The Mammoth Book of Historical Crime Fic - By Mike Ashley Page 0,80

busy displaying the new discovery to Aunty Grizzel in the sunshine outside the weaving-hut. She was looking down the blade with obvious admiration – after Fearn had demonstrated what damage he could do to a discarded mat – when Kyle, Estra and a sweating Uncle Lurgan came puffing up the path.

“What in the world are you thinking of – letting him loose with that thing, Grizzel!” he remonstrated. “Surely you don’t imagine that his father will have intended him to retrieve it in such a haphazard, unorganized way. It’s for a man to win in manly ceremony – not for children to play with. If I had known of its existence – and I cannot imagine why I was not informed of its potential discovery by one of his uncles; at least, if Artin understandably would not yet be expecting the time to be ripe – I would have put Fearn into training, composed a suitable ritual … Really, it’s unforgivable!”

With quite astonishing speed, Lurgan had retrieved the scabbard from its resting place across a wool basket, plucked the dagger from Grizzell’s unsuspecting grasp, and belted off back down the path to the river.

To Niav’s surprise, it was Kyle who dashed fiercely after him, followed by Fearn, and they attempted a tackle half way down the steep road. Lurgan broke free from them with unexpected speed and skill and Fearn fell heavily on his back. Kyle made a grab at Lurgan’s kilt and almost had him down, but only got smacked severely in the lip for his pains. Lurgan was away in the coracle as fast as lightning.

The three girls came tearing down the hill to find the two bewildered boys stranded on the bank.

Kyle was not allowed to cross the river the next day and Estra and Canya ruefully told Niav and Fearn that their parents had had the bronze blade securely hidden away by the time they reached home.

The five children – who so nearly bordered on not being children – were completely bereft. Aunty Grizzel was quietly furious. For once, Niav and Canya agreed with Estra in hoping that Aunty Grizzel would have decided to pour a few appropriate libations to deities who might take an active interest.

***

It was a pivotal moment, the point at which childhood dreams came to an end. In respect of Estra and Canya, in particular, Helygen decided it was time for them to concentrate on adult occupations – they must knuckle down and think of the future. Kyle and Fearn were kept apart for almost a week.

Estra, like Niav, was perfectly content, in fact most enthusiastic, to take up an adult role in helping with the family’s responsibilities for care and healing, but they both had trouble with trying to pretend that any of the local male talent raised the faintest flutter in their breasts. One would not have known what Canya felt about any of her young admirers; she was incapable of being unkind to anyone, so never voiced her feelings to anyone on the subject.

Kyle and Fearn were a different matter. Niav felt that Fearn was quietly seething – she did not know when he would break out, but she knew it would be well-planned when he did. In due course, Fearn built his own, small hut, further up the ridge, but still had a way of turning up at meal times, or bringing his washing along to be dealt with alongside theirs. However, his bed – on the right-hand side of the fire – that had been Diarma’s before him, remained empty.

Kyle was a mystery. He stayed at home, but he seemed bewildered that he had attacked his father. He didn’t come over to the west bank so often. Maybe he had never expected Lurgan to take the action he did. Maybe he feared that Fearn might feel betrayed by him and take appropriate vengeance – in other words, maybe he remained the suspicious, if slightly larger, stoat that he always had been.

***

No one could have suggested that, down by the river, there was any lack of opportunity within the seasons of the year for young persons to show their interest in members of the opposite sex.

Winter and summer, there was a whole succession of ceremonies to celebrate life, death, and, with special reference to the young, fertility. Even in the heart of winter, two hazelnuts, representing a would-be pairing, could be placed side by side in the embers. If they burned together slowly, it was said to bode