Revenge of the stormbrin.., p.1
Revenge of the Stormbringer, page 1
Contents
Cover
Also by Peter Tremayne
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Epigraph
Principal Characters
Map
Author’s Note
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Historical Afterword
Also by Peter Tremayne
The Sister Fidelma mysteries
WHISPERS OF THE DEAD
THE LEPER’S BELL
MASTER OF SOULS
A PRAYER FOR THE DAMNED
DANCING WITH DEMONS
THE COUNCIL OF THE CURSED
THE DOVE OF DEATH
THE CHALICE OF BLOOD
BEHOLD A PALE HORSE
THE SEVENTH TRUMPET
ATONEMENT OF BLOOD
THE DEVIL’S SEAL
THE SECOND DEATH
PENANCE OF THE DAMNED
NIGHT OF THE LIGHTBRINGER *
BLOODMOON *
BLOOD IN EDEN *
THE SHAPESHIFTER’S LAIR *
THE HOUSE OF DEATH *
DEATH OF A HERETIC *
* available from Severn House
REVENGE OF THE STORMBRINGER
Peter Tremayne
This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.
First US edition published in the USA in 2023
by Severn House, an imprint of Canongate Books Ltd,
14 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1TE.
This eBook edition first published in 2023 by Severn House,
an imprint of Canongate Books Ltd.
severnhouse.com
Copyright © Peter Tremayne, 2023
All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. The right of Peter Tremayne to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act 1988.
British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.
ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-0980-1 (cased)
ISBN-13: 978-1-4483-1258-0 (e-book)
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Except where actual historical events and characters are being described for the storyline of this novel, all situations in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is purely coincidental.
This eBook produced by
Palimpsest Book Production Limited,
Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland
For my ‘Greek sister’
Maria V. Soteriades
Celebrating our fifty-five years of friendship
Si acuero ut fulgur gladium meum, et arripuerit judicium manus mea; reddam ultionem hostibus meis, et his qui oderunt me retribuam.
If I whet my glittering sword, and mine hand take hold on judgment; I will render vengeance to mine enemies, and will reward them that hate me.
Deuteronomy 32:41
Vulgate Latin translation of Jerome, fourth century
PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS
Sister Fidelma of Cashel, a dálaigh or advocate of the law courts of seventh-century Ireland
Brother Eadulf of Seaxmund’s Ham, in the land of the South Folk of the kingdom of the East Angles, her companion
At Cashel
Colgú, King of Muman, Fidelma’s brother
Gelgéis, Princess of Durlus Éile in Osraige, newly married to Colgú
Household of Fidelma and Eadulf
Alchú, their son
Muirgen, the nurse
Nessan, her husband
Household of the King
Finguine, Prince of Glendamnach, tánaiste, or heir apparent, to Colgú
Dar Luga, banmhaor, or stewardess, and formerly housekeeper, of the royal household at Cashel
Fíthel, Chief Brehon of Muman
Urard, scribe and secretary to Fíthel
Cuán, Abbot of Imleach Iubhair and Bishop of Cashel
Brother Dáire, the librarian
Rodaige, a master builder
Father Socra, the new chaplain at Cashel
Sister Sárait, an assistant in the chapel
Síonna, a female physician or sui-liaig
The Nasc Niadh, the Warriors of the Golden Collar, élite bodyguards to Colgú
Enda, commander of the lucht-tighe, or household guard
Luan, a warrior
Dego, a one-armed warrior
Aidan, a warrior
Cano, a young warrior
Luchar-súil, a sentinel
Female warriors of the Daughters of the Storm
Crédh, the champion and commander
Cera, the youngest warrior, who also serves as attendant to Gelgéis
Corbach, a warrior
From the township
Gormán, commander of a battalion of Colgú’s warriors
Aibell, Gormán’s wife
Della, mother of Gormán and close friend of Fidelma
Lassar, Dar Luga’s sister from Ráth na Drinne
Rumann, a tavern owner
Gobán, a smith
At the fair
Corruine, a wandering apothecary
Characters frequently referred to
Fianamail, King of Laigin
Tuaim Snámha, ruler of Osraige
Brother Conchobhar, the late mentor of Fidelma
AUTHOR’S NOTE
This story takes place in the year AD 672. It is the Irish month of Lúghnasadh, which equates with modern August, sometimes referred to as mí ag siúl léis an ghria, or the month of walking with the sun. Fidelma and Eadulf have returned to Cashel following their adventure narrated in Death of a Heretic, which took place while they were visiting the Abbey of Imleach Iubhair. On their return, the marriage of Fidelma’s brother, King Colgú, to Princess Gelgéis of Durlus Éile in Osraige, has taken place. It is a union many readers will have expected since they first met in the adventure of The Seventh Trumpet. Some time has passed since the ceremony and most of the prominent guests have departed. The last of the celebrations, a great fair (Aenach Caiseal), is now due to take place in the township, sheltering under the shadow of the fortress of the Eóganacht kings of Muman – Caiseal Muman (Cashel).
Regular readers will know that women of this period held parity of rights with men under the ancient Irish laws, and they could inherit, be lawyers, judges, physicians, scholars, ecclesiastical leaders and even warriors. Although their right to bear arms and be military leaders had become less prevalent than it had once been in Irish society and, indeed, among Celtic society generally, in Ireland at this time women could be warriors until changes in law at the end of the seventh century. It should be borne in mind that sporadic mention of female warriors, and their general exclusion from later historical documents is doubtless due to these changes in law as encouraged by Christianity. The relegation of the status of women in Ireland, it has been argued, commenced after the decisions at the Council at Birr (Biorra) in AD 697.
ONE
The young warrior halted, immobilised as if he had suddenly become a stone statue. The sword point of his opponent was resting on his neck. He felt that if he swallowed, the movement of his larynx would cause the skin to be scratched by the tip of the blade. Enda, commander of the lucht-tighe, the household guard of Colgú, King of Muman, realised that the sword point was too close to be deflected. He had allowed his shield and sword to uncover his chest ready for what he had thought would be the position from which to deliver a decisive blow against his adversary. Too late, he realised that his challenger had invited the movement in order to be able to lunge forward, low and upwards, placing the tip of the weapon in its lethal position.
Several moments of silence passed and then Enda uttered, ‘Airmaisid!’ indicating that he acknowledged the weapon had found its mark.
‘Logad?’ came the sharp question of his opponent.
‘Logad!’ Enda conceded.
The menacing sword point dropped immediately and his challenger took a step backwards, bringing up the weapon into a formal salute.
Around them, the audience of men and women burst into a brief applause before they began to disperse across the town square. Their appearance proclaimed them to be idling spectators from various walks of life from the township: from merchants to artisans and various labourers; from wo
Enda, with a stifled sigh of regret, sheathed his sword and surrendered his shield to his weapons carrier, who came readily to perform the service, as did the attendant serving his opponent. Enda now gazed at the female figure in front of him with grudging admiration. She was a full head shorter than he; less, now that she had removed her bronze war helmet, which was made higher by the image of a crouching, hissing goose. This was the symbol of the old pagan goddess of battle. His opponent was a young girl, not many years beyond the age of choice, with chestnut curling hair on which the sun caught red highlights. To say the girl was pretty might have been an exaggeration, but that she was attractive there was no doubt. Perhaps the line of her cheeks was too angular, the lips too thin, and the flashing hazel eyes set slightly too wide apart.
The skin was unusually tanned, although she was no worker in the fields. Her body was well formed, lithe but muscular. The calf muscles of her bare legs showed their strength, for she wore no metal guards on those shapely legs, just a short kilt, with a colourful linen shirt over which was a coat of protective chain mail, a form of armour that had been adopted by Celtic warriors long before their first encounters with the Romans. The girl now stood back with a broad grin of triumph at Enda.
‘You will need to better your defence before we meet in the contest in four days’ time, Enda,’ the girl advised humorously as the young man removed his helmet and wiped his forehead with his hand.
‘It is not often that I have the opportunity to try my ability with a champion of the Daughters of the Storm.’ He returned her smile with a swift bow of his head. ‘My compliments, Cera.’
‘It is not often that our princess, Gelgéis, marries the King of Muman and we can come with her to demonstrate our capabilities,’ the girl replied gravely. ‘My companions and I are looking forward to the great fair, at which we will be able to stage these mock contests to show our skills.’
Leaving their attendants to collect their weapons, shields and armour, and take them back to the fortress, Enda and his young companion turned and began to walk side by side across the main square of the township towards Rumann’s tavern. Here Enda knew that cool cider would be a welcome and fitting reward for their efforts in practising a mock combat.
Enda had been impressed when Princess Gelgéis had brought her troop of female warriors to her wedding. He had heard of the Daughters of the Storm, and had seen them at her fortress at Durlus Éile. However, he had never seen them in action. He knew that Gelgéis, as a princess of Durlus Éile, and of the ruling family of Osraige, was entitled to make her own choice of bodyguards. Although female warrior troops were no longer as popular as they had once been, Gelgéis apparently favoured the ancient tradition for her household to keep this company of female warriors. Enda had been attracted by the youngest of the troop, Cera, who also served as personal attendant to the princess. The attraction was mutual, and now the two of them found themselves practising with their weapons in order to be ready to perform a martial arts exhibition at the forthcoming fair.
Cera had explained to Enda that, centuries before, it was told that Óengus Osrithe had been the eponymous founder of the kingdom of Osraige, the ‘deer people’. He had established a special troop of female warriors because his mother, Cindnit, had been a famous warrior herself. He had married Sadb the Thrice Powerful, who had also been a great warrior. Her fierce battalion of female warriors were called Na Scaileadha, the Protectors or Shields. But the tradition of female warrior companies was now disappearing. Now only Gelgéis maintained an élite troop: the Daughters of the Storm. They mostly gave exhibitions of their martial arts prowess at the many great fairs across all the five kingdoms.
The female warrior tradition was a strong one in society. According to the ancient storytellers, it was Scáthach who taught the martial arts to all the great heroes and champions at her academy. Did not Cúchullain learn his art under her? His famous warrior’s leap, the torann chless, or thunder feat, was taught to him by her. Had he not learnt the mastery of his famous spear, the Gae Bolga, or ‘belly ripper’, at her hands? It had taken all the skills she had taught him that he had been able to overcome one of the most fearsome female warriors, Éis Énchenn. Aoife, Scáthach’s twin, also had taught warriors of renown at her martial arts academy. Bec, of the Gamanrad, and the élite warriors of Connacht, acquired a fearsome reputation, as did Cathach Chatchenn, Ceidne, Erc, and other female champions of the Fianna, the High King’s bodyguard. Even Fidelma’s own namesake, Fidelma, the Nine Times Beautiful, had been hailed as one of the great female champions.
Now, however, smaller bands of female warriors still existed, and even ran martial arts academies, but only in conditions of extreme need did the provincial kings and their nobles call upon the services of female warriors in time of war. Enda knew that, under law, it was the right, and often the duty, of women to bear arms in defence of their people, but they were never forced to do so in the manner that some extreme proponents of the New Faith were now claiming, in order to make their case against the old laws and urge the removal of such rights from women.
Enda still found himself surprised when he encountered a female warrior like Cera, who not only could hold her own in single combat with him but was an able horsewoman, could cast a spear further than most male warriors he knew, and whose archery skills were so accurate that he would prefer her at his side in battle to many of the veterans he had served with.
The idea of a martial arts display at the fair had been the suggestion of Princess Gelgéis and King Colgú. It was thought that the contests between the visiting female warriors and the Colgú’s body-guards, the Nasc Niadh, the Warriors of the Golden Collar, would inevitably arouse interest. Enda and Cera had spent time together practising, but it was not just Enda’s admiration for Cera’s martial ability that captivated him. She could hold her own on many topics of discussion. She was able to recite from memory the works of poets of the country and had even impressed Brother Dáire, the scriptor and librarian of Colgú’s household, with such knowledge. Enda confessed that she was also physically attractive to him and was amazed that his feelings were reciprocated.
In the dark tavern, which Rumann ran in the centre of the township, Enda and Cera sat down with a jug of strong, cool cider and started to talk about the upcoming fair. Around them, however, the conversation had turned to the problems of rivalry between the princes and nobles who had not come to Cashel to pay their respects at the wedding of Colgú and Gelgéis. There were two notable absences. One was Gelgéis’s own cousin, Tuaim Snámha, the petty king of Osraige, the buffer territory between the kingdoms of Laigin and Muman. Sometimes Osraige would side withLaigin and sometimes with Muman, whichever would give the greater benefit. At the moment, Tuaim Snámha was under treaty obligation to pay tribute to Cashel. In fact, it had been while facing down an uprising in Osraige that Colgú had first met Gelgéis.
The other absence, but one that was expected, was that of Fianamail, King of Laigin, who was always seeking ways to extend his kingdom into Muman.
‘Do you think Tuaim Snámha will change his mind at the last minute and accept Colgú’s invitation to attend the fair?’ Enda asked, drawn into the subject being aired around him, while sipping his drink. He knew that it had been a considerable slight that Osraige’s ruler had not attended the wedding itself. Some felt this could be ameliorated by his attendance at the fair.
Cera shook her head. ‘Tuaim Snámha feels he is now in a strong position by ignoring this event. If Colgú shows displeasure against Osraige for this insult, it might not turn out well. Any move against Tuaim Snámha could involve intercession by Fianamail. He is a shrewd ruler, and the fact that he has survived so far is surely proof of it.’
Enda could not but agree. ‘When Fianamail had to disband his army – an army he had brought to the borders of Osraige to support Tuaim Snámha – Tuaim survived even though he had surely been part of that conspiracy to rise against Cashel.’
The Chief Brehon of the five kingdoms, on behalf of the High King, had recognised Fianamail’s territorial ambitions in using Osraige to occupy parts of Muman. The Chief Brehon had kept Fianamail in check by threatening to impose the bórama tribute if it was found that he had plotted further against Muman and, for two years, an uneasy peace had been maintained.
