FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 7: Changing Landscape

In Galway, the capital city of both Connacht and all of Ireland as per Medb's decree, the streets were bustling with activity as townsfolk cooperated with each other to set up some sort of festival or celebration. Enthralled children tied colorful ribbons around the various lamps dotting the roads, women arranged local flowers in large potting plants, and men climbed on ladders to hang up streamers and pennants everywhere. It was a lively scene within the residential neighborhoods, but things were not so jovial in the merchant district. It was practically a daily routine for a customer to shout at a merchant over how expensive their wares were, especially when it came to food. Luckily, it rarely got violent due to the constant presence of the queen's soldiers, who stood guard with such stony expressions that some folks wondered if they were human.

At the castle, the queen and king of Connacht stood upon a balcony looking over the town and the Corrib river. Medb smiled to herself proudly as she brushed some locks of hair aside and said, "Look, Fergus. Everyone must be so busy getting things ready. I can practically hear them scurrying about from way up here."

"Hmm," Fergus murmured. "I must say, a lot of folks must be feeling ruffled after hearing such a sudden announcement yesterday."

"Ruffled? Why do you say that? You make it sound like my decrees are an inconvenience."

"Of course not. It's just that expecting everyone to drop what they're doing and set up their homes for a new Queen's Champion Tournament the following day is going to spark some ire among the populace. Couldn't you have at least given them a week's notice or something so they would have time to prepare?"

"Oh, don't be silly, my love," Medb crooned as she approached him and brushed her hand against his chest. "No matter what my commandments may be, they will do anything in their power to make my wishes a reality. That is how much faith I have in my citizens to be undyingly loyal to me."

"Well sure, but there is a limit to how far a person is willing to bend themselves backward for their ruler. I mean, let's be real here. It's because of the threat your soldiers pose that they're working so hard on such short notice."

"You make it sound like my Red Branch Braves are intimidating the townsfolk. They're doing no such thing. They are simply the queen's eyes and ears, as well as her swords in case anyone tries to challenge Connacht's stability."

Fergus quietly sighed to himself. He knew it was a lie. The soldiers weren't really an offshoot of Ulster's Red Branch Army – they were just being given that name as Medb's way of mocking the otherwise disbanded troop. Furthermore, he was aware of how the Braves actually extorted goods from farmers to pay as 'tribute' to the queen for her 'protection'. During his journeys into the countryside, he would lend his ear to the grievances of local farmers and shepherds who had to give up a portion of their crops and livestock to keep the Braves away from them. That was the reason why food prices were so expensive in the town – the farmers had no choice but to drive up the costs so they could keep working. It had gotten so bad that city folk were forced to steal and barter just to put food on the table. The most impoverished parents were desperate enough to sell their children off as farmhands in exchange for food, or perhaps even worse.

Fergus wondered if Medb even understood how severe the crime rate was becoming in Galway, which was why he kept gently prodding her for any responses she could give him to these growing concerns. Of course, he couldn't take it too far either, lest he experience the same fate that Ailill did 15 years ago. He knew she did it just to inherit his assets, despite the propaganda she fed to the masses about how Ailill attempted to assassinate her.

After a short pause, Fergus replied, "All right. Just let me ask you this, then. Why are you hosting another tournament? We haven't had one in quite a while, and you've been content with your roster of Champions for the last few years. Why would you want to find more?"

Medb suddenly frowned a bit. Fergus' heart pounded, as he feared he might have upset her. However, she then responded in a light yet firm tone, "You might think I'm ignorant of what's going on outside Galway… but I'm acutely aware of the civil unrest growing amongst the people."

"Oh?"

"Don't forget – if I so want to, I can see everything through my Braves' eyes. They are born from my blood, and are thus extensions of myself."

"Yeah, I know," Fergus said uneasily.

He was one of the few people in the whole country who knew how the Red Branch Braves actually came into existence. Since Medb was also regarded as the Mother of Soldiers, she could 'give birth' to soldiers by sacrificing drops of her blood to produce small armies of warriors solely dedicated to her cause. This also allowed her to observe the country through them, which was why she didn't appear in public so often – she was always busy focusing on transferring her consciousness between each Brave and watching what they saw in case they came across any valuable information. If needed, she could also send telepathic orders to them this way. This meant that no corner of Ireland escaped Medb's notice, so long as she had her Braves around. While Fergus and the other Queen's Champions knew about it, he wasn't sure if the common people were aware of their queen's power. He suspected that they didn't, or else the simmering tensions would explode into unbridled panic and bedlam.

Medb sauntered into her living quarters and threw her back onto the bed as she explained, "The people are scared. They're saying things like 'the end of the world is coming', or 'we won't last another 10 years like this', or 'we may have to eat each other just to survive'. Can you believe it!? My country, populated by cannibals!? I won't stand for it!"

"Well, I don't think it will get that bad…" Fergus stammered. Not even he had heard something so outrageous before, so he was slightly taken aback. "It's just that, how will deciding on a new Champion help you solve this potential crisis? As far as the citizens know, your Champions are the best of Ireland's warriors, tasked with keeping you safe from harm."

"Sure, that's true for some of them," Medb admitted. "I've mostly been leaving the long-term investigations in Cathbad's care, but he told me that he needs at least one or two more skilled fighters to assist him with some sort of 'special tasks'. I'm not sure what he means, but all of the other Champions are already tied up with their own duties."

"So this is to help decide who will be Cathbad's assistant, more or less."

"Pretty much. Besides, even if he didn't make such a request, I probably would have held one anyway," the queen said as she gazed out the opposite window facing northward. Fergus likewise glanced outside, not at the land or sky, but at the white tower looming over the heavens in the far distance. She didn't need to say anything for him to understand what she was implying.

"… Are you prepared to face him?" the king asked quietly.

"Do I have a choice? He changed this entire world because of his hatred for me. It's just that I don't have enough power to do it on my own. That's why I need as many Champions as I can find before it's too late."

He didn't say respond. Before he could make any attempt to cheer her up though, Medb sat back up and exclaimed, "Well, I'm sure it'll all work out somehow. Besides, imagine how high my popularity will skyrocket if I win! Yes, I must always think positively! If I don't stand up as the beautiful heroine destined to destroy the evil monster, humanity's future truly will end!"

Fergus had to summon every ounce of patience and willpower to keep his biting wit in check. The amount of narcissism and ignorance she spewed was enough to nauseate him. Even though they were indeed lovers, their opinions on how the people should be treated couldn't have been more different. While they both loved their citizens, he saw them for the fellow human beings they were, while she treated them as a mindless hive that existed to prostrate before her. He suspected that she kept him around only as a means of improving her self-image by sending him as an ambassador for the people, thus maintaining the illusion that she was a caring queen. Otherwise, she would just observe everything through her Braves anyway.

The only reason he didn't outright question her morals, or just kill her right then and there, was because he needed to be on the inside if he wanted to get to the truth behind Cuchulainn's disappearance and Ulster's downfall. Therefore, he needed to stay calm and listen to Medb's gloating, no matter how much it sickened him.

In response, Fergus flashed a broad smile and said, "Whatever you say, my queen."

The cawing of crows and light scurrying of nearby squirrels signaled the beginning of a new morning. The gurgling water from Loch Etive woke Connla up as effectively as it helped her fall asleep almost 12 hours ago. She had been so exhausted that she didn't stir even once during that entire time. She still looked plenty fatigued, judging by her matted hair and severe bags under her eyes. She had one of those dreams where she was running around everywhere for no apparent reason, and she would wake up feeling like she had run a marathon. Eerily enough, while most of the details of her dream were vague at best, the one thing she could remember was occasionally spotting the man from two days ago in pursuit, prompting her to keep fleeing wherever she could.

Connla sat up and rubbed her eyes, then kneeled over the river's bank and splashed some water on her face to shake off the sleepiness. She was rather annoyed with herself for having a dream that was too similar to her current circumstances, though she wasn't sure if the stranger would actually chase after her. All she could do was believe that Scathach could defeat him so it didn't actually come to that.

Teacher…

The girl remained kneeling there in silence as she thought about her mentor. She was like this for about five minutes, until she heard two pairs of running footsteps approaching her from behind. She heard Fial remark, "You're finawwy up, Connwa."

"Huh? O-Oh, yes. I must've slept in."

"Awe you okay? You still wook vewy tired."

"I'm all right. I just need a few minutes."

"I'll say," Fir blurted. "You look terrible. Here, have some of these. Fial and I picked them just now, thinking you would be hungry."

The siblings placed two cloth bags full of berries on the ground. Connla shuffled over and said, "Thank you. I'm feeling quite peckish, so this is perfect."

Without hesitation, she started munching on fruit for the next ten minutes to regain her energy. She noticed that the twins were just sitting there watching her, so she asked, "Aren't you guys going to eat? We have a long trek ahead of us today."

"We've already eaten," Fir said. "We're just waiting for you to get ready."

"Oh. Then I guess I should hurry."

"No, take your time," Fial assured. "It'd be bad if you cowwapsed because you didn't take care of yourself. We can wait as much as you need."

"Um…" Connla stared down at the ground forlornly. "I'm… I'm sorry for the trouble… I must be slowing you two down from your own adventuring. I really should know my way around, but I've never left the Land of Shadows until now, so…"

The siblings shimmied next to her, and Fir wondered, "What's with you all of a sudden? You look all mopey and sad. Did you have a bad dream?"

"Sort of…"

"It was just a dream. Auntie always tells us that no matter how scary or depressing a nightmare may be, the morning sun always comes to banish it. There's nothing to worry about."

"Yeah… you're right…"

"I'm more concerned with why you had to leave the Land of Shadows. Fial and I thought your auntie would have instructed you to leave, but you haven't said anything like that. Did something suddenly happen that forced you to leave?"

"…"

"Connwa?" Fial leaned in, wondering why she wasn't answering her brother's question.

"I, um…" Connla murmured. "I'd… rather not talk about it. If I do, I might wind up getting upset. I'd rather save that energy for walking than crying…"

"Oh," Fir whispered, realizing that her situation was potentially more serious than he expected. "Okay, you don't have to tell us. We still have to walk for two days before reaching Sgaradh, so let's make the most of it."

"Yes. I think I'm ready now. I can eat along the way, then we'll stop for a bit so I can hunt some game. We need to have a decent supper tonight."

"Our goal is the southernmost tip of Loch Awe. We just have to keep going along this way."

With that, the trio continued on their journey through southwestern Scotland. Fir and Fial were so concerned about Connla's emotional wellbeing that they distracted her with idle chitchat about anything they could think of, from their own upbringing in the woods, to Fir's interest in learning how to hunt, to Fial's curiosity with plants and wildlife, and even to gossiping about how similar their caretakers were. They made it to their destination by nightfall, and Connla slept by the river's edge again. Since the day was so carefree and uneventful, she seemed to have a better night's sleep this time, since she woke up feeling more refreshed compared to before.

From there, the children continued on the final stretch of their trip. By mid-afternoon, they breached through the last of the dense forest, and Connla gazed about in astonishment.

Compared to the thick woods and craggy paths she had to endure for so long, this place was shockingly devoid of much other than lush grass and wildflowers blooming everywhere. A strong breeze freely flowed through the plains, unimpeded by trees or mountains. There were some moss-covered rock formations dotted here and there, and a perfectly clear view of the ocean from either side of this flat, almost unnatural landscape. She was so stunned by the beauty of it all that she uttered, "What is this place?"

"This is Sgaradh," Fir explained. "Otherwise known as 'the Divide'."

"It's where the Nowth Channel used to be befowe Iwewand and Scotwand mewged into the Cewtic Isles," Fial added.

"Oh, right…" Connla realized. "Teacher told me that the two countries fused together back then. So this must be where it happened."

"Yep!"

"So is Sgaradh considered part of Ireland or Scotland?"

"Neither, actually," Fir said. "Auntie told us that it's supposed to be a 'new-trull' zone, whatever that means."

Connla tilted her head and wondered, Does he mean a neutral zone?

"Auntie says that the weaders of both countwies come here to tawk about weawwy impowtant things," Fial said.

"I see," the spearman murmured and thought, That makes sense. The North Channel didn't belong to either country, so it's reasonable to think that this timeline's replacement of it would be treated the same.

"Well," Fir's voice changed to a melancholic tone. "I guess this is where we part ways."

"Huh? It is?"

"We've made it through Scotland, haven't we? All you have to do is keep going straight from here and you'll be in Ireland. I think Galway is much further southwest from here, but you can always buy a map in Belfast, or have someone else guide you."

"That's true."

"Fir and I need to stay in Scotwand, or else Auntie will get mad. We can't twavel between countwies without her pewmission," Fial said sadly.

"That's okay. I can handle myself from here. Once I finish my business here, I'll come find you two again. I would like to meet your aunt someday."

"Is that a pwomise?"

"Sure."

"Do you pinky swear?"

"Of course," Connla said, and the two girls locked their pinkies together for a moment. However, she felt a bizarre chill course through her hand and arm when her finger made contact with Fial's.

"I want to do it too," Fir interjected, and he and Connla likewise made a pinky swear. Again, she experienced that cold sensation rush within her bloodstream. She maintained a stoic expression the whole time, not wanting to give any hints that she suspected something was 'off' with her new friends. With that settled, the twins turned back into the forest, and Connla waved good-bye until they were out of sight before turning toward the plain.

Okay, let's do this, she thought. If I need to, I'll stop in Belfast to get a map. Teacher left me with some currency, so as long as I'm stingy with the spending, I can make it to Galway. From there, I just need to figure out where this Fergus mac Roich fellow is supposed to be and convince him to help me.

Now that she had a more solid plan, Connla began running southwest through Sgaradh, hoping to reach Ireland proper by nightfall. It would take an ordinary person about three hours to make the crossing at normal walking speed, but with her Runes and natural affinity for the wind element, she could get through Sgaradh within half that time. As much as she expected the trip to be an uneventful one, something happened on this beautiful afternoon that would permanently change her perspective of the Celtic Isles for the worse.

As she veered a little too far south towards Sgaradh's coastline, she was about to turn further west before noticing that something was amiss. At first, she thought the strange object poking vertically out of the rocky coastline was a stray dead tree. However, as she approached it closer, she soon realized that it was a person. She couldn't make out their features clearly, other than it was a black-haired woman wearing a plain maroon dress and red capelet. She gazed out into the distance in total silence, but Connla couldn't make out her expression with her back turned toward her.

She tilted her head and wondered, Isn't that supposed to be dangerous? Maybe I should tell her to get back before she can fall down.

She had heard horror stories from Scathach about how people had fallen off the edge of the Celtic Isles and plummeted to their deaths in the ocean far below. Although the water level had risen significantly throughout the years, the seas were still treacherous due to verified sightings of numerous Oillipheist swimming beneath the surface, eager to devour anyone foolish enough to fall into the ocean. There was no question that these creatures were Taoide Olc's soldiers, and a huge reason why the rest of the world was overwhelmed by the god of destruction's immense power.

With these tales in mind, Connla ran toward the woman and was about to call out to her. However, she barely made it within hearing range when the most shocking thing imaginable occurred…

The woman spread her arms out, then tumbled forward off the cliff!

"Ah-!?" the girl choked, so stunned by the sight that she froze on the spot for a second. Panic immediately overcame her senses as she charged toward the spot, fell on her knees, and stared in wide-eyed astonishment at the rolling waves that consumed the woman. There was absolutely no sign of her anywhere. Connla was so appalled by what she just witnessed that she couldn't think coherently. She shook her head and shakily stood back up.

No, keep it together. This isn't your fault. You only just got here, and you were too far away to reach her in time. Just go find someone and have them report it to the authorities. There's nothing else you can do than that.

She took multiple deep breaths to compose herself, then hurried away from the island's edge and ran as fast as she could toward Ireland. Her heart pounded erratically, and her chest was in such pain that her body practically begged for her to stop running. She ignored the pain and just kept dashing like a maniac, hoping to reach some semblance of civilization as soon as possible. Exhaustion eventually won over though, and she collapsed onto her hands and knees while wheezing uncontrollably.

She had spent so long catching her breath that she failed to notice that someone was approaching her. It was only when she heard the distinct sound of grass crunching beneath heavy boots that she looked up to see who it was.

The man looked to be in his early to mid-20's, with short black hair that curled out at the tips like wings, and the underside of his hair was tinted blonde. It appeared rather unkempt and poorly taken care of, yet it seemed to add to his rugged charm rather than detract from it. His right eye was deep blue while the left was pitch black, barely allowing the pupil to be visible. Aside from the traditional armor that Celtic soldiers wore, he sported a large black pauldron on his left shoulder that allowed a red cloak to drape over the arm. Most notable about him was that he wore some kind of dark-colored neck brace, and that his head appeared slightly angled for some reason.

"Well now. What do we have here?" the young man wondered as he kneeled before her. "You look completely out of shape, young lady. Did you leave a cake in the oven or something?"

"I, uh… I-Is this… Ireland?" the child warrior gasped.

"Sure is. If you didn't know something that obvious, you must have lived in Scotland for your whole life. Or maybe under a rock, but I doubt that's the case with your adventurer's garb."

Then to the man's unexpected surprise, she grabbed his arm and desperately cried out, "Please, you've got to help me!"

"Whuh-!? Whoa, slow down there! What's gotten your tights in a twist all of a sudden!?"

She pointed back and blurted, "I-I-I saw a woman commit suicide! She jumped off the island in Sgaradh!"

His expression instantly turned serious as he asked, "A woman? Can you tell me what she looked like?"

She explained everything as best as she could. He contemplated her information for a minute, then murmured to himself, "Could it be Declan's wife Eabha?"

"Do you know something?" Connla asked anxiously.

"Maybe. Let's hurry back to Belfast. I'm getting a real bad feeling 'bout this."

As the pair headed toward the city, the girl's anxiety kept growing exponentially. She struggled to convince herself that it wasn't her fault, yet another side of her kept berating her for not doing something, anything, to help save the woman. She could perform incredible feats of speed and agility, so why couldn't she have used them to save one person? She was so unnaturally quiet that it was impossible for the man to ignore.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She didn't respond. She couldn't even look him straight in the eye. He thought to himself, Of course she's not. She just watched a person die. Any kid her age would be upset.

In an attempt to console her, he patted her back and said, "Listen to me. I may not have been there to see what happened, but I am certain of this – you're doing the right thing. If you had tried to save that woman, you might have fallen with her."

"…"

"The island's coastlines have become so dangerous that it's forbidden to get within 500 meters. It's smarter to stay back and inform the soldiers so they can investigate instead."

"… Are you sure?"

"Who in their right mind would expect a girl your age to stop someone from throwing themselves like that?"

"So then… you're not angry with me?"

"Don't be insane. If I would be angry with you for anything, it'd actually be going after her. Even though we just met, I can tell that you're a smart girl. Don't go wasting your life for something as foolish as trying to save someone who wants to die."

"But then, what if someone who is important to her blames me for it?"

The man scoffed darkly, "Then I'd punch them in the face as hard as I could!"

"Um… I don't think you need to go that far…"

"Look, all I'm saying is to stop worrying about it. Once everyone's been informed, we can figure out what to do with you from there. To be honest, I'm curious to know why such a young girl has come all this way from Scotland all by her lonesome. Judging by your weapon and attire, I can't imagine you're here on a tourist trip."

"No, not exactly…" Connla mumbled. "I kind of have some business here."

"What sort of business?"

She had an idea, and she glanced up at the man while asking, "Do you know of someone named Fergus mac Roich? My teacher ordered me to look for him."

His eyes widened in repressed surprise, and his skin seemed to blanch a bit. "Fergus? You mean that Fergus?"

"Huh? Why? Is there another one?"

"N-No… Ahem!" he coughed to compose himself. "Yes, I know of Fergus. Everyone does… well, except for you. After all, he's the King of Connacht."

"Eh!?" she yelped. "He's the king!?"

"Your teacher didn't tell you that?"

"No, I'm afraid not. I had to leave my home in a hurry, you see, and she had absolutely no time to explain anything to me. Think of it as an emergency trip to Ireland."

"Well, now," the swordsman muttered as he scratched his head. "Seems like you've got a lot more on your plate than I ever expected. Witnessing a suicide must have really thrown your original plans off."

As Connla became quiet again, the fellow also thought to himself, Besides, what sort of emergency would occur in Scotland to force such a young girl to look for Connacht's king? It'd be way easier for her to contact one of the magistrates, but instead her teacher told her to look for the king?

He didn't like this. Although he didn't know what was going on from a factual standpoint, the implications were enough to make him more and more concerned for the mystery girl's welfare. Something huge had to be happening to warrant Fergus' immediate attention, and the child was caught up in it.

Eventually, he leaned in and assured, "All right, leave it to me! I'll get you to Galway safe and sound, no matter what it takes!"

"Huh? You will?" Connla wondered. "But why? I haven't done anything to deserve such hospitality."

"Nonsense. You're already doing a lot with reporting that woman's death. I'm sure her family will be glad to know where she is, rather than spending the rest of their lives wondering where she disappeared to. I know I would appreciate you for it."

She immediately became forlorn, and he realized she was going to start brooding again. He quickly added, "Besides, I have a practical reason of my own for helping you out. I'm actually planning on going to Galway myself come tomorrow morning. Bringing you along is just taking care of two things at once, wouldn't you agree?"

"I guess so. Teacher always said that efficiency is more important than raw strength."

"Right? I know it's been hard, but try to wipe that frown off your face and show a little more cheer, okay? King Fergus wouldn't like meeting a girl who's always sad."

She glanced away uneasily. It wasn't going to be as simple as he would like, but he did have a point. If her goal really was to meet Ireland's king, then she needed to show more professionalism than this. She needed a little more time, but she knew she could do it.

"Well, it's settled! Starting tomorrow, we'll be traveling mates," the man declared. "That means we have to introduce ourselves, don't we? Things got so hectic back there that we couldn't have a proper how-do-you-do."

"Oh, you're right," Connla said. Just like with Fir and Fial, she explained about her geasa to him, then showed him her name tattooed on her arm.

"Connla, huh? Do you have a last name?" he asked.

"No. I may know my mother's lineage, but typically a child's last name is derived from the father's lineage, and I don't know who my father is other than he's from Ulster."

His face practically beamed with delight as he exclaimed, "So you're also an Ulsterman! If you were 20 years older, I would have fallen in love with you right here and now!"

"Uh…"

"Hah hah hah! Come now, it's just a joke! You should learn not to take everything I say too seriously! Anyway, I'm Conall Cernach, son of Amairgin mac Echit and Findchoem, and nephew of my sworn rival Cet mac Magach. Man, saying that makes me feel kind of old, considering that Cet's been dead for years now."

"Wow. That kind of sounds like a long story. I won't ask if you don't want to talk about it, Sir Conall."

"Ugh, drop that 'sir' nonsense, would you?" Conall itched the back of his crooked neck. "Just Conall is fine."

"Oh, okay."

"Still, Conall and Connla, huh? With names like ours, we'll get along just fine, don't you think?"

"I… guess so?"

He glanced away and thought, This kid doesn't have the best sense of humor, does she?

An hour later, the pair reached Belfast. Once upon a time, this was the largest city in the Ulster province. Ever since the Celtic Isles were formed though, the population had rapidly dwindled until it was a mere fraction of its original size. Many buildings had been left to decay to the elements, and only the sturdiest of properties built more inland were viable enough to be used as homes. It was now more of a central hub for local farmers to get together, with only small-time merchants occasionally stopping by to sell wares such as clothes, baskets and tools. There were a couple of taverns, an inn, a bathhouse, and a soldier's outpost, but that was it. The rocky basalt hill overlooking Belfast known as Ben Madigan, or Cave Hill in modern times, looked more impressive than the town.

Connla was slightly taken aback by how quaint and humble the supposed 'largest town in Ulster' turned out to be. She couldn't help but ask Conall, "I heard that Belfast is much larger than this. I was kind of expecting a bustling city, not a proverbial ghost town."

"Hm," he grumbled. "Guess news travels slowly in Scotland, doesn't it? That used to be the case, but once the isles began floating in the sky, it's been nothing but problems for Belfast. Heck, it's the same for other coastal towns like Carlingford and Lahinch, but nothing can top what happened with Dublin."

"Dublin?"

"Do you know about Dublin's Fall?"

"No, I don't."

"It happened about eight years ago. It was much further south from here, right on the coast of the Irish Sea. Well, when the Celtic Isles began floating, the bedrock was strong enough to support the weight of the city for a while. However, time and the elements have begun eroding the edges of the island, causing them to collapse to the sea below. I think you can guess what happened when that erosion caught up with Dublin."

"Oh…"

"Given another few years or so, the same's gonna happen with Belfast. That's why the town looks so abandoned – everyone's packing up and moving inland. Only the most die-hard of Belfast's citizens refuse to move, despite the obvious danger they're in."

"There's nothing that can be done to stop the erosion?"

"The druids have been trying to slow it down, but they can only do so much. Besides…" Conall's grumbled, and his voice became noticeably darker in tone. "Connacht's whore-queen keeps conscripting the best druids to work for her in Galway. There's practically no one around to help because of that useless bitch."

Connla tilted her head and asked in a perplexed murmur, "… Whore-queen?"

"Ah!" Conall quickly caught himself before he could blurt more profanities in front of her. "N-Never mind me! Forget what you heard just now!"

"Um… okay?"

"Look, all you need to know is that the island's erosion is forcing everyone to move away. Dublin's Fall was such a devastating blow to everyone's morale that it's become commonplace for people to 'end themselves', like what you saw with that woman. That's why I want to finish our business here as soon as possible so we can get going to Galway. It's a much safer city than this town will ever be."

"If you say so."

With that, the duo arrived at the soldier's outpost and explained the situation to the guardsmen. After Connla finished telling them everything she could, Conall then added, "From her description, I think it might be Eabha, the wife of the cow farmer Declan."

"Declan, huh?" one of the soldiers grunted. "He mentioned to me that he hadn't seen his wife in a few days. He thought that maybe she had run off with another man, or some nonsense like that. The bastard was drunk off his ass as could be, so I didn't really pay attention to him. If the dead woman really is Eabha though… Hoo boy. I think we're going to be in for one hell of a show once he finds out."

"Should we go to Sgaradh and investigate?" one of the junior warriors asked.

"Fuck no! Even if we did, what the hell can we do!? It's not like we can dive in after her! She's Oillipheist food by now!"

Connla shirked, unable to say anything in retort to such a lackadaisical attitude toward their jobs. Even so, the older soldier was right – there really was nothing they could accomplish. Conall interrupted them and said, "You could at least send a report to Galway so that Lord Fergus knows. You can't ignore his decree to inform him of any and all comings and goings out in the countryside."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," the senior warrior said as he took out a scroll and a quill to scribble down some notes in what apparently passed for handwriting. "I don't know why the king bothers keeping an eye out for these obstinate fogies when the island's just gonna make them fall to their deaths anyway. The queen certainly doesn't give a shit unless they have produce to fork over to her. Hell, I'd be thrilled to be stationed anywhere other than here."

Conall glanced at Connla, who was appearing more and more uncomfortable the longer she listened to the warrior's complaining. He got up and snatched her arm as he brusquely said, "If we're done here, I'm leaving with the kid."

"Yeah, go ahead," the younger soldier said. "Should I be the one to inform Declan of Eabha's passing?"

"No, I'll do it. If he causes a ruckus, I'll be able to restrain him."

"Be careful. The other men have been warning me about how belligerent he's been becoming over the last few days."

Conall gave him a dismissive wave, then guided Connla toward the fields further inland. Once they had walked far enough away from the outpost, she asked him, "Are the guards here always so… blasé? A woman just died, and it's like they don't care."

"I'm sorry you had to see that," Conall frowned. "I didn't want to say this to you, but the truth is that suicides like that are becoming commonplace, especially after Dublin's Fall. It's been happening so frequently that it's almost become too much for the local law enforcement to keep up. All they can do is throw their hands up, inform the victim's relatives, and send a report to Galway."

"I see," she whispered and looked away. She truly had no idea how deplorable the situation actually was throughout the Celtic Isles. Despite being exposed to so many shocking truths in such a short time, she knew she had to keep an open mind and understand exactly what was going on so she could perform her ultimate mission as effectively as possible.

Eventually, they reached a cow ranch that only had two bovines grazing in the field. It was approaching the early evening hours, so a man in his 50's ushered the animals back toward the barn to get them settled in for the night. Conall called out to him, "Oy, Declan!"

"Hm?" the farmer grunted bitterly, then flailed his walking stick about. "Dammit, not you again! How many times are ya gonna try an' squeeze free meals outta me!? Git yer sorry butt outta my sight, or I'll do it for ya!"

"No, that's not it! I've got something to tell you about Eabha!"

"Huh? Eabha? Ya mean ya pounded the guy who stole 'er from me into next week?"

"Look, this is really important. I need you to listen to me carefully."

"Don't ya go talkin' t'me like I'm five, ass-face! I can hear ya jus' fine!"

Conall sighed, then said to Connla, "This is going to take a while. Go to the inn and wait for me there. If I'm not back in the hour, go ahead and rent a room. I'll pay for it tomorrow."

"Okay," she replied and headed back to the village, hoping that Conall wouldn't get into too much trouble with the visibly distraught Declan. Once there, she sat on the front porch reading some scrolls she borrowed from the shelf. The sun had set beyond the horizon, but there was still plenty of residual light left behind when Conall eventually arrived.

"Well? What happened?" she asked.

"It took some wrangling, but he finally listened to me. He said that he wants to give his thanks to you for reporting it to the soldiers, and that he'll take us in for the night."

"Are you sure? I certainly don't want to impose on him when he's grieving his wife's death."

"I said the same thing, and he said not to worry about it. He insists that we stay with him for tonight. Probably doesn't want to be left alone when he's in such shock."

"I guess so."

They left the inn and returned to Declan's property. Night had fully descended upon the Celtic Isles, so it was the perfect time for them to go inside the farmer's house and prepare for bed. As they passed by the cramped living room, Connla spotted Declan sitting on the couch staring at the wooden floor in complete silence. As much as she wanted to say something to him, she figured it would be a terrible idea to try and console him. She didn't know anything about his situation, and she didn't want to say something ignorant that could wind up inciting him even worse than he was earlier. She just followed Conall to the spare room that Declan allowed them to borrow, and she ate some porridge while gazing at the stars through the window before turning in.