Fortress of the Blood-maid
As usual, I began me storytellin' by the hearth shortly after the last morsel of our supper were eaten...
'If the lass Beeannaithe thought the marsh near Willowsong's sacred spring smelt bad, the tainted waters of the Blood-gloom smelt even worse. Much worse.
"I'm sorry, Mac, but we must enter this cursed swamp to reach Naruhel and her corrupted spring. Watch your step!" Beannaithe said in thought to her pony friend. Mac whinnied his displeasure but endured the reek as best he could.
Beannaithe avoided the restless spirits and other cursed things in the swamp whenever possible, and dispatched them with Claíomh Solais when she could not. She soon found the main entrance into the ruined fortress, which were very much like a small city.
To Beannaithe's surprise she learned that the ruins were not completely deserted by the Big Folk, for it were occupied by a small contingent of soldiers. Some were trainin' under the watchful eye of their captains, while others were huddled around the many campfires that were scattered about the crumblin' walls of the fortress. As the lass would discover soon enough, these Big Folk were the devoted servants of the Bloood-maid.
Beannaithe had nearly reached the fortress keep built around the corrupted spring when she were spied by a small platoon of soldiers. "Get the Halfling!" their captain cried. The Men hesitated a moment when they saw the bright light of Claíomh Solais but, knowin' their fate would be far worse if they disobeyed their captain, continued their pursuit of Beannaithe. It were to no avail. Both the captain and the soldiers under his command fell soon to Beannaithe and her enchanted sword.
Within the keep Beannaithe found a number of wights...'
'Do they come in any other colour?' inquired Diolun.
'Other colour?' I asked the lad.
'Ye know, other than white?' said Diolun.
His siblin's and cousins laughed. I confess that I laughed a little meself.
'Sorry, it's me own fault. A wight,' I explained, 'is a reanimated corpse inhabited by an evil spirit. Sprits themselves have no body.'
'Oh, I did not know that,' said Diolun.
'Aye, and why should ye? It's not somethin' that mothers teach their wee lads,' I said.
'Thank ye, Granda, now I understand,' he gratefully told me.
'There's a reason we don't tell these things to our wee lads and lasses,' said me daughter Ériu, who'd just finished her kitchen chores. 'It's because we don't wanna be givin' 'em nightmares!'
'Well, daughter,' I said in me own defence. 'They has to learn it from someone!'
I regretted sayin' those words as soon as they'd left me mouth.
Ériu's sisters Banba and Fódla came between us, actin' as peacemakers on this occasion rather than immediately taken their sister's side as were usually the case.
'We can't always protect them, sister,' said Fódla. 'They won't be wee ones forever.'
'Besides,' said Banba, 'they probably hear far worse from other children in the village.'
'I appreciate your comin' to me defence, daughters,' I said, 'but Ériu has a right to be angry. I should have spoken with ye first before I began me storytellin' on this sensitive subject.'
'Oh, all right,' said Ériu. 'As we've said before, that's all we ask. Isn't that right, sisters?'
'Aye, you're right,' agreed Banba and Fódla. They then set their eyes upon me.
'May I continue me story?' I asked them.
'Aye,' they said in unison. 'But tread carefully!' added Ériu.
'Aye, daughter, I will,' I said, relieved to have the matter settled amicably.
'Rather than sayin' "wight" which sounds the same as a very different word,' I told me grandkids, 'perhaps I should have used our ancient word "gúl".'
'That sounds creepier!' said Darowva, shiverin' a little.
'Aye,' I said.
'I like it!' said Daibhidh.
Darowva shot him a look. It saved me the trouble.
'It's time for bed for this lot,' said Banba. 'Wee Beacha is already fast asleep.'
I sensed that Dooli were about to say, 'She's always fast asleep!' but he stopped when I looked at him and softly shook my head. There were no need to start another row.
'Oíche mhaith, daughters and grandkids,' I called after 'em as they left the room.
'Good night, Granda!' me grandkids called back.
