Where
they had fetched up on land was not near the Fortress of the Black
Pool, but a lonely, marshy shore, far to the south of it, that none but Tally
had ever seen often.
Not that this was much of a hindrance to Deirdre, for, nearly in
the same moment as jumping onto land, she was off northward like an
arrow, and it was up to Meg and Tally and Fia to follow her, past a
vast herd of lowing cattle, past the black pool, all the way to the
gates of the earthen ring still under repair, which Meg was tempted
to smash through in haste, yet Deirdre politely sidled between, and
then up the narrow land to the fortress itself, and then to bang on
the great oak door –
"Who could that be?" said a voice from the other side of
a small door within the great door. A panel slid open. Two eyes
peered out. Two eyes grew wide. "Impossible!" the panel
slammed shut and the door opened. An old man hobbled out the door.
"Is it you? Deirdre?"
Deirdre nodded.
"You look like one of the Good Neighbors. Is this some sort
of trick? Quick, what's my great-grandfather's name?"
"Fionn," said Meg. "Good to see you again, Ailill."
"Meg!" said the old man. "You made it back in one
piece! But you shouldn't be answering for your dear here."
"I must," said Meg. "Deirdre can no longer speak
aloud. And yet she appears to wish an audience with…the Queen? I
think?"
"Gone," said Aillil. "Gone on the march, with her
Hound. She wanted to subdue a few of the more independent villages.
Said something about how there was nothing in her way now that she
was certain a certain someone wouldn't be coming back." He
shrugged. "Don't know where exactly she went though."
"Do you not," growled Meg.
"Please permit me at least a little plausible deniability,"
said Ailill. "And we never spoke." He darted back through
the door and slammed it shut.
Meg turned to Deirdre.
"Time we disobey our Queen," signed Deirdre.
"Just like always," said Meg aloud. "Race you."
And so the great earthen ring of the Fortress of the Black Pool
was left with yet another hole as Meg charged straight through it,
Deirdre close at her heels. The pastures and meadows and wheat fields
were left with an earthen track where Meg charged straight through
them. That is why, to this day, there is a road that goes straight
from the eastern shore westward, right up the hills and down them.
The only parts that bend are the parts where Meg and Deirdre raced
straight through the peat bogs, where in later years the people
following the road had to go around.
The field before the walls of Meg's village was left with a great
trench where Meg and Deirdre skidded to a stop right between Conall
and the queen's retinue. There was the queen in her chariot, with
Áed, the Queen's Hound, beside; there were her warriors behind her.
They did not look happy to see Meg in front of them.
But they did look happy to see Deirdre. "It's her!" one
of them cried. "It's Deirdre! She’s alive!" All the
warriors cheered.
"Looking a bit brighter than before," said Conall, as he
stood beside Deirdre. "Kind of looks like she took a deal from
the Good Neighbors."
Deirdre opened her mouth to speak, and said nothing.
"It does indeed," said the Queen. She stroked her chin.
"Nonetheless, how convenient. My two greatest warriors, here to
administer this village after all. I was worried that this place was
getting a little independent. Perfect. I don't have to subdue this
place with violence after all." She gave Conall a pointed look.
Meg cracked her knuckles and planted her feet, for she was indeed
ready to do as much violence as necessary to get the Queen to
go away.
Deirdre tapped her on the shoulder. She did not flinch when Meg's
furious glare turned her way. "We don't need to disobey openly,"
she signed. "Just agree to be the village overseer, and we then
can forget to pay taxes."
Meg sighed. "As you wish," she signed. She turned to the
queen, bowed, and said aloud, "You are correct, my lady. We are
here at your service."
"Marvelous!" said the queen. "I expect that this
place will start paying a decent revenue again. And I look forward to
having you in my service for the coming campaigns. That young fool
Rory thinks he has us matched evenly right now."
Meg straightened up and looked her queen in the eyes. She did not
appear to have any guile in them, but Meg knew her well enough.
"Surely, my lady, it would be better for me to remain here, and
watch closely over a village that has grown independent? If these
people need keeping in line, then I will have to devote my attention
to them."
"As you wish," said the queen. "I shall be glad to
have Deirdre by my side, then. She is as capable a fighter as you, and she will be even more frightening to the enemy, now."
Meg and Deirdre glanced at each other. Their eyes did not require
a word, signed or aloud, to communicate volumes.
"I daresay they will not be separated," said Conall.
The queen glared at Conall again.
"I concur," said Fia beside the chariot.
The queen, her Hound, her horses, and all her warriors startled.
The horses reared and charged forward, only to be turned aside from
trampling Conall by Áed hauling on the reins. Unfortunately, this
turned them towards Fia, who, still getting to her feet after the
chariot charged forward, had not got out of the way.
Meg found herself with Fia in her arms, at the edge of the forest.
"You are such a reckless child," said Meg. "You
nearly caused someone to get hurt."
"Sorry, Mother," said Fia.
"Excuse me?"
"I'm adopting you," said Fia. "It's fun running
around on my own but sometimes it isn't nice, and anyway you acted like a mom as soon as you met me, and I missed you
for a whole year and – "
"You are such a bold child," said Meg. "Come on."
She set Fia down, and led her back towards the queen's retinue at a
sober pace.
Everything had settled down enough that the queen and her retinue
was approaching as Meg and Fia approached them. The queen did not
look happy. "That girl," said the queen. "Whose child
is she?"
"She's – " Meg glanced at Fia. "She's mine."
"Then keep better control of her!" said the queen.
"Honestly, should I expect that you can handle this village if
you can't handle one child? Last year your clan chief told me a funny
little man stole the cattle he'd requisitioned from you, and then
these miscreants told me last month that they weren't giving me
anything at all! I've been wasting resources against them ever
since!"
Meg shrugged.
"Here's an idea," said Fia. "If Mother here
oversees the village, then you don't have to send as many warriors to
keep an eye on this place."
"An extra hundred warriors might make up for losing Meg and
Deirdre," said Conall.
The queen eyed Fia suspiciously. Then she eyed Conall
suspiciously. Then she rolled her eyes. "I hate to admit it, but
you make a good point. But I will be expecting a proper revenue out
of this place from now on."
And so she stepped back into her chariot, Áed gave Meg an evil
glare, and the queen's retinue departed.
"You are a helpful child," signed Deirdre.
"I know, Mama," said Fia.
Deirdre raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't wait for me to make the
offer?"
"She doesn't wait for anything unless it's Meg," said
Tally beside Fia.
Meg jumped.
"Sorry," said Tally. "It seems like a day for
showing up unexpectedly."
"I assume you've got our little incident committed to
memory," said Meg.
"I'm adding it to the song," said Tally. "I will
admit, I was worried that things would get boring as soon as you and
Deirdre settled down. But your village is apparently preparing to
defy your queen, Fia just adopted two parents – "
"Three," said Fia.
Tally gave Fia a significant glance. "I guess I should have
expected that."
"And Fia will learn," signed Deirdre, "how to do
something very important. As will everyone, soon."
Tally's eyes grew wide. "Deirdre – "
"Don't talk me out of it." Deirdre took Fia by the hand,
and led everyone towards the village.