to Gair he was a fussy old grandfather whom Gair had not known very well, or to tell the truth, liked very much. He looked at Ayna and Ceriâs sober faces and saw they felt the same. The important thing to all three was that here was Ondo back again after only two days, and the important question was when was he going?
Chapter
5
THAT NIGHT, ONDO HAD GAIRâS BED AGAIN AND he had to share with Ceri. Neither of them slept as well as they wanted. Gair woke feeling gloomy and apprehensive. He could hear the double flock of sheep bleating, the girls at the lookout posts calling to one another and Orban snoring. That in itself would have made anyone gloomy. But Gair felt uneasy too, in a way he could not explain. He forgot that he had intended to find out whether Ceriâs Thoughts made the air cold, and hung about with most of the rest of Garholt, waiting for news.
Gest had sent Banot over to Otmound in the early hours of the morning. He came back, red-eyed and fagged, soon after midday. Gair and Ceri wriggled near enough to hear what he said. It was not cheering. Banot had gone right up to Otmound to find water running out of it and the fields beyond it turning into a marsh. He could see it was still flooded.
âThen the Dorig saw me,â he said. âThey came running out of the Haunted Moundâthey seem to have made a camp there. And the captainâhe was a long, tall one with a big opinion of himselfâcalled out to know what I wanted.â
âYou were lucky they didnât kill you first and ask after,â Orban said. Gair was chiefly surprised that Banot and the Dorig could understand one another.
Banot winked and tapped his harp. âDorig love music,â he said. âHe waited till Iâd finished playing, and then I asked what was going on. Told him I was making inquiries from Garholt. He didnât say too much, but he told me they were going to live in Otmound in the future. They want to keep it for themselves.â
âLet them try!â Orban said angrily. âWhat then?â
âHe went away for a bit and set a guard over me,â said Banot. âI began to wonder whether I would come back. But he must have gone to ask advice, I think, because he came back and said two things. One was that theyâd got their revenge for that battle the year Gest did those tasks. The other was that their King was not going to attack Gest. May I get some sleep now? Iâm worn out.â
âWhat did he mean by that?â Orban demanded.
âHe didnât say,â said Banot, who seemed to be falling asleep where he stood.
Gest smiled and signaled to Tille to get Banot away to bed. Then, still smiling, he turned to Orban. âThis is a very sad business,â he said. âBut donât think you and your people have nowhere to go. You must make your home with us for as long as you need.â
Ceri gave a small moan of dismay. Gair crossed his fingers and prayed to the Sun that Orban would refuse. There must be an empty mound somewhere where the Otmounders could live.
But Orban laughed and clapped Gest on the shoulder. âThanks. I was hoping youâd say that, Gest. Youâre such a good fellow. Weâll fight the Dorig together, then. Drive the brutes out of Otmound and then out of the Moor!â
Gair wondered how his father could smile like that. He wondered how he was going to bear having Ondo living in Garholt. He felt miserable, and also indefinably uneasy, worse than he had done when he woke up that morning. He tried to explain to Adara how he felt.
âDonât be stupid, Gair,â said Adara. âWhat else could Gest have said?â
The next few days were very difficult. As there seemed no danger of a Dorig attack, the Otmounders settled in, and the Garholters began to resent them exceedingly. The mound was uncomfortably crowded. New houses had to be builtâand it was the Garholters who did the building, the Otmounders