Chapter 11 Look Before…

 

Chapter 11 Look Before…

In which Queen Maedhbh summons Balor of the Evil Eye to our World and in which Cúan continues his training as a warrior.


Chief Superintendent Breslin was sitting in his office when he received a call from his appointments secretary. “It’s ok Áine, send them in.” The door opened and the pretty young blonde girl in the St.Catherine’s uniform who had witnessed the abduction of Aoibheann Cullen walked in with Inspector Callan following behind.

“Come in , have a chair please. What is this all about now then?” asked Chief Breslin somewhat surprised. “ It is just as you suspected, Sir,” began Inspector Callan “ my more detailed interview with the witness has led to some significant information coming to light which is quite a breakthrough in the case. Miss Naughten was lucky enough to get some actual video footage of the abduction which not only will make building a case much easier but has revealed clues as to where we can actually find the girls. If you would care to examine the video yourself. Miss if you could just show the Chief Superintendent what you showed me.”


Maeve Naughten took out her camera phone and opened up the video app. She walked around the desk to the right and placed the phone on Breslin’s desk screen upwards. The Chief Superintendent turned the phone up with both hands to see the screen better. Inspector Breslin came around the left side of the desk and stood behind the Chief Superintendent saying “if you would just press the arrow button in the centre it will play.” “Please don’t treat me as if I’m a complete idiot, Carl,” snapped Chief Breslin waspishly pressing the arrow. “But you are a complete idiot,“ smiled Maeve.

On the screen the Chief Superintendent saw some sort of confrontation outside a chip shop. Alex Leary and his gang were threatening the two missing girls but there was no Philly Leary or white van and he could see no clues as to the whereabouts of the girls. “What am I looking at this for Inspector ?” He asked. “To distract you so I can get close,” answered Callan. Then he leaned in and pinned Breslin’s two wrists firmly to the table from behind at the same time shoving the chair right in to the well of the desk so Breslin couldn't stand up.


Stranger than all of that, Maeve Naughten leaned in and bit him sharply on the earlobe and began sucking the blood “That’s disgusting.What’s.. what’s happening?” he cried.

By now Maeve’s eyes were fluttering and she was chanting some sort of druidical spell “ Cumhacht na Fola, glacaim glan, tabhair a aigne in iomlán, bain an saoirse, ón sclábh, tabhair a anam dom i mo lámh.” Suddenly his body went rigid and his eyes started from their sockets. He gritted his teeth in a grimace as a cold blue aura flowed from the girl’s hands placed on his temples as she spoke again. “ You truly will be a most useful servant.” Then he was alone in a dark place. Like a prison cell within his own body , seeing ,hearing and feeling but hopelessly, helplessly trapped!


Taking a hazel stick out of her bag, Maeve began weaving shapes in the air to make a druidical doorway and began chanting a new spell. Striking him three times on the shoulders she sang,

“Balar Formhoire, Fathach is sine, Tar anois ‘gus glac an duine,

Cuidigh liom, cur tír trí thine, le cumhacht do suil don díoltas clainne.”

( Balor the Formorian, oldest Giant, come now and accept this person.Aid me. Set fire to this land with the power of your eye in revenge for your family.)

As she chanted the skies outside darkened. A stormcloud formed and there was a sudden flash of lightning and rolling thunder. A purple shapeless cloud drifted through the druidical doorway and suffused the body of Chief Superintendent Breslin. He shook himself blinked then closed his right eye while his left glared up at Maedhbh. “Why have I been summoned, Witch?” He spat viciously.


I have called you back to life in the World under the Sun to wreck your revenge for your humiliation and defeat at the hands of your grandson Lugh Samhíldánach,” she replied turning away from meeting his eye. “Bah, I am only here in the body of your slave. Give me his will and free me from your wiles woman!” thundered Balor striking the desk with his fist. Inspector Callan took a swift step backwards freeing the Fomorian.

“All in good time O King, mighty in battle and swift to anger, but first receive another gift. Consider this man I have delivered unto you is leader to a great army of loyal warriors who are all but above the law in this land. You now hold much POWER, O King. I beg you to use that power to aid me in my vengeance on the line of Cuchulainn. Once he is defeated you may have your will and the appreciation of my warmth and affection.” Here Maeve looked brazenly down at Balor and brushed her blonde ringlets up with both hands provocatively. “But until then I desire complete loyalty and trust from my allies. As a sign of that trust I ask for a sacrifice. Callan, who knows that we are here?”


Callan looked at Breslin and replied “ Only Breslin and his secretary Áine, my Queen.” “Summon her here, Balor, and demonstrate your loyalty.” Balor pressed a button on his telephone and spoke “Áine, come in here for a moment.”

As Áine came in, closing the door behind her, she turned to take in the tableau of her boss, the Inspector and the young woman in a school uniform. “Yes Sir?”

Balor raised his right eyelid and a red beam like a laser shone out and she shrieked as flames licked briefly all over her body and she was burned to a fine ash.


“There is your sacrifice, O mighty Queen, now where is that traitorous grandson of mine, Lugh?”

***

Cúan came out of the kitchen door directly into the farmyard and let out the dogs. Oscar, Oisin and Conan Maol skipped past him with wagging tails and friendly licking of tongues in expectation of their breakfast. Cúan divided dog nuts equally into three bowls. He glanced across the road at the covered wagon and noticed that the Cailleach has already lit a fire and had her cauldron of soup or stew boiling away merrily. She is sitting on a rock with a clay pipe in her mouth just watching him with beady sunken eyes. He crossed the road and sat down beside her at the fire.


“My Grandfather has lung cancer,” he said. “Musha that’s certain anyhow” was her reply. “The doctors say he has only six months to live,” said Cúan tears springing up in his eyes. “Sure an’ that’s what they said to me too,” replied the Cailleach. “Would you not stop smoking then, to give yourself longer to live?” queried Cúan. “Why would I do the likes of that ?, “ said the Cailleach amazed “when they told me that four hundred years ago? Sure and that’s when I took up the pipe with Granuaile. She had some tobacco she was after robbing from the big Castle in Howth . Walter’s weed she called it. Walter now, he really was a weed. “

“Are you saying you met Sir Walter Raleigh? “ Asked Cúan amazed. “ I met him, kissed him, dumped him,” answered the Cailleach “and let me tell you Manus Cullen is worth ten of him.”


“ What can you tell me of my grandmother, Marie Joyce” asked Cúan. The Cailleach took a draw on her pipe “Ochón, she was so gentle and so lovely, she was never happier than when teaching the children or churning the buttermilk for her lovely soda bread. She is missed and missed deeply by all who met her. None more so than the heartbroken Manus and your own father Dermot. You would have only been five or six when she passed. Do you remember?” '' I remember the funeral, there was a great storm that night after it with a high screeching wind.” If the Cailleach could look pleased and embarrassed at the same time this was how she looked now. “ Well, humph, not one but thought to tell me she had passed ar slí na fírinne so I was a little late getting to the ceremonies… but you remember the wind...screeching ...did you say ..humph!” She wiped what may have been a smut of smoke from her eye.


Cúan stirred at the fire with a twig. “Do you think Aoibheann is alright...I mean do you think Maeve will hurt her ?“ asked Cúan. The old woman glanced sharply at him before replying, “Well, well, well, you finally think of your poor sister. ‘Tis well you should ask and is her fate not in your hands and you sitting here idle. Where’s your hurl and what about your lessons?” Cúan shook his head briefly “ I’ve been taken out of school because of the kidnapping.” “Ach,“ and here the Cailleach spat sizzling into the fire, “not those lessons, your real lessons with Scátha. It’s a poor companion you are making for Aoife and she taken too...Up with you now and get the Gae Bolg.”


Cúan ran across the road and into the Kitchen. Lee had filled a pudding bowl with Cornflakes and was pouring an entire litre of milk into it . A jar of honey lay open beside it with a tablespoon laid out at the ready to complete the operation. “How are you going to eat all that ? “ called out Cúan as he passed . “Hungry-Lee” was all that was answered . He passed through the kitchen clutching his hurl and bouncing a tennis ball solo style. Out in the yard he volleyed the ball back to himself off an outbuilding wall , batted it high in an arc over the road, leaped a low wall, dashed across the road to the fire and caught the ball.


The Cailleach waved at the circle of stones containing the fire. The cauldron and tripod had been removed and the Cailleach threw some powder upon the fire producing tall licking red and gold flames which gave out enormous heat. “Can’t you produce the smoke bridge ? “ Cúan hazarded.

The Cailleach actually cackled , “ Why would I? Where’s the test for you in that? By fire you must prove yourself warrior boy. Have you not heard ‘Look before you leap..now LEAP! He held his hurley tight, thought ‘I’m going to be horribly burned’ but then catching a glimpse in the flames of Aoibheann’s face he jumped into the flames and found himself back in Emain Aibleach.


Scátha was not pleased! “ How long has passed since you were last here , warrior boy ? And where is your training partner Aoife?” Cúan felt the surly teenager rising within him but he mastered his irritation by thinking of what had happened to Aoife. “Maeve has her. She has been kidnapped by a criminal she freed from prison. Tell me have you heard of a Fergus MacRóich… or the Tarnhelm? They have my sister Aoibheann too.


Scátha looked at him strangely for a matter of seconds. Her inscrutable glance gave him no indication of surprise, sympathy or support. “Ach bitter indeed are your words to my ears. Fergus Mac Róich is a mighty warrior, destined for the Kingship of Ulster at one time only to be denied by the cunning of Nessa and her son Conor. Betrayed by that same cunning Conor to lose his honour and driven to serve Maedhbh before her armies and some say in her very bed. He is in himself bad tidings but worse again is the news that he holds the accursed Tarnhelm.” With that Scátha looked all around and started muttering a vague chant of revelation. She stopped and looked all around. The smoke bridge had disappeared.


“From this moment on you must keep the Gae Bolg between you and all harm. It is no mere spear warrior. You need to know its origin and powers. It is made from the magic bone of a Sea Monster. It retains the senses of a creature but can only speak through movement. It chooses its warrior and its choice is a mystery to us. In the past it chose ….me, but when I first battled your ancestor Cuchulainn it deserted me for him. Somehow it knew that he would have to battle Maebhdh and her army alone in defending Ulster and it chose him. When it chose him it chose his bloodline and so it chose you. It is impervious to charm or illusion and it can sense the presence of magic and evil. It can transform into a hurley to conceal its presence from its enemies. The Gae bolg is a weapon you must only use as a last resort. Once thrown it has never missed its mark nor has it ever failed to kill. As it enters its victim its barbs deploy three times by ten embedding like the creature’s teeth and to remove it fatally gashes the victim to a death both swift and bloody.” Scátha looked over at him seriously, “ Never throw it unless you mean to kill!” Cúan said “tell me what you know of the Tarnhelm that Fergus has.”


Scátha shook her head sadly “The Tarnhelm is wrought with great magical powers too. It is mostly defensive shielding its wearer from sight by magic. It endows its wearer with the ability to appear as another deceiving and lying to the eye. It allows its wearer to travel great distances over land in the blink of an eye but not over seas. Finally as a last resort it can transform its wearer into a fire breathing dragon. Pray you do not have to face that!”

“About Aoife, Scátha,” Cúan started. Scátha whirled about and grabbed him by the throat, holding him in such a way as to prevent him from speaking or even breathing. “ Insults , insults and derision is all I hear when you presume to address me. I am your teacher so speak to me with respect.If you fear your life is in danger from an incantation or magic spell this grip on the larynx will protect you. I hope you will not forget this lesson or your manners in future.” She released him and he fell to his knees gasping for breath. “Oide or Máistreás will do.”

Cúan’s hot temper rose but he became aware that a blackbird in a nearby tree was watching him closely. The words pure of heart echoed around in his mind, so he mastered his turbulent emotions and addressed Scátha thus. “Máistreás, my partner Aoife has been taken along with my sister by a boy I know from my school called Alex Leary and his murdering father ,Philly. Earlier when I played hurling against him he had the Tarnhelm and over the Bas of Gae Bolg I saw the presence of Fergus Mac Róich within Alex !”

“Dark indeed is the hand that weaves this spell. This is the work of Queen Maebhdh in summoning her willing warrior to attack you. Did he attack you?”

Cúan reflected on the question and realised that he had been attacked and had fought off Fergus on the pitch. “He attacked me and the Gae bolg stopped him. Then Cúan gave Scátha a complete account of the match. “ For the first time Cúan saw Scátha give a grim little smile. “So the first challenge has been given and been repulsed. You are fortunate indeed to be alive. Maedhbh will not be so direct the next time. She has Aoife and Aoibheann in her power. By now you must consider them her willing slaves. If they approach you, trust them not , if they offer food or drink, take it not and if they go to touch you let them not. Deception in darkness is her way and you must walk in the light of these words. If you must fight try not to kill them. It is only when Maedhbh herself is vanquished that her hold over them will be broken and the wills of those of the Land under the Sun returned to them. “


“But what about Fergus? What about Maedhbh ?” asked Cúan. “They will just be shades. “ answered Scátha. Come now there are some people I want you to meet.”

She led him up the hill into a wooded area where he could hear the sound of wooden weapons clashing. In a clearing there was an array of weapons arranged. There were many spears, bows with arrows, long claymores and shorter cutlasses laid out on trestles. There were maces, morningstars axes and hatchets. In the clearing two young blond haired boys of his own age were hammering each other with wooden practice swords and short circular wooden shields. The older looking boy was winning by sheer weight and size pressing the younger one down with his shield so that he was already on one knee. “Yield Malachi, “ he cried. The younger one flashed a clever smile and whacked his practice sword off the bigger lad’s exposed toes on his advancing foot. “Never Lochlann!” he laughed as the older one howled and hopped around the clearing trying to suck his sore toes. “Stad,” called Scátha, “ Cúan , meet Malachi and Lochlann Kelly from the Scottish Isles. They are royal warriors and can do great feats.” “Well Lochlann’s feats don’t look too great now.” Replied Cúan.

“Wow ,” said Malachi “ is this Cú Chulainn’s direct descendant? Hi I’m pleased to meet you.” “Don’t pay any attention to that little garsún sure he’s impressed by cowpats. I’m his big brother and I have to live with his hero worshipping ways.”

Scátha threw off her skins and went over to a table. She started peering along the shafts of spears. Finally she selected three she liked and brought them to a soft springy turfed area in the centre of the clearing . She drove the bases of the three spears deep into the ground so they vibrated upright with the force of her actions . “Now” she cried , “it’s time to learn the Salmon Leap.”

“Ooooh the SALMON LEAP!” echoed Malachi excitedly. “What’s the salmon leap?” Cúan asked Malachi only to be greeted by a pained expression on Malachi’s face. “Don’t ask him ,” laughed Lochlann “ He just repeats anything that Scátha says because he thinks he’s in love with her. He has no idea what a salmon leap is.”

Scátha called them over. “ The Salmon leap is when you bunch all the strength of your lower legs and can leap upwards more than your own height, just like the salmon goes up a waterfall.” announced Scátha sternly. “It is a hero feat to enter a dwelling by the roof or ramparts, to escape enemies when you are surrounded in battle or… “ Or if you are Malachi trying to look in Scátha’s bedroom up her treehouse.” finished Lochlann sniggering. Scátha looked over at Lochlann “ I didn’t hear what you said but I assume it wasn’t nice , what I wished to say was or if you want to show a feat to impress your allies and enemies before battle. Famously Diarmaid O’Duibhne used this feat to land on the tip of a spear and succeeded in killing fifty of his enemies who tried to copy his move .Now watch!”

With that she ran swiftly towards the spear nearest her and rising from the earth with a bird like bound , she alighted softly on the very point ; and leaping off it again she came to the ground without wound or hurt of any kind. “ There is a champion hero feat to try, Lochlann you first!”

In fairness Cúan would not have liked to be in Lochlann’s shoes. Lochlann swore silently then running as hard has he could he ran at the first spear. He leaped high like a bird but only got up about three feet off the ground and smacked his nose off the spear . His nose needed no second invitation and began bleeding. Scátha sighed and kicked at a daisy with her toe. “Oh dear, not so smart now, I guess my bedroom’s safe from you anyhow.” She smiled over at Malachi. “Now Malachi I’m really hoping you can do better.” Cúan thought Malachi was going to burst with excitement. If he had a tail it would be wagging like a hyper speed windscreen wiper.

Malachi ran and leaped with his eyes closed but instead of doing the high jump he did the long jump sailing between two spears into a blackthorn bush 10 feet behind them. “Ow..ow .. ow ” was all Cúan could hear. Scátha studied the clouds as if wondering why the Kings of Scotland picked on her deliberately to foster their more trying princes. “Now your turn Cúan!” was all she allowed herself to say. Cúan knew she expected him to fail, hell if it came to that he expected himself to fail. Just then the words of the Cailleach came to him loud in his head “Look before you leap.” Could it be as simple as that could it just be visualizing success before trying. He had heard of this as a successful athlete’s technique. After all he was on a mythical Isle in Tir fa Thoinn doing Hero training under CuChulainn’s tutor. So he saw himself leaping ,landing aloft and bouncing down just as Scátha had. So he ran really seeing each action in a sequence. The Hurley in his hand transformed into the Spear of terror and as he bounded from the earth the air rushed past him his muscles stretched upwards soaring and he saw the point of the spear appearing below his feet. He alighted on top as lightly as a snowflake, as a feather falling free through the air and as a mother kissing a sleeping infant’s head. Then he pushed rising a little before coming to rest as solidly and steadily with one bent knee and his arms outstretched like one of those olympic gymnasts ascending from the high beam. Scátha looked impressed for a moment before covering up her expression and just saying “that’ll do!” “Pig” whispered Cúan to himself. “What?” she asked confused. “Nothing “ he replied and smiling to himself grinned at Lochlann and Malachi princes of the Hebrides.

Scátha then clapped her hands and called “Lochlann, Malachi get me An Cláiomh Solais.” “What’s the Cláiomh Solais ?” wondered Cúan. Lochlann scratched his head, “ How can you a direct descendant of Cú Chulainn not know the name of his mythical sword ?” Cúan tried to look cool but he felt very much out of his depth. Malachi saved him by saying , “ Well I never knew that.” Cúan replied, “Where ...I mean when I come from, Cú Chulainn is a distant legend and we only hear about him from children’s stories and our earliest education. How do you know about him?” Malachi closed his eyes and recited “Cú Chulainn is the most dominant of the three heroes, Cú Culainn, Lugh Samhildánach and Fionn Mac Cumhaill. He saves his province in the Táin Bó Cuailgne even at the cost of his own life. He is a model of Loyalty, Strength and Determination. Though not of Royal Blood wish O warriors to be crowned as an immortal like he!” Here Malachi paused and coughed “ I also made up a song about his deeds do you want to hear it ?” “No “ shouted Lochlann and Scátha together. “ Just get An Claiomh Solais” called Scátha “and take Cúan with you to make sure you don’t accidentally behead yourself with it on the way back.”


Cúan and Malachi set off back down the hill to the Cave that he had seen the first time he was on the Island. As they approached the cave a blackbird whistled a low chuckling whistle. Straight away the grey haired old man with the hooked nose and the bright yellow robes appeared out of the darkness of the cave . The blackbird flew over and perched on his shoulder.


Cúan looked at the bird and then at the old man. Then he addressed the bird. “You don’t fool me you know, you pretended to just be a blackbird back at The Fenians but I’m on to you now. Transform and let me see you in your true form.You should be safe enough now to reveal yourself.” The old man looked at Cúan quizzically. ”I presume you are addressing my tame blackbird, feadóg.” Cúan looked up at him and said “It’s just a blackbird this time isn’t it?” The old man nodded idly and said “Did a blackbird address you back in the Tír faoi Grian, The Land under the Sun?” “Well yes,” answered Cúan “do you know who it was?” “Only four of us Tuatha de Dannan can transform that way. It wasn’t me so that narrows it down to three: Aonghus, Lugh or the Daghda.Oh stop that and get up.” Cúan looked down. To his amazement Malachi was kneeling and touching his forehead off the old man’s feet. “Why is he acting so weird ?“ laughed Cúan. “Well I suppose he thinks I’m a God.” replied the old man. “Are you a God, I mean who or what are you...please?” Cúan requested, remembering to be polite. “I suppose I’m an ancient, having lived for thousands of your years. I’m one of the few Sídhe remaining. I am what you would call a Druid or a Mage. I wouldn’t dare call myself a God. I can age and I can die and I can make mistakes….I only hope you will not have to pay for mine.”


The old man suddenly clapped his hands saying “Now,you want Cuchulainn’s Claiomh Solais I believe.” There was a sudden trickle of water as the rock to the left of the cave sprung a leak , then there was a flow, then a stream and finally a cascade as the rock appeared to transform into first gravel then sand and then water until it ceased revealing a shelf like basin four feet in length.


There within the basin glittering with a golden light lay the most amazing sword that Cúan could even have imagined. It was long, sharp and heavy with an ivory guard set with bright yellow gold and with a purple amethyst set in the hilt. It had a long complicated ogham inscription running down its symmetrical length. As Cúan looked the line shifted to form letters he could read although they made little sense to him. ‘Óglach Ériú.’


“Can I pick it up? “ asked Cúan. The old man looked at him with a mixture of interest and determination, “Of course you can, in fact, to free us from Maedhbh, you must. It is one of the few weapons that can withstand her Morallta. It is the weapon of the warrior of light. A word of caution, Cúan, great though it be to grasp a weapon of great power, greater still is he who knows when to let it go.”


Malachi went to grasp the weapon beneath the water, but his hand could not move the Claiomh as if it were carved from the rock basin it lay within. Cúan reached in and as his hand closed around the hilt the waters became dark and a voice deep and yet still as musical as the west wind winding through great oak boughs formed in his mind asking “Who seeks my sword?” A face swam up from the inky depths and looked keenly at him. “Who are you?” The face was young , no more than thirty four or thirty five and it looked exactly like...Dermot his Father! “ I am Cúan… your son,” stammered Cúan. “It is a wise man that knows his own son,” replied the face cryptically and faded.


Then the Claiomh Solais came up out of the water in his hand as warm as if it had been lying in the sunshine for a thousand years instead of in rock or chilling cold water. Cúan found the two staring at him. “What?” He asked. Malachi glanced at the old man and spoke. “You were talking to the sword...you said you were its son. You’re like nuts.”


The old man let out a sigh.” So it is true, Cúchulainn lives on in the Claiomh. He hasn’t been heard in two thousand years and now he has spoken to you. This must be told to the Tuatha de Danann.” With that he turned and swiftly departed into the cave leaving the two boys holding the sword. Cúan said to Malachi “do you want to carry the Claiomh, Malachi? “ Oh yes please can I ?” asked Malachi taking the sword reverentially and holding it upright before him, led them back to the clearing.


When they returned to the clearing Scátha was driving two forked branches that she had trimmed solidly into the turf near where the spears were still standing . Lochlann was practicing jumping over a hurdle that Scátha had been raising from three feet upwards and he kept catching his knee or toe and tumbling down on the turf only to receive the order “Athuair, again!” He looked wrecked. Scátha extended her hand for the sword. Malachi handed it over to her. She went through some swishing thrusts and parries and then ordered Malachi to pick up her great black shield and bring it over. She told Lochlann to bring one of the ordinary wooden practice shields. “This is an claiomh solais, Cúchulainn’s famous sword. It has defeated thousands high and low born warriors in its time . It is enchanted and so sharp it can cut through wood d like a hot knife cuts through butter.”


With that she suddenly swung it at Lochlann’s shield. The shield carved equally in two as if it had been made of paper. The two pieces dropped to the ground revealing a very white faced Lochlann. “However, when magic meets magic they cancel each other out,” she smiled and whipping around swung at Malachi bearing the Black Shield Dúbhan with a single spearhead inscription Cúan had seen her wearing when she first transformed. As the Claiomh Solais met the blackened shield a flash like lightning struck off the shield blinding them and the shield reverberated with a low rumble like thunder. Cúan examined the two weapons closely but each remained unmarked or buckled as the day each was created.


“Now to the third hero feat, to walk on the very edge of danger, watch and learn!” Scátha tied the sword between the two branches, lashing it with tight twine she produced from a short barrel. Then kicking off her boots and taking a short leap she landed barefoot on the very edge of the sword she carefully slid her soles back and forth along the edge before stepping off and coming lightly to earth.


Cúan was confused as he had just seen a demonstration of how sharp the sword really was, evident from the two halves of Lochlann’s practice shield nearby. Malachi however was still carried away by the awesomeness of carrying the Claiomh Solais and surviving its blow beneath the Black Shield. “Me, me,” he cried “let me try it.”

“No Malachi,” cried Lochlann “you idiot you’ll be killed!” With a look of anguish on his face he begged Scátha “ I am his elder brother, our parents have no other sons. Let me go first lest I be killed but give me your solemn word that if I die you will not make him try this feat too.” “No,” answered Scátha coldly. “Neither you nor Malachi will attempt this feat for neither of you has mastered the salmon leap. This feat is only for Cúan. So now warrior boy what do you say?”


Cúan thought hard. He felt there was something wrong. Although he was pleased Lochlann and Malachi were spared from danger he felt that Scátha wanted him to fail, maybe to injure himself or die. Why did she seem to hate him so much? Was there some trick to this feat. Recalling that visualization and the Gaebolg had helped him before he wondered what understanding he needed to defeat the laws of gravity again. Surely he couldn’t wish himself lighter than he was! Or could he?


He took off the sandals he was wearing and stepped as lightly as he could onto the blade’s edge. He was thinking furiously ‘don’t hurt me!’ And suddenly he felt a warmth and presence below him in the sword not unlike the feel of the Gaebolg and the words came to his mind “Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, spirit of my spirit, I will not harm you, warrior of the light.” Gingerly he slid up the blade one way turned and slid back down to the handle. Stepping lightly down to the ground he looked expectantly at Scátha.


“Well done , Warrior, that is enough for today , lesson over, return to your places of rest.” she commented but her eyes just stared at him like two burning coals. As he went to retrieve the Claiomh Solais her hand stopped him and she said “leave this to me for your time has not yet come.” He bowed awkwardly and she smirked and said “you will find a fire bridge back to your own time set on the top of the hill over the cave. Do not delay to return when you are sent for again.” With that she took the Claiomh Solais and set of through the woods to where her treehouse was said to be.


Cúan picked up the Gaebolg saying” I wonder what that was about?”

The Gaebolg just blinked at him and said nothing.