Title: Der Clan der Highlanderin

Author: Eva Fellner

Pages: 540

Hi all,

We have now come to the end of the trilogy.

Considering where we started, I believe the ending of the story is appropriate for all the characters. The author first wanted to end Enja’s life in the second novel, but then had a change of heart and felt that something was still left to be explored: Cathal’s story.

This novel carries on by following Cathal through Ireland and Enja’s journey to meet him and help him finish off his goals in Ireland so that he can be reunited with his wife Moira and adopted children.

The book is broken down into the following chapters:

• Prologue (pg. 7) – Scotland, Caerlaverock January 1315
  • James Douglas (Black James) is with his wife Enja at their secondary residence of Caerlaverock. In the months before, she had been lame in the body and was presumed to die.
  • However, miraculously, the cold waters of the ocean was able to heal the muscle, and she was making a full recovery. James is spending some time with his wife, while the wars with Edward II are not happening in large scale. He wants to persuade her to change her life from being a warrior to a healer and mother only. They already have enough trouble with King Edward II against King Robert Bruce and don’t need it for Caerlaverock.
• Chapter 1 (pg. 13) – Dumfries (two night earlier)
  • A tradesman has brought his ill daughter to the castle. They were attacked by a group of English soldiers, and his daughter had been brutally mistreated. Enja’s healers try and help the scarred daughter, but she dies soon after.
  • Enja and her two best warriors ride out to find the soldiers that were responsible for this attack. At night fall they manage to locate a large group near a tavern. It has to be this troupe, as this is the closest one to where the incident was told to have occurred. Since they are only three against a large group, they think up a ruse to overpower them all. They decide to spike the beer barrels that will be served to the soldiers and dress up as bar maids. They come and serve the soldiers their drinks. Drink after drink they take and soon, the lot of them have fallen asleep. The only one left awake is the captain. They overpower him and charge him with the death of the girl at her castle. They hold an immediate trial and execute him on the spot.
• Chapter 2 (pg. 47) – Scotland, Caerlaverock January 1315
  • Enja is not willing to live a quieter life than what she is currently living. However, as much as James Douglas wishes for her to live a quieter life, he also has received a message from King Robert. Plans are being made to send his brother, Edward Bruce to Ireland so that he may become their High King. Since he has a distant relative to their nobility, they hope to unite Ireland and take over the lands that Edward II currently holds there. This would mean that Edward II would have to fight a war on two sides. Enja, he instructed, should travel to Ireland and find out where the nobles’ loyalties are. Some of the kings have welcomed the idea of Edward Bruce becoming their High King, others still hold their loyalty towards Edward II.
  • Enja will do the task, but will have to do it with few to spare, as they cannot afford to be found out. She decides to take her two best warriors again, and they also decide to dress themselves as men. Enja as a mercenary and the two others as his squires. Since Ireland has been in constant conflict for many years, mercenaries (or gallowglass) are highly welcomed and therefore would not be given suspicious glances to their purpose there.
• Chapter 3 (pg. 84) – Ireland, Connacht (at the same time)
  • Cathal has gone home to the place where he grew up as a young boy, until his father gave him to a ship to become a shiphand. He hears that his sisters have all married and moved elsewhere and that only his father was left at the cottage. He informs him that he is not his birth father, but that a servant to the king O’Conchobhar saved the boy when the king’s brother was off to kill him. Since his father was killed his uncle has ruled at Dunguaire castle.
  • After hearing this, Cathal made his way northward to find this kingdom and see what has become of this kingdom. There, the current king, Fedlim O’Conchobhar, son to the late king, has been struggling to hold onto the reins. For this reason he has hired Gallowglasses (mercenaries) to aid in his multiple battles with neighbouring kingdoms. Cathal joins the ranks. One day, just as Enja had taught him, he will reveal his true hand.
• Chapter 4 (pg. 110) – Ireland February 1315
  • After arriving in Ireland, Enja and her two companions make their way to the county where Cathal has told her that he lived. There, they meet the man they believe to be Cathal’s father. Believing them to be friends of his son, he also tells them the true story of Cathal. They remain in the town until the man passes away. After, they make their way north to the kingdom they believe Cathal would have made his way towards after learning of his true lineage.
  • On their way, they come to a road that will lead directly through Bennetsbridge and onwards to their ultimate destination. A small troupe of guards prevents them from carrying on their journey, as the town currently has an epidemic going on. Enja convinces them to let her pass, since she has skills in healing and sends her companions on their way around. She hopes to rejoin them and that the ailment can be cured quickly.
• Chapter 5 (pg. 140) – Dunguaire castle, Spring 1315
  • Fedlim and his three Gallowglasses (Cathal, Ragnar and Liam McLeod) make their preparations to head to Roscommon. There, the twelve regional kings will meet to make their decision whether to accept Edward Bruce as their High King. The majority have already given their support. The meeting serves to get the support of the others that have not yet replied their intentions.
  • They arrive in Roscommon and the question of allegiance is posed to the twelve kings seated in the circle. The host, king O’Neill, finally gets to Fedlim. Arrogantly he stands up and makes it clear that he will join and support the alliance of King Edward of England. This unsettles the rest of the attendees.
  • At this moment, Cathal sees his moment to claim his birthright in front of the other kings. They knew the story of the sudden death of king O’Conchobhar and the mysterious disappearance of the family. But Fedlim denounces Cathal. Ultimately, the kings decide that the feud shall be decided by the two fighting it out in the ring. The gods will decide, so to speak.
• Chapter 6 (pg. 171) – Bennetsbridge February 1315
  • Enja arrives and starts to organize the town to be divided between those that are healthy and those that are ill so that the illness may not spread further. The illness and symptoms baffle her and her cures don’t seem to be able to fight this strange illness.
  • One day, she rides into the nearby woods to restock on her herbs, when she notices that a bird is also dying on the ground. Below his wing she also sees the same yellow infection that was visible among the ill in town. Thus, she heads back and inspects the chickens and finds most of them also to be infected. It appears to be a bird flu. They kill off all flying animals, much to the dislike of the other townspeople.
  • They want to continue and fight this illness when they notice a troupe of soldiers engaging towards them from the nearby castle grounds. Since the outbreak, it has sealed itself off from the rest of the people, but seems to have made the decision to kill the illness by killing all the people. The only one able to fight back is Enja.
  • One girl, Eleanore, a royal from a nearby kingdom had thought her calling was to help people who suffer from illness. Therefore, she fled her father’s castle and headed to Bennetsbridge. There, she assisted Enja to fight the epidemic. When the soldiers advanced on the townspeople one day, she throws herself between Enja and the lance of one soldier. Enja is taken prisoner, but is allowed to try and heal the wound of the princess Eleanore.
• Chapter 7 (pg. 202) – Roscommon, Ireland 12 April 1315
  • Kalay and Winnie have heard of the fight between Fedlim and Cathal and have made it on time to Roscommon. They are also acutely aware that Fedlim would not be unhappy if his enemy were not to show up to their planned duel. They knew that his gallowglass Ragnar could be up to something. Therefore, they planned to knock him out for the night so that Cathal could focus on his upcoming fight in the morning.
  • Cathal fights a brutal battle against the young Fedlim, but manages to overpower him. He is able to make the killing blow, when he hears the crowd from the other end becoming raucously noisy. Ragnar has jumped over the barrier and was rushing towards Cathal. However, he doesn’t make it as he is struck by an arrow below the arm, which takes him to the ground. Cathal recognizes the two individuals from where the shot was released.
  • Ragnar, having been wounded gravely, decides to flee. He knows his wound was to an artery, but he is determined to make it to friendly ground so he may heal again.
  • Cathal decides to spare Fedlim, who then uses the opportunity to flee as well.
• Chapter 8 (pg. 238) – Tower of London early July 1315
  • Henry de Bohun is stationed with King Edward II in England. They are looking at the current positions that the Bruce brothers hold and what their next move could be. Edward is worried, since Robert is continuing his war on the norther borders, whilst his brother has started to gain ground in Ireland. He too would soon march south and threaten the kings that are allied to Edward II of England. Not only that, an unlikely new ally has emerged. Thomas Dun sails the seas between the two islands and has started to sabotage the ships that transported goods and people between the two islands for Edward II’s kingdom.
  • Henry informs Edward also about the incident that came about in Bennetsbridge. The doctor that managed to survive the onslaught by Gilbert de Bohun was taken captive but was permitted to treat Eleonore. After succeeding to keep her from the dead, Henry had permitted her to leave. He had questioned her intensively beforehand, but then had let her go since he managed to save his daughter. He didn’t wish to tell Edward II since Enja was the wife to his king’s nemesis general. However, Edward II has accepted Henry’s actions, since he too acknowledges that he was indebted to her.
  • Meanwhile, after Cathal had defeated Fedlim, he returned to Dunguaire castle so that he could bring some order to his kingdom and work to make it operational once again.
• Chapter 9 (pg. 270) – Dukedom Offaly, Ireland 13 April 1315
  • Ragnar has managed to flee for a long distance and was getting close to a monastery where he could find refuge. He is deadly wounded, but carries on.
  • Enja has managed to get rid of the spies that were on her tail after she was free to go from Gilbert de Bohun’s castle. She now carried on northward to the lands she learned to belong to Cathal. She comes across a half-dead rider and decides to take him to the monastery. There she heals him to keep him from death’s hand and also offers him to give him some cosmetic surgery to his face, which had been badly damaged from prior battles.
  • One evening, they are enjoying a meal, when they are offered wine. He doesn’t accept it and brushes it off that he cannot handle it very well. When she performed her operation on him and also healed his wounds she couldn’t help but notice that he had a similar skin complexion to her and now the distaste for wine also enhanced her suspicions.
• Chapter 10 (pg. 309) – Connor, Ireland early September 1315
  • The battles have meanwhile continued to be waged between the English and Scottish. In the late time of autumn, Edward and his allies have decided that they should cripple the supply lines from Wales to Ireland so that this may hopefully bring further successes. With the help of their ally Thomas Dunn they make their way to the port Holyhead, where they know the bulk of the supplies are usually stationed right before they are sent across the Irish Sea.
  • When they arrive at the dead of night, they see that a large troupe of soldiers is stationed there. Thus, they decide to follow an alternative means to battle to come to the same result.
  • Winnie and Kaley dress up as barmaids and they serve the soldiers a special kind of brew. When all soldiers are fast asleep, they rob the stores of its wares and head off.
• Chapter 11 (pg. 346) – Dukedom Offaly, Ireland June 1315
  • After Ragnar’s successful operation he is already recovering well. He is, however, quite skeptical of this healer. He is quite well trained in fighting, as well as healing, but still had something different about him. He believed that the healer wasn’t who he said he was, not even a man. To prove his theory, he goes to the pond at the hour before the healer is supposed to arrive. The healer has always been quite adamant that he not be disturbed when he makes his way to the pond to clean himself.
  • Enja is infuriated when she arrives and Ragnar is at the pond. To punish him, she takes his clothes and rushes off. Ragnar is forced to return completely naked and makes his way to her chambers. He discovers that she is indeed a woman and in the heat of the moment, they make love.
  • In the morning, he asks her where she comes from. To which she replies that she comes from far north, but she doesn’t know where exactly. Ragnar then speaks in his native tongue, which is awfully familiar to her that she even answers him in the same language.
• Chapter 12 (pg. 370) – Holyhead, Wales September 1315
  • When the robbery had been done, Winnie had accidentally also drunk from the beers that had been drugged. Thus, when the others left, she was forgotten in the cellar. The following morning she had woken up in a cage and the general was unsure what to do with her, as he was unsure whether or not she had been part of the robbers.
  • When it is finally noticed that Winnie is missing, a ship is sent down river to discreetly try and recover her. When they arrive near the port, they notice that she is held as a prisoner in a small cage. They then witness her being thrown into the water, but do not dare interfere, as they may still be attacked.
  • They stay for a while, which is when they notice the cage bobbing close to their ship. Kalay urges them to bring the cage with them so that Winnie may be given a decent funeral. However, they discover that she has not drowned. A piece of wood in the cage had helped keep the cage afloat and thus gave her some air to breath.
• Chapter 13 (pg. 391) – Monastery Clonmacnoise, Ireland September 1315
  • Ragnar and Enja are ready to travel again when they hear loud screams at the monastery. They are being attacked and now have to defend themselves against an unknown enemy. They kill the troupe and discover that they were sent by Fedlim. He is sending a couple of these gallowglasses throughout his former territories to show them that he is their lord.
  • After helping the remaining monks to recover well enough they leave the monastery and make their way to Dunguaire castle, the castle of the lord of the lands that Cathal was supposed to rule. There they find Fedlim and his horde, who have returned here, since Cathal was assisting Edward Bruce elsewhere.
  • Enja now convinces them that she is a friend of Ragnar’s and is only here as a healer and a gallowglass since there is a war waging in the lands.
• Chapter 14 (pg. 453) – Connacht, Ireland early October 1315
  • Cathal has finally arrived outside the castle gates and now must make a plan how to win it over again. He soon discovers that Enja is inside and knows that she will be his way in. Sending him a secret message to come at midnight of a certain date, he sneaks to a secret door. There she lets him in and they discuss what they can do to recover the castle without much bloodshed.
• Chapter 15 (pg. 485) – Dunguaire castle, Ireland November 1315
  • They make a plan and Cathal sends word to his camp. Unfortunately there is a spy amongst them and he comes to the castle at the same night to inform Fedlim of the plan.
  • The next morning Cathal and Enja open the gates without being discovered. His men come charging through the gates when suddenly Fedlims men come out of hiding and start slaughtering them one by one. The battle soon ends when Cathal gives up and wishes his people to be spared.
  • Cathal and Enja are kept prisoner and his followers are sent on their way.
• Chapter 16 (pg. 517) – Dunguaire castle, Ireland December 1315
  • Fedlim now wants to finish Cathal off once and for all and wants to give his men a show they will remember forever.
  • Unfortunately, his own men had stopped keeping a lookout which allowed another group of soldiers to make their way to the castle undetected. They overpower Fedlim and his men and free Enja and Cathal.
  • Cathal and his family are reunited and now have the task of rebuilding his kingdom.
• Afterword (pg. 541)

Summary:

The book is a nice way to finish off the story of the characters we have grown fond of in the first book. It has a little less adventure and foreign exploration in it than the first two novels, but I believe that it added to make a good ending to the whole story. Had the story ended with book two (Enja being alive or dead) we would have wondered what had happened to Cathal in Ireland and to Enja’s clan. Now, we discover that there is more to Cathal than simply a shipwrecked boy. Not only that, Enja has also found one of her kinsman and heard that they had perished. Therefore, her only family left was back in Caerlaverock.

The book is a good ending to a trilogy and will receive a rating of 4,1/5.

Happy reading! 🙂