“Mara, call your dragon, and get word of this to the taoiseach. Tell him I’ll go to the Troll camp even now.”
“I’m going with you. Marco,” Breen snapped before he could protest, “they know me, trust me. I have Sul’s ear, and that could be important in this.”
“I have to take one of their own, so, aye, it would be. You’ll trust me with her, Marco,” Brian said.
“Damn it. Okay, all right. We’ll wait at the farm. I’ll take Bollocks and the horses.”
Brian turned to him, kissed him. “I’ll bring her back safe.”
“Bring both of you back safe.”
“I have you,” Brian said again, and, picking Breen up, flew.
“I know you’re the warrior, and one of Keegan’s right hands, but I’m going to ask you to let me do the talking—at least try to—at the start.”
“I’ll do that, but if this Thar tries to harm you or any, I’ll stop him. If he tries to run, I’ll stop him. If any Troll objects, I’ll stop them.”
“We need to ask permission to—”
“We won’t be after standing on ceremony,” Brian said grimly. “And they’ll have to deal with that.”
He flew straight into the Troll camp. Everyone in it rose to their feet. Children stopped playing, others stopped cooking or drinking or hammering.
Not a single one looked pleased.
“We apologize for the intrusion,” Breen began. “We have urgent business with Loga. Please, it’s urgent.”
Sul strode up the path Breen remembered led to stables, and beyond to the caves.
She stopped, hands on hips, and sent Brian a hard look.
“This is not the way to welcome.”
“It’s urgent,” Breen repeated. “Where is Loga—please. His life’s in danger.”
“Why would ya say such things? I left him not ten minutes past after he finished a bartering.”
“Where is the one called Thar?” Brian demanded.
“And what business is that of yers, Sidhe?”
“He means to kill Loga. Sul, I swear it. He took a raven from Odran, and a knife with Elfin markings.”
“Ya call my son a murderer?” A woman pushed forward. “Ya lie, and are no longer welcome.”
Sul rounded on her. “I say who is welcome here. Where is Thar, and we’ll end all this.”
“He went down toward the caves,” a boy called out.
“I’da seen him,” Sul said.
“I tell ya, Ma, I saw him going that way just before they came.”
“Loga’s in the caves?”
Sul nodded at Breen. “Or coming back from them by now.”
Sul turned on her heel and ran.