay here until we have checked it first,” Finbar suggested.

“I need to see this,” Cavan insisted. “Besides, if you stir up the selkies, I hardly think it will matter much where I am.”

“We will protect you with our lives, highness,” Fallon said instantly.

“That’s my job, sergeant.” Eamon nudged his horse forwards, anger vibrating in his voice.

Cavan watched Fallon, who stayed looking at him. “I am at your command, highness,” the sergeant said.

“Who was the first man on board this ship?” Cavan asked.

“That would be me.”

“Then you shall be our guide.”

Cavan ignored Eamon’s glower to climb down from his horse and follow the line of guards to the wooden steps onto the deck of the ship. “Tell us what happened,” he said.

He waited for his turn at the steps as Fallon went through what happened.

“I had Sister Rosaleen here and the wizard Padraig search for any evidence of magic but they found nothing,” Fallon finished.

“Highness, the ship seems safe, there is nobody on board.” Eamon stuck his head over the side of the ship with a scowl.

“Then let us find out what is happening. Kynan, Finbar, the ship is yours,” Cavan said.

The wizard went up the steps easily enough and over the side rail but the Archbishop needed some help from Fallon and a couple of guards. Cavan followed right behind, vaulting over the rail to land on the deck and look around.

“It is eerie,” he said, unable to see any sign of struggle.

“It was worse when the sails were out, making everything creak and groan,” Fallon said. “The entry into the hold looked like the very pit of Zorva itself then, highness.”

“You should not joke about such matters!” Kynan snapped. “I shall look in the hold first.”

“There is a fair bit of water in there, your grace. The hull was damaged when it crashed into the wall and again into the shore,” Fallon warned.

“I can handle a little sea water. I have not worn these robes for so long that I have forgotten how to get dirty,” the Archbishop said haughtily, walking away to where Brendan and Gallagher had set up a ladder down into the hold.

Behind him, Finbar was already disappearing into the cabin.

“Highness, this was not the work of magic, or selkies, but of men,” Fallon said quietly.

“What makes you so sure?” Cavan asked, already thinking of how he might be able to link this to what his brother was doing in Berry.

“I also found a quarrel in the Duke’s cabin. It is of a design I have never seen before and was stained with blood. If I may, highness?”

Cavan nodded as Fallon gestured towards his belt pouch. The sergeant pulled out a short, cloth-wrapped item and handed it towards Eamon.

“Why do I want it?” Eamon growled.

“I would not give a sharp weapon to the Crown Prince. That is your job,” Fallon said.

The bodyguard snatched it out of Fallon’s hand and unwrapped the rough woolen cloth to reveal a small, short crossbow bolt.

“That is indeed strange, highness,” Niall said.

“And you are an expert on crossbows?” Eamon said disbelievingly.

“One of my first jobs was to look after the castle weapons inventory. I had to count enough of those bloody things, so I think I know what I’m talking about,” Niall said stiffly.

“It might be the answer we are looking for,” Cavan said hopefully. “Did you remember seeing anything like this in my brother’s rooms?”

“No, highness,” Niall admitted.

“Well, what else makes you think it was men?”

Fallon cleared his throat. “It’s more that I can’t see why, if it is selkies, they only grab a few farmers and fishermen each night. If they had really been unleashed on us, surely they would keep attacking until they were stopped.”

“And you know all about selkies, eh?” Eamon sneered.

“Not at all. But I know about men,” Fallon said.

The village man hadn’t risen to any of Eamon’s insults: Cavan was impressed. “One moment,” he said to Fallon, then took Eamon across to the other rail. “What’s the problem? Has this man done something to offend you?”

“There’s something about him that makes me suspicious. What if this is all a trap? There has to be a reason that Baltimore was the place the Duke’s ship landed.”

“Do you really think someone would go to this much trouble when a knife in the street would make much more sense? Dina’s Captain Hagen thinks a great deal of him and, for that matter, so does the Duchess. And I think they are good judges of character.”

“I’m not here to be his friend. My job is to keep you safe. King Aidan told me that was all I should care about.”

“Fair enough. But we need all the allies we can find to stop my brother. You need to remember that there are other ways to save my life than with the sword.”

“Yes, highness.” Eamon bowed his head.

Cavan chuckled. “Come, my friend, nobody could replace you. There is not a finer blade in Gaelland. I certainly wouldn’t like to face you!”

“Well, it would never come to that, highness.” Eamon smiled.

“Come, let us go and smile and see what we can find.”

“What does that soldier have stuck up his arse?” Devlin muttered. “He’s acting as if you’ve been shagging his wife.”

Fallon cuffed him lightly over the head. “And that is the reason we never get invited to dinner with the nobility.” He grinned.

“Good. Wouldn’t want to eat with those bastards anyway. They’re a different breed from us.” Devlin sniffed.

“I wouldn’t say that too loud. Most of the women in the village seem to have fallen instantly in love with the Crown Prince. I even spotted Bridgit fluttering her eyes at him. And as for Riona …”

“Don’t tell me,” Devlin said gloomily. “I fear I’m going to have to master my impression of the Crown Prince if I’m going to get any action at all in the bedroom for the next few moons at least.”

“Thank you, my friend. I’m now going to have to try and put that horrible image out of my mind.” Fallon winked.

“You’re in a cheery mood,” Gallagher said.

“Well, we have the King’s Wizard, the Archbishop of Aroaril and the Crown Prince, all in Baltimore! When they announce that there was no magic and no selkies, so it has to be men, the King will have no choice but to send down his ships and his soldiers.”

“And the fact both the Duchess and the Crown Prince seem to think the sun shines out of your arse has nothing to do with it?” Gallagher asked drily.

“It’s better than being the shit they wipe off their boots. But it’s more important to make sure the people are protected. We’re going to struggle to live through the winter if we can’t fish and farm in safety.”

“True. Just don’t bend over too fast – I don’t want to be blinded by the flash of light.” Devlin grinned.

“That’s enough – the prince is coming back over,” Fallon said softly. “With him here, I feel good about our chances in solving this mystery.”

They watched the prince and his bodyguard walk back. The bodyguard’s face was blank now, which was at least an improvement over the stares they had been getting. Cavan, on the other hand, looked every inch the prince, Fallon decided.

“So, Fallon, while we are waiting for the King’s Wizard and the good Archbishop to finish their investigations, have you come across any other evidence?”

Fallon nodded. “Yes, highness. We have a witness, of sorts.”

“A witness? Someone has seen these mysterious attackers?” Cavan asked excitedly.

“Yes. But, more importantly, they smelled them.”

“Smelled them,” the bodyguard repeated flatly.

“Sssh, Eamon.” Cavan waved his hand.

Fallon coughed. “We found a young dog at one of the farms. It had obviously escaped when the rest of the family and animals had been seized. I am looking after it now. But we know it must have smelled the attackers and will be able to react if it comes across them again.”

“Somehow I can’t see King Aidan allowing a dog to guide his judgment,” Eamon said.

“The dog could be the key,” Cavan said slowly. “If we were able to catch one of those attackers we spotted and chased across the Berry rooftops, then show it to the dog and it reacts, it could prove that the two things are connected.”

“Highness, I know you want answers. But we didn’t catch them, even when they were carrying that boy. And a dog will bark at anybody. This is not the proof you seek,” Eamon said urgently.

Cavan sighed.

Fallon wondered what was going on in Barry.
Strange attackers able to outrun men across rooftops.
Was it going to be so simple to get the King’s aid?

“What is taking the wizard and Archbishop so long? Do you think they have found something?” Cavan said, breaking the silence.

“I doubt that, highness. My people searched this ship thoroughly and found nothing,” Fallon said confidently.

“Some old drunk who looks as though he couldn’t summon enough magic to blow his own nose and a girl who wouldn’t know Aroaril if he shagged her senseless?” Eamon sneered.

“That is the Sister you are talking about. Have some respect,” Gallagher snarled.

“Or what? You will try to teach me a lesson? Spare me your indignation, peasant,” Eamon told him.

“And perhaps it’s not wise of you to insult those you do not know,” Fallon said coldly.