In a wooded area not far from Siobh's village, Tadgh was thrown face down into the mud, his sword rolling away from him. A figure behind him tsk'd under his breath, about the same height as Tadgh and covered in a black cloak that concealed their face. Tadgh struggled to his feet and clicked his fingers towards his weapon, but the sword just bounced limply. Before he could try again, another figure charged Tadgh from his left, knocking him over and sending him back into the mud.

'..Bastard..!,' Tadgh gasped, winded as he reached out and grabbed the handle of his blade. He rolled over and threw the sword at his latest attacker, but they simply jerked their head to one side, allowing the blade to spin past them and crash into the other end of the clearing.

'What do we possibly have to gain from bringing him along? He is fat and weak!' the second cloaked figure spat angrily at the first, 'Too much time spent in the luxury of the old world!,' they said mockingly, pointing their sword at Tadgh. Enraged, but knowing not to push his luck, Tadgh took the insult as another figure strode into the clearing. They pulled back their hood to reveal they were a fair, brown haired man with brilliant orange eyes, who approached the short figure and kneeled before them.

'Rise and speak,' they hissed. Tadgh felt the hair stand up at the back of his neck as they did. He wasn't afraid, but every time this assassin spoke it made his skin crawl. The taller one seemed nervous of them as well, sweat forming on his brow even as he remained smiling.

'I observed our target leaving the village, going along the north road,' he explained, rising to his full height, 'They had two children with them and a wagon full of supplies, they'll probably be on the road for a couple of days or more'

'We pack at once,' the short one rasped, sheathing his sword and doing a wolf-whistle. Two more figures leapt from makeshift tents that were propped up at the centre of clearing, quickly taking them down and stuffing them into packs. Tadgh watched impatiently, making his away around the clear up to retrieve his sword while the short leader and another assassin hurried off into another part of the wood.

So far, Tadgh's time with the Men of Tuireann had been a nightmare. He'd been forced to sleep outside in the clearing, given little to eat and drink as well as having the snot beaten out of him. The assassins seemed far more interested in who Harry was travelling with rather than Harry himself, despite Tadgh's insistence that his son be the focus of their operation. Tadgh loathed the idea of being a lackey, but knew he had been put in that role already. He was probably just a convenient way for these murderers to get to their target, whoever the hell that was..

'I'm surprised you fit into that,' someone remarked, the man who has just returned from the village. Tadgh spun around angrily, baring his sword, but was immediately outplayed. He felt the cold of steel against his neck before he even had time to raise his weapon. The man's eyes glistened as he grinned maniacally, before he brought his blade away. He was the same one who had recruited Tadgh in the pub the other day, and the only one who seemed to care somewhat about his mission.

'I saw your son y'know,' he remarked casually, leaning lazily against a tree, 'He was staring up at me through the window I was in. Scrawny little thing, he was, don't you feed him?' he asked, putting on an exaggerated tone of concern. Tadgh paused briefly, then grunted as he sheathed his weapon.

'He didn't eat much, he never took to the old world,' he shrugged, trying to sound casual. The man chuckled briefly, probably seeing through his lie as the leader and the other assassin returned, each guiding two black horses. Tadgh was fast growing tired of not knowing who was who, and reluctantly turned back to the messenger. They were watching him intently, passing the sword casually in between his gloved hands. Tadgh had wondered briefly why they hadn't been made to pack up camp, but had been quick to realise their purpose; watching him and making sure he didn't move against his "allies".

'I didn't catch any of yer names..'

'Tuireann,' they replied simply, pointing with his sword at each Man of Tuireann as they finished packing the camp, 'Each and every one of us are Tuireann, we give up everything to join his order, including our names,' he explained. Tadgh nodded slowly, casting a curious eye over the others. He had grown up on the old myths when he was young, the tales of heroic Fianna or crafty Druids facing these Assassins. The tales had never given much explanation as to how these enemies had functioned, and now Tadgh would learn first hand.

'You, large one,' the Lead Tuireann snarled, looking comedically short on his horse, 'Ride with our brother there and be quick about it!,' he ordered hoarsely as the brown haired man hopped up onto his steed.

'Will we be able to get another one? I'm not some useless damsel in distress!,' Tadgh moaned, but the Leader simply drew back his cloak, revealing the hilt of his sword. Audibly swallowing his pride, Tadgh heaved himself up onto the horse, which grunted at his weight. With a crack of the reins, the Men of Tuireann sprang forward, galloping fiercely through the undergrowth. Tadgh was forced to cling onto Tuireann's waist for dear life, but Tuireann himself didn't seem bothered, pulling up his hood.

'I'm afraid you are a damsel!,' they laughed mockingly, 'You wouldn't last a second out there by yourself! The Gatekeepers know your face and would have you in no time!'

'H-Haven't s-seen t-them y-yet!,' Tadgh barked back, the bounce of the horse causing him to stutter. The man threw back his head in laughter, causing Tadgh to lurch back almost too far. Smirking at the momentary appearance of fear on his passengers face, Tuireann returned to talking.

'Oh, not yet, but soon! They're walking through the lanes and towns, asking anyone and anything if they've seen a bumbling fool like yourself!,' Tuireann jeered as they continued to thunder through the forest. Tadgh's blood boiled and he thought about trying to crash the horse, but decided against it. Horses had a mind of their own in the Otherworld, chances were that he'd be only one tossed off and with the speed they were going at, he'd probably be killed instantly.

'We're going underground!,' One of the Tuireanns called from the front. Tadgh copied his accompanying Tuireann, ducking as the ground below them seemed to sink gradually. Finally, they were engulfed by darkness and the thick smell of soil, as the charge continued unceasingly into the unknown, as Harry and company blissfully continued on their way up above..

The cart trundled along the country roads, about a couple of hours outside of Siobh's village by now. Ruadrí cast an eye back at Harry and Siobh, still going over all of Harry's mementoes, though the conversation had shifted somewhat to general facts about the world Harry had fallen down from. Their bag of bouncy ball jellies remained dutifully unfinished, though Siobh had had to fight Harry a little so she could put them away.

'People fly in these!?,' Siobh asked, bewildered, looking up from Harry's crude drawing of an aeroplane, 'Geez..it must stink in there with all those people..'

'I-I've never b-been in one..,' Harry murmured, 'P-People go in these b-big boats too..we c-call them ferries! O-One use to dock i-in town..'

'Ugh..don't talk to me about ferries..,' Siobh muttered, sticking out her tongue, 'My parents and I went out on this popular lake when I was young. I got so seasick that they had to drop a lifeboat and row us back..'

'The most worried I've ever seen your Mother!,' Ruadrí called over, 'You threw up almost two days worth of food I reckon!,' he explained, laughing as he did. Siobh looked back up the road silently at his words, her Father's laugh making her smile, but a sadness also took hold as well.

'Are you sad?,' Harry asked blankly and his friend nodded, rolling one of his toy trains back and forth with one finger.

'..I miss Mum and Boru' Siobh explained softly, 'And I've never actually left our village before..usually just kicked around on the farm cause that's the only thing I'm good at..'

Harry remembered what Ruadrí had asked him about back in the barn, if Siobh had used any magic when they had been harvesting the vegetables. He hadn't answered, worried she might have gotten in trouble, but it made a lot more sense now. Looking back at Ruadrí, he didn't seem to have heard their quiet words over the noise of the cart.

'Y-You're good at-at magic..!' Harry added awkwardly, trying to cheer her up. It had the complete opposite effect though, and Siobh's face quickly bubbled up in emotion. As she began to sniffle, Harry felt himself panic when the cart suddenly came to a stop. Frightened that Ruadrí was annoyed that he had upset his daughter, Harry looked around fearfully. Instead, he saw that they had stopped outside of a lone building on the side of the road. He felt Siobh nudge him, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand.

'It's a roadside tavern..,' she sniffed, 'You see them all the time, they're for people going on long journeys like us!,' she explained. Her jolly attitude had returned and Harry decided to roll with it, stomach growling as they hopped off the back of the cart. Harry had slung his bag around his shoulder, and was surprised to see that they were just leaving the cart out in the open. It also struck him that there was still plenty of food in the cart.

'W-Why are we e-eating here?' he asked Siobh, holding the door open for her.

'Oh, we have plenty of food, Dad just wants a coffee is all!' she explained as Harry followed her inside and was immediately deafened by all the noise. The tavern was alive with laughter and chat, and most of it seemed to be coming from one group in particular. There were about ten of them, sitting around a corner table all laughing and drinking. They ranged in appearance, shapes and sizes, with some being shirtless altogether. Ruadrí led Harry and Siobh over to a booth on the other, with Harry's hands clamped over his ears the whole way.

'Those are the Fianna,' Ruadrí explained, Harry barely being able to hear him over the din, 'They're harmless, don't worry. I'm just going to have a drink to boost the energy levels, then we'll have some lunch outside before we set off again!'

Harry nodded timidly, as a jaded looking waitress came over with three menus tucked under her arm. Ruadrí declined the menus, ordering a simple coffee and some hot milk to go along with it. The woman smiled tiredly, probably glad they wouldn't have to cook more as a chef came out from the kitchen carrying six plates of food. As the waitress prepped Ruadrí's coffee, the Fianna tucked in and went through six plates in under two minutes, adding them to an ever increasing pile.

'And do you know where the bathroom is?' Ruadrí asked politely once she returned. The woman nodded towards two doors at the end of the room, and lingered once Ruadrí got up and left.

'He's dressed like an assassin!' she laughed in Irish. Harry didn't understand a word, but Siobh just smiled a little at a remark. What she was really focused on was how the noise had just..stopped. The Fianna had stopped their laughing, eating and drinking to look over towards their booth suspiciously. A tall, dark, well built man with a shiny bald head rose to his feet.

'Are there assassins?' he demanded with a booming voice, as several hands went for the hilts of their swords. The woman sighed and shook her head, pinching her eyes with thumb and forefinger.

'No, there are no assassins,' she sighed, throwing her head up to the sky, 'It's all ye've been talking about for the past hour!' she exclaimed, stalking back off to the kitchen. The man sat back down and the Fianna murmured among themselves for a minute, before they returned to their laughter. Harry just sat there, not having a clue what had just been said. He looked to SIobh for answers, but his friend just shrugged, not wanting to unnerve him with the talk of assassins.

'W-What are t-those words..,' Harry asked, walking his fingers along the table, 'I..I've n-never h-heard them..'

'It's Irish,' Siobh explained casually, 'It's the language we speak down here, but we learn English too cause most people falling down here don't speak it'

'Well explained, Siobh,' Ruadrí remarked as he sat down, Harry smelling the soap off his hands. The Fianna's conversation simmered down again as he returned, but quickly picked back up again. Ruadrí regarded them briefly as he sipped his tea, before he set it down again and beckoned the children in close.

'I heard everything,' he explained, 'Talk of assassins..'

'A-Assassins..!?,' Harry breathed, gripping the edge of the table, 'L-Like the D-Druid was-was talking a-about!?'

Ruadrí glanced at him sheepishly, realising that Siobh probably hadn't clued him in as his daughter gave him a frosty look. He chuckled, patting her on the shoulder as Harry glanced between them worriedly.

'Ah, see, adults make mistakes too!,' he grinned, before looking at Harry, 'There's likely no assassins, but the Fianna are vigilant. It took a while to smoke the Men of Tuireann out of their fox holes..,' he muttered. Harry nodded, as Siobh shot him an apologetic look. Ruadrí waved his hand casually, moving the conversation on. Outside, Harry looked out to see that the Sun was starting to dip, lighting up the fields. Harry's internal clock was skewed by this, usually lunch meant it was early in the afternoon, right? When asked, Siobh laughed, kicking her legs under the table.

'Course not! You guys don't eat much up there!' she giggled, 'If this was the other way around, and you had to get me home, I'd probably starve to death!,' she joked morbidly. Still, Harry smiled, his brief glance away from the window allowing a shadowy figure to dart back towards the treeline.

'Well, Tuireann?,' the stumpy leader hissed. This Tuireann, a slender dark woman, slumped down against a tree, breathing heavily from the quick dashing she had to do so as to not be seen. She hadn't been with Tadgh and the others initially; rather they had joined up with another group of assassins en route. Now, their numbers stood at ten including Tadgh.

'They're in there,' she nodded, 'The cart didn't have any sign of your brat, but I saw him in there,' she said to Tadgh, who simply shrugged at the remark.

'Brat now..warrior later..,' he muttered, hand on top of his sword, 'What are we waiting for then? Let's get in there and do what we need to do!,' he growled, but the words were hardly out of his mouth when the lead Tuireann drew his blade and brought it within inches of Tadgh's throat.

'You decide nothing!,' he rasped, and a few specks of blood appeared on his cloak, such was his fury, 'There is more to this, speak quickly, woman!' he demanded, bringing the sword to the tip of her nose. She looked remarkably unshaken and went on without a quaver in her voice.

'There are a band of Fianna in there too, about ten. They're looking for assassins, I heard them stop their revels to ask,' she explained. The remaining three assassins glanced at each other and even Tadgh swallowed. He knew the Fianna were a force to be reckoned with, even with a few drinks in them. They'd probably have to deal with the staff at the Tavern as well.

'And our target is certain to fight as well..,' the Leader muttered, '..taking one of the runts captive wouldn't work, we are simply too few. I decree we wait in shadow, wait until they rest their tired minds and then strike at once!,' he declared. The Assassins crept away, though Tadgh remained where he was. Moving closer to the edge of the treeline, he saw Harry's face looking out the window again. The smile on his face, his eyes full of happiness, made Tadgh grit his teeth. Because, from his perspective, his rat of a son had deserted him and now Tadgh had to hide in the dirt with a bunch of outlaws. Clenching his fists and following the others, Tadgh swore to make his son pay for smiling at his predicament..

After leaving the tavern, Harry and company remained outside for the evening, making themselves a hearty lunch. Harry had gotten particularly creative, most of his meals having been a mouldy single cheese sandwich. Siobh and Ruadrí had watched with a mix of mirth and sadness, as Harry combined butter and jam, scoffed a ham and cheese with peanut butter before trying (and failing) to eat a lemon slice. By the end, he was lying flat on his back, stomach full and mind weary. Siobh joined him, staring up at the blackening sky as Ruadrí cracked the reins and they continued on.

'I..I like the stars too..,' Harry murmured, 'I-It's weird..we're underground..right?'

'Our worlds are linked,' Ruadrí called over, 'You could find a road identical to this one back in your world, and at night the barrier between them is weakened, so we can all see the stars!'

'You probably have different names for them though..,' Siobh yawned, 'I mean..I assume you do..I'm not one of those loopy star types..'

'Do you think I'm loopy..,' Harry asked, looking at her like a hurt puppy. Siobh laughed and shook her head, before she sat up and Harry joined her. He slowly began pointing out what he knew once he found them, pointing out Mars and Jupiter, along with the great bears Ursa Major and Minor. Siobh's eyes narrowed at his point, brow furrowed in confusion as Ruadrí sighted the rest stop where they'd be spending the night.

'Some fella said how many years ago that was a bear!? And people believed him!?' she guffawed, crossing her arms and shaking her head when Harry nodded, 'Nah, I don't believe you! Are people up there stupid enough to just believe everything they hear!?'

'Siobh! Be respectful!' Ruadrí cajoled, though he was chuckling at the same time.

'I mean, what do you see, then?,' his daughter asked haughtily. Ruadrí slowed the carriage down as he looked up at the night sky, more stars appearing by the minute as the Sun met the Moon with a clash of purple. Harry and Siobh waited for his wisdom quietly, and both leaned forward in anticipation when he turned away.

'I see a frog' Ruadrí said calmly.

'A frog!? How in the world can you see a frog!?' Siobh exclaimed, throwing her arms wide and barely missing Harry as she did.

'The world can be whatever you make of it,' her Father replied wistfully, 'Think over that as you sleep tonight, we're at the rest stop here now'

The rest stop was a wide, flat field of grass that already had a few other carts inside, covered over with tall white sheets. Harry could make out a small orange glow coming from some of them, probably lights, as Ruadrí paid a bored looking man who was standing guard at the gate. Once they had picked out a spot, Harry followed after Siobh and helped pull out a large frame, which she and her Father then affixed to the sides of the wagon. Once Ruadrí caused it to jump up with a couple clicks of his fingers, Siobh pulled out the cover from under the seats, turning to Harry eagerly.

'This is the best part, I've seen kids doing it down in the village! Just go around the otherside there and I'll throw it over to you!'

Harry quickly figured out what she meant, watching as Siobh hurried around the otherside with the bundle in her hands. She rolled it out onto the ground, and began to spin herself around. Harry readied himself, eyes fixed to the top of the frame when Siobh finally let go. The cover flew over the top, draping downwards steadily. Harry bent his knees and leapt at it expectantly, however, the cover stopped just above his hand. Panicking, Harry might have face planted into the frame if not for Ruadrí's quick intervention. With a couple of snaps, he'd caught him and brought Harry back down to the ground safely.

'T-Thank you..!'

'No bother,' Ruadrí smiled, returning to tying up the horse, 'Siobh! Come over and pull down the rest of the cover here! I need to take care of Toirneach..'

'Ok!' the girl answered eagerly, running around to Harry's side. Pausing next to her friend, Siobh flexed her fingers, psyching herself up. All she had to do was grab a hold of the sheet with lightwork, and pull it down towards her and Harry. Simple. Super duper simple. Mobilising her confidence, Siobh held up her hand and clicked her fingers. The snap echoed around her head, but for maybe thirty seconds, nothing happened..until the edge of the sheet lifted slightly. Surprised and delighted with herself, Siobh pulled her arm down quickly..but the sheet didn't respond. Instead, it began to sway slowly from side to side and Siobh felt the pit open up in her stomach as she looked towards Harry.

Harry had clicked his fingers quietly during that little delay. He didn't realise he had gotten a hold of the sheet until he moved his hand about absentmindedly, and noticed it moved with him. Siobh became increasingly despondent, stepping away as Harry raised his hand slightly and jerked it downwards, pulling the cover into their reach. Bouncing on his heels, Harry looked happily back at Siobh, who nodded and gave him a strained smile. Quietly, she helped pull down the cover and pin it to the frame, after which she and Harry got back into the wagon.

'I w-wonder if Mum w-would like me d-doing magic..,' Harry murmured dreamily as Siobh lit a candle in the centre of the cart. The girl shrugged, busy being consumed by her doubt and misery. Not being able to pull something with Lightwork was a new low point, even for her. It was something even the youngest Tuatha could do, and now it looked like the kid who hadn't had any training at all was better than her-

Siobh stopped herself, shocked at how far the self-loathing had pulled her. Looking back at Harry, she saw him lying on his stomach, legs swaying in the air as he rolled a model car back and forth. He looked up at her and smiled, rolling over onto his back lazily. Feeling increasingly guilty for almost becoming angry at him, and knowing she needed some air, Siobh excused herself for a walk. Thankfully, Harry didn't join her, tired and grabbing a blanket from underneath the seat to throw over himself.

'Some fresh air?' Ruadrí asked, a slight concern in his voice, 'Sure, you've been getting fresh air all day! Is something wrong?'

'No..just not tired yet I guess,' Siobh shrugged, avoiding eye contact with her Father.

'Right..well, be back in ten minutes. I want to see you both in the wagon before I nod off myself,' he explained. Siobh nodded and wandered off, her Father listening to her click her fingers repeatedly as she did. She must have had a struggle with magic again, he reasoned, promising himself to ask her in private when they had the chance. Siobh's emotions tended to lose the run of themselves if she was asked about it..

After a couple of minutes of clicking, Siobh managed to get a response from herself, her hand lighting up in a dull orange glow. She brought down her crook, and with a twirl of her hand was able to light up its centre, the light shifting to that of a pale white orb. It swung weakly as she walked, as she had tied it on a string. So far, this and the little portals were the most advanced magic she was capable of, and it didn't help that they were on the first pages of the Druid's handbook she had. Any attempts past that either hadn't resulted in anything, or caused the spell to blow up in her face.

A breeze blew through, Siobh shivering slightly as she pulled her cloak tightly around herself. Something felt..off, and such a feeling unnerved Siobh greatly. The Tuatha de Danann took great pride in how safe their lands were, a safety maintained by their strong sense of honour and community justice. Siobh glanced around, wondering if anyone else felt this same sense of unease. Indeed, one or two of the wagons remained lit, the shadows of their occupants cast against the covers. Continuing along the edge of the field, Siobh tried to stifle her worries, trying to put them down to her doubts-

A twig snapped nearby. Siobh spun to her left, heart in her throat as her crook cast a ghostly light over the area, she expected to see a hare or a fox, but what she saw instead terrified her.

A large man with messy black hair and a wild beard stood just a couple of metres away from her, his blue eyes glinting maliciously in the light. He was dressed in a brown tunic that seemed to be struggling to hold his waist, while the black trousers and large boots weren't too dissimilar from what Ruadrí wore. Siobh's eyes didn't linger on them for long though, darting in terror to the sword slung around his waist. When Tadgh seemed to reach for it, she screamed, rushing back towards Harry and her Father.

'MEN IN THE WOODS! MEN IN THE WOODS! ASSASSINS!'

Tadgh was shouldered over by the female Tuireann, who shot him a fowl scowl as she pulled her hood over her shoulders and drew her sword. For a moment, he thought she might be about to kill him, but instead the woman turned away and drew her sword, leaping from the treeline as a cry went out.

'Strike while the iron is hot!,' the stumpy leader rasped and Tadgh scrambled to his feet as the Men of Tuireann leapt into action all around. Siobh's screams had alerted the whole camp, tossing Ruadrí from his drowsiness and causing Harry to sit bolt upright in terror. Practically hyperventilating at the commotion outside, the wagon shook as Ruadrí jumped down next to it. Harry heard the horse gallop off at Ruadrí's orders, shaking as the chaos grew louder. He hunched over, rocking back and forth with his hands over his ears. He tried desperately to convince himself that this was a nightmare, as Ruadrí's voice cut in and the light next to him went out.

'Harry! Stay here! Siobh and I will be back in a minute!'

Harry heard him rush off as the sound of swords clashing echoed around the field. Looking up and about frantically, Harry noticed the gap underneath the seat and squeezed himself under it, holding the model car close to his heaving chest.

Just stay here..Just stay here..They will be back soon..

He wished he had his Mum and sister..

Outside, Siobh's little legs were no match for the speed of the assassins, but they seemed to disregard her as they hurried off towards the rest of the camp, some on horseback. As Siobh coughed up the dirt being kicked in her face, a boot hit her hard in the back, sending her crashing to the ground. She barely managed to get out of its way as it slammed down next to her, where her head had just been..

Her eyes shot up towards the assassin, the moon obscured by their hooded head. She scrambled to her feet, but quickly realised she was being toyed with. The Assassin stomped down on her cloak, pulling it back and causing her to choke. Falling to one knee, Siobh gripped her crook and looked up to see others charging out of their wagons. The Assassins were certainly outnumbered, but it didn't mean anyone was about to come to her rescue. This her opponent seemed to have realised, as a dark laugh emanated from somewhere underneath the hood.

'Stupid child..first to see, first to die..a pity..' they sighed, as they brought the sword upwards. Feeling the seconds slip and her heart pounding in her chest, Siobh felt the adrenaline rush to her head and didn't even register twirling her crook about. Wrenching herself to the right, she brought the top of it crashing into the assassin's knee, just above his boots. There was a grunt of pain, but it only seemed to hinder them a little. The Assassin drove their boot into the ground, choking Siobh further. She clawed at the knot joining her cloak, gasping for air, it seeming her killer was savouring the moment when-

Toirneach the horse thundered through the chaos, and Siobh threw herself to the side as the steed leapt at her attacker. The Assassin was too slow, and Toirneach's head ploughed into his chest, his front hooves crushing the man's legs underneath. As this Tuireann crumpled against a cart, moaning in pain, the stallion spun around and a blow from its hind legs proved instant and deadly.

Siobh witnessed none of this, feeling Toirneach nuzzle her as she watched the unfolding battle in horror. Shaking her head, she regained her senses and her thoughts immediately fell on Harry as she turned and pulled herself up onto Toireneach's back. Steering him around the brawl, she saw the assassins start to scatter, though it wasn't a retreat. They disappeared in between the carts, and soon flames started to engulf the sheets. Forcing herself to look away from the sight, Siobh's attention fell onto a figure lumbering around the corner in front of her; the fat man she'd seen just minutes ago.

He certainly wasn't an assassin, and Siobh was puzzled over what he was doing here. Was he hostage? The Men of Tuireann weren't known for kidnappings..and they would hardly take someone like him on board as a recruit. Whatever he was doing, Siobh knew he was honourbound to help his kin fight off the assassins, and resolved to try and rouse his courage. She grabbed Toirneach's reins and pulled them tightly, hopping off and sending the horse back off to battle. She hurried past a cart, and appeared in front of the man as he reached it. He skidded to a halt, evidently surprised by her appearance.

'What're ya doing!?' Siobh demanded in Irish, 'We need all hands on deck to fight the assassins!'

'You speak Irish?,' the man asked in English, using the lull to peer inside the cart they were standing next to.

'Of course I do!,' Siobh shot back in her native tongue, adjusting her grip on her crook. She was fast realising that he wasn't some coward trying to hide from the action, as the clash of swords rang out intermittently nearby.

'You don't look like someone who'd speak the language,' the man shrugged, before he quickly drew his blade. Siobh stumbled back and threw her crook across herself in a defensive posture. The man growled, crouching down in front of her and pointing the sword towards her throat.

'I don't have time for this,' he snarled, 'I know you have my son, and you don't step aside I'm going to have to hurt you,' his tone one of pure ice. Siobh's eyes went wide at the revelation and she took another step back, though Tadgh remained where he was. This man was Harry's Father, the man who he had said through tears had hurt him and done so much more. Feeling her face flush with a hot anger, Siobh adjusted herself, gritting her teeth as she faced the monster down.

'You're worse than an assassin!'

'LITTLE RAT! DON'T MAKE ME USE THIS!' Tadgh bellowed, jumping up as Harry froze in his hiding spot, his Father's voice shooting through his head like a bullet. Immediately, he felt sick with fear, knowing who was facing his abuser as he tried desperately to get out from under his seat. However, his arm had become wedged under him thanks to the blanket, and he was powerless to move, even as he kicked about wildly, screaming at the top of his lungs.

'SIOBH! SIOBH! SIOBH!'

Siobh looked back instinctively at the sound, and Tadgh used the opportunity to rush her, bashing her aside with one blow of his massive arm. Siobh, however, though winded, managed to reach over Tadgh's arm with the crook, catching his legs in between it and causing him to tumble over face first into the mud. Once again, she felt the adrenaline take over as Tadgh pushed himself up and lunged at her, disregarding the sword as he howled with rage, momentarily distracted from Harry by this insolent little girl.

'YOU BITCH-!

He hadn't even gotten the words out when Siobh smashed her crook into his face. Years of doing manual labour in place of magic on the farm had had one advantage, and it was that Siobh was impressively strong for her age. She carried through on her attack, heaving downwards as she felt the man's face shift under her blow. Tadgh lost his footing, and his head cracked off the side of the cart wheel, giving him a nasty head wound and knocking him unconscious. Siobh stumbled backwards onto her backside, astonished at her strength when another figure suddenly appeared in front of her. Immediately she noticed the high boots of the Assassin, and scrambled desperately to get away only for them to grab her-

'CUNÚS! CUNÚS! LIG LEIS ANOIS-!'

'Uan! Uan! Mise atá ann!'

Siobh gasped, absorbing her Father's voice as he hurried back towards the cart with her, wrapping his arms around her. Siobh felt the flat steel of his sword against her shoulder, looking out wearily to see that the fires had been extinguished, and the assassins seemingly chased off. In fact, she saw one hurry towards Harry's father on horseback. The brute was still unconscious, and the assassin was able to haul him up onto the horse's back before it leapt back into the treeline. Several figures followed after it, shouting angrily. That was the last Siobh saw, as Ruadrí pushed her through the cover into the cart.

'SIOBH!?'

'It's us Harry don't worry!,' Ruadrí gasped, climbing in after his daughter. After a bit of effort, he managed to pull Harry free of his hiding spot, after which the boy immediately flung himself at Siobh, pulling her into a tight hug. Exhausted, she just patted him on the back, eyes closed as she took deep, deep breaths. Ruadrí poured them both a glass of water, and after some swigs Siobh felt she was ready to explain.

'In-In the trees..something snapped a-and I saw this h-huge fat guy..then they a-all leapt out and I ran off screaming..'

'You're a hero, Siobh,' Ruadrí explained, his frown twitching upwards into a smile, 'You interrupted their attack..things could have been much, much worse without you. I know you were off kicking yourself over magic again, and know that I'm incredibly proud of you no matter what'

'Thanks Dad..,' Siobh sniffled, pulling her legs up to her chest.

'M-My Dad..he was o-out there..I h-heard him!,' Harry sobbed, pulling his hair, 'H-He's out to g-get me! H-He wants to-to hurt me!'

'I took care of that,' Siobh stiffly, 'Gave him a test of his own medicine at least,' she explained, nudging her crook with her foot. Harry's eyes went wide when he saw that it was spattered with blood, which Ruadrí picked up to study. The bend at the top had a long crack going down it now, and considering it had been enchanted for extra durability, Siobh must have given the man a savage beating.

'Your father would be stupid to try and come at us again,' he remarked, placing the crook back down. Harry nodded slowly, as a voice called out from the back of the cart. Ruadrí got out to talk to the stranger, as Harry and Siobh shifted closer together, taking a hold of each other's hand.

'Are you ok?' Harry asked. Siobh passed a hand through her fringe and nodded, squeezing his hand a little.

'Yeah..Dad was right I-I was beating myself up about magic..,' she explained quietly, '..But maybe it's not so bad now, since it saved our hides from the Men of Tuireann..'

Harry said nothing, as Ruadrí finished his conversation outside and climbed back in. Behind him, Toirneach the horse poked his head through the opening, studying the children with big sad eyes.

'That was the groundsman, we're going to move the carts in a circle for the night,' Ruadrí explained. Harry and Siobh nodded slowly, and Harry thought he could hear the sound of groaning nearby as Ruadrí hopped back out and the cart slowly trundled off. Once her Father had returned and set up his bed next to them, Siobh knew she couldn't ignore the sheep chewing the carpet, as the Tuatha de Danann said.

'Dad..was anyone hurt?'

'Yes, I'm afraid some were,' Ruadrí said calmly, staring up at the white covering above them, 'But none seriously, just some cuts to the arms and whatnot,' he assured, tousling Siobh's hair. The girl nodded, and after a few minutes she slowly drifted off to sleep. Ruadrí saw that Harry was less content though, his Father's return obviously having shaken him up a great deal. The boy was lying flat on his back, eyes almost glazed over as he took quick, rapid breaths.

'Harry,' Ruadrí interrupted quietly, breaking him out of the trance, 'What happened today was a once off, alright? The road ahead..I know you think it'll be a lot more dangerous now, but it's the last time things will get that hairy, I promise'

Harry continued to stare up at the roof quietly, as the sound of raindrops tapped lightly against the fabric. He still hadn't been entirely sure of Ruadrí even after the trip had started, but now, having seen him go to battle for him, Harry felt he could trust him. Not enough to talk to him like he talked to Siobh, but enough for him to roll over and give Ruadrí a smile. Ruadrí returned it, getting the message, and after a few minutes Harry was settled enough to drift off to sleep.

With both children settled, Ruadrí yawned and began to nod off. His thoughts lingered on Harry's Father. He was a prime recruit for the Men of Tuireann, powerful and corrupted with a vicious anger. If the assassins were able to get him into shape, Ruadrí would be a great deal more worried than he was now. However, such a thing would take time, time that would allow them to get Harry home safely. That was, Ruadrí hoped, there was a home for him to go to. After seeing what sort of man his Father was..there might not be a Mother out there..

Part 10! Things are starting to heat up now as you can see, and you can rest assured that won't be the last beating Tadgh is getting either. As per the format change, we'll be rubberbanding back to Hilda and Johanna's perspective for the next couple parts, after which things will really start to come together. They'll also be getting a tad bit confusing, so stay tuned for a timeline whenever I get the time!

Also, thanks so much for over a thousand views! We passed the mark a while ago, but I'm glad so many people are enjoying Harry's story so far, and as I've said the Boy in The Photo is only the start to a much bigger Hilda AU that I have planned, so stay tuned for that as well!

Thankfully, FanFiction allows much easier photo posting than on A03, so enjoy the picture of Harry and Siobh at the end here! I'll be done college work next week, so hopefully I'll have more time to draw some scenes!

Almost forgot as well, time for your Irish lessons!

'CUNÚS! CUNÚS! LIG LEIS ANOIS-!' = 'Bastard! Bastard! Let go/Let me go now-!' (Turns out Siobh has a bit of a potty moith on her!)

'Uan! Uan! Mise atá ann!' = 'Lamb! Lamb! It's me!' (Ruadrí telling Siobh that it's him. But wait, why did she see an assassins boots?)

With that, that's all from me and again thanks so much for over a thousand views! Good luck, take care and see you all next week!