“Fàilte,” he says, which is to mean “welcome” in the old language, “particularly to our honorable guests from Clann-a-Tuath. This meeting was requested by Eilionoir on behalf of her clan, so perhaps you would like to speak first?”
Maistreas Eilionoir nods and stands up at the same time as Kenrick sits down.
“Mòran taing, Kenrick,” says Maistreas Eilionoir. I don’t know what that one means. “And thanks to all of you for your hospitality during this last moon. It has been a difficult time for us all, but particularly for my clan, as I’m sure you can appreciate. While we are enormously grateful to be able to stay here, what we really want is to go home.” Her voice is scratches. She stops and does two coughs. “Despite our best efforts, negotiations with the people of Raasay have come to nothing; they are resolute in their decision to remain in our enclave. So now we must decide upon a new course of action. This isn’t about pride; this is about what’s right. It is our home, and it was taken from us.
“We have been here nearly a month now, and we are beginning to feel like we’re outstaying our welcome. Some of you are not willing for us to remain here indefinitely — that much has been made clear — and I understand your concerns. This is your home and you are protective of it, just as we are of ours. But if we do not reclaim our enclave, we have nowhere else to go.
“I implore you to pledge your support, to take up arms and march north by our side. It was always agreed that we would try and resolve this conflict without bloodshed, and that is still our intention. The Raasay islanders are not as skilled at fighting as we are, so will not wish to engage in combat if it can be avoided. A fierce show of force should be enough to convince them to leave. With your help, I have every confidence we will be successful.”
She sits back down with a big nod.
“Your voice is heard with respect,” says Kenrick. “I can only apologize if you feel our hospitality is waning. You know you have our full support, but — after all we’ve been through — it’s difficult for me to ask my people to put their lives in danger again so soon.”
“May I respectfully point out that if it wasn’t for Agatha and Jaime, you wouldn’t have any people to risk,” says Maistreas Eilionoir. “They’d all still be rotting in a prison in Norveg.”
“We would have found a way out,” says Catriona. She’s another important one from Clann-na-Bruthaich. She is young but her hair is not nice and her face is angry. “You cannot make demands of us now in recompense for assistance we never requested.”
Maistreas Eilionoir does a humph.
“I disagree,” says a different woman who is thin and sad. “Clann-a-Tuath wants what’s theirs by right, and they deserve nothing less. While we were prisoners in the mountain, I dreamt of nothing but home. I’m sure it was the same for us all. Is it fair that we should be granted our dream yet deny them theirs? I, for one, am willing to risk my life to help them.”
“Your support is received with heartfelt gratitude,” says Maistreas Eilionoir.
“If you’re so convinced that threatening the Raasay islanders will work, why didn’t you do it weeks ago?” asks a Clann-na-Bruthaich man with a stubbly face.
“We needed time to regain our strength,” says Lenox. He is the Hawk from my clan who taught me how to be a good Hawk. The deamhain killed all the other elders from our clan so Maistreas Eilionoir had to choose new people to be the deciding people for Clann-a-Tuath just for now. Lenox is one of them and so am I and so is Jaime. “The time to act is now. The longer we leave it, the more time they have to bolster their defenses. We’ve already given them too long to prepare.”
“But what if your plan doesn’t work? What if they’re not scared into leaving, as you predict?” asks Kenrick. “We will have no option but to fight. Do we really want to risk more death? I know you don’t consider this your home, but it could be. After the losses we suffered in the mountain, there is plenty of room for all of us here. There’s no reason why you can’t just stay.”
“I’m afraid that’s incorrect,” Catriona says to Kenrick, “and you do not speak for us all.” Everyone looks at her. “Our food supplies are disastrously low. You’ve all seen it — the meal rations have been getting smaller for weeks, and they will continue to do so. Our crops failed while we were in the mountain, and since the deamhain burned most of our boats, even fishing is proving problematic. The truth is simple: we will not survive the winter with this many mouths to feed.”
“So you want us to leave yet are unwilling to help us do so?” says Maistreas Eilionoir.
Catriona sucks in her cheeks and does not reply.
A man speaks next, then a woman and then Lenox again. When Lenox talks I watch his eyebrows going up and down and up and down. The meeting is getting more boring. I’d rather be up on the enclave wall doing the looking out. I’m a Hawk again now and that is the best ever. Maistreas Eilionoir said I’m allowed to be one because I am the hero. I promised to do the best looking ever. It is a different wall because it is Clann-na-Bruthaich’s wall but it is still being a Hawk.
After lots more talking, Kenrick says that everyone has been heard. That is not true. I have not been heard.
“What about — me?” I say. Everyone looks at me and now I wished I didn’t say it.
“You are at liberty to say whatever you like, Agatha,” says Kenrick. “What are your thoughts on the matter?”
“I think we should f-fight them. I am not afraid. I am the hero. It is our — home and they are wr-wrong to — to be there.”
“Enlightening,” says Catriona.
“Thank you, Agatha,” says Kenrick. “If no one has anything further to add, I draw this meeting to a close. Let us sleep on the matter and we will vote at dusk tomorrow. The majority decision will be final.”
People start to leave the bothan. Everyone is talking to each other about the things that were said.
“I’m going to the cookboth,” I say to Jaime. “Do you want to come — with me?”
“No thanks, Aggie,” Jaime says. “I’m pretty tired. That meeting exhausted me.”
“Okay. See you later, Jaime.”
I leave the bothan and walk to the cookboth. I’m hungry. Evening meal was a long time ago and it was a very small one because we have to do the rations. I will smile my biggest smile at the Stewer and say please and then he will give me something to eat. They always say okay to me because I am the hero. I will get some food for Milkwort too.
I tell Milkwort where we are going, but he doesn’t answer. At first I am panic that I can’t speak to him again like in Scotia when I couldn’t do it. Then I remember that he is still in the meeting bothan. I left him and I forgot. I hope he will not be cross with me. I run back to the meeting bothan as fast as I can which is not very fast but I am trying. No one is outside anymore. Everyone is gone.
I open the door. The lanterns are still lit inside but no one is there. Before I even call for Milkwort he runs up my leg. He saw me come in. It tickles only a little bit. He is a good vole. I say sorry for leaving him here and tell him my plan which is to get some food for both of us and he is happy about that.