The Black North Read Online Free Page A

scuffed knuckles. And at the centre of the rise was the stone Tower of Drumbroken. It was stunted, crumbling, with windows as narrow as knife wounds.
    The Tower held firelight, and the low grumble and echo of old men.
    Oona looked all ways then hurried across the rise to crouch beneath one of the windows. So many voices inside, but all slow, all disagreeing.
    â€˜So we’ll leave Drumbroken, is that what we’ve decided?’
    â€˜Is that the consensus, to leave? Is that what we’ve said? I must’ve missed something …’
    â€˜Speak up all! I can’t hear a damnable word! Did you say something?’
    â€˜Are we going to vote on this or what happens? I’m sure that’s the routine – a proper vote?’
    â€˜How long do I have to stay here? I’m cold to me bones!’
    â€˜I said “speak up”!’
    â€˜Does anyone have a pencil or chalk or slate? Need to write it all down. I’m sure we should be writing all this down … does anyone fancy some tay?’
    Oona thought,
Invaders in the county and children being snatched by those Briar-Witches, and these men in there talking about pencils and and tay and
votes
?
    Then a softer voice she’d not heard before said: ‘Has anyone else heard the rumours about these Invaders? Rumours from the river, all about some Briar-Witches and boys being stolen? About children being taken North?’
    â€˜Nonsense! Briar-Witches were driven out of the South a long time ago! Long gone and long dead!’
    â€˜I know that, too, but I’ve heard –’
    â€˜Rumour and gossip – that’s what you’ve heard and nothing else worth chatting about!’
    â€˜And what about these whispers from Ballyboglin?’
    â€˜My son lives there!’
    Granda O’Riley
, thought Oona.
Must be
. He went on with: ‘Sent me word of all that’s going on. And it’s not half-good, I can tell you.’
    Then some stronger voice, determined –
    â€˜What happens in the next county is none of our concern! Who agrees with me?’
    â€˜I do!’
    â€˜Aye! Me too!’
    â€˜It’s our concern only about our own county, not the next one over!’
    â€˜Sure they’ve taken the North and made it Black. Why not let them stay up there?’
    â€˜I agree – let them keep their land and not bother us! We’re only a small county, after all. If they come, we’ll just tell them there’s nothing here worth bothering with, and they’ll be on their way.’
    â€˜True! We’ve had peace in this valley since we got rid of Slopebridge from the Big House!’
    â€˜True enough! And we’ll stand for no more from anyone – agreed?’
    All voices then: ‘Agreed.’
    Enough
, thought Oona. And before she knew what her feet were doing they took her to the doorway, and before she knew what her mouth was doing it was shouting –
    â€˜No, it’s not agreed!’
    Many a weary face looked at her (most cases – looked
for
her). Oona saw the oldest of old men from each Drumbroken family, all sat on raised and low levels, on fragments of rock long-fallen from the Tower. The lanterns they’d carried with them up the slope were still in their hands. Oona saw flowers and herbs of each family arranged in beards and hair – here holly and there thistle, some loosestrife, bit of houndstongue. Oona thought of all that agrimony Granny Kavanagh had scattered throughout the cottage and wished she’d brought some for ceremony’s sake.
    â€˜Who’s there now?’ said one of the men, squinting, not seeing. ‘Is that one of the Wee Folk or some damnable spirit or what?’
    Oona cleared her throat and said, ‘I’m no spirit or nothing like it, Mister – I’m Oona from the family Kavanagh. And I wanted to say that we can’t make agreements with these Invaders and we can’t send them on their way.