The Nameless
an excerpt

“How shall we know, Lady, who might be evil and who not? Should we simply decide to trust no one at all? I do not wish to live in constant fear. Better be dead than to have no companions, no friends, out of fear.”

Eòlas looked up in surprise as Eala finished speaking. She had not expected the real implications of their situation to hit the child quite this quickly, or with such a note of despair. But she did not discount the girl’s feelings simply because she had not anticipated them.

“I know how difficult this is for you, my child. I know it seems there is no one at all whom you can trust. I would not be surprised if you did not even feel like trusting me, or anyone of my household, at this point in time. How can I expect you to believe that everyone around you may be evil, and only I am good? But I beseech you, please, believe my words to you. It is only by exercising the most extreme level of caution that we have any hope whatsoever of bringing you through this without grave harm.” She took both the girl’s hands in hers and bent on her a deep glance of love and longing, one without any deception but only hope and love. “Please, can you trust me for this?”

Eala did not hesitate.

“It is very difficult, Foster-mother, and I am very afraid, both for myself and for my little brother. But…we have taken you as our Kin. We have sworn it. At this moment, we are under honor bound to you. You are closer to us at this time than even our own mother. Of course I trust you. Don’t we, Cr—Garrag?”

As she stumbled over his name, almost forgetting to call him by the use-name in which lay his only safety, the boy and the two women at the table winced, and Eòlas raised her hand in an involuntary gesture of denial.

“That, above all else, you must remember. I cannot assist you. I can use no magic where there may be a sorceress about who would sense it and wonder why it is necessary. So I cannot enspell your memories…and I would rather not do that even if I could. I prefer you not to have to be made to do by magic what your sense and intuition can help you to do by nature. So…” she looked intently at both the children.

“Your name is Eala. You are the kinswoman and ward of Eòlas, in whose house you reside, having no parents. Your name is Garrag. You are the kinswoman and ward of Eòlas, in whose house you reside, having no parents. Live this, breathe it, eat it, sleep it, dream it. You must not forget it, ever. Upon this being your central knowledge of yourselves, your most profound truth, may ultimately depend your very lives. I am going to be sure all the eating and drinking vessels in my hall are of pure silver. There is going to be a torch and a flame every two or three feet, even in the daytime, so that no one will be unable to cast a shadow except those who do not have one. And you will go nowhere unaccompanied, nowhere without an attendant, as befits the kinfolk of a noblewoman. And, most importantly of all, you will speak to no one, even here in my house, unless I, or your waiting-woman or tutor, introduce you. We know not truly who anyone is, so we will take precautions. You are far too precious to be made friends of anyone who crosses the doorstone.”

The children at once exchanged guilty glances, although Eala’s gaze dropped first, and in Garrag’s eyes was a tinge of triumphant scorn. Eòlas threw a startled look across the table. Were her warnings already too late? Was there even now danger stalking her halls?

“What is it? What do you have to tell me? Speak forth truth now, both of you.”

Eala was first to speak.

“We met a boy in the hall, Lady. A young squire. He seemed to be noble-born. I am certain he is all right. He serves a Lord.”

Garrag did not even attempt to muffle his snort of scornful contempt.

“All right? Before you came in, he was mocking me and poking me with a sword. He had no respect, no honor for a stranger who is resident in a house where he is a guest. And….he may serve a Lord, but he is anything but noble. He acted like a ram in heat for a sheep, when he looked at you. It was not respect, sister. It was crude.”

“Who is this boy? What is his name? And…did you give him your names? Did you?” Eòlas could not help it that her voice had an edge of fear and impatience. Had they already been undone by careless ignorance, before the game was even afoot?

“No, Lady, no names were given him by either of us. I told him I was “balachan Eòlas”, as you have instructed me. And even my sister did not give him her name, but spoke haughtily, telling him she knew him not and would not grant her name to a stranger. He gave us his name, though. To impress my sister, I am certain. He is Alain, a squire from the Westlands. And he serves Lord Brôd.”

Eòlas could not decide whether she felt more relief at the children’s discretion, or fury at the intrusion of war and death and treachery into the hold of her home. She rose majestically, and spoke with a voice that made both children involuntarily shrink back from the table, as if she had offered to strike them.

“Lord Brôd, indeed. It wanted nothing more to make this day as unseelie as I had feared it might be. Listen, now, and heed my words. Lord Brôd, and all his house, will be gone from my house as quickly as I can make it happen. I will not even be down the stairs before I have come up with a reason to banish them all. Perhaps…” she paused, and looked at the maid. Adelaide was only 20 and fair to look upon, with shining golden hair and green eyes.

“Adelaide, will you help me? Will you be willing to swear that this man, this Lord, or one of his entourage, has laid unseemly hands upon you and attempted to violate your honour? Can you make such a pretense, and make everyone believe it?”

The girl did not hesitate for a moment.

“Not only can I do this, Lady, but it is not a ruse. His horseman, Josef, laid hands upon me in the stables, this afternoon, when I came in to get the cream for Dame Mairead to make the trifle for dessert. He put his hand right down my bodice, Lady, and tried to kiss me. He will be unable to deny it…I laid his cheek open with my nails. I was only awaiting your being finished here before I was intending to tell you about it.”

For the first time in the entire conversation, Eòlas actually smiled. “Excellent. We shall shame him, and his master, and be sure the entire household knows that they are dismissed from my door with no honor.” She turned to the children.

“This gives me a reason which will be another cloak upon you, to do something I was going to have to find a reason to do in any wise. According to my friend the Druid, Lord Brôd has been bribed with gold. And what he has sworn away his honor to do, for money, is horrendous. He has promised, in the most vile misuse possible of manly prowess, to kill you both. And this boy whom you met, this Alain. He serves a man who has no honor. Who would do murder. For money.”