"There’ll be no blessing of the cattle this day,” he went on, shaking his head. "I’d best carry the Lady home. With Romans around there’s more likely than not to be some kind of trouble,” he added in a grumbling undertone.
Not for the first time, Eilan wondered why Lhiannon tolerated this great oaf. He was little use to her as a bodyguard; Eilan could not see that he was any use at all. If she should be ever in the position of the Oracle priestess—little as she desired it—the first thing she would do would be to rid herself of the services of this great bobby.
About a month after Beltane, Eilan was summoned to Lhiannon, and found her with a man who reminded her oddly of Cynric, and a little girl of eight or ten years with light reddish hair sun-touched with gold.
Eilan smiled at the child, who returned her gaze bashfully. Lhiannon said, "Hadron is one of the Raven Brotherhood. Tell her your story yourself, Hadron.”
"It is soon told,” the man said. "I have a foster brother who has joined the Legions as an auxiliary, and he interceded for me or I would have been taken and sent to the lead mines. After his intercession, the penalty was removed and my life spared, and so I was given only ten years of exile from any Roman possession. I must now flee to the North, and I cannot take a girl child with me where I go.”
"So what is the problem?” Eilan knew Lhiannon had the authority simply to take the girl into the Forest House without consulting anyone. The fact that she had not already done so meant that there was some difficulty.
"She seems to me to be too young for a place among us,” Lhiannon said, frowning. "I do not know what to say to him.”
"If that is all,” Eilan replied, "I should be happy to care for her until she can be sent to fosterage elsewhere. Or is there a female relative to whom she might be consigned?”
"There is not,” said the man. "For my wife was Roman born, and I know very little of her near kinfolk.”
"So your child is partly Roman? Cannot you send her to her kin among them?” Lhiannon asked.
The man answered sullenly, "My wife quarreled with her kindred to marry me; she begged me with her dying breath to make certain her daughter never fell into their hands. I thought if I might leave her in the care of the priestesses…”
Lhiannon said sternly, "We are not a refuge for orphans. Although for one of the Brotherhood of the Ravens we might possibly make an exception.”
Eilan looked at the child and thought of her own little sister, dead at the hands of raiders three years ago now. If Senara were alive, who was looking after her? She had looked forward to tending Miellyn’s baby as a kind of substitute for her lost sister, but the older woman had miscarried the Year-King’s child.
"I would willingly care for her, Lhiannon.”
"That is why I called you. You are not yet committed to any very exacting duties here among us,” Lhiannon replied. "Although this goes beyond the usual requirements. Still, if you will have it so, I will put this little refugee in your charge.” She paused and asked Hadron, "What is her name?”
"My wife called her Valeria, My Lady.”
Lhiannon scowled. "That is a Roman name; she cannot be called by it here.”
"My wife had given up all her kin to marry me,” said Hadron. "The least I could do was allow her to give her family name to her child.”
"Even so, she must have a new name if she is to live here among us,” Lhiannon said firmly. "Eilan, will you give her one?”
Eilan looked at the child, who was gazing at her with frightened eyes. She had lost all else; now she was to lose her father and even her name. Eilan said gently, "By your leave, I will call her Senara.”
"That will do very well,” said Lhiannon. "Now go; find her a place to sleep and suitable clothing. When she is of a proper age she may take vows among us as a priestess, if she wishes.”