'Daig has poured a whole bladder of uisge beatha into Da. Da wobbles back and forth a bit, blinking at us as if we're strangers to him. Slowly he lifts a hand to the side of his head to feel what Faramir's last sword-stroke has done. He groans.

I clear my throat importantly. "About my bride, Da -"

"The toad-witch!" Keu snorts from the dark corner where he's been dumping out the sacks of hoarded treasures Faramir left in the niches of the cave. "I saw it. She carries it like a babe -"

"Not true! She only got the toad on Lughnasadh, I gave it to her for a handfasting gift." The sharp edge on my voice surprises Keu. He stops to look hard at me. A handful of silver trickles from his fingers.

"Seònaidh's in love," he marvels, half to himself.

"By the Morrigan's teeth!" Da cackles and claps his hands. "Only me moon-eyed son would give a toad to his bride! Grandfather to a tribe of eejit toad-children I'll be soon enough!"

"She's not like most women," I am quick to answer back.

That brings a caw of laughter from Hadaig. "Most women? Tell us what you know about most women, laddie boy."

My face goes hot. I look at the floor of the cave and feel the anger rising up in me like a rush of dry kindling set aspark. My hands curl into fists. My chest fills with fire. When I raise my head and glare around at my kin, there are flames behind my eyes. "Her- she's - ah- her name's Winter Mist! We're w-w-wed now and even if she's - uhh - well, she's one of us now, she gave me her word and so -"

The fiery tower inside me fills my skull now. The words burn the air as I shout them.

"I swear by the stones of Magh Croimoir, Winter Mist WILL have your respect or else!"

There is silence. I can hear Da's raspy breath. Then comes a long, long roll of thunder that shakes the cave, floor, walls and roof. My family stares at me as if I'd suddenly sprouted horns and a tail.

Then Baine dashes in shaking rain from her hood and brat. Under her arm she brings a little cauldron that I remember from Winter Mist's pack. The cauldron is brimming with freshly picked greens. 'Daig takes her soggy cloak and spreads it near the fire. Baine rubs her hands together for awhile to warm them, all the while smiling crookedly at Da. There's no chance for me to ask after Winter Mist. I expected them to come back together.

"Sean, take your father's arm now. 'Daig, you hold the other," she commands us in whisper, but even with one ear Da catches this. His eyes bulge and he jumps up and grabs his sword.

"Don't come near me or I'll -" He's so full of whisky that when he swings the sword, he nearly topples over. Fearlessly, Hadaig knocks the sword aside and grabs one of his arms. Easily, I get hold of one too. Da kicks out at us, misses, and screeches bloody curses.

Baine has a needle of bone already threaded with a long strand of something. "Keu," she says calmly. "Put Nion to sleep."

Keu says nothing, but raises a questioning eyebrow to Baine. She gives a firm nod. Da continues to struggle and foul the air with obscene insults to everyone around him - until Keu pulls back his strong arm, takes aim, and then strikes like lightning, landing a punch squarely on Da's chin. His head jerks back, his eyes roll up, and he falls limp between me and 'Daig. Baine sets to her stitching almost before he hits the floor.

"Where's my dear wife gone?" I ask her anxiously, "She's out in the storm?"

"You needn't worry about Winter Mist in a storm," Baine winks. With her foot, she pushes the cauldron at me. "Make yourself useful and put this on the fire. Your father will need a poultice when I'm finished here."

It doesn't take long for Baine to sew the ear on. Cleverly she fashions a kind of head-wrap for Da that presses one poultice to the ear-seam and holds another in place against his newly bruised chin. She lets his swaddled head rest on her lap until he rouses from his nap.

What rouses him is the quiet swish of Winter Mist returning to the cave. And she's not alone. The stench of wet fur is not the worst of it.