Nuala O'Malley
CHAPTER VII.
THE BIRD DAUGHTER.
"Now, _there_ is a castle worth the taking, Yellow Brian!" saidCathbarr.
Brian nodded, his eyes shining in the starlight. After a pull of a longseven miles down the bay, the galley had rounded into the northern endof Gorumna Isle, guided by a high beacon set among the stars. As theydrew nearer Brian made out that this beacon was set on the tower of ahigh pile of masonry black against the sky, lit here and there bycressets, and it was plain that the Bird Daughter kept good watch sincethey had more than once been hailed in passing the islands.
Once turned into the harbor, Brian found suddenly that they were amongships, many of them small galleys, but two of good size which boreriding-lights. Again they responded to hails, and without warning a fewtorches blazed out ahead of them. Then it was seen that the castle wasbuilt with its lower part close on the water, and its upper part risingon the crag. In reality, as he found later, it was two castles in one,as of necessity it had to be. Were the opposite isles held by an enemy,and hostile ships in the little harbor, the higher towers running up thecrag could dominate all, and the lower castle could be abandoned withoutdanger.
Even in the starlight Brian's trained soldier's eye made out somethingof this. Then the leader of the seamen came and stood beside them, forduring the two-hours' trip he had talked somewhat with Cathbarr and hadcome to look with more respect on Brian himself. That was only natural,for seamen ever like those men who talk least.
"Strangers," he said with rough courtesy, "a word in your ear. If youwould gain speech with the Lady Nuala, deal not with her as with me.Send in your names and your business, and you may perchance get to seeher in the morning, or a week hence, as she may choose."
"Thanks," answered Brian. "But my will is not like to hang upon hers."
The seaman shrugged his shoulders, the oars were put in, and theyfloated up to where the torches flared. Here there was a landing-placeof hewn stone, with a gate lying open beyond it, and armed men waiting.One of these, from his bunch of huge keys and air of authority, Brianknew for the seneschal.
"_M'anam go'n Dhia!_" he growled, peering down into the boat as itground on the stone, "what fish have you there?"
"Two salmon and ten herring, Muiertach," laughed one of the men. Brianand his friend stepped out while the ten prisoners were prodded afterthem, and Brian found the seneschal looking him over with some wonder,hands on hips.
"Well! A giant with a devil's ax, and Cuculain, the Royal Hound, come tolife again! Who are you, yellow man, and who is this axman, and who arethese ten bound men?"
Brian was minded to answer curtly enough, but he looked at the seneschaland remembered the seaman's kindly warning. Under his eye the laughwithered suddenly on the seneschal's lips.
"These ten men belong to me, Muiertach. Go, tell the Bird Daughter thatBrian Buidh and Cathbarr of the Ax have come to her, bringing tribute asshe demanded."
Now it was that Cathbarr, who had asked no questions all that day,perceived for the first time the reason of their fighting and hardriding, and what the manner of that tribute was. He broke into a greatbellow of laughter so that the rough-clad seamen stared at him inwonder, but at a word from Brian he quieted instantly.
"In the morning the message shall be delivered, Brian Buidh," returnedburly Muiertach with a glimmer of respect in his voice. "And now renderup your weapons, so that we may treat you as guests--"
"So you sea-rovers are afraid of two men, lest they capture your hold?"
Brian's biting words brought a deep flush to Muiertach's face.
"No weapons do we render," he went on, his voice cold as his eyes. "Wecome as guests, seneschal, and our business is not with you. Take theseten men to your dungeons, take us to guest chambers and give us to eat,and see that we have speech with the Bird Daughter before to-morrow'ssun is high."
At this Muiertach growled something into his beard, but turned with agesture of assent. His men closed around the captives, while Brian andCathbarr followed him into the castle, the giant still chuckling tohimself with great rumbles of laughter.
"Let strict watch be kept over these two," said Muiertach in English toone of the torchmen who accompanied them, thinking he would not beunderstood.
"You may yet get a touch of the whip for that order," said Brian in thesame tongue.
Stricken with amazement, Muiertach turned and stared at him, jawdropping, while Cathbarr glanced from one to the other in perplexity.Brian smiled.
"Lead on, and talk less."
With tenfold respect, the seneschal obeyed. Now Brian saw that thiscastle was indeed a stronghold, and might easily be defended by fewermen than it had. The inner walls of the lower castle were well linedwith falcons and falconets, while on the towers above peered out heaviercannon, which he took for culverins from their length of nose. Crossingthe courtyard, they entered the building itself, and Muiertach led themthrough upward-winding corridors, studded with cressets and with hereand there a recessed _prie-dieu_ in the wall.
From the snatches of talk behind the doors they passed, Brian guessedthat this lower castle was occupied by the garrison. In this he wasright, for with torchmen before and behind them they emerged into thecold night air again and climbed upward, coming to a gate in the wall ofthe upper castle. This stood open, but it clanged shut behind them, andafter crossing a steep courtyard they entered a second and broadercorridor.
Muiertach led them up a long flight of stairs, then another, and finallyflung open a heavy door. It was evident that they were lodged in one ofthe towers.
"Rest sound and fear not to eat our food," said the seneschal."_Beannacht leath!_"
"Blessing on you," responded Brian and Cathbarr together, and entered.
For a wonder, Brian found that the chamber was lighted with candles,which Cathbarr examined with no little awe. Also, it contained a verygood bed, on which the giant looked with suspicion. The hard stone wallswere hung with tattered tapestries, and before they had settled wellinto their chairs two men entered with food and wine of the best.
"Not so bad," smiled Brian as they ate. "How come your wounds, brother?"
"Those scratches? Bah!" And the giant gurgled down half a quart ofCanary at a stretch. "You are not going to sleep on that bed of cloths?"
"That I am," laughed Brian, "and soon, for I am overweary with riding.Try it, Cathbarr, and you will be glad of it."
"Not I! Since there is no bracken here the floor is good enough for me.Eh, but this sea-woman will have a thought in her mind over yourmessage, brother!"
Brian chuckled, but he was too weary with that day's work to talk orthink, and when the remnants of their meal had been removed and theirdoor shut, he gratefully sought the first bed he had known for weeks.After some laughing persuasion he prevailed on the suspicious Cathbarrto blow out the candles, and upon that he fell asleep.
When he wakened it was broad daylight, and Cathbarr was still snoringwith his ax looped about his wrist as usual. Brian, feeling like a newman, went to the open casement and looked out.
He found himself gazing through a three-foot stone wall, and as he wasdoubtless in one of the towers, this argued that the lower walls weretwelve feet thick or more. The lower castle was hid from him, but hisview was toward the upper bay and included the harbor. The two largerships, which were small caracks, but large for the west coast in thatday, bore six guns on a side, and Brian saw that they were beingscrubbed and made shipshape. The Bird Daughter must be a woman of somescrupulousness, he reflected. Beyond the brown sails of twofishing-boats, and low, storm-boding clouds over the farther hills,there was nothing more in sight.
As Cathbarr still wore his long mail-shirt, Brian kicked him awake, andafter his first bellowing yawn their door opened and men brought in jarsof water. When the giant's wounds had been dressed, under protest, andthey had broken their fast, the seneschal appeared.
"Chieftains," he said respectfully, "the Lady Nuala has received yourmessage and will have speech with you this after
noon. Until then shewishes that you keep your chamber, since she knows not your mind in thisvisit."
"That is but fair," assented Brian.
Cathbarr grumbled, but there was no help for it, since they werevirtually prisoners. The day passed slowly, and toward noon storm drewdown on the harbor and snow eddied in their casement. With that, theyfell to polishing their weapons; Brian procured a razor and amuch-needed shave, and Cathbarr furbished up his huge ax until it glowedlike silver.
Finally Muiertach appeared. Brian slung the great sword across his back,and they followed the seneschal down to the courtyard. Here they werejoined by the captive O'Donnells and the seamen who had brought them tothe castle, and Muiertach led them to the great hall.
The father of this O'Malley woman must have been a man of parts, thoughtBrian as he gazed around. The hall was scantily filled with, perhaps,three-score men ranged along the walls, and at the farther end was a lowdais where a huge log fire roared high. The beams were hung with a fewpennons and ship-ensigns, and on the dais were placed a half-dozenchairs. Behind one of these stood two women, and in the chair, calmlyfacing the hall, sat the Bird Daughter.
Brian caught his breath sharply, and his blue eyes flickered flame as hesaw her. Never in his life had his gaze met such a woman--not in all theland of Spain or elsewhere in Ireland.
At this time Nuala O'Malley was twenty years old, and ten of those yearshad been passed either on shipboard or here in Gorumna Isle. As onechronicler describes her, "She was not tall, but neither was she smallof stature, and when she stood on a ship's deck there was no tossingcould cause her to stumble. Her hair was not blue, but neither was itblack, and her eyes were very deep and bright, violet in color, and setwide in her head. Her nose was neither small nor large, her cheeks wereever red with the wind off the sea, her mouth was finely curved, buttight-set withal, and she had more chin than women are wont to have. Shewas very lissom in body, but her head never drooped."
And that is a most excellent description of the Bird Daughter, in fewerwords than most men might use to-day.
But of all this Brian noted at the moment only that before him sat agirl-woman whose calm poise and confident power struck out at him like avibrant presence. Like himself, she wore a cloak of dark red, but nosteel jack glittered beneath it; there was a torque of ancient goldabout her neck, and her hair was caught up and hidden beneath a smallcap of red.
Brian thought of the woman he had painted in his mind, then laughedsoftly. She caught the laugh on his face, and comprehended it, and waspleased; then as she watched him very calmly, it seemed to Brian thather sheer beauty was a thing of deception. It must be, for she wassurely a woman of blood. He had known enough of beautiful women, whoplayed the parts of men, to know that on the far side of their beautywas neither mercy nor love nor compassion, that their lovers were manysteps to ambition, and that they were venomous. So his smile died away,and his blue eyes glittered cold and dark, and this the Bird Daughtersaw also.
Now, there was no man on the dais save Muiertach, who mounted the twosteps with his keys jangling. As Brian would have gone after him, twopikemen stepped forward to intervene. Brian looked into their eyes andthey drew back again. He and Cathbarr mounted to the dais, and he boweda low, courtly, Spanish bow, of which the Bird Daughter took no note.Instead he heard her voice, very low and penetrating, and she wasspeaking to the two pikemen.
"Go out into the courtyard," she said, "and give each other five lashes.This is because you dared insult a guest, and because you drew backafter insulting him. Go!"
The two pikemen, rather pale under their beards, handed over their pikesto comrades and strode out of the hall. She turned to Brian, speakingstill in Gaelic:
"Welcome, Brian Buidh. You have come to bring me tribute?"
"Yes, Lady Nuala, and the tribute is these ten men of the DarkMaster's."
She looked at Cathbarr; her eyes swept over his ax. Then she lookedagain at Brian, and spoke to Muiertach in English.
"Truly, I have seldom seen such a man as this--"
A swift look of warning flashed over the seneschal's face, and Brianlaughed.
"Lady," he said in the same tongue, "he is Cathbarr of the Ax, and hewill be a good man to stand with us against the Dark Master."
She betrayed no surprise, except that a little tinge of red crept to hertemples.
"I did not know you spoke English, Brian Buidh. Still, it was not toCathbarr that I referred."
At that it was Brian's turn to redden, and mentally he cursed himself.There was no evil in this woman's heart, he saw at once. For an instanthe was confused and taken aback. Then she smiled, slowly rose, andtendered him her hand. Going to one knee, he put her fingers to hislips.
"Now sit, Yellow Brian," she said, "and let us talk. First, thesecaptives of yours. Do you in truth bring them as a tribute? How do Iknow they are O'Donnell's men?"
"Ask these seamen of yours," laughed Brian, seating himself beside her.Cathbarr remained standing and leaning on his ax, looking like somegiant of the old times.
She took him at his word, and when she had heard from the seamen certaintales of what cruelties the ten prisoners had done, her violet eyessuddenly turned black and an angry pallor drove across her face.
"That is enough," she interrupted curtly. "Take them out and hang them."
The men were led away, and Brian saw that her hands were tightlyclenched, but whether in fury or in fear of herself he could not tell.Then she turned to him, looking straightly into his face, and on theinstant Brian knew that if this girl-woman bade him go to his death, hewould go, laughing.
"Tell me of yourself, Brian Buidh. Of what family are you? By the ringon your finger you are an O'Neill; yet I have heard nothing of such aman as yourself leading that sept. When your messenger came to me, Iread cunning in his face, and took it for a trap set by the Dark Master;but now that I have seen you and Cathbarr of the Ax, I will take fealtyfrom you if you wish to serve me."
Brian smiled a little.
"Serve you I would, lady, but not in fealty. I take fealty and do notgive it. My name is indeed Brian Buidh, and as for that ring, it was agift from Owen Ruadh."
"Owen Ruadh died two days since," she said softly, watching his face. "Ihad word of it this morning."
At that he started, and Cathbarr's eyes widened in fear of magic. OwenRuadh had lain on the other side of Ireland, and three months would havebeen fast for such news to travel. But Brian nodded sadly.
"Carrier pigeons, eh?" he said in English and paused. He knew not why,but his loneliness seemed stricken into his heart on a sudden; he whoneither explained nor asked for explanation from any man, felt impelledto open his life to this girl-woman. He crushed down the impulse, yetnot entirely.
"Perhaps, Lady Nuala, there shall be greater confidence between us intime, and so I truly desire. But know this much--I am better born thanany man in Ireland--aye, than Clanrickard himself; and I am here in thewest to seek a new name and a new power. It is in my mind to takeO'Donnell's castle from him, lady. I have some two hundred men, of whomthe Dark Master himself lent me twoscore, and in alliance with yourships we could reduce him."
"How is this, Brian? You say he _lent_ you twoscore men?"
He laughed and explained the fashion of that loan; and when he hadfinished a great laugh ran down the hall, and the Bird Daughter herselfwas chuckling. Then he waited for her answer, and it was not long incoming.
"There is some reason in your plan, Brian Buidh, but more reason againstit. The castle that O'Donnell holds was formerly my father's. If youheld it, there would be no peace between us, unless you gave fealty tome, which I see plainly you will not do. I claim that castle, and shallalways claim it."
"Then it seems that I am held in a cleft stick," smiled Brian easily,"since I will give fealty to none save the king, or Parliament. You areallied with the Roundheads, I understand?"
She nodded, watching him gravely.
"Yes. Cromwell is master of the country, and I am not minded to butt myh
ead against a wall, Brian Buidh. If I am to hold to the little that isleft me, I shall need all my strength."
"And that is not much, lady. Your coasts are plague-smitten, your menreduced, and Cromwell has not yet won all the country. Galway will bethe last to fall, indeed. But as to Bertragh Castle, why should you notsell your rights in it to me?"
At his first words a helpless anger flashed into her face, succeeded bya still more helpless pride.
"No, I will not sell what I have been unable to conquer back, BrianBuidh. If there were any way out of this difficulty with honor, I wouldtake it; for I tell you frankly that I would make alliance with you if Icould."
Brian gazed at her, reading her heart, and fighting vainly against theimpulse that rose within him. Twice he tried to speak and could not,while she watched the conflict in his face and wondered. He wishedvainly that he had Turlough's cunning brain to aid him now.
"Lady," he said at last, biting his lips, "I will do this. I will giveyou fealty for the holding of Bertragh Castle, keeping it ever at yourservice, but for this alone. When we have taken it, it may be that Ishall render it back after I have won a better for myself; yet, becauseI would sit at your side and have equal honor with you, and because wehave need of each other, I will give you the service that I would grantto no man alive. Is it good?"
For an instant he thought that she was about to break forth in eagerassent, then she sank back in her chair, while breathless silence filledthe hall. She gazed down at the floor, her face flushing deeply, andfinally looked up again, sadly.
"I do not desire pity or compassion, Brian Buidh," she said simply, andher eyes held tears of helpless anger.
Then Brian saw that she had pierced his mind, for which he was bothsorry and glad. He knew well there were other castles to be had for thetaking, and there was nothing to prevent his riding on past Slyne Headand winning them--except for his meeting with this girl-woman. Thereforehe lied, and if she knew it, she gave no sign.
"You mistake me, lady," he said earnestly, his blue eyes softeningdarkly.
"I propose this only as a stepping-stone to my own ambition. Soon therewill be a sweep of war through the coasts, and I would have a roof overmy head. Is it good?"
She rose and held out her hands to him.
"It is good, Brian Buidh. Give me fealty-oath, for Bertragh Castlealone."
And he gave it, and his words were drowned in a roar of cheers thatstormed down the hall, for the O'Malleys had heard all that passed.
An hour later Cathbarr of the Ax was despatched in a swift galley tobear the tidings to Turlough, and bid him make ready for a swift andsharp campaign.
Through the remainder of that afternoon and evening Brian sat beside theBird Daughter, and he found his tongue loosened most astonishingly, forhim. He told her some part of his story, though not his name, while inturn he learned of her life, and of how her father and mother had beenslain by O'Donnell through blackest treachery.
The more he saw of her, the more clearly he read her heart and the morehe gave her deeper fealty than had passed his lips in the oath ofservice. As for her, she had met Blake and others of the Roundheadcaptains on her cruises, deadly earnest men all; but in the earnestnessof Brian she found somewhat more besides, though she said nothing of itthen. It was arranged between them that in three days they would meetbefore Bertragh Castle, by sea and land, and the Dark Master would bespeedily wiped out.
With the morning Brian set forth to join his men in the largest sailinggalley, for a wild gale was sweeping down from Iar Connaught. But theO'Malleys were skilled seamen who laughed at wind and waves, and Briankissed the hand of the Bird Daughter as he stepped aboard, with never athought of the storm of men that was coming down upon them both, and ofthe blacker storm which the Dark Master was brewing in his heart.
TO BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK. Don't forget this magazine is issued weekly,and that you will get the continuation of this story without waiting amonth.
Nuala O'Malley
by H. Bedford-Jones
Author of "Malay Gold," "The Ghost Hill," "John Solomon, Supercargo,"etc.
This story began in the All-Story Weekly for December 30.