"Set up camp here for the night," Caesar said, hopping down from his tall black mount as the sun fell behind the mountains. "And keep an eye on those two," he added, pointing with two fingers together at Torq and Bridie. "I want at least four guards on them at all times, to be changed every two hours."
The soldiers saluted and obeyed immediately, placing Torq and Bridie side by side near the smallest fire in the camp, still tied with rope and chains to the wagon.
"Torq," Bridie said after the guards had left them, "what were you trying to tell me back there; about when I was a baby?"
Torq glanced down, watching an ant scurry into its nest. "I suppose it is time that you knew the truth. I should like to tell you while I can, if that's..."
"Yes, please," Bridie interrupted. "Tell me your story." Bridie's eyes were filled with both curiousity and fear for what dawn would bring. Torq shut his eyes, gathering his thoughts before diving into his tale.
"Well, it's really your story," he said. "Yours and Rohan's. See, when Rohan was born, I was present. As was my sister, Tulie, who was midwife to your mother, and helped her bring you and Rohan and your brother and sister into this world. Anyway; the birth was very difficult for Rohan's mother. Then, two years later, you came along. Your mother knew you would be influential in her destiny one day, and showed me what you would look like when that day came. That's how I knew to describe you."
Bridie gazed directly into Torq's blue eyes. "Who's my mother?"
Torq turned to stare into the fire, and the one word he whispered made Bridie's blood run cold.
"Maeve."
Rohan lay on the dirt floor of the temple, barely breathing, his arms and legs all akimbo. He felt himself going back through time; saw himself as a small boy, sword in hand, all knees and elbows, fighting the monster Cathbad had first tested him with; as a child of three or four, being taken to the orphanage; and, at last, he saw himself as a heartbeat in his mother's belly months before he first drew breath.
The rest he watched as a silent outsider, wanting to step in and change his own past, yet unable to do so.
"It's a boy, my lady," he heard the young midwife say to the woman in the bed. The birth had been very hard, the room hot and moist with the breathing of many people.
He saw the woman wrapping Baby Rohan in a woolen shawl, passing him gently to his mother, whose face was in shadow.
"Oh, he's beautiful! I'll name him Rohan; for my grandfather," said his mother.
Suddenly the woman leaned forward and the shadow was lifted from her face. Bystander Rohan reached out a hand.
"Maeve!" He cried, his eyes grown wide. "It can't be true!"
It was Maeve; though only a girl herself, no more than sixteen or seventeen; still a mere princess in the land of Temra.
"I must keep him hidden from my father," she was saying. "But I will keep him, Tulie, and love him better than anything in the whole world."
The vision flashed ahead some three years. Now Rohan had a sister, Bridie, one year old. The small boy had just been given a sword; the first Sword of Eire, which would become the Sword of Kells. There were three more; one for Bridie, one for the child in Maeve's womb, and another for a baby yet unborn.
The vision proceeded another year; the moment of truth. Four year old Rohan lay asleep in his crib; Maeve half-snoring on the bed across the room. Two year old Bridie and the unknown, nameless baby girl next to her also slept soundly.
Bystander Rohan watched as a strange figure crept into the room, sprinkling a sleeping powder over Rohan, then picking him up effortlessly and carrying him from the room like a sack of grain over one shoulder.
There was a flash of lightning, and suddenly it was morning. Bystander Rohan heard Maeve's scream of terror and outrage, saw her pick up her two girls, crying and holding them so close.
A woman Rohan didn't recognize came through the door then; he noticed that she didn't seem in the least upset over his disappearance.
"Numaine," Maeve said through her sobs, "Numaine...sister...my son has been stolen."
"I know," said Numaine cooly. "And we both know who took him."
Maeve nodded. "He did it because I betrayed him. But I gave him the grandson he wanted...half-demon, stronger than any mortal anywhere in the world. Why did he take my son...my Rohan?"
"You know why, Maeve. But in time, you will forget. There will be other children; are others. But they too shall leave you. You have been cursed, sister. You may take little pleasure in the children you bear...and it will make you bitter."
"I am bitter now."
"And it will be worse."
Slowly the vision faded, and the Rohan-that-was merged with the Rohan-that-is, bringing the young warrior up from the sleep of Death as the temple crumbled all around him.
Bridie shook her head as Torq finished his story.
"All that hate built up against the one who took her son; and for what? Why didn't she know that Rohan was her son? How can she not tell?"
Torq smiled sadly. "Think, Bridie. How many Rohans do you know in Rohan's village alone?"
Bridie thought. "At least four," she said, then lowered her head. "Of course. She probably gave up hope of ever finding her Rohan in all the others."
Torq nodded. Bridie struggled lightly against her bonds, glancing at the soldiers who should have been guarding them, but were too busy devouring their fish to pay much attention.
"I think I can use my magic to set us loose," Bridie whispered. She closed her eyes, her lips moving slowly as she began to recite the spell.
"Ah-ah-ah," said a female voice. There was a soft whoosh of air, and a young woman in temptress clothing, black and red, stood before the two prisoners, arms crossed over her chest.
Bridie opened her eyes, staring at the stranger.
"Who are you?" She asked. The woman shook her head, placing a hand over her heart.
"I'm hurt," she said. "Here, in my heart. Don't you know your gods, kid?"
Bridie grinned smartly. "I know my gods. Not you. I'm not from here."
"I'm Discord. As in the Goddess of Discord. And I have a message for you," she said, pointing at Bridie.
"Yeah? And what's that?"
Discord got up in Bridie's face.
"Don't use your magic while you're here. If you do, you'll be sent straight to Tartarus. Of course, word on Olympus is you're headed there anyway; a sacrifice to Hades. Not that we care; personally I 'll enjoy the show. Smooches!"
The woman disappeared in a flash of red light, and Torq and Bridie gazed at each other fearfully.
"Well," Bridie said, "at least you know you're going home."
"Everybordy up!" Caesar yelled. He motioned to two soldiers. "You, and you, take him," he pointed to Torq, "to the nearest dock. Put him on a ship to be sent back to his island. You," he said, putting his arm over Bridie's shoulders, "are coming with me. The rest of you men go back to my father. Your services are no longer required here."
The soldiers nodded and marched off. Bridie waved at Torq sadly.
"Tell them, Torq," she said. "Remember my message."
"I shall, princess," he replied, bowing his head even as he was dragged away. "I shall!"
Bridie turned her attention back to Caesar. "So, Julius old boy," she said. "Since you and I both know I'm not going anywhere, could you get these chains off me? They're cutting off my circulation."
Caesar unlocked the chains, but kept a rope tied around her middle.
"You can't escape, so don't even try it."
"I won't," she agreed, rubbing her freed wrists. "So, where are you taking me?"
"To Hades, God of the Underworld."
"What are you sacrificing me for, anyway?"
Caesar looked sad, but also very determined. "So that the gods will make me the strongest, smartest warrior in all the land. So that I will be allowed to rule my father's armies and be powerful enough to one day rule Rome herself."
Bridie nodded. "Sounds like good reasoning. Can't argue with that, I suppose."
"No, I suppose not. I may only be eighteen, but I am stronger already than my father will ever be. Men follow me now; think if I were ten times more powerful!"
Bridie placed her hand on Caesar's arm.
"How many days is it to Hades' temple or whatever?"
"Roughly four, if we don't stop for the night along the way. That's why I have the wagon and one soldier; we sleep while he drives; he sleeps while we drive. It works out nicely, don't you think?"
"Yeah sure."
Caesar looked Bridie in the eye. "Look, it's nothing personal against you. I'm starting to actually like you. But I need to be the best. You understand, right?"
"Oh, sure. No problem," she said. He smiled, and they continued on their journey to Hades' Temple.
"Cathbad, I'm worried about Rohan," Deirdre said, picking up a feather and playing with it. "He should have been back hours ago, but he hasn't returned. Could something have happened to him?"
The druid took the feather from the princess' hand, placing it back into its jar.
"If Rohan had a vision he wanted to see for himself, alone, he would have stayed. There is no limit to how long a vision-quest can last. Could be hours, or days. Even weeks," Cathbad said, turning from his table as he thought of something. "Unless he summoned the spirit of Dagda to join him in his quest."
"Why?" Deirdre asked, her eyes wide with fear.
"If Dagda has been summoned by Rohan, he may be in grave danger. Hurry! You must help him! Travel to the cliffs where the temple lies, and find him. It may already be too late."
Deirdre nodded and rushed out to find her friends.
"Sweet Lugh!" Rohan said, brushing the dust from his clothes as he gazed at the temple. Or what was left of it, anyway. He sighed as he thought over his vision.
"How can Maeve be my mother?" He said to himself. "It can't be true...but I'll wait. Fin Varra...father...he'll know for sure. But why would a vision lie to me?"
Rohan was too confused to go directly back to Kells, so he sat on a rock and thought to himself for quite some time. After a while he heard footsteps and talking. He stood, drawing his sword, dust flying from the sheath. He thought; "I hope Deirdre's not coming; she can't see me all dirty like this!"
"Rohan!" You're all right!" Deirdre cried, throwing herself into his arms. Embarrassed, Rohan gently slid her downward to the ground.
"Yes," he nodded, studying his friends. "I'm fine. The temple is another story, I'm afraid."
"Cathbad said you might have summoned Dagda to aid you in you vision-quest, Rohan," Angus said. "Did you?"
"Yeah," Rohan said, placing his sword back in its sheath. "But I need to talk to Fin Varra about that vision."
"What did you see?" Asked Deirdre.
Rohan looked into her eyes, seeing her love for him. "I'll tell you later, after I know how much is true."
"How can you doubt your own vision?" Deirdre asked, but Rohan didn't reply. Instead, the five knights made their way back down the hillside, returning to Kells castle, hoping that the fairy king had answers for them.
"Yes, Rohan," said Fin Varra, "it's all true. But what you didn't see was who took you from your mother."
Rohan nodded. "Can you tell me, Fin Varra?"
"Yes. He was known among the fairy folk as the Graybeard of Inishimore. Maeve's father, the king of Temra, older than the mountains; for he used his sorcery to keep himself alive and well. Until Maeve grew so bitter that she slew him and took his throne."
"Maeve killed her own father?"
"Well, he had taken you away from her, driven all her other children away...she hated him with a passion so fierce its rival has never been seen, not even to this day. Her sister, Numaine, was banished to Inishmore, the island of her father's birth; and the land where Maeve's half-demon child lives. Your older brother, Lugad, born to appease Maeve's father. He wanted to see a strong heir to the Temran throne born before he died; it just happened to be a demon he had chosen for Maeve's husband."
"Lugad?" Rohan said. He looked stunned and felt more confused than ever. "Just how big a family do I have?"
Fin Varra smiled. "More than you know, Rohan. But you are Draganta. You are the sole hope for Ireland now."
Rohan looked at his father closely. "What about Bridie? The vision we saw of her showed her to be condemned to death. Is it true?"
Fin Varra nodded. "Yes. But...I do not think it so. I wish I could see her path clearly, Rohan, but a fog has entered my mind. I can see nothing of your sister. That is why I sent you to Dagda's Temple; and now you have seen, and you cannot understand. It will pass."
Rohan nodded sadly, hoping he didn't lose a sister in this mess. Hoping for his sake as much as Angus' that Bridie made it home alive and safe. He feared Angus' sanity should the woman his friend loved most dearly die.
"It will pass," he repeated, studying his father's ancient face. "It will all pass."
