and his words bit like a blade. “I’ve been wanting to, but you were gone. I don’t want you getting in any more trouble. Like a cracked anvil, you are. What took so long?”
“Megek didn’t have any fish —”
“And so it took longer?”
“Natalenya was there.”
“Ahh.”
“She’d bought all that was left. Tregeagle’s hosting a feast tonight.”
His father moved toward the door. “That still doesn’t account for your time.”
Merlin backed up, blocking his father’s exit. “There were others. Eirish warriors.”
“Eirish … here? In Bosventor?” He clutched Merlin’s shoulder.
“They tried to steal the fish.”
“The people settled in Lyhonesse rarely come here … much less Eirish raiders. How do you know?” his father asked. “How —”
“How can I know, because I’m blind?” Merlin tightened his jaw. Why did it always come to this? Didn’t his own father think he was capable of anything? “Their speech gave them away, and Natalenya told me their clothing matched her father’s stories. Apparently Tregeagle’s fought them in the past.”
His father turned away and whispered so quietly, Merlin barely heard it.
“As have I.”
Merlin placed a hand on his father’s shoulder and gently turned him so they were again face-to-face. “What did you say? You’ve fought in a battle?” Merlin wished he could see his father’s features. Years ago he would have felt the whiskered cheeks, but now that he was older, it somehow didn’t seem right.
“Long ago,” his father said. “Before I met your mother.”
“You never told me.”
His father went to the wall and took down his sword, swung it, and put it back up again. “How many Eirish warriors were there?”
“Could have been six, maybe more.”
“Sure it wasn’t just one, and a wee one at that?”
“I’m not stupid.” Merlin said.
“I’m teasing. Why didn’t you ask Natalenya?”
Merlin tapped his staff. “I didn’t think to.”
“Maybe you had other things on your mind?”
Merlin blushed.
His father whistled. “That’s what really took so long. Let’s go find Mônda and your sister before Mórganthu does.”
Merlin wanted to tell him not to go, to somehow prevent his father from going near the Stone. But how could he say no to bringing Mônda and his sister back home? He nodded, and his father took him by the arm.
Leaving the house, they made their way to the village pasture where Mórganthu had placed the Stone the night before.
“People are here, but I don’t see Mônda … or Gana,” his father whispered. “Druidow are guarding the Stone, but their weapons are old and rusty, and their muscles are too little kindling to start a fire with anyone serious. Maybe that’s why they’re not stopping anyone from approaching the Stone.”
“Who’s here?” Merlin asked, offering up a silent prayer, for he could see now that a faint blur of blue flames radiated from the Stone.
“A crowd. Hen Crenlyn just walked by us. He’s looking at the Stone like it was a stump. Olva’s on the other side looking on. Brunyek’s further off, but I can tell he’s peeking at it. Stenno’s here too.”
“What’s he doing?” Stenno wasn’t much older than Merlin, though he streamed for tin to support his widowed mother.
“He’s on his knees near the Stone, holding his hands in front of it like he’s warming them.”
“That’s bad.”
“It’s really interesting … I wish you could see the Stone. You’d understand.”
Merlin didn’t want to, and for once in his life, he was glad of his blindness. His father led him toward the Stone but then stopped.
“What’s wrong?” Merlin asked.
“Kiff’s here. I hadn’t noticed him on the ground on the other side. He has one hand on the side of the Stone.” Raising his voice, his father called out, “Kiff … Hey, there!”
But Kifferow didn’t answer.
They walked over to him. Bending down, Merlin’s father spoke into the man’s ear, “Kiff, it’s me, Owain.” He shook Kiff’s shoulder. No response. Muttering, he braced himself and pushed the big man over onto his back.
Kifferow sneezed, shook his head, and sat up. “You … You did that!”
“Sure, I pushed your pig belly over.”
“You broke my dream.” Kifferow rose to his feet with a grunt and belted Owain across the jaw, knocking him down. “You take that!” he shouted, raising his fist again.
“Kiff, stop!” Merlin stepped in between the men, but Kifferow slammed him in the shoulder, knocking him backward. The world turned sideways, and Merlin found himself lying across his father’s legs with his face in the dirt.
Mônda appeared from the haze and called out loudly, “Leave him alone, Kiff. And Merlin, get off your father!” She wrapped her arms around her husband’s shoulders