Verica and I are escorted, with no excessive brutality, to a tent. As soon as the flap falls behind me, I look around instinctively for a way out. It is by no means a stone prison, but by the sounds I hear outside it is heavily guarded. No, not yet. I have to bide my time.

Verica's eyes survey the place in disgust. Then she sits down in a corner, straight-backed and solemn, fully a princess. I plop down beside her and fold my legs. "Now we only have to wait." I undo my braid with the excuse of combing my hair with my fingers. I hate the feeling of caked blood. Luckily it is not so evident in my dark hair.

I do not like Amlaidh's absence. My fertile imagination offers me a thousand horrifying reasons for it, and the relatively good impression the Dux made on me does nothing to dispel them. A noise outside, and both Verica and I raise our head towards the entrance. It is a false alarm, but it has set my heart to racing. My gaze locks for a moment with Verica's. I hastily lower my eyes, lest she should discover my secret.

When Amlaidh does come back, I am more in control of myself. I put up my mocking facade, the one that often comes natural to me at the An Caidreamh Suiri. That memory fills me with a terrible desire to go back. But not simply with my body - to go back to the careless time when I considered Amlaidh only a friend. I do not think there is a way back. Should I even forget him, something that I will endeavour to do as soon as I am free (if ever), he will remain with Verica and I will never see him again.

He would have done so all the same if I had not fallen in love with him. So maybe I ought to be grateful to Brighid that she gifted me with this tiny spark of warmth before the separation, even though this means it will be more painful.

The sound of the harp follows my thought in the most poignant way, the very thing I miss from An Caidreamh Suiri, the very thing I am going to miss forever. I lower my head, feigning tiredness, and wipe away my tears...

The song stops. What is happening? Could it be...