Chara swung round. Eain Cochland was sitting now by the far wall, his big overcoat drawn about his body.
Draig rolled to his knees then scrambled across to his brother. Chara was on the other side of him. Swiftly she opened his coat. Beneath it Eain’s shirt was soaked in blood. Drawing her knife, Chara sliced away the cloth. Draig saw that Eain had been shot in the chest and belly. A bulging section of entrails was showing.
‘Are we going home now?’ Eain repeated.
Draig looked into his brother’s face, and could think of nothing to say. Chara pulled the coat back into place, and sat quietly beside the brothers.
‘Are you going to mend him?’ asked Feargol.
‘Shhh,’ murmured Chara, rising and leading the boy away.
‘Told you I could shoot,’ said Eain.
‘Yes, you did,’ Chara whispered over her shoulder.
‘Shouldn’t have got involved, though. I’m going home.’ Eain moved as if to rise, but Draig gently pushed him back.
‘We’ll just sit here for a while, eh? Gather our strength. Then we’ll go,’ he said.
‘I’m starting to hurt, Draig. Did you kill Tostig?’
‘No. Chara did that. Shot the bastard through the throat.’
‘Like to have seen that,’ said Eain.
‘I’m sorry, Eain. I shouldn’t have brought you with me. You were right. Not our concern.’
‘You say that, but it won’t make no difference. Next time you’ll still go off pigheaded. You won’t listen to me.’
‘I will. Next time.’
‘I’ll hold you to that. Still, we won, eh? So no harm done then. Did you get any of them?’
‘I got two.’
Eain smiled. ‘Two each, eh? Your head looks bad.’
‘Tostig shot me. Ball bounced off my skull. Feels like I’ve been butted by a bull.’
Eain groaned. ‘I think they nicked me, you know. Bastards came running in as I was clearing away the pots. I fell over. Got ’em both, though. Think I’ll sleep for a while. I’ll feel better in the morning.’
‘Yes, you sleep. You get some rest. You did well, Eain.’
After a while Chara came alongside Eain, and gently touched her fingers to his throat. ‘He’s gone,’ she said. Draig reached out and stroked his brother’s face.
‘I know. Just leave me with him for a while. All right?’
‘I am so sorry, Draig.’
‘Don’t matter,’ he said, gruffly, his voice breaking. ‘Didn’t like him anyway.’ His head dropped forward and Chara saw that he was weeping. She moved back quietly to where the children were waiting.
Jaim was trembling now from the shock of the attack. At two he had no sense of the reality of the danger he had faced. But he had seen men fall down and not get up. He hugged Chara tightly. ‘Bad men, Mama,’ he said.
‘Yes, my sweet, they were bad men.’
Feargol sat very quietly. Chara settled herself down, Jaim on her lap, and reached out to the boy. He gave a sad little smile and leaned in to her. Chara closed her eyes, saddened that the vileness of the world should have scarred these two children. She could think of nothing to say to comfort them. In the background they could all hear the sound of Draig’s weeping. Chara leaned back, resting her head on the cold wall of the cave.
‘Someone is coming,’ whispered Feargol.
Setting Jaim aside Chara eased her pistol from her belt, and cocked it.
A moon shadow fell across the cave entrance, and a small woman with white hair came into sight. ‘Have you come to take Eain home?’ asked Feargol.
‘Yes, child,’ said the Wyrd of the Wishing Tree woods. ‘Now let us go back to the fire, where you can rest.’
‘I’m not sleepy,’ said Feargol.
‘You will be,’ she promised him. Chara lifted Jaim and they moved quietly back to the dying fire. Jaim stared at the bodies of the two assassins with wide, fear-filled eyes. The Wyrd spread out blankets for the two children. Jaim began to cry as Chara laid him down, but the Wyrd gently touched his brow and the child instantly fell asleep. She did the same for Feargol. Chara covered the boys with blankets, then added fuel to the fire. The Wyrd moved silently to where Draig sat, holding his brother’s hand.