Chapter 7
Ireland was something different from what Holly was used to. She recalled telling her husband when they arrived that she never knew a place could be so warm, which resulted in a comment from Jack saying how he would remember not to take her to the tropics. The large island was green and filled with a beautiful countryside, at least the place that was distant from humans. Holly had been dropped off at Tipperary. It was a beautiful place where many fairies and other Celtic folklore lived. She had convinced Jack that she would be safe without a chaperone even though she had never been south of the North Pole, but Jack had given her pocket knife and one of North's snow globes incase she needed to make a speedy getaway.
Anyway, Holly was now alone as the Guardians searched the rest of the large island country.
Tipperary was a bustling hub of mythical creatures. There were magic shops filled with all sorts of herbs and potions that could fulfill any heart's desire, and fashion stores with plenty of beautiful clothes and accessories. The streets were lined in stones that were mixed with tiny specks of gold that shimmered beautifully in the mid-day light. Apartments, businesses, and churches were squashed side by side in the compact town. Hundreds of different roads and streets curved and swirled all around the town, which were capable of getting even the brightest person lost.
The leprechauns were the dominant race of this town, which makes sense because it is Ireland, and in this town there was pubs….many pubs. One could suppose that not-so-mythical creatures really abided towards their stereotypes, especially those of the Irish origin. The leprechaun quarters of Tipperary were cram pack filled many small pubs squished in between all the stone apartments. Leprechauns were also greedy. In fact, the leprechaun culture was very much centered around the concept of wealth, and anyone threatening it would most certainly have to pay the consequences. However, one stereotype was wrong about leprechauns, they weren't tiny or small. These creatures were fierce and brutal and definitely not small. Leprechauns did have the ability to change their size, though. They could alter their size anywhere from the size of rabbit to the size of an elephant, but being small and adorable was better picture for PR purposes.
Holly looked to her guide, which she had made from her intense amount of baby-making research, and struggled to find the particular pub she was looking for. After about an hour of bumping into frustrated strangers, she had found a pub with a wooden, swinging sign above the door that read, Irish Springs Pub. Holly didn't come here for the refreshments however, what she was looking for could be known from looking on the large, glass window next to the entrance, that had a large painted eye on it and read: featuring: Madame Celia. Mentor of the Fates. This was what she was looking for. Holly had narrowed this gypsie to be best fortune teller on families and procreation, and she intended to get her much needed answers from this woman. It was definitely a last resort because the pubs were definitely not the most respectable of places; however, to know what she needed to do to have Jack's children was more important.
As Holly walked into the pub, a strong scent of cheap whiskey and watered down beer stenched the dim, musty air. The clanking of glasses and murmurs of drunken conversations with friends and the bartender was the only notable sound. A faint humming of a playful bagpipe could be heard, but it was easily overshadowed by the bars camotion. Holly scanned the room and looked for the safest route towards the back of the pub where Madame Celia's fortune room was. She gently walked along side the bar where most the occupants were asleep in a drunken slumber. She squeezed her bag, which was strapped across her chest, tighter and looked towards the ground. Holly tried to ignore the comments from the dirty men as she walked by, but her pace quicken when a particularly sleazy leprechaun with curly, red hair and beard to match hit her a crooked smile and shouted in her direction,
" Hey look fellas, it's the famous Jack Frost's lady! Hey lassie, if you ever get lonely one night, you can give me a call!"
She hastened her steps into the fortune room but not without hearing another comment from the same leprechaun before she shut the door,
"Stuck up bitch."
Holly took a deep breathe before she sat down in the apparently empty room and thought, " this had better be worth it."
AN/ I'm baaaaack. Sorry about not updating for a while, but you know how school vacations and the holidays are (btw happy new year). I plan to update this series once a week to twice a week. Thank you for the reviews and follows!