The trip West was uneventful. Deirdre was good to her word: they didn't have any encounters, not with animals nor with enemies.

Tal almost wished they had. He wanted to know for sure that she could hold her own as a warrior before he trusted her to guard his back. But now he had nothing to go on, and they'd already passed several Gael gathering parties. They were drawing near to the Gael stronghold, where he would be utterly lost and dependent on her.

Well, at least he had their language.

"Deirdre."

Perhaps hearing the urgency in his voice, she turned around and stopped walking, casting her eyes about wildly for the threat.

"What is it," she whispered.

He shook his head impatiently.

"No, it's not a threat. Not an immediate one. Thank you for giving me the Gaelic language, but I feel I must know some of their ways."

She nodded impatiently as she turned around and started walking again, gesturing for him to follow.

"Normally, I would agree and give you a lesson on Gaelic etiquette and procedures and customs and all, but we need to get inside before the woad wears off. These people are warlike, and if they see us outside, well, I just would rather we got inside before the woad wore off."

That made sense, and so he followed her.

At last, they came to the end of the trees and had to come out into the open. They were within shouting distance of the Gael settlement, and many people were out in the surrounding fields, tending animals and tilling the land.

Deirdre took a deep breath and turned to face him with a serious expression that, as usual, made her face all the more demure and lovely.

“I can't hide us any longer. Let's head straight for that doorway right there, see it?"

"The one with all the guards standing in front of it talking?"

"Aye."

"Should we plan what we’ll say to them before we go rushing down there?"

On the verge of doing just that, Deirdre paused and turned back to him.

"You're right. We should. Let me do the talking. They ought to respect a druidess."

"If you say so."

She bristled at that, as he had meant for her to. It gave him some satisfaction as he followed her over the wide expanse of open ground toward the cliffs that fell off into the sea beyond.

The people working in the fields looked at them curiously as they passed by didn't say anything. The guards at the door were another story.

As Tal had known they would, they called out a challenge and put their hands on their weapons while he and Deirdre were still quite far away.

"What is yer business here?"

"We are na expecting any druids."

Deirdre held her hands up in front of her and glanced at Tal significantly until he did the same, making the two of them extremely vulnerable as they approached. Thank goodness for the woad. Did the Gaels know about it? Oh, they had seen the people dashing about in their woad decorations during many a battle, but did they know about the protection it afforded them?

Apparently, they did.

"Halt!"

"Why hae ye come here all decked out for battle?"

The third guard spoke with a bit of a snicker.

"And why then hae only two o ye come?"

The other guards snickered a bit at that too.

"Deirdre," Tal hissed, "I really think I should do the talking and present myself as Breth’s brother and explain I'm here to try and negotiate a peace with them. Wouldn't that be the most sensible thing to do right now?"

She drew in a deep breath to protest, but then relented.

"Go on.”

"Hail and well met," said Tal with his chin up. "I am Talorac brother o Breth, leader o ten clans o the people, come tae negotiate a peace with the Gaels sae that we might all raid the southern barbarians together and overrun their despicable wall."

There, that should get them in and shown to the right people.

Deirdre looked dubious — and she was also looking around as if she didn't recognize anything in the area and had expected to. He wanted to put his arm around her and comfort her, she looked so lost and disappointed. Nevertheless, she held her head up as they approached the entrance to the underground stronghold, addressing the guards with all of her druidic authority.

"And I am Deirdre, druidess emissary, expecting tae lodge with Talorac rather than with yer own druids, though I would like tae meet with them." She sounded a bit flustered as she said this, as if she knew how convoluted it sounded and realized at the last moment that it was a mistake to sound so unsure of herself and to make so many unusual requests of people she had just met.

Under his breath, Tal said to her, "You haven't done this before, have you."

For a response, she just jabbed her elbow into his side, and despite the gravity of the situation this made him laugh out loud, startling the guards and making them raise their eyebrows at him.

"The lass is tickling me," he said to them by way of explanation. "She's a bit feisty, this one."

It was a pleasure to see Deirdre turn beet red at this comment, and he surmised it was as much from his assertion of familiarity with her as it was from him saving face for her.

Ah well. It was best they realized she was under his protection. To back this up, he flexed his muscles and put an arm protectively behind her, if not quite touching her, as the guards stepped aside and gestured for them to go on down the stairs.

It was dark down here, but there were torches, and the one guard who followed them also carried a torch, so it was not so bad.

Deirdre appeared to not like it at all, though. And she shuddered with cold.

Without even thinking about it, Tal put his arm around her and made contact, holding her close to him to share his heat with her as they descended the stone steps into the darkness below ground.

He was thinking better of it and about to pull away when she clung to him, her arm holding firm to his flexed muscles.

The guard behind them spoke.

"I wull take ye tae the druids foremaist. They likely ken a place where ye can wash all that blue stuff off. And then after that I wull take ye tae one o oor Lairds."

At this, Deirdre squeezed Tal’s waist so that the two of them paused, and she turned around to look at the guard with incredulity on her face.

"Yer druids are doon here underground? How dae they stand it?"

The guard looked amused in the torchlight, but feigned a quizzical look.

"They stand it just like any o the rest o us — with warm fires and warm cloaks."

She appeared to be about to retort to that, but Tal didn't think it was a good idea to tell the guard too much, so he squeezed her shoulder and nodded his head down the stairs.

She looked at him crossly.

She still didn't get it.

"No, I dinna mean the cold, I mean—"

He hugged her to him so that her mouth was covered by his arm for a moment.

"She means being doon here with the regular folk and na off on their own in the place set aside just for them," said Tal by way of explanation and talking over her, so that the guard wouldn't be clued in that her powers were reduced underground.

The guard didn't need to know that, and she was a fool not to realize that fact. Why had he been intimidated by her? She was altogether too full of herself. Plainly, she didn't understand the role of discretion when dealing with a potential ally who was still an enemy. It felt good, realizing that she didn't know everything, that there were areas where he surpassed her.

And he had to admit, he wouldn't have known nearly so much about those areas if he hadn't needed to shadow Breth for the last seven months. He supposed he should be grateful for that education.

"Ye ken," said the guard to Deirdre, "that yer fellow druids wull want some time alone with ye, dae ye not? Ye hae come a long distance, and ye hae taught this Pict how tae speak. I think they wull be verra interested in hearing how ye hae done all these things, o yer adventures and accomplishments. And I dae think perhaps they would like tae hear this with nary him present, knowing the way o druids and all. Is this na sae?"

Deirdre slackened her hold on Tal’s waist at this and moved away from him as they walked down the stone stairs. Was she falling for the guard’s flattery?

Apparently, she was.

"Aye, ye hae the right o it. They wull want tae speak tae me alone. Go on and speak tae the leadership while I go speak tae the druids."

Tal grabbed Deirdre by the waist and pulled her close to him again so that he could whisper in her ear in Pictish.

"Why is he trying so hard to separate us? It could be a trap."

Deirdre was falling for it though. Ever so loudly and with a casual air in her voice, she pushed Tal aside and spoke to the guard.

"Pish. Please take me tae the druids and take Talorac tae see yer leadership. Ye hae the right o it. His business is with them, and my business is with the druids."

Ever so conveniently, two more guards happened along just then, and the guard they were with passed Deirdre off to them.

"This druid would like tae confer with the other druids. Would ye be sae kind as tae show her ower tae them and give them some privacy?"

The two new guards stared at Deirdre in amazement at first, but they quickly hid that emotion and put on masks of false geniality.

This was horribly wrong! Before they could speak, Tal broke in again, now desperate to keep Deirdre with him, convinced this was some sort of trap.

"That is the nonsense. It is both o oor mission tae go speak tae the leadership o the Gaels regarding a peace between oor peoples sae that we can all raid the Romans together and put an end tae their abomination o a wall. Deirdre, I dae insist that ye come with me tae go see the Gaelic clan leadership." Tal punctuated this proclamation with yet another grab toward Deirdre's waist.

But she pulled away from him and went to the other guards insistently.

"Remember yer place, Talorac. Ye are the follower, and as the leader, I give the orders here. Now go tae the leadership like a good lad and leave me tae my druidic business."

The guards’ reaction to this raised the hair on Tal’s arms. Instead of laughing at what might've been an idle threat, the two new ones looked at him in concern for his safety before they moved to either side of Deirdre, making it impossible for Tal to rescue her. Against the one first guard alone, he gave himself and Deirdre a fair shot, but the two of them against three guards on their home territory? No.

He cast a mournful look over at Deirdre as the other guard came and stood by his side, looking at him sympathetically but keeping a hand on his weapon. Tal had to give it one more try. He turned and called out to Deirdre as the two guards escorted her away.

"I wull hae trouble getting home with nary ye. Dinna abandon me here."

It didn't work. She didn't get it. No, she just scoffed.

"I wull consult with the druids betimes and then come see if ye need help. Dinna fash. I'm na abandoning ye. I dae hae business with them. I spoke at length with Mailcon and Aalish after ye went tae bed, after all, and that didna fash ye sae much. Go on and dae yer duty, and I wull dae mine."

And with that she turned and allowed the two guards to surround her and escort her down to what was surely an underground containment area for the druids, Tal just knew it. And underground, Deirdre’s natural powers would slowly seep away until she was helpless.

"How are ye called?" Tal asked the guard who had stayed with him, racking his brain for a plan of action.

"Angus. The lairds are all going about their own business this day, sae it will be a while afore we’re able tae gather them together tae speak with ye. For the time being, I wull take ye tae a room where ye can … wash up." He cast his eyes over all the woad on Tal’s body.

How had he and Deirdre ever expected to blend in as Gaels with the woad on them? They should've washed it off at the last stream. But no, then he would be even more helpless right now. Even though there were only a few hours left on the woad, Tal felt infinitely better with its protection than he would have without. He knew that for a fact.

How was he going to get Deirdre out of this mess? Soon, that was how he needed to do it. Before a day had gone by and all of Deirdre's power had faded away. He knew that with certainty, and it helped him decide what to say to the man.

"I dinna want tae bide here overnight but rather get back tae my own lands as soon as possible, sae can ye show me tae where even one o the lairds is right now? Perhaps if i just speak tae one, he can then bring my case afore the others. I dinna hae tae make the entire treaty, just get the message across sae that future negotiations wull go better. Aye, please take me tae just one o yer leaders and I will make my case afore him. I like that idea."

Angus looked dubious.

"I am sure yer negotiations would go better if ye were na wearing all that blue stuff. ‘Tis fearsome, ye ken."

Encouraged by the fact that he hadn't been outright forbidden to go speak to one of the lairds, Tal pushed his case.

"A wee bit o fear is a healthy thing. I am all alone, and for the time being, we are enemies. I like my chances better with the woad on, thank ye verra much."

Angus thought about this for a moment.

Sensing he had to really push for this odd request, Tal kept insisting.

"There isn't any risk tae ye. Nay, if anyone is tae catch ire for this, it will be me. Ye will just be rid o me sooner and able tae attend yer usual duties."

At this, Angus chuckled a bit.

"I daresay ye hae the right o it. Verra wull. Laird Feargus is overseeing the lists right now. In but a short time they will be finished, sae let us go."

He changed direction, taking a fork in the honeycomb of underground stone passageways lit by torches and smelling of dampness. Ahead around a bend, wooden practice swords clashed and men called out in victory or defeat.

When they got there, Tal saw that Gaelic sword practice wasn’t much different from the People's — not if you discounted the fact that the Gaels practiced underground. Tal smiled in absolute contentment though. He knew every move the Gaels were making and didn’t need to fear nor report any new ones. Jaelle’s lessons from future knowledge of the art of sword fighting had proven more useful than a fortune in silver would have, that was certain

"Hail, Angus! Who's this?” asked one of the Gaelic men, who all wore the same billowy sleeved dresses. And then he looked at Tal. "Fancy a try with me? I promise tae go easy on ye, and we’re only using practice swords, sae ye canna get overly hurt."

Angus smiled painfully and shook his head no at the newcomer.

"Nay, Donnell. Talorac is here tae speak tae laird about an alliance against the roman invaders. He doesna want tae—"

But Tal stepped right up to Donnel and held out his sword arm.

"Och, but I dae wish tae show ye gaels how 'tis done, and when will I get a better chance than in a practice situation where if i'm wrong and ye are better at this, then I will na lose my hide?"

Both the Gaels laughed at this, and then Donnell shook forearms with Tal before he went and got him a practice sword, handed it to him, and backed away into a fighting stance, saying "come at me whenever ye are ready."

Tal did. Aye, he did, and he didn't use any of the fancy moves Jaelle had taught him from the future. No, better save them as surprises in case the alliance failed. But Tal was stronger than most warriors. Working the forge will do that, and he was quite confident that he could beat any one Gael in a fair fight.