XXI. DISQUIET

Enyo bolted upright, drenched in a cold sweat, her heart drumming in her chest. It was the third time in as many nights that she had had the dream. Alone on the fire plains, overlooking a shining city of white, a great temple where thousands worshiped. Then, came the darkness, the small eruptions like muffled explosions. The giant steel birds shrieking overhead, evacuating explosive dung over cities and leaving them as smoldering craters. Men fighting elf, cowering behind pockmarked walls as they slung invisible projectiles at one another, or concentrated beams of light that sundered flesh. The broken body of a child in her arms as the world burned around her.

The images were so vivid, so visceral, she smelled the sulfur and burning flesh, she could feel the heat of the sun over Rhode. She tasted the smoke, and even now her ears rung from the shrieking birds that rained devastation. The sound of conversation broke her from her disconcerting thoughts, and she remembered she was not alone.

Donough stiffly leaned forward to ash his cigar before taking a sip of wine. “If anyone is tae lead the council, I s’pose ye would be the best choice.”

Enyo rubbed her eyes, adjusting to the dim light cast from the candles on the table. Her uncle idly swirled his half empty glass of wine as Órfhlaith paced slowly around the table. Her brow was knitted and her gaze at her feet as she nibbled on her thumbnail. Donough groaned and massaged his neck with calloused hands, the fire light danced off the shaved sides of his head, freshly waxed and occasionally reflecting off Órfhlaith’s gross amount of gold jewelry.

“High praise coming from ye.” Órfhlaith teased absentmindedly.

Donough snarled and finished off the wine. “This is nae time fer jokes woman.”

“I suppose it isn’t.” Órfhlaith relented. “So far the people of Vergas are mostly keeping true to their word, but I fear it may not last. We need tae get that mayor out of the picture.”

Donough slammed the goblet down onto the table. “Then do it.”

Órfhlaith shook her head. “Qeb is in charge over there, we’d niver get him to agree tae anything. And young Tlalli is too busy getting what little land there is parsed oot.”

Donough leaned back in his chair, balancing on the back two legs. “We just need tae stick ‘round till the fires dae down, then we can march down tae eefrit and leave the buggers to their rocky lil’ shore.”

“And if the fires don’t die? And if Eefrit is nae more?”

“Then we’ll send some warriors back tae take care o’ it.” Donough spat. “Eth’ll get things in order if’n ye cain’t be arsed tae.”

Órfhlaith resumed pacing. “What of Aichlan? Eth would be understanding, but he’d nae keep this to hisself. Nae, we need to keep this circle small. The problem is a man with far too much power, I’m certain with him gone—“

“What’s going on Uncle?” Enyo asked as she crawled out of bed.

Donough glanced over his shoulder. “Naethin’ lass, go back tae sleep.”

Enyo rubbed her eyes as her bare feet slapped against the cold stone floor, he was treating her like a child again. She didn’t not bother to even put on pants, dressed only in her underwear, Enyo crossed the room to the impromptu council table. Defiantly, Enyo pulled out a chair and sat beside her uncle. His eyes were red, and the ashtray in front of him held about half a dozen spent cigar stubs.

Enyo pushed the ashtray away from her and looked her uncle in the eyes. “Dis’nae sound like naethin’.”

Donough looked to Órfhlaith, who shrugged noncommittally and continued to circle.

“I am a council member as well.” Enyo pressed.

“Aye lass, nae one is disputin’ that.” Donough said as he lit up another cigar. “The people o’ Vergas are bein’ difficult. We’re tryin’ tae figure oot how tae fix it from here.”

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Órfhlaith handed Enyo a weather beaten envelope. “Someone sent this in by falcon.”

Enyo read over the letter. It was a disheartening read, the city of Vergas had implemented an unjust tax on the Colby-Nau refugees and had even taken to limiting their access to the city proper.

“Well, we obviously need tae do something.” Enyo said as she smacked the letter with her opposite hand.

Órfhlaith smiled wanly. “That we do, but Vergas is over a month away. I don’t doubt Aichlan would agree to aid us, but with the war effort and everything, I can’t see him committing the troops.”

“Then we go without his blessing.” Donough grumbled. “These are oor people.”

“Why daen’t ye go by yourself then?” Enyo asked. “The mage has demonstrated the ability to teleport at a whim, and since she has been to Vergas before, I understand it is in her ability tae return.”

“Alice?” Órfhlaith asked thoughtfully.

“Aichlan’d be less inclined to allow that.” Donough said through a cloud of smoke.

“No, that might work.” Órfhlaith said as she chewed on her thumbnail. “Alice does as she pleases, and Aichlan is either unable or unwilling to stop her once her mind is fixed on something.”

Órfhlaith gathered up the letter and some of her other belongings, stopping to plant a kiss on Enyo’s forehead.

“Ye can be a stone-cold bitch sometimes, but I love ya.”

Enyo angrily wiped the lipstick from her forehead. “And where are ye goin?”

“To convince our mage to take a little trip!” Órfhlaith sang, already out the door.

Enyo folded her arms across her chest and turned a frown to her uncle. “And ye endorse this woman?”

Donough shrugged. “She knows what she’s doin’. More’n any o’ the others at least.”

Donough pointed his cigar at the bottle of wine, and Enyo obliged in pouring him another glass.

“Had the dream again did ye?”

Enyo flinched. “Aye. How did ye know?”

He chuckled. “Yer a lass nae easily shook.”

“Do ye know what it means?”

Donough took a drag from his cigar and shook his head. “Nae. Likely got it from yer ma, she was a seer or somethin’ tae that effect.”

Enyo knitted her brow. “But I don’t think what I saw was the future.”

Donough grunted and crossed his trunk like limbs across his barrel chest. “Visions come from a variety o’ places. Not all are prophetic, some are just echoes.”

They sat in silence for several moments. The visions felt so real to her, so personal.

“Did ye know my mother?” Enyo asked at length.

Donough exhaled a large cloud of smoke, and it seemed like he was intent on ignoring the question.

“Aye. I knew her. Siofra, beautiful woman, I can see a lot o’ her in you.” Donough took another hit from the cigar. “And I can’t really blame Rhydderch fer runnin’ off with her. Fool he may be; may Rhode preserve his flame.”

Enyo nervously played with her hands in her lap. “You still hate them, daen’t ye?”

“They killed me fuckin’ brother, of course I hate the bastards!” Donough drained his glass and slammed it on the table. “There ain’t nae forgivin’ that, but yer still ma kin.”

Enyo lowered her head. “I know that, that’s nae what I meant.”

“Ah know what ye meant.” Donough grumbled. “And while still just a girl in my eyes, yer a grown woman. I won’t stop ye from gettin’ tae know that side o’ yer heritage. That Rowena lass ain’t who took Rydderch from us.”

Enyo tried in vain to hide a smile. “Thank ye uncle.”

Donough waved her off. “Aye lass, now go back tae bed. We’ve a lot tae do tomorrow.”

Enyo nodded and got up from her seat. She was definitely tired, but also oddly giddy. That brief exchange had been the most she ever got out of her Uncle regarding her parents. The soldiers her grandfather gave her told her bits and pieces of the tale, how her mother was the daughter of a chieftain, the equivalent of a princess, who had gotten involved with the eldest son of a lower house in Rhode.

She understood why Donough was reluctant to speak on it. He had seen her grandfather execute Rydderch in front of his eyes, and mounted an army to seek vengeance. Even still, she would have liked to hear more about her father from the man who knew him best, rather than negatively biased second hand stories.

“Goodnight Uncle.”

“Aye.”

Enyo paused, they had a cool relationship for blood relatives, but it had long ago been accepted that that was just the way they were, yet still… Much to his and her surprise, Enyo wrapped her arms around her uncle’s neck and planted a kiss on his forehead. After the initial surprise, she was relieved to find him return the awkward embrace.