The communal room where I sleep when I'm here is almost empty when I awake the next morning – save for my sister who seems to need sleep even more than me.

This long room behind the main monastery buildings usually sleeps 12 and though there were only seven of us here last night, it will fill up more as spring and summer descend on the Island.

With no real sleep for several days leading up to the funeral and then a long day for the actual event, followed by the sword fight, I had been so tired that as soon as we returned – without any further drama – I crawled into my bed and fell almost immediately asleep.

There had been no further chance to talk to Tam, Dom or any of the others about who could have attacked us and why.  No further chance to do or say anything other than getting home as quickly and as safely as we could.

Ambrose and the other brothers had carried the dead back to the Monastery in hopes of identifying them tomorrow, well today now I suppose. 

Eavan and I helped Brother Mal while Tam, my brother and cousin had formed a guard around us – swords drawn just in case. But the rest of the short journey was uneventful and by the time I had shown Eavan where to take Brother Mal – the other's had disappeared – probably to report the incident to the Abbot and to post watchers just in case. Though they would be brave men indeed to attack. The Monastery is built on a hill and the main walls around are stone though the insides are predominantly wooden. The main building is spread over a large area and housed more than 50 holy people and supporters with the out buildings around it housing another 50 or 60. At the height of summer sometimes up to 200 holy people from around the kingdom are domiciled here, working on manuscripts and helping with harvests, candle making and spreading the word of god. There has been a holy building on this site for as long as anyone could remember and beyond back into the mists of time though it had only recently begun to switch from the centre of druidic life to Christianity in very very recent times. At the moment it seems to have a strange mix of both cultures.

The women of the monastery are housed close to the kitchens within the walled gardens of the enclave – which is why the scent of cooking is wafting into my room now. From the smells emanating from the kitchens, I guess it is past first prayers and even breakfast because the aroma was not of food but of candle wax.

I stretch and put my leint back over my undergarment, find my sandals and pad out of the room quietly, leaving my sister to sleep. Neither of us are big sleepers but the past two weeks have taken their toll – not only on me but on Eavan and for once she doesn't have to be up to lead the prayers or see to the spiritual needs of her flock and so I let her sleep. She has earned it.

I quietly close the wooden door behind me and make my way across the courtyard. Walled in, the area contains all of the monastery's kitchen gardens with stone paths forming a patchwork pattern as they lead through the garden beds to the main building, the kitchens and other out-buildings.

Inside the kitchen is a hive of activity – though I can't see any of my kin or Tam.

"The warrior queen is awake," Brother Ambrose greets me, holding out his hands and clapping me on the back as he would any male counterpart. It is a pleasant greeting and one I am not used to receiving from him.

"And I would suppose – very hungry after last night's misadventure!" he adds jovially – yes very very unlike the Ambrose I knew.

"Thank you brother, but I wouldn't want to disturb your work."

"Nonsense lass – it won't take us long to find you some milk, bread and cheese. You must be famished."

"Thank you, Brother Ambrose – though I was really just looking for my brother," I answer as my traitorous stomach gives me away, rumbling like it hasn't been filled in days and in truth it is close to two days since I managed a little food. And now it's mentioned I am suddenly hungry – while it's a day or two since I've eaten it's even longer since the pangs of hunger troubled me.

"We have some oats if you prefer?" he laughs hearing my stomach rumbling even louder like a dissatisfied dragon.

"No, no bread and cheese would be wonderful," I say smiling at this newly convivial Brother Ambrose. He quickly grabs some bread and a small hunk of cheese and takes it outside directing me to follow him. Outside the sun is shining, though not too high in the sky to make it unpleasant and the day is bright and clear. Brother A places the food down on one of the long tables, dragged outside at this time of year (particularly with the candle making going on inside). He goes back inside and returns with two cups of milk. It is a veritable feast after the meagre rations of recent months and I tuck into it hungrily.

"Thank you for last night, I've never seen a woman fight quite like that before," he says smiling at me as I tear off a large chunk of bread.

"My father believed I needed to be prepared. Though I did nothing compared to Tam and Dom."

"You did enough my sister you are far more skilled with the sword than me," he adds sipping his milk thoughtfully. We sit in the quiet enjoying the new day and the sun on our faces and for a few minutes the only noise is the low sound of the monks murmuring as they work and the dripping of wax as the melted the candles are dipped and hung.

Candles are essential in the monastery allowing the Monks to work late into the night on the various manuscripts and illuminations. Days like this are not uncommon though I didn't witness a lot of them as most took place in late winter and early spring before the temperatures rose.

Rows and rows of candles are being created and then taken downstairs to the cellar to cool. It is just one of the many jobs that needed to be done around the monastery. Later I suspect the Monks will be out in this garden preparing it for planting. Already there are some small green shoots making their way manfully up through the soil but there would have to be a lot more to feed all the inhabitants of the Monastery over the coming weeks.

I took another sip of my milk, a rare treat recently, and sigh. This is the first time I have been able to stop in weeks and it feels good but it doesn't allay my fears.

"So have you seen my brother this morning?" I ask this newly cooperative Brother Ambrose and he nods – his cup still to his lips.

"Your brother and cousin both headed out at first light this morning," he says thoughtfully taking another sip.

"They were keen to report last night's incident to the king and get back for the meeting– though given the frivolities of yestereve I doubt the king would have risen by the time they arrived.

"Brother Tam and the Abbott took the bodies down in our cart after breakfast."

I try not to look disappointed that Tam and Dom have both gone already but it shows because Ambrose chuckles a little into his cup.

"Feel like you're missing all the fun Lassie?" he smiles.

"Aye," I look over my cup and smile warmly at this strange new Brother Ambrose.

"Young Dom wanted to wake you but Tam and the Abbott insisted you sleep – the past few weeks couldna been too easy on you."

"No," I admit, nodding.

"But I'd still like to know who those men were – why they were attacking a Holy party like that. Did the Abbott have any ideas?"

Ambrose shakes his head.

"No he was just as surprised as we were – I mean if it hadn't been for Tam and you and your kin we would have all been slaughtered, we are a peaceable monastery – there have been massacres here before in the time of the druids but surely that time has passed?" he answers.

I shake my head sadly.

"I think it will be a long time before Christianity is truly accepted as the one religion and until then we are a fair target," I say grimly.

"Perhaps you're right, it just seems wrong that we preach love and forgiveness and yet people still want to kill us – I just keep thinking how much worse it would have been without your swords last night."

I can tell that he is rattled and that, despite the times we live in, Brother Ambrose has probably not faced anything like last night before. I put a reassuring hand over his and smile at him.

"But they were there," I say quietly.

"Aye thank the lord they were."

"Especially Tam, do you know much about his background – he fought like a well-trained warrior," I say slowly and Brother Ambrose's eyes twinkle.

"I'd have thought you would know much more about our Brother Tam than I Lassie – you two spend a lot of time together," he giggles.

My face reddens.

"We work well on the manuscripts together and we talk about many things but never much about his own life before he entered the order," I explain not looking the Brother in the eye.

"I know little – other than he wasn't brought up on any of the Islands like you and I and he is the son of a nobleman. I believe he may have been brought up in the court of the High King, though one of our other Monks Brother Ailean thought he was from the south.

"Where-ever he grew up – he certainly can fight."

I nod in agreement.

"Aye, that he can."

"But so can you Lassie!"

I smile, feeling like this conversation is going around in ever diminishing circles so to break the deadlock I ask how Brother Mal is this morning and Ambrose tells me he is doing well before launching into a spiel about how talented a healer my sister is and how our Kingdom and our order is lucky to have such a caring and capable mother. By the time he finishes, I have eaten all my food and can hear the Monks inside packing away the candle making and moving on to the next task.

We return to the kitchen to find several already working on the night's bread while others are preparing to go outside and tend the gardens just as I thought. I feel a little lost. When I'm here during summer I'm so busy working on manuscripts that I have no time to feel bored – the same at home – there is always a task. This is a new feeling and not one I particularly enjoy. As much as I love it here, at the moment I want to be anywhere else – home – or more specifically down at the banqueting hall. I want to know who tried to kill us last night, I want to be part of the vote, I want a say in who is our next king. If I'd been up earlier maybe I could have bluffed my way down to witness proceedings, the king certainly valued my opinion last night.

I suddenly miss Da more than ever – if he had been here then I would have been with him. Though if he had been here there would be no need to decide on a new king.

Instead, I head down to the illumination rooms, a couple of brothers are working on new manuscripts and there is room for one more so I throw myself into the work for several hours until eventually, my sister appears at the door.

"Brother Ambrose thought you might be in here – I have got us on a boat going home tomorrow morning," she says and I look at her in surprise.

"I thought we would wait for our brothers?

"One of the monks returned from the meeting about an hour ago and he says it doesn't look we are going to have a king anytime soon – I need to get back to the Abbey,' she said as we walked out of the rooms and down the hall.

"Which monk?" I ask nonchalantly and she says, looking at me pointedly, "Not brother Tam if that's what you're hoping– another reason for us to leave – I have seen the way you two look at each other there is no future in this Enat - you are both promised to the church."

"We're just friends," I say seriously.

"Good keep it that way – you are our Keeper of stories – the only one among us who can read and if you are not pious you can't continue to come here to work.

"I wish I could stay now,' I say wistfully.

"There is too much to do at home – we must prepare for the feast of Eostre and we must get our crops in and prepare for Beltane – and then you are free to return here."

"If the new king allows it," I sigh.

"Yes," she agrees, "We need to prepare for things to change a great deal – a great deal indeed."

We walk down the long corridor down to the kitchen just as several more Monks return to the monastery. There is a lot of talk and excitement and we stop to see what all the fuss is about.

"Oh sisters you are just in time- they've named a new king," Brother Ambrose says excitedly as we make it back to the kitchens just in time to see the Abbott and Tam come through the door.

"Fetch my robes," the Abbott says as he crosses the threshold, a man obviously in a hurry.

"We have a king to install," he adds and he rushes down the long hallway not stopping for niceties, leaving Tam to make the announcement.

Tam, already a tall man, stands on the table beside us and faces the rest of the brothers, running his long fingers through his tangle of auburn waves in contemplation.

"Brothers and sisters," he starts dramatically, turning to us acknowledging Eavan and I before addressing his brethren.

"Conal of Ilea son of Aengus is to be crowned and take the sacred oaths as new king of the Oenagus as the sun rises on the morrow," he says looking at me with worried eyes.

Half-hearted cheers go up around the room and I realise I'm not the only one apprehensive at the rule of my oldest brother.

"What changed?" I hiss quietly to Tam after he has jumped off the table and is grabbing a little bread and cheese – obviously famished after being locked in the meeting house for most of the day. The other Monks are rushing from the room to begin preparation for the ancient ceremony that will turn my oldest brother into a king but Tam seems to have had enough of king-making for the day and ushers me to follow him outside..

"The vote was stalemated between Dom and Conal for most of the day," he says biting a hunk of bread off and leaving the kitchen. Eavan follows us as we head to the table – though as the day starts to wane it is not as pleasant as it had earlier in the day.

"The High King broke the deadlock – the voting was fierce between Conal, Dom and the king of Mulle– it seems he wasn't as loyal as Conal had hoped," Tam says sighing as he sat down.

"So the king intervened on Conal's behalf?" my sister asks.

Tam nods.

"He said his hand had been forced."

"But the King of Mulle is his son-in-law," my sister says incredulously.

"And to be really honest I think he really favoured Dom but Dom is young and Conal had more of the numbers," he says gravely.

"Was anything said about the attack?" I ask.

"They found a Pictish tattoo on one of the dead men," he says looking at me dubiously.

"But you don't believe that," I say, it wasn't a question I knew him well enough to know from the look on his face that he thought this highly unlikely. Why would the Picts cross our land and sail across the seas just to attack a group of Holy people – yes they still believe in the old religions but it made no sense? And how did they know about my father's funeral? Why not attack the kings – try to burn down the meeting house – leave us in total disarray?

"No and I'm sure you don't either," he looks around furtively.

"I think we will just have to be very careful over the next few months."

We all nod, this is just another acknowledgement that we are living in dangerous and changing times.

"There is still much opposition to our religion even in our own ranks – I can only imagine that there are still a lot of our countrymen who don't want this new religion – we need to keep mixing as many of the old customs with the new as we can," Eavan says quietly. 

She's right but it all feels terribly foreboding and dangerous and it will only get worse if, heaven forbid, we lose the High King any time soon – I know I for one will be praying to anyone that will listen that it won't happen.

"How was Dom after the vote not too disappointed?" I ask and Tam smiled.

"He's been made part of the Kings War band – he will see you and your youngest brother home and then join up with his warriors to guard the king."

"And the king's son-in-law?" my sister asks.

"He will be your brother's second in command," Tam says finishing off his food and rising to stand.

"So they all win?" I ask.

Tam nods as he excuses himself to go prepare for the first of the ceremonies.

"And hopefully the rest of us don't lose as a result!" Eavan adds.

"Amen to that," Tam says as he disappears back into the Monastery.