by Emmett Swan
Another boy spoke as he tried to stand. “By Jove, that hurts,” he moaned.
Conall left Jessica’s side and half stumbled and half fell to his brother. They struggled to stay upright and leaned into one another. Jessica stepped toward them to help support them but stopped when she heard the two boys sobbing in each other’s arms. She stood by, remaining respectfully quiet. She felt her own tears welling up.
Conall pushed his brother away at arm’s length to get a good look. He playfully pulled twigs and leaves from his hair, laughing. He placed both hands on either side of his brother’s slim face and looked him in the eyes. “Ah Laughlin, how good it is to see you again.” Conall hugged him.
“Aye,” croaked the younger boy, “you’re a sight for sore eyes too, brother.” His voice was tinged with emotion. Then Conall took Laughlin once again in his arms, this time picking his whole body up and giving him a big bear hug. Both of them laughed softly, sniffling.
“You look good,” said Conall.
“As do you,” Laughlin mustered, wiping his eyes and face with his hands.
Just then, the third boy began moaning in a higher-pitched voice.
“Ah! Meyler!” cried Conall as he rushed to the other sibling’s side. “We’ve forgotten ourselves in our newfound freedom.” Meyler was shorter and slighter than Conall, so when he hugged him, Conall lifted him off the forest floor like a child. “Lad,” Conall continued, “look at you!” He hugged him again, pulling him into his body. Meyler buried his face into his older brother’s chest, weeping openly and unashamedly.
Laughlin hobbled over and put his arms around both as best he could. They all cried and laughed softly amid sniffles and breaths. There wasn’t a dry eye in the forest.
Jessica put an arm around Riley’s shoulders and leaned into his ear. “We did it!” she whispered through her own tears with a broad smile of pride and accomplishment. “We’ve restored life!” She kissed him softly on the cheek, and he put his arm around her waist.
After some minutes, the boys returned to the present, remembering that they had an audience. Conall came over to Jessica, his gait now much steadier. He stood before her and bowed. “Jessica, we owe you much gratitude.”
“I am so amazed you know my name,” said Jessica, peering at him with wonder.
“But of course,” said Conall. “I know, in fact, many details of your life, as you were kind enough to entertain me and my brothers while we were imprisoned in this forest.” He put his hand to his chin thoughtfully. “Let me see, your best friend, your future educational plans.” His eyes darted above, obviously searching his memory bank. “Your feelings about leaving your home for the summer. And many other things I did not understand.”
Then he put both hands to his heart. “But oh the sound of a human voice in such close proximity. How lovely the sound, My Lady.” He bowed again deeply and Jessica blushed. “You have saved my life,” he said, then turned toward his brothers. “Indeed, all our lives.”
“I am glad I could help,” Jessica replied, then remembered Riley. “This is my brother, Riley. He helped too.”
“I am honored to meet you,” Conall said, shaking Riley’s hand. “This is Laughlin. And Meyler.”
“Honored,” they both said and also shook Riley’s hand.
“You have freed us,” said Conall. “We’ve been trapped in this wood for countless years, only able to move slightly on cloudless nights when the moon is full.”
“Our pleasure,” said Jessica. It was indeed her pleasure. For not only were all three brothers temporarily free of the curse, they were all handsome. “But,” she continued, “there are some things you should know. First and most important, your release from the curse is only temporary. The Lady of the Mist told us that in two days, you will return to tree form. Unless…” She found it difficult to say what she had to say.
“Unless you kill this Thallach person,” interjected Riley. “Once he dies, the curse is broken forever.”
“I see,” said Conall. “The gold thief. So he still lives.” He looked around him on the ground. “I don’t suppose you found our swords lying about by any chance?”
“Um, we found one,” said Riley. He turned on his phone flashlight, directed it toward the moss, and pulled out the rusted metal from where he had stuck it in the ground. He held the old sword under the light. The three Kyne brothers stared in wonder, not at the corroded piece of metal, but at the source of the light.
“Egad!” cried Laughlin. “That light! Is there no flame?”
“There is no flame,” laughed Riley. “It’s a flashlight. From electric batteries.”
Conall reached out and touched the phone, putting his finger over the bulb of the light and then back off. The light dimmed and returned.
“I think there will be a lot of things that will be new to you,” added Jessica. “The world has changed in the last two centuries.”
“And we eagerly await the chance to learn about them,” said Conall. “But if I understand what you have told us, time is short, so we must delay our education.”
Meyler reached out and grasped Riley’s hand, which still held the phone with the flashlight turned on. He directed the light to Conall and then to Laughlin.
“Our hair is long, but we do not seem to have aged,” he said, looking his brothers over and feeling his own face. “At least not overly much.”
“Can’t say the same thing for our clothes,” said Conall. “Do pardon us, milady. For we are barely decent.”
“Perhaps you could retrieve us some apparel, milady?” asked Laughlin. “If it would please you to do so.”
“Aye,” added Conall. “It would be awkward to pursue Thallach in our rotten garments. And perhaps a sharp blade, so we may cut away our unkempt hair.”
“A cake of soap wouldn’t hurt, either,” said Meyler, sniffing the air.
Jessica nodded, looking them over. Though there were gaping holes all over their tattered garments, the darkness kept her embarrassment to a minimum.
“We live close by. Not even a mile away. Follow us there and we can get you clothes and food and anything else you need. Our aunt and uncle are so nice and will welcome you with open arms.”
Conall nodded. “I thank ye for the offer, milady, but I think it best to decline it, at least for now. If we come to your home, there will be questions and delays. We need to attend to our toilet, but we will wait here—if retrieving what we need will please you.”
“Okay,” said Jessica. “I understand. We can get you some clothes. Though I can’t guarantee they’ll fit properly.”
“There are some old clothes in that big white trunk in the hall closet,” offered Riley. “They look like riding or hunting clothes. Uncle Basil’s for sure. They may fit.”
“Thank you, Riley,” said Conall. “I am sure they will serve.” He turned again to Jessica. “If you and Riley would kindly retrieve soap, and maybe a razor—”
“And bring victuals,” added Meyler. “I’m starved!”
“And victuals,” added Conall. “Yes, that would be good.”
“You mean food? Yes, we can do that.”
“And one more thing,” said Conall. “Perhaps you could bring us weapons we may use to destroy this evil Thallach? Any sort will do, though swords would be best.”
“Yes, I think we can,” said Jessica, thinking of the swords mounted on the walls of the den.
“Excellent. In the meantime, the three of us will rest and adjust to our human bodies. I still feel weak and ungraceful. I trust that will pass, especially with refreshment.”
Jessica and Riley left the three boys near the bank of the creek, exercising their limbs and jumping up and down. They were clearly excited to be boys again. As she and Riley walked back across the pasture toward home, Jessica turned to Riley. “We’ll get up before Meeda and Gerald arrive,” she said. “We’ll let Aunt Noreen see us up. I’ll tell her I’m making a picnic and we’ll head out early.”
“What about the swords?” asked Riley.
Riley shook his head. “Yeah, we just tell them we gave them to talking trees. Sure. They’ll buy it.”
Twenty-Nine
Jessica changed into her night clothes, but instead of getting into bed, she sat at the window bench and tried to write a poem. She felt the urge to express the swirl of emotions she felt over the evening’s amazing events. She closed her eyes and tried to examine what it was she was experiencing. The words that came to mind were unburdened and rewarded. But boy, those were not going to be easy to rhyme. She struggled with the poem for a while, but in the end, she just recorded her feelings in her journal. Then she read over it a couple of times.
“Oh, thank God that elixir worked,” she whispered. Finally. She did something right.
Excitement stirred again in her belly. She just couldn’t believe it. They had brought back to life three people. Three real, actual, living people with names and identities. She allowed all the emotions to well up—relief, pride, excitement. She cherished the way they made her feel.
“But now what?” she wondered. “What will happen?”
She wanted to go back to the forest right away with clothes and food. She wanted to sit with the boys and learn about life from two hundred years ago. But it was late, and she was exhausted. She would be up early to take care of her new friends first thing. So she laid her head back on the pillow and closed her eyes.
That night, Jessica slept lightly and was awake the next morning before the sun came up. Aunt Noreen heard the noise and wandered into the kitchen holding a fragrant cup of tea. Jessica explained they were going on a long walk and wanted a picnic for lunch, and politely declined when Aunt Noreen offered to help her get it together.
“You’ve got to get ready for work, Aunt Noreen. I’ll be fine doing it myself.”
She left the packed basket near the front door and ran upstairs to rouse Riley, but she found him brushing his teeth in the hall bathroom.
“Aunt Noreen will be leaving for work in a few minutes,” she said. “I haven’t seen Uncle Basil yet. I think he’s still getting ready.”
Riley took a last look at himself in the mirror. “Well, I’m ready to go.”
“We have to grab those swords off the den wall. How can we do it?”
“Wrap ’em in a blanket, I guess.”
“But if they see us carrying the blanket?”
Riley shrugged. “We’re busted.”
“Well, let’s check out Uncle Basil’s old clothes.”
They went to the white trunk in the hall and sorted through old trousers and button-up shirts. They even found several pairs of worn but serviceable boots.
“I remember Uncle Basil used to hunt a lot,” mused Jessica. “Before he messed up his knee.”
“Good. Then he won’t miss this stuff.”
Jessica glanced out a window overlooking the driveway. Fortunately, there was no car yet. They had to get out the door before Gerald and Meeda arrived, or things would get more difficult.
“We’ve gotta get moving. Gerald will want to know what we’re up to.”
They wadded up the clothes and tiptoed down the steps. In the den, there were two swords on the wall and another one was mounted in the hall. They took them down and bundled them in a blanket, made it to the picnic basket by the door without incident, and shot off across the back pasture.
The first brilliant beams of sunlight illuminated beads of dew suspended by the grass. It was a beautiful touch, but Jessica was not inspired to write a poem about it. She was too busy going over their list of items in her head. She wanted to make sure they hadn’t forgotten anything they would need.
“I think we got everything,” she mumbled.
“Oops! We forgot soap.”
“No, silly. I stuck a bar in my bag.”
“Scissors and a razor?”
“Yep.” Jessica tapped her pocket. “And a comb.”
They made their way up the creek and found the boys sitting on the bank, leaning back against trees with their legs pulled up close to their chest. All were shivering. Their tattered remnants of clothing offered little protection from the early morning chill.
“Hark! Our succor arrives!” announced Laughlin.
“Aye,” said Conall. “With clothing, I see. It’s been a long, cold night.”
All three brothers stood up and bowed.
In the early morning light, Jessica could see more details of the brothers’ bodies. She blushed, set down the bundles she carried, and turned away.
“Please, guys, take the bar of soap and clean up in the stream. And try on the clothes.”
“We offend the lady,” said Conall to his brothers. “Though the chilly waters of this stream do not appeal, we must cleanse ourselves and clothe our nakedness.”
Soon, she heard the boys splashing in the stream. “How are you guys feeling?” she asked, still looking away.
“Our life begins anew,” cried Conall. “We are men again and feel wonderful.”
“Yes, we are men again, but we are chilled men,” added Laughlin.
“It’s a grand thing to be able to move and splash in the water,” added Meyler.
Jessica noticed Riley watching the boys and smiling a little.
About to turn around, Jessica stopped herself. Should she? There was a natural urge to watch—with all the splashing, talking, and laughing going on so near her—yet she knew they were naked. And there was Riley to consider. What would he think if she were openly gawking at naked boys? What was considered proper two hundred years in the past?
What the hell! Unable to resist, she turned around. Now in the growing light, she could see them in their full glory. They didn’t seem the least bit bashful. They’re from a different time. She laughed at the sight of them frolicking naked in the cold water, full of glee and life. They were boys once again. Their skin was pale and glistened in the morning light. The two younger boys played in the water, while Conall was unto himself, splashing water over his shoulders, bent at the waist. She could only see the side of his body. He was lean and muscular.
He caught her eye and held it from the distance, water dripping from his hair. She was careful not to let her gaze drop from his face, but from the periphery, she noticed his hip and right buttock. Her cheeks warmed with crimson, yet she felt a calm confidence in looking at him fully. He slowly turned and faced her. She turned her back to him.
“Use the soap to lather up your hair,” she suggested, calling over her shoulder. “Then we can help you cut it.”
Soon, the three freshly washed brothers were standing naked on the bank.
“Do I smell food?” asked Meyler.
“You do indeed,” replied Jessica, casting him a quick glance before looking away.
While Jessica busied herself with the food and grooming utensils, sneaking a peek now and then, Riley had helped them dress in what, to them, was strange apparel. Buttons were familiar, but they had never seen zippers and they had to be shown how they worked.
Conall and Laughlin were similar in size to Uncle Basil, and the outfits they brought suited them well. But Meyler was thinner and shorter than his older brothers, so Uncle Basil’s clothes looked a little baggy on him. At least they stayed put.
The shoes weren’t much different. Uncle Basil’s old hunting boots fit Conall and Laughlin just fine, but Meyler’s feet were too small for the boots to be comfortable. Riley sheepishly pulled out a pair of old sneakers from one of the bags.
“I thought those boots might be too big for you,” he said to Meyler, “so I brought you a pair of my sneakers.”
Riley showed him how to lace them up and Meyler took a few steps in them, nodding enthusiastically. “They’re so comfortable,” he said.
“Yeah, I bet you’ve never worn sneakers before,” mused Riley.
“Never even knew of them.”
“It is so clever the way these s
hoes are designed,” said Laughlin, admiring his boots. “The tips are slightly curved to specifically accommodate left or right feet.”
“I feel slightly encumbered to be in clothes again,” said Conall as he zipped up his fly. “But they will serve.” He squatted up and down, getting the feel of his new trousers.
“This is really soft fabric,” said Laughlin as he slid a polo shirt over his head.
“Ah-dee-das,” said Conall, reading the logo on the front of Laughlin’s shirt. “Is that the name of the owner?”
“Adidas,” Riley corrected his pronunciation. “They make the shirt.”
“I see,” said Laughlin. “The tailor.”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Are these types of garments typical of this day?” asked Conall, feeling the fabric of Uncle Basil’s camouflage hunting shirt.
“Well,” said Riley, “some of these are hunting clothes. But yeah, they’re pretty typical.”
Jessica stepped back and looked over the newly clothed boys. “You three look fine wearing clothes.”
Conall particularly filled out his new clothing. He was the tallest of the three. With broad shoulders and a muscular chest, his shirt was pulled taut. Dark blond hair reached his shoulders, and his shirt brought out the gold in his hazel eyes. His eyebrows arched and moved with expression as he spoke. Jessica supposed it would be easy to read his face. He had not bothered to button the top button on his shirt, and his chest was open as he faced Jessica, hands casually at his hips.
“I think you could have taken a larger size,” she observed.
Jessica thought Conall quite handsome, and she imagined him standing dominion before the stone hearth of his manor house years and years ago. She imagined herself there with him. The thought of that felt odd to her, yet pleasant.
“These garments may not fit perfectly, but I prefer them over bark,” quipped Meyler.
“We’ll secure better clothing later,” said Conall. “But for now, these will serve admirably.” He bowed. “Once again, I thank both of you for your kindness.” Jessica blushed at his open smile. She savored the warm feeling.