《Tales from Tyrconnell [A Scions Historical Fantasy]》


 1) Grim news from the west

    ¡°He still won¡¯t eat,¡± Siobhan MacSweeney said. ¡°He just lies there with his back to the rest of the loft.¡±


    She sat at her dinner table between her mother, D¨¢irine, and Niall MacRannell, an old family friend. Mrs. MacSweeney nodded but her distant stare and flat expression hinted that the motion was more reflex than acknowledgment.


    Niall cleared his throat, though it did little to smooth the gravel within.


    ¡°Has he said anything else?¡±


    ¡°He did stretch one grunt into two syllables, if that counts,¡± Siobhan said.


    D¨¢irine¡¯s eyes shifted to her daughter. The amount by which they narrowed was too small for anyone but her own children to understand the annoyance gathering behind them.


    ¡°Sorry, Mam,¡± Siobhan said.


    ¡°This is no time for jokes!¡± Dair¨ªne said.


    ¡°I gathered as much,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°That¡¯s why I apologized.¡±


    ¡°You know that O¡¯Roarke lad likely heard you from up there, right?¡±


    ¡°I meant no disrespect,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°But what is he doing up there? Gavin was at Murrough¡¯s hut today before breakfast to bring him news. Hours later, he was pounding on our door. Murrough legged it out of here and you sent Cathal and Ciar¨¢n away after him.¡±


    ¡°You know I¡¯m not a little girl, Mam. Even without all your extra teachings, eighteen is plenty old enough to notice things like Gavin¡¯s bloody ionar vest over in the corner and his body laying up there in my bed with nary a scratch on it. You¡¯re clearly waiting for something before you let me in on this mess so I¡¯m trying to keep calm and patient, but my brothers themselves left three hours ago.¡±


    Absent of a response from her mother, she sighed.


    ¡°This feels too much like the night you told us about Da.¡±


    Niall tilted his head and raised his eyebrows before lifting his eyes from his ale to Mrs. MacSweeney.


    The widow took Siobhan¡¯s hand in both of hers and squeezed. Her sniff pinched a tear from the side of each eye.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Shivvy,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re absolutely right; it reminds me of that night as well. And for good reason¡ª¡±


    Siobhan jerked her hand away from her mother and slid back her chair.


    ¡°¡ªAre my brothers alright? My nephews and nieces?¡±


    ¡°The whole family is still fine. But something terrible has happened. Your brothers should be back soon with news.¡±


    ¡°Do you hear that?¡± Niall asked.


    The lull in conversation allowed the breeze to carry the sound into the room. Distant hooves pounded the road that led to their house.


    ¡°I¡¯d wager that¡¯s themselves coming now,¡± he said


    Even knowing her family was safe, the day¡¯s events had set Siobhan on edge. She ran past her cloak on her way out the front door and waited for them. The afternoon sunshine did little to lessen the bite of the mid-April wind from Ballyness Bay, but she was too focused on her older brothers¡¯ approach to notice. Her mother and Niall flanked her as the young men slid down from their saddles.


    Ciar¨¢n, the youngest of Siobhan¡¯s four older brothers, kept his eyes fixed downward and clenched his jaw so tight it flexed the muscles in his temples. Cathal gulped as he approached his mother.


    ¡°It¡¯s as Gavin told us,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it.¡±The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Mrs. MacSweeney brought her index finger up to her mouth for a moment and took a deep breath.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be off to Dunfanaghy, then,¡± she said. ¡°No doubt Murrough will take the boys there. Niall, I¡¯m afraid that I¡¯ll have to impose an errand upon you. I know you¡¯d rather be helping Murrough, of course. My apologies.¡±


    Niall¡¯s smile did not reach his eyes, despite the effort made by the lower half of his leathery face.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± Niall said. ¡°I¡¯ll go wherever need.¡±


    Mrs. MacSweeney hugged Cathal and placed a hand on the back of Ciar¨¢n¡¯s head as she held him and spoke.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry you boys had to see that,¡± she said. ¡°I hope you understand why I needed you to go together.¡±


    Ciar¨¢n¡¯s chin poked his mother¡¯s shoulder as he nodded.


    With a faint smile toward Niall and a brief clasp of her daughter¡¯s hand, the widow retreated into the house.


    ¡°Ambushed?¡± Niall asked.


    ¡°I believe so,¡± Cathal said. ¡°But I¡¯m not an expert in these things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll get someone who is,¡± Niall said. ¡°It may take her a day or two to get there, though. Did you see any of them skulking about the area?


    ¡°No signs of anyone shady the entire time we were in Magheroarty¡ªnot at the camp, not on the roads,¡± Cathal said. ¡°They were either gone or content to just watch us from places where I couldn¡¯t spot them.¡±


    Cathal stopped at the shudder of his younger brother¡¯s shoulders.


    ¡°Did you check on¡ª¡±


    ¡°We turned down their road on the way back until I was satisfied we were the only ones who had,¡± Cathal said. ¡°But I knew you and Mam were waiting on us.¡±


    ¡°Fair play, lad. Proud of you two.¡±


    Niall sighed and rubbed the top of his head.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s dead? Truly?¡±


    His face implied that he already knew the answer, but Siobhan assumed her elder wasn¡¯t above false hope.


    ¡°They are,¡± Cathal said. ¡°Those O¡¯Farrell brothers from Cavan, Colum O¡¯Doherty, Deirdre McFadden¡ªeven Fintan and Aoife MacLaughlin.¡±


    Niall met Siobhan¡¯s eyes as her brother said the last two names.


    ¡°Both?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°Both,¡± Cathal said.


    Those poor lads, she thought. What¡¯s going to happen to them?


    ****


    ¡°Gavin, you have to eat some breakfast,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°You¡¯ve gone a full day without eating a thing.¡±


    She tapped the cup on the small stand. The ripples informed her the cup was half empty. The man in her bed silently stared at the wall furthest from the opening that led to the rest of the home.


    Siobhan slept in her mother¡¯s empty bed the night before and that is the only reason she knew Gavin had moved at all since his arrival yesterday. He stubbed his toe on her mother¡¯s bedframe in the dark as he stumbled outside to answer the call of nature.


    She laid there silently and listened as he walked toward the front door, letting out soft grunts the first few times he put weight on his sore foot. When he reentered the house, he shuffled his feet past the bed on the way to the ladder for the sake of his other nine toes. He slid past Ciar¨¢n, snoring softly in the bed directly above her, before retaking his place in her usual bed.


    She knew to avoid engaging him on her terms. On his best days Gavin was a quiet man. Charming and affable, of course, but he rarely spoke ten words when he knew eight would do. Here in the morning, his brown eyes darted in her direction as she examined him once more for wounds. His knees were bent, keeping his lower legs from hanging over the foot of the bed. She stepped to a point in the edge of his eyeline.


    Nothing. The only marks she could find were scars on his exposed forearms, various burns from the forge built behind his cottage in Dunfanaghy. He was no more than six years her elder, but in his brief time he crafted the most intricate, beautiful and, occasionally, the most deadly things she¡¯d ever seen. Had he not been descended from the Tuatha D¨¦¡¯s legendary forgemaster, Goibniu, he¡¯d still be a prodigious blacksmith.


    A few locks of his dark, wavy hair had slipped down, partially obscuring the dark circles under his eyes. It was too uncomfortable of a sight for Siobhan. Gavin jerked his shoulder back as she reached to brush his hair back. Siobhan straightened and stepped back to the wall behind her.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    Gavin slowly closed his lids and nodded before meeting Siobhan¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to talk if you don¡¯t want to,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯re just worried about you, and starving yourself isn¡¯t going to help anyone.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s eyes worked back to the wall. Siobhan sighed and turned to leave.


    ¡°I can¡¯t eat,¡± he said.


    She stooped down to his eye level.


    ¡°No?¡± she asked.


    She relied on time and quiet to draw his answers out.


    ¡°My head is in bits,¡± he said. ¡°My stomach¡¯s not much better.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you think you¡¯d feel better if you tried¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI don¡¯t know,¡± he said. ¡°Even if my stomach didn¡¯t feel this way, I¡¯m just not hungry.¡±


    She scanned him twice from head to toe and stood up.


    ¡°You¡¯re a grown man,¡± she said. ¡°We¡¯ll keep something in the pot for when you¡¯re ready. I just hope you catch yourself on before I have to find¡­ alternative methods to get food down your gob.¡±


    She held up her hand, gently pulled it to her shoulder, and brought it forward. A soft green glow emerged from her palm. The light faded after a few seconds. Gavin glanced at Siobhan and resumed his study of the wall after another slow blink.


    Siobhan left his side and paused before grabbing the ladder.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t eat, at least try to sleep. Otherwise you¡¯ll find me much more chatty if you bump my bed tonight.¡±


    Gavin¡¯s shoulders jerked as he let out a solitary grunt of laughter.

 2) A brothers account

    Siobhan flipped an empty pail and placed it on the ground next to her brother, Ciar¨¢n. He looked up from the cow in front of him and scanned the pasture north of their home.


    ¡°Half of Ballyness surrounds us, and this is the place you sit?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just happy to get out for a dander,¡± she said. ¡°Even with all this gray above us. I¡¯ve been in the house waiting on Gavin to come ¡®round ever since Mam left.¡±


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°He spoke to me earlier,¡± she said. ¡°His head hurts, he can¡¯t sleep, and he says he can¡¯t eat. I¡¯d give him some feverfew for his head but I¡¯d like him to put some food in his stomach first.¡±


    Ciar¨¢n nodded. He had their mother¡¯s round face and stout frame, though he stood a foot taller than her. The top of Siobhan¡¯s head only met his eye level. The family would put that large frame to use in a few weeks, sending him out to cut turf to be saved for winter heating. It wasn¡¯t that kind of strength Siobhan concerned herself with today.


    ¡°C¡¯mere to me, brother,¡± she said. ¡°How are you?¡±


    ¡°You can see yourself. Milking¡¯s coming along well.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t blame me for hoping otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You were quiet when you returned from Magheroarty,¡± she said. ¡°Cathal did all the talking.¡±


    Ciar¨¢n¡¯s green eyes rolled from the cow to his sister.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be the first person who failed to get in a word around Cathal,¡± he said.


    Siobhan chuckled.


    ¡°Certainly not,¡± she said. ¡°Still, the look on your face was rather rough. It must have been a terrible thing to see.¡±


    Her brother turned back to the cow but rested his elbows on his thighs.


    ¡°Can you tell me what you saw?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What for?¡± he said. ¡°You know what happened.¡±


    ¡°I think it will help me bring Gavin around if knew what he saw.¡±


    ¡°Do you, now?¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Why are you being such a dose about this?¡±


    ¡°Because I wish I could forget what I saw,¡± he said. ¡°And once I tell you, you¡¯ll wish I hadn¡¯t.¡±


    Siobhan said nothing and stared at the side of Ciar¨¢n¡¯s head. He glanced at her before returning his eyes to the ground. He squirmed in his seat as he spoke.


    ¡°You asked for this,¡± he said.


    ¡°I did,¡± she said with a nod.


    Ciar¨¢n sighed.


    ¡°We didn¡¯t see anything as we rode through the town. Once we came out the other side of Magheroarty, we started seeing odd tracks along the south side of the road. We approached the turn as Gavin instructed us and that side road had these tracks all over the road and on each side.¡±


    ¡°What kind of tracks?¡± she asked.


    ¡°They appeared to be wolf paws,¡± he said, ¡°but the paths and pack formation seemed odd. Maybe we¡¯re wrong and that O¡¯Connor lady will show up and tell us it¡¯s normal. Anyway, we followed the road and it wasn¡¯t long before we found¡­¡±


    He looked up at Siobhan.


    ¡°What?¡± she said.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t feel right telling this nasty of a thing to my baby sister.¡±


    Siobhan smiled and leaned into him, resting a hand on his cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯m so lucky to have a brother like you who looks out for me,¡± she said.


    She slid her hand past his ear and smacked the back of his head.


    ¡°Catch yourself on and tell me already.¡±


    Ciar¨¢n brushed the hair on the back of his head down and resumed his account with a glare in his eyes.


    ¡°We saw bits of blood. A few streaks at first, more as we continued. The camp itself was a hideous sight. Each of them had claw and bite marks all over their bodies¡ªand that was not the worst part.¡±


    Siobhan winced at the thought of her brother¡¯s next sentence.


    ¡°Oh no,¡± she said. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the wolves¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªNot the wolves,¡± he said. ¡°Worse.¡±


    Siobhan canted her head, her brow furrowed at her brother.


    ¡°Even though there were signs that the people fought back against the animals, they were lying in their tents and lean-tos as if they were sleeping,¡± Ciar¨¢n said, ¡°only someone had stuck them with their own weapons.¡±


    Siobhan placed a hand over her mouth.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± she said. ¡°To what end?¡±


    ¡°As if I¡¯d know what would make a man do that?¡± he said, his voice breaking as he spoke.


    He took a deep breath and continued.


    ¡°There were maybe three of ¡®em. We couldn¡¯t suss out if they fought alongside the creatures or came in later. All we know is that we found no one else wounded or dead in the surrounding area.¡±


    ¡°Gavin didn¡¯t arrange them out of respect?¡±


    Ciar¨¢n scoffed.


    ¡°Without removing their weapons? Not likely. We did see the ground where he knelt by Aoife, just as he told us before we set out.¡±


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t their camp hidden?¡±


    ¡°It was. Decent brush cover, only a trail of worn turf from it to the side road. They weren¡¯t there long enough to tip anyone off.¡±


    Siobhan nodded and turned her body away from her brother.


    ¡°It¡¯s no wonder why Gavin¡¯s in such a state, I suppose,¡± she said.


    Ciar¨¢n shook his head.


    ¡°No doubt I¡¯ll be seeing it in my own dreams for a while.¡±


    She leaned back in and hugged Ciar¨¢n.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for that,¡± she said. ¡°And I¡¯m sorry that you had to tell me. But this will help me with Gavin in there.¡±


    ¡°I think you¡¯re right about that,¡± he said.


    ¡°My brother, you must be in bits if you¡¯re agreeing with me!¡±


    Ciar¨¢n put his hand on Siobhan¡¯s face and gave her a soft shove.


    ¡°Can I get back to work now? Mom will be back from out east before dinner. I don¡¯t want her to see me still doing this when she returns.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll go bring another proper seat out here and help you with this,¡± she said. ¡°Lest I leave you alone with your thoughts after telling me a story like that.¡±

 3) The paths forward

    ¡°Gavin, I wanted to talk to you about something¡ªif you¡¯re willing to hear it,¡± Mrs. MacSweeney said.


    His jaw tightened in response to the widow¡¯s request.


    ¡°It¡¯s not what you think,¡± she said. ¡°Well, not exactly what you think.¡±


    It was two days before ate a hunk of bread that Siobhan brought to him, another day passed before Gavin came downstairs to join the family for a proper meal.


    ¡°You are welcome to stay here as long as you need,¡± she said. ¡°But I¡¯d ask you to do a bit of work with the boys and Siobhan.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Gavin said. ¡°You all have been more than generous. Only right that I earn my keep.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that at all,¡± Mrs. MacSweeney said.


    She pushed away her plate and cup.


    ¡°It will be good for you. Get out, do tasks that aren¡¯t related to this business between the Tuatha D¨¦ and Fomori. Jobs that have nothing to do with a forge.¡±


    Gavin eyed the matriarch and each of her children at the table. He clasped his hands together and looked down at his plate.


    ¡°Respectfully, Mrs. MacSweeney, is this supposed to take my mind off of what happened? Weeding fields and milking cows will make it all better?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± she said. ¡°But we have to start somewhere. It will do you no good to lie up there day after day.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should go back to Dunfanaghy,¡± he said. ¡°Flattening metal with a hammer might do me some good.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps. I¡¯ve got no claim to force you to do¡ªor not do¡ªanything. But I would insist, as firmly as I can, that you take one of the children with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have space for more than myself,¡± he said.


    ¡°It hasn¡¯t been four full days,¡± the widow said. ¡°Going back there on your own right now isn¡¯t a good idea. There haven¡¯t been many dealings between you and I before now, but if you asked Niall he¡¯d tell you the same. If you¡¯re that serious about swinging a hammer, you¡¯ll find plenty of opportunities to do that here. Darragh now has family and land of his own to tend to. We leaned on him quite a bit after their father¡¯s passing.¡±


    Siobhan swallowed hard and set her eyes on the far wall. She recalled the first few months after her father died. Darragh, her oldest brother, buried himself in work around the farm, compelled to finish every last carpentry or masonry task out of fear he¡¯d disappoint the memory of his father.


    Treasach the younger gladly assumed the rent collection and any other errand that kept him out of the house and the lingering reminders within it of the vacuum created by his father¡ªand namesake¡¯s¡ªdeath.


    Never one to shy away from a conversation, Cathal developed a maniacal need to speak. Whether it was sharing every unfiltered thought that sprang from his mind, asking his family¡¯s opinion on everything, or even goading his brothers into a fight, he seemed almost afraid of allowing even the briefest moments of silence.


    It drove his younger brother, Ciar¨¢n, mad. During these times Ciar¨¢n often expressed his grief by beating on Cathal to buy the family even a moment¡¯s peace.


    Siobhan and her mother had their own means of compartmentalizing their sorrow. According to her mother, Siobhan¡¯s skill with both druidic and s¨ªlrad magic was years ahead of her brothers before Mr. MacSweeney¡¯s death. Over the past two years, she spent six days a week practicing magic, learning how to treat ailments and wounds, getting mentored with leadership skills¡ªeven the occasional business lesson.


    Siobhan suspected the loss of her father triggered an urgency in Mrs. MacSweeney to prepare her youngest child for the wider world and all its challenges, both natural and supernatural. With news that the MacLaughlin boys were suddenly orphaned, late in their childhoods as it may be, Siobhan wondered if she would lose that last free day each week.


    Gavin nodded his head several times, as if he was answering questions only he could hear.


    ¡°Of course, Mrs. MacSweeney,¡± he said. ¡°Whatever you need. I might need another day or two.¡±


    ¡°Call me ¡®D¨¢irine,¡¯ dear,¡± Siobhan¡¯s mother said. ¡°You¡¯re no boy. And I¡¯d like you to start tomorrow.¡±


    He leaned back in his chair.


    ¡°If that¡¯s how it must be,¡± he said. ¡°Thank you, Mrs. MacSweeney. I better rest up. Busy day tomorrow.¡±


    She pointed to a door across the room.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°You can use Darragh¡¯s old bed in the other house. You can cut across through the storage room over there.¡±


    With a nod Gavin disappeared through the storage room door.


    ¡°You don¡¯t think you¡¯re pushing him too hard, Mam?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± her mother said. ¡°But he¡¯s still new to the area, and now he¡¯s all but alone. We send him back to Dunfanaghy and who knows what will happen. He¡¯ll be ready to move forward long before he considers himself ready to move forward.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re that sure?¡± Cathal asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s more of a hunch,¡± she said. ¡°But my hunches normally turn out¡ªand if we see it is too much and he¡¯s cracking, we can ease off. His progress won¡¯t be at a consistent and steady pace. It¡¯ll happen in fits and starts.¡±


    Her children nodded.


    ¡°Ciar¨¢n, start him off slow and have him work with you the next few days.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Mam.¡±


    ¡°Why not me?¡± Cathal asked.


    ¡°Son, I love ya, but he¡¯s in no state to have you in his ear all day. Now, can you boys go and prepare the wagon for me? I¡¯m off to Dunfanaghy again in the morning.¡±


    ¡°Did you not just return from there yesterday?¡± Cathal asked.


    ¡°I wanted to tidy up Murrough¡¯s house and get it ready for those MacLaughlin lads. Lord knows his cottage¡¯s usual state isn¡¯t suitable for them at a time like this. I came back here to check on you boys and Gavin. But now I must talk with Murrough and those lads about what happens next.¡±


    The mood in the room sank. The brothers exchanged uncomfortable glances before walking out the front door with a nod to the ladies that remained at the table. They were so quick to avoid any direct talk about the MacLaughlins that they left without clearing their spots.


    ¡°You know, you¡¯re really great with Gavin,¡± Mrs. MacSweeney said. ¡°I know it isn¡¯t easy, but I¡¯d like you to keep on it while I¡¯m gone.¡±


    ¡°How long will you be gone?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°Three days, most likely. Four at the most.¡±


    ¡°Have you made up your mind about their farm?¡±


    Mrs. MacSweeney leaned back in her seat and sighed as she examined the dinner table¡¯s surface.


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to give them a chance?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± her mother said. ¡°But I don¡¯t see them succeeding with it over the long term. Before he left, Murrough made me promise to hear the boys out before I made the final decision.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°He seems to think it¡¯s the safest option for the boys. Whatever attacked our people over in Magheroarty showed no interest in the MacLaughlin home even though it was only a few miles to the east. Murrough says that if they knew who the MacLaughlins were, specifically, they would have gone straightaway to Ards Beg for the boys.¡±


    Siobhan shuddered at the thought of Finn and Donal suffering in the manner that Ciar¨¢n described the other day. She shook her head to slough the thought out of her mind.


    ¡°But those two aren¡¯t actual s¨ªlrad,¡± she said. ¡°Are they?¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t know,¡± her mother said. ¡°Fintan and Aoife never pursued the matter.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re codding me. You had me doing magic when I was knee-high to Da.¡±


    ¡°The MacLaughlins were certain that the Fomori weren¡¯t strong enough to pose a true threat, and if they did the modern society¡¯s norms were strong enough to hamstring their efforts.¡±


    ¡°They never struck me as being that thick.¡±


    Mrs. MacSweeney fired her right index finger forward.


    ¡°Siobhan Almaith MacSweeney! Show some respect for the dead.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, Mam.¡±


    Siobhan¡¯s mother regained control of her volume and tone and leaned forward once more.


    ¡°You¡¯re right, though. Ages 17 and 14 are well past the ideal time to test and train new s¨ªlrad. The parents never said as such, but I suspect they simply didn¡¯t want this life for their sons.¡±


    ¡°Grand, so they just hide in Ards Beg?¡±


    ¡°Murrough thinks they should get a fair lash at keeping the farm going.¡±


    ¡°Not the worst idea I¡¯ve heard,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°Than Finn always seemed a smart, sound one.¡±


    ¡°He is, but that¡¯s not where his heart lies. He wants to become a monk.¡±


    ¡°A monk? Why?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d have to ask him that.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I will.¡±


    ¡°Dya¡¯mean by that?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°Let me take their rent,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°I¡¯ll go there each month and also help them out with planning and advice, right? I¡¯ll try to bring them through this like I am with Gavin. Plus, it would be nice to see Donal more. I haven¡¯t seen much of the brothers lately.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that,¡± Mrs. MacSweeney said. ¡°Donal caught an odd type of illness several years ago. The longer his illness progressed, the less that anyone¡ªsave for Murrough¡ªsaw them.¡±


    Siobhan pieced it together with the aid of hindsight. In the brief times she¡¯d seen Donal, he had grown out of sorts over the past few years. When his family did attend gatherings and festivals, all of them were more tense, more guarded. The parents¡¯ attention to their youngest child bordered on vigilant.


    ¡°So you¡¯re saying I shouldn¡¯t do it?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°No, but you should know this before you commit to what you¡¯re proposing,¡± her mother said. ¡°Murrough says it¡¯s only getting worse for the boy. He rarely has a night¡¯s peace.¡±


    ¡°Well, doesn¡¯t matter what I propose if you decide to take control of the farm,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°Have you considered the possibility that whatever attacked their parents might still have plans to go after the lads?¡±


    Her mother let out a single chuckle and pointed to Siobhan¡¯s seat with her chin.


    ¡°It must be the chair,¡± she said. ¡°Niall was in your very seat when he asked that very question before he left.¡±


    Siobhan straightened her spine and felt the spirit swell in her chest.


    ¡°No matter what we think, we owe it to Aoife and Fintan to respect their wishes as best we can,¡± her mother said.


    ¡°Answer me this: what happens if they discover that they¡¯re s¨ªlrad? Shouldn¡¯t we have someone checking in regularly?¡±


    ¡°If that¡¯s the case, daughter, why don¡¯t they just move in with Murrough? Niall¡¯s nearby. They can finish raising the boys and be there should anything happen.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡­¡±


    Siobhan covered her eyes with her palms and ran her hands over the top and behind her red curls.


    ¡°What are you saying?¡± her mother asked.


    ¡°I know what I say doesn¡¯t carry the same weight as Niall and Murrough,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°Just know that if you give those boys an honest chance I¡¯m willing to help them. And if the day comes that we test them and they are true s¨ªlrad, well, I¡¯ll willing to help with that, too.¡±


    Mrs. MacSweeney eyed her daughter through narrowed lids.


    ¡°You carry more weight with me than you realize, Shiv,¡± she said.


    Siobhan smiled and felt her cheeks warm.


    ¡°I have not made a final decision on the MacLaughlin farm. But know this: if I do go the way that you and Murrough wish, I¡¯ll be holding you to your offer. The boys will need you to make this work. Are you certain about this?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sure. Thanks, Mam.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet.¡±


    Siobhan nodded.


    ¡°Now walk me through exactly what you had in mind for the MacLaughlins before we go to bed.¡±

 4) Field Work

    ¡°What¡¯s with the look of surprise?¡± Gavin asked.


    Siobhan shielded her eyes from a rare unbroken stretch of midday sun as she surveyed the fields near the boundary of her family¡¯s farm. He sat down on the stone fence next to the area where she found Gavin digging.


    ¡°I may be at my best in front of an anvil,¡± he said, ¡°but I¡¯m perfectly capable of working a field when I need to.¡±


    ¡°Sure look, I¡¯m not surprised that you¡¯re doing fine work weeding the fields,¡± she said. ¡°I merely expected you to do it with a hammer and tongs.¡±


    Gavin chuckled.


    ¡°That¡¯s a good sound on you,¡± she said. ¡°I was hoping it would take less than a week to hear it.¡±


    The sides of Gavin¡¯s mouth flattened. He stooped to resume his work.


    Siobhan¡¯s eyes worked past him and rested on her brother. Ciar¨¢n never strayed more than 20 yards from Gavin¡¯s side but his reserved, unassuming nature made that distance wider. Her mother chose wisely. She flicked her head forward and to the right. With a nod, her brother eased his way out of earshot.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°It wasn¡¯t my intent to judge. I was just happy to see a smile on you. Doubly so to hear you laugh.¡±


    Gavin raised a hand toward her without looking up.


    ¡°Not at all,¡± he said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to apologize for.¡±


    His hand came back down to work through an especially tough bit of soil.


    ¡°Lord knows, you¡¯re not at fault for all this,¡± he muttered.


    Siobhan was sure she wasn¡¯t meant to hear that last comment. How many details of the attack was she missing? All she had to go on was her brothers¡¯ report and the tiny bits Gavin mentioned.


    If by ¡°his fault,¡± Gavin meant that he was working with the perpetrators of the attack he would have left for Dunfanaghy by now, no matter how much Siobhan or her mother protested.


    Maybe he was forced into it? she asked herself. It would explain the guilt.


    She shook the thought from her head. He wouldn¡¯t remain around those impacted by the loss. Gavin either made a mistake or he¡¯s assuming responsibility out of guilt. Either way, she couldn¡¯t suss it out with just a greeting and a smile.


    She yelled to her brother across the field with hopes he¡¯d follow her lead.


    ¡°Ciar¨¢n! Could you use some help out here?¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    She took a few steps past Gavin toward her brother.


    ¡°I was asking if you needed two extra hands to finish the weeding.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re grand,¡± he said. ¡°O¡¯Roarke¡¯s been bang on with his work.¡±


    ¡°Sure look, you could always use more help, right?¡± she asked.


    You buck eejit! she thought. Could you just look up at me for a bleedin¡¯ second?


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to keep you from your own chores,¡± he said.


    She sighed and looked back at Gavin. A small part of her wanted him to catch on to what she was attempting, if nothing else than for him to maintain her esteem in his wit. Instead, he worked down his row with his back to her, the gap between the two of them ever increasing.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound right!¡± Ciar¨¢n said. ¡°It can¡¯t have been an hour since lunch.¡±


    Siobhan squeezed the muscles in her face to keep from crying out. She grabbed a loose stone from the fence and hurled it at the ground in front of her brother.


    The stone struck Ciar¨¢n¡¯s chest off of the second bounce, causing her older brother to yelp out of surprise. She heard a pause in the work from behind her. She had Ciar¨¢n¡¯s and Gavin¡¯s full attention now and her only hope was that her brother would understand her wrinkled brow, wide-eyed glare and bared teeth¡ªall shielded from their house-guest¡¯s view.


    ¡°Sorry, I stepped on my spade and the handle caught me,¡± Ciar¨¢n said, rubbing his chest. ¡°Right, yeah, we could use the help, now that I think of it. We could finish before dinner.¡±


    Siobhan turned on the charm and sing-song in her voice.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°I ¡®spose I can help you then. How about over there on the far side and work back towards Gavin?¡±


    ¡°Sure?¡± her brother said. ¡°I mean, sure, that sounds grand.¡±


    Ciar¨¢n traded Siobhan¡¯s eye roll with a glare of his own. When she turned to head towards her part of the field, she found Gavin eyeing her through narrowed lids. He shook his head and returned to work.


    The first hour was filled with nothing but the sounds of plants tearing and spades piercing dirt. The wind no longer howled in from the bay as it did earlier in the week. It eased milder air from over the peaks of the Seven Sisters and it wasn¡¯t long before Siobhan was in a sweat.


    Her eyes often darted to her brother, as if she could will him to initiate some small talk that she could join and then guide the discussion into learning more about Gavin. The glances, however, had little effect. She would have to force the issue.


    Siobhan was acquainted with Gavin, but until this week they had no meaningful interactions between them. She started with time tested topics¡ªhis original home in Connaught, his parents, his larger family. The questions were spaced out at first but as the mood in the field eased she managed to get the occasional follow-up question answered.


    She steered the conversation towards his smithy¡ªwhen did he learn about his legendary ancestor, how long ago has he lived in Tyrconnell, how locals were treating him. He relinquished each answer easier than the one that preceded it up until she asked the wrong question.


    ¡°What¡¯s the one thing you¡¯ve crafted that you¡¯re most proud of?¡±


    Gavin went silent. Siobhan was too far away to notice any subtle expression change, but after a long pause, the break in his voice was unmistakable.


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said.


    ¡°Well, what about something lighter?¡± she said. ¡°What do you when all the work is to be done?¡±


    ¡°I draw,¡± he said. ¡°I sing a little. Anything else I feel like doing. Mostly, I just like making things.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to see those drawings sometime.¡±


    ¡°Sure look,¡± he said.


    The shake in his voice was gone, but the delivery of his next few lines were uneven and awkward.


    ¡°Listen, Shiv¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªSiobhan¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªsorry, Siobhan, you¡¯re a lovely and kind girl, but I don¡¯t fancy you like that.¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡±


    She heard a half-restrained chortle from her brother off to the side and in that moment she wished for nothing more than another loose rock in her hand.


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing against you personally at all,¡± he said. ¡°I know there are lords and other sorts of men twice my age that would jump at the chance but that kind of business isn¡¯t for me.¡±


    Siobhan sat silently, unaware that her her jaw hung open.


    ¡°That¡¯s not¡­ I wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Gavin said. ¡°I¡¯ve made it awkward. I should go¡ª¡±


    ¡°Houl yer whisht!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s indeed awkward, but not in the way you think! I do not fancy you at all.¡±


    ¡°But all the questions¡ª¡± he said.


    ¡°¡ªwere an attempt to ease you into talking about things.¡±


    Gavin stood up and turned his palms to the sky.


    ¡°Ah here, so you inserted yourself to get more information from me about the attack?¡± he asked.


    ¡°Again, not in the manner you¡¯re implying,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯ve been straight on trying to help you through your pain. I¡¯ve tried to give you space.¡±


    Gavin turned his back to the bay and gestured in all three remaining directions. His nostrils flared. His upper lip curled on both sides.


    ¡°Look around you, cail¨ªn!¡± he yelled. ¡°Surely you can try harder to find some more?¡±


    Siobhan caught sight of her brother in her periphery. Ciar¨¢n¡¯s gaze never left his work but he raised his eyebrows and bobbled his head. She stood up and bridged the gap between her and Gavin. The finger on her outstretched right hand was inches from the man¡¯s chest. It was all she could do to stop herself from yelling back.


    ¡°Cop yourself on, buachaill!¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re 24 years if you¡¯re a day¡ªbarely older than Cathal. And how much space am I supposed to give after I heard you blame yourself for what happened?¡±


    ¡°You did what?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t mutter very quietly,¡± she said. ¡°What on earth makes you think you were responsible for that?¡±


    ¡°I left them there, for starters.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯d be a poor messenger if you never left the camp.¡±


    ¡°But I wasn¡¯t meant to be the messenger,¡± he said. ¡°I begged Aoife to let me ride in her place. I¡¯d been crafting and supplying their equipment for years. Over the last few months, I¡¯d begged Niall to let me help them spy on Fomori activity. Like I told yer mam, we saw the largest number of them yet board boats and sail to Tory Island. It looked like big news, and I begged Aoife to let me be the one to tell you all.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± she said. ¡°But even if she rode to us, you¡¯d be dead and it would¡¯ve saved but one person.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, those lads would still have a mam.¡±


    Gavin drew back his lips into a grimace and looked away. Siobhan placed her hand on his upper arm and held it for a moment, releasing only when he moved it. He wouldn¡¯t be the one to speak next. Siobhan eased herself two paces back.


    ¡°You still haven¡¯t explained your fault in everyone else¡¯s fate.¡±


    He pointed at Ciar¨¢n with the side of his head.


    ¡°Your brothers told you what they found at the camp? Everything?¡±


    She nodded.


    ¡°Were you aware I came to Tyrconnell with the O¡¯Farrells?¡±


    ¡°I was not,¡± she said. ¡°I supposed I should have guessed it.¡±


    ¡°I knew them since I could walk; I¡¯d been friends with them almost as long. Some of the first things I ever made were for them. Dermot¡¯s taste in weaponry was fairly conventional. He always preferred longer blades. Fergus, on the other hand, loved using two shorter swords in each hand¡ªnot something you see often. Four years ago, I made him this gorgeous pair of blades for his birthday. They gleamed like silver but were twice as strong.¡±


    He gulped and turned his head, keeping his eyes on Siobhan.


    ¡°They were the best things I ever made, and I found them last week sticking out of him. My best friend.¡±


    ¡°Gavin¡ª¡±


    ¡°I worked so hard to show them all my quality, you know? I outfitted everyone in that group except Fintan with new weapons, and all of them with new armor. I really thought I did it.¡±


    ¡°What about the wolves?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t see any wolves, did I? All I saw were my weapons piercing my friends¡¯ and comrades¡¯ armor¡ªmy armor. Indeed, I need to go back to the forge and learn how to make something useful.¡±


    Siobhan lurched toward Gavin and wrapped her arms around him. Above her head, the blacksmith inhaled the bay air with a quick, loud sniff.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to make you understand that this wasn¡¯t your fault, but I will find a way,¡± she said.


    He reciprocated her hug for a few seconds and then broke the embrace.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like your chances,¡± he said, ¡°but I hope you¡¯re right.¡±

 5) Tracking Absolution

    ¡°Oi!¡± yelled a lady from the front yard. ¡°I¡¯m lookin¡¯ for the littlest MacSweeney. Dya¡¯know where I can find her?¡±


    ¡°Where have you been?¡± Siobhan asked as she stepped out of the house.


    Maeve O¡¯Connor finished tying her dark draught horse to a tree and rubbed the journey from the waves of her long, black hair.


    ¡°Where haven¡¯t I been?¡± she said. ¡°I was out past Derry when Niall caught up with me, told me the news and sent me back here to find out what happened.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s been ten days,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°I trust you went to Magheroarty first before you turned up here?¡±


    ¡°I did. It was¡ª¡±


    ¡°Hello, Maeve,¡± Siobhan¡¯s mother called out from the threshold. ¡°I trust your mother raised you better than to greet your hosts in such a manner?¡±


    Maeve dipped her eyes toward the ground in front of the widow.


    ¡°Apologies, Mrs. MacSweeney,¡± she said. ¡°Back from Dunfanaghy?¡±


    ¡°I am.¡±


    ¡°The boys going with Murrough, then?¡±


    ¡°They are not. At least not for now.¡±


    The visitor smiled.


    ¡°For what it¡¯s worth, I agree with the old man. It¡¯s a nice, quiet place they got there, and I hear they don¡¯t get out much, anyway. That said, I don¡¯t see the need for this plan of secrecy and watching from afar. We should tell ¡®em, and¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªThank you, Maeve,¡± Mrs. MacSweeney said. ¡°Your views on the matter will be taken under advisement. Again.¡±


    Maeve squinted and craned her head from side to side as she peered into the house.


    ¡°Is he here?¡±


    ¡°He is,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°Working with the boys in the field. He¡¯s better, but his heart¡¯s still in bits.¡±


    Maeve had been riding through the late-April morning, but Siobhan knew that wasn¡¯t the cause of the color spreading across her friend¡¯s cheeks.


    ¡°He is kind of a softie,¡± she said as she pulled her hair behind her ear. ¡°I¡¯m sad to hear he¡¯s taken it so hard.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t he?¡± Siobhan said. ¡°He lost childhood friends, he¡¯s the sole survivor, and¡­ well, by now you know yourself what he saw.¡±


    ¡°Some of it,¡± Maeve said. ¡°I ran into some of the people from town as I was scouting the area. They took it upon themselves to move the poor souls from the grounds. They told me about how they found our people¡ªnever heard of anything like it.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what¡¯s weighing on Gavin," Siobhan said. "Tell me you found something that might bring him some peace.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure there would ever be much peace taken from a scene like that. Unless¡­¡±


    Maeve wrinkled her nose and tilted her head.


    ¡°If we can get him back to Magheroarty, I think I can help with that. It¡¯ll take both of us to convince him to come, though.¡±


    A shout came from the field to the south. Cathal and Ciar¨¢n approached the house with Gavin right behind them.


    ¡°Oi!¡± Cathal yelled. ¡°Did I hear Maeve O''Connor serenading our sister again?¡±


    ¡°Shut your bake, Third Brother,¡± Maeve said, ¡°or Ciar¨¢n here will inherit your title.¡±


    Cathal winked over a wide grin. Maeve did neither. She stepped toward the trio. A faint smile flickered across her face as she saw the trailing member of the group.


    ¡°Howya, Gavin?¡±


    He nodded and smiled with only a flash of eye contact.


    ¡°Always good to see you, Maeve.¡±


    Siobhan couldn¡¯t help but grin. The person best suited to bring Gavin around had arrived¡ªeven if neither of them knew it.


    ****


    The closer they came to the ill-fated campsite, the more agitated Gavin¡¯s movements became.


    A long beach stretched into the distance on their right. Past the beach, a small strip of green between the road and sea alternated between grazing fields and overgrown meadows. Soon the wagon would turn away from the sea and up into the hills that provided a covered view of everything coming from and going to Tory Island, the ancient home of the original Fomori.


    Before she pulled the reins to turn off the road, Siobhan leaned over and kept her voice hushed.


    ¡°I know our options are limited, but are you sure coming here won¡¯t make it worse?¡±


    ¡°MacSweeney, you¡¯re the one that asked for my advice on this!¡± Maeve said, her volume to match. ¡°Am I certain this will work? No. Do we have anything better to try? Also no.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Siobhan said.


    ¡°I¡¯m what?¡± Maeve asked. ¡°Sure look, you must be desp¡ª¡±


    ¡°Stop!¡± Gavin yelled.


    Siobhan slowed their pace. Maeve turned around.


    ¡°Gavin?¡±Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do it,¡± he said.


    ¡°Gavin¡ª¡±


    ¡°¡ªI can¡¯t go up that road. I can¡¯t walk that path to camp. I can¡¯t see the grounds and see all of them laying there.¡±


    ¡°I just came back from here,¡± Maeve said. ¡°Everyone and everything was taken away.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t stop me from seeing them.¡±


    Maeve nodded.


    ¡°Do you trust me?¡±


    Siobhan didn¡¯t turn her head to view his answer, but her interest was piqued. She¡¯d known Maeve for five years and if Siobhan had to label anyone as her ¡°best friend,¡± it would be Maeve. Since Niall brought Gavin into their s¨ªlrad circle a few years ago, the hunter and the blacksmith had met a dozen times at the most for various reasons and purposes. There was a warm, playful side to Maeve that Siobhan rarely saw anymore. When she did see it of late, Gavin was always nearby.


    ¡°I suppose I do,¡± he said.


    ¡°Most of what I have to show you happened outside of the campsite. Close your eyes for now and trust that Siobhan and I are only trying to help.¡±


    Gavin laid on the floor of wagon and closed his eyes. For the remainder of the trip, Maeve provided directions only through hand signals. As with many places around Tyrconnell, the ¡°side road¡± was actually two ruts divided by a broken line of weeds. Siobhan was surprised to find nary a tree around here but the bushes shrubs grew taller and thicker as they ascended the hill. If a group was careful with their fire these hills would provide an effective hiding spot.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the ladies noticed the red streaks on the ground, though much of it had been faded by feet, hoof, wheel and even wind. Siobhan needed no signals to recognize the path to the left toward the camp; the red stains were thicker and had not faded. They rode for another three hundred yards before Maeve signaled her to stop in an area of level ground. They hopped down and rounded the wagon¡¯s rear.


    ¡°Gavin, don¡¯t open your eyes yet,¡± Maeve said. ¡°We went a bit farther up the road to the area I¡¯d like you to see. You could keep your eyes closed and we can walk you there, but I can¡¯t promise you won¡¯t get slapped by some bushes along the way. Can I talk you into walking there with your eyes open?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve put a lot of effort into makin¡¯ this easy on me,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll try it your way.¡±


    ¡°Grand,¡± she said. ¡°First thing I want you to do is look at these marks at our feet.¡±


    Siobhan joined him in following Maeve¡¯s finger as she swung it from one edge of the road to the other. She noticed several gouges the ran across the clearing, leading to paths of bent and broken branches in both directions.


    ¡°What is this?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m simply asking you to remember it for later,¡± she said. ¡°Follow me.¡±


    She pushed her way through the broken path on the right, walking away from the place where Gavin found his comrades.


    ¡°It might be hard to see through bushes, but we have countless wolf tracks going in many directions,¡± she said. ¡°There are three sets of human prints as well, but they are going in just two directions: back that way toward camp, and in the direction we¡¯re heading now.¡±


    Fighting through bushes and undergrowth forced a slow, uneven pace for the next four hundred yards. Maeve stopped at the edge of a bald spot in the hillside. Siobhan traced the clearing¡¯s edge and noticed the start of three other trails much friendlier than the one they followed here. Blood stains were found throughout, in greater quantity than what Ciar¨¢n described a week ago.


    ¡°This is where it happened,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t know why but our people came up from the north using that trail to our right. I can¡¯t tell you how many animals they fought here. It was either a number too absurd for natural occurrence or a group of six to seven creatures cursed by the people who entered here from that trail leading southwest, likely to nearby Meenlaragh. Given the skill of our people, the creatures had to have been corrupted to fell your friends.¡±


    ¡°How far away is camp?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°Too far for any of this battle to take place there.¡±


    ¡°But the way I found ¡®em¡­¡±


    ¡°Remember those marks in the road? Those were drag marks. It took two trips for the three of them to move your friends and set up that blasphemy you found.¡±


    ¡°The stains by the camp were what, then?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°My best guess? To throw us off their scent,¡± Maeve said. ¡°They wanted us distraught with grief and horror so we couldn¡¯t find this place.¡±


    Gavin dipped his head and turned away.


    ¡°Might have been onto something with that,¡± he said.


    Siobhan circled in front of him.


    ¡°Dya¡¯see now, Gavin?¡± she said. ¡°There¡¯s nothing you could have done to stop this. What they did to our friends after the fact with their own weapons was as cruel as it was cowardly. Even Goibniu himself couldn¡¯t make a piece of armor that protects someone who¡¯s already gone.¡±


    ¡°I know there are going to be parts of that night that will continue to eat at you, and nobody but you can work through that,¡± Maeve said. ¡°You¡¯ll carry that night with you for a long time.¡±


    She stood next to Siobhan in front of him to grab his full attention.


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want you to carry even longer,¡± she said, ¡°and that¡¯s what I¡¯ve shown you today. Gavin O¡¯Roarke, you did not fail your friends, and I don¡¯t ever want to hear that you¡¯ve said otherwise.¡±


    Gavin dropped his head and nodded several times. With a sniff he raised his head and looked them over.


    ¡°I¡¯m still not right, but this is the first time since it happened it feels like I could be someday. Thank you both.¡±


    ****


    ¡°Do have everything you need?¡± Siobhan asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you the same answer I gave your mam inside,¡± Gavin said. ¡°I have more than what I need.¡±


    ¡°Dya¡¯get enough breakfast?¡±


    ¡°I did,¡± he said.


    He smiled held up a burlap sack as long as Siobhan¡¯s arm.


    ¡°And, as previously established, I¡¯m more than cared for should I get hungry along the way. What on earth will you and your mam fret over once I¡¯m gone?¡±


    She chuckled and gave a shrug as he set the sack on the ground next to them.


    ¡°Niall will be glad to get C¨¢emaid back,¡± she said, idly stroking the horse¡¯s neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be sorry to see her go,¡± he said. ¡°But she¡¯s had two weeks of rest here while your family helped sort me out.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just us, you know.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯d love to give Maeve credit, but she¡¯s never around long enough to hear it. Why couldn¡¯t she have stayed even one night?¡±


    ¡°She said something about helping some acquaintances out in Derry,¡± Siobhan said. ¡°I guess something we discussed yesterday in Magheroarty gave her an idea.¡±


    ¡°For the life of me I couldn¡¯t imagine what that would be,¡± he said. ¡°She is something.¡±


    ¡°Is she, now?¡± she asked.


    Gavin¡¯s cheekbones turned red as he realized what he said aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯d say the same about you,¡± she said.


    Gavin began to stammer as his forehead turned red. Siobhan pushed matters a little too hard; time to let the smith off the hook.


    ¡°If she was around long enough, of course.¡±


    ¡°So, now what?¡± she asked after a shared laugh.


    ¡°I go back home, light a fire and then hammer something dull until it¡¯s sharp,¡± he said.


    ¡°Beyond that?¡±


    ¡°I think it¡¯s going to a while before I rush out looking for a fight. I¡¯ll focus on perfecting the s¨ªlrad aspects of my work. Whatever you or your family need, just say the word and it¡¯s yours. It¡¯s the least I can do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s very generous.¡±


    Gavin hugged Siobhan and climbed atop C¨¢emaid. She handed him the bag and he draped it over his lap. He cast his eyes toward the main road and then hung his head.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to meet those MacLaughlin boys at some point, aren¡¯t I?¡± he asked.


    She pursed her lips and gave her head a slight nod.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely,¡± she said. ¡°Mam¡¯s suspects one of them could be s¨ªlrad. Murrough believes they both are. I¡¯m inclined to agree with him.¡±


    ¡°And when that day comes, should I introduce myself as ¡®descendant of Goibniu,¡¯ or ¡®the reason your mam¡¯s not here?¡¯¡±


    Siobhan stepped toward the front of the horse.


    ¡°How about you start with ¡®Gavin, the master blacksmith?¡¯¡± she said. ¡°This whole plan to keep them in the dark doesn¡¯t feel right. I worry that when it falls apart, it¡¯ll happen in a big way. If it does, their heads will be spinning as it is. Adding the details of their parents¡¯ deaths would be too much."


    Gavin looked back to the road. Siobhan shifted and returned to his eyeline.


    "How about you help us keep them safe until we can properly tell them? That would be enough to honor Aoife¡¯s memory, I think.¡±


    ¡°Then they can swear vengeance on me?¡±


    Gavin chuckled, but Siobhan sensed there was more belief than jest in his comment.


    ¡°Finn has the makings of a good man in him,¡± she said. ¡°Give him a chance to recognize that you are one as well.¡±


    She let her advice hang in the air until he was ready to respond.


    ¡°I hope you¡¯re right,¡± he said. ¡°On both counts.¡±


    She grinned.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been right about a lot this week, haven¡¯t I?¡±


    Gavin¡¯s laugh felt real this time.


    ¡°See you soon, Gavin.¡±


    ¡°You will, I¡¯m sure of it. Sl¨¢n.¡±