Pendragon

TWO

'They know they cannot stand against us,' Conaire boasted. 'We have driven them away.' The nobles were inclined to agree with Conaire; most lords viewed the barbarian departure in an auspicious light. Arthur knew better.

'The Black Boar has not given up the fight,' the High King told the onlookers. 'He has merely gone to easier plunder elsewhere.'

'What do we care about that?' Brastias countered. 'He has left Ierne, and that is all that matters.'

'Is it?' Arthur turned on the unruly lord. 'Amilcar has left before – only to appear again farther down the coast.' He summoned the Irish lords. 'You know your island best,' he began, 'therefore you must ride the coasts to determine where the Black Boar has gone.'

'It will take time,' Conaire warned. 'There are more wrinkles in the shore than stars in the sky.'

'Then you must go with all haste,' Arthur bade him. After a short discussion it was determined that each king, leading a scouting party of six men, would search out a different portion of coastline, thus making a complete circuit of the island. They would then hasten back with the report. Meanwhile, Arthur's own ships would begin a sweeping search – some working north, around the headlands and then south, through the narrows, others sailing south down the west coast, then around to the east and up.

'It is a most inelegant plan,' Arthur observed as the first scouting party rode from the camp. He paused, his brow heavy-furrowed as he watched the riders depart. 'God knows, I can think of no other way.'

'There is no other way,' Bedwyr replied. 'You have observed the most prudent course, and there is nothing more to be done until the scouts return. Put it from your mind, Bear.'

But Arthur could not put it from his mind. The days passed – and how they creep with numbing slowness for those who wait. After six days had gone, Arthur posted sentries on the high ground to watch the approaches from the east, west, north, and south, charging them to bring word the instant they saw anyone returning.

While the rest of the camp settled back to wait, the High King prowled the perimeter-a most restless bear; he ate little and slept less, growing more irritable by the day. Gwenhwyvar and Bedwyr tried to pacify him, and when their own attempts failed, they brought the problem to me.

'Such anxiety is not good for him, surely,' the queen said. 'Myrddin, you must do something.'

'What do you suppose I can do that you cannot?'

'Talk to him,' suggested Bedwyr. 'He always listens to you.'

'And what would you have me tell him?' I countered. 'Shall I say: Do not worry, Arthur, all will be well? He is right to worry. Amilcar has placed us in perilous difficulty and Arthur knows it. Think, Bedwyr: we cannot move from here until we know where the Boar has gone. Meanwhile, the barbarians are free to strike where they will.'

'I know that,' Bedwyr said icily. 'I only meant that it does Arthur no good to fret about it.'

'He is the king! Should he not fret for his own?' I replied.

Bedwyr rolled his eyes. 'Bards!'

'It is no help to quarrel among ourselves,' Gwenhwyvar interposed. 'If we cannot calm Arthur, at least we need not add to his worries.'

In the evening of the ninth day, two riders under Fergus' command returned to say that the northwestern coast from Malain Bhig to Beann Ceann had been scoured. 'No enemy ships sighted anywhere,' the scout said. 'Lord Fergus presses the search north to Dun Sgeir.'

Four days later, scouts returned from the east coast. 'We ranged as far south as Loch Laern,' they said, 'and saw naught but your own ships working down the narrows, lord. The pilot said they had seen no sign of the Vandali either.'

Seven days more brought further news: no enemy ships anywhere on the west coast from Dun Iolar to Gaillirnh Bay. After that the reports came more rapidly – one or two a day – and all with the same account: no enemy ships; the Vandali were nowhere to be found. If any thought this information would cheer Arthur, they were mistaken. Despite the encouragement of his lords, he greeted these reports with deepest dread – as if each negative sighting confirmed a dire suspicion.

The only variation in the pattern came from the last of the parties led by Laigin, whose scouts had searched out the remote and sparsely populated finger-thin peninsulas of the south coast. 'There were ships, I believe; but we did not see them,' Laigin said. 'The people of the Ban Traigh say that many ships were there, although no invaders attacked.'

'When?' asked Arthur.

'That is the strange thing,' the Irish lord answered. 'It seems they were there when the Black Boar was fighting here.'

'That cannot be,' suggested one of the Britons; I think it was Brastias. 'They are in error. It must have been before the battle -'

'Or after, more like,' suggested Owain.

'What difference can it make now?' wondered Urien. 'They are gone, and that is what matters.'

Arthur glared at the man, but could not bring himself to answer such foolishness. He wrapped himself in his stifling silence and stalked off. Nor could he be persuaded to speak again until two days later when his own ships returned. Barinthus, having directed the undertaking, came before his king with the final report. 'We have encircled the island entire, and have seen neither hull nor sail in any hiding north, south, east, or west. The black ships have gone from these waters.'

'Say it loud!' cried Conaire, pushing himself forward. 'The enemy is defeated! What further proof is needed? We have won!'

Fergus, eager to offer his thanks, took up the cry. 'Hail, Arthur! Ierne is free! The barbarian is defeated!'

At this, the entire camp loosed a wild, heart-stirring cheer. The celebration, long denied, began then and there; the Irish kings called for their bards to compose victory songs, and the ale was poured anew. The campfires were built up and several head of fat cattle quickly butchered and set to roast on spits over the flames. The long, anxious wait was over: Ierne was free, the victory complete.

After days of inactivity, the lords and warriors leapt at the chance to release their anxiety in revelry. It was as if the entire camp had been holding its breath until now, and found, to its great relief, that it could breathe once more. While the meat roasted and ale splashed from skin to jar to cup, the bards began reciting their songs, extolling the virtues of the assembled warbands and their champions. At the conclusion of each recitation, the warriors applauded with noisy acclaim. The best efforts also had their material reward – the patron lords bestowing on their Chiefs of Song lavish ornaments of silver and of gold – inspiring ever more exalted feats of praise and wordplay.

But Arthur stood apart and watched the rejoicing with a cold eye. Gwenhwyvar, having borne her concern with great fortitude for so many days, could not but reproach him for his gloom. 'Your scowl could sour honey,' she told him. 'Ierne has shaken off the invader. That is the best news we could receive.'

He turned his scowl upon his wife. 'That,' he told her curtly, 'is the worst news of all. The very thing I feared most has befallen us.' He flung a hand to the roistering warriors. 'The saving of Eiru is the ruin of Ynys Prydein!'

With that he stormed into the centre of the gathering and, snatching the hunting horn from Rhys, raised it to his lips and gave a loud blast. Expecting a speech of commendation and the bestowal of gifts, the crowd called for silence and pressed close about to hear what the High King would say. When he knew that they could hear him, Arthur spoke. 'The victory is won for Ierne, but you must continue your celebration alone. For I must return to Britain at once.' Arthur then commanded the Britons to begin preparing to leave.

'Nay, Arthur. Nay!' Fergus cried. 'You have suffered much for our sake; therefore you must stay, take your rest, and let us feast you three days. It is but a small thing in light of your toil on our behalf.'

'I thank you, and my lords thank you,' Arthur replied. 'It may be that we will all meet again, if God wills, to renew our feast in better times. I fear we have waited here too long already.'

'One day more, at least,' Fergus insisted. 'You must allow us to pay proper homage to the victory you have won for us. For I swear by head and hand, without you there would be no free man drawing breath this day.'

Conaire, lurking nearby, heard this and grimaced with distaste. 'Lord Arthur has spoken, Fergus. It is not meet to keep such exalted men from their lofty affairs.'

Some of the nearby British lords heard the remark, and bristled at it. Urien leapt to his feet, fists clenched. 'Irish filth!' he growled, his voice low.

Gerontius started forward. Brastias threw out a restraining arm. 'Be easy, brother.'

Owain, nearest Arthur, rose to his feet. 'Lord Arthur,' he called loudly, 'we have waited this long; one day more will make no difference. Whether in feast or fight, I would have these Irish kings know that Britain stands foremost,' he concluded, eyeing Conaire with cool defiance.

The other Britons quickly assented to Owain's suggestion – repudiating Conaire's discourtesy. But Arthur would not be moved.

'Not a moment more may be spared,' he insisted. 'Gather your men, Owain – you and your brother lords – and make for the ships. We sail for Ynys Prydein at once.'

The High King's decision was thoroughly resented by all the warriors and most of the lords. Only those who knew Arthur best accepted his command, even if they did not understand it. Only Cai, Bedwyr, Cador, and myself thought he had acted wisely; the rest regarded his behaviour as rash, uncouth and inconsiderate.

Nevertheless, the ships were soon full-laden and the arduous process of moving Britain's war host began once more. As on the previous crossing, the wind refused to aid us in any but the most ineffectual manner; we made up for its lack by plying the oars – which most warriors regarded as tedious punishment. When resting from their labours, the Cymbrogi drowsed or talked, filling the long summer day. As the sun ploughed its slow furrow across the empty skyfield, I stood at the prow, listening to the talk around me and the slow, rhythmic splash of the oars, gazing at the heat-haze dancing on the flat level horizon. I felt the sun hot on my head, smiting me with peculiar intensity. And I began to wonder how long it had been since the last rain. How long since I had last seen a sky grey with clouds and felt a cool north breeze on my face?

Deep in thought I heard a voice call out to me: We have no choice. Burn it down. Burn it to the ground.

This strange intrusion startled me. I turned to see who had spoken – but all was as before: men in their various positions of repose, no one paying particular attention to me. It took me a moment to realize I had not heard the voice at all-not with my ear, at least. The voice had come to me as voices some times do.

I strained to hear more, but it was gone already. 'No choice,' I whispered to myself, repeating what I had heard. 'Burn it down.'

What did it mean?

Another long hot day followed, and another; we glimpsed the cragged west coast of Britain in the twilight, but it was dark when we entered Mor Hafren, and the tide was flowing against us. Rather than disembark in the dead of night on the rocky coast, our small fleet anchored, waiting for the tide to turn before making our way up the estuary channel to the landing-place below Caer Legionis.

It was not until daybreak that we were able to proceed. As ours was the lead ship, we were first to taste smoke on the morning air, and first to sight the dark, ugly haze smudged across the eastern sky. Alas! We were first also to behold that sight most dreaded in our race's long experience: the black bank formed by the massed hulls of enemy ships.

The hateful keels had been driven hard aground, and the ships – scores of them, in all shapes and sizes, enough to serve an emperor! – hundreds of ships, lashed together rail-to-rail and put to the torch. The sails and hulls must have burned for days – even now the smoke rolled heavenward from the smouldering masts and keels.

Oh, but there were so many! Score upon score of enemy ships – many times more than we had encountered in Ierne- and all of them fired to the waterline. We gazed with shock and dismay at the loathsome sight, and rued the meaning in our bones.

For the Black Boar was loose in the Island of the Mighty. And, Blessed Jesu have mercy, he meant to stay.