Page 3 of Rise of the Morrigan
PART I:
Babd ? Sétanta
1
Fifteen Years Earlier
"He did somethingwith her," Babd said, her hands firmly on her hips. Her two sisters—Macha and Anand—had dismissed Babd's worries before. Not the first time the triplets' mother had taken a week's retreat to visit family. Her marriage to their father was astrategicone, meant to unite the clans and consolidate their father's power. Now, Fionn MacCumhail was the undisputed chief of the Fianna.
But mother had been gone for almost a whole cycle. This time was different. She never spent more than a week with family.
Macha, Babd's darker haired sister, sighed. "What do you think he did to her?"
Anand shook her head. Her hair was a lighter hue of brown than Macha's. Anand was Fionn's favorite—a fact that had always perturbed Babd. "Father wouldn't harm mother. If he did, the clans would rise against him."
Babd sighed. "But why wouldn't he tell us where she is?"
Anand shrugged. "You know father. He will not show weakness. Perhaps thy had a tiff and his pride is wounded. She'll be back soon enough."
Babd shook her head. She wasn't surprised that Anand was the first to defend him. Fionn wasn't exactly a loving father. Not abusive. Just cold and distant. Always consumed with matters of war and power. If he wasn't leading the clan's warriors against some kind of enemy he was locked alone in his study, planning for war and drinking himself dumb. That was why he'd gravitated to Anand. She was the intellectual one—gifted in matters of knowledge and reason. Hevaluedher. More than once, Anand claimed, father had emerged victorious in battle only because he'd followed her strategies. He prized Macha, too, though for different reasons. She was strikingly beautiful—a daughter he presumed might one day be given in marriage to forge a strong alliance.
Anand and Macha wereuseful...
But Babd was good for little more than housework. She was the plain daughter. Not ugly, but of average beauty. Not dumb, but competent of wit. While the girls were triplets, they looked nothing alike. Macha and Anand were uniquely gifted. But what was Babd's talent? Her mother had always told her that some of the greatest gifts one might possess are discovered with age. And what their father lacked in affection for Babd her mother had in abundance. While her mother would never admit Babd was her favorite the two had an undeniable bond. They understood one another. Neither Macha nor Anand had such a connection with their mother. Babd just sensed that something was wrong. Something awful had happened. She didn't know what. But shefeltit.
Babd pulled Macha aside. Anand, supposedly more intelligent than the other two, too often lacked common sense. Until she saw the proof, evidence of some kind, that father had done something nefarious to their mother, she wouldn't so much as consider the possibility. But Macha—she was at least open to considering it.
"If we confront him together," Babd said. "He'll have to at least tell ussomething."
Macha took a deep breath. "Will he? Or will he chastise us for questioning him at all?"
"The worst he'll do is assign me more housework. He won't do anything to you."
Macha shook her head. "He does not favor me, you know. The only reason he doesn't assign me any tasks is that he is frightened I might be injured, or worse, disfigured in some way that I might not be as desirable, as valuable..."
Babd nodded. She knew as much—didn't mean she didn't resent the fact that the bulk of the housework nonetheless fell on her. "As if cleaning the stalls is going to somehow tarnish your beauty?"
"Perhaps he's worried I'll take a kick from a horse," Macha said through a chuckle, "It happens, you know."
"Only if you're dumb enough to work behind the horse and spook it in some way. But I suppose you're right. Since you've never even cleaned the stalls you wouldn't know. So, better not let you clean the stalls at all."
Macha shrugged. "Not like I'm exactly eager to steal the chore from you."
Babd grabbed Macha's hand and guided her semi-reluctant sister toward their father's study. Babd wasn't about to barge in on her father alone. She hoped having Macha with her might tame the tongue lashing she was sure to receive for disturbing him. Fionn didn't treat his daughters equally—but he pretended to whenever any two or more of the sisters were together. Babd wasn't going to avoid his wrath. But, perhaps, with Macha beside her, he'd delay punishing her at the moment and, if she was lucky, he'd forget he ever intended to at all. As little thought he seemed to give the girls at all it wasn't an unlikely possibility.
Babd pressed open her father's study door. Macha lingered behind. Fionn's study was more like a war room than what one would normally call a study. It consisted of two separate rooms—the first room full of maps approximating battlefields. All battles Fionn had won. Anand memorized the details of each one, how many lives were lost, and what each victory meant for Fionn and the Fianna. To Babd, though, they all looked the same. All drawn in charcoal. Lines and arrows indicating the movements of troops.
The main room was where Fionn would meet with his highest ranking warriors to discuss strategies before a battle. The other room was Fionn's workroom. Probably where he drew up these war maps to begin with.
But now, there was a golden glow emanating from the room.
"What is that?" Macha whispered.
Babd shook her head. She didn't have a clue. "A candle, perhaps?"
"Seems too bright for that..."
Babd nodded. Macha was right, but what else emanated so much light? Babd carefully pulled away the bottom corner of the curtain that separated the back room where her father was from the larger room where she and her sister stood. She felt her heart flutter. If she was caught...
