FATE/CURADH BEAG
"Little Champion"
Chapter 20: Glimpses of Progress
Cork, Munster
During Connla's quest to quell the first of Ulster's blights, Ferdiad had been busy assisting Lugaid with informing Munster's populace of Cu Roi's death and of the crown's passing to his son. After the death of Lugaid's mother Blathnat, he had gained a reputation for his anger issues, even going so far as to crack someone's skull merely when the topic of Cuchulainn came up. It had thus become a taboo subject to those closest with Lugaid, and now the death of his father, whom he had looked up to with fervent admiration, only further intensified his insatiable bitterness. It didn't help that Cu Roi had been so brutally murdered by Cuchulainn, so now Lugaid had an even greater reason to despise his most hated enemy.
Unlike Lugaid, who was fully on Connacht's side, Ferdiad had promised Fergus that he would spread word of the rebellion movement growing in Leinster. Ferdiad said he would look for any dissenters within Munster and redirect them to Leinster should they wish to do so, but he had to keep his activities as much of a secret as possible lest he risk alerting Lugaid. Cathbad had also privately informed him that Fergus, Conall and Connla were still alive, which was a tremendous relief for Ferdiad. However, he also had to keep their survival hidden from Medb's notice. It was a delicate balancing act for Ferdiad, having to withhold so much information from Connacht's inner circle, but he didn't want to disappoint Fergus and Cathbad after being entrusted with such important tasks.
It was approaching sundown when Ferdiad returned from Killarney, in the far western county of Kerry. Many refugees had fled from the towns of Tralee and Listowel after the island's erosion threatened to cause them to fall to the ocean, just like what was happening in Belfast. They voiced a loud and clear dissatisfaction for Medb's policies – or lack thereof – and were further outraged by Cu Roi's death and Lugaid's ascension as the next king. Ferdiad had gathered any of Killarney's warriors willing to join the coup efforts and told them to march to Leinster through Limerick and Tipperary counties north of Cork to avoid Lugaid's notice.
With that business sorted out, Ferdiad returned to Cork to report to Lugaid about his visit. In the city's main fortress, he found the irate prince feasting on a simple meal of shepherd's pie, bread, and ale.
Lugaid glanced at his fellow Champion and mumbled through bites of his bread, "Oh, you're finally back."
"Sorry for the delay," Ferdiad apologized as he sat down at the table. A servant girl brought him some food, and he proceeded to eat as he said, "The terrain was a bit rocky, plus I almost got driven out of town when I first got there."
"I heard that Killarney's been getting overcrowded due to the loss of Tralee and Listowel."
"Yeah, it is. The farms can't keep up with the influx of new citizens, and Medb has yet to approve of the requests for emergency irrigation from the Corrib. I highly doubt she would be able to do much though, considering how far away Killarney is from Galway. The only hope people have now is for the druids to pray to the gods for a good rain storm."
"Hmph. Gods, my ass…" Lugaid scoffed. "No matter how much we may wish for it, they're no longer around to protect us. The only one that's still among us is a monster capable of nothing but total destruction."
Ferdiad couldn't help but agree with him. Even if Fergus managed to overthrow Medb somehow, it still didn't solve the root problem of all of Ireland's water sources rapidly drying up. Plus, it was inevitable that Taoide Olc would make his return after Scotland was separated from Ireland, meaning that regardless of Fergus' rebellion, the people were going to have to wage war with the god that ruined the rest of human civilization. Ferdiad rested his chin upon his fist and leaned upon the table while poking at his food as his thoughts wandered.
Is this really such a good idea, Fergus? Wouldn't it be wise to hold off on the uprising until after our battle with Cuchulainn is over? Assuming that anyone survives in the end…
"What's wrong?" Lugaid wondered when he saw Ferdiad's distant expression.
"Hm? Oh, it's nothing. I just have a lot on my mind."
"Hah. I bet it's hardly anything like what I've had to put up with lately."
"Did something happen while I was gone?"
"Can you believe this? Not only are the common rabble accusing me of not being ready to be king, but now I've also got the nobility breathing down my neck with similar accusations. It's obvious that they don't regard me as the worthy heir of Father's legacy, and flat out pretend that I don't exist so they can fill the 'power vacuum' themselves."
"Well, to be fair, you haven't exactly enforced any respectable policies that improves everyone's daily lives. Your attitude towards your subjects is not as closeted as you would like to believe, after all."
Lugaid's lip twisted into an ugly snarl. "Can you blame me? They're not willing to give me the chance. Now the nobles are spreading rumors that I'm Medb's lover as a convenient excuse to explain away their own incompetence for not accepting me as king. If they would just shut up and let me do my job, none of this would be happening in the first place."
Ferdiad folded his arms in contemplation. "Hmm… Sounds like the nobility is becoming more and more of a thorn in your side with each passing day."
"No shit. If only I had some legitimate means of taking them out of the picture, then I can be rid of their incessant background noise and concentrate on taking care of my subjects."
Ferdiad became silent as he thought, I could take advantage of this chaos to send more warriors to Fergus. But it'd be too risky to deplete Cork's much-needed security when there's this much political warfare going on. No matter how I slice it, Munster's upper society is starting to become more and more of a bane for our efforts. They only look at the world through viewpoints of higher power and prestige, and constantly bicker amongst themselves about the ownership of vital water supply points.
He scratched his chin, then said, "I think I have an idea."
Lugaid looked hopeful as he asked, "You do?"
"If the nobles are indeed plotting against you, then why not turn the situation in your favor?"
"How? It's obvious that they want me out of the way."
Ferdiad tsked a couple of times and said, "You're not thinking big enough, mate. If the crime they want to commit is that blatant, then why not just go ahead and frame them for it?"
The prince of Munster looked aghast as he blurted, "You mean… fake an assassination attempt against me?"
"That's right. I'm sure they have evidence of their own piling up behind their locked doors just waiting to be exposed in a court of law. All we'd have to do is create a reason for getting it out of their hands."
"Hmm, I don't know about this…"
"Come now, it's not like an actual assassin would be sent to attack you. Our imaginary 'killer' would just have to 'carelessly' leave a piece of evidence behind that links him with Munster's nobility as a collective whole. The best thing would be a contract for the nobles hiring his services, although perhaps that might be a little too suspicious. No assassin would be stupid enough to carry such vital evidence on his person."
Lugaid pondered Ferdiad's suggestion for a bit, then said, "Well, I've heard that the O'Cleirigh merchant family uses special coins minted out of copper to identify themselves whenever they leave Munster on official business."
"Ah, that's brilliant! The O'Cleirighs have plenty of clout amongst Munster's upper echelons! They would be the perfect scapegoats for dragging the rest of the nobles down!"
"But how are we supposed to get one of their coins?"
"Leave it to me. I've got some friends who know the younger members well. They'll be able to pinch one or two of them off for us."
Lugaid was growing more excited with this plan as they kept ironing out the details. Finally, he decided to commit to the scheme as he declared, "Okay, let's do this!"
"Remember, you have to act your part out as well," Ferdiad warned him. "If you let slip that this is a false flag operation, the whole thing will be ruined, and your credibility as Munster's future king will be destroyed."
"Oh, believe me, if there's anything I'm good at, it's being pissed off with the nobles! Those arrogant bastards will never know what hit them!"
Now that they had finished their meal, the two Champions left the dining hall and headed down the corridors. That was when Lugaid remarked to Ferdiad, "You know, I'm starting to see why Laeg suggested you come with me. I don't think I could have ever come up with a strategy like that on my own."
"Ah, it's nothing," the orange-haired warrior chuckled sheepishly. "It's just something I picked up during my time under Scathach's tutelage. Not only was she a deadly fighter and a talented Runecraft user, she also possessed a keen eye for warfare, regardless if it was on the battlefield or in politics. The key is to know how certain people behave and to utilize their weaknesses against them."
"Scathach, huh?" Lugaid mumbled darkly, then glanced away and became quiet.
Ferdiad frowned and realized that the conversation would quickly turn towards Cuchulainn. If he wasn't careful, Lugaid could potentially reveal classified information to the passing soldiers and servants while going on one of his typical tirades about Cuchulainn. Ferdiad had to deflect the conversation elsewhere, so he spontaneously remarked, "Well, that's all in the past now. Let's just concentrate on what we need to do to promote Munster's stability."
"… Yeah. You're right."
"Then I'll get started with preparations. I'll let you know when I'm ready."
"Sure. I'll just keep on enduring all of the criticism until then," the prince sighed and reluctantly turned down the hall toward his personal chambers. Ferdiad watched him leave, then continued walking straight until he descended the stone steps and headed for the fortress' main entrance into town.
The Land of Shadows
Ewan Aitken, the pragmatic lieutenant who had spoken with Cuchulainn once before, emerged from the gate connecting Scotland with the Castle of Shadows. Just as he expected, he found the god-king issuing orders with one of the more sentient ghosts who was given command of the underworld's vengeful spirits. Ewan knew that Cuchulainn intended to build up two separate armies; one comprising of living, breathing soldiers, the other with hordes of the undead monsters that dwelled in Dun Scaith. Ewan wasn't sure why his liege would go to such lengths to build up such an insurmountable force when he already possessed the strength to destroy the world, but he believed it was not worth risking his life to ask such a pedantic question.
The ghost growled in acknowledgement of Cuchulainn's order, then whirled around and phased through the wall just behind Ewan. He watched it leave, then calmly approached Cuchulainn and said, "Lieutenant-Colonel Aitken, reporting in."
"Ah, there you are," the Mad King muttered, then flashed a sinister grin. "How do you like your new promotion?"
"I can't say I was expecting it, but it seems my men have adjusted to the change surprisingly well. They've been following my orders expediently, and the other lieutenants have also taken your warning to heart, meaning the issue with the Hebrides will be thoroughly resolved in at least two days' time."
"Funny how slaughtering that useless general before their eyes suddenly gets those buffoons to cooperate. Just as I suspected, long-winded negotiations are worthless. Immediately instilling fear and terror into your subjects is all that's needed to enforce their loyalty."
"Considering the circumstances, I'm more amazed of how ignorant they were of your capabilities. They thought they could continue their usual politicking despite knowing that you're the man who drowned the rest of the world. From my perspective, they were practically poking at a sleeping dragon."
"Is that supposed to be hollow brownnosing?"
"Not at all, sir. It was just a statement of fact regarding the lieutenants' collective foolishness."
"Hm… Well, whatever," Cuchulainn grumbled. "So the conscription efforts are nearly complete. All that's left is to assemble the troops at the designated point."
Ewan took some papers from his bag, then read from them while stating, "About 50% of our companies are present and accounted for, and await further instructions. I have told them to maintain their positions, though there has been some lingering dissent regarding the reason for such orders. To be quite frank with you, our forces have been divided between those who seek bloodshed, and those who have no desire to participate in the war."
"Can't say I'm surprised. No amount of booze and food will sate a warmonger's appetite when he's forced to sit around for long periods of time. As for the unwilling conscripts, I'm sure a few rallies that shift the blame towards Medb for all of these recent events will be enough to inspire them into action."
"I had been considering that as well, though I'm not sure how much they will believe us when we have no factual evidence to support our claims."
"Then tell them this; Medb is the one who turned me into the god Taoide Olc."
Ewan raised an eyebrow out of curiosity. "She did?"
Cuchulainn sat on his throne, then rested his cheek upon his fist and glowered, "Think about it. How else could I, who was once as human as anyone else, suddenly be morphed into an abomination called a god of destruction? That simply isn't natural, right?"
"Sure, but the details surrounding it are hazy at best…"
"You are aware of Medb's ability to expand in power depending on the amount of territory she possesses, aren't you?"
"I have heard the rumors. After she invaded Ulster and amalgamated it with Connacht, she then embarked on a conquest to expand her territory. She forced Leinster and Munster to join with Connacht, then she departed for the southern isles. But for some reason, her venture was an utter failure, and soon the Celtic Isles had to rise to escape from the Evil Tide that suddenly gushed out of the White Tree."
"That's a pretty good assessment of the public's knowledge of the situation. Of course, that's not the entire story. Medb not only just took Ulster for herself – she also abducted and tortured me for resisting her forces, then fed me to the sea demon Curruid, hoping to break my mind and turn me into her personal destroyer. I would be the weapon she used to dominate the mainland nations. Considering that her level of power is tied to how much land she owns, and she was strong enough to summon a Phantasmal just from having all of Ireland under her control, can you imagine the damage she would have caused if she conquered other countries as well? Given enough time, she would have been impossible to defeat. You can see why drowning the rest of the world beneath the ocean was the best course of action for me after I broke free of her control."
Ewan fell silent as he listened to Cuchulainn's unbelievable claims. He wasn't sure what to think of any of this, but he didn't want to question the Mad King either. Even if he didn't fully believe him, how would he corroborate this information? No one in Scotland was involved with what happened in Ireland. He literally had no choice but to trust that Cuchulainn was telling the truth.
After a moment, Ewan murmured, "So that's how you came to be known as Taoide Olc…"
"Yes," Cuchulainn closed his eyes. "It wasn't something I asked for. Hell, if I had it my way, I would've wanted nothing to do with Medb. All of this was brought on by her rampant selfishness. If that's not a reason to take up arms, I don't know what is."
"I see. So I assume I have your blessing to recount this story to the conscripts?"
"Not much point in hiding it from them. They have a right to know why this world is as fucked up as it is."
"I understand. I will not make any guarantees, but I should be able to sway some of the troops to your side. As for those who are eager to wage war, I highly doubt that your backstory is going to do anything to appease them."
"Hmph. Impatient bastards, aren't they? War is more than just about raising swords and shouting battle cries. There is an element of preparation that needs to go into it as well. Even though Ireland's been separated from us for a while now, I've been learning of certain developments that are slowing down my intended timing for the assault."
"Such as?"
"Fergus faked his death and is organizing a coup of his own."
Ewan's eyes widened in genuine surprise. "Infighting within Ireland? I never thought it'd be possible, considering Medb's ironclad grip on her nation. Hardly anything escapes her notice, so how in the world could Fergus plot a rebellion against her?"
"A few things happened, and now Fergus is fed up with Medb's self-centered methodology. I've heard that the water depletion situation is much worse in Ireland compared to Scotland, attributed to her amassing as many viable water sources around Galway as possible. Besides, it's not like Medb's grasp on Ireland is complete. Since she lost so much territory after the Celtic Isles rose into the skies, her power has greatly diminished, meaning she can't observe everything and everyone at once like she used to. Fergus must be using this weakness to dodge out of sight and assemble some ragtag forces of his own."
"Quite the dramatic development, I must say," Ewan remarked. "It's no wonder you want to monitor the situation so closely."
"That's not the only thing going on," Cuchulainn added. "Cathbad is planning to do something about Crann Ban, the White Tree that has been continuously pumping seawater onto the planet."
"Oh my! The High Druid himself intends to challenge the demonic tree itself!?"
"Indeed. My informant has been involved with those efforts, but she needs some time to dispel three blights that reside within Ulster before Cathbad can do anything. I've been keeping tabs on her progress for the last while."
"So that's why you completely close off communication with the outside world during the night hours."
"Yep. She's gotten rid of one of the blights, but she's about to move on to resolving the Curse of Macha."
Ewan grumbled to himself as he pondered, "The Curse of Macha… where have I heard that before?"
"It's the affliction that forces the men of Ulster to suffer from the pain of childbirth whenever the province is threatened by an outside invader. All thanks to that wench Macha, who was forced to run in a race while heavily pregnant with twins. Although she won the race, she wound up miscarrying her children, and likewise passed away delivering them as stillborns. As she died, she cursed the warriors of Ulster who had put her in such a situation. That's the whole reason why I had to fight against Medb's troops by myself during the Cattle Raid."
"You mean you weren't born in Ulster, despite being a fervent Ulsterman?"
"My mother delivered me in a faerie mound, which was considered outside of Ulster territory. After all, I'm still a demigod born between the human woman Deichtine and the divine hero of the Tuatha de Danann, Lugh Lamfada."
"Oh…"
"But that's not important. What matters is that we need to wait until the remaining two blights are dealt with before invading Connacht."
Ewan narrowed his eyes when he realized there was a problem with this plan. He voiced his objection by stating, "Wait just a moment, sir. If the Curse of Macha were to be dispelled, wouldn't that mean that Ireland's warriors will be capable of retaliating against us? Wouldn't it be easier to take them out while they still suffer from the curse?"
"Don't be so narrow-minded," Cuchulainn retorted. "Think about it for a second. If you were Fergus and you wanted to organize a full-scale insurrection, where would you go about assembling your troops?"
"Well… I certainly wouldn't do it in Connacht or former Ulster. If the goal is to stay out of Medb's notice, I'd have no choice but to go to either Munster or Leinster."
"That's a good start. We know that Lugaid mac Con Roi, son of Cu Roi mac Daire, is one of Medb's Champions, and he's the only one not affiliated with Ulster. Considering how I killed his father, and caused his mother's death a long time ago, Lugaid must hate me with a passion. Fergus would realize this and not station his soldiers in Munster, fearing that Lugaid would reveal the betrayal to Medb."
"So that leaves Leinster as his only option."
"Exactly. Considering that Leinster is directly west of Connacht, all I'd have to do with Scotland is ram it on Connacht's western borders, essentially sandwiching it between northeastern Scotland and western Leinster. Of course there's always the potential for backup to arrive from Munster, but they'd have to go through Tipperary and Clare counties to reach Galway first. So long as preparations are made to cull Munster's reinforcements, storming Galway should be a piece of cake if we have our forces plus Fergus' troops coming in from both sides."
Ewan sighed, feeling a bit overwhelmed with all of this new information. All he could do was mutter, "This is a much bigger operation than I could've ever imagined…"
Cuchulainn scoffed, "No kidding. That's why you need to be even more diligent than before with rallying the warriors. Their king is going to expect a lot out of them once the main event starts."
"I understand. But there's nothing we can do until the Curse of Macha is eliminated. Not to mention that there's the remaining blight you haven't told me about."
"I'm trying to look into it for my informant. Cathbad told her that it's called Manannan's Parted Mists, so it obviously has something to do with the god of the seas, but I haven't found any worthwhile clues to go on."
"I don't know if I can be of any assistance, but if I learn of anything, I will inform you at once."
"Good. My informant could use anything she can get at this point."
Ewan then grew curious as he asked, "Since I have been promoted to general, and you are entrusting me with so much information, would you be able to tell me anything about this informant of yours?"
"…"
"I understand that you are acquainted with the goddess Morrigan. Considering the otherworldly nature of these blights, she'd make the most sense for such a delicate role."
"…"
"… Sir?"
The long paused dragged on awkwardly. Cuchulainn knew Ewan had a point; he really was entitled to know anything and everything relating to the mission. He just wasn't sure if he felt comfortable with revealing that knowledge to him, or if there was any point in say anything in the first place.
Ewan realized that Cuchulainn was not going to answer him. He decided not to press the question further and bowed slightly before turning to leave. However, that was when he heard the low, throaty reply:
"It's my daughter."
"Hm?" the normally unflappable general turned back with widened eyes. "Your daughter… you say?"
"Yeah."
"I can scarcely believe such a thing. No accounts exist of you ever having a child."
"Of course they wouldn't. I only found out about it just recently myself."
"When did this occur?"
"It had to be while I was training under Scathach. I had a tryst with her sister Aife, but left Scotland shortly afterward. I had no clue if I had left her pregnant or not, but now I'm certain that I did. The kid grew up under Scathach's tutelage here in the Land of Shadows. That's why I can trust her to handle the blights."
"You don't say…"
"Hmph. Why the hell am I telling you this? Go on, already," Cuchulainn grumbled bitterly and dismissed Ewan with a languid wave.
"Yes, sir."
With that, the general finally concluded the meeting by stepping through the gate back into Scotland. As he emerged on the other side, he thought deeply about all of the revelations he had learned. While the majority of it was relevant to his military duties, the fact that Cuchulainn had a daughter didn't have much bearing for him. It was shocking, to be sure, but hardly worth mulling about too much. So why did Cuchulainn go through the trouble of telling him? There was only one conclusion that Ewan could reach:
It was a sign of the implicit trust his king vested in him.
Emain Macha region, Ulster
The five travelers plus their horse returned to Leabharcham's hut by the time the sun had fully set. Connla found the key hidden under the entrance mat and unlocked the door, allowing the weary group to escape from the incoming cold night. With a melancholic gaze in her eyes, Deirdre glanced around at their surroundings, then murmured wistfully, "Nothing's changed… It's literally like coming back home."
"You spent most of your life here, didn't you?" Fir asked.
"I certainly did. Even though it was by that man's order that I had to stay here, Leabharcham did her best to give me the happiest childhood she could. I will always be grateful to her for that."
Naoise said, "We should make this our base of operations while we figure out how to contend with Ulster's remaining two blights."
"Yes, I agree," Deirdre remarked. "I shouldn't get myself wrapped up in nostalgia when we have business to attend to."
Meanwhile, Fial tossed some wood onto the central fire pit, and Connla used her magic to get a fire going. The child warrior then slumped into a sitting position and moaned, "Phew… I am utterly exhausted…"
Fial sat next to her and asked, "Awe you okay? You wook wike you'we gonna cowwapse."
"Ugh… I think you're right. I'm having trouble just barely keeping my eyes open. Maybe the fire is lulling me to sleep somehow."
Naoise covered the pair with a blanket and said to Connla, "Can't say I'm surprised. You did most of the work back there."
"I don't think I did…"
"Well regardless, we should save our strategy meeting for tomorrow. Tonight, we've earned ourselves a well-deserved rest."
"Mm."
With that, Connla, Fial and Fir tucked themselves beneath the large thick blanket and bundled together to warm up as they eventually fell asleep. Now that they were out, Naoise and Deirdre could finally have a moment to themselves in front of the soothing fire. Deirdre nuzzled her cheek on Naoise's shoulder and sipped some water, then murmured, "Ahh… How wonderful. If this is paradise, then I never want to leave."
"I can't imagine how awful it must have been for you, love," Naoise said as he rubbed her opposite shoulder. "Not only did Conchobhar obsess about you during life, he had the gall to treat you like a tool for his ambitions even after death."
"Please, Naoise. I do not wish to call attention to that man any more than is necessary. He has been banished, and the nightmare is over. To say his name any further would just be an insult."
"You're right. Good riddance to him and the sorrows he caused you, I say. From now on, our lives will be filled with nothing but happiness."
"Yes…"
The couple sat there in silence for a long time, enjoying the warmth of not just the fire, but of each other as well. Once they grew tired enough, they too decided to throw a blanket upon themselves and go to sleep for the night.
The following morning, Naoise and Deirdre woke up to the pleasant scent of vegetable soup being prepared. The children had woken up before them and decided to make a minestrone using whatever ingredients Leabharcham had in her cellar. Connla glanced at the pair while stirring the soup and said, "Good morning."
"Good morning," Deirdre replied. "Mm, that smells delicious."
"It's almost ready, so just wait a little longer."
"Where are the twins?"
"They're looking for berries to have as dessert."
Just as Connla said this, the door creaked open, revealing Fir and Fial carrying a basket each, filled to the brim with assortments of rose hips, elderberries and hazelnuts. Naoise whistled and said, "Wow, you kids certainly know how to take the initiative."
"We were having a contest to see who couwd gather mowe," Fial said as she showed him the contents of her basket. "I think it's pwainwy obvious that I bwought mowe than Fir did."
"Nuh-uh! I'm a man, so that means I'm stronger than you! That's how I'm carrying more in mine!" Fir objected and shoved his sister aside to show Deirdre his basket.
"Being stwong means nothing if you don't find the best cowwecting spots! I have mowe because I'm smawt enough to know where to wook!"
"Now, now, children. Let's not get into an argument when we're so hungry," Deirdre tried to calm them down. "Besides, from what I can see, you both gathered about the same amount of stuff."
"Weally?" Fial wondered as the twins looked at each other's baskets. "Huh… I guess you'we wight…"
"I'm kind of impressed you brought so much, considering you never pay attention to Auntie's lessons," Fir said to his sister.
"Hey, what does that mean!? I wisten to Auntie just fine! You'we the one who always wooks like he's about to fawl asweep!"
Connla yawned, barely interested in the conversation as she taste tested the soup, then said, "All right, the food's ready."
"Yay!" the twins cheered, immediately forgetting their petty argument and eagerly filling their bowls with soup to devour. Naoise and Deirdre joined them for the meal, but the mood soon turned serious once they started eating in earnest.
"So, let's get down to business," Naoise finally said. "According to Lady Morrigan, the next blight we have to take care of is the Curse of Macha, the affliction that plagues the warriors of Ulster and prevents them from fighting in wars against invading countries."
Deirdre shook her head and remarked, "First off, I don't think we should be calling it a blight. Even if it's referring to the curse rather than the woman who caused it, we're still talking about Fir and Fial's mother."
"Oh…"
Fial appeared despondent as she asked, "Is Mama going to show up as some kind of big scawy ghost wike that Conchobhaw guy?"
"I don't know…" Fir moaned, looking just as perplexed as his sister. "I sure hope we don't have to fight her…"
"Let's not rush to conclusions," Connla assured them. "All we know for sure is that your mother cursed Ulster's warriors at the moment of her death. Our primary objective should be finding a way to lift it, not worrying about whether or not she's going to be our opponent."
"I sure hope you're right…"
"Besides, you never know if some other sinister force wants to take advantage of it, just like what happened with Conchobhar. Regardless, Lord Cathbad claimed there's a connection between the Three Blights and the Leyline, so it's safe to assume that the curse is somehow related to the Leyline as well."
Naoise looked like he had an epiphany as he asked, "Wait a minute. Didn't Lady Morrigan say that Macha was an earth goddess?"
"I distinctly recall that as well," Deirdre agreed.
"Then it'd make sense that Macha could tap into the Leyline to create the curse. If we could find that connection and sever it, we might be able to free Ulster's warriors."
Fir looked uncomfortable as he wondered, "But wouldn't that mean hurting Mama? She's the one who created that connection in the first place."
Connla shook her head and said, "Not necessarily. Your mother could have just left a Runic formula in some secret location. It could just be as easy as undoing it."
"You think it's going to be that simple? Mama hates the men of Ulster with a passion. They're the reason she wound up miscarrying me and Fial, and caused her to die during childbirth. I don't think she would be dumb enough to risk having her curse be so easily found."
"I'm just saying that's a possibility. The problem is that we don't have enough information, meaning we'd have to go to Emain Macha and ask around for any clues."
The twins looked at each other uneasily, obviously disturbed by Connla's suggestion. Deirdre asked them, "Is something wrong?"
"Well… It's just that… um…" Fial stammered nervously. "Emain Macha is the pwace where… me and Fir… and Mama… died…"
"Oh my… I'm sorry, honey."
"Me and Fir never ever wanted to go thewe fow that weason... B-But if we have to, then…"
"No, please don't force yourselves. There's no need for you two to go there if you don't have to."
Connla became determined as she made a decision, then declared, "I'll go."
"Are you sure?" Deirdre asked her.
"If it's just investigating, then it's not necessary for all of us to go. The rest of you can stay here while I spend a couple of days in Emain Macha looking around."
"But by yourself? What if something were to happen to you? If you got into a huge battle, you wouldn't be able to run away on account of your geas."
"Well… I'll make it work out somehow."
Deirdre obviously wasn't convinced by this. Naoise also looked uncertain, as he said, "I'll go with you then. You're going to need someone to protect you, and I'm the best person for the job."
"Are you sure? Wouldn't you want to protect Lady Deirdre more than me?" Connla wondered.
"Thanks to the barrier Runes you laid last night, this place is safe from lesser threats. So long as Deirdre and the twins don't leave, there will be nothing to worry about. On the contrary, I'd never be able to sleep if I knew you were out there contending with such a difficult mission by yourself. It's clear to me that you need help."
Connla thought about it for a moment, then shifted her eyes toward Deirdre and asked, "What do you think?"
"I think it's a great idea. I might not enjoy having to be separated from Naoise, but Fir and Fial will keep me company until you two return."
"Guess it's settled then!" Naoise exclaimed. "Emain Macha isn't too far from here, so we'll set out in an hour's time and find an inn to stay at for the night. Tomorrow is when the investigation will begin in earnest."
Connla agreed to the plan with a nod, then glanced at the twins and asked, "Before we leave, I need to know something very important. I know it's going to be hard to tell me, but I want to find the exact spot where you two and your mother died in Emain Macha."
"The… exact spot?" Fial shuddered.
"If Macha really cursed Ulster's warriors at the moment of her death, then it's reasonable to think that some residual spiritual energy would still be there. It might not be where the curse actually is, but it should give me something to work with."
"Well… to be honest, my memowy about my death is weally, weally hazy."
"Me too," Fir admitted. "We were just babies inside Mama's belly when it happened. It's like we were in a distant dream, and then we suddenly woke up in Scotland's plains as children."
"Hmm…" Connla murmured. "I guess it'd make sense that you wouldn't know, since you were still in the womb when you died."
"But I do remember seeing a dream of Mama running incredibly fast. She was so quick that she outran the horses that were next to her."
"You saw it too?" Fial asked her brother. "Mama was in some kind of wong fiewd with white wines on the gwound."
"Yeah, I did!"
Naoise nodded and said, "What you're describing must be Emain Macha's horse racetrack. It's said that your mother was challenged to race against several horses, so of course it would've been held there."
"So that's where we need to look," Connla said.
"Sorry we couldn't be of more help," Fir apologized.
"It's okay. Sir Naoise and I can take it from there. I don't know how long it's going to take, but you guys sit tight and wait for us to return, okay?"
"Yeah…"
