Spirit of the Mist Read Online Free PDF

“He has defeated the old king there and taken over his fortress. Odhran now holds Dun Camas.”  
    “We heard that there was a battle—perhaps nine, ten nights ago,” admitted King Murrough. “The farmers there believed that both King Fallon and Queen Grania were killed in the takeover. We could find no one who saw it, however.”  
    “That is because they were not killed. They were taken captive for a time—and then the king was blinded with the same pin that King Odhran uses to fasten his cloak. Odhran rules there now.”  
    Again the men of Dun Farraige talked in low voices among themselves. Their king’s face grew even more serious. He looked hard at Brendan. “They may as well have killed Fallon outright,” he said. “No man can be a king with such a disfigurement.”  
    “That is why they had it done: to shame him,” said Brendan. “Fallon tried to walk off the cliffs, but his queen begged him not to. I know this because they, and one of their men, were allowed to walk out through the gates as Odhran laughed.  
    “After many days, they managed to find their way to Dun Bochna. The former king now lives quietly in the shadows there with his queen. He remains alive only for her sake—and I can tell you that on the day she dies, he too will be gone before the sun sets.”  
    King Murrough gazed into the distance, nodding slowly and thoughtfully. “Something will have to be done about Odhran very soon.” He looked back at Brendan. “Yet you have not told us how you came to be set adrift.”  
    Brendan smiled. “I am the second son of King Galvin, and I wished to be named tanist. I wanted nothing more in life than to be the next king, after my father moves on to the next life—and so, not long after King Odhran took over, I led sixteen men in a cattle raid against him.”  
    The king raised his eyebrows, a slow smile spreading across his face. He nodded at Brendan. “A bold move,” he said. “Did you get the cattle?”  
    Brendan grinned. “We got half of his herd. And all my men got away safely.”  
    “All except you.”  
    “All except me. I stayed behind to draw off the pursuit when it finally came. My men got away—but I did not.”  
    “Another bold move. But you cannot be a king if you are held captive, or if you are dead.”  
    “That is true, King Murrough,” agreed Brendan coolly. He paced a couple of steps, then cocked his head and grinned. “But as you can see, I am neither.”  
    Muriel let out her breath. She wondered how this man’s bravado would strike the king and his men. Never had she seen anyone with such confidence, so sure of himself.  
    The king seemed to be enjoying his guest’s story. “So you were the only captive,” he noted. “I am sure that King Odhran could not have been too pleased to know that you led the raid that took half his cattle.”  
    For the first time, Brendan’s smile faded completely. He stood very still and faced the king. “You are right. He was not. He meant to kill me.”  
    “Kill you?” Now Murrough was frowning. “If you are the tanist, as you say, why would they not just hold you for the generous ransom your own king—your own father—would surely pay to have you back?”  
    “Because…when the attackers came, I fought with them so that my own men could ride away. I killed one of King Odhran’s men…and he turned out to be Oscar, the king’s own son and the tanist of his tribe.”  
    The king raised his head. “Oscar is dead? At your hands?”  
    “I did not wish to kill him. But he was determined to kill me. I had no choice, if I wished to live.”  
    “Oscar was as mad as his father. He was vicious. Cruel. No regard for the law.” Murrough nodded. “You have done us all a favor.”  
    Before Brendan could respond, the king fixed him with a cool stare. “So tell us, then—if you killed the mad son of an equally mad king, how is it that you live to stand before us here today?”  
    Brendan smiled