"I see no reason for defence. If a child calls a unicorn do I protest? No, I smile and acknowledge that their ignorance is not their fault."
"Uncle, I am aware of last night's events and that you bear no friendship towards our guest but you go too far. Both of you apologise."
"I will not apologise. It would be a lie to say I am sorry." I said.
Galen sighed.
"He's Unseelie, you should kill him! By law..."
"Enough, Uncle!"
The room fell silent. Eyes of the room set on the Chieftain.
"You have insulted a guest and protector of Ferisdarm and a friend of my house!" He shouted. "Ubrick, escort my Uncle to his house. He is not to leave."
Shamus did not protest but stared and his eyes seed to bulge. He laughed scornfully then made an excuse, looked down at his hand and allowed himself to be led out of the house.
"Is this the sort of welco we are to expect?" scorned Iris with resentnt.
"Silence, girl." Bomdall commanded.
"I... " Iris mouthed in shock.
"You are a sumr child who deans the Druid way with her petty anger. You still have much to learn. Helen would be ashad."
Iris went pale and her eyes dropped downcast.
"Enough." I said to Bomdall.
Bomdall locked his gaze with mine.
"I do not answer to you. I walk through the forests and head the wisdom of old. You are not helping her, nor are you able to, you think you can, but listen well, and do not interfere with the Druid ways. You may be ignorant of the honoured traditions but it is a poor excuse for a childish outburst. If she had been following the example set by her teacher rather than your own she may not have made a fool of herself at the Chieftain's table." patronised the Druid.
I swallowed but struggled to think of a retort.
"Can we get drinks in here, I think we could all do with so refreshnts." Rebecca said, breaking the tension-filled silence.
The groups began to talk amiably around the table. Morgana observed them but said nothing and no one started conversation with any of us. Rebecca and Galen were too busy talking to each other to open conversation with us. We drank what was served.
"Hey." I whispered. "You want to leave?" I asked Iris.
She shook her head. "No, he is right." she said. She gritted her teeth. "I'm staying."
"Okay."
He was not right. Manipulative ass.
"Uncle, if I might speak?" asked redith.
"Go ahead, you have seen the numbers, what do you think we should do?"
"I know how important Ferisdarm is to you, Uncle and Aunt Rebecca but we cannot hold it. Because of my father's rash choice to fight the Romans. The fort is dood to fall. I have seen the Romans when they first ca to our shores and decimated Inditar's army with ten tis fewer warriors and the sea at their back."
"I counselled my Father to make peace but in his arrogance, he blad Inditar and spat at my report on the Romans. He said I was weak when he was my age he had already pulled the sword from the stone, slain a Giant and ford the round table of Chiefs becoming King of Calot." She continued.
"I do not bring my grievances up without cause. I know you want to protect your ho and your traditions. But... but the world has changed and we must abandon Ferisdarm and seek protection from stronger allies. Ones suited to the new world."
She finished not saying the na I guessed began with R.
Everyone listened intently, and a few faces looked encouraged but she failed to rouse strong support.
"I am no friend of my Brother but he has no option but to fight, child. The tyrant Venogrre made deals with the first Roman fleets and they slaughtered our leaders and burned the fields. They fled due to the death of the Emperor and we had respite. It was only rlin's trickery that that ended the tyrant and created space for your Grandfather and my Father Uther took over. Unless you have reliable plan what you propose is too dangerous and risky to be taken seriously." Morgana countered.
A few heads nodded in agreent.
Morgana had patronised redith, a strange move when it was hard to tell who was the real senior in terms of battle experience. Morgana spent her ti growing up in the woods while redith looked to be a bloodied leader against the Unseelie.
Also, just how big was the age gap between Morgana and her brother? If Arthur already had a daughter a few years younger than his sister?
Galen spoke up, "I understand, redith. Truly, I was coming to be of like mind but with the Sorcerer and my cousin Morgana as well as their Druid friend I believe this is a sign from Seelie Court. They ca at our most desperate hour. It may be forgotten lore now but I rember the tales of how the Pendragon's built this fort when we first ca to shores, we slew a giant and made a safe sanctuary on top of its corpse."
"If we run, our most vulnerable will be slaughtered for sure and we risk everything. If I knew how the Romans fought I would be the first to learn their ways but all the tales speak of them as a brutal, savage people who view us as vermin. It is our duty to protect the farrs, crafters and families. This is a new world but we need our people if we are to endure the change." He finished.
"Chieftain, if I may?" Bomdall asked.
Galen nodded in assent.
"The trusted faces around this table know . Galen did I not advise your Mother and advise you when she passed?
"You did."
"And was it not I who married you to the lovely Rebecca, strengthening our region and tying two lovers in matrimony?"
"You did." said Rebecca.
"Have I not scouted and fought by your side and for Ferisdarm many long years?"
"You have." said everyone but us at the table.
"redith is correct we cannot hold Ferisdarm and running is our only option. But Romans? You are right to be cautious of outsiders. We must trust in the powers of old, and in the wisdom handled down Druid to Druid. In tis of great crisis it is acceptable to draw upon less honoured potential allies for the greater good and security of the land."
"What are you getting at?" Galen asked.
"Why not fight fire with fire? The Unseelie, unlike the Seelie court, are not united and in harmony. They bicker and hold rivalries amongst themselves. These are desperate tis and we are sorely in need of strong and proven allies."
"The Unseelie cannot be trusted even more than Romans; they are despised and treacherous. They are evil." Iris protested.
"Yeah, they killed my son." one of the farrs said.
"She's right, and was it not my supposed connection to the Unseelie one of the main argunts to why I was hunted down like a dog?" Morgana argued with a hint of restrained anger in her furrowed brows.
"Do not drag up the past of Uther's choice, I am talking about our situation now." Bomdall retorted "And is the strangling vine evil? Or the Wolf? The Unseelie would be a ans to an ends."
"I do not like it, Bomdall but you have never laid astray perhaps..." Galen said.
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