moving toward the school.”
“And what of it? You scared five years off my life talking as you did, and a fine friend you are to do such a thing.”
“Quiet!” There was no longer any indication of movement though I strained to hear it. “I think those men are Christians planning to attack the school.”
“Attack the school, you say? And why would Christians do such criminal a thing?”
“The ‘why’ doesn’t matter right now. Come on. Let’s follow them. Perhaps we can find a way to stop them.”
“Stop a hundred men who, if you’re right, intend who knows what? Stop them how?”
I fumbled about in the dark, grasped his arm and tugged. “Come on.”
We felt our way along narrow alleys, hopped fences and finally stopped within the stillness of the grove where we had a good view of the school. Almost immediately a torch flared, then another, and another…
A voice rang out in the darkness. “In the name of our Father! Death to all demon worshippers!”
Now a hundred torches were burning, possibly more, many of which were thrown through the air to land on the thatched roofs of the dormitories and nearby buildings. The roofs caught fire and we could then clearly see the throng of armed men encircling the compound.
Laoidheach’s horrified voice trembled as he whispered, “They…they w-would kill us all?”
“So it seems.” I stared at the flaming scene in disbelief. A student appeared in the doorway of my own dormitory. It was too dark…I was too far away to recognize him. He dashed towards safety, was intercepted by three men wielding swords and cut down. A second student ran from the building, followed by a third. Both shrieked as they died.
A dark robed figure carried a wooden cross to the center of the compound, a stark silhouette against the burning buildings. He raised the symbol of his god high as he exhorted the mob to greater acts of violence.
Panicked students erupted into the compound from all the blazing dormitories. They dashed through doors and leaped through windows. A slaughter ensued, the terrified screams of my friends and fellow students filled the night air as they were chased and ruthlessly hacked down one by one by the laughing, cheering multitude of Christian fanatics surrounding them.
“They have no chance,” Laoidheach muttered, “no chance at all.”
I turned away, sickened by the gruesome scene. The ale I so gaily consumed earlier that night spewed upon the ground.
“Ossian!” Laoidheach shook my shoulder. “The Master! Hurry, maybe we can reach him before those killers climb Knockaulin!”
Careful to remain in shadows, we raced around the flaming compound to the foot of the hill and began our ascent. We crossed the hill’s face at an upward angle until we intersected the path, and continued climbing.
Master Tóla was coming down the hill toward us. Light from the fires below revealed that he held staffs in both hands, his Slatnan Druidheacht in one, the other bearing a gleaming white death’s head pommel.
He stopped when he saw us looming in the darkness. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Ossian, Master. Laoidheach is with me. We came to warn you. Christians are attacking the school.”
“Attacking the school?! I saw the fires and of course came to investigate, but I thought… Explain yourself!”
“A large group of Christians surround the school and have set fire to it. They are killing the students as they run from the flaming dormitories.”
“They are killing my boys?” he gasped.
“Yes, Master. I’m afraid they intend to kill them all and there is no stopping them.”
His voice trembled while dense smoke now swirled about him. “But no, that…that can’t be possible. Why would they…why would Christians do such a horrible thing?”
“You recall my father’s message?”
“Yes…yes, of course.” He sighed aloud. “This is my fault. You and your father tried to warn me, and now the blame for this horrible tragedy rests with
“And what of it? You scared five years off my life talking as you did, and a fine friend you are to do such a thing.”
“Quiet!” There was no longer any indication of movement though I strained to hear it. “I think those men are Christians planning to attack the school.”
“Attack the school, you say? And why would Christians do such criminal a thing?”
“The ‘why’ doesn’t matter right now. Come on. Let’s follow them. Perhaps we can find a way to stop them.”
“Stop a hundred men who, if you’re right, intend who knows what? Stop them how?”
I fumbled about in the dark, grasped his arm and tugged. “Come on.”
We felt our way along narrow alleys, hopped fences and finally stopped within the stillness of the grove where we had a good view of the school. Almost immediately a torch flared, then another, and another…
A voice rang out in the darkness. “In the name of our Father! Death to all demon worshippers!”
Now a hundred torches were burning, possibly more, many of which were thrown through the air to land on the thatched roofs of the dormitories and nearby buildings. The roofs caught fire and we could then clearly see the throng of armed men encircling the compound.
Laoidheach’s horrified voice trembled as he whispered, “They…they w-would kill us all?”
“So it seems.” I stared at the flaming scene in disbelief. A student appeared in the doorway of my own dormitory. It was too dark…I was too far away to recognize him. He dashed towards safety, was intercepted by three men wielding swords and cut down. A second student ran from the building, followed by a third. Both shrieked as they died.
A dark robed figure carried a wooden cross to the center of the compound, a stark silhouette against the burning buildings. He raised the symbol of his god high as he exhorted the mob to greater acts of violence.
Panicked students erupted into the compound from all the blazing dormitories. They dashed through doors and leaped through windows. A slaughter ensued, the terrified screams of my friends and fellow students filled the night air as they were chased and ruthlessly hacked down one by one by the laughing, cheering multitude of Christian fanatics surrounding them.
“They have no chance,” Laoidheach muttered, “no chance at all.”
I turned away, sickened by the gruesome scene. The ale I so gaily consumed earlier that night spewed upon the ground.
“Ossian!” Laoidheach shook my shoulder. “The Master! Hurry, maybe we can reach him before those killers climb Knockaulin!”
Careful to remain in shadows, we raced around the flaming compound to the foot of the hill and began our ascent. We crossed the hill’s face at an upward angle until we intersected the path, and continued climbing.
Master Tóla was coming down the hill toward us. Light from the fires below revealed that he held staffs in both hands, his Slatnan Druidheacht in one, the other bearing a gleaming white death’s head pommel.
He stopped when he saw us looming in the darkness. “Who’s there?”
“It’s Ossian, Master. Laoidheach is with me. We came to warn you. Christians are attacking the school.”
“Attacking the school?! I saw the fires and of course came to investigate, but I thought… Explain yourself!”
“A large group of Christians surround the school and have set fire to it. They are killing the students as they run from the flaming dormitories.”
“They are killing my boys?” he gasped.
“Yes, Master. I’m afraid they intend to kill them all and there is no stopping them.”
His voice trembled while dense smoke now swirled about him. “But no, that…that can’t be possible. Why would they…why would Christians do such a horrible thing?”
“You recall my father’s message?”
“Yes…yes, of course.” He sighed aloud. “This is my fault. You and your father tried to warn me, and now the blame for this horrible tragedy rests with