She sat in the main room of the inn turning the matter over in her mind. Then, eventually, she returned to the matter of Eadulf’s disappearance from the abbey. She was careful in her choice of the word ‘disappearance’ because she did not trust either Forbassach nor the abbess. Had he really escaped? Too many people seemed to have ‘disappeared’ who were key witnesses in the events. She shivered suddenly. What was she saying? That Eadulf had simply disappeared along with the others?
The warmth of the fire and the fact of her disturbed night caused a drowsiness to overcome her and, almost reluctantly, she found herself lulled by her thoughts, slipping into inertia. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.
She did not know how long it was before the sound of a door opening awakened her. Enda was entering: he looked satisfied with himself. She smothered a yawn, stretched, and greeted him.
‘Well, Enda?’
The young warrior came immediately to her side and took a seat. He lowered his voice, having glanced quickly around to make sure they were alone, and said: ‘I followed the abbess without her observing me. She rode north …’
‘North?’
‘Yes — but for no more than five or six kilometres. Then she went up into the hills. There is a settlement there called Raheen. She went to a small cabin and was greeted by a woman there. They seemed very friendly.’
Fidelma raised an eyebrow slightly in query. ‘Friendly?’
‘They embraced each other. Then the abbess and the woman went inside the cabin. I waited for an hour or so before the abbess came out.’
It was then that Fidelma realised that the best part of the afternoon had gone. She had slept several hours.
‘Go on,’ she said, trying to hide her annoyance at the wasted time. ‘What then?’
‘While she was there, she was joined by our friend, Forbassach. The woman left the two of them alone for a while. Then Forbassach departed and, a short time later, so did Fainder. She began to ride back towards Fearna so I did not bother to follow her.’
‘What did you do instead?’
‘I thought that you would want to know who the woman was, the one whose cabin they visited.’
Fidelma smiled in approval. ‘You learn quickly, Enda. We’ll make a dálaigh of you yet.’
The young man shook his head, taking her light-hearted comment seriously.
‘I am a warrior, the son of a warrior, and when I am too old to be a warrior I shall take to my farm.’
‘Did you discover who this woman was?’
‘I decided not to ride directly to her cabin but to make some enquiries from other inhabitants in the vicinity. I was told that her name was Deog.’
‘Deog? Did you discover anything else?’
‘Only that she was recently widowed. Her husband was a man called Daig.’
Fidelma was silent for a moment or two. ‘Are you sure that was his name?’
‘That was the name I was given, lady.’
‘If she is recently widowed, he must be the same man.’
Enda looked uncertain. ‘I am not sure that I understand.’
Fidelma found that she did not have the time to explain to him. Why would Abbess Fainder and Bishop Forbassach be visiting the widow of the watchman who was drowned? Fainder had given Fidelma the impression that she had hardly known the man, so why visit the widow? Not only that but, as Enda reported, they seemed good friends. Now here was yet another mystery.
‘I don’t suppose you asked if the abbess was a frequent visitor to the woman, Deog, did you?’ she asked.
Enda shook his head. ‘I did not want to attract too much attention,’ he explained. ‘So I did not press too many questions.’
In that, Enda had behaved correctly, Fidelma conceded. Too many questions might put people on their guard.
‘How far from here did you say this woman lived?’
‘Less than an hour’s swift ride, lady.’
‘It will be dark in a few hours,’ mused Fidelma, looking thoughtfully up at the sky. ‘Nevertheless, I think I should speak with this Deog.’
‘I know the path now, lady,’ Enda said eagerly. ‘We should have no problems riding there nor returning even in the dark.’
‘Then that is what we shall do,’ Fidelma decided. ‘Where is Dego?’
‘I think he was in the stables rubbing down the horses. Shall I go and fetch him?’
She shook her head. ‘The sooner we leave the better. We will go to find him.’
It was true that Dego was rubbing down Enda’s horse after its journey. He looked up as they entered. He appeared nervous as he greeted Fidelma.
‘I came back to the inn just after noon, lady,’ he said, ‘just as you instructed. However, I saw you fast asleep by the fire. I thought you might need your sleep more than hearing that I had nothing to report anyway. I hope I did right in letting you sleep on.’
For a moment Fidelma did not know what he was talking about until she remembered that she had said that she would meet him at the inn after her return from the abbey to decide on the next strategy. She smiled apologetically at his worried features.
‘You did right, Dego. I am the better for the sleep. Enda and I are going for a ride. We shall probably be gone some hours.’
‘Should I come with you?’
‘It is unnecessary. Enda knows where we are going. While we are away I want someone here just in case Brother Eadulf tries to make contact with us.’
Dego helped her saddle her horse while Enda re-saddled his mount.
‘Where shall you be,’ Dego asked, ‘just in case anything happens?’
‘We are visiting a woman called Deog who lives in a place called Raheen some six kilometres north from here. But do not let anyone know.’
‘Of course not, lady.’
They mounted, setting off at a brisk walk through the streets of Fearna. Enda led the way underneath the towering grey walls of the gloomy abbey buildings, past the walls along the banks of the river as it twisted northwards. Then he took a fork in the road which led up a slow incline over a hill and through a small wooded area, no bigger than a copse.
Here Fidelma called on Enda to halt for a moment. She turned back to the edge of the trees and shrubs which afforded a view of the road behind them and waited quietly for some time, leaning forward in the saddle, just behind the foliage of the trees.
Enda did not have to ask what she was doing. If anyone was following them they would soon be seen from this position. Fidelma waited a long while before letting out a sigh of relief. She smiled at Enda.
‘It seems my fears are groundless. No one is tracking us at the moment.’
Without a word, Enda turned and set off again through the copse and then along a track between a series of cultivated fields towards a more densely forested area which covered the rising hills beyond.
‘What is that big hill in front of us, Enda?’ asked Fidelma, as they moved upwards on the track.
‘That’s the very hill after which our host’s inn is named. That is the Yellow Mountain. We turn more easterly in a moment and come round the shoulder of the hill before turning north again towards Raheen. It stands at the head of a valley and is not a long ride away at all.’
Within a short time, as the bright autumnal sky was beginning to cloud and grow dark, showing that late afternoon was creeping on, Enda halted and pointed. They were at the head of a valley stretching southwards towards the river. Here, dotted across the hillside, were several cabins with dark smoke ascending. It was obviously a farming community.
‘Do you see that far cabin, lady?’
Fidelma followed the line of his pointing finger.
A small cabin clung to the precipitous slope of the hillside. It was not an impoverished place but neither did it speak of any degree of wealth or position. It was made of thick grey granite stone and covered by a heavy thatch that was badly in need of renovation.