The Iron Cursed

by J. M. Briggs

  “No answer,” Jenny said.

  “They may still be making the Gate, or hiking in and out of wherever they were,” Lance said. “Phones can end up at the bottom of bags pretty easily.”

  “I guess so.” She shook her head a little. “Let’s just head for Professor Yate’s house. That’s where they left from this morning. If nothing else we can sit on that iron furniture on the patio.”

  “Right.” Lance looked in the rearview mirror. “No signs of them following us.”

  “Hopefully the sun will keep them in that alley.” Jenny shivered on the seat next to him. “Blood protection in place and the spell broken, but they still attack us. What is it going to take to stop these things?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “God, I hope Alex is okay.” Jenny was holding the phone to her ear and nibbling nervously at her bottom lip. “Come on, Alex, pick up.”

  Something was wrong. He listened with one ear and kept his eyes on the road as Jenny tried calling the others. No one was answering. Turning off the main road, he steered his truck towards Merlin’s house. Sadly, when they pulled up, there were no familiar cars waiting for them.

  15

  King of Man

  464 B.C.E. Cashel, Ireland

  Clouds blocked out the sun and cast long shadows over the landscape as they came to the crest of the hill. Beneath Leugio his horse shifted and made a soft neighing sound that drew his attention for a moment. It was not enough to distract him from the fortified town less than a mile away. The town was built on a high hill of rock rising above the green plain. Leugio had never seen anything like it and remembered some of the strange stories he’d heard about how the massive stone pillar came to be there. A wooden wall surrounded the buildings, but from their vantage point Leugio could see some of the roundhouses.

  In some ways, it wasn’t too dissimilar from his home. The buildings were made of the same materials. There were workshops and animal pens. Beyond the wall he could make out the earthen walls of a few pastures and see the outline of the fields. It should have been familiar, but the way it stood above everything made him feel all too small.

  Nudging his horse forward, he followed his escort Bradan towards the town. They kept to the worn road and passed by the fields. Several farmers looked up at them with only mild curiosity before returning to their work. Overhead the clouds moved on and warm sunlight poured over his arms. It didn’t help against the nervous chill rolling up his spine. Leugio was struck with a sudden sense of having forgotten something and being unprepared.

  How did one talk to a king? Was there something special he was supposed to say or do? Did he have to wait for the king to speak first or was that rude? He eyed the fortifications again and wondered if an attack was likely while he was here. That was the way of things, as he understood them. The kings ruled over areas of fertile land and controlled trade, but occasionally they also sent out raiding parties in an attempt to add more land to their domain. It wasn’t a very good system, and it was just as well that his home village was in the heartland of the kingdom. He reached up and touched his brooch and tried to remember if his father had ever talked about meeting the king. The memories were too foggy and Leugio couldn’t shake anything useful loose.

  Holding back the desire to turn around and flee homeward, Leugio tried to relax. He didn’t have any luck with that, but either Bradan didn’t notice or he didn’t care. Either one was possible based on the man’s attitude over the last few days. Leugio’s fingers tightened around the reins of his horse and he shifted on the beast’s back. Scanning the horizon, Leugio noted several small hills, and he wondered if any of them were Sídhe mounds. It was a dark thought and he shivered.

  They passed through the gate in the wall, and Leugio eyed the guards who were watching him curiously. Armed with swords and spears, they were dressed in some sort of leather armor that had small metal areas and wore helmets. It was impressive, but it only made him think back to the Sídhe and that golden set of armor.

  The king’s house was larger than any other roundhouse Leugio had ever seen. It filled the landscape with its sloped layered grass roof, and somehow gleamed in the sunlight. Parts of it were dry stone, the fitted rocks making up the lower part of the house wall. Two men came over and took the reins of Bradan’s horse. He climbed down calmly and adjusted his cloak, looking expectantly at Leugio. Thankfully one of the men grabbed the reins of his horse and Leugio carefully eased himself off the beast. It made a sound that might have been relief and Leugio patted its neck in silent thanks.

  “Bradan, is there anything special that I need to do?” Leugio grabbed the bags hanging over the horse’s back. “Anything I should say to the king?”

  “No, nothing like that. Just be polite and answer any questions he has for you.”

  It wasn’t much in the way of advice, but Bradan gave him no time to mull it over. Instead, a firm hand was put on his shoulder and he was pushed into the roundhouse. Leugio braced himself. He’d heard about kings; heard about their power and all the forces they could send out. After the strangeness of the Sídhe mound, he wasn’t sure what to expect from this massive roundhouse. He regained his footing as he entered and straightened up, looking around nervously.

  In truth the roundhouse was laid out much the same as others; it was just a lot bigger. There was a massive hearth in the center of the house with a few chairs around it and an impressive set of pots hung over the flickering flames. Smoke wafted up through the hole in the center of the roof, giving the roundhouse only a slightly smoky scent and a warm atmosphere. The other major difference was all the people. There were at least a dozen people in the roundhouse with room for those following them in. Leugio tried to keep his eyes from scanning the whole room, fearing that it might be rude, but couldn’t help it.

  Parts of the roundhouse seemed very normal. Beds were tucked against one wall, there was a loom set up nearby and there were the small shelves for precious items. There was just more of everything. Old vases and bottles, bowls of beads, and finely carved items. Even the fact that there were just people waiting here in the middle of the day spoke of their affluence. Following Bradan towards the center of the roundhouse, Leugio let the warmth of the fire wash over his skin. It eased the cold nervousness a little.

  There was a large carved wooden chair on the far side of the fire. In it sat a large man with thick muscular arms and a graying brown beard full of golden beads. His hair was receding and almost completely gray but pulled back in a braid. He instantly looked at Leugio, and looked more surprised than anything, and a touch disappointed. Leugio suppressed a wave of hurt and anger. He was a shepherd who was a bit talented with music, not a warrior.

  “Welcome, young man,” Eochu Finn greeted. “So, you are the one who entered a Sídhe mound and returned. An impressive feat.” The large man leaned forward slightly in his chair, his fingers brushing over the hilt of a sword leaning against it. “Won’t you tell us the tale? I’ve already heard many interesting things.” His eyes took on an interested gleam that made Leugio’s stomach tightened. “Including that you have magic.”

  Leugio loved Keelia, he truly did, but right now he was regretting not swearing her to secrecy about the strange power he’d managed to wield. Swallowing, he glanced around the crowd, but there were no familiar faces. A young woman caught his eye. She was pretty, with long dark hair pulled back in a series of braids. Golden jewelry decorated her wrists and neck. Her intelligent brown eyes were sizing him up in a way that made him feel very dirty and unimpressive. Then she offered him a tiny supportive smile.

  “There is little to tell, sir,” Leugio started carefully. “I was in the pasture when a friend alerted me that my sister had gone missing. I returned home to speak with my mother when our dog came rushing up. Kent, uh, the dog, sir, was agitated and I followed him back to the Sídhe Mound.” He paused, uncertain as to how the next part would be taken.

  “Go on.”

  “There was a Síd outside the mound in
the shadows. I traded my cruit to it in exchange for information.” His statement caused some murmurs in the crowd, but no outbursts. “It was able to tell me the right path to take in order to reach where my sister was being held.”

  “And it was truthful?” Eochu Finn’s eyebrows shifted, shadowing his eyes, and his mouth tightened. There was something sharp in his gaze and Leugio was sure that there was a wrong way to answer.

  “On the surface it was,” he answered. “The directions did take me into the lower levels where my sister was.” The king’s look darkened and the murmurs grew louder. He was surrounded. Sweat gathered in his palms and his throat tightened. “But I can’t say for certain that it ever meant for me to escape,” he added urgently. “The location of my sister may have just aligned with where the most guards were.”

  Actually, that did make sense. Though Iúdás had been polite last time they met. Leugio decided against revealing that he’d been back to the mound to see the Síd. Eochu Finn’s eyebrows went up a touch and he looked more interested now. Leugio wasn’t relieved by that though; it actually made his gut turn slightly. There was too much happening here, too much that he didn’t understand. Iúdás had provided a few answers that led to even more questions.

  “But I was able to find my sister. Using my iron dagger, I fought a couple of the Sídhe before I found her.”

  “What of your magic?” someone in the crowd shouted. There were sounds of agreement and excitement, but Leugio kept his attention on Eochu Finn. The king did look curious.

  “When the Sídhe were closing in around myself and my sister, some strange power did surround me and forced them back,” Leugio explained carefully. Already people in the crowd were whispering amongst themselves. “But I was not able to control it: the magic reacted to me being in danger and to being in the territory of the Sídhe.” Licking his lips, he tried to find the right words, but there weren’t any. “I can’t really explain it, sir.”

  Eochu Finn leaned back in his chair and kept staring at him. “There are tales of mages from long ago who battled the Sídhe,” he said slowly. Leugio’s chest tightened at the words and he braced himself. “And there are a few tales of those who have rescued children from the them, but they are rare. Your achievement is unusual, to say the least.” The king’s expression darkened and his gaze shifted. “I worry though what it might mean for the future.”

  “I don’t understand,” Leugio admitted. “I only know that one of the Sídhe took my sister. I traded my cruit to one of them for information, and it thought that the Síd who took my sister was trying to impress someone. It told me the way to find Keelia, and once we defeated the guards it didn’t stand in our way. Beyond that, I have only the same understanding of the Sídhe as everyone else from those same stories.”

  His hands threatened to tremble. Everyone was staring at him. How was he supposed to react? What was he supposed to do? The king was watching him thoughtfully. Then the man sighed and shook his head.

  “That is not what I was hoping to hear,” Eochu Finn said. He straightened up in his chair. “But perhaps you know more than you realize. You have been into their accursed home and returned.” He tapped the arms of the chair. “And you are sure that your sister was not switched with a Changeling?”

  “Yes sir,” he answered quickly. The thought had never occurred to him, but then he remembered Keelia grabbing the iron dagger and using it to defend them. “Absolutely certain. She handled an iron dagger after I found her.”

  “Then I have need of you to confirm that another of our people is, in fact, one of us!” Eochu Finn bellowed. He raised one of his large hands and gestured at the door. “I have another suspected Changeling for you to evaluate!”

  Eyes widening, Leugio opened his mouth to protest, but his first words were lost in another roar from the crowd. In the corner of his eye, he saw the young woman he’d noticed earlier frown and spin around towards the doorway. Two men were striding inside with a small figure between them, bound by ropes.

  The girl was small and frail. Her brown eyes were bloodshot and wide with terror, yet there was an exhausted air of resignation about her. The simple tunic and pants all but hung off of her and Leugio could see scaring from some kind of attack on the exposed part of her arm. Swallowing, he stayed still and said nothing, not trusting his own voice.

  “This girl was found four days ago,” Eochu Finn said. He cast a dark look at the girl. She didn’t shrink back. There was only a soft whimper. “We believe she is a Changeling.”

  “Uh, have you tested her with iron?” Leugio asked. He glanced between the girl and Eochu Finn, his confusion building.

  “Yes, but she hasn’t fled from it. Perhaps some new immunity?”

  “The Sídhe I fought against were all weak to iron,” Leugio said carefully, keeping himself still. “Their bodies turned to dust after contact. My sister was even able to use it to keep them back as we left, just with the threat of attacking them with it. I don’t think they are immune to it. There was true worry in their eyes.”

  The king made a thoughtful noise and the young woman he’d noticed earlier stepped out of the crowd to move closer to them. Those around her stepped back to give her space and the guards near the king made no move to stop her. Leugio noted Bradan rushing forward to the king’s side, avoiding the child with a distasteful look on his face.

  Leugio’s eyes jumped back to the child. She looked terrified and struggled weakly against the guards like an animal trying to escape. It was all instinct. The young woman took a step towards her, a thunderous expression on her face, but a guard stopped her.

  “Father, she isn’t a Changeling,” the young woman insisted. She glanced his way and moved closer to Eochu Finn. Leugio blinked in surprise but quickly absorbed in the information. “Look at her injuries and scars! Something terrible did happen to the girl, but it is clear she has just been wandering on her own! Perhaps a raid on a distant village, or maybe an animal attack.”

  “The Sídhe are becoming bolder,” Eochu Finn said. “We cannot dismiss the threat of them putting a Changeling in our midst. That attack easily could have been the Sídhe now trying to play on our sympathies.”

  “I understand that, sir,” Leugio said quickly. His heart was pounding too quickly now and he was sure everyone could hear it. “The Sídhe are dangerous.” Exhaling slowly, he gave himself a moment to gather his thoughts. “I remember too clearly the fear I felt when I realized that my sister had been taken. When I found her and we made it out… I do understand.”

  “You’re certain they are still weak to iron?”

  “Yes, sir.” Leugio nodded and saw the young woman smiling a little. “I am sure. They all reacted to it, keeping their eyes on it and avoiding it the best they could.” Hesitantly, he shifted his hand to his dagger. “May I?”

  The king’s daughter looked uneasy but didn’t protest as her father nodded. There was no stirring of magic beneath his skin as he approached. Leugio knelt down by the child who looked at him nervously. Yet she didn’t pull back even as he took one of her bruised hands. He could more clearly see the scars now. They did look like claws from an animal, but he wasn’t sure which predator had made them. Offering her a soft smile, he moved slowly and drew his dagger. The girl made a small noise of panic.

  “I’m just doing to prick you,” he said gently.

  Guilt rose in his chest: even a small prick would hurt and could become much worse. She’d clearly already been through a lot and he hesitated once again. His gaze went to the fire and he shifted on his knees to hold the blade into the flames for a moment. This earned him a small nod of approval from the king’s daughter. Trying to smile for the girl, he carefully cut the tip of her thumb. She made a small whimper of pain and flinched, but there was no howl of pain. A red droplet gathered at the surface of the wound and Leugio sheathed the dagger. He touched the girl’s head and looked up at the guards.

  “She isn’t a Changeling. The iron would have done much more harm and she would
have retreated from it.”

  “Release the girl and take her to the old woman,” Eochu Finn ordered.

  The guards did as they were told and undid the knots in the rope. The girl rubbed at her wrists and looked around in confusion. When a guard reached for her again, she drew back with a small noise. The king’s daughter moved forward quickly and knelt down between the girl and the fire before she could stumble into it. Leugio drew his hand back and made a soft noise, the sort he used to calm the animals.

  “It’s alright,” the young woman said. She looked up at the guards. “I’ll take over from here.” She looked towards him for a moment before carefully picking up the girl. The child tensed, but then all but collapsed against her. Leugio stood and helped the young woman stand, keeping a hand on her elbow.

  “Forgive me,” Eochu Finn said. He gestured to the young woman with an odd smile. “As you have no doubt gathered, this is my daughter, Flaitheas.”

  “A pleasure to meet you.” Leugio tried to smile, but he had the feeling that it didn’t turn out well. Nonetheless she smiled gently in return, her eyes a touch brighter.