Together

He told her of the dying warrior and his prophecy of the future. Then he said, "With our families gone there is nothing left for us. Let us flee to the Northern Isles before the Romans return and I lose even you. Before he was killed, my father told me about one of the clans emigrating there. As distant kin, I am sure that they will take us in. And if we go via the Giant’s Causeway, then we won’t have to find a boat to take us across the sea.

"Still, if you wish to remain here then I will too for I swear by the gods that I will stay with you through out this life and the next."

"And I with you," Gyptis replied. Then, she embraced him and pressed her lips on his. He put his arms around hers and they stood that as though holding the other would stop time and save them from whatever was to come.

The girl returned to the village to collect what meager possessions they still had whilst Cathbar began the ritual without which no one of the Tribe would commence a hazardous venture. He stripped some bark off a hazel sapling, divided into small pieces then marked each one with a rune. When the girl returned he borrowed a white cloth from her and cast the chips upon it, closed his eyes and prayed for the veil on their destinies to be lifted. However, no magic flowed and the future remained shrouded.

"I can not divine anything here, Gyptis," he said "There is not enough power. We must go to a shrine."

The girl considered his words for a moment. "There is a grove to the north of here, my love. It is very old and Mother used to swear that the magic within it was especially strong."

The old woman proved to be right. On entering the grove, they could feel that in spite of all the calumnies for the last few days, some earth magic still lingered there.

The place consisted of a ring of oaks, and was altogether a dark and foreboding place. Although the time was early afternoon, it was poorly lit because of the dense foliage above it. Skulls from past sacrifices still hung from the boughs of trees spoke of darker rituals than the one that they had come to perform. Still, a few rays managed to make their way through to illuminate the faces of the lovers.

After kneeing down in the center, Cathbar tested the strength of the magic within it. There was so little that he could barely sense any power at all.

"We must wait until sunset before reading the runes. I am going to need an auspicious time if I am to be successful."

So they remained there in silence as the light in the grove gradually faded. Then, as it turned dark red, Gyptis placed the runes on the white cloth before mixing them together. Then, Cathbar knelt facing a giant oak on the eastern edge of the ring and closed his eyes.

For a moment nothing happen. Then as power flowed through his body, down his arm and into the pile before him, he called upon the gods for wisdom then drew the first rune, that of Circumstances.

In spite of the semi-darkness, neither of them had any difficulty reading the marking on the piece of bark, _Riacthanas_, that is pain or suffering. The present situation was so clear that Cathbar did not need to interpret. The lost battle, the sack of the village, the death of the old woman. They were all there, encapsulated in one tiny symbol..