by John Lenahan
A day into the Hazellands I could go on no longer. Spideog decided we were not being followed. He caught a rabbit and risked a small fire.
‘Do you have enough energy to tell me what has happened to you since we parted?’
I had dreaded that question. The Fili chanting had not only helped me endure the cold, it had also stopped me from remembering how badly I had failed and how many friends I had lost.
‘Brendan is dead,’ I blurted, hoping that if I said it fast it wouldn’t hurt so much.
The archer gave a deep sigh that was the only grieving he allowed himself. ‘And the rest?’ he asked.
‘Araf is dead too, along with a Pooka prince who was our guide. Essa left for the Hazellands, I don’t know if she made it or not. Turlow betrayed us.’
‘I gathered that from what Cialtie said.’
‘You heard our whole conversation?’
‘Most of it,’ he said. ‘I had already cut a slit in the back of the tent when your uncle came in. If I had had a bow, he would be dead now.’
‘So the yews didn’t give you a bow?’
‘The yews do not give bows, Conor, the yews give wood for a bow – if they find you worthy.’ To answer my question he held out the staff he was holding – it was of course yew wood.
‘So the yews told you that you were worthy, eh? I could have told you that.’
‘They also told me something else. They say that someone has killed one of them.’
‘But I always thought a yew could kill anybody before they could chop one down.’
‘That is how it has always been.’
‘Then who did it?’
‘I do not know, nor do I know what this means, but I do know that it does not bode well.’
I asked Spideog if I could have his knife to cut some roast rabbit and he asked, ‘Did I not see you take a knife from that Brownie in the corral?’
‘I did but then I gave it back to him,’ I replied.
‘Why in The Land would you do that?’
So I told him the story about how I had first met Frank and how I had given the worried Jesse the knife that had been thrown at us on Mount Cas.
That sat the old guy up. ‘What did you say?’
‘You know – the knife with the message that was thrown at Brendan when we were up at the mountain.’
He shook his head. He looked confused and very concerned.
‘Oh yeah, I forgot, you were a bit out of it when it happened and you were gone when I found the knife.’ So I told him the whole story about finding the message in the sheath of the knife, which then led us to the Pinelands. I wanted to get some rest but he insisted I tell him everything in detail, especially describing the knife.
‘It was a gold-tipped throwing knife with a green glass handle with a spiral of gold embedded in it. It was almost identical to the one that Queen Rhiannon gave me.’
Spideog was on his feet now. ‘Where did Rhiannon get her knife?’
‘Ah …’ I said, not knowing what could possibly have gotten the old guy so worked up. ‘She said my grandfather Liam gave it to her.’
‘We must go now,’ Spideog said, kicking out the fire and knocking my half-eaten rabbit into the dirt.
‘What? I thought you said we are safe for a bit.’
‘You have had your bit – we leave now.’ He picked up his yew staff and jumped on his horse before I even stood up.
I struggled onto my horse. It took some hard riding but I finally caught up with him. That didn’t mean he was answering any questions. Whatever I had said that was making him ride at that break-neck speed was not up for discussion. I mumbled back in to my McMantra, clamped my thighs to my poor frightened, overworked mount and zoomed into the remainder of the afternoon.
As the sun got low in the sky I started recognising landmarks – we were at the outskirts of the Hall of Knowledge. Every bone in my body screamed for rest and every cell of my skin yelled for a bath, but I also dreaded arriving and having to tell the Imps that their prince was dead. I thought about how Essa would take it and then it hit me that I wasn’t sure if she had even made it out of the Alderlands. I kicked my poor horse and bent my back into the wind.
At dusk, Spideog dropped in next to me, grabbed my horse’s mane and gestured for me not to speak. We dismounted but were spotted by a group of riders in the distance. Spideog looked around for options, cursed under his breath and braced himself for what was to come. We were definitely under-armed. The old guy handed me a throwing blade and held his yew staff in readiness for a fight. I knew that the knife wasn’t going to save me from being killed but at least I would be able to take one down with me.
As they drew closer Spideog she Ha with relief and then waved. I recognised one of them, a Leprechaun from a training session in the Hall of Knowledge. Fortunately they recognised us as well.
‘Did Essa return safely?’ I asked, waving away all of the saluting and bowing. This question confused the senior officer.
‘I do not think so,’ he said.
‘She never returned from the Alderlands?’
‘Oh yes, ages ago. I thought you meant now.’
‘Where is she now?’
‘She should be a league east of here.’
‘Is Turlow with her?’
Confusion once again crossed the Leprechaun’s face. ‘We are seeking The Turlow.’
‘Explain,’ Spideog commanded.
‘A pair of Brownie swiftriders arrived this morning, waited outside our embattlements and demanded a parley with The Turlow. Turlow wanted to go alone but Dahy insisted he bring a guard. When they met the swiftriders at the bottom of the windward knoll, the guard was killed and The Turlow was taken.’
Spideog and I exchanged knowing looks. ‘Are you in contact with Essa?’
‘I have a whistle but it is only to be used in an emergency.’
‘This is that emergency, soldier,’ Spideog said. ‘Blow it.’
Ten minutes later we heard the thundering hooves of a company in full gallop. Essa saw me and dismounted without even slowing her horse. She hugged me while still at a run and almost knocked me over.
‘I thought you were dead.’
I allowed myself a momentary return hug before I told her my grim news.
Essa spoke before I could say anything. ‘The Brownies have taken Turlow.’
‘No, Essa, they haven’t.’
‘What do you mean they haven’t? I saw them.’ She looked around. ‘Where is Araf?’
Which question should I answer first? Neither was good news. ‘Turlow hasn’t been taken – he has escaped. The Brownies knew that I was coming and they rode here to warn him.’
Essa threw her shoulders back. ‘Warn him of what? Where is Araf? Where are Brendan and Tuan?’
‘Dead,’ I said bluntly, there was no other way. ‘Turlow betrayed us.’
‘You lie.’ Her eyes blazed.
‘No, I don’t. Turlow is working with Cialtie. Because of his treachery Araf, Brendan and Tuan are dead. I barely escaped with my life.’
‘That’s not true.’
‘It is true, Princess,’ Spideog said.
Essa turned to the archer as if she had only just noticed he was there. ‘What do you know, you crazy old hermit! You’ve spent the last hundred years dusting baticks.’ Then she turned on me. ‘You never liked him. You’re jealous, you’re making this up.’
‘I’m not, Essa. Use your Owith glass if you don’t believe me.’
She looked like I had just slapped her in the face. She pressed her hand to her chest on top of the place where her truth-seeking glass hung from a gold chain. ‘I will not go about interrogating people with the Owith glass.’
Spideog stepped up to her and took her by the shoulders; for a moment I thought she was going to squirm away and for another second I thought he was going to slap her. ‘Use the glass, Princess. We are at war – we must be certain. Use the glass on us, as you should have used it on him.’
She looked at me.
For a nanosecond she was just a girl with pleading eyes wishing me to say it wasn’t so. She bowed her head and removed the finger-sized crystal from around her neck. As tears welled up in her eyes she asked, ‘Did Turlow betray … me?’
‘He did, Princess,’ Spideog replied.
‘He betrayed us all,’ I said.
The crystal remained clear. Essa turned and secretly wiped her eyes as she placed the crystal back around her neck. Then she got back on her horse, raised her chin high and shouted to her company, ‘Mount up! We must return to the Hall of Knowledge. Prince Conor and Master Spideog bring news and it means – war.’
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Ribbons of Gold
My return to the Hall of Knowledge was not the triumphant one I had imagined when I left. News of Araf’s death swept through the camp. The usually taciturn Imps jabbered among themselves and often broke down into mournful cries. Yogi ran up to me and asked about Tuan. When I shook my head, he threw his own back and turned into the bear. His cry transformed into a roar. It was frightening and heartbreaking. I reached to comfort him but he growled and swung at me. Even so I tried again and this time he let me hug him. He shrank in my arms and I was left with this strongest of men crying on my shoulder.
‘Where’s Mom?’ I asked Nieve, who was the only one in the headquarters tent.
‘She has returned to Castle Duir.’
‘How is my father?’
‘Oisin lives but I fear not for long.’
Nieve waited for me to say more; when I didn’t, she asked a one word question, ‘Brendan?’
Oh gods, I thought, I had forgotten that there was something going on between those two. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said.
She dropped her chin and allowed herself one deep sigh then said, ‘Dahy has called for a war council in half an hour. You should freshen up.’ Before she left she held my face in her hands and then kissed my forehead. ‘I am very glad you are safe,’ she said.
There was hot water, so I washed up a bit and found some clothes. By the time I got to the meeting everyone was there. Dahy looked up and said, ‘I’m glad you could make it, Prince Conor.’ I couldn’t figure out if he was being sarcastic or not so I just bowed and found a place to sit.
‘I believe the attack will come as soon as Cialtie’s forces arrive. This is good. It means that tomorrow’s battle will only be half of the day.’
‘Cialtie’s attacking tomorrow?’ I blurted.
‘If we are lucky tomorrow’s attack will not be until the afternoon or late morning at the worst.’
‘When did we find that out?’
‘We, meaning everyone here, found out fifteen minutes ago when they arrived at the war council – on time,’ Dahy said, laying to rest my doubt over whether his greeting had been sarcastic or not. ‘We must assume the attack is imminent. With your escape, Cialtie knows that surprise is no longer on his side. He will attack swiftly before we can call for reinforcements. Our Pooka hawk scout has just confirmed my suspicion. The Brownie and Banshee army is less than a day’s march away.’
A day, I said to myself, I was hoping to join the contingent that rode to Castle Duir for reinforcements. I was hoping to see Dad before it was too late. Now, looking around the faces in the room, I knew I couldn’t leave. Tomorrow we make a stand and the only thing that I could hope for was to survive the day.
‘As you all must have heard by now The Turlow has betrayed us,’ Dahy said without emotion. I looked to Essa. Other than her jaw clenching, she too showed nothing. ‘That means the enemy knows our strengths and our weaknesses. We can put this to good use. We have erected stone ramparts on three sides of the Hall but the western ridge above the valley, as you know, is undefended. This is where the main attack will come. Turlow will be certain that there is no way to defend the hill from a frontal assault – tonight we will prove him wrong.’
I turned to Yogi, who was next to me. ‘What is he talking about?’ I asked but the Pooka shushed me.
‘Archers, go with Master Spideog to the battlements – the rest of you grab a shovel and come with me.’
Any thought of spending my last night resting and reminiscing about the shortness of my life were dashed when I got to the hill. This was going to be a big job. Using swords, long strips of turf were carefully cut from the ground and then five shallow trenches were dug the length of the entire hill.
Five impromptu gold forges were set up on the summit. Leprechaun goldsmiths minted and hammered long strips of thick gold ribbons that were then laid into the trenches. Essa, Nieve and a handful of Imp and Leprechaun sorceresses spent most of the night kneeling and incanting their mumbo-jumbo over the gold. Then the turf was carefully replaced.
It was only a couple of hours before dawn by the time we were finished. I saw Essa almost swo when she placed a spell over the last of the strips of gold. I ran to her and placed her arm around my neck and walked her back to her tent. She was almost unconscious when I laid her down, but before I could go she said, ‘Stay.’ I held her as she instantly dropped off into a heavy sleep. I was glad she asked me to stay; if I was to die tomorrow she was the one with whom I wanted to spend my last hours.
As I held Essa I slid seamlessly into a dream. Her tent faded away and we were lying in front of the fireplace back in my house in the Real World. I knew at once that this was just a dream and not a prediction. I never had the courage to ask Essa how old she was but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that she had like fifty years on her. Although that makes you a youngster around here, I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate a couple of decades worth of wrinkles just for a tour of my old high school in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Shame, I’d love to show her around where I grew up. I have no idea what she would make of the Real World – it would be fun to find out.
Saying that, as I watched the fire dance in the fireplace of my old living room, I realised that I would never in reality see that sight again. I would never go back to my home. I lived in The Land now and if I made it through tomorrow’s battle, I knew I would only be taking one last trip to the Real World. That would be to tell Brendan’s mother and daughter how he had died. They probably wouldn’t believe me but it’s the least I could do.
Still in my dream, I was grabbed from above by the talons of a dragon. He zoomed me into the sky as the sun was setting and flew me to Castle Duir. Ah, the more accustomed I became with dreaming, the more my dreams became just like everyone else’s. There in my subconscious I acted out my heart’s desire. The dragon dropped me into my father’s room where he was sitting up, drinking a cup of tea (there seemed to be no ceilings in my dreams), and standing next to his bed were Tuan and Brendan, all fit and smiling. I reached for my fallen companions …
I awoke with the euphoria that for a microsecond follows a dream into wakefulness – before the realities of life crush it. My father and my friends were gone, and soon I would engage in a hopeless battle. I turned to Essa but she too was gone. It took all of my will to get out of that bed.
I expected everyone to be a hive of busyness but they weren’t – they were just sitting around waiting. Some were writing letters, others were polishing their swords or fussing with their bows. Morale was definitely not good.
Spideog spotted me having breakfast in the canteen. ‘You must speak to them.’
‘Speak to who?’
‘Your troops.’
‘There not my troops, they’re Dahy’s troops.’
‘Dahy is their general,’ the old archer said, ‘but you are their prince.’
‘Look, I told you before I don’t feel very comfortable with all of this royal stuff.’
Spideog scoffed, ‘Since when is your comfort an issue? You are what you are – and what you are is the royal heir to the Throne of Duir. These men and women need to know what they are fighting for and you must tell them.’
‘I don’t even know what we are fghting for.’
‘Well, you had better figure it out fast, Conor. Dahy is massing the troops now.’
Dahy was finishing up explaining the battle plan when I finally emerged from the canteen. It had occurred to me that none of these guys knew anything about the Real World and I thought about stealing a choice speech from history.
The first thing that came to mind was, ‘We have nothing to fear but fear itself.’ That might have been appropriate for Americans safe in their homes during the Great Depression but these guys did have something to fear – screaming Banshees.
I toyed with ‘We shall fight them on the beaches,’ but the beaches were miles away. And ‘Ich bin ein Tir na Nogier,’ would most certainly go way over their heads.
So as I walked to the front of the eager faces of the troops … my troops, I still didn’t know what I was going to say.
‘Friends, Tir na Nogians, countrymen, lend me your ears.’ I instinctively looked around for someone to get the joke but the only two who could, Brendan and Dad, were not there. I paused and looked at the eager faces waiting for me to orate some great wisdom but all I could think of were the people that weren’t there.
‘I have only been here a short while,’ I said quietly.
Someone shouted, ‘Speak up.’
I cleared my throat. ‘I have only been here a short while but during that time I have lost much: my cousin, my friends, and as I speak my father lies dying in Castle Duir.’ I looked at the soldiers, they were all silently nodding. ‘I know I’m not the only one. You Imps and Pookas have lost your princes and we all know of the hardships that you Leprechauns suffered when Cialtie held the Oak Throne. It would be easy to say this battle was about revenge.’ A few cheers popped up in the crowd but I waved them quiet. ‘But my father once told me that revenge was a poisonous emotion. He said, if we must fight, we must fight because it is right.
‘This battle didn’t start today. Decades ago the same people who attack us now trashed the Hazellands. They wrecked the Hall of Knowledge and they destroyed everything in it. You know, I once had a teacher in high school – he was a real jerk but he did say one thing that has always stayed with me. He said, “History is not about what we did, it is about who we are.” By destroying the Hall of Knowledge, Cialtie and Turlow are not only trying to kill us, they are also trying to kill what we are as people. My mother, using Shadowmagic, has invented a way to get much of our history back from this place. We must hold the Hall of Knowledge. By holding the Hazellands long enough for reinforcements to come, we will not only be giving ourselves a chance to live tomorrow but we will be saving what we were – and are – we give ourselves a chance to be remembered. That is what immortality truly is.