Rundimahair: A new hero for a new adventure

by Larry Forkner

  She seemed genuinely touched by his words, as she hugged him close and said, “And bear in mind, my new friend, that if I lose my temper on occasion and speak unkindly to you, it will only be a momentary outburst which I hope will pass quickly enough.”

  “Did you say ‘if’ you lose your temper?” he asked laughing. “From what I’ve seen so far, it should have been when you lose your temper.”

  She giggled pleasantly, with her head on his shoulder, as she said, “Tis an amazing occurrence that you’ve come to know me so well is such a short span of time, Sean.”

  I’m looking forward to knowing you much better, Ashling,” Sean said. “I’m also hoping you’ll come to know me well enough to explain why I can only speak the truth. Am I such a devious fellow that our Creator cursed me for my many weaknesses by forcing me to only speak the absolute truth?”

  “Actually, there is some truth to that, Sean. When your magical gifts come to life, you are sure and truly part of the Sidhe. We are charged with helping mortals make correct choices throughout their lives.

  “But I thought we were all born with free agency. Don’t we have the right to choose between good and evil behavior while we’re here on earth?

  “Aye, that we do, Sean. The difference is you are not a mortal. You are here to help mortals make correct choices. Sadly, many of them still choose evil over good.”

  “Are you saying that because I have the blood of the Sidhe running through my veins that I have to always make the right choice or I’ll be forced to?”

  “If that were true, then we wouldn’t have been fighting with Grainne for all these centuries. She had the right to choose to become the most evil and vile creature that ever lived on earth.”

  “I get that, but why does she get to choose and I don’t?” Sean asked.”

  “What you’re experiencing about only telling the truth is temporary, Sean,” Ashling said. “We all go through it as part of our training once our powers come to life. Soon enough you’ll be back to making all of your own choices. Even so, you’ll always remember what it was like to be completely honest in all that you say and do. When your training is complete, you’ll be free to do as you wish. Still and all, you’ll never forget the difference between mostly honest and fair and truly, completely, living up to the potential you are blessed with.”

  Sean continued to stare at Ashling’s eyes for a moment longer. Finally he said, “I’ve got to say that it’s pretty overwhelming. I can see how experiencing the difference would be a life lesson I’ll always remember.”

  “As will I, Sean,” Ashling said. “That’s enough deep thinking for now. It’s time for us to be on our way.”

  “Back to Rundimahair?” Sean asked.

  “Where else?” Ashling replied, smiling.

  * * *

  “Couldn’t you have just magically taken us from Lincoln City to Rundimahair?” Sean asked, as they drove down Highway 101.

  “I could indeed, Sean. The truth of it is that each time I use magic, outside of Rundimahair, it leaves traces behind. There are those who seek to destroy our peaceful little community who might pick up on those traces–especially when the magic is filled with great power.”

  “Let me guess–your magic is more powerful than most,” he said.

  “Truth be told, there are only a handful still with us with powers so great, Sean.”

  “Your Da being one of them?” he asked.

  “To be sure. In some ways, he is far and away the most powerful among us all. I pray daily that it will always be so.”

  “Okay, then we’ll take the old-fashioned way to travel,” Sean said.

  “Young Sean, there are many more ancient ways to travel than in your wonderful SUV. The truth of it is that I love traveling by car, especially one with seats that will warm up your backside on a cold morning.”

  Sean burst out laughing for a moment and finally said, “You’re a wonderful travelling companion, old Ashling.”

  Her face sobered as she asked, “Why do you call me old Ashling?”

  He smiled and replied, “Because you’re always calling me young Sean, when we’re obviously close to the same age. Of course, I was only teasing. All you have to do is look in the mirror to realize you are a young, rare beauty, Ashling.”

  She stared out the front windshield at the cloudy morning for a moment without answering. Finally, she said, “I’m glad you think so, Sean. I truly am.”

  Though Sean didn’t realize it, as time passed, she never again called him young Sean. It would be some time before he truly understood why.

  The sun had broken through the typical Oregon coast, early morning cloud cover by the time they arrived at Rundimahair. Sean still wasn’t sure how they ended up on the isolated side road that led to the small town.

  One moment they were approaching the area where he’d had his accident; the next moment they were driving past the ancient myrtle wood sign that welcomed them to Rundimahair. “I take it that you whipped up some traveling magic that put us on this road,” he said.

  “You’ve been sitting beside me the entire trip, Sean. Surely you’d have realized if I were performing such a sophisticated bit of magic,” she replied, smiling.

  “There’s nothing sure about it, Ashling. The only thing I know for sure is that you could be performing the greatest feats of magic the world has ever seen, and I wouldn’t have a clue.”

  “It’s good to be traveling with a humble man who realizes his many shortcomings,” she said, chuckling.

  “I’m not sure how humble I am, Ashling, but I do realize that I don’t know diddly about magic.”

  “Truth be told, you likely would have realized I was up to something if I’d have opened the path with magic. For those of us who live here, traveling from the mortal world to our little bit of heaven on earth is automatic. My own dear father placed that magical miracle in place before I was even born.”

  “So, the residents of your town can come and go as they please without any trouble?” Sean asked.

  “Heaven forbid! None of us are allowed to leave our beautiful valley without permission from the high council. You see, Sean, those who would do us harm are capable of tracking great feats of magic,” she said.

  “I know, it leaves a trail of some kind that they can follow. I still don’t have any idea who your enemies are or how they could possibly find you here.”

  “All in good time, my friend. For now, it’s enough to realize that we have to be very careful with our comings and goings through the enchanted shield that protects us.”

  “I’m fine with that. The truth is, I’m still struggling to come to terms with the fact that you are some type of magical female wizard. Add to that the possibility that I too could turn out to be a wizard. I’d say that I’ve got more than enough to ponder for now.”

  “I know it can be very overwhelming, Sean. I too struggled when I first came into my magic. The advantage I had over you is that I grew up in a magical world. My father and mother were the greatest wizards of their time. So please believe me when I tell you that I understand.”

  Sean nodded agreement, as he pondered another question. It was on the tip of his tongue to ask what had happened to her mother. He’d heard Ashling and Eamon mention her in passing, but she was obviously no longer with them. Before he spoke, he decided he’d wait for another day to broach that subject.

  Even though he’d only spent a short period of time here, Sean felt an odd sense of homecoming, when they pulled into the driveway of Eamon and Ashling’s home. He couldn’t help but smile at the thought.

  “It does feel good to be home, doesn’t it, Sean?”

  He was about to agree when he realized she had read his thoughts about this feeling like home.

  “Hey, no mind-reading–remember?” he said, glaring at her.

  “I said I wouldn’t read your mind without your permission, barring a life-threatening emergency. Why would you doubt my word when you promised to trust me?”

  S
ean could feel the undercurrent of hurt feelings in Ashling’s question. “If you didn’t read my mind, then how did you know I was thinking about this place feeling like home?”

  “To put it mildly, you sometimes broadcast your feelings like the public announcer at a Denver Broncos football game,” she said patiently.

  “Now I have two questions to ask,” Sean said, smiling at her.

  “I’m listening,” she said, giving a small smile in return.

  “What do you mean by broadcasting my thoughts?” he asked.

  “And the second question?”

  “How in the world do you know about the Denver Broncos?” he asked, shaking his head in amazement.

  “I’ll answer the second one first, since it is by far the easiest to explain. Over the past few years, I’ve spent a fair amount of time in the mortal world. One of the mortal women I became friends with was a huge Broncos fan. At first I thought it was a silly game, but I must confess that by the time I left Denver I too had become a loyal Bronco fan. ‘Tis a shame Peyton was already married. Otherwise I may have put a love spell upon him when he retired.”

  He laughed and said, “I’m a Cowboys fan, but trust me when I say I can relate to being that loyal to your team.”

  “Good enough. Now to the other question. When your magical gifts begin to manifest, they are often a bit out of control. The ability to master your powers takes time and experience. In the meantime, try not to think any outrageous or inappropriate thoughts about anyone in town. If you do, believe me, many of them will hear you loud and clear.”

  “I may be better at it than you think, Ashling. When I was staying at your home, I may have had a few romantic thoughts about you that could be considered inappropriate by some people. Obviously, I was able to keep those thoughts to myself,” he said proudly.

  “A few of those thoughts were well beyond inappropriate, Sean,” she said, laughing. “It’s okay,” she added. “A rare beauty like me hears them all the time.”

  Sean was sure he was turning beet red again, when he looked at her and said, “If you promise to never bring this subject up again, then I won’t mention the obvious lack of humility on your part. Bragging about being a rare beauty, indeed.”

  “And yet it was just this morning when you were thinking those exact thoughts about me. You can see how it might be difficult to stay humble,” she added, laughing.

  “Okay, I surrender! You are a rare beauty, as anyone with eyes can see. Now, can we change the subject?

  “If you insist,” she replied. “Besides, my Da’ is standing at the front door waving for us to come in.”

  They stepped out of the SUV, grabbed their overnight bags, and headed for the front door. When they were within speaking distance, Ashling waved and said, “It’s good to be back, Da’.”

  “And I see you’ve brought some fine company to our humble abode,” Eamon said. “Sean, it’s a great pleasure to see you,” he added, as he stepped forward and held out his hand.

  “It’s a pleasure to see you again as well, sir,” Sean said sincerely, as he reached out to shake Eamon’s hand.

  Just before he could grasp Eamon’s hand, Ashling’s father disappeared from sight. When Sean turned to Ashling in confusion and shock, her luggage and coat were there beside him, but she too was gone.

  Chapter Eight

  Here’s to lying, stealing, and cheating!

  May you lie to save a friend;

  May you steal the heart of the one you love;

  and may you always cheat death.

  ~ Old Irish Saying ~

  Sean remained standing where he was for several minutes, feeling like he’d turned to stone. He looked around, hoping some explanation might be forthcoming. Even better, he wished one, or both, Eamon and Ashling would reappear.

  He stood there for another five minutes, unsure what to do next. When neither of them returned, he shook off his shock and forced himself to act. Sean grabbed Ashling’s coat and luggage, along with his own, and hurried into the house.

  The only thing he could think to do was try to find someone who might be able to help. His mind focused on all the folks he’d met in town without settling on anyone to ask for help. Suddenly, Ailbe’s caramel-colored eyes came to mind, and he felt like she and her grandfather, Aengus, were the right folks to ask for help.

  He drove out to their farmhouse at top speed, grateful there didn’t appear to be any traditional police in Rundimahair. When he pulled into the driveway of their beautifully preserved farmhouse, he saw Ailbe jump up from her chair on the front porch.

  By the time he was out of the car, Ailbe was there, throwing her arms around him. “It is you, Sean!” she said as she held him close. “I didn’t expect to ever see you again once I heard you’d left town.”

  He couldn’t help but smile at her exuberant nature as he said, “I didn’t really expect to be back either, but here I am.”

  “Let the poor man go before you crush his ribs, Ailbe,” her grandfather said from the porch.

  Sean looked up to see Aengus smiling at him as he stood by the porch railing. “Good to see you again, young man,” Aengus said.

  When Sean was finally able to free himself from Ailbe’s grip, he said, “It’s a pleasure to see you again too, sir.”

  “I know I’m older than the hills, but I prefer to be called by my God-given name,” Aengus said while he walked out to meet Sean.

  “Aengus, it is,” Sean said.

  The look on Aengus’ face sobered when he saw the concerned look in Sean’s eyes. “I’m thinkin’ you didn’t drive out here for a social call. Am I right, Sean?”

  “I’m afraid so,” Sean said, as he followed Aengus and Ailbe into the house.

  The interior of the home was furnished in surprisingly contemporary design. Somehow Sean was thinking it would look like something out of the late 1800s.

  “It’s Ashling, isn’t it?,” Ailbe said.

  Sean looked over at the pretty teenager and saw her eyes were closed, and she appeared to be concentrating on something far away.

  “It’s Ashling and Eamon. When Ashling and I returned to their home, they both just disappeared right before my eyes.”

  Aengus cut in before Ailbe could respond, and said, “Am I correct to be thinkin’ that you are now aware of their unusual abilities?”

  “Yes, I’ve seen Ashling’s magical gifts at work several times. The last time was when she was busy saving my life,” Sean said.

  Ailbe looked like she wanted to hear a lot more about that, but to her credit, she focused on the problem at hand. “Did she say anything at all before she left?”

  “Nothing,” Sean said. “I was reaching to shake Eamon’s hand when he disappeared. When I turned to ask Ashling what happened, she was also gone.”

  “And so, you thought you’d come here?” Aengus

  asked.

  “Actually, I was frantically thinking of who I’d met who might be able to help and Ailbe came to mind. I’m not sure why I thought a teenage girl might know what to do, but I decided to follow that feeling.”

  “Very interesting,” Aengus said, softly. He was giving Sean a thoughtful look, as though he was trying to read his mind.

  “You’re right, Daideo,” Ailbe said softly. “Sean’s got the gift too. If I’m not mistaken, he’ll one day be a mighty wizard.”

  Aengus looked at her for several moments before he said, “You’re not often mistaken about such things, my dear girl.”

  “I think you were guided here because of Ailbe,” Aengus said. “Ashling has been teaching her since she turned twelve. It seems that Ailbe has many of the same gifts Ashling does, though not at the same level.”

  “Not yet,” Ailbe said, grinning. “Ashling tells me that one day I may be as strong in the gifts as her.”

  “May well be,” Aengus said, smiling fondly at his granddaughter. “But keep in mind, my dear girl, what she often tells you; with great power comes great responsibility.”

  Ail
be rolled her eyes and said, “How can I forget, when she reminds me constantly?”

  A soft warmth came into Aengus’ normally cautious eyes as he said, “It’s only because she loves you like you were her own young lass. She can see what you’re able to become. She won’t let you fall short of that potential. Our people need you too much to allow that.”

  Tears welled up in Ailbe’s soft, brown eyes, as she said, “I know, Daideo, I know. I may be a silly girl at times, but I won’t let you or Ashling down.”

  Sean felt awkward having to interrupt this tender exchange, but he felt a sense of urgency in trying to find Ashling and Eamon. “You think you can help find them?” he asked Ailbe.

  “Is it all right?” she asked her grandfather.

  “Do what you’ve got to do, Ailbe dear,” he responded.

  Suddenly, Ailbe threw her arms around Sean, and they both disappeared from the farmhouse living room. Aengus sighed deeply, while gazing up to the heavens, as he said, “You know she’s all I have left. I’ll be grateful if you can bring her back safe and sound,” he whispered. “And the young fella too,” he added hastily.

  * * *

  It seemed to be no more than a few seconds before Sean found himself standing on a mountain top. Ailbe was still holding him close, as though she feared he might disappear too.

  “What are we doing here?” he asked, as he gently pulled back from her embrace.

  “Sorry to grip you so tight, Sean. I’m still new at much of this magic and I didn’t want to lose you,” Ailbe said sheepishly.

  “Not a problem,” Sean said, smiling. “I too would prefer you didn’t drop me somewhere along the way. So, what now?”

  “I’m not sure about that exactly,” Ailbe said nervously. “I followed her magic pathway to this spot. I was hoping she’d be here.”