The challenge was not unexpected. Lasair cooly returns the stare of the man loosely holding the war hammer. He is badly wounded. His voice was sharp with pain. She takes time to get a good look at the rest of the battered war band before she will answer. The bull has been taken a little distance farther down the road, away from the smell of spilled blood.

She could return to Cill Dara with Lorcan's prize bull today. Or she could stay and find the murdering thief. Or thieves. That would mean a richer reward.

A woman steps out of the bloodstained confusion and pleads for help. “Our keep is not far from here and we need to get our men to our healers!"

Lasair releases the sword handle and raises one hand for peace. "I am sent by Lorcan, keeper of Brigid's Bruidean in Cill Dara!" she announces gruffly and points at the bull. "That bull was stolen from him just before Lughnasadh. A man was killed."

Response to that announcement comes as only mild surprise and a shrug.

"You don't say! Then take the wretched beast and be gone. This bull has brought us bad luck from the moment we left Tara. We have more important matters right now!"

Lasair raises her chin proudly. "First I shall help you."

Some of the men are cutting long branches to make a sled for hauling their injured companions to the keep. Others are searching the ground on either side of the road. Looking for tracks? So it must have been a surprise attack. Interesting.

After Lasair dismounts, she feels the woman staring at her. She gives her a terse bow and mumbles the practiced lie. "I am called Labraid. At your service, lady.

Then she turns away quickly to help a pair of warriors lash the sled to the horse. Two bleeding men are carefully laid onto the drag. When they are made as comfortable as possible, she takes the reins again and joins the painful procession down the road to the keep.

There is an uneasy feeling that someone is watching from the wood. One or maybe two figures are stalking this sad parade . Worse yet, the morning call of a lark goes back and forth on both sides of the road three times. It is late in the day. Lasair decides to keep these observations to herself until she knows more about what happened here today and why.