Chapter 2

Present:

High above the desolate road a gold sphere of light raced the tour bus to the bend not far ahead. Rocky Mountain greenery hid what lay beyond the turn, but Carey was sure that it was safe. After all, what could happen way out here.

Just as he made the tight turn a flash of light blinded him and he skidded to a halt, sending all the occupants of the bus sprawling across the floor.

"CAREY! I thought you said you could handle this thi…" Ned yelled as he came to see the damage. He didn't get the chance to finish his statement though when he noticed a young woman about his oldest son's age sitting next to an old broken down white Mustang with a ratchet in her hand and a startled look on her face.

"Sorry Dad, but this light flashed in my eyes and there she was. It scared the crap outa me," he tried to explain. During the commotion the girl outside slowly stood up and brushed off her worn and torn jeans and put on her tailor cut black leather jacket before she made her way to the door of the bus.

She lightly wrapped on the door, once again surprising the occupants of the bus. Carey immediately opened the door and the young lady smiled at him. This action brought instant reactions from Jack, Clu and Carey, who clamored out of the bus to introduce themselves.

"Are you alright?" the stranger asked with concern.

"Isn't that the question we should be asking you? Carey here nearly ran you over a minute ago," Ned said.

"I'm fine, it was my fault anyway. I shoulda found a better place to park me car while I worked on it, but ye know how stuff like that is. They choose the worst places to break down. Ye'd think that it had it in for me or something," she stated in a thick Irish brogue. She smiled again and stretched her hand out to shake Jack's. "My name is Moargan."

Jack smiled and shook her hand vigorously in return. "I'm Jack Phillips, and this is Annie, and my mom, Molly Phillips."

"I've heard your music, Ms. Phillips. I'm more of a River Dance person meself, but I enjoy your music, especially your old stuff with your husband. It's nice to meet you," Moargan said as she shook her hand. "And you, Annie, its very nice to meet you as well." Annie looked down at her hand as they shook and noticed a gold ring with the identical design as the one on the ring Fi had lent her with the beautiful Celtic design.

"Nice to meet you, too. Where did you get your ring?" she asked with her usual curiosity.

Before she could answer Clu interrupted. "Now Annie, don't hog our new friend. Hi, I'm Clu, my brother is the one who almost killed you a minute ago-ow," Clu grunted when Carey jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. Introductions continued, but Annie was too busy watching the young woman to notice anything else.

"Why don't we give you a ride into town. We can tow your car behind the bus and Ned can have a look at it when we get there," Molly offered. Male faces lit up at her suggestion, and every protest she attempted was shot down. Soon her car was winched to the roadie truck and they were on their way.

Before Moargan got on the bus she stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled. Out from behind the trees a monstrous white cat, nearly twice the size as PB came lumbering toward them and leapt onto her shoulder.

"Hello Eeiren, I'm so glad you could join me," she told the creature.

Yeah,well you should have seen the rabbit I was chasing, better than the stuff you try to feed me, she replied sarcastically.

"So, where are you from Moargan?" Annie questioned when they were all on the bus, wearily eyeing the predatory animal still sitting on Moargan's shoulder cleaning its paws. There was something weird about this girl, she could feel it.

"I'm from all over really. I've been traveling for several years now with Eeiren and Tir Nan Og."

"Who is Tir Nan Og?" Clu asked.

"That t'would be the old car back there. He keeps me company on the road. There aren't that many people out here and long distances between towns. That, and I don't usually get to stay in one place too long. People tend to find me disconcerting."

The entire group looked at Moargan and could tell why she wouldn't fit in most places. Her hair was blonde and fell in long curly locks down past her waist. Her eyes where a sharp, dark blue that were kind, but carried a hardness in them that only came with age and experience. Her skin was very fair, almost pure white, with red lips that made her look like she belonged on the cover of one of Annie's Cosmo magazines. She wore faded boot-cut denims with a white t-shirt and a black leather jacket and as she stood she towered a good six feet with the black leather three-inch heeled boots on her feet.

"How did you end up way out here? There aren't that many sites out this direction." Molly questioned. There really wasn't that much to see way out there besides trees, and few towns to speak of. They were on their way to visit Fi in Washington.

"I'm going to the music festival in Seattle this weekend."

"Oh really, the Molly Phillips band is playing there. Maybe we'll see you there," Ned said.

Annie got up and went to her computer. The boys were still mesmerized by the beauty that had somehow found her way into their little world of intrigue and were more than ready to pick her brain about anything and everything.

***

In the tiny room that served as Annie's, and once Fi's, bedroom she flipped her laptop up and logged on. To her relief, Fi was online as well and immediately began IMing her.

'Hey,kiddo, what's going on out there. Anything exciting?' Fi asked.

'Sort of. Carey about hit this girl sitting on the side of the road trying to fix her car, and we're giving her a ride into the next town. She seemed nice, but I could have sworn I heard her cat talk. I guess my ears are just playing tricks on me though. Stranger things have happened,' Annie returned.

'Annie, haven't you learned by now to trust your instincts. If you think there is something weird about this girl, there probably is. I know you guys are coming out, so see if you can get her to come all the way out here to Seattle so I can meet her. In the mean time, I'll see what I can find out about her. Just tell me her name and where she is from,' Fi became serious.

'She says her name is Moargan, and she sounds like she's from Ireland or Scotland or something. She wouldn't tell us when we asked. Just said that she travels. She named her car a funny name, too. She called it teirnanog I think,' Annie wrote.

'That might be Tir Nan Og, but I don't know for sure. I'll check her out from this side and you keep asking her questions, and get her out here. I want to meet this girl.'

'One more thing. She was wearing a gold ring like the silver one you let me borrow. I thought that was kinda strange.'

'Thanx Annie. I'll see you tomorrow." Fi signed off.

Annie sighed and closed. Just as Annie was about to get up the monstrous cat that came in with their guest leapt into her lap and began to purr. When she looked into it's blue eyes she was startled by the intelligence she saw behind them, like it knew what she had been doing.

***

Fi sat in her room at her aunt's and immediately began her research. She knew she had heard of Tir Nan Ogsomewhere; she just had to find out where. She typed it in every search engine she could find. What popped up surprised her.

"This is so weird."