Caedwghe's people had come from the southeast, crossing the sea. Finding the rich southern shores of Holm to be agreeable, they decide to settle roots there; but in the way stood the people of Vóda, who worshipped strange gods and practiced heathen ritual. Their gods, they said, were without body and tied to the land, quite unlike the spirits and magicians of Caedwghe, who were tied only to their clans of origin. Driving them off and taking the arable land for themselves had, for many decades, been a trivial thing to do; thus it came to be that they viewed these people as easily crushed underfoot, magicless pests that were cast into the cursed Northern land to starve.

Then Calsar appeared; and with Calsar, their magics were undone, and their sorcerers killed. Twelve of the thirteen clans Caedwghe consorted with at his castle of Westernkeep were destroyed alongside their master. Only the Cwge, masters of wood, remained; as their talent lay not in waging war, and even in Caedwghe's order they had come last, having no prestige to speak of.

This, then, was how Aoife's people were pardoned by Calsar.

" We have been reduced to nothing," she said, "As we had reduced your people."

Sif reasoned that he could see Calsar's logic of justice, and if it had ended on that, with these people forced to make their own way in cursed land, he probably would've agreed to it logically, though with some pity. Yet even after giving them this border, they were being made to leave again; he had changed his mind for the sake of his own advancement.

If he changed his mind about this, what else would he change his mind on?

After all, Sif's own people were barely a clan in their own right, a small and nameless village to the far reaches of the land. Already they had broken loyalty to him, as the grander conflict had just grazed them and they had no grudge with Cwge itself.

Furthermore, even before then, this Calsar who was known to Caedwghe's people for killing spirits and sorcerers had sent a man to act with ill intent to Sif. He had been dealt with, but it made Sif seriously question his intent.

Was it, then, that anyone who had spiritual ability was an enemy to him?

He considered this seriously as bread and fish soup were served for their morning breakfast.

" I can only apologize if it's not to your liking," Aoife said, dipping her head. " Our livestock doesn't do well here, and we have not enough to slaughter but once or twice a year."

" It suits us just fine," Sif said. " My lady Aoife is generous for sharing with us at all."

Yrnhold nodded.

Most of the village had come by to see them, now, hardened women gripping thin children and a few tweenish boys that had turned up their noses and huffed; Sif imagined that they had only been just too young to go to war when conscription was ordered by Caedwghe. Very few of the women appeared to be the same age as or older than Yrnhold; most of them were younger, simply looking beyond their years.

" After we eat, I shall take you to the tíam," Aoife said. " If we are to ally, we must have your portrait. Even if it is useless without Lach Caírnbrwn, it is the proper way for things to be done."

Sif agreed with this; he had seen so many paper effigies of himself and Helna through his years with the village that he thought it would be no harm to have another.

<- .....->