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lanky clown emerge from the shelter of a liss.
"My friends! It's good to be seeing you again!" the Dagda exclaimed
happily, striding forward to greet them. He looked curiously at the
handsome older woman who, like Aine was in
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warrior's dress, a sword at her side, a spear and shield in her hands.
"But aren't you Lugh's other companion who was so badly hurt?"
"I'm fully healed now," Taillta replied forcefully. "I've waited a very
long time for this. I'll not be left out of it!"
The Dagda smiled, impressed by the determination in her bold look.
"As a friend to Lugh, you are welcome!" he told her sincerely. "But,
where is he? I'd hoped he'd be with you!"
"He is coming. He'll be here soon. I promise that!" Gilla assured him.
"I hope so," said Nuada. "But we've no time to wait for him. Tell me,
Gilla, have you been here long?"
"Aye, long enough to have a bit of a look around. Bres knows you're
coming. He's been expecting it since we escaped. The warriors have all
been withdrawn to the fortress. The main gates are standing open."
"That surely sounds like an invitation," said the Dagda.
"That's what I thought, I did," Gilla agreed. "Bres wants you to meet
him on his terms."
"It could be he means to trap us there and destroy us at once,"
Findgoll prudently pointed out.
Nuada shook his head. "I dislike giving such an advantage to Bres. If
more of the de Danann's were with us, he'd not dare to act."
"Perhaps if the people of Tara knew we had come," Findgoll suggested.
"They know," Aine supplied brightly. "Somebody..." she smiled at Gilla,
"... has been passing word that you would come."
"They'll not help us," said Bobd Derg with glum certainty. "They are
too afraid."
"Well, help or not, we must go on," Nuada said fiercely. "Or we may as
well join with Bobd Derg and sail away forever from Eire. Are you
staying with me?"
Firm voices of assent arose in the company.
"Then we'll go and visit our High-King in his den!" said Nuada,
starting forward.
Gilla, Aine and Taillta fell in with them as they strode boldly through
the streets. Their arms raised a hard and martial clatter in the quiet
dawn. Their faces were set in
242
THE RIDERS OF THE SIDHE
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THE ANSWERER
243
defiance. They would not be turned back from their goal now except by
death.
And as they moved forward, the town began to come alive around them.
People began peering out as they went by. A few began to slip from
their shuttered homes to follow after them. Then more started to come,
their courage swelling with their numbers, until they poured from the
buildings and the avenues as the company passed, joining the now
massive throng. Most came out of curiosity, to see their outlawed
friends defy the king. Some came to support them, taking out weapons
long hoarded toward such a day, or seizing tools, cooking spits, wooden
staves, and other lethal instruments. Some were hopeful, most were
afraid, but still they came. And Nuada and his comrades, striding at
their head, heard the rising murmur at their back with growing pride.
Above them, the fortress loomed ever larger. Now it was coming to life
too. First came the shout of a lookout. Then came the ringing of the
alarm gong and the sounds of voices and rattling arms. The forces were
mustering inside.
The huge mob of de Dananns climbed the slope to the open gates. Without
hesitation, Nuada led them on through into the inner yard. Ahead,
before the entrance to the main hall, Bres waited, cool and arrogant,
watching their entrance disdainfully. On his left, his own household
companies were drawn up, Morrigan and the other loyalist captains at
their front. The raven-woman, wrapped in her black cape, watched with
seeming impassiveness, but her eyes were bright.
On the right of Bres was massed the Fomor garrison of Tara, led by
Streng. They were a motley and a nightmare band, especially since the
most horrible abberations amongst them had been ranged along the front.
Bres had suspected some of the de Dananns might find the courage to
support the Dagda and his friends. He had decided that a graphic
reminder of the Fomor awfulness would be enough to cow them.
It certainly had its effect. As the de Dananns followed the Dagda's
party through the gates and saw the Fomor, the crowd hesitated, halted;
they pooled like water coming against a dam, backing and filling up the
inner curve of the wall just within the gates. Only Nuada, the Dagda
and the rest of their company advanced to the center of the training
field and
stopped there in the open, halfway between their own people and Bres.
A silence fell as the two factions eyed one another appraisingly.
Finally, Bres spoke.
"So, you have returned. I'd hoped you would be foolish enough to do
that. Now all of our people can see how traitors die."
"They may see that, right enough," the Dagda agreed. "But you're the
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