Chapter 10 They Also Serve…

 

Chapter 10 They Also Serve….

In which Cúan is lost and found.


The journey down to Allen in Kildare was only an hour but it felt like one of the longest hours that Cúan had ever spent in his Father’s company.His Dad had the news on the whole time and seemed to be muttering to himself. Outside the sky clouded over with heavy black rain clouds threatening rain. Big black summer thunderclouds rolled across the midlands cooling and darkening the landscape into a dim and menacing vista. The news snippets his Dad flicked between made no mention of Aoibheann’s abduction, Chief Superintendent Breslin was obviously sitting on the news. Even the news of Philly O’leary’s escape from prison had been suppressed and kept from the public. His father was able to select the security channels on his radio and soon he was scanning these for news but to no avail. Cúan had never seen his father so upset and realised that Dermot was struggling to contain his grief .

He couldn’t risk expressing his feelings because they ran deeper than words could express and Dermot felt unable to share his feelings with Cúan for fear of them both breaking down crying altogether. Cúan gently reached out his hand and laid it in support on his Dad’s left shoulder. Dermot glanced over at him and as their eyes met the unspoken love and understanding flowed between them.” Thanks for that Cúan,” whispered Dermot” and I’m sorry. All of this is because I wanted a big job in Dublin.” “It’s okay Dad,” responded Cúan

“we’ll all get through this together.” while the rest of the journey was just as silent , the quality of the silence was different because it was open, honest and shared.


As they pulled off the National route before Manus’ gate, Dermot climbed down from the front seat to enter the security code to open the security gates that Manus had installed after his wife Marie died.As the tall black gates swung open admitting their car into the farmyard, the three dogs in the dog run set up a barking and howling . Manus emerged from the workshop off the yard with his Purdey shotgun broken over his arm. “Stay here” said Dermot and closed the door as he went over to talk to Manus. Cúan realised that his father didn’t want him to hear the conversation and he also realised that all of this could be his fault. Maybe that Queen was behind what happened to Aoibheann and Aoife. What was he to do?

Cúan couldn’t hear what his father said but he did see Manus glance over and give a curt nod of agreement.

Dermot turned and beckoned Cúan with the come here gesture so Cúan reached over to the backseat and grabbed both his bags. There was the big one with a lot of his clothes in it and a smaller knapsack with his sports gear and the Gaebolg threaded through a handle at the top.

The next thing he knew he was getting an awkward hug goodbye and injunctions to behave himself for his grandad. His Dad leaned in close and whispered “I’ll get Aoibheann back, I promise.”


The next thing Dermot was gone in the big black Landrover, heading for Dublin to do what? Cúan would later regret that he never had the courage at that moment to tell his father , well, everything. Tell him about the Gae Bolg, about Queen Maedhbh, about the

Three Warriors of Darkness and about Aoife. Aoife! He had forgotten about Aoife …. she had been kidnapped too. What the hell was going on?


As he stood there looking at the gate closing automatically, a gnarled hand fell on his shoulder gently. Cúan looked up into his grandad’s searching blue eyes. “So then soldier, it looks like you and I have got to sit this one out. ‘They also serve who only stand and wait.’ Maybe we should reconnoiter for the afternoon. Let’s take the hounds out to the hills to see what we can find. And then you can tell me about what was really happening in that Hurling match.” So Cúan just nodded obediently and headed into the house to get changed into his hiking boots.


About an hour later Cúan and his grandad finally crested a hill about five miles west of the farmyard.Manus was sporting a fine waterproof green wax jacket and he had a shotgun bandolier over one shoulder. Slung low on his hip was a brown canvas game bag mainly for show. Cúan had reversed the hurl and carried it with the handle foremost like a rifle over his left arm. The Gaebolg didn’t seem to mind and was pretending to just be a normal hurl.

Oisin, Oscar and Conán Mao, the three hounds, ran around them smelling every track, stick stone and bush only delighted to be out and about.


Manus stopped looked around and finding a tall bushy topped tree went over and sat resting his back against the trunk. Cúan went to sit on an outcrop of rock but Manus stopped him.

“Sit like me with your back to it and face back down towards the farm, that way if anyone is following us they won’t be able to see your outline against the sky.” Cúan then realised that Manus had similarly disguised his own silhouette. Out from the game bag Manus produced an ancient tartan flask full of sweet milky tea, some large ham sandwiches and big cuts of homemade carrot cake. He took an old white enamel mug out also and poured a cup of tea for Cúan. Then he poured his own into the lid of the flask and began to sup.


When the two of them were finished Manus did the grandad thing again and pulled out his trusty pipe and tobacco. Soon the cool, blue aroma of the tobacco filled the air. The earlier clouds had dissolved and the sun was starting to paint the landscape in strong and vibrant colour. All around things whistled , twittered and buzzed in the warmth.


Cúan chewed his lip silently and wondered could he talk to his grandad about it. Instinctively he knew that he had to unburden himself to someone but he was afraid his grandad wouldn’t believe him.


“You know I killed a man once,” said Manus casually as if he was talking to himself. “It was a terrible thing to do but it had to be done. It was over in Cyprus and I was stationed at a military checkpoint on active duty. I was a Company Sergeant then with a bunch of recently trained three star privates struggling to keep the Turks and the Greek Cypriots apart. There had been some political incident and a greek hothead had decided to try and cross the thin blue line to take out some of the Turks. When the lads saw a gun nin his car they started yelling at him to get out of the car. But instead...instead this man floored the accelerator

And mowed down two of my lads who were standing in front of the vehicle. He didn’t kill them mind but he went pretty damn close. I had a second to decide what to do as he broke through the wooden arm of the checkpoint and came speeding towards me. I brought up my Steyr took aim and killed him with a headshot. No warning shot, no verbal challenge, no time. Him being crouched down behind the wheel of the vehicle it was the only shot I had.

So i stopped him stone dead, maybe I saved some lives. But it was a terrible thing yet.. If i had to do it over again I would probably do the exact same thing.”


Manus took a deep suck on the pipe and blew out a ring. “Now this Philly O’Leary is a convicted serial killer for hire. He has no problem taking money to do that thing over and over. If I came up against him now I wouldn’t hesitate, not for the fraction of a second. Now your father is a very good man. He would try and arrest him, try him and get him locked up but I don’t believe that a man like O’Leary can change. I’d put him down just to be sure. That’s what I’d do just to be sure. That’s what I’d do to make the world a safer place for the likes of Aoibheann and you.”


Cúan coughed “Grandad, do you remember when you and I last talked out on the bog .., about how if ever I needed help?” “Yes Cúan” replied the old man. “ Well I think I really need your help now.” said Cúan apprehensively glancing over at his grandad. The old man never took his eyes off the scenery. “Just tell me everything a Mhacín.” came the calm reply as Manus gazed over the bogland of Allen like some ancient Warrior Chieftain.


Cúan began “I know why Aoibheann was kidnapped.” “ Sure and we all know that,” said Manus, “It’s because Dermot arrested this Philly O’Leary and sent him to prison so now Philly wants to get back at Dermot through taking Aoibheann.” “No ,grandad. It’s because of this. Gaebolg, Taispeáin tú féin.”


With that hurley in Cúan’s hands transformed and elongated into its spear shaped self with the glittering emerald at its base. “Well, well” whispered the amazed Manus,”that’s not something that you see every day.” and getting up and crossing over to Cúan he took the ancient weapon in his right hand and waved it back and forth. “ Nicely balanced, sharp as a sword, quite the killing device you have there Cúan!” Cúan reached out his right hand towards the spear and it drifted out of Manus’ grasp and floated back over into Cúan’s grasp.

“Well it seems to have a mind of its own and knows its own master too..” commented Manus with a degree of wonder. “What’s going on Cúan?”


Then the whole tale came spilling out of Cúan beginning with the hawk and the discovery of the hurl in the bog. Next came the vision of the Queen Maedhbh and her curse applied to Cúchulainn and the Cullens his descendants. Then he told of Scátha the shape shifter and his oath of the warrior of the light, the smoke bridge to Oileán Aibleach and Aoife. He went on telling of how he and Ferdy with help from little Lee Ward saved Aoibheann from being beaten up by Alex O’Leary and his gang outside St Catherine’s. Finally he told his grandad about how there was another magical artifact called the Tarnhelm which gave Alex super speed and invisibility enabling him to spring Philly from prison to capture Aoibheann.


Manus’ pipe had gone out but he hadn’t noticed. “So what you’re telling me is that you’ve been on the run from some magical mythical Maedhbh and her many evil nasties and that she is behind Alex and Philly pulling the strings trying to kill us Cullens off? “ “Yes,” answered Cúan” and I’m very afraid now that she has Aoibheann. She is able to take over people like Alex with some ancient warrior called Fergus MacRoich so they will do her bidding.”

“ “ I would very much like to meet this Scátha and give her a piece of my mind ..sending a boy to do a man’s job. You shouldn’t have had to be worrying about all of this by yourself Cúan.” growled Manus. “But I’m not alone Daideo because I’ve Aoife and Lee helping me as well.”

“Tell me more about this Aoife,” grinned his grandfather with a glint in his eye “Would she be some class of a girl?” “ Cúan was a bit slow on the uptake, “ Aah grandad it’s not like that. She’s just someone training like me to face Maedhbh and her warriors. She is from Scotland. She was trying to guard Aoibheann when she got taken by Philly and Alex.”

“Well now, Aoibheann has her own bodyguard no less,” commented Manus dryly,”I hope she can find some way of letting us know where they are being kept prisoner.”


Manus turned and looked down to the farmyard in the distance. ”I think we should be heading back down now.” “But we haven’t seen or killed anything yet” said Cúan.

“Arragh sure the hunting season doesn’t begin till later in the year.” quipped Manus.

“I just felt like some exercise and I wanted to check if we were followed. That was before I knew about lads wearing invisibility helmets like.” Cúan looked back over the hill and realised that it commanded a panoramic view 360o degrees all around with little or no cover on the upper slopes for the highest kilometre. His grandad was no fool and the dogs would soon have sniffed out any hidden ambushers nearby. They set off back down the hills much relieved.

When they got back to the farmyard quite a sight was there to greet them. Cúan first of all recognised Lee Ward and his pony Dove and racing sulky tethered to a bush opposite the gates. Dove was eating contentedly from a cloth nosebag over his muzzle with loud munching noises.

Across the road from the gates was another visitor , a stranger to him.

There was a colourful traveller’s covered caravan with a green roof over red body and wheels. It was made entirely of wood and had pots and pans ropes and rods hanging off of it . Cúan could make out a tin stove-pipe peeping up from part of the roof. She was an ancient wrinkled traveller woman wrapped in a shawl and a black dress as black as winter’s night. She was crouched sitting over a ring of stones boiling an old tea kettle of tin sitting on an iron grill over a blazing fire . She was singing some song quietly to herself in a language he didn’t recognise.

The three dogs pricked up their ears and ran across the road barking excitedly. “Heel, heel” shouted Manus uselessly and tried to grab their collars but to his surprise the old woman made a sign and all the dogs lay down facing her with their heads down on their paws as if in prayer or adoration of her.

The old woman looked over at them and nodded toward the hills and said ”So ye have done with yere gallivanting then? Ye better have some tea and then we’ll see what has to be done. And No Manus Cullen ye don’t know me but I know all about ye from Marie Joyce yer late wife. Sure Marie was always a good and a kind friend to me and my kind in our travels. And this must be Cúan Cullen then,” she stood up “let me have a good look at ye child.”

Cúan walked over to her and as he did the Gaebolg in his hand felt hard and metallic with magic. It vibrated and hummed with its own inner pulse but the old woman just glanced at it and stretched out her arms to rest her hands on each of his shoulders as she looked deep into his eyes. Cúan looked just as deeply into her eyes too. He saw that her face was thin and crisscrossed with an unbroken tapestry of wrinkles. Her skin had the brown and weatherbeaten leathery look of someone who had spent her life out of doors in all weathers.

Yet for all that she held herself erect almost regally and her clear grey eyes has large, dark, dark pupils that reminded Cúan of caves deep in the woods or of some bottomless lake in a mountain or some night sky seen from the bottom of a well. Her thin pale pink lips smiled revealing sparkles of gold here and there among strong white teeth. She could have been any age between sixty to over a hundred.

“Ah,” she crooned ,” here is a soul that I can work with. You, grandson of Marie Joyce I will indeed help.” Then she took Cúan’s hands in her own and placed his hurl under his oxter so she could scrutinize the palms. “Yes, and yes, head and heart, all is good. It will never be easy for you and your choices will not be straightforward but here I see all that you should need. Courage, strength of mind and of course ,Love.” She folded his fingers back over the palms gently , put her lips over near his ear and whispered “If you keep true to your promise I will help you get your sister Aoibheann back” Cúan stepped back astounded.


Manus brought up his shotgun and pointed it at her. “That’s enough step away from my grandson.” “Much lacking is the hospitality of your house since Marie died.” said the old woman, “Is this how you would have her see ye now, turning first your dogs, then your gun and finally your harsh words on a poor old beggar woman? What a brave warrior ye have turned out to be. But let ye know this Manus Cullen of Allen, if you shoot me ye will be killing Aoibheann just as surely as if ye placed the barrel against her heart and pulled the trigger yourself.”


Manus frowned and slowly lowered his gun. ”I’m sorry but I don’t know you nor do I know how you come to be here just a few short hours after my grandson Cúan is given into my protection from a murderer. There are death threats hanging over him my son Dermot and all of us Cullens.”

“And that’s why the Cailleach is here,” piped up Lee coming around the Cailleach’s covered caravan. He had obviously been eavesdropping “She came to my camp and had me follow her here immediate-Lee.” “ The Cailleach?" asked Cúan. "What’s a Cailleach ?” .


“A Cailleach is an old irish word for a witch,” said Manus glowering over at the old woman. “Ráméis,” said the Cailleach “Anyway I am not a Cailleach I am the Cailleach. Older am I than the hill ye have climbed. A hill I formed with stones from my apron in the yesteryear. Just as I formed many a mountain and valley long before your Cúchulainn passed this way in the long long ago. I am an Cailleach Béara , sean bhean bhoct and seanachaí to the travelling people, old woman of the mountains, queen of hound and horse and hog. I have lived a thousand of your lifetimes by my wit and wisdom. By spell and incantation I have swum walked and flown in many forms of fish, bird and beast. Your hard heart and cold eyes are more threat to me that your shot or steel or canine's fangs, If I should die such a joy will be lost to the land, and such a loss of light in the sky, that the waters will be stirred and storm clouds would arise and you would all be drowned entirely.”


With that she held up her hand and snapped her fingers. Lightning forked down from a sudden storm cloud that sprang up in the sky covering up the Sun and turning the land all around into a deep shadow. It became deathly cold. “No, Manus Cullen”, she barely whispered “I am not afraid of the likes of you but you should be sore afraid of the likes of ME!” As she said this last a white light flashed in her eyes.


Then she opened her left hand and a bright red butterfly appeared . This she gently breathed on and it fluttered up toward the cloud dispersing and scattering it with light until soon bright sunlight returned all around them again.

“What do you want?” asked Manus ”Come into the house and we can talk.” “No,” the Cailleach shook her head ,“I’ll not step beneath the roof where my lovely Marie Joyce has died. The sky is my roof and the open road is my home. But you are welcome to my hearth .”

Picking up a gnarled old blackthorn stick from the ground she took three stones from her pocket and struck them with the blackthorn stick. Straight away they became three strong stones each about two feet off the ground even and smooth for sitting down upon. When they sat as they were bidden the Cailleach retrieved from within the caravan three old white enamel mugs. She solemnly handed a mug each to Lee, Cúan and Manus. She then poured out tea from the kettle and said to each of them, “drink it black and bitter though it be while ‘tis hot until you reach the dregs and then return the mugs to me to read what the leaves say.” First Lee then Cúan and finally Manus took turns to drain the tea and return their mugs to the Cailleach.

When Lee drank he finished and handed his mug over with great trepidation.

The Cailleach turned the mug around clockwise three times muttering words to herself and then she peered into the base of the mug. After a few seconds she spoke. “You are on the journey that will set for you a great destiny. ‘Tis by the skill of your wit and ways that you can shield the warrior from the gaze of his enemy and protect him from her Creatures. Beware the blue man and set no foot on Maedhbh’s island while it still be night.”


Then she held out her hand for Cúan’s mug. He could see nothing in the leaves but he handed it over obediently. She spent a lot more time peering into his one ,closing one eye and turning it about muttering many sighs and achs to herself before she could bring herself to speak. Finally with some sort of heavenward gesture to ward off evil she said “even now Queen Maedhbh’s heart burns with hatred and the desire to bring about your downfall. Her eyes and ears seek you everywhere and her creatures cast about for you. With beak and envenomed fang they seek dripping poison as they come. Never enter a cave with only one entrance. You must keep your word though it break your heart but trust too in the Gaebolg to see the world as it is and not as enchantment make it appear.”


Then unusually submissively she turned to Manus and opened her palm to receive his mug. For a moment it looked as if he would not give it but then with a skeptical sigh he did. After a repeat performance of the sighs and rotations she stopped ,flicked his leaves into the fire and placed the mug on the ground. Then she studied him for a moment. At last she spoke addressing him and looking him in the eye all the time. “No good news for you Manus, except that which you already know. Two paths lie before you one long and familiar the other shorter but filled with peril. Great favour lies upon you from one of immense power. But he would ask you to enter a door where you are afraid to go and from which there is no return. However unless you go through the darkness of the night you cannot reach the dawn. Now Manus what do you see.” With that she threw some powder on the fire that caused it to blaze up. In the flames Cúan could see many faces there was that of the old man from the island and then g Cúan away one that looked like his late grandmother. Manus looked very sad and he grunted “okay.” Then he gave a cough, it became a coughing fit and he stood up and waving his hand at Cúan he headed off towards the house.

“Musha now Cúan,” said the Cailleach, “go you inside and have him lie on the couch.

Light the fire and let the dogs lie at his feet. Listen to him Cúan let him see you care and he will tell you what it is you want to know. I will prepare a medicine that will help him considerably. Remember what he told you about his grandfather, he still has a bit of pride left in him now. Take Lee for he could do with a warm bed and some real food.”

With that Cúan and Lee went over to the house. Cúan persuaded his grandfather to lie on the couch in the living room and he lit the big range in the kitchen to warm up the house. Soon the copper pots and the flagstones were snug and cosy and the two boys sat on the floor with the dogs at Manus’ feet. Soon there was a tapping at the door and the Cailleach was there holding a drink in an old green bottle. These are just some old herbs and roots I’ve prepared which will ease his coughing and take away some of the pain he isn’t telling anyone about.” she said. “ Have him drink it all and tell him I said it would ease the illness.”

Then she turned and returned to her campfire and caravan to smoke her pipe and sing to herself into the night.

When Cúan turned around he found Lee sitting at the kitchen table with a heap of brown soda bread slices in front of him munching his way through them happily smothered as they were with bright yellow butter and dark purple homemade blackberry jam. He was washing it down with a huge bottle of diet cola he had liberated from the fridge. His runners were off and he was using his feet to scratch the three dogs underbellies as they reclined around his feet.

“How old are you?” asked Cúan. “I’ll be twelve next August.” said Lee proudly before taking another enormous bite out of a crumbling brown soda bread with jam all over his mouth.

Cúan brought the bottle over to Manus and said “the Cailleach says you’re to drink it all to get better and for the pain. What’s wrong with you grandad?” Manus brought the bottle to his lips and then drained it completely. “Aach but it’s bitter.” He complained and then placing his hand on Cúan’s arm he continued “ I’ve tasted worse… but not often. It is lung cancer Cúan. I’ve being trying to spare you all. I mean I haven’t told anyone not Dermot or Gráinne either. I have been told I have only got around six months. My poor dogs who will look after them? I’m not ready to give up my home yet. And then there's this Aoibheann and Maedhbh situation. I’m still needed here. The very last thing I want is to be told to sit this one out down in Kildare. How can I protect you in this crazy situation? They say that time heals all wounds but I say time wounds all heels. That Philly O ‘Leary won’t see me coming because I’ve got nothing left to lose. That makes me the most dangerous man you will meet today.




Cúan felt the tears forming in his eyes and so instead of answering he just wrapped his arms around the old man and hugged him. He was crying. Soon the two of them were crying together. The dogs got up and came over to the two of them whining and whimpering confused. The next thing Lee just threw back his head and gave a loud howl like a wolf. The three dogs joined in and set up a howl together and that lasted for a long minute. Then a silence finally fell. They were all tired so Cúan dragged two sleeping bags for himself and Lee onto the Couch and a chair before the fire and Manus wished them good night and headed upstairs to his bed.