his nose. Either the vile taste or the vile smell had the desired effect because almost immediately, Cathbad spat out the liquid and moved his head from side to side to escape the odor.
In time, the druid blinked, opened his eyes and slowly regained full consciousness. He looked around at the group and quietly spoke. “I have seen Lugh of the Long Hand. He has taken his grandson and discharged us from our duty to the child. He has promised that the child will be placed in good hands and treated in a manner appropriate to his station. Ferdia will be protected for as long as his safety is threatened by those who would seek to do him harm and for as long as he is unable to protect himself. It is finished.”
With great effort, the old druid was assisted to his feet and was draped with the skin that had once covered Ferdia and the treasures. The remainder of the group quietly gathered their belongings and prepared to return to Emain Macha. After the initial shock of witnessing such an amazing event, it seemed that each person retreated into the silence of his or her own thoughts. All that remained was the musical night sounds of a peaceful spring evening.
A moment later, however, the stillness of the evening was broken by the grasp of one of the women witnesses. “Mairéad!” she exclaimed.
All eyes turned to the form of the old woman who slowly sat in the wet grass and then fell on her side before finally lying on her back. Cathbad and the woman who had treated him, rushed over to her side. As they knelt beside Mairéad, she closed her eyes and a smile lit her face.
“Old Sister,” he said, obviously distressed. “Can you hear me?”
Mairéad’s eyes fluttered and opened slightly. “Yes my brother, I can hear you. You are speaking loud enough to wake the dead.”
The remark brought smiles to the faces of the entire group and Cathbad pressed on, “Mairéad, have you hurt yourself? Are you in pain?”
The old woman continued to smile as she replied, “No, I am not in pain. It is just that my light is growing dim and I am being called from this life.”
Cathbad put his hand on the old woman’s cheek and with tears running down his own face said, “I am sorry I agreed to your joining this journey. Certainly it was too much for you. What have I done?”
“Hush, my friend,” Mairéad gasped. “This was my destiny and this is the only way my life on this earth could have ended. I knew when I held that child for the first time that our destinies were bound to each other and so it is proper that we depart this world together. I have no fear of the next world; perhaps I will see Ferdia again. Know this, my brother, I am at peace.”
With that Mairéad closed her eyes for the last time.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
In a blink of young Ferdia’s eyes, the granite crib and chest of treasures were transported to the land of the Tuatha Dé Danann far beneath the surface of the earth. They settled on a table in the middle of a great field where scores of people gathered. A moment later, the cloth covering the crib was drawn back and child found himself staring into at least six pairs of amazed eyes leaning over his bed. After taking in the scene, Ferdia smiled and let out a gurgle of delight. This broke the silence of the moment and everyone began to smile and laugh.
One pair of eyes remained fixed on the child and a moment later Ferdia found himself being lifted into the air by a tall and powerful man. The stranger had two long blonde moustaches flowing from each side of his upper lip and down over his mouth to where they joined his beard which was groomed well down onto his chest. The man’s nose was long and pointed, his eyes, not unlike Ferdia’s own, were large and blue and he was dressed in a purple robe trimmed with gold.
“This child my friends,” announced a smiling Lugh of the Long Hand, “is my grandson!”
As so it was that Ferdia, Son of Cúchulainn and Grandson of Lugh of the Long Hand came to reside with
In time, the druid blinked, opened his eyes and slowly regained full consciousness. He looked around at the group and quietly spoke. “I have seen Lugh of the Long Hand. He has taken his grandson and discharged us from our duty to the child. He has promised that the child will be placed in good hands and treated in a manner appropriate to his station. Ferdia will be protected for as long as his safety is threatened by those who would seek to do him harm and for as long as he is unable to protect himself. It is finished.”
With great effort, the old druid was assisted to his feet and was draped with the skin that had once covered Ferdia and the treasures. The remainder of the group quietly gathered their belongings and prepared to return to Emain Macha. After the initial shock of witnessing such an amazing event, it seemed that each person retreated into the silence of his or her own thoughts. All that remained was the musical night sounds of a peaceful spring evening.
A moment later, however, the stillness of the evening was broken by the grasp of one of the women witnesses. “Mairéad!” she exclaimed.
All eyes turned to the form of the old woman who slowly sat in the wet grass and then fell on her side before finally lying on her back. Cathbad and the woman who had treated him, rushed over to her side. As they knelt beside Mairéad, she closed her eyes and a smile lit her face.
“Old Sister,” he said, obviously distressed. “Can you hear me?”
Mairéad’s eyes fluttered and opened slightly. “Yes my brother, I can hear you. You are speaking loud enough to wake the dead.”
The remark brought smiles to the faces of the entire group and Cathbad pressed on, “Mairéad, have you hurt yourself? Are you in pain?”
The old woman continued to smile as she replied, “No, I am not in pain. It is just that my light is growing dim and I am being called from this life.”
Cathbad put his hand on the old woman’s cheek and with tears running down his own face said, “I am sorry I agreed to your joining this journey. Certainly it was too much for you. What have I done?”
“Hush, my friend,” Mairéad gasped. “This was my destiny and this is the only way my life on this earth could have ended. I knew when I held that child for the first time that our destinies were bound to each other and so it is proper that we depart this world together. I have no fear of the next world; perhaps I will see Ferdia again. Know this, my brother, I am at peace.”
With that Mairéad closed her eyes for the last time.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
In a blink of young Ferdia’s eyes, the granite crib and chest of treasures were transported to the land of the Tuatha Dé Danann far beneath the surface of the earth. They settled on a table in the middle of a great field where scores of people gathered. A moment later, the cloth covering the crib was drawn back and child found himself staring into at least six pairs of amazed eyes leaning over his bed. After taking in the scene, Ferdia smiled and let out a gurgle of delight. This broke the silence of the moment and everyone began to smile and laugh.
One pair of eyes remained fixed on the child and a moment later Ferdia found himself being lifted into the air by a tall and powerful man. The stranger had two long blonde moustaches flowing from each side of his upper lip and down over his mouth to where they joined his beard which was groomed well down onto his chest. The man’s nose was long and pointed, his eyes, not unlike Ferdia’s own, were large and blue and he was dressed in a purple robe trimmed with gold.
“This child my friends,” announced a smiling Lugh of the Long Hand, “is my grandson!”
As so it was that Ferdia, Son of Cúchulainn and Grandson of Lugh of the Long Hand came to reside with
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