Despite his upbringing, it was rare for Harry to ever have nightmares. It might have been something to do with his magic, the memories he made soothing his mind. But when a night terror did strike, however, it was a terrifying experience. It would often be his Father dragging him from bed, his face warped into that of a monster with big paws and long claws, like a bear. Harry would endure a series of blows before he woke up, but that wasn't the end. Almost every time Harry woke up, his nightmare would play out. Tadgh would barge into his room, beat him a couple of times in a drunken rage and then stumble back out again.

It had been a long, long day in the Otherworld. After their massive lunch, Siobh had brought Harry out to the fields so they could prepare for his journey home. While Ruadrí dealt with the meat, Harry and Siobh had picked vegetables in a nearby patch. It had gotten tedious pretty quickly, and Harry was surprised to see that Siobh didn't use the magic of Lightwork to help them through.

'Elbow grease!,' she'd grinned as she wrenched a bunch of carrots from the soil, 'If we used magic for everything, we'd all become fat and lazy!'

The patch had taken up almost an entire field, and by the end Harry was pretty much dead on his feet. Rather than having them eat downstairs, Derbhla had kindly allowed him and Siobh to eat upstairs later, a treat according to her daughter. After bringing their plates back down and giving a heartfelt thanks despite his fatigue, Harry had collapsed into his bed and into his dreams..

..He found himself walking in a field, barely able to see ahead of him because of the dense fog all around. Trying to part the fog with his hands, Harry soon picked up on the sound of galloping behind him. It came closer and closer, and the boy quickened his pace. Becoming breathless, he spied the end of the field and darted towards it, where he dove inside a bush. The galloping pursued him the whole way, but stopped at the undergrowth. Harry tried to peer through the brambles, but could see nothing through the fog. He heard the horse pawing the ground, but eventually it galloped off, leaving Harry alone in the eerie silence.

Crawling through to the otherside of the bush, Harry found himself in a barren clearing, with dull green grass and surrounded by tall pine trees. The fog lingered around the edges, seemingly unable to enter as above, Harry saw the sky was thick with grey clouds. Despite the spookiness of this place, he found it almost..peaceful. There wasn't a sound to be heard, and even the wind was silent. Harry was about to sit down, to stare up at the grey abyss, when a massive THUD rolled around the clearing, shaking him to his core. As he struggled to get a hold of himself, a woman's voice suddenly screamed out his name, rolling through the clearing and causing the pine needles to rustle violently.

'HARRY!'

Harry froze as the grotto shook repeatedly, eyes darting around frantically for the source, but he was alone as ever. Then the pounding came, a loud vicious pounding like someone slamming their fists on a table. Harry was too terrified to try and cover his ears, looking up in terror to see that the clouds were thundering. The pounding continued unceasingly, the whole time the woman's voice screaming out his name. Louder and louder it became, the needles falling from the trees, which began to sway in a sudden, violent wind.

Harry was finally forced to move by the renewed sound of galloping, which began to circle the clearing. It sounded like there were more horses now, and the fog began to close in. Only in front of him did it recede, and Harry legged it into the unknown, sprinting into the forest as the woman's voice screamed after him.

'HARRRYYYY!...'

'...Harry! Hey, Harry!'

Harry jolted awake, gasping as he looked around frantically. Pulling the covers close, he saw he was still in Siobh's home and breathed a massive sigh of relief. He fell back onto the pillows, rolling over to see his friend standing next to him. Worry laced Siobh's face, dressed in a pair of red tartan pyjamas. Harry had been a little nervous sleeping by himself, so they were sharing the same room, with Siobh taking the other bed near the window.

'W-What happened there?,' Siobh breathed, 'Y-You were screaming!'

'I was?,' Harry murmured tiredly, before he remembered and shot up, 'I-I was! A h-horse was..was c-chasing me through f-fog! Then..Then I-I heard this voice..'It-It was a w-woman..,' Harry exclaimed, shaken to his core once more, 'They..They were screaming m-my name..everything w-was shaking..!'

'It's ok..It's ok!,' Siobh said earnestly, 'Look, just..just breathe with me, ok? That's it..just in and out like that..'

Harry felt a little better, settling back into the pillows, but he knew just the trick to settle himself fully. Pushing himself up against the headrest, he looked to Siobh as he prepared to snap his fingers.

'Do-Do you want t-to meet my Mum?' He asked and the girl nodded quietly. Harry didn't really know how to go about it though, but figured that thinking about his memories with his eyes open might be enough. Staring at the end of the bed, he clicked his fingers a couple of times and to his joy, it actually worked. She was blurry, and didn't seem to be looking at anything, but his Mum appeared at the end of his bed. Her blue hair was messy like his, and she wore a white t-shirt with jeans. Siobh watched, mesmerised.

'She's beautiful..,' she murmured, '..Do you know her name?,' she asked, looking back at Harry. He didn't respond for a moment, leaning forward slightly, lost in the comfort of the illusion. It was another couple of minutes before he responded.

'Johanna..my D-Dad he..he l-let it slip by accident. H-He wasn't happy w-when I heard..'

'We'll get you back to her, I promise,' Siobh replied firmly, putting a fist across her heart as a sign of her commitment. Harry smiled tiredly, and he thought about trying to bring up the image of his sister too, but decided against it. It was late, and they would probably be up early in the morning. Still, Siobh remained by his side until she was sure he had gone to sleep, before she returned to her own bed and to her own dreams..

..the next day, after a hearty breakfast, Harry found himself in the family barn, a large, boxy stone structure that sat awkwardly next to the wholesome little cottage. Harry found himself staring down a dirt track that went down and around the hill he stood on, out towards civilization, out towards his family. The sound of Ruadrí throwing something into the wagon behind him jolted Harry from his trance, himself holding a large yet light sack of grain.

'Toss it up there now!,' Ruadrí instructed, and Harry did his best, but could barely get it halfway up the side before his frail form gave out. With a click of his fingers though, Ruadrí caught it and lifted up his hand, which sent the bag tumbling into the wagon.

'Harry..can I ask you something?,' Ruadrí said, having stepped away to tinker with the front of the wagon. It soon became clear why, as Harry visibly went on edge. Siobh wasn't with them, out in the fields tending to the sheep. Ruadrí heard him step away, and looked over to see Harry was patting the snout of a mighty stallion.

'Y-Yeah..,' Harry replied after a minute. It was little more than a whisper, but the Tuatha de Danann had better hearing than most, so Ruadrí was able to make it out.

'You and Siobh were out picking vegetables for who knows how long yesterday. Did she not use any magic?,' Ruadrí asked. He saw Harry open his mouth, and then close it again. Unsurprising, he thought, the boy probably didn't want to tell tales about his first and only friend. Ruadrí and Derbhla had already guessed the answer anyway, as he looked out the other end of the barn. He could make out Siobh, herding the sheep quietly.

Up there in the fields, Siobh didn't know what to think of herself. To someone like Harry, she probably came across as quite outgoing and extroverted, but the truth was that she was quite the opposite. Down in her village, other children called her An Cailín Ciúin; The Quiet Girl. Siobh only ever went down there for school or if her parents sent her down for errands, but other than that, she preferred to look after the crops and animals. She didn't do this because she was anti-social, or because she was bullied, but because she was ashamed.

Ashamed that she struggled with even the most basic Lightwork skills.

Waving a sheep off with her Crook, Siobh sat down and took off her broach. Looking at it when she felt like this only made her feel more miserable, but she couldn't help it. The first thing young Tuatha learned was metalworking, usually with soft metals like bronze or tin. Practically everyone in Siobh's class had gotten the hang of it pretty quickly, but not her. She tended to panic if something went wrong, which would then quickly go to her head. It didn't help either that she'd be moved to the top of the room so her teachers could help her more, but in reality it only made things worse. Being up there with the brightest of the bunch, designing and creating their prototypes effortlessly, hadn't done wonders for Siobh's self esteem.

She'd panicked when she'd lost control of the fire, the broach she wore now having been her tenth attempt that week. In desperation, she'd pulled it out and dumped it into the water, hence the petrified bronze droplets that decorated it haphazardly. She'd forced herself to be proud of it, and her parents had clapped her on the back and said well done, but Siobh felt their smiles had been forced. It had taken her a whole extra month to complete it, the last of her class to do so..

And then there was her damn crook-!

Siobh was shaken from her thoughts by the sound of something plodding up behind her. She knew who it was instantly, turning to pat Boru on the side of his head. He was an Irish Wolfhound, and helped tend to the sheep around their fields. A great big lanky thing, Boru and Siobh had a close bond. The hound was older, much older, than she was and had acted as her protector when she was young. Boru was also completely blind, though it didn't stop him from performing his duties as a sheepdog in the slightest.

Boru sat down and licked the top of Siobh's head affectionately, being much taller than her. The girl felt her doubts melt away, to be confronted another time when she heard some more nervous footsteps approach. Boru looked over lazily, though Harry felt his empty eyes study him intently. Even the sheep had paused to look at the stranger, as he extended a hand and helped Siobh to her feet.

'Y-Your Dad says we-we're going now..!' he murmured, though the eagerness in his voice was evident. Siobh grinned and looked to Boru, whose head was bowed in apprehension even as he continued to pant away lazily. Harry had to step back, the hounds breath didn't exactly smell great.

'Táim ag tabhairt an buachaill abhaile lena athair!' Siobh explained, and Boru let out a loud whine at her words, following the children as they went back down towards the barn.

'..He's s-sad..' Harry said, looking back to see Boru plodding along dejectedly behind them.

'I didn't tell him I would be leaving,' Siobh explained, 'He's pretty protective of me, and he had enough time he might have had something to say about it!'

Boru grunted behind them, as if confirming Siobh's words. She turned and stuck her tongue out cheekily, as they entered the barn to find Derbhla and Ruadrí talking together quietly. They were evidently having a private moment, so Siobh and Harry held back. The boy was able to see Ruadrí's hands from here though, and could see that they were still covered in blood. Derbhla didn't seem to mind holding them though, and kissed her husband before she turned to the children. Ruadrí, meanwhile, put on a pair of brown woollen gloves.

'I've brought your things down for you!,' she explained, lifting up Harry's bag and patting a sack inside the wagon before she came over. Boru whined loudly again, wagging his tail but Derbhla simply smiled and shook her head, causing the hound to grunt once more.

'Tá sí níos mó ná sean go leor!,' Derbhla laughed, and Siobh's eyes lit up at what Harry assumed was her Mum's confidence in her. Boru moped over to Ruadrí, probably to try and convince him too. Derbhla waved Siobh off as well, before she stepped past Harry and motioned for him to follow. The boy did so, more comfortable with her than Ruadrí for obvious reasons.

'Everything's set,' Derbhla explained kindly, a warm smile on her face, 'You should reach Trollberg in a couple of days and you'll be back with your Mother before you can say presto!' she laughed. Harry bounced on his heels and flapped his hands slightly. He tried to say thank you, knowing it would be rude to leave without doing so..but he couldn't. Some part of him was still nervous of her, or perhaps, nervous of the journey ahead. Derbhla cocked her head slightly, before she kneeled down and opened her arms for a hug. After a bit of hesitation, Harry accepted it.

Her embrace was the warmest thing he had ever felt, and Derbhla's hair tickled his nose a little as he settled. She wasn't his Mum, but she was a Mum and being in a Mother's loving embrace pushed Harry over the point of tears. Derbhla felt his shoulders rack weakly, as she pressed a hand to the back of his head and closed her eyes, soothing him softly, rocking him back and forth gently. Finally, Harry's nerves gave way, allowing him to speak freely.

'Th-Thank y-you..!,' he sniffled, 'Thank you!,' looking up at her. Derbhla smiled, passing a hand through his fringe as Harry forced himself to pull away. As much as he wanted to stay, his real family was waiting for him up above. Derbha tugged on his sleeve though, and offered Harry something from her palm. On closer inspection, he saw that it was a coin, decorated with the Great Tree, Danu, that Siobh had told him about.

'The world isn't always what it seems,' Derbhla said cryptically, 'If you or your family ever need help, please, don't hesitate. If you rub the tree with your thumb three times over, my family will answer your call,' she explained, caressing Harry's cheek. The boy nodded silently, studying the coin as they walked over to join Siobh and Ruadrí, already in the wagon. Hopping up onto the back, Siobh helped Harry inside and her Mum kissed her on the forehead.

'Don't doubt yourself my uan,' she smiled, tousling her hair, 'But don't do anything your father wouldn't do either!,' she warned, as Boru stood up between them to get some pats from the children. He whined a little once more, but seemed to understand he couldn't change anything now. Ruadrí cracked the reins, and the carriage set off out of the barn. The Sun was still rising, and Derbhla followed them out to the front gate with Boru, waving them off as they turned down the dirt track.

'May the wind be at your backs! ádh mór!, go n-éirí leat!' Derbhla called out, though Harry's attention was more focused on the horizon in front of them, an endless sea of green fields with homes dotted around haphazardly. The road would be long, the journey unpredictable, but he put his faith in Siobh and Ruadrí to get them through whatever obstacles that lay ahead. Siobh twiddled her crook nervously, and she felt Harry place his hand on top of hers. Taking it, she gave him a firm smile, casting one last look over at her Cottage as it disappeared out of sight.

Harry soon noticed the cluster of buildings not far off in the distance, and the top of a great tree that poked out over all of them in the centre. As they approached, they passed more and more people, sometimes walking alone or chatting with another. As they drew closer to the village, Harry's attention was caught by the stone pillar sitting in the middle of the road, with a man sitting on top of it. With one leg over the other, he had a long, messy beard and raised a silent hand to stop them in their tracks.

'That's one of the Fianna from another village,' Siobh explained, 'Remember how Mum said they go about fighting each other from other towns? That's one we caught a few months ago, we sentenced him to traffic stops for all eternity!,' she giggled, though Ruadrí gave her disapproving look.

'Don't tell fibs, Siobh. We only said half an eternity after all!,' he chuckled, as the man silently directed more traffic ahead of them. Harry wondered why they needed such measures, but soon noticed a bunch of flowers tied to the wall next to them. Evidently, accidents had happened before. Ruadrí cracked the reins once more and they were off, and he felt Siobh nudge him. His friend offered him a cloak with a hood, and Harry understood immediately. His blue hair would definitely cause them to be slowed down by curious onlookers.

The boundary of the village was marked by a low stone wall, put together by hand with stones of several shapes and sizes. A guard post stood to one side, with its occupant looking vigilant as they studied the horizon. Harry trembled slightly looking at the massive spear in his hand, and the man suddenly locked eyes with him. Harry felt his heart leap into his throat, but the warrior simply gave a wink and a smile before they continued on.

'This is our sleepy little village..,' Siobh murmured, hunched over slightly and resting her crook on her lap. She had a hood on her own woollen white cloak, and swung the hood over her head like Harry had done. Before he had time to worry about it though, the carriage jostled slightly, bringing them to a stop. Ruadrí muttered something, and it soon became clear as to why. There was a long line of carriages in front of them, curving with the cobbled road that ran through the town. They couldn't see the cause, but Ruadrí turned around and took a small sack from his cloak. He tossed it towards them and Siobh caught it. Harry noticed the stop was slightly stained with blood.

'Go and find out what's happening up there, and get yourselves something nice on the way back!,' he called out, the sleepy little village being anything but. Horses whinnying, people laughing and chatting, the loud sound of music coming from somewhere. All the noise was a bit much for Harry, and he only moved once he noticed Siobh was halfway out the carriage. He hopped down after her, and they made their way along the line of horses. The first thing he noticed was just how clean the road was.

'That's cause you guys don't know how to house train your horses!,' Siobh explained when asked. She sounded jolly, but her voice was strained. Harry wondered briefly if she was like him, hating little things like a chair being pulled across the floor and whatnot. Before he could linger on it for any longer, he jumped at the loud sound of voices in front of them calling Siobh's name. She stopped, and Harry heard her sigh loudly, gripping the crook tightly.

'Don't worry,' she assured, looking back at Harry, 'They're just people who think we're friends..'

Harry looked around her to see two near-identical children, both fair with sandy blonde hair. A boy and a girl, they were both dressed in cream tunics, with the girl wearing a light brown dress. Unlike Siobh, they both seemed lively and full of optimism, soaking up the merriment of the village around them. When they reached them, they started chattering away to Sobh in their language, while Harry hung back awkwardly.

'Long time no see!,' the boy grinned, 'Aoife and I were just up selling our chicken eggs!'

'Great!,' Siobh replied, pretending to care, 'I hate to rush, but we need to see what's causing this jam up here..we're taking my cousin back to his family!,' she added quickly, realising she had just dragged Harry into the conversation. The girl looked around her to Harry, raising an eyebrow.

'Cousin? Can't say we've seen him in the village yet! Don't tell me you've just had him working the fields!,' she laughed. Siobh rummaged within herself for an answer, while Harry had detached himself from the conversation entirely. His attention was on a tall figure, on the second floor of a thatched building. Said place seemed to be a restaurant or pub, with people eating or being served food outside. The figure lay on the windowsill within, probably like the wide one Siobh had in her room, and wore a wide cloak. Only some tall boots, not unlike the one's Ruadrí wore, were visible.

They looked like they were asleep, and Harry would have thought the same thing..if his gut didn't tell him he was being watched. He knew what it felt like, His Dad would often give him a wicked side eye, filled with contempt before he'd lash out at him. This stranger fit the bill exactly, and even though Harry couldn't see their face, he was certain they were staring back. The world around him became more echoey as he zeroed in on the stranger, when the sounds suddenly exploded around him once more. Harry jolted backwards, having felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

'Oh, sorry!' Aoife laughed, before she offered Harry a small, crudely made wooden doll. Not wanting to seem rude, Harry held off his nerves and took the doll. He nodded a thanks and the girl smiled, before she and her sibling went up the road.

'Bye Siobh!' the boy called back. Siobh simply waved, saying nothing. Once they were gone, she looked at Harry apologetically.

'Sorry..I didn't know she was going to that..' she murmured, but Harry simply shrugged as they continued on their way. As he put the doll into his pocket, he felt one of its legs give way. The thing really hadn't been made to last.

'W-Who were th-they?'

'Oh, Angus and Aoife..to be honest, I'm a bit of a loner around here. They just decided to be my friends one day. It's nice, but sometimes I find them a little overbearing..'

'..at least t-they're nice,' Harry muttered to himself.

'At least they're nice,' Siobh nodded, 'But let's not linger on it,' she said forcefully as they reached the end of the village. There was a group gathered at the end of the line of carts, and Siobh nodded towards the wall so they could sit down and listen. Again, Harry didn't have a clue what was being said, but he did hear one word being repeated constantly; Tuireann.

'A Man of Tuireann is to pass through these gates, I have foreseen it!' A plump man yelled from atop another stone pillar, kicking away a ladder that someone was trying to use to reach him. As the crowd beneath him grumbled, Siobh saw that it was no ordinary traffic attendant either, but rather the local Druid.

'At this time of day, at this time of year and in this tiny little town!?' A woman snapped back angrily, 'The Men of Tuireann only strike between dusk and dawn, in the middle of winter!'

'They will strike anytime if you pay them well enough!,' The Druid declared, 'I have foreseen that a Man of Tuireann will pass through these gates and until he is found and driven from the village, none may pass whatsoever! I decree it!'

'W-Who's "chur-in",' Harry asked nervously, breaking Siobh's concentration.

'A cult of assassins,' she grimaced, 'They go from village to village looking for grudges to buy..looking for people who want to see their own kin dead. But at the same time, they haven't been around for years. The Fianna got together and kicked them out of their dens. Our old Druid up there is a bit cooky!,' Siobh explained, tapping the side of her head, 'Just..he can be a bit stubborn too, I don't know how long we'll be here..'

'M-Maybe you could tr-try to t-talk..? Y-You're a Dr-Druid..right?'

'There's a fine line between learning to be a Druid and actually being one' Siobh replied stiffly, '..But I suppose we could give it a shot' she added quickly, as Harry recoiled slightly at her tone. They both hopped off the wall and made their way towards the crowd. Siobh raised her crook high in the air, catching the attention of her stubborn elder.

'Oh? What have we here?' he remarked, shuffling to face them, 'Children playing magic tricks, that's what!,' he exclaimed, causing a murmur of laughter to float through the crowd. Siobh gripped her crook tightly, while Harry looked around anxiously. At that moment, he thought he saw a shadow dart through the entrance behind him, but before he could try to get Siobh's attention she was already talking.

'Venerable Druid..I don't claim to know better than you, but at the same time a lot of people are being held up by this, including my family! You see..we took in this boy not long ago, and we're honourbound to return him to his family!,' she explained, gesturing to Harry, who looked about, blinking in befuddlement. The Druid shifted forward, managing to stick to the edge of the pillar despite his size and the fact anyone else would have fallen off.

'It is a matter of my honour that this village be kept safe!' he retorted, 'And the threat has not yet passed!'

'Would you have everyone come out of the village then!?' a voice called out angrily from the crowd. The Druid twisted about and jabbed his crook at the offender.

'I curse you with worms falling out of your nose for a fortnight!'

'Argh!'

A man went running from the crowd back towards the village. The Druid swivelled back towards Harry and Siobh, looking immensely satisfied.

'I shall not be moved until the threat has passed, or until something greater requires my attention!' he declared, drawing a collective groan from the crowd. Harry found himself dejected and quite frustrated too. He was finally on the road back to his Mum and sister, only for some wacko Druid to get in their way chasing assassins. Choosing his disappointment over anger, he pulled one of his model trains from his pocket and began rolling it up and down the weathered surface of the pillar.

'What's that racket!?,' the Druid demanded, peering over the side, 'What in the heavens has that lad got there?'

Harry froze up when he felt all eyes on him and his little green train. Siobh noticed the opportunity as curious murmurings took over the crowd, and went for it.

'I think it's called a..car-?'

't-train..!' Harry whispered to her quickly, catching on to what she was doing, 'Faster t-than a h-horse!'

'A train! Faster than the quickest stallion of Tara!' Siobh declared to the crowd, exaggerating things slightly. It had the intended effect, and the crowd ooo'd in curiosity. The Druid in particular was intrigued, fingers scratching his hairy beard in excitement.

'Surely such an object requires my attention!' he said giddily, reaching for the toy. Harry didn't have any intention of handing one of his beloved toys over though, and pulled away, anger dawning on his face. A tension came over the crowd, and the Druid's face became stone-like. Before anything could happen, though, a familiar voice cut in.

'A Druid stealing children's toys? Never thought I would see the day!'

Ruadrí had appeared, seemingly from nowhere. The Druid snapped out of his trance and darted back to the top of the pillar as the crowd redirected their ire onto him.

'Ruadrí's right!'

'Leave the boy alone!'

'Alright! Alright! I admit my curiosity got the best of me!,' The Druid conceded, standing up, 'But the threat of Tuireann has not passed-!'

He stopped himself, and his eyes narrowed towards the gate. He peered at the top of his crook, and then holding it sheepishly in both hands, he chuckled awkwardly at the top of his perch.

'Oh..well, my vision tells me that the threat has gone..it means the assassin has slipped through our fingers!' he declared, trying to salvage some credit. Having enough, the crowd surged towards the pillar, shouting angrily. Ruadrí pulled Siobh and Harry back, as people stood on each other's shoulders to get at the Druid. With a click of his fingers though, he shapeshifted into a owl and flew back towards the village, crook held between his beak. A member of the crowd took up direction duty, while Ruadrí and the children hurried back towards their carriage.

'What was he on about? Tuireann?' Ruadrí breathed as they chambered on board and he cracked the reins. Siobh and Harry found a bag of sweets waiting for them in their seat, which hadn't been there before.

'The Men of Tuireann,' Siobh explained, 'Y'know, the assassins! It wasn't that long ago that the Fianna took them out!'

'Yes..,' Ruadrí murmured, 'Druids..they spend too much time in their huts brewing away their potions, the fumes go to their head I think!' He laughed as they made their way out of town. Harry and Siobh picked away at the sweets, rubbery jellies that reminded Harry of bouncy balls, and which were exploding with flavour.

'Don't eat those all at once!,' Ruadrí called back, 'I went down to the crossroads when the shopkeep told me he hadn't seen you in!'

'For the best I say!,' Siobh grinned mischievously as she took the bag of coins from her cloak and waved it in front of Harry. With a click of her father's fingers though, they were back in his hand. Harry chuckled while Siobh grumbled a little and they settled down. She nodded at his pocket and Harry took out his train, holding it out for her to take. Siobh did so, spinning the wheels over and over with her thumbs.

'We've got a long road ahead of us, why don't you help kill time and tell Dad and I all about these trains of yours!' she grinned eagerly, all her old doubts from earlier being buried, for now.

'Okie dokie!' Harry grinned, pulling his bag out from under them. As Siobh soon struggled to understand his excited babble, a shadow followed them along the treeline, twigs breaking silently under its boots and wildlife cowering in their burrows before them. The Assassin had to stop eventually, but watched as the wagon carrying their cargo and their target disappeared over the crest of a hill. As the girl had said, the road ahead was long, and its bends would be many and unpredictable. They would have time. Yes, they would have plenty of time…

Authors Notes:

Hi FanFic! Sorry I didn't get to post this last week, for some reason typing into google gets you the mobile site instead of the actual one. My dumbass couldn't figure out what was wrong, plus I was stressing over assignments at the time. On the brightside, you get two parts this week, 9 and 10!

Part 9 and finally Harry is headed back towards Hilda and Johanna! For a long time, this was the area where I stopped writing as I wanted to put a bit more detail into Siobh and her family, so everything beyond is as fresh to me as it is to you!

Location change! Trollberg has been relocated to the Isle of Man (or Isle of Trollberg now). I updated Part 7 to say as much, where Harry and Siobh are looking over the map in her room, so feel free to check it out!

Speaking of Siobh, as this chapter shows she isn't exactly the best at doing magic (Lightwork). I did this cause A) I wanted there to be more risk and having two powerful magic guys protecting Harry would juts mean he's safe for the rest of the story. B) I wanted Siobh to be more than just a friend to the protagonist. She's one of my favourite parts of this fic alongside Witch Johanna, and I have more planned for her in this AU after this story wraps up!

Like in part 7, I'll also be translating the Irish in this chapter. The words in italics, such as when Siobh is talking to Angus and Aoife, mean that they're speaking in Irish to one another in the story.

'Tá mé ag tabhairt an buachaill abhaile le Athair!' = 'I am taking the boy home with Father!' (Siobh tells Boru that she is taking Harry back home with Ruadrí, much to his dismay) (Fun fact: This initially said "To his Father" instead of "With Father" which would have meant Harry was getting sent back to Tadgh (oops)

'Tá sí níos mó ná sean go leor!' = 'She is more than old enough!' (Derbhla telling Boru that Siobh is allowed go on the journey)

'Uan' = 'Lamb' (This is Derbhla and Ruadrí's pet name for Siobh)

'ádh mór!, go n-éirí leat!' = 'Good luck! All the best!' (Derbhla saying goodbye. This words also mean the same thing, so to an Irish speaker she'd just be saying "good luck, good luck!" but the message is still the same. Also the line "may the wind be at your back" is also part of a traditional Irish blessing.

And with that your Irish lesson is over! Hope you paid attention cause there's a quiz next chapter /j, where we'll be taking a break from the usual format of Harry-Hilda-Harry-etc, as I want to move things on a little. Harry and Siobh are on the road now, but Tadgh and the Men of Tuireann are on their tail. And as it turns out, the assassins might be closer than they think..

Good luck, take care and see you all next week!