The wind carried smells of summer, the air resounded with birds' sounds. The previous year, during this same period, Áedán had brought his son Artúr to the abbey on the island of Hy. One year had passed already. Riding his horse up the steep slope of Dún At hill, Áedán wondered what his son was learning in Hy at that same moment. But he left soon these thoughts, when he reached the fortress' outer stone walls.
He dismounted from his horse, holding it by the reins. The guards recognised him and they let him pass through the gates. Once he was inside the lower yard, he left the horse at the stable. Erc, his trustworthy old personal guard, was there waiting for him, and together they walked uphill through Dún At. The village was alive with activity, the trade had started as dynamic as ever after the end of the cold season. Apparently many were the newborn babies, judging by the screams coming from several huts.
Áedán and Erc passed through the second gateway and they started hearing and smelling the work of the blacksmiths. Here was where the richness of Dún At came from: these skilled craftsmen produced refined metal products and jewellery, in gold, silver, bronze, that were traded in exchange for exotic wine and food, luxurious clothes, glass and other rare goods from far lands.
Approaching the third ring of walls, Áedán started again worrying about the reason why he was invited to this secret meeting. From what his older brother Eoganán had told him, only the chiefs of the most important clans were invited, since they would have discussed about some top secret decisions for Dál Riata. His own clan's toiseach was Eoganán, so Áedán got puzzled when his brother had told him that King Conall wanted him too at the gathering. After climbing several steep stone steps, he finally reached the third gate, and there was his older brother, waiting for him. Eoganán hugged him, patting him on the back: "Welcome, Áedán. Most of the other tosigh are already there, let's go". Áedán held his brother by an arm: "Did someone tell you why am I supposed to be here too?". "No", Eoganán answered, "but since it's a gathering among chiefs, it's a good sign that you are invited to attend, isn't it?". But even while saying that, he also looked a bit worried.
Eoganán and his personal guard, followed by Áedán and Erc, walked through the majestic portal. Guards and attendants saluted and welcomed them in the inner yard. Outside the big hall they met Colmán Bec mac Diarmato, one of King Conall's closest allies. He saluted Eoganán with a rough man hug and he just smiled ambiguously at Áedán: "Eoganán and Áedán, your father Gabrán would be proud to see you both attending a confidential meeting". Áedán couldn't help but think that King Gabrán, when he was alive and in power, would have considered just natural that his sons inherited his power and attended every gathering. But when he died, it was his nephew Conall mac Comgaill who was acclaimed as new king by the majority of the clans of Dál Riata. After all, Conall's father was king before Gabrán.
They had entered the hall. A noisy crowd was walking around the spacious room, cheering and shouting. Meat and mead had been brought into the hall by serving women. Áedán recognised some chiefs. Many of them greeted Eoganán and looked at Áedán in surprise. What could he do? He just grabbed a tankard from a servant and started drinking.
After a while the noise quieted, as King Conall, standing on a stool, raised his hand. Peering from the back of the hall, Áedán recognised immediately his cousin's grey hair and reddish brown moustache.
"Fellow tosigh", High Chief Conall said, with his cold and stern voice, "I welcome you all once again to our gathering. First of all, I must tell you that after our sacrifices during the last celebrations of Beletene, the aes síde have been benevolent: the season of samrad has started wonderfully, trade is flourishing, fishing and hunting are bringing a lot of food". Even though he had granted Colmcille the island of Hy to build his abbey, Conall followed the traditional beliefs taught by the druids, as many of the clans of Dál Riata still did.
"In this propitious moment, a unique opportunity befalls us. I introduce you all to this man next to me". Someone who wore a long cloak with a hood and was standing back until that moment, stepped forward. Even though he was standing behind several other people, Áedán managed to see the face under the hood, and a shiver ran down his spine. A big scar ran across the man's face, from his forehead to his right cheek, and his nose was disfigured by it. His mouth was bent in a strange unnatural sneer. "He is here in all secrecy", Conall said, "and he doesn't want to be named, for safety reasons, but he is an envoy from Neiton map Guipno, cousin of High Chief Tutgual of Alt Clut".
Soft murmuring arose in the hall. Conall didn't bother to stop it because it soon faded away. "Since a while", continued the king, "I am in contact with Neiton through his envoys: as only very few of you know, a part of the leadership of Alt Clut is... unhappy with their king's rule".
"And what has that to do with us?", intervened one of the chiefs, which one Áedán couldn't see.
"That has everything to do with us", replied Conall, "because, in all secrecy, they are asking us to intervene. This envoy brought with him a coded message". He turned to the scarred man: "You may read the message to us".
The envoy took out a small parchment and he started reading from it. His voice had an obvious Brittonic inflection, but it was as dry as sand: "We confirm what is decided. The season is ripe. The gates will open in the night of full moon of mithem. The eagle will open, the wolf will perish".
The crowd in the hall let out sneers and sounds of complaint, but King Conall raised his hand to calm the noise, and invited the envoy to speak.
"My master Prince Neiton wrote these words", said the scarred man, "together with many other nobles of Alt Clut. Prince Neiton's father was king once, the great Guipno map Dumnagual Hen. Our kingdom is facing many threats and the current king and his family are leading us to disaster. That's why many of us decided to take things in our hands before it's too late. The eagle is us, the wolf is Tutgual and his family. None of them must survive. Some guards will open the gates of Alt Clut in the night that is decided, the night of full moon of mithem. The ascent that leads to the top of the Rock is very steep and narrow, but once the gates are open, an army on foot can climb in the silence of the night, up to the royal abodes on the top".
Colmán Bec, with his strong and deep voice, interrupted the envoy: "Why would you need our help? And why should we trust you?".
The envoy glared at him, and answered: "Many officials within the ranks of the Guards of the Rock are loyal to my masters, and it has been arranged so that they will be on duty that night. But that alone is not enough, since other guards are loyal to Tutgual, including the Royal Guard. That's why we need forces from outside".
Eoganán intervened: "This plan sounds wrong, King Conall, how can we trust some Britons who want to use our army to overthrow their own leaders? What if this is just a stupid trap?".
Conall, who had stood all the time on the stool, smiled: "I understand your concerns, Eoganán mac Gabráin, but since many moons I have been studying the situation through my secret informers, and they confirmed what this envoy is saying". Then he turned to the scarred host: "Even your masters were unaware that I was spying on them, but at least I know that you are telling the truth".
The Briton answered, spitefully: "At the same time, High Chief Conall, I must tell you that we too have our informers who tell us everything about Dál Riata".
Those words were quite reckless, said by a foreigner in a meeting of Dalriatan chiefs. The man who pronounced them may well have been arrested. But apparently King Conall didn't consider worth or wise to take them too seriously, because he spoke as nothing had happened: "But enough with the introduction. Now let me tell you, fellow tosigh, what the conspirators promise us, in exchange for our help. They promise that, after the plan will succeed, some of our troops will be allocated in some areas in the borderlands between Dál Riata and Alt Clut and even up to the borders with Gododdin".
All of Conall's eight sons cheered at those words and some of the chiefs followed their lead. But others remained cautious. For a plan such as that, Conall needed support from the vast majority of the clans, and it looked like he didn't have it.
The king raised a hand, he had not finished to speak: "I know who can lead this attack, if he will agree: Áedán mac Gabráin".
That struck Áedán like a thunder. That's why my cousin wanted me at the gathering!, he suddenly realised.
Conall looked straight at him: "I think you are the right one, Áedán, not only because it won't be your first raid, but also because, through your mother's heritage, you hold your own rights over some territories in the region of Manau, in Gododdin". This time, many men nodded in approval.
Áedán didn't like that. All the faces were pointed towards him. He gathered up the courage to answer: "King Conall, my wife is Tutgual's daughter. My mother, even though she left Alt Clut at a very young age, was a daughter of King Dumnagual, which would make me a cousin by blood to both Tutgual and Neiton. How can they accept me as leader of an army against Alt Clut?".
"That is exactly the reason why you are suited to this action", replied Conall, with his stern voice. "You have the right to step into the territories of Alt Clut and claim at least those lands in Manau that you never visited even if they belong to you. And this is the perfect occasion! And the fact that you are cousin to Neiton makes things easier actually: the conspirators will see you in some sort of way related to them, even if you are a Dalriatan!".
Now most of the chiefs cheered at the king's words and started to shout "Áedán! Áedán!", waving their tankards in mid-air.
Conall's plot was very astute. Manau had been inherited by Áedán, while his older brother Eoganán had inherited the possessions of the clan of Gabrán in Dál Riata. With that excuse, Conall was going to send Áedán's men to battle, instead of risking his own ones. In that way, if the plan succeeded, Dál Riata would spread its influence within the borders of Alt Clut and the new Briton rulers would be forever in Conall's debt. It didn't matter if the army's leader was Áedán: the Dalriatan supreme chief was Conall mac Comgaill and he would be praised for the victory. If, on the contrary, the plan failed, it would be Áedán's warband to perish, leaving Conall's clan and power intact.
But it was very risky. Alt Clut could be approached only by boat, and how could they navigate and dock their ships in the dark of the night? They only had to hope for a clear sky illuminated by the full moon.
Now most of the men were shouting their enthusiasm and agreement. Only a few, like his brother Eoganán, were silent and somber. In such circumstances, Áedán couldn't dare to refuse the assignment.
Very well, Áedán thought. If that was the will of the chiefs of Dál Riata, he would accept. But if he was going to survive, later he would have to settle accounts and make his own plans. He was a son of a king too, after all.
