FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 17: The Gallant Stranger

Once their discussion was over, Connla and Cathbad returned to the cottage. The older druid stayed for lunch, but said he had to return to Leinster as soon as possible. Once he had departed, the rest of the day went by uneventfully. Now that Connla had fully groomed and cared for Liath Macha's needs, she felt confident that she could take him out for her newest journey. There was the problem of telling Emer and the twins what her plans were, but she figured she could worry about it later.

Right now, all she could think about was getting back into contact with Cuchulainn without alerting the others. She never said a word about what she and Cathbad discussed throughout the afternoon and evening, and soon turned in for the night with Fir and Fial. However, once the twins were fast asleep, Connla slipped out of the room and went down the narrow slope leading to Lough Neagh's lakebed.

Once Connla was far enough from the cottage, she unpocketed the Mini Cu doll from her waist satchel and held him before her. He didn't stir in the slightest for a moment, so she asked, "Are you there, Cuchulainn?"

At first, there was no response. After a minute, she felt a peculiar buzzing sensation course through her skin as a small surge of magical energy made its way into the toy. He finally stretched his arms and legs to adjust himself to a body that was much tinier than he was used to.

"Ugh, there we go," Mini Cu grunted. "It's not easy trying to squeeze your consciousness into such a confined space. I had to take some extra sedatives just to fall asleep, considering how busy I was today."

"Did something happen?"

"Just a little reorganization of my higher chain of command. Nothing for you to worry about."

"Hm…" she murmured, unsure if she wanted to ask him what was going on in Scotland. However, she had a much bigger question on her mind as she asked, "So, did you hear everything that Lord Cathbad and I talked about this morning?"

"Yup. Every word of it."

"What do you think?"

"Ulster's Three Plagues, huh? And he's plotting to summon a Grand Servant to destroy the Tree of Emptiness, all on top of Fergus organizing a rebellion against Medb. This is some interesting news, indeed. It might cause me some headaches with my war plans, but if everything goes smoothly, I can crush Medb's skull before she has a chance to retaliate against Cathbad's summoning. I'm certain she'll take issue with it, considering that Ulster is supposed to be her territory."

Connla grew concerned, knowing that Cuchulainn was certainly set on having Scotland fight against Ireland during such a precarious time. He immediately noticed her trepidation and assured, "Don't worry. I have no intention of rushing into things yet. I'm biding my time to see what's going on with Ireland before making any drastic moves. Perhaps I could forge an alliance with Fergus so we can topple Medb's forces together, provided that negotiations don't break down."

"If you say so…"

"Relax. Just focus on what Cathbad wants you to do. If these plagues are getting in the way of his progress, then you ought to go deal with them to protect the Leyline. Let the dummies duke it out with their little war games."

"Mm."

"So he told you to go find Leabharcham, right? I've never met her, but I've heard the occasional story or two about her."

"Lord Cathbad wasn't specific about which blight she's associated with either," Connla said, then became visibly frustrated as she grumbled, "I don't know why, but I'm getting a bit fed up with being left ignorant of everything that's going on. Everyone expects me to do things for them, but they never tell me the reason why. Teacher never told me that you were my father, no one wants to tell me why Queen Medb is so dangerous, and now even Lord Cathbad is being intentionally vague with which blight he wants me to deal with first. It's like everyone loves toying with me for being so clueless…"

Mini Cu reached up and patted the distraught girl's head. "You must've had it a lot rougher than I thought. It's okay - no one is toying with you. They simply wanted to protect you from things that may be too much for you to handle. Scathach had every reason to never tell you about your connection with me. As for Cathbad, he's just an obnoxious old coot who messes with everyone regardless of who they are. Don't pay him any mind."

"What about Queen Medb then? Why won't anyone say anything about her?"

Mini Cu scrunched his nose and grit his teeth in visible revulsion. "There's a very good reason for that. Scathach must've told you how Taoide Olc came to be, right?"

"Something about how it's a god that doesn't exist anywhere other than this Lostbelt. That it's… Or rather, that you're a fusion between a man and the Beast of Billows, Curruid."

"Precisely. Medb was the one who cast my near-lifeless body into Curruid's maw, forcing me to merge with it so she could control me as her personal weapon."

"How did she do that? How could she summon a Phantasmal to do her bidding when she's not supposed to be a goddess? What exactly is she hiding from the rest of the world? Do you know what it is?"

Now Mini Cu was so distraught that he started shaking. His voice lowered into a desperate whisper as he implored, "Connla, please… I'm literally begging you here. Don't go poking your nose into Medb's true nature. I guarantee that it will end horribly if you make even so much as one misstep. If she subjected you to the same horrors that she put me through, I don't know what I'd do. I might lose my mind all over again and just destroy everything in my path, friend or foe be damned."

Her eyes widened slightly. She never expected the god of destruction to look so… frightened. If it really was as bad as he claimed, maybe she really should stop asking about Medb and mind her own business. She eventually nodded and said, "All right. I guess if Teacher never told me before you came around, then there must be a good reason for it."

"I'm sorry. I really am. I don't like leaving you ignorant, but that's a sleeping Demon Boar you're better off leaving alone. You understand what I mean?"

"Yes," she murmured. She started to feel a little better, especially since Cuchulainn was apologizing for it. So long that at least one person acknowledged how frustrated she had been this whole time, then it wouldn't be so difficult to cope with anymore.

"Good," Mini Cu smiled, glad that she understood him. "So you want to learn some more about Ulster's Three Plagues? I might be able to help with a couple of them."

"Which ones?"

"Let's not rush into things. If Cathbad is telling you to find Leabharcham, then it means he wants you to purify Deirdre of the Sorrows first."

"Deirdre of the Sorrows, huh? Anything that has 'the Sorrows' as part of its epithet can't exactly be a good thing."

"Well said. It's a tragic story for sure, and it involves the previous king of Ulster, Conchobhar. To make it short, Deirdre was born prophesized to be extraordinarily beautiful, but cursed with causing kings and lords to go to war over that same beauty. Conchobhar heard that prophecy and decided to make Deirdre his wife when she grew up, so he sent her to be raised in seclusion. The wet nurse who cared for her was none other than Leabharcham."

"Oh…" Connla gasped in realization.

"While Deirdre was growing up, she met a handsome warrior named Naoise, and they fell in love. They, along with Naoise's two brothers, fled to Scotland to escape Conchobhar's notice. Furious, Conchobhar sent Fergus and his Red Branch army to track them down, having Fergus promise them an invitation and safe passage home. Conchobhar betrayed Fergus by forcing him to be delayed due to his geas of always accepting an invitation to a feast, which he had one of his agents arrange for.

"While the party went ahead to Emain Macha without Fergus, Conchobhar ordered Leabharcham to spy on them to see if Deirdre was still as beautiful as ever. Leabharcham lied and said she was ugly. He sent a second spy, who reported that she was beautiful. Now insulted by Leabharcham's deception, he personally brought his men to attack the compound where Deirdre's party was staying, forcing the Red Branch warriors to evoke their loyalty to him and drag Deirdre to Conchobhar's side. On top of that, Eogan mac Durthacht murdered Naoise and his brothers before Deirdre's eyes."

"That's awful," Connla moaned.

"For the following year, Deirdre remained cold and impassive to Conchobhar's affections. Growing frustrated with her coldness, he asked her who she detested the most. She said Conchobhar himself, as well as Eogan. He then decided to have her wed Eogan, and further insulted her by saying she looked like an ewe between two rams."

"Um… I'm not exactly sure how that's supposed to be an insult."

Mini Cu glanced away uncomfortably. "Think of it as being between a rock and a hard place, except that both the rock and the hard place are conscious beings who compete with each other to make the trapped one's life as miserable as possible. The only thing the victim can do in such a situation is either suffer or kill themselves. Indeed, Deirdre was so distraught by this that she threw herself from the chariot she was riding in and dashed her head against a rock, smashing her skull into pieces to save herself from any further humiliation."

"I see. So Deirdre is supposed to be dead, but somehow she's still around as an entity full of sorrows, and is using the Leyline for her own purposes."

"Seems that way. Since you trained in Dun Scaith and fought against plenty of vengeful ghosts, this sounds like it's right up your alley."

"It does, but something doesn't feel right…" she murmured with a tinge of doubt in her voice. "She saved herself from Conchobhar's influence, didn't she? So what would she have to be vengeful about?"

"Maybe that the old bastard ruined her life even when she was a baby," Mini Cu said. "That's certainly within Conchobhar's character."

"What was he like, anyway? All I know about him is that he was Ulster's final king before it fell under Connacht's rule."

"To put it bluntly, he was an overentitled ass who wanted everything to go his way. He had absolutely no skill nor charisma that was necessary for being a king."

"Hm… Hey, wait a minute!" Connla yelped. "Isn't that your own uncle you're talking about!?"

"Yeah, so?"

"You shouldn't say that about your own family!"

"I've got the right. Especially after he saw he as nothing more than his sister's son – a boy born between a union between a human and a god. That essentially made me Conchobhar's trophy that he could boast about to his inner circle. Treating Deirdre's beauty as another possession he could take for himself doesn't surprise me in the least. In fact, his entire kingship was built solely on him taking everything from other people."

"What does that mean?"

"His mother Ness became one of many targets of Fergus' affection while he was the King of Ulster. She agreed to marry him on the condition that the seven-year old Conchobhar ruled in Fergus' stead for a year. It was a total setup to make him a puppet ruler for Ness, allowing him to rule so well that the court wanted him to become king permanently. Conchobhar literally ripped the kingship away from Fergus, and he wound up loving it so much that he gained a mindset that it was fine for him to take anything and anyone he wanted without any other reason than he could. Sure, he was a competent king while Ness was around, but once she died, that was when his true nature as a jester playing the role of a king came to light."

"Is that why Uncle Fergus decided to leave Ulster and become Connacht's king during the Cattle Raid?"

"Surprisingly, no. Although Fergus did try to make war with Ulster once it was clear he had lost his kingship, he ultimately made overtures of peace and was given various gifts in return, one of which was being Conchobhar's successor should anything happen to him."

"So what pushed Uncle Fergus to abandon Ulster if he got such a good deal?"

"It was Conchobhar's deception while Fergus was escorting Deirdre and Naoise's envoy back to Emain Macha. Fergus possesses a geas to never turn down an invitation to a feast, and Conchobhar took advantage of that. Fergus must've been so tired of Conchobhar's pettiness and incompetence that he said 'screw it, I'm done playing nice with this little piece of shit' and went over to Connacht's side. Thus, Deirdre's fate is directly tied with Fergus becoming Ulster's enemy during the Cattle Raid. If Conchobhar hadn't been such a massive idiot, he wouldn't have caused his allies to turn against him and lead to Ulster's ultimate downfall."

Connla paused to ponder the whole story, thinking of how much Fergus had been put through until now. First he had been betrayed by Ness and Conchobhar, and then again by Medb. She couldn't imagine how disappointed he must've been with the various kings and queens who deceived him, and figured it was only the natural course of things for him to plot an outright rebellion to earn back the kingship he lost so long ago. She never would've guessed that he'd been mistreated so much, given how friendly and amicable he always was toward her. That also made her wonder just what kind of a king Fergus had been before Ness came to be his lover. Was he a benevolent one, or was he so awful that Conchobhar replacing him was celebrated by the populace?

Mini Cu noticed the distant gaze in her eyes and remarked, "Guess I gave you something to think about, huh? Well, don't worry about it too much. All of that's in the past now. You just worry about finding Deirdre and seeing why she's using the Leyline."

"Yeah. I really should get back to bed. I want to get a decent head start tomorrow morning."

"Sounds good. I'll pop back in when you're about to meet Leabharcham. I've got my own questions I want to ask her."

"Okay."

In the northern Leinster province of Meath, Fergus and Conall had reached a remote military training station situated along the Boyne river near the Bog of Allen. It was an outpost that many of Fergus' most loyal followers sought refuge away from Galway, and thus Medb's ever-present Red Branch Braves who constantly watched over the populace. Dozens of strapping young men clashed swords, spears and shields with each other to hone their skills. The wives and children of several warriors worked on polishing armor, cooking food, washing clothes, and other menial tasks to help support their families and friends.

Several fighters recognized Conall from the tournament and eagerly dragged him away to test their own skills against him. Fergus would have joined in on the fun, but he was feeling a bit tired from his travels and opted to rest against a tree while eating his dinner. One of the warriors' daughters brought him a plate of boar meat and a mug of ale.

"Thank you, my dear," he grinned and took his food. He then patted his palm on the ground next to him. "Why don't you sit a while, my fair lady? I wouldn't mind getting to know you a bit better."

"U-Um…" the nervous teenager stammered and blushed, startled that Connacht's king was making pleasant conversation with her. "I-I would like to, but Ma needs my help with the dishes…"

"Oh, I'm sure she has plenty of help from the others. One missing pair of hands isn't going to hurt."

Before the girl could respond, an older man's voice broke through the playful conversation like a cracking whip as he snapped, "Sorry to ruin your fun, King of Skirt-Chasers, but I need to talk with you."

Fergus glanced back to find a stern Cathbad approaching. The girl squealed when she saw the High Druid coming, and quickly regarded him with a bow before running off. Fergus grunted and groaned, "Aw, phooey. Your ugly face scared her away."

"Don't give me that. I wouldn't be so bloody ugly if your incessant antics didn't give me stress lines. Seriously, I can't believe you were as nervous as that damsel in your youth."

"Hey, times change, people change, am I right?" Fergus chuckled as he munched on his meat.

"Whatever. I went to Emer's place like you asked."

The king's joyful mood quickly turned serious as he asked, "Is Connla all right?"

"Physically speaking, she is fit as can be. I explained the situation with the Leyline's blights, and she is willing to assist me with cleansing them."

"Was she still upset about Cuchulainn being her father?"

"I don't know. We only spoke about business. If she was in distress, she didn't show it to me."

"I see… I just hope she doesn't push herself too hard."

"I don't think we need to worry about that. Scathach would have taught her everything she needs to know about survival. Other than that, she will have to contend with her emotions on her own terms. Despite having the body of a child, she definitely has the mind of a mature young woman. I'm certain she will pull though somehow."

"I guess so."

Cathbad inhaled a long puff of his cigar, then exhaled a thin stream of smoke out of the corner of his mouth. "For the time being, I've directed her to meet with Leabharcham. Of the blights, I figured that Deirdre would be the easiest one for her to resolve first."

"Deirdre, huh?" Fergus whispered under his breath, then sat back against the tree and gazed up emptily at the leaves fluttering on the swaying branches. "God, it's been ages since then. I'd go out and say on a limb that that was a whole lifetime ago."

"It's your own damn fault, you know. If you weren't such a hopeless ladies' man, you wouldn't have surrendered Ulster's throne to Ness and Conchobhar's control. Then Conchobhar would never have learned about Deirdre's existence and obsessed himself with her beauty."

"Hey, losing the throne, I can understand. But don't go pegging me for what happened with Deirdre. Besides, I'm pretty sure you were the one who prophesized that she'd be so beautiful that men would wage war over her. In all honesty, you should be the one dealing with that mess, not Connla."

"I fear I will only be rubbing salt into Deirdre's wound if I went myself. I figured that someone who is impartial to all of that drama would be a better choice."

"Hmph. Saddling Connla with such a heavy responsibility… To be perfectly honest, I don't like it," Fergus sighed. "But knowing that Deirdre's spirit is causing so much trouble for the people breaks my heart even further. I can only pray that Connla will get to the bottom of that crisis and find a solution that will put Deirdre at peace."

"I'm certain she will."

Connla woke up when the first signs of sunlight began to push away the night darkness. It was chilly at first, but she knew it would warm up a bit during the day. After having a quick bite to eat, she went out into the stable and started to prepare Liath Macha for the journey ahead. As she was adjusting his saddle, she heard the rickety wooden door swing open.

"There you are," Fir said. He and Fial stepped through as he added, "We were wondering where you were."

"Sorry about that," Connla apologized. "It's just that Lord Cathbad gave me an important assignment yesterday, so I'm getting ready to leave."

"What!? Just wike that!?" Fial complained, immaturely flailing her arms and stomping her foot. "That no fair! We wanna go too!"

"It's going to be extremely dangerous. I don't want you two getting caught up in it."

"It'll be okay! Fir and I awe used to wunning away when it gets dangewous!"

"That's not the problem. These aren't just your average wild animals I have to deal with. If worst comes to worst, I may have to put down some angry spirits, which means subduing them by force. When a ghost is being threatened like that, they'll do anything to fight back, including taking hostages. The fewer people I have to take with me, the less likely that's going to happen, you understand?"

"Well yeah, but…"

"We don't want you to be fighting such harsh battles alone," Fir said on his sister's behalf.

Connla started to become frustrated with their persistence as she retorted, "Look, let me be blunt with you; I can't babysit you two while having to cleanse Ireland of angry spirits. Fighting even just one of them takes a lot out of me, and it'll just get much worse if I have to protect you both at the same time. Neither of you have demonstrated any combat abilities, and running away may not always be the best solution. You're literally just walking targets for an opportunistic ghost."

Fir felt offended that he thought Connla was 'babysitting' him, so he cried out, "We're not as helpless as you think! Auntie gave us some Runestones that we use in case of emergencies!"

She was a little surprised by this. "Runestones?"

"Yeah, take a look!"

He and Fial fetched several pebble-sized stones from their pockets and showed them to Connla. She carefully inspected them, taking note of the Runic inscriptions on each one. She was impressed by their high quality, particularly with how detailed and intricate each Runic formula was. Connla could craft Runestones herself, but she was only capable of inscribing one Rune per stone at best. These ones had entire poems etched as miniscule font on each stone's face, which greatly enhanced their power despite being so tiny. She believed that even one of these pebbles was capable of taking out half a dozen lesser spirits at once. The only ones she thought could be capable of such incredible craftsmanship were Scathach, Cathbad, and Morrigan.

I see… Given that their aunt is a goddess, it'd stand to reason that she'd give them a means of protecting themselves…

"Well? What do you think?" Fir demanded.

"Hmm… These certainly are impressive. But no matter how good they may be, Runestones will always be in limited supply. You have to be smart about when and where to use one."

Fial nodded and said, "Auntie said the same thing. She's vewy, vewy stwict about how we can use them. But if you're twying to save Iwewand fwom bad ghosties, I think Fir and I can hewp a bit."

"Do you two have any experience with proper battle situations? It's not just enough to have a good weapon. You need to think quickly and react to the opponent's moves."

"Yeah, I know. Sometimes we had to fight against wesser spiwits and wild animals in Scotwand. We always wan away fwom the big ones though."

Connla considered her options, given this new information. If the twins could handle mobs of weaker ghosts on their own, it would free her up considerably to dispatch the stronger ones. It would be a huge benefit for her, although she didn't feel entirely comfortable with bringing children along who didn't have much battle experience. Even so, she would feel just as bad about declining their assistance, especially since she needed to think about living off the land for a while as well. Having three people working as a team would make the journey that much easier.

Finally, she relented with a nod and said, "Okay. As long as you guys understand the risks, then we can travel together."

"Yaaay!" Fial cheered happily. "We get to go camping with Connwa!"

"Today, we camp! Tomorrow, we camp! The day after that, we camp!" Fir chirped in an elated singsong tone.

The young spear user pouted and reminded them, "Remember, this is not a pleasure trip. I'm supposed to be doing some serious business on Lord Cathbad's behalf."

The twins didn't seem to notice her as they pranced around the stable singing their goofy song. Connla shrugged and sighed, then muttered to Liath, "I hope I'm not making a huge mistake here…"

He only responded with a low snort.

Deep in the forest south of Lough Neagh, the leaves were starting to change color from their summery green hue to a variety of autumn reds, oranges, yellows and browns. The sight was utterly breathtaking, almost too beautiful to describe with mere words. One could walk through these woods for hours on end and feel like no time had passed. It was fascinating how a leaf's death could be so brilliant and colorful, even after falling to the ground and being stepped on. It represented a sort of nobility that humans always strived to emulate.

Sadly, on this particular day, that nobility gave way to pure sadness. The falling leaves now looked like tears slowly falling through the air. The wind swayed a young woman's body hanging from a noose that was tied to a low-hanging branch. Whatever had happened to her in life must have pushed her far into the brink of despair, for she didn't even bother changing out of her nightgown despite it being quite chilly. It probably didn't matter to her anymore since she was going to die anyway.

A handsome young man stood before this grim sight, lowering and shaking his head in remorse. Without a word, he climbed onto the branch and undid the rope so he could lower the body to the ground. He rested her on her back, then checked her pulse in a vain hope that she would still be alive. He felt nothing, which made him sigh in resignation once more.

He glanced away mournfully and whispered, "I'm too late again."

He stood up and silently headed toward Emain Macha, intent on delivering the news of what would be the fifth suicide this month.

Deirdre… Where are you? How long are you going to keep doing this? Do you intend to swallow all of Emain Macha – nay, all of Ireland – in the same sorrow you had to live with?

Later that morning, the children explained their plans to Emer. Obviously, they had to convince her that everything was going to be fine, which took quite some time considering how deeply worried she was for their safety. Eventually though, they managed to get through to her, and she relented on the condition that they return for regular visits to update her on their status. Now that they finally gained Emer's blessing, the trio began to set out for their new destination; the forest south of Emain Macha.

Luckily for them, the forest in question wasn't too far from the cottage. They simply had to travel south through Lough Neagh's dried-up lakebed and pass by Emain Macha before venturing further. It wouldn't even be evening by the time they journeyed to the area, meaning they'd have plenty of time to set up camp later. For now, they took a break near the town and split up to do some hunting and foraging. Afterwards, Connla got a bonfire going and dressed a couple of rabbits she caught before cooking the meat.

However, she glanced around curiously when she noticed that Fir and Fial had not returned by their prearranged time. Ten minutes passed, then 15, then 20… Now she was starting to get a bit worried. She left the fire behind and ventured into the woods where she believed the twins would be, hoping to find them safe. She prayed that their reason for being late was because they were playing around.

Unfortunately, Connla's bad luck streak always seemed to have a way of biting her when she least expected it.

She gasped and stopped in mid-step. It wasn't from anything she saw or heard. It was more of a feeling of immense dread sucker-punching her in the gut without any warning. She recognized this type of negative pressure – it was the same sensation she had to cope with while living in the Land of Shadows. It was a residual effect of being near wandering spirits who either bore animosity toward the living, or were so confused that they didn't realize they were dead. It was a terrible feeling that could push a living person into committing immoral or self-harming acts if they weren't careful.

This isn't good…

Connla brandished her spear and rushed deeper into the woods, now desperate to find her friends. She shouted at the top of her lungs, "FIII~IIIR! FIAAA~AAAL! WHERE ARE YOU!?"

Suddenly, she heard a high-pitched cry, followed by the sound of frantic footsteps rushing through piles of fallen leaves. Fial burst through some bushes and howled in terror when she found Connla, immediately hugging her and crying over her shoulder. Fir emerged from a different direction soon after he heard his sister's bawling.

"What in the world happened!? Where were you two!?" Connla exclaimed.

"Ah… Aaaah… It was howwible! Th-Th-They were evewywhewe!" Fial sobbed. "F-F-F-Fir and I… twied to wun away… b-b-but they spwit us up, and then… uuuuh… WAAAAAH!"

"I don't understand! What was everywhere!?"

"I don't know!" Fir yelped. "They looked like floating skeletons surrounding us! I tried to hold on to Fial's hand, but they forced us apart!"

Connla immediately became serious when she heard that description. She gently pushed Fial off of her and implored, "Both of you stay behind me. I'll take care of this."

With that, she got into her combat stance and energized her spear with a Nauthiz Rune, granting her the ability to strike the undead directly. That was when they appeared, revealing themselves around tree trunks and bushes. About a dozen lesser ghosts menacingly hovered around the three children, which scared the twins further, but barely fazed Connla.

She panned her eyes around the imminent battlefield, then realized, There aren't as many as I thought. I assumed it'd be a much larger horde considering how incredible this pressure is. These few people must have died in traumatic ways in such a short period of time for it to be this intense.

Rather than think up some elaborate strategy, she decided to improvise her movements. Although they were dangerous spirits, they were obviously inexperienced with combat due to how recently they died. It was much different in the Land of Shadows, where those ghosts had been dead for untold numbers of years, and thus were acclimated to their ethereal bodies. Other than fighting these beings, her top priority was to keep Fir and Fial safe.

Without warning, Connla reached her hand into Fir's pocket and blurted, "Sorry, gotta borrow one!"

Before he could ask what was going on, she tossed one of his Runestones into the air, causing it to burst into fragments and detonate an intensely bright white light. It was a Nauthiz Runestone that contained the full Runic poem, which amplified its power considerably compared to just possessing the symbol itself. The pre-emptive attack successfully cleansed two ghosts that had been caught directly in the blast, and pushed back the pressure surrounding them. This startled the other spirits, as they didn't expect one of these children to be capable of fighting back.

"Ah… phew…" Fial gasped in relief. "I feel bettah awl of a sudden…"

"The Runestone pushed back the negative aura these spirits are emanating," Connla explained. "I'll have to be quick in dispatching them though, or else it'll reconstitute itself. You two go hide somewhere."

"Okay!" Fir agreed, then took his sister's hand and lead her away from the scene.

Back in the direction of Emain Macha, the stranger who found the dead woman's body had already made his report to the authorities and arranged for someone to pick up the corpse. Now that his business was settled, he could continue on his trek through the southern forest. Not even an hour after he left town, that was when he spotted an unusually brilliant light shining in the distance. He too had been feeling the heavy pressure and had been struggling to maintain his sanity, but now he realized that he didn't have any feelings of depression or grief lingering within him anymore.

He raised an eyebrow and murmured to himself, "That's odd… The druid shouldn't be leaving for another couple of hours."

Fearing that someone else was getting caught up in this mess, he unsheathed his sword and ran as fast as he could toward the direction of the shining light.

Connla deftly backflipped over a ghost's swiping claw, then slashed her enchanted spear through its gut. Although no blood flowed out from the wound, the confused entity clutched its stomach in pain and made some distance so its compatriots could surround her in a circle. Combat adrenaline took over as she became a flurry of movement, bounding along trees and hopping off of rocks to stymie the ghosts, all while getting in some decent blows that culled their numbers one by one. As she cleansed each soul of its animosity, they would lose the will to fight and fade away. Some were more potent than others, but as long as she maintained this momentum, she would win this battle in no time.

About six of the more stubborn spirits remained, and they let out shrill cries of frustration before ganging up on her all at once. Connla figured this would happen eventually and already had her own Runestones prepared. Although not as powerful as the one she borrowed from Fir, each Nauthiz Runestone exploded with enough force to rival a punch to the face. She engaged in an elegant dance, barely moving from her spot as she performed an elaborate combination of spear swipes, stone throws, and even a couple of kicks to bat away her enemies.

Finally, she was ready to release the best spell she could conjure in this situation. While the ghosts were busy assaulting her, she was getting a Runic circle ready on the ground around them. Once she had a moment to breathe, she chanted, "Óss er algingautr, ok ásgarðs jöfurr, ok valhallar vísi. Ansuz!" †

Before the spirits could react, a large magic circle flared bright red beneath them, with Connla in the very center. Around the edges, massive plumes of flames burst from the sigils and engulfed anything unfortunate enough to be close by. She remained unharmed since the fire exploded around her in a cylinder, but it burned away five of the six surviving spirits. Unfortunately, the final ghost managed to steer clear of the fiery pillar, then turned course in a blind panic toward where Fir and Fial were hiding. Fial's terrified scream only served to alert it to their presence even more.

Connla's eyes widened in shock, and she cried out, "Shoot!"

Before she could do anything though, the spirit suddenly shrieked in sheer pain. Some sort of dark figure had rushed in and swiped a Runic broadsword at the ghost, carving into its ethereal form and causing it to split apart horizontally from the torso before fully disappearing. The three children froze in place, unsure of what just happened. They eventually regained their senses and realized that a wandering soldier had saved them.

The child warrior ran up to the twins and cried out, "Are you all right!?"

"Yeah, somehow," Fir assured. Fial nodded, but was obviously still shaken.

Connla then got a good look at their savior. He was a handsome man in his mid-20s, with short black hair that spiked up a bit, and strands of his bangs fell upon his face in just that delicate way to accentuate his attractiveness. He wore form-fitting black tights and armor that exposed his upper torso, but completely covered his back, arms, waist, and legs. He also possessed some intricate red Celtic tattoos on his chest. What surprised her the most was how strangely pale he looked, as if he had no blood coursing through his body to give him a healthy tint. Despite his pallid skin, his eyes were as deep black as his hair, and his lips were suspiciously cherry red, meaning he wasn't an albino of any kind.

Nevertheless, Connla wiped her brow of a light amount of sweat, then said to the stranger, "That was a close one. We couldn't have pulled through without your help. For that, you have my gratitude."

"Think nothing of it," the man said. His voice was just the perfect mix of youthfulness and maturity. "It's natural discourse for me to help others. Especially those being troubled by the spirits that Deirdre's curse has wrought upon them."

The three children yelped in astonishment when they heard this. Fial exclaimed, "You know about Deiwdwe?"

"Most certainly, little one. I've been trying to find her for the last while."

"We need to find her too!" Fir remarked.

"Really? What for? Do you not understand that you three could be touched by her unrelenting sorrow and driven mad to suicide?"

The trio glanced at each other uneasily. Finally, Connla asked him, "Who are you, anyway? Why do you know so much about Deirdre of the Sorrows?"

The handsome fellow frowned a bit, then stood tall and introduced himself:

"I'm Deirdre's husband, Naoise."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

† - "God is Odin, Prince of Asgard, Lord of Valhalla." The Runic poem associated with the Ansuz Rune.