Chapter 10

"I'm sorry my Lady, we have no word of the boy as yet. I have all of my druids out looking for him, but with no success so far. I can tell you that Merlin has been spotted in Dalriada though. I have a report indicating that he is making his way to Dunadd," said the head druid.

"Very well, Garth. But find me that boy, find him before Merlin does because that is obviously what his plans are," replied Nimue.

She cut the connection with the druid and began to pace the floor of her cave. It appeared that she was right and there was a connection between Merlin and this boy. There might still be hope for her if the druids could locate the boy first and she could use him against the wizard perhaps.

Merlin had been able to divine that Eoric had returned to Dalriada several days before and he had set out immediately. He had followed the boy's progress and was now heading for Dunadd himself as he knew that would be where the Dalriada force would go next.

He was intrigued by the feelings he had sensed from Eoric at both the slaughter of the deer and then the slaughter of the men from Strathclyde. It appeared as if the boy's connection with Mother Nature was strong indeed, so strong that he almost seemed to hold all life as a sacred thing.

Merlin was very wise in the lore of elementals and he knew that their connection with nature was a fundamental part of their existence. He began to wonder whether Eoric was somehow linked to the elementals. He had never heard of such a thing before however. It was possible to call the faeries, to summon them for assistance if you knew the right words, but they came reluctantly for the most part. How a human boy could be linked with them was puzzling indeed.

"I will have my answers soon enough hopefully," he thought to himself, as he urged his horse onwards to Dunadd.

The bodies of the Strathclyde Britons had all been searched for anything of value. Their horses had been rounded up and now had new owners, but their bodies were left bloody and ruined on the field where they lay for the carrion to feast on.

Eoric tried to keep his eyes from looking at the bodies as they marshalled themselves for the march on Dunadd. He found it didn't matter whether he looked at them or not however, his connection with nature ensured the horror of their deaths hung on him like a tangible shroud, cloying and sickening. He could feel their blood being hungrily soaked up by the earth and sensed even now the tiny organisms going to work to begin to break down their flesh so they would return fully to the soil.

He shivered and tried to break the connection, but it remained with him for several miles before it started to fade a little and he was able to focus on other things. By then they were only a few miles from Dunadd and Eoric focussed on trying to pinpoint the enemy forces there so he could pass the information on to Eochaid. Once more he was able to determine roughly how many people were there and where they were positioned, but he couldn't connect with any of them.

He was surprised when he sensed the presence of the druid he had tried to connect with after Eochaid had been poisoned. The druid was inside the hill-fort and again Eoric felt only a solid wall when he tried to penetrate his thoughts. He passed this information on to Eochaid when he advised the King on the enemy's numbers and deployment. Eochaid's face grew grim at the thought of getting his hands on the druid.

The Dalriada force swept up to Dunadd and the horsed men spurred ahead to try to surprise those now occupying their Kingdom's main site. This ploy worked and most of the Britons were caught outside the fort. The Dalriada horse got between the invaders and the approach to the fort, holding them until the massive body of infantry could catch up and fall upon them.

Eochaid was once more in the forefront of the fighting, now riding his mighty warhorse, Thunder. Eoric forced his own horse forward, but couldn't win close to the King. He jumped from the horses back and began to draw up energy from the soil, using that to physically push men and horses aside so that he could get closer to Eochaid.

Eochaid heard Eoric calling his name and glanced backwards just as one of the Britons struck a blow at the boy with a sword. He watched in amazement, as Eoric's own blade flashed in a blur and met the edge of the Briton's weapon. Eoric's blade shattered that of his opponent and the boy allowed his swing to follow-through so that his own sword slashed a deep diagonal wound from the shoulder of the Briton, across his chest and down towards his abdomen.

Eoric didn't pause, but instead pressed on towards the King. When he spoke, Eochaid felt the fine hairs on his arms and on the back of his neck stand up.

"Eochaid Buide! Put an end to this slaughter now! These are fellow Celts, no matter what they have done. Call your men off now I say!" Eoric ordered the King.

Eochaid was taken by surprise at the strength, power and energy in Eoric's voice and also by the words he spoke. His bright yellow hair whipped across his face in the wind and he brushed it aside, looking at Eoric with new respect. When he looked around him it was to find that all fighting had already stopped and his men were rounding up the Britons.

Eochaid was unsure how Eoric had accomplished this, but he had no doubt it was all the boy's doing. How else could it be explained? Hundreds of men engaged in mortal combat didn't just all decide at the same time to call a halt. Something had made them do so and Eochaid, having felt the power in Eoric's voice was sure that had been the cause.

"It would appear that you have your wish without any command from me Eoric," he said, "now, if you can perform the same trick to remove those from the hill-fort that would be doubly impressive".

"I think I might be able to do something to help with that," came another voice.

Eoric and Eochaid turned to find Merlin behind them. He was dressed in a plain grey tunic and cloak, his silver hair and beard framing his craggy face. His blue eyes twinkled as if he had heard something really funny and was still enjoying the amusement of it.

"Merlin!" cried Eoric.

"Well met, Eoric and may I say well done on ending this unseemly slaughter too. You are a credit to your clan I say."

"Not you as well?" bemoaned Eochaid.

"Aye, Eochaid King. I happen to agree with this young man that Celts should not be fighting Celts. There are other, more dire threats awaiting us all and it would be better if we could unite to face them," the wizard responded.

"For now I would be content with having these invading Britons out of my Dalriada!" exclaimed Eochaid.

Merlin turned to face the hill-fort and raised his staff on high. A ball of flame burst from the tip of the staff and rocketed towards the fort. All around watched as it flew inside the hall and the Britons on the hilltop began to stream from the structure, rushing to get away. Within minutes the hill-fort was cleared and all of the invaders were in custody. Strangely, there was no smoke or flames coming from the hall. It almost seemed as if the ball of flame had been an illusion. Eoric smiled to himself at this thought.

Eochaid had given orders before the assault that he wanted King Beli and the druid taken alive and brought before him. Both of them were now dragged away from the others and over to where the King stood.

"Beli, you should die for your treachery, indeed I have been thinking about just how much suffering I could inflict on you before your end. However, there are some here who have urged me to spare you and your men, advisors that I trust and will not go against lightly."

The men of Dalriada who were in earshot began to growl menacingly at the thought that King Beli and his men were not going to be put to the sword, Eoric's affect on them clearly wearing off. Eoric glared back at them in return and began to soak up additional energy from the earth around him.

"You act like fools, all of you!" he shouted, "Britons and Dalriadan's both. You fight and kill each other while others are plotting and scheming to wipe out all of the Celtic tribes and clans. Did King Arthur's words pass you by?

"The real threat to our way of life will come from the Picts, but most especially the Saxons!

"King Beli, if you want more lands I suggest you join with King Eochaid and take it from the Picts. All the lands to the East and North of us are held by the Picts, take that. Take it and begin to build up your strength for the more grievous battles that surely lie ahead."