least double that as Ironfist drew armies from north, south and east to bolster his forces.
Branwen looked pensively into the fire.
‘A kiss for your thoughts.’
She turned to stare at Iwan, only half hearing his comment. ‘What was that?’
He smiled. ‘You were frowning,’ he said, sitting up. ‘I wondered what you were thinking about.’
‘I was wondering what would happen when Prince Llew arrives and Meredith is married to Drustan,’ she said.
‘There will be feasting and merrymaking, and many will wake the next morning with heads as thick and heavy as holm oak logs,’ Iwan said.
Branwen shook her head. ‘I meant what would happen to us.’
‘The Gwyn Braw will continue the fight against Ironfist,’ Iwan said.
Banon came and sat with them while Aberfa listened from close by, rhythmically drawing the spearhead across the stone.
‘And are we strong enough to hold back the Saxon tide?’ Banon asked.
Iwan raised an eyebrow. ‘We eight warriors alone? Ha! Of course we are. We need do no more than have Branwen call Ironfist out to single combat. The last time they fought, he lost an eye. Perhaps on a second tournament he will return to his folk minus his swollen head.’
‘Fain took out his eye,’ Branwen reminded him. ‘But I wonder more at the moment what sweet words Angor is pouring into the king’s ears about us. He hates us with a vengeance, and he is nothing more than the mouthpiece of Prince Llew.’
‘No matter what Llew and his trained fighting-dog may think of us, they cannot afford to lose us yet,’ Iwan reassured her. ‘The king will be true to us, have no fear. He also needs us while the Saxon threat looms.’
‘I trust the king,’ Branwen muttered, staring into the flames. ‘But I do not trust the prince. I have a bad feeling about this truce.’
‘Then let’s be the king’s eyes and ears,’ said Iwan. ‘If Llew ap Gelert proves false, let us be the ones who reveal it.’
Branwen nodded. ‘A good plan,’ she said. ‘We shall watch his every move.’
Aberfa’s deep voice broke the silence that followed Branwen’s words. ‘Will the Shining Ones aid us when the great battle comes?’ she asked.
Branwen turned to her, oddly surprised by the question, although she supposed she should not have been. ‘I don’t know,’ she said. ‘Blodwedd has always told me that the Shining Ones only hold power within Brython.’
‘Meaning that even if they are still friendly towards us, they may be unable to help if we are fighting on Saxon ground?’ murmured Iwan.
‘If they are still friendly,’ added Banon. ‘We turned away from them to come here. Will they have forgiven that?’
‘I think they have,’ said Branwen. ‘They do not show themselves to me, but I know they are close by. How else have we done such things these past months and come to so little harm?’
‘What of Linette?’ Iwan asked mildly.
‘She will recover,’ said Branwen. ‘The Shining Ones won’t let any of us die.’ She stood up. ‘Have any of you seen Fain?’
Aberfa pointed with the spearhead to a high beam in the roof. Branwen saw the falcon perched up there, warm and snug in the rising heat of the fire.
‘Good. Let him rest, he has deserved it,’ said Branwen. ‘I will go now and see how Linette is doing. Oh, and the king wants us all to attend the feast tonight.’
‘Then we shall,’ said Iwan, springing up. ‘With a light heart and a ready wit.’
Branwen eyed him. ‘With neither, for my part,’ she said. ‘But we shall obey.’
Branwen arrived at Linette’s hut to find the girl asleep in the firelight while Blodwedd and Rhodri sorted herbs from a large basket and used a mortar and pestle to mash the half-Saxon healer’s miraculous pastes and unguents.
‘Pendefig has been here,’ Rhodri told Branwen. ‘He has given me herbs and roots from his own store. I think they will help.’
‘He gave us a charm of nine herbs that he believes will make a great difference,’ added Blodwedd, gesturing towards where small bundles of herbs lay ready on the ground. ‘Mugwort, waybread, lamb’s cress, cockspur grass, camomile, nettle, chervil, fennel, crab apple – we have them all.’
‘And a rhyme that addresses each of them,’ said Rhodri. ‘Pendefig says to speak the charms into Linette’s mouth and into both her ears and also recite it over her injury.’
‘All the herbs were picked at judicious times and with the appropriate rituals,’ said Blodwedd, floating her hand over them. ‘I can feel their power.’
‘That’s all to the good.’ Branwen crouched at