The Endless Circle - Chapter 15: The Feasting-Hall

"In the middle place sat the Baron, champing on his food
as spit and juices dribbled down his chin."

As the soldiers rode away from the hollow in the forest Father’s only thought was of Banac. He was proud of his boy, proud that he had found him, that he had dared to come after him in the first place. But mingled with the pride was fear, and shame: he should never have allowed Banac to get involved in this.

He tried to comfort himself. Haemel was there, Haemel would be with him. If there was anyone in the world he would trust with Banac’s life it was Haemel.

He offered up a prayer to Cafan that they would be kept safe and brought out alive. But even as he formed the words in his mind he felt the same doubt that had come to him when he had seen the soldiers on the beach and the look of fear in his wife’s eyes. When the test had come, when the world had intruded on his faith, his faith had wavered, and now he trusted more in Haemel than he ever had in Cafan.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 14: Escape

"The beremer’s eyes snapped open ..."

The beremer was still unconscious, lying with his head back and his neck exposed, his eyes shut fast. Banac hissed at him and patted his face once or twice, all the time keeping half an eye on the galac-men as they busied themselves quenching the flames. But his efforts had no effect, and time was running out.

Quickly he picked up the sword and started sawing at the ropes. The blade was sharp, and though the ropes were thick and tightly knotted they soon fell away in limp coils. Banac looked up, his heart skipping a beat as he saw how much the smoke had cleared. The galac-men had brought the fire under control, and some of them were beginning to stand back and re-organise themselves.

He looked back down at the the beremer: he was as comatose as ever, his limbs limp and heavy. A quick glance over his shoulder showed Banac the way to the trees was still clear. He made up his mind.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 13: Sunlight

"... dark shadows of hooded men pacing round the clearing ..."

When he was sure the soldiers had gone, and the wood was silent once more, Banac rose shakily to his feet and scrambled back up the bank. Balor would still be waiting for him, alone and probably terrified out of his wits. He retraced his steps back to the tree where he had left Balor; but when he reached it his stomach knotted in alarm. The place was deserted. Balor was gone.

Panic gripped him, and for a horrible moment he imagined that Balor had been found and taken away along with the beremer. Then a hiss came from near his feet, and someone whispered his name:

“Banac? Is that you?”

The Endless Circle - Chapter 12: Rescue

"It would only be a matter of seconds to untie Father’s cords ..."

Banac crouched low as he made his way towards the torches. He felt energised. No longer were they lost or aimless. He had a fresh purpose now, a mission to accomplish. He tried to think like a hero, and moved as silently as he could.

When he was close enough to the torches to feel the heat of the flames he dropped to his belly and wormed his way past them, squirming along the ground until he could look out into the camp beyond.

As his eyes adjusted to the light he saw that he was lying just above head-height on the lip of a steep bank that dropped into a wide semi-circular depression, a dark clearing dotted with figures and firelight. It was hard to make out details, but he could see horses tied on one side, and a number of camp fires here and there. About ten feet to his left a small group of figures was huddled around a fire. He lay still and tried to hear what they were saying.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 11: The Song

"... trees loomed ahead in the flickering torch-light,
hunched into twisted forms ..."

They followed a faint track down the hill, winding back and forth through knee-high gorse. At the bottom of the hill lay the edge of the wood, little more than an inky shadow under the burning sky. Banac went in front, knocking aside the thickest of the scrub with a stick; Balor followed patiently, pausing when his brother paused and walking where he walked.

They did not speak, but their silences were for different reasons. Banac was planning the next steps, feeling the exhilaration of leadership; Balor was pensive and moody, his mind’s eye turned back the way they had come, fretting and worrying about what they were doing.

The sun sank lower and lower, briefly setting the clouds on fire before she finally slipped out of sight. With her departure the sky began to darken and cool, and by the time they reached the tree-line dusk was deepening into warm, fragrant night. They stopped next to a dense hedge of chest-high ferns that flourished all along the edge of the wood. Balor flopped down on the grass, his cheeks flushed, the novelty of the adventure wearing off already.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 10: Pursuit

"The roof had become a bonfire,
smoke pouring upwards from the blazing thatch."

Balor ducked as the dull explosion ripped through the air; a fraction of a second later a blast of heat singed his face. He glanced out from the doorway where he was hiding. Everything was in chaos: people were running backwards and forwards through a billowing cloud of black smoke, shouting, crying, bleeding.

He looked around, trying to find Mother’s face in the confusion. He had lost hold of her as soon as the men had stormed up the beach and the soldiers guarding them had fled in the face of the attack. The women had scattered in panic, coming between Mother and him and wrenching his hand from hers. He had cried out for her and stumbled around desperately, hoping she would come back for him, but then the fighting had come upon him and he had run away, looking for shelter from the noise and violence. He had come upon the doorway and crouched there, his eyes tightly closed and his hands clamped over his ears, until the blast shook the door-posts and he looked out to see what had happened.

He could not make out much. The air was filling fast with black smoke, and the people dashing about were already little more than silhouettes. A gust of wind came in off the sea, clearing the air for a moment, and in that second he caught a glimpse of his house. He gasped. The roof had become a bonfire, smoke pouring upwards from the blazing thatch. The men and women were trying desperately to put it out, all thoughts of battle forgotten. Already the flames were reaching out to neighbouring houses: even as he watched another roof caught alight, and a fresh blast of heat rolled over him as cries of despair rose from the villagers.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 9: Arrest

"A slim blade sprang from nowhere and pressed against his cheek."

Banac’s stomach lurched. Balor clenched his hand tightly, and Mother drew them close. Banac could feel her hands trembling as she held their shoulders. He was breathless, tense, his mind whirling as he tried to take in what he had just heard.

No-one moved. Everyone was waiting to hear what the Elder would say. But Agwaen did not speak. He stood with the blade almost touching his throat and stared calmly at Aedwyc. The younger man began to grow visibly agitated. His arm trembled with the effort of keeping his sword raised, and his tongue darted out to moisten dry lips.

“What do you say, old man?” he snapped impatiently. “Will you tell me where this Beorod is cowering?”

Still Agwaen said nothing. Aedwyc clenched his teeth and raised the sword a little more. “Why do you protect him?” he said. “What is he worth to you? Must I put fire to these houses and swords to your women before I have an answer from you?”

“Aedwyc.” The voice was quiet, but it startled him so that he dropped his sword-arm. He turned, and the whole village turned with him to see who had spoken.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 8: The Baron's Men

"... a column of riders on great war-horses,
their mighty hooves tearing up the packed earth ..."

Banac and Balor were stiff and bleary-eyed when they woke from restless sleep the next morning. However, only Balor was ordered out of bed to start the day’s chores; and when he pointed out how unfair this was — quite reasonably, he thought — Mother slapped him on the thigh and told him not to be so unfeeling towards his brother.

While Balor howled to high heaven Banac lay with his face to the wall, ignoring the drama. Normally he would have enjoyed seeing his brother get into trouble, but on that morning he barely noticed. He was distracted, restless. Maybe it was an ache in his limbs that had started during the night; maybe it was tiredness from staying up late with Balor; maybe it was the tangle of unsolved mysteries going round and round in the back of his head.

Whatever it was, Banac felt he could not care about such petty things any more, and he lay unmoving as he listened to the sounds of the village and his family getting up and ready for the day.

The Endless Circle - Chapter 7: Pieces

When Balor arrived home Father was already there, sitting by the fire with a bowl of stew. He looked up when Balor came in, but he said nothing, and there was no suspicion in his eyes. Banac lay in bed, his face hidden, and Mother was busy with the fire. Grandfather was sitting in a corner, praying as usual. Balor’s eyes strayed over to his own bed where the stranger lay, but he was still asleep, covered with many blankets, and Balor could hardly see him.

He was itching for a few moments alone with Banac, but as soon as Mother saw him she sent him out for firewood; and when he had brought the firewood she asked him to stack pots; and when he had stacked the pots she asked him to tidy the bed-clothes; and he had no choice but to obey.

Even when he had finished all of the tasks she had given him there was still no opportunity to talk, with Mother and Father sitting so close by. Balor fidgeted and played with his fingers, the desire to share his news eating away inside him. Banac did not seem bothered, and this made Balor even more restless. Did he not want to know what had been said in the hall? Was he not even the least bit interested?

The Endless Circle - Chapter 6: The Long-Hall

When Balor woke the next morning there was still no sign of Banac. Mother’s eyes were red and raw, and she made his breakfast in silence, and Balor did not ask her any questions.

The men had come back late last night, empty-handed and grim-faced. As soon as it was light they had gone out again in another search party; but when they returned after breakfast without any success Mother’s face twisted into a funny shape, and she went into the house with Father and stayed there for a long time. Balor was not allowed in to see them.

“Leave them be for now, young ‘un,” Elred told him. “They’ve enough to worry about without you bothering them.”

He took Balor to the smithy, where he let him pound iron for a few hours until his face was black with smuts and his eyes watered, and he had forgotten about Banac completely. But by late afternoon Elred had run out of things for him to do, and he sent him home, warning him not to bother Mother and Father more than was necessary. When Balor ducked through the door he found them huddled to one side, whispering urgently in tense voices — and still Banac was nowhere to be seen.