Crossing the River Liffey, Sarah Bridge was nothing of any particular note. Even the river was nothing of particular note. While England had the Battle of Stamford Bridge fought between Harold Godwinson and Harald Hardrada and Egypt had the Battle of the Nile fought between Julius Caesar and Ptolemy XIII, the River Liffey and Sarah Bridge were just a river and a bridge. Just a place to fish and wash laundry and a place to cross the river. Of course, there would people whose inclination was to either drown someone or themselves so the river could be used for those purposes as well.
To Colman's surprise, Ruby was not dancing by the bridge, rather she was doing some washing with other women. Walking down to the bank, Colman tapped Ruby on the shoulder. Upon turning and seeing her friend, Ruby smiled and inquired: "Colman! How are you? Was Master Gardiner unhappy with you last night?"
"I am quite alright." Colman answered. "As for Master Gardiner, he was less unhappy with me and more puzzled by the symbol on your locket."
"He did not know what it was?"
"On the contrary, Ruby, he did. It is a triskelion, a druidic symbol and so that has gotten him to thinking that assembly of enchanters was in actuality a group of druids that had survived into the early reign of the Tudors."
"Druids?" asked Ruby, perplexed and unsure about what druids were supposed to be. Until Colman had begun his lessons with Gardiner, he had no idea what they were anymore than Ruby did now, beyond hearing old stories that spoke of them as sorcerers.
In ancient Ireland, Britain and Gaul, the druids had been many things. They had been religious leaders, legal authorities, adjudicators, keepers of lore, medical professionals and political advisors. While they themselves left no written accounts, they were literate, yet were forbidden by doctrine to commit their knowledge to writing. Through the writings of the Romans and the Greeks were the practices of the druids known and by the time Rome had conquered Gaul, the orders of the druids had been suppressed before finally disappearing by the reign of the emperor Tiberius, whose reign had also seen the crucifixion of the Christ.
In the stories Colman had heard as a child, the druids had been sorcerers opposing Christianity. Perhaps it was those stories that troubled Gardiner. He feared opposition to Christianity even now in the seventeenth century, though even then, Colman was uncertain if that conjecture was accurate.
One of the practices of the druids was human sacrifice. Colman could understand Gardiner being troubled by that and even he himself found the concept of a group that practiced something so barbaric here in Ireland to be a troubling thought.
After explaining everything to Ruby, Colman commented: "I can at least hope that human sacrifice is something that is no longer done."
A troubled expression upon her fair countenance, Ruby looked at her locket before inquiring: "Did Master Gardiner say what the triskelion meant?"
"He did not." Colman answered. "Honestly, I'm not sure if it means anything. We are in Ireland after all, any old druidic symbol could have survived this long after we turned to Rome."
"Did you tell Master Gardiner about how it is supposed to be able to make illusions, Colman?"
"I did not, Ruby, and quite frankly I don't think such information would have been helpful. He probably would have gone searching for pythonesses and mages."
For a long while, Ruby was silent. Sitting upon the grass with Colman by her side, she stared out at the river before inquiring: "Why does Master Gardiner feel that he needs to defend Ireland from us? We Minceiri have never done anything worthy of such things."
"He had a brother who joined one of your caravans and he has never seen him since." Answered Colman. "He blames your people for taking away the only family he had left and believes you are the Devil's servants, here to lead people who show promise away. He said his brother was a person who showed promise, but I have heard so little about this sibling of his, I wonder how much Master Gardiner says is accurate."
"How long has it been since he last saw his brother?" asked Ruby, curiously.
"Over fifty years at least." Colman answered, picking up a rock and hurling it into the river.
"If it has been that long then maybe Master Gardiner can't actually remember how much promise his brother showed." Suggested Ruby.
"Maybe." Agreed Colman. "For all we know, he was as hedonistic as Master Gardiner himself used to be."
"Does he think you show promise and that I am trying to lead you away?"
Nodding, Colman replied: "He does and finds my interest in you troubling, but at the same time believes that if I wasn't, then the possibility of there still being druids in Ireland would never have come to his attention."
A small smile forming, Ruby asked: "Your interest in me?"
Smiling as well, Colman looked away from Ruby. Perhaps he was the one her heart was telling her she loved.