Fi came too sitting in a very old overstuffed chair wrapped in a blanket,
her feetpropped up next to an open fireplace. Annie was in a chair similar
to hers withher feet on the same stool, and she was starring at her.
"Are you OK?" Annie asked.
"Yeah, I think. Where are we? And how did we get here?" Fi looked around at the rustic furnishings.
"You're at my cabin, and you're lucky be alive," came a familiar voice from behind. Moargan handed a cup of hot cocoa to each of her new charges and went to sit on a settee near the fire. "I heard a crash about 3:30 this morning and went to check it out. I found you two in an old hatchback not far from here and brought you in. You're fortunate that I happened to be up reading a book, or you would have frozen to death in that old car."
Fi starred at her mug ashamedly, sorry for putting Annie in such a dangerous situation. Suddenly she was struck by a realization. "What time is it?!"
"Tis about 6:00 am. Ye've been out about 2 and a half hours. I'd say you have a slight concussion, but you should be fine in a couple of days, besides a very nasty headache, Moargan answered without concern.
"My mom is going to be up soon and wondering where we are. She is going to kill me!"
"You mean us," Annie corrected.
"I already called her. I used the cell phone that was in your pocket to tell her what happened and that you were fine. I'll be taken' ye back down when the roads clear up. She'll probably kill you when you get back, so I suggest living it up now, so feel free to roam around me place."
As Moargan got up to leave the room a shrill horses scream ripped through the cabin. Moargan ran from the room cursing in a language neither Fi nor Annie recognized, and they heard a door slam.
Moargan entered the stable through a doorway that joined with the rest of the cabin, knowing exactly what she was going to find. The large black panther that she had noticed following Annie around had found her horse and was now sitting in front of it just starring, its tail flicking occasionally. "What are ye doin' in here ye black devil. Why don't ya go curl up at your mistress' feet and keep her warm. All your doin' in here is making Tir Nan Og ancy, and I would hate to see him run you through with that horn of his. Tis rather sharp you know. Now shoo."
The panther looked at her and blinked before standing up slowly and slinking passed her.
Fi and Annie looked at each other quizzically from their positions on either side of the door. Fi had no idea what she was talking about, but Annie was getting a little more than suspicious of their new friend. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it couldn't be good.
Moargan went to calm her monstrous white horse and Fi and Annie tiptoed back to the front room. "There's got to be something wrong with her, she was talking to thin air," Fi whispered harshly.
"No, I don't think she was. Over the passed few months I've had been told that I'm protected by a special force in the form of a panther. It sounded likes she could see it, but no one can see it, besides the glimpses I catch out of the corner of my eye once in a while."
"So what do you think?" Fi asked. Every since the Willow Wisp had tricked her into reading that spell she had trouble pin pointing supernatural phenomena and beings.
"I don't know. Let's look around and see what she has hidden around here, Annie suggested.
The two girls went from room to room looking for any clue as to who their mystery hostess was, but there were only four rooms besides the stable and there wasn't much in them besides the chairs and a bed in each bedroom. The pantry was nearly empty, and the great white cat kept getting in the way.
Finally, Fi noticed that the cat was trying to show them something. "Come on Annie, let's see what she has for us. They followed her to one of the bedrooms. The cat ran under the bed, and when Fi and Annie looked beneath to see what it was doing they found a large chest.
"That wasn't there the last time we were in here Fi."
"Well, let's open it and see what's inside," Fi urged excitedly. They pulled it out and sat down on the bed starring at it.
"It looks really old," Annie commented. She then reached forward and tried to open it, but it was locked. "I don't think that we will looking in it today."
"Let me try," Fi said as she too reached for the lock. When she grasped it that strange feeling she had felt when she shook Moargan's hand passed over her again. With a loud squeal the hinges gave and the trunk fell open.
______________________________________________________________________
"Are you OK?" Annie asked.
"Yeah, I think. Where are we? And how did we get here?" Fi looked around at the rustic furnishings.
"You're at my cabin, and you're lucky be alive," came a familiar voice from behind. Moargan handed a cup of hot cocoa to each of her new charges and went to sit on a settee near the fire. "I heard a crash about 3:30 this morning and went to check it out. I found you two in an old hatchback not far from here and brought you in. You're fortunate that I happened to be up reading a book, or you would have frozen to death in that old car."
Fi starred at her mug ashamedly, sorry for putting Annie in such a dangerous situation. Suddenly she was struck by a realization. "What time is it?!"
"Tis about 6:00 am. Ye've been out about 2 and a half hours. I'd say you have a slight concussion, but you should be fine in a couple of days, besides a very nasty headache, Moargan answered without concern.
"My mom is going to be up soon and wondering where we are. She is going to kill me!"
"You mean us," Annie corrected.
"I already called her. I used the cell phone that was in your pocket to tell her what happened and that you were fine. I'll be taken' ye back down when the roads clear up. She'll probably kill you when you get back, so I suggest living it up now, so feel free to roam around me place."
As Moargan got up to leave the room a shrill horses scream ripped through the cabin. Moargan ran from the room cursing in a language neither Fi nor Annie recognized, and they heard a door slam.
Moargan entered the stable through a doorway that joined with the rest of the cabin, knowing exactly what she was going to find. The large black panther that she had noticed following Annie around had found her horse and was now sitting in front of it just starring, its tail flicking occasionally. "What are ye doin' in here ye black devil. Why don't ya go curl up at your mistress' feet and keep her warm. All your doin' in here is making Tir Nan Og ancy, and I would hate to see him run you through with that horn of his. Tis rather sharp you know. Now shoo."
The panther looked at her and blinked before standing up slowly and slinking passed her.
Fi and Annie looked at each other quizzically from their positions on either side of the door. Fi had no idea what she was talking about, but Annie was getting a little more than suspicious of their new friend. She wasn't sure what was going on, but it couldn't be good.
Moargan went to calm her monstrous white horse and Fi and Annie tiptoed back to the front room. "There's got to be something wrong with her, she was talking to thin air," Fi whispered harshly.
"No, I don't think she was. Over the passed few months I've had been told that I'm protected by a special force in the form of a panther. It sounded likes she could see it, but no one can see it, besides the glimpses I catch out of the corner of my eye once in a while."
"So what do you think?" Fi asked. Every since the Willow Wisp had tricked her into reading that spell she had trouble pin pointing supernatural phenomena and beings.
"I don't know. Let's look around and see what she has hidden around here, Annie suggested.
The two girls went from room to room looking for any clue as to who their mystery hostess was, but there were only four rooms besides the stable and there wasn't much in them besides the chairs and a bed in each bedroom. The pantry was nearly empty, and the great white cat kept getting in the way.
Finally, Fi noticed that the cat was trying to show them something. "Come on Annie, let's see what she has for us. They followed her to one of the bedrooms. The cat ran under the bed, and when Fi and Annie looked beneath to see what it was doing they found a large chest.
"That wasn't there the last time we were in here Fi."
"Well, let's open it and see what's inside," Fi urged excitedly. They pulled it out and sat down on the bed starring at it.
"It looks really old," Annie commented. She then reached forward and tried to open it, but it was locked. "I don't think that we will looking in it today."
"Let me try," Fi said as she too reached for the lock. When she grasped it that strange feeling she had felt when she shook Moargan's hand passed over her again. With a loud squeal the hinges gave and the trunk fell open.
______________________________________________________________________
