Chapter 15

Eoric surveyed the Pictish settlement at Perth in the last of the darkness just before dawn. He stood under a large oak tree to keep himself out of the steady rain that was falling around him. His senses picked up that there was considerable activity inside the settlement and he decided he would need to move in closer to find out what was going on.

As he walked carefully towards the town he was aware that there were many people stationed just inside the large earthen mound that encircled the place, it seemed that the Picts had posted guards at last. He aimed for a gap between two of these and climbed the mound slowly, slipping between the guards and into the settlement proper.

He walked around and took in the frantic activity. It was clear to him that this was a town readying itself for attack and he surmised that word of Eochaid's other attacks had at last been communicated to the Pictish community at large. He took in the construction of circles of barricades that was taking place, with uprooted bushes, dead scrub wood and anything else that happened to be lying around being pressed into service.

The Picts were putting up barriers that formed a series of circles, each one getting smaller than the other. Eoric could see that they were preparing themselves for a hard battle for this place. He also took in the cunningly disguised pathways between the barricades - so, this wasn't to be a do or die effort, the Picts had left themselves some avenue for escape if necessary.

Once he felt he had all the information he needed, he negotiated the guards on the outer perimeter once more and went in search of Eochaid and the Dalriada force.

When Eoric found Eochaid and shared his latest intelligence, the King was surprisingly offhand about the defensive arrangements that the Picts were building.

"We have done well so far to catch them with their guard down," he said, "sooner or later we knew they would be warned and we would need to fight that little bit harder. So be it, the sport will be all the better."

"Sire, I counted four different defensive rings. This has all the makings of a difficult siege, one that could cost us many men. I caution that we take some time and try to design a plan that minimises our losses," said Eoric.

"Eoric, I believe myself to be a compassionate King and I certainly have no desire to lose more of my men than absolutely necessary. But you are still a boy when it comes to warfare and you will learn that sometimes you just have to accept the price for victory," the King replied.

Eoric had grown to like and respect the King, especially when it came to battle and the strategy that surrounded it. This latest view was something he couldn't accept however; he was sure there had to be some things that could be done to help minimise the losses on the Dalriada side. He retired to sit under a tree, wrapping a blanket round his shoulders and staring into a nearby fire.

"I need to think up some kind of device to use that will weaken the Pictish defences, something that will make it easier for the Celts to attack," he thought to himself."

"We think we know how we could help," said his inner voice.

Eoric listened and nodded his head. This was a simple plan that could work. He rose from in front of the fire and dropped his blanket to the ground. He recovered two large, empty earthenware pots and then strode out from under the trees where the Dalriada force was currently hiding. He started running and made a full circuit of Perth, letting his senses reach out to find what he was looking for. He paused once at the side of the river to cut several large reeds then continued his search.

Twenty minutes later he was perhaps two miles away from Perth, but he thought he had what he was looking for. He made his way forward in the darkness to a small stand of pine trees and set the two large pots down on the ground. Eoric quickly fashioned a makeshift pipe from a piece of reed and then placed his finger against the side of the nearest tree, letting his energy flow through the finger until a small hole appeared. He inserted the reed pipe into the hole and then concentrated on the tree.

Eoric's senses were able to take in the tree in super detail. He could feel the sap rising within it, feel its strength and the ring upon ring of its years of growth.

"Help me now my old friend, give me some of your essence," he whispered aloud.

He focussed on the sticky resin within the make-up of the tree and began to draw it towards the reed pipe. Quickly the resin began to leak out of the pipe and into the pot he had carefully positioned below it. When he felt the tree begin to groan at the scale of the loss he stopped the flow, removed the pipe and used some of the detritus from the ground to plug the hole.

Moving between the trees it took Eoric half an hour to fill both of his pots. He picked them up and ran back towards the settlement, slowing as he neared the first earthen defences and carefully passing through the ring of guards once more.

He set the post down beside one of the nearest stone houses and squatted down to look closely at the soil. He focussed once more and let his connection with the earth reach out. Before him a small trench began to appear, no more than two inches across and perhaps an inch deep, it ran away from his feet towards the first of the barricades.

Eoric kept his concentration and the little trench continued to appear underneath the dead bushes and branches of the man-made barrier. Once the full circuit had been made the trench extended at right angles until it connected with the second defensive circle and then began to wind its way round this one too.

Eoric knew he could use his energy to set fire to the barricades, but his inner self had pointed out that it would take him quite some time to deal with all of the barricades. If all of them could be dealt with in one go the impact and effect would be significantly greater and his voice had suggested this little device.

When the trench had completed its journey round all of the defences, Eoric directed it finally towards the central structure of the Perth camp. He lifted the first of the two pots and carefully poured the pine resin into the thin trench, watching it run along the trench and under the first barricade. The second pot was quickly added to the first and then Eoric was off to make the journey back to the pine trees for another two jars of the highly flammable liquid.

Eoric had taken to draining many trees at once to speed up the collection of resin, a trip now down to six minutes. All in it took him fourteen more trips before he was satisfied that there was sufficient resin all round the camp to do the job he envisaged. He sat with his back against the stone house and prepared himself to wait for Eochaid's attack.

He wasn't surprised to hear the first sounds of the attack just as the first light of dawn was appearing over the eastern horizon. Screams and the clang of metal upon metal rang out and he decided now was the time to put his plan into action. He dipped his index finger into the resin at his feet and allowed a small gout of flame to surge from the fingertip. The resin lit and he watched as the flame ran along the trench and under the dead wood of the first barricade.

It wasn't long before the results of his labour began to show themselves. It was almost as if the fire was acting to order as he saw the flames begin to leap up and then spread around the circle at a steady rate. Already Picts were leaping back from the flames, watching in amazement as their barrier was consumed. To them it seemed as if the fire was eating the barricade as it steadily crept around the first circle and then made the short run along the ground and into the second barrier.

By the time the first of Eochaid's troops were over the earthen mound all of the barricades were blazing and the Picts were in dire confusion. Of course the flames made it impossible for the Celts to advance and attack the Picts, but they could also see that in some places the savages were trapped and couldn't escape the flames.

It had not been Eoric's intention to burn the Picts alive and he was dismayed as he too realised that some of them were trapped. He let his senses reach out to find the pathways that the Picts had designed into the defences and he used little surges of his energy to widen these slightly and make them passable once more.

Faced with the growing inferno, the Picts took the only option open to them and they began to stream through the paths, making their way towards the northern edge of the town. Eoric grimaced as he sensed some being trampled underfoot in the panic and rush, the crushing of several children in particular hit him hard.

He consoled himself that this was a far better outcome than what would have taken place if he hadn't intervened. Bloody hand to hand fighting with the Picts behind their defences would have led to days of killing and many more deaths than would be the case now.

Those from the Dalriada force could clearly see what was going on and some rushed to inform the King of the latest developments. Eochaid reacted quickly and had horns blown to withdraw his men from the settlement. He ordered Ian mac Finlay to take charge of half the men and to circle the town to the left while he took the other half and circled to the right.

Eoric could see that the Picts were now about to be hunted down, but at least they were out in the open and had a chance to escape. While they might still die, the losses to the Celts would be significantly lower than it might have been.

The next few weeks were filled with day after day of hunting down Picts all over Tayside and Atholl. Eoric continued to pinpoint where they were and Eochaid led his men on a ruthlessly efficient killing spree. Almost every night Eoric made the long run to Dalwhinnie to be with Sarah and his guilt was beginning to grow.

On a number of occasions he looked in on himself and questioned his motives once more. There was no doubt he was growing increasingly fond of those moments spent with the small Saxon woman and he could no longer deny that he was at least in part betraying the vows that he had taken to Gemma. As a consequence his connections with Gemma were short and stilted and he was sure she was beginning to suspect something was wrong.

On his last few visits to Sarah it was clear that she had positioned herself purposefully over her weaving frame so that she was in the perfect position for him to glide up behind her. Eoric could still read her conflicting thoughts, but it was clear that her need was starting to overcome her resolve not to 'let' her ghostly friend take liberties with her.

He had to smile at the way she was rationalising things to herself - he was in no way pushing her or leading her on. Up to this point the entire sexual element of their time together had been initiated by her and it was her who was sliding deeper and deeper into obsession with the idea of going further with him.

Sarah had reached the point where he knew that if he took the initiative she would not resist. He had been finding it harder to resist taking that initiative. The combination of the feel of her soft breasts in his hand, her pert bottom against him, the musky smell of her sex and the lurid images going through her head were all conspiring to pull him into her fantasy.

When he arrived in her bedchamber this night she was once more bent over the weaving frame wearing only her linen shift. She had placed a number of oil lamps strategically so that anyone walking into the room could see through the shift as if it wasn't there. Eoric paused and took in the sight of her in all her glory.

The fact that Sarah continually glanced over her shoulder was a definite sign that she was posing herself for him. He continued to watch Sarah for a few minutes longer before moving up behind her. She had become so used to him that she didn't even jump when his hands wound round her. He had reached the stage where he didn't need her to lift his hands to her breasts in invitation. Now instead he let them drift upwards himself until he was cupping her firm flesh.

Sarah let her head fall back to rest against his chest and she moaned continuously at the feel of him stroking and teasing her titties.

"Oh, it's happening all over again. I just can't help myself; his hands feel so good. I know if he pushed me just a little I would give in, my resistance is already almost non-existent. What would he feel like inside me? I'm dripping at the thought of it, dripping like a beast in heat. Thank the goddess he has never tried to push me, for I know it would be the end of my resolve."

Eoric let one hand fall to cover Sarah's stomach and he felt her draw a sharp breath at how close it was to her sex. He could sense the war within her head as she battled with the overwhelming desire for him to let his hand drop just a few more inches to touch her throbbing clitoris and soaking lips.

"There is no doubt now that he is a spirit for a man wouldn't be able to resist, could not have held out this long. Perhaps he can't have sex in his form although he certainly feels hard enough. I guess my virtue, what's left of it anyway, is safe with him."

Eoric used the hand on her stomach to push Sarah even more firmly against his rock hard staff.

"Goddess, he feels huge and sooo hard! Oh, damn it, I wish he was a man and that he would just take me and be done with it. Can't he tell I need it so badly? This is almost harder to stand than Anarg's beating. Oh take me Eoric, just take me! Please, please fuck me!"

Something snapped in Eoric's head. Perhaps it was the suggestion that he wasn't a man. Perhaps it was her thoughts crying out for him to simply take her where she stood. Whatever it was he stopped caressing her breast and pushing her stomach, instead bringing both hands round to press down on her shoulders so that she was bent over the weaving frame.

"Goddess! What is he doing? No, no, is he going to take me after all? Yes, Eoric, oh yes, yes, take me!"

Eoric was inflamed with lust and her mental encouragement was all that he needed to send him over the edge. He let one hand drop and grasped the hem of her shift, pulling it up and over her back to expose her perfect rear. He transferred the material to his other hand, which was still high up on her back, keeping her bent over.

His right hand dropped once more and slid between her thighs, feeling the copious juices that were running down her legs. Sarah lost all thought of resistance and moved quickly to spread her legs to allow him better access. Eoric's fingers traced from her silky smooth inner thigh up to cup her sex and he felt her judder as an orgasm gripped her.

He had spent enough time with Gemma to know what made women feel good and he now used his middle finger to search out her sensitive little nub, rubbing it gently and transferring some of her own juices to keep it slick. It didn't take much of this treatment before she was bucking against him once more, the years of mistreatment washed away and the weeks of teasing and dreaming of this moment sending her into ecstasy.

Eoric could read her thoughts and knew that she was beyond rational thought. Lust and satisfaction were short circuiting her ability to think straight. He dropped his kilt and shuffled forward, letting his staff slide between her cheeks and coating it in her juices.