by Alan Fisher
Fionn raised his head towards the high king, waiting for a reply.
“By all means.”
Fionn then rose to his feet to address Cormac in full.
“If you recall, my lord, I recently used several of your fay traps to try capture a specific leprechaun by the name Ena. I only know its name because he has bragged to anyone unfortunate enough to cross its path that he's the 'frequenter of Fionn Mac Cumhail's dreams.' Indeed, for reasons unknown to me this creature does enter my dreams quite regularly, torturing my nights by killing me as I sleep. As you can imagine it's quite unsettling to be slayed over and over, reliving the same nightmare. So, I began to reach out to locals, to see if anyone had ever encountered such a sprite. Fortunately, we got confirmation of a sighting which occurred near the great Forrest several weeks back and I carefully laid out your traps beside any possible Fairy Mounds we could find in the hope of catching Ena.
“When we set the traps, they disappeared as expected, vanishing from the naked eye until they detect any magical element. When we went back the next day, one trap had sprung, it caught something and although we can't be completely sure, I'm confident it was Ena. However, the cage door was pried opened, someone had freed the creature and only last night I learned the identity of this individual, despite Ena's best efforts to keep it a secret. The boy has been sent into hiding and a spell was cast to wipe away the memory of him from his parent’s minds.
“This spell failed and I've taken his parents as bait. I suspect Ena will try to free them and that will be his downfall. With your permission, my High King, I would like to once again use your fay traps. We can set a snare by securing every single inch around the dungeon, castle, and city. If you agree, you can surely take this leprechaun as your own prisoner once we capture him.”
Cormac listened intently to Fionn’s story and took a moment before responding.
“I've never heard of a sprite so brazen, to be killed in one's dreams, that is something. I give you my blessing, Fionn, set your traps, also, if you can bring me this leprechaun then I offer an exchange. I will grant you the hand of my daughter, Grainne. She will be your wife. Do we have an agreement?”
Fionn had wondered if this day would ever come, he smiled as he replied.
“Grainne is as fair as Cliodhna herself, and I'd be honored to take her as my bride. As our two families join I'm sure Ireland's future will shine bright for many generations to come.”
Cormac returned with a nod.
“Indeed, she may have the same beauty as the Banshee Queen, although you might also find she shares a similar temperament. It's for this reason I betroth her to you, who better than the wisest man in Ireland to try to understand the workings of her complicated mind.”
Fionn’s smile widened.
“I look forward to the challenge. If it pleases the High King, I'd be honored to join you for dinner this evening, perhaps we could share a few barrels in celebration?”
Cormac stood from his chair and walked toward Fionn, gripping him on both shoulders.
“I look forward to it.” They both turned and started walking towards the hall entrance.
Cormac had swung one arm around Fionn’s shoulders and continued chatting. “Did I ever tell you how I actually came across so many fay traps, there's a story for tonight...”
The Timpan - Part I
“R
ight, everything is done. Those fiddles no longer sound like piercing banshees and you'll find more scales on those harps than any Merrow. It's time for you to hold up your end of the bargain.” Ena stood in the middle of the workshop pointing towards the many instruments floating in the air.
Una sat at the work table in the drum corner pouring tea for herself from a small green pot. She didn't reply; she simply grinned slightly. Mischief was not really her thing but she did take a little pleasure in watching her older brother beg.
“What about that one over there?” She pointed to an old Timpan gathering dust against a bookshelf in a far corner of the room.
Ena shrugged his shoulders and pointed to the Timpan. “That old thing, that's not for anyone. Why would I do that?”
Una stood and walked past Ena sipping her tea. “Well, you said you'd do them all.”
“Okay, so, if I rework that rickety old Timpan will you come with me then?”
“Sure, why not, night.” She continued walking out of the workshop and down to her bedroom.
After she left, Ena made his way over to the Timpan. He picked it up and blew dust into the air. “How old is this thing?” he wondered as he put it on a nearby work table.
The next morning Una opened her bedroom door to find Ena head down at the table still grinding away.
“Are you still working?” she asked.
He sat facing Una, who had now made her way back into the workshop. She noticed his eyes were a little blood shot as he spoke.
“Where did this thing come from anyway, was it Father's? It must have been, when I realized that I wanted to do a good job.” Ena drank the rest of his tea, then picked the Timpan off the table and started pointing at the work he'd done.
“I replaced all the fittings and put a new fingerboard on it, then I noticed a crack along the bridge here which needed fixing too. Then, I put a new ground coat on before varnishing it with this four-leaf clover oil I made a while back. For the final touch, I took one of Father's old bows and restored that too. Now she plays like a beauty. Here, listen...”
He stood away from the table and picked up the bow. Smiling over at Una he began playing a nice slow melody. She felt her eyes water and a tear suddenly trickle down her cheek. She listened intently, reminded of her childhood. When Ena finished she spoke.
“This Tara place, when do you think we should go?”
Ena gently put the Timpan and bow into a leather case he had crafted, then slapped his hands together smiling from ear to ear.
“Ah, Una, you'll love it. I was there last week and I heard this old woman talking about the festival of Lu which starts tomorrow. Apparently, each year on the first day of August these Giants pay tribute to Lu, he's their Sun God or Air God or I don't know. Anyway, it's a massive party hosted by the Giant King. There'll be music, dancing and most importantly a feast. That’s what I'm most excited about, I want to try all their food. Will we go?”
“Sure, let's go tomorrow.” Una grabbed a seat and poured a cup of tea, bracing herself for a full day of commentary about what was to be expected on their trip.
The next morning, they both got up early and packed a few things for the adventure ahead. Once they were both ready they locked the front door and made their way onto the market. Vendors were starting to set up for the day so Ena hurried Una along.
“Quick, we need to get a move on, I found a really easy gateway we can use by the rock face nearest to Finnegus’s whiskey shop. If he sees you coming along he'll have a million and one questions. You know him.”
“Maybe he'd like to come along too?” Una suggested
Ena rolled his eyes. “Imagine, he'd have half of Tara drunk before lunchtime. Anyway, I'm sure he's still snoring away his hangover somewhere.
As they approached the gateway, Una grabbed Ena's hand and stopped him. “You know I've never left home before right. After what happened to Mother and Father I've always been a little...” She paused before continuing. “Fearful about leaving Foye.”
She turned and looked across the market. Familiar faces rushed around setting up their stalls, pushing carts of bits and bobs around, while some simply joked and laughed about something or other from the night before. In the background, the Mag Mell waterfall flowed down against the Foye walls giving remarkable life and color to an otherwise dark cave deep in a mountain. It all brought a smile to her face; she stood taking everything in before turning back to Ena.
“Ok, let's go,” she whispered.
Ena led the way still holding his sister's hand. They stepped through the wall and made their way to the Red Hill next to Tara.
“What a view, I can see the ocean in the distance and look at all those cone-shaped things.” Una stared out from the cave entrance at Tara and the surrounding views.
Ena walked up beside her and pointed at the many cone-shaped buildings in the distance. “Those are Round Houses, that's where the Giants live. So many of them and they all lead towards the big stone castle at the center. That's called the Hill of Kings, were the High King of the Giants, Art Mac Cuinn sits. Next to his keep is a massive hall, can you see the real big cone in the middle?”
Una looked along Ena's outstretched hand to find the building he was talking about.
“I see it, I see it.”
“I think that's were the main part of the festival will be, let's make our way there and take a look.” Ena once again took his sister’s hand and they both leisurely made their way down the hill towards Tara. As they approached the bottom, they noticed crowds of people screaming and shouting around an open field next to the city.
“Look over there, what are they doing?” Una said turning to her brother who was busy shuffling around on the tips of his feet trying to get a better angle from which to look over the crowd.
“I have no idea,” Ena replied.
The gates to the city were wide open and people flowed in and out spectating at a variety of tournaments going on all over Tara. It was the Lunasa games, a greatly anticipated event each year on the morning of the festival where participants showcased their athletic prowess against rivals from other clans. The strongest tribe members would be selected to fiercely compete in a series of tournaments such as hurling, running, wrestling, spear throwing and many more, each gripping the attention and imagination of the thousands of spectators gathered to cheer on their heroes.
Ena and Una found a great spot looking down over the field from the Red Hill. They sat for a while trying to make sense of the chaos unfolding before them as competitor screams and shouts rang out across the countryside, quickly followed by the roars of approval or dissent from spectators. Fascinated, they both sat for hours pointing out the games and participants to one another, attempting to figure out the rules involved in the various competitions. That is of course until Ena noticed several people coming through the city gates eating food.
“Look over there, it looks like they're carrying something out from the city. They're eating, I'm very hungry now, let’s take a closer look.”
Una's stomach was feeling a little light also, so they both made their way closer to the city. As they walked Ena turned and cautioned his sister.
“Once we're inside we need to keep out of sight, follow my lead until you feel comfortable moving around on your own. I'm a little afraid to transport directly into the city because I've no idea what's happening there, we could appear right before the king. I know an easy way over the wall though, let's go there.”
Ena had made this journey several times before and led Una to an unmanned part of the wall. With surprising grace, they quickly scaled the garrison and landed on a side road within the city away from all the festival activities. They then followed the road along the city wall away from the main entrance and the thousands of revelers flowing in and out. Eventually they found their way to the rear of the Hill of Kings.
“We're behind the main castle now,” Ena said pointing up the hill towards the large stone structure. “From here we can make our way through the castle and out into the main hall.”
Ena guided his sister quietly up the wall. Through a stone window frame, they entered a bed chamber, jumping onto or crawling under presses, wardrobes, tables or any other objects they could use to conceal themselves from those in the castle. Skirting along softly they made their way down through the main pantry and out into the kitchen, all the while whispering to one another regarding the various tools and objects these Giants had laying around.
“Let's make our way over to the hall.” Ena pointed to a doorway leading to the courtyard. They were adjacent to the great hall and were about to make their way over when the King, Art Mac Cuinn emerged. He wore a green knee-length tunic with a leather belt around his waist and light linen trousers. He marched into the center of the doorway blustering at anyone around him.
“Bring the boy! We leave for the hall forthwith,” he said sternly, referring to his son, Cormac, just 5 years old who was being hurried along by his mother. She dressed him in the very same clothes and he emerged from another room clawing at the itchy fabric around his neck. He sauntered over to his father and stomped to attention, looked up and smiled. Art fought back his grin and ushered the boy to march by his side across the courtyard over to the hall where hundreds of noble followers waited patiently for their high king.
“Who is that?” Una asked.
“That's the king. Let's follow them over.” Ena directed his sister and timed their exit through the doorway perfectly to avoid being spotted. They watched from across the yard as Art and his son entered the hall to a loud roar. Ena's eyes widened; he looked up along the vast hall roof and noticed smoke seeping through the thatched summit. He quickly grabbed his sister's hand and in an instant, they now stood on top of the great hall. Ena started digging his hands into the straw and pushing in opposite directions, splitting a small hole for them to crawl through.
Una realized her brother's intention and jumped down onto a support beam. The rising smoke blocked any rays from the sun that might have otherwise alerted someone below to their presence. Once through, Ena pulled the straw back together and closed the hole.
They both stood silent, staring down into this grand room, the largest either of them had ever seen, far greater than the Foye market. It seemed to have two entrances, one through which the king came in and another where others living in the city could enter. In the middle of the hall was a large fire around which a wide variety of meat and fish were skewered and stuck into the ground. They dangled close to the spitting flames which slowly charred the meat and filled the room with a tasty aroma. Several tables were being used to surround the fire. Each one offered attendees a different selection of food including wheat grain bread, colorful berries and apples, wild mushrooms, even a freshly cooked boar which was being chopped and handed out, as well as small buckets of mussels and other shell fish which were taken from the large cauldron bubbling over the fire. Large barrels of ale were stacked high against the wall and guests could fill their cups as they pleased. Fianna guards stood vigilant all around the hall as the king sat on his wooden throne set on a slightly elevated stage. One arm was wrapped around his son who sat on his lap, while the other held a hollowed out drinking horn which was steadily being topped up with ale.
The king's arrival marked the beginning of the wrestling tournament, whereby a large area of the hall in front of Art was cleared and competitors challenged one another. Tribal disputes could be resolved this way and matches grasped the attention of everyone in the hall.
Una gazed down, caught up in the buzz and excitement. Just as the first match began, she turned to her brother. He was already busy stuffing his face and gulping ale from a cup half his body size. He hadn't wasted a moment, one sniff of the crispy pork barbecuing by the fire and he was away, jumping around the room gathering any food and drink he could get his hands on, teleporting himself back to the support beam. A pile began to build so Una started to help herself also. She wrapped both hands around this large cup and sipped some ale; it took all her might just to lift it to her lips. After a second gulp, she burped softly which made her laugh.
Once again, she looked back down into the hall trying to spot Ena when she noticed a small figure, a boy, perhaps thirteen or fourteen years old dressed in a tattered old sleeveless tunic scavenging barefoot for scraps discarded on tables or in a large trough being used as a bin. She wondered why he needed to forage for left overs when there was so much food to go around. Just then a Fianna guard also spotted the boy and marched over pushing him to the ground with the sole of his boot. Una gasped, her mind suddenly opened and for the first ti
me she could hear the boy's thoughts, so vivid and anguished.
“No, please don't hurt me, I just wanted some food.”
The guard took a hold of the boy's neck and dragged him from the hall, throwing him out into the street. He quickly scrambled to his feet and ran off, passers-by cared little for his misfortune. Una checked around for Ena who was still busy sneaking about the hall; she was a little reluctant to go off alone but sympathized with the boy. Mustering her courage, she grabbed some bread and meat from the pile, then climbed back through the straw ceiling. The lad was still fleeing down a dusty street, so she swiftly hopped from rooftop to rooftop chasing after him. As she raced along Una noticed a white throw hanging down over a doorway. Swiping it straight off its hinges she tied all the food in a parcel and jumped back onto another rooftop. She moved so effortlessly it wasn't long before she caught up with the boy.
He finally stopped once he reached a narrow walkway, breathing heavily he leaned over and grabbed his legs. After catching his breath, he then looked around in both directions before quietly climbing down into a ditch that ran along one of the nearby buildings. Una peaked her head out from above and watched as he moved away branches and other foliage, digging deep under the roundhouse foundations. He seemed to be living there. Just as his back turned, the white parcel dropped behind him. Upon hearing the thud, the boy quickly fell to the ground and turned to find only a white parcel sitting right beside the ditch. He looked around again, yet no one greeted him, Una was gone. His eyes tensed and squinted for a moment before pulling it down under the building. When he saw it was meat and bread he wondered who could possibly be so generous. Wasting no time, he covered over the small entrance with leafy branches and started to fill his stomach with some well-needed nourishment.
Una had made her way back to the great hall where Ena was still busy stuffing his face.
“Where did you get off to?” he mumbled through a mouthful of berries. Red and black juices were dribbling down his chin as he grinned.