Chapter 14

Eoric had taken care to 'look' for and note any Pictish camps his senses picked up as he had made the run to Dalwhinnie, but there had been no other significant presence. What human signals he had picked up had only been one or two individuals - either herding or travelling between settlements perhaps. In any event, they weren't bothering about.

He decided he did not want Eochaid and the Dalriada force harrying Anarg too closely and that he would therefore need to find another target for the King. His original plan, based on the information from the guide they had, was to swing south-eastwards after Pitlochry and make for Dùn Chailleann (modern day Dunkeld). He decided that he would return to that idea and now set out to run back the way he had come.

From Dalwhinnie to Dunkeld was over forty miles and he had already used up quite a bit of the night to reach the Pictish camp and comfort Sarah. He found he needed to draw just a little more energy from the earth to maintain his running speed, but there was no feeling of exhaustion or even tiredness.

One and three quarter hours later he was passing Pitlochry once more and he followed the banks of the River Tay as it flowed towards Dunkeld. He sensed and found the Pictish settlement easily enough after just over an hour of further running, but didn't spend a lot of time investigating it. In the darkness he was able to create an image of the camp in his head and his senses told him enough about the numbers of people and beasts to be able to inform Eochaid's battle plans.

He continued on in a southeast direction until he sensed the presence of Peairt (modern day Perth). This was easily the largest presence he had come across with perhaps as many as fifteen hundred people associated with the settlement. He circled the camp and raced up a hill that overlooked it, sitting down to carefully construct the image of it in his head.

By now dawn wasn't far off and he set out once more for Pitlochry so he could pass on his information to the King and the Dalriada troops.

The Lady of the Loch was growing frustrated, despite her promise to herself to remain patient. Eoric seemed to only leave the Dalriada force at night-time and when he did so he moved so fast she had no hope of ever keeping up with him. She decided a change in tack was called for.

Her ongoing link with Gemma had borne unlooked for fruit in the shape of information about Eoric apparently having had a vision on midsummer's eve. Gemma was becoming aware of this because all of the populace of Dalriada was talking about it. Wherever womenfolk gathered to wash clothes or herd animals the details of what Eoric had saw and described grew ever more outlandish.

One thread of the stories was constant however, and that was that Eoric had predicted the fall of the druids and the rise of the Columban Church. While this held no great significance for Gemma, Nimue realised that it offered the prospect of her recruiting the disgruntled druids to work with her against Eoric.

She decided to return secretly to Eoric's new lordship of Lorne to see whether she could enlist some spies that might help her in the future.

Eoric had passed on all of his intelligence about the numbers of Picts and where they were, submitting himself to close questioning by Eochaid once more. The King decided that his forces could make the march of just over ten miles to Dunkeld in one day, but that it would be difficult given the dense woodland they would need to move through. He was undecided whether to try to make the attempt to raze the Pictish camp that night or whether to be slightly more cautious and wait for dawn the next day.

As full dawn broke, so heavy summer rain began to fall and with it the spirits of the Dalriada force. This made up Eochaid's mind for him and he decided to move the men most of the way to Dunkeld, but to rest up, dry out and feed well before they struck once more.

Spirits rose once the men were into the forests and out of the worst of the downpour, but as the King had suspected progress was slow. Eoric rode his horse beside Eochaid, but spoke mostly to Iain. He updated his lieutenant on what he had been up to so that he in turn could pass on how important Eoric's role was in this campaign. The Lorne levies had been surprised at their Lord's squeamishness at Pitlochry and Eoric knew he had to somehow get across to them that he was not craven.

When he explained his abilities to Iain the other man's face showed his amazement and how impressed he was. Eoric had little doubt that his abilities would be exaggerated ten-fold when Iain eventually came to pass on his knowledge to the Lorne contingent. Still, better a force in awe of their great wizard of a leader than one that had no respect for their Lord at all.

Deer were plentiful in the forest and Eoric let the foraging parties do their own hunting without his help. He tried to shut out the death of the animals by concentrating on the forest around him and was dimly aware of some kind of spirit presence.

"You can feel Dryads, they are the spirits of the most ancient of trees. Don't expect to see any of them as they seldom walk abroad, but you might hear their music if you listen carefully. We are also sure that at least one Ghillie Dhu frequents these woods and it may be that you will encounter it as we go," said his inner voice.

As the day wore on, Eoric let himself nap while he rode, trusting his gentle natured horse to be sure footed enough to keep him upright on its back. When he was jolted awake he could see that the King had halted and was indicating the force should stop where they were for the night.

Eoric hung around long enough to stake out a place for his bed and have a few words with the King and Iain and then he bid them farewell and set off into the night once more. He made the short journey to Dunkeld and then on to Perth to make sure that no additional threats had appeared since he had passed this way the night before.

Once he was satisfied, he began the longer run back to Dalwhinnie. He had connected with Sarah off an on during the day and knew that she was okay. During one of these episodes he had heard her arguing with herself internally about how she was reacting to his presence.

"I can't believe I dreamt of my ghost last night. I must be getting desperate for affection if I have begun to fantasise in such a way. I know I would never succumb like that in real life, but the dream was so real and so satisfying. I really do need to control myself when Mr Spirit is around. Mr Spirit, I need a better name for him than that I think."

Eoric had sent a subtle mental projection with the name Eoric to her, hoping she would accept that the name had come to her naturally.

"I know, I'll call him Eoric. But listen to me, one second I'm chiding myself for thinking romantically about a ghost and the next I am like a little girl again, thinking up a name for my imaginary friend. His hands are so gentle with me though and they feel so good. Stop it, Sarah! Get a grip of yourself, get your head out of the clouds and get your feet firmly planted on the ground. I know, I know, I will do better from now on."

Eoric could sense her smiling when she had ended the strange argument. He also felt guilty about the amount of time he was spending with Sarah and that immediately made him think of Gemma. He let his awareness expand until he felt Gemma's presence and connected with her, letting her know he was safe and well and that the campaign had started satisfactorily so far as the King was concerned.

Gemma was excited to feel his presence and much comforted by the news that he was safe. She felt further comfort in the knowledge that he could keep in contact with her in this way while he was miles from home and she urged him to check in with her regularly to reduce her fears.

Now as he ran, Eoric made two connections, one after the other. He connected with the spirit of Merlin and updated him on how things were going with regard to Eochaid's first attacks on the Picts. He shared the depth of feeling he had experienced after the slaughter at Pitlochry. Eoric explained to the wizard that so far it wasn't affecting his desire to see the Celts basically continue to progress the genocide of the Picts, but that he was concerned it would become harder and harder to accept the death of so many.

Merlin tried to re-assure him, but this was territory he had no real experience in. He had to rely on re-inforcing for Eoric the importance of uniting the Celts and how the defeat of the Picts was essential to their long-term survival. The wizard also reported that he was currently scouring the country for traces of Nimue, mostly in Lothian at present as that was where her home was in the loch. He sounded frustrated as he let Eoric know that the Lady had seemingly disappeared.

Once he had exchanged news with Merlin he once more reached out to find Sarah. He could sense she was still at Dalwhinnie and if anything his pace increased yet further to reach her there.

There were no feelings of fear in what he was getting from her over his connection and that was something he was pleased about. When he made his way once more to her bedchamber she was sitting on her bed brushing out her long hair, humming quietly to herself.

Eoric had searched for healing plants during the day and had managed to brew up some broth when the Dalriada host had stopped for one of their rest breaks during the march to Dunkeld. He waited now until Sarah's head was down as she brushed and then set the little beaker of the brew on the chair beside her bed. When she threw her hair back and began to brush the back and sides, she noticed it sitting there and instinctively knew who had delivered it.

Eoric guessed it was a measure of how much Sarah had already grown to trust and rely upon him that she picked up the beaker and drank its contents without question.

"I have decided to call you Eoric my ghostly saviour. I assume this drink is from you and that it is intended to deal with the ugly damage to my body. My thanks once more for thinking so kindly of me," she said out loud.

Eoric climbed onto the bed behind her, kneeling so that he could begin to massage her shoulders. He could feel the knots and tension in her small muscles and he worked to iron them out, loosening them and hearing her groaning with pleasure at the sensual caress. He noticed her brush fall from her fingers as she lost herself in the treatment he was giving her and after a few more minutes rubbing her shoulders and back, he retrieved the brush and began to stroke it through her hair in long, smooth sweeps.