BARD VI

Dicuil, the fiery archdruid who was a terror to northern Erin, had perished. The bard Felimid mac Fal had undone him. Although Dicuil’s protege and pupil, Sunspear, still lived and had sworn vengeance on Felimid, the bard did not fret greatly. He expected Sunspear’s own vanity and excess of ambition to bring him down, and ignored him for three years.

Family matters, and his renewed bardic training, held his attention now, but to ignore Sunspear was a mistake. His avowed foe had not fallen. Ruarc Sunspear had risen to power and glory, a king to be reckoned with in the north, promising to renew the ancient splendours of a legendary royal seat and drive the Christians from Erin. A mighty warrior, splendid in appearance, a man other men followed, a magician who could command fire elementals, a personage with a gift for domination and management, he now daunted even the great northern dynasty of the Uí Néill. Not even Sunspear’s natural gifts seemed enough to explain that.

Indeed, it had been a mistake to ignore him.

Now Felimid would have to travel north and correct it, his allies a scarred seeress, a ragged band of monks, and a shape-changing selchie, or see Erin burn in red warfar...