Yet he held authority among them, and no man enter-
ing the clan house and setting eyes on Nyren need ask
who was chief in this place. Brigitta felt the swell of pride
10 Andre Norton
as she watched him now, displaying not a flicker of emo-
tion as he listened with surface courtesy to the words'of
the High King's messenger, who was leaning forward,
plainly ill at ease as he tried to impress this small chief, as
the High King might rate Nyren.
But the influence of the lord of this clan reached
beyond the walls of his kin house and many among the
hills listened closely to any words of his. For his wisdom
was great and he was a wily and successful raider and war
leader. He might have called himself king, after the fash-
ion of others hereabouts, but he did not choose to do so.
Brigitta stirred again impatiently. She wished that her
father might speedily send the High King's man about his
business, that they might feast at their ease with no trou-
bling from the world outside on this night.
She could catch the roar of the wind above the sounds
of the court hall below. There was a storm, and a storm
on this night was unlucky. It might well carry the hosts of
the Dark to wreak their evil will on men.
Now she looked for Lugaid where he sat near her fa-
ther. He had the old knowledge and he had set up the
spirit protections about them this night. Though his un-
shaved beard was white, his lean body was not stooped,
nor did he have the signs of age about him. His white
robe was bright in the firelight and one thin hand stroked
his beard absentmindedly as he, too, listened to Vortigen's
man.
The Romans had striven to stamp out the old knowl-
edge and while they were in power men such as Lugaid
had moved secretly, keeping to their own silences. Now
they were honored once more among the kin and their
words were listened to. Brigitta doubted that Lugaid
would favor the High King, for he and his kind held the
ancient mysteries of this land and they liked the Winged
Hats no better than they had the Romans.
The ale was strong and made her a little dizzy. She
shoved the tankard aside, her eyes now drowsily watching
the play of the flames on the great hearth below. In and
