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serpent, they say, with only one eye. There are some people who worship him out of fear. He has many ways in and out of the upper world. Sometimes he is not seen for years. But you heard something, didn’t you?’
    Brendan nodded. ‘A kind of slithering noise …’
    Aisling closed her eyes for a moment. ‘I think he is awake,’ she said, her voice faint. ‘Oh, I hope I’m wrong.’
    ‘Oh, look,’ she continued, sounding relieved to change the subject. ‘We’re nearly there. Can you see the walls of Kells? We will just about reach it before the sun goes down completely.’
    They followed the wall to the secret entrance where Brendan had crept out that morning. It felt like a very long time ago to him – much longer than a day.
    Now it was time to leave Aisling, Brendan discovered he didn’t want to go. Pangur was already caught up in her arms, licking her goodbye.
    Brendan said, ‘I suppose you don’t want to come in and see where I live?’
    Aisling laughed. ‘I do not want to go behind those walls,’ she said. ‘I told you, I belong to my forest. But you know what, I’ve changed my mind about something. You can visit the forest again, if you like … and Pangur can come too.’
    ‘But how will I find you?’ asked Brendan.
    ‘Don’t worry, I’ll find you,’ said Aisling. ‘Nothing happens in the forest without me knowing about it.’
    They smiled at each other and Brendan andPangur pushed their way through the gap into the enclosure.

    Brendan couldn’t wait to show Aidan the berries. He ran to the Scriptorium and burst through the door, waving the bag and almost babbling with excitement.
    ‘Brother Aidan!’ he began. ‘I found them!’ Then he stopped abruptly.
    Uncle Cellach was in the Scriptorium. He seemed to be in the middle of an argument with Aidan. They both had their hands on one of the tables, as if to push it in a certain direction. All the other monks were standing around, looking upset. The Abbot was saying quietly, ‘I don’t care how you arranged the tables in Iona! Here it will be as I say!’
    He turned to where Brendan stood in the doorway.
    ‘Well, Brendan,’ he said. ‘It’s about time we saw you today. Where have you been?’
    Brendan said nothing, just hung his head. His uncle marched out of the Scriptorium and Brendan followed him, but before he left, he tried to signalto Aidan that he had managed to get the berries.
    As they crossed the enclosure to the Round Tower, the Abbot said again, ‘Well, I’m listening. Where were you?’
    Brendan gulped. He knew he was going to get into huge trouble if he told the truth. But he couldn’t lie to his uncle.
    He said, quietly, hoping that his uncle might not hear, ‘I … I went into the forest. Just for a little while. Just to get the berries for Brother Aidan, to make ink for the Book.’
    His uncle stopped. He stood with his back to Brendan. His voice was calm.
    ‘Brendan, have I not warned you enough about what lies outside these walls?’
    Brendan tried to explain again that he had to go to the forest for the Book, but Cellach interrupted him.
    ‘And yet you disobey me,’ he said. He turned and faced Brendan, his voice still calm, but Brendan could see that he was very angry. ‘You are never to leave the Abbey again without my permission. Do you understand?’
    He stood staring at Brendan, who finally said,‘Yes.’
    Abbot Cellach started to walk on again.
    ‘Good,’ he said. ‘Now there are matters to be tended to in the workroom.’
    But Brendan, as he followed his uncle and listened to what had to be done to improve the wall, kept the picture in his mind of how delighted Aidan would be when he showed him what he had brought him from the forest.

    Aidan was more than delighted, he was ecstatic, when Brendan crept to the Scriptorium that night and presented him with the bag of berries. Then Brendan told him about his adventures, but although he mentioned to Aidan that a friend had helped him get the berries, he