she had replied with a twinkle in her eye.
And what a blessing it was that Mamma and mother-in-law shared their Christian name. Isaac’s ferocious old mother thought that the baby was named after her and not after her other gentler grandmother. But who would have thought that the
cailleach
would live for ever?
*
‘Thank goodness you’re back. My mother’s been asking for you all the time.’
Looking at his gaunt face, Màiri thought how he seemed to have aged ten years while she had been gone. Well, maybe he would understand better what she had to endure with the old woman. She braced herself to go in to see her. Now that she had lost both her parents she couldn’t stop herself from loathing this woman who lived on while they had died. She eased the door open to find Flòraidh asleep. Only her head was visible. Her shrivelled body barely disturbed the bed clothes and the flesh had been scraped from her skull. She clearly had only a thin-shelled hold on life. Màiri was shocked by the speed of her decline but she could also sense the familiar anger, padding beside her like a wolf on a leash. She sat down on the chair beside the bed, looking with a horrified curiosity at the bluish, crinkled eyelids which were as transparent as the skin of a newly hatched bird. She steeled herself to grasp her hand. It was as clammy as a frog’s skin.
The eyes snapped open, revealing accusing blue shards.
‘You’ve come back at last,’ Floraidh sneered.
Màiri heard the rumble of the wolf’s growl. She pulled the rope tighter. ‘I came back as soon as I could.’
‘You shouldn’t have left me.’
The wolf lay down, submissive but poised to spring.
‘I didn’t know you were getting worse.’
A dismissive snort came from the bed. Màiri felt her throat tighten and stayed silent. The wolf slumped down and closed its eyes.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been such a burden.’
The wolf’s ears twitched at the unexpected words. Its suspicious lips curled back on glistening teeth as it prepared to snarl. She gently pressed the animal’s head down.
‘I know you are. Don’t let it concern you,’ she whispered, gently opening up the clawed fingers as they scrabbled on the sheet. The old woman closed her eyes again. The wolf whimpered and curled up like a cub.
‘Stay with me.’
So Màiri stayed until the faint breathing faded away completely.
CHAPTER 15
Inverness, 1871
Màiri sat motionless on a hard chair in the darkened room, the rough bark of her fingers rubbing together. The house had never seemed so empty. The wake, with all the stories and songs, had briefly conjured up life like
Na Fir Chlis
who swirled and swooped across the heavens. They disappeared as suddenly as they had come and left the sky doubly dark. How strange it was to sit here so idle. She spread out her blotched hands with their swollen joints. For so many years she had been so busy, filling every moment. That busyness had stolen her life away, as it did for people who had spent time with the Fairies. Their time with them would seem to pass in a flash but when they returned home they found that years had gone by and everyone had grown old and grey.
When she looked back at her life it seemed like a river. For the first part before she left Skye it wandered like the Snizort, winding down to the sea. Those early days spent under the cloud-wrapped hills, tending the crops and the animals, seemed to stretch back as far as her eye could see. Her life since she came to Inverness had drawn her along the current of the broad River Ness, its waters swelling and teeming as she spent years carrying the cargoes of husband and family.
Now the children were grown, especially Flora, a brisk and calm young woman who had come up to Inverness to scoop up the stunned and silent Effie and take her back to Glasgow. Poor Effie, she was the only one who wasn’t full grown, not much older than Morag had been when she had lost both her parentsand … no, she mustn’t let her
And what a blessing it was that Mamma and mother-in-law shared their Christian name. Isaac’s ferocious old mother thought that the baby was named after her and not after her other gentler grandmother. But who would have thought that the
cailleach
would live for ever?
*
‘Thank goodness you’re back. My mother’s been asking for you all the time.’
Looking at his gaunt face, Màiri thought how he seemed to have aged ten years while she had been gone. Well, maybe he would understand better what she had to endure with the old woman. She braced herself to go in to see her. Now that she had lost both her parents she couldn’t stop herself from loathing this woman who lived on while they had died. She eased the door open to find Flòraidh asleep. Only her head was visible. Her shrivelled body barely disturbed the bed clothes and the flesh had been scraped from her skull. She clearly had only a thin-shelled hold on life. Màiri was shocked by the speed of her decline but she could also sense the familiar anger, padding beside her like a wolf on a leash. She sat down on the chair beside the bed, looking with a horrified curiosity at the bluish, crinkled eyelids which were as transparent as the skin of a newly hatched bird. She steeled herself to grasp her hand. It was as clammy as a frog’s skin.
The eyes snapped open, revealing accusing blue shards.
‘You’ve come back at last,’ Floraidh sneered.
Màiri heard the rumble of the wolf’s growl. She pulled the rope tighter. ‘I came back as soon as I could.’
‘You shouldn’t have left me.’
The wolf lay down, submissive but poised to spring.
‘I didn’t know you were getting worse.’
A dismissive snort came from the bed. Màiri felt her throat tighten and stayed silent. The wolf slumped down and closed its eyes.
‘I’m sorry I’ve been such a burden.’
The wolf’s ears twitched at the unexpected words. Its suspicious lips curled back on glistening teeth as it prepared to snarl. She gently pressed the animal’s head down.
‘I know you are. Don’t let it concern you,’ she whispered, gently opening up the clawed fingers as they scrabbled on the sheet. The old woman closed her eyes again. The wolf whimpered and curled up like a cub.
‘Stay with me.’
So Màiri stayed until the faint breathing faded away completely.
CHAPTER 15
Inverness, 1871
Màiri sat motionless on a hard chair in the darkened room, the rough bark of her fingers rubbing together. The house had never seemed so empty. The wake, with all the stories and songs, had briefly conjured up life like
Na Fir Chlis
who swirled and swooped across the heavens. They disappeared as suddenly as they had come and left the sky doubly dark. How strange it was to sit here so idle. She spread out her blotched hands with their swollen joints. For so many years she had been so busy, filling every moment. That busyness had stolen her life away, as it did for people who had spent time with the Fairies. Their time with them would seem to pass in a flash but when they returned home they found that years had gone by and everyone had grown old and grey.
When she looked back at her life it seemed like a river. For the first part before she left Skye it wandered like the Snizort, winding down to the sea. Those early days spent under the cloud-wrapped hills, tending the crops and the animals, seemed to stretch back as far as her eye could see. Her life since she came to Inverness had drawn her along the current of the broad River Ness, its waters swelling and teeming as she spent years carrying the cargoes of husband and family.
Now the children were grown, especially Flora, a brisk and calm young woman who had come up to Inverness to scoop up the stunned and silent Effie and take her back to Glasgow. Poor Effie, she was the only one who wasn’t full grown, not much older than Morag had been when she had lost both her parentsand … no, she mustn’t let her
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