stone again if he followed Mórganthu? These were strange goings-on, and if Garth stuck around long enough to eat his chicken leg, maybe he could get another. Maybe even a third.
He followed Mórganthu through a thick stand of pines stepped into a clearing, and realized he’d come to the old circle of stones Merlin had told him about. Stretching over a hundred feet from one end of the field to the other, the circle was made up of twenty-eight majestic rocks, each evenly spaced at twelve-foot intervals. The stones stood between ten and fifteen feet tall, and Garth felt very small next to them. The builders had cut smooth the side facing the center, while the outer faces had been left rough. Lichen covered their north faces, and rain, wind, and sun had weathered them for too many generations to count.
Inside the circle of stones sat what appeared to be more than one hundred men. Each one had blue scars on his arms like Mórganthu, and some had the marks on their faces.
“Sir,” Garth asked, “are you a druid? Is this one o’ yer gatherins?”
Mórganthu smiled. “Yes, yes, I am. And not since the bloody swords of the Romans drove us from the island of Inis Môn has our order of druidow met in such numbers.”
Garth caught his breath as every one of the assembled men turned and saw him standing next to Mórganthu. Their stares made Garth want to hide behind his companion, especially when the nearest man’s hand went to his blade.
“I have brought a guest, as you can see,” Mórganthu announced. “And I declare him, by my right as the arch druid, my guest to witness our proceedings.”
The men began to grumble.
“Do not gainsay me. By his actions I have deemed the lad worthy and not one who is persuaded against us. For shall not all witness the great change that will come upon Britain? Perhaps he will be an important part of that change.” Mórganthu placed his right hand on Garth’s head and held his staff up for all to see.
The druidow appeared to relax, though many still eyed Garth suspiciously.
He hid himself just outside the circle next to one of the stones as Mórganthu and his son walked down an aisle toward the center. As they passed, the crowd began to murmur.
“What has he brought?”
“The tarp …”
“There is power …”
“Why secret?”
Mórganthu stepped to the center of the circle. He stood next to a four-foot-wide patchwork leather tarp, which covered a circle of seven long wooden stakes driven into the ground, creating a small tent.
Mórganthu motioned for silence and handed his staff and chicken leg to Anviv.
Garth took a bite of his chicken leg but wished he had both.
“Brothers of our order! Blessed druidow, knowledgeable filidow, and greatly esteemed brihemow! You have been called here … Yes, you have been called here to witness the rebirth and restoration of our order.”
He paused.
The men shouted their acclamation. Staffs were raised all around, druid sticks shook, and small bells rang.
“What can give us back our power?” a tall man in red bellowed from the right.
Mórganthu pointed his finger at the man. “Do you think the gods weak? I tell you they have revealed a power to me! It is here in our possession.”
He walked slowly southeastward and began a circuit around the low tarp covering.
“Revealed? How?” a balding man with a stout crutch shouted from the left.
The sun broke from the damp clouds and shone upon Mórganthu.
“Tell us. Why believe you?” another demanded.
“Believe … believe,” Mórganthu said as he turned to him. “This was revealed to me in a dream.” Circling left-wise around the small tent, he retrieved his staff, and its white gem dazzled Garth’s eyes. “A blessed dream.”
“What did the gods say?” a short man in a pointed fur hat questioned from the right. Other voices seconded.
“Time. In due time. First, know that I have been chosen to reveal what has lain hidden for my entire lifetime.” He untied the ropes so that the leather tarp quivered in the breeze.
The gathering became silent.
Mórganthu grasped the covering and pulled it away with a flourish.
“Behold!”
CHAPTER 7
THE STONE
A fly buzzed in Merlin’s left ear, and he swatted the insect away. He shook his head and gradually realized he was sitting up. Birds called, and a light wind swept through his hair.
Opening his eyes, he found he could still see clearly, and his back didn’t hurt.
He sat at the edge of a lake with lush grasses growing on the slanted