In Sync

Part 5

A slightly cranky Carrick saw us off as we rode towards the forest. His bad mood was due to Eileen's insistence that the path she had chosen was the safest way back to the manor; Carrick was equally insistent that it was not safe enough for us to ride without an escort. But he and his comrades-in-arms had been commanded by Eileen to stay behind, not only to defend the villagers (if necessary, against their will), but more importantly to keep their eyes and ears open regarding a possible mole hidden among them. From my point of view, the existence of such a mole was an obvious reason for the villager's bizarre behavior. I was surprised that neither Eileen nor Carrick had thought of this, and for the first time I had felt useful and included and not as some kind of ballast. It was a good feeling, indeed.

Leaving the village behind, it didn't take us long to arrive at the edge of the forest where we followed a trail that soon became so narrow that it would have been possible to touch the trees on either side of us had I dared to loosen my hold on Eileen's slim waist. I was thankful for the return of our previous light mood, since the visit to the village had nearly seen a rift spring up between us. Fortunately, we had been able to overcome our fears and misunderstandings without further damage, a sure sign for me that our relationship was on stable ground and growing stronger. Now, I listened to Eileen's rambling about the forest and enjoyed the late afternoon laziness, despite everything that had happened already today.

This forest was not so different from the ones I had known in Germany. It was a beautiful place. The woods were dense and allowed no straying from the path, as if the forest was trying to protect itself from those who chose to travel through it. The trees were majestic and tall, possessing dark and sometimes even monstrous forms that made my imagination run riot. Wherever the sun was able to penetrate the thick crowns, it threw strange shapes and shadows on our way. I noticed the trees hadn't lost many leaves even though autumn was close.

The air was thick with the smells and sounds typical of a forest. They washed over me and brought back good childhood memories of hot summer days, roaming through the forests near my grandmother's home. All the while Eileen kept pointing out trees and birds, while I enjoyed our closeness and the rumble of her voice that I felt more than heard with my head resting on her back. We were escorted by bird-song and the sound of cicadas, and the wind caressing the leaves, creating a wonderfully relaxing atmosphere.

All would have been well, but the longer the ride lasted, the stronger an unwelcome feeling grew inside me, a strange 'prickle' of uneasy anticipation of something that I couldn't put a name to. At first I dismissed it as an after-effect of Carrick's warning words regarding our journey, knowing that I was easily influenced by fear. The baggage in my past still made it difficult for me to get a grip on exactly what I was feeling, and what caused sensations like the one I was experiencing right now. It took me a while to acknowledge that this 'prickle' seemed to intensify the deeper our way brought us into the woods.

After a while, I wasn't able to sit still any more and began to fidget around behind Eileen. It didn't take long before she asked if I needed a break, probably thinking that I was having a hard time because of my tender, saddle sore behind . I wondered how to express how I felt without really knowing what was nagging me and finally opted for the truth.

"No, I don't need a break," I told her. "It's just that I feel nervous and jumpy and don't know why. It drives me a bit crazy." I had no idea how to explain.

It seemed to me as if my weak nerves were playing new tricks on me, but Eileen said in a quiet voice, "Well, this is no ordinary forest. I wouldn't be too surprised if you were able to feel the energy in these old woods. And since you are not used to it, that could well be the reason for your feelings."

So maybe I wasn't as crazy as I thought. There was a strange energy around us for real? My curiosity was peaked. I asked, "What is so special about this place?"

"Well, as you maybe know, we do not have many forests any more in Ireland and particularly not old ones. Some of the oaks in this area are more than seven hundred years old. The beech and the Scots pines are a bit younger, but some of the hazel and ash scrubs in another part of the forest are among the oldest you will find on this island. It's magnificent, aye?"

I had to agree. Magnificent was definitely the right word to describe what I had seen so far. Since childhood, I had an affinity for trees and felt moved by them in a strange fashion. As a youngster, I thought of them as the supreme but silent witnesses of all that happened, and I was profoundly convinced that they would be the best advisers and storytellers if they were only able to talk. How I wished as a child that they would talk to me! Sitting under a tree and listening to the sounds of nature when feeling especially lonely had given me the impression that they were indeed whispering to each other, telling stories about ancient times, sharing their wisdom with each other and maybe even with those willing and patient enough to listen. I had never been among those fortunate ones but still, the trees had given me much needed comfort in an especially welcome way.

We traveled on. Some time passed in silence between us only to be disturbed when Eileen begun to recite something that sounded like a song, but spoken rather than sung. The pure rippling sound of the words was beautiful, even though I didn't understand the meaning.

"Bum yn lliaws rith Kyn bum kisgyfrith. Bum cledyf culurith. Credaf pan writh. Bum deigyr yn awyr. Bum serwaw syr. Bum geir yn llythyr. Bum llyfyr ym prifder. Bum llugyrn lleufer Blwydyn a hanher. Bum pont ar triger. Ar trugein aber. Bum hynt bym eryr. Bum corwc ymyr. Bum darwed yn llat…"

Eileen let the silence linger afterwards, as if to give her words time to spread their magic and die slowly without losing their meaning. When she spoke again, it was softly. "These are the first verses of the Cad Goddeu, a very old Welsh poem. In English it is called The Battle of the Trees. In the poem, the magician Gwydion animates the trees of a forest to fight for him. Each tree is given a specific and different personality, something which relates very much to my kin's relationship to trees."

That brought up memories of my own. I asked, "Did you ever hear about a book called The Lord of the Rings?"

"No, I can't say that I ever did."

"It is one of my favorites, a great story that inspired my imagination during my adolescence. My favorite part was not about the fight between good and evil, and not about the rings around which the plot resolves. I fell in love with the author's portrayal of tree-like creatures who were the shepherds of the forest, and were estranged from their Entwives, who walked away and taught humans about agriculture." I told her more about the Ents and about Tom Bombadil, which was for me the most intriguing character of the first book of the trilogy.

"This sounds interesting," she replied. "It seems as if the author has an open mind and a certain level of understanding about our reality. You know what lass, I have a copy of the Cad Goddeu in my library. When there is more time, I will read this Lord of the Rings, and maybe you would like to read some of the old poems and bardic stories I own. I savor well written works very much and have a good collection."

A picture of domesticity formed in my head - the two of us sitting together in the manor's library, reciting sentences we just read to each other, and enjoying the quietness as well as the warmth of the open fire while drinking a good wine or one of Lena's teas. There wasn't much to think about and so I said enthusiastically, "I would like that very much!"

"Aye, me, too." She hesitated a moment, then went on, "By the way, the sidhe draoi will be surprised to hear about your love for trees. They are the ones inhabiting this forest and are similar to what other cultures call dryads, tree-dwelling spirits. In fact, some of them have been observing us since we set foot in the forest."

"Really?" We were followed? I frantically looked around, trying to see something out of the ordinary. There was no movement, nothing which stirred my suspicion. Nevertheless, my heart began to beat faster and I felt as if I had a bullseye painted on my back, sitting so exposed on a big horse. We made an easy target for anyone who wanted to do us harm.

Eileen turned her head around, peering at me over her shoulder. Seeing her relaxed face calmed me down a bit. "Don't be afraid, lass," she said. "The best thing is to simply continue our journey as planned. I don't know what is on their mind and I sure didn't expect to encounter them today, as they usually favor solitude."

"But what if they … I don't know… do they like humans?" I remembered Eileen's lecture about those sidhe who hated mortals like me. She hadn't mentioned the sidhe draoi in particular, but I would definitely feel better after hearing that the ones following us right now didn't belong to that group. Unfortunately, that was not what happened. On the contrary, Eileen stiffened and I felt sick to my stomach. Oh no!

"Eileen!" I gritted her name out between clenched teeth, needing more information.

"They have a bad past with humans, that is true, but you are with me and that makes you my guest, which means you are safe on my domain."

That was stated with much confidence, but I felt that there was more to it, so I urged her until she relented and continued, "The sidhe draoi don't trust humans. It is hard to imagine nowadays but Ireland was once a country covered with woodlands. Lena could tell you a lot about it. Trees and woods were even sacred to your kin. Anyhow, you must understand that when a tree is cut the sidhe draoi who had been in a symbiotic relationship with the tree dies as well. One can't live without the other and the older and healthier the tree, the older and more powerful is the sidhe draoi. Each cares for the well-being of the other. But when most of Ireland's trees were cut down, their guardian spirits nearly vanished as well. And since your kin, so to speak, was responsible for their death…"

My chest felt suddenly so tight that I had problems breathing properly. Eileen went on, clearly conscious of my distress, "I put a lot of effort in re-foresting parts of my domain with native trees once we build the manor here. I was happy that remains of an old forest survived at this place. And because of the mild winters and the high rainfall, trees grow very fast. But it is the old trees that we are missing and their energy for the land and for us." Again she paused. "Can you feel the increase of energy around us?"

I felt it, all right, but I felt some other things as well, with fear being the most dominant emotion that gripped me.

Eileen continued trying to distract me, which didn't work. I kept glancing around to see if there was anything unusual and strained my ears to hear some noise that didn't belong to the sounds of the forest I knew, but neither heard nor saw anything suspicious.

I held on tighter to her waist while she said, "As much as I plant and replant, only time will be able to create those old forests again. Sometimes time moves too slow even for a race like mine, and humans aren't much help by putting an emphasis on fast growing trees when re-foresting. The trees they choose don't belong here, but I understand that they bring a lot of profit, and I guess that this is the sole reason for planting their likes."

We continued our ride in silence. Although I still tried very hard, I saw no sign of the prying eyes that Eileen said were observing us, and no sign of the sidhe who were following us. I couldn't get rid of the nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach, or the nervousness that made me jump at shadows. I really could do without a confrontation with powerful beings who disliked me only because I was human.

From one moment to the next, I felt totally on edge and began to shiver; the light breeze that had accompanied us for the longest time totally vanished, as well as the sounds of birds and chirping crickets. The silence lay like a heavy blanket around us, muffling every perception, and the forest seemed to be holding its breath. My scalp prickled. I felt a slight panic beginning to set in, and I struggled to keep my breathing normal. The tension began to escalate around us. I could clearly feel something... or someone…

Eileen did as well. She stopped the horse and said calmly while putting one of her hands over mine in a comforting gesture, "Julia, whatever happens next, remember that you are safe with me. I will not let them harm you."

Shit!

She had hardly finished speaking when an enormous tree branch crashed down right in front of us, blocking our way and irritating the hell out of the horse and me. Out of sheer reflex, I was able to hold on to Eileen as Cinnia tried to rear up on her hind legs. Warhorse or not, that branch had really spooked her; no wonder, as it seemed to have appeared out of thin air! My only hope at that moment was Eileen, who seemed to know what was happening. I found it a miracle that she was able to keep the horse from bolting, controlling it expertly.

Suddenly, there was a lot of movement between the trees. My brain needed a second to process what was happening, then I realized that what had appeared to be small immature trees had actually moved out of the woods and formed a circle around us. Within seconds, we stood in the middle of a large group of obviously hostile creatures that had greenish-brown skin and arms that looked like branches, spindly and all awry.

A chill rippled through my body. No wonder I had taken them for small trees! Only at second glance was I able to make out that what had looked like leaves was in fact hair - hair the color of autumn, scarlet and gold and brown like the forest surrounding us. It was perfect camouflage. Eileen must have known that we were being observed. I guessed that these creatures surrounding us were the sidhe draoi she had been talking about earlier.

Eileen was still working hard to control Cinnia. who didn't like what was happening around her. The horse wasn't alone in her apprehension. The circle of sidhe draoi around us drew closer until Cinnia was hardly able to avoid bumping into one of the creatures. I was terrified that they would try to throw us from the horse, and I desperately clung to Eileen.

I had a hard time remembering that I was safe with her. Not a word had been spoken since the branch had come down in front of us, neither between me and Eileen nor from any of the creatures surrounding us. All of a sudden, one of the tree-like beings stepped out of the circle and spit in front of us, making his attitude clear.

Finally, Eileen succeeded in getting Cinnia under control and leaned forward in the saddle, saying with all her authority, "Is that the way you plan to surprise us whenever we are traveling through the WildWood in the future? You do remember who I am, don't you?"

The one in front of us glared angrily at her. "Why did you have to bring a murderer with you? She has no place here! Suck her dry somewhere else!"

The crowd cheered him on. Suddenly, something hit my head and caused me to lose my hold on Eileen's waist. I slid out of the saddle, expecting to hit the ground hard while more solid pieces of wood pummeled me without mercy. Eileen was at my side faster than lightning, holding me before my face impacted with the dirt.

She glared at the creatures, letting out a loud growl as if daring them to come closer or do something stupid. Waving her free hand, she stopped the flying barrage magically. My vision was blurred and I couldn't exactly see what was going on, but her action served its purpose as it silenced the sidhe draoi and gave me some time to compose myself while most of our attackers took a few steps backwards, apparently not knowing what to do next. Were they expecting that we would accept our fate and that Eileen wouldn't try to defend us?

I felt something wet running down my cheek and touching it with my fingers, I saw that the substance was blood. Eileen had turned her attention back to me, satisfied that she bought us some time. She stared at my cheek as if under hypnosis before lifting her shocked gaze to meet my eyes. Time seemed to stop before she asked, "Are you ok? Let me see!"

Eileen's frantic hands moved across my body and over the wound on my head. Despite my feeling like my skull was the size of a balloon, Eileen seemed to be satisfied that I was okay and had suffered no serious damage. She touched my forehead and whispered some words that warmed me all over; this ritual was familiar to me. It didn't take longer than a few seconds and made me feel better; only my fear of the creatures and what they would do remained. We were still surrounded by our attackers, who stared angrily at us and seemed more than ready to try violence again. I wondered what they were waiting for.

Eileen whispered for my ears only, "That little bump will stay, lass. I am sorry."

I leaned into her touch, reassured by her closeness, but I still couldn't keep the fear out of my voice when I asked, "Eileen, what are we going to do now?"

She touched her brow gently to mine and replied, still whispering, "You stay put, lass. I will teach them to treat you like that."

There was a determination in her eyes that I had not seen before, the color changing from the familiar steel blue to something nearly resembling a bottomless black. The transformation would have frightened me if I hadn't known that this anger was not directed towards me but towards those creatures surrounding us. At the moment, I didn't have anything against her teaching them some manners. My only reservation was against killing if not necessary; the anger I felt coming from Eileen was a dangerous one.

I said softly, "Teach them the lesson you feel it's essential but please don't harm them more than necessary. I am sure that they didn't mean to kill me." At least I hoped not, I wasn't keen on witnessing a massacre today on top of everything else.

She hesitated. I could see the battle going on inside of her, a fight to do as I asked her against the need to demolish those wanting to hurt me, the ones who had attacked her on her own land. Despite the situation, I felt warm down to my toes when I realized the depth of her need to protect me. I squeezed her arm and said only one word, "Please!" That finally earned me a faint smile and I knew that I had won.

"Your wish is my command, lass, even though I don't like it," Eileen said. "But I guess I have to be a tad more creative then, cutting of their arms would have been the easier solution."

There were around twenty or so of the creatures around us, but there was no doubt that she felt she would be able to defeat them. Unbelievable.

She made sure that I was steady on my feet, leaning against Cinnia before she turned around to face the sidhe draoi that still formed a loose circle, but weren't as close to us any longer. The air around Eileen seemed to spark while she deliberately unsheathed her sword and drew her thumb over the blade's edge as if to test its sharpness. Taking one step away from me, she murmured some words that I was sure I had heard before. Nevertheless, I was startled when out of nothing, a fire circle materialized that reached the height of my knees. It enclosed us, the horse and one of the unfortunate creatures that I was sure wished it was somewhere else.

Loud shrieking could be heard from the others outside the circle, all of whom stumbled back and stampeded over each other to escape the fire. The sidhe draoi were as terrified as I had been seconds ago, and even though I was a bit guilty about my feelings, I have to confess that I was satisfied about that point. Eileen's tactic was as clever as it was simple - with their close relationship to trees, they had to be absolutely terrified of a fire in their forest, a genuine threat to their very existence. Apparently, they didn't know what I did, that this fire was like the magical one she had used on the torch inside the manor. That meant that it wouldn't harm them, but still fulfilled the purpose of frightening them. A smart move!

Eileen's voice was loud and threatening when she finally spoke, the voice of a very pissed ruler. "You bodachs! Now you tremble like a dog in a wet sack! But mere seconds ago you felt the need to be heroes and wanted to hurt my betrothed. Where is your courage now?"

The piece of news about me being more than her personal picnic for the day seemed to surprise them as the shrieking and murmuring gradually died away. I had to suppress a smile despite the tense situation. With a bit of magic and some words, Eileen proved herself the mistress of the situation. I was impressed about the way she had handled the whole affair up to this point. Without resorting to violence, she had been able to regain the upper hand. But she didn't stop her little play; I could tell she was enjoying toying with them.

Touching her chin with her finger, she pretended to be giving the matter consideration. "So what am I supposed to do with you?" she asked. "Maybe I should spread the fire around some more? Or I could play a bit with scattered wood first."

With a sudden movement she grabbed the figure closest to her, the poor guy who was still in the circle with us and had been trying to hide behind Cinnia. He was only slightly smaller than Eileen, though bulkier, but once she grabbed him she threw him one-handed and without difficulty over the fire and out of the circle. Simultaneously, she spoke more magical words, and the circle of flames burned even brighter so that it seemed as if the flying guy was in real danger of catching fire on his feet … his roots … whatever.

As a matter of fact, I was enjoying the show of Eileen scaring them like disobedient little children when, out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone advancing slowly from the tree line. The newcomer was taller but thinner than the others, and walked with a determined grace through the circle of sidhe draoi, headed directly towards Eileen. He crossed the fire without hesitation or fear, only stopping when he came eye to eye with Eileen. The other creatures gasped as they realized that the fire had done him no harm. It seemed to me that the newcomer was definitely different than the others.

For a moment, it was so quiet that a pin drop could have been heard. The newcomer finally broke the silence in a creaking voice, his tone relaying his disgust, "So, are you telling us that this human is your wife?"

Eileen had a steadfast grip on her sword, her knuckles turning white. She replied, "My soon to be wife and your new lady, yes. Mind to tell me what exactly your problem is before I cut you to pieces, or would you like me to find out afterwards?"

I had to steel myself against the tension rolling from Eileen through our bond that threatened to crush me like a force of nature. I wondered if there was a way to block such an emotional storm. As much as I loved having this special link between us, and as helpful as it had proved until now, at that moment my emotions were in enough turmoil on their own without adding Eileen's distress and fury to them.

Gathering my strength, I took the few steps necessary to close the distance between us, and put my hand on the small of Eileen's back, hoping to anchor both of us with a physical touch. Thankfully, I felt her regain control again, which made it easier for me to get a hold on my own agitation. Finally, I felt her free hand fumbling to find mine, and I relaxed even more when I felt her warm grasp around my fingers. Although the danger we were in was still a reality, I felt illogically safer just by being in contact with her.

The newcomer was a keen observer of our interaction. His voice was as harsh as Eileen's had been when he grunted, "Our problem with her is that she is a human. And that means that she is a murderer and not welcome in the WildWood, as you well know and should have well considered before bringing her here."

Eileen's voice was cold as steel when she replied without hesitation, "She is no simple human but my soon to be wife, and that makes all the difference necessary. As far as I remember, I am still the mistress of this forest and could cut your wooden tongues out or burn every single one of the trees in the forest without having to answer to anyone!"

Oops.

That didn't sit well with the creature. "I never knew you had a liking for humans except for them being your blood supply or toy, or whatever you felt you desired in the past. But I guess she serves your needs well enough to turn back on the old ways."

I stifled a gasp. That was an open insult against me and Eileen, and I feared she might take drastic action against him. However, instead of answering him verbally, Eileen simply held our clasped hands out in front of us, showing him the rings we were wearing. Her message was clear, guessing from the reaction it caused as the sidhe draoi around us gasped.

A cold smile curved Eileen's mouth. "She is neither blood supply, nor is she a toy. She is my anam cara. For the very last time, I expect you to show her the respect due to her rank!"

The creatures were clearly astonished. Their murmuring amongst themselves was no longer based on hate but on curiosity. How could a dearg-du and a human be soul mates?

Eileen raised an. eyebrow "Surprised?"

But her opponent wasn't ready to give in just yet. His face distorted in anger and he spat, "So, you sold your soul as well this time? Why should that surprise me?"

Without warning, Eileen let go of me and wrapped both hands around the hilt of the sword. In one swift movement, she brought the blade's gleaming tip against what I guessed was her accuser's throat. "You really do have the desire to become firewood today, don't you?" she snarled.

"Stop it. Both of you," a rich deep voice boomed from outside the circle.

I hastily turned around, seeing another of the creatures approaching us, this one taller and bulkier than any of the others, its skin seemed ancient. Eileen and her opponent didn't obey the command but continued to glare at each other.

"I said stop it!" This time there was even more force behind the order.

Eileen slowly and with clear reluctance lowered her sword. I was amazed. So there actually was someone who could order her around?

Her voice dripped with sarcasm aimed at the newcomer, "You know, sean coille I really wondered if you had grown roots somewhere! But now that you are here you could start teaching those gais of yours some manners."

The sean coille chuckled and replied, "You are still hot tempered as ever, aren't you?"

Eileen needed to pause to counter, "I am as hot tempered as you are slow!"

The one she had called sean coille didn't respond to her but concentrated his attention on the one who had been at the receiving end of Eileen's sword just seconds ago. No word was spoken between them but a message seemed to pass anyway as our accuser turned around and slowly shuffled away from us. Even though he kept quiet, his foul attitude was still more than obvious because of the hateful glares he kept casting at me. He didn't like what had happened, but he obeyed anyhow, and inwardly I breathed a sight of relief.

"Well, since you are here, sean coille, please meet Julia, my betrothed," Eileen said, turning to me. "Julia, this is sean coille, one of the leaders of this group, and the one who is going to explain why we were attacked on my own domain!"

He looked uncomfortable, his expression showing a hint of guilt. "Well, well, what shall I say? The young gas you just wanted to chop to pieces thought he could handle something on his own instead of turning to us for advice. And, as it seems, he gathered quite a few followers that were as eager to disobey our Council." He turned to me and continued, pointing at me with his long, knobby fingers, "I never heard about a bond between a dearg-du and a human. It's unheard of. Affairs and flings most definitely yes, humans being the submissive partner in something close to a relationship, yes. But soul mates, something on equal terms? Never before, never..."

I stared at the ground, mumbling more to myself, "Well, it was a kind of surprise for me as well." I clearly remembered my skepticism when Eileen had told me the first time about our special bond. It was something of a surprise to recall that this particular conversation had happened a little more than a week ago.

Looking up again, I stared into the deep brown eyes of sean coille, eyes that seemed to reach down deep inside, searching and absorbing the essence of my being. To this day, I don't have any recollection of how long that moment lasted between us. An eternity, a second… I don't know. At the time, I only knew that my worth was being judged and my soul assessed by someone who was far older than I could ever imagine. In front of me stood the personification of everything I had ever dreamed, imagined and hoped to be true about trees. Little did I know back then as a lonely daydreaming girl that it wasn't only my fantasies, but a knowledge buried somewhere within me that was waiting to be unearthed and brought into reality.

The spell was broken when the face in front of me wrinkled into a warm smile that reached the eyes as well. "Please forgive our manners," sean coille said, "we have not had much liking for humans since they became our biggest fear and worst enemy over the past centuries. But we did wrong towards you, that I have to admit."

I was still too stunned to say anything. Eileen took over and said, "Nice words, but would you be so kind to let us know why I was attacked in my own domain? Even if Julia hadn't been my betrothed, she would have been my guest and that should have been enough for you. The hospitality laws are clear." She paced a few restless steps to and fro before adding, "You know, being attacked on my own ground… I still can't believe it!"

Sean coille seemed to search for words, looking somewhat abashed. "Well, well, the young ones thought they had good reason to attack you . The seeds of mistrust and fear seemed to have sprung up faster than the Council expected. She must have convinced them that you would prove a danger. They are young gais, impetuous and prone to acting before thinking." The last words were said loud enough for all to hear.

Eileen stared at him incredulously. "Who convinced them about what?"

"I was told by one of the gais that stayed behind instead of following these fools that over these past days, a cloaked villager has shown up several times, searching out the gais and telling them that you had turned back to your old ways, pointing out that you broke several of your promises like not drinking human blood," he said. "The stranger told them that there was a massacre at the village and that you were behind it, being sick of all of these refugees seeking shelter on your land. I was told that she said that you wanted to make an example of what would become of those fleeing their masters and mistresses in the future."

Eileen's angry gasp sounded very loud to my ears.

"More so, during her last visit, the messenger said that you planned to sell the forest to humans, and that even the gais should know how that would end for the sidhe draoi," he went on. I could see that Eileen was close to exploding; her expression made it clear to me she was trying everything to calm herself down and let sean coille finish his explanation.

He concluded, "Therefore the gais decided that they would take care that you would feel our wrath if you came into their reach, not wanting to bow before you and let you have your way without resistance." He looked ashamed. "I am sorry for what happened. I came as soon as I heard about what these fools planned to do. It is a strange time for all of us; the gais don't want to listen anymore without questioning things and there are a few who think that they know better than their elders. The old ways are not good enough for them. But seeing that they were wrong in judging you, this will hopefully teach them something."

After hearing his story, it seemed to me like this was confirmation of a mole in the village. I wondered aloud, "Would any of them would be able to recognize this sidhe?"

He bowed his head a bit, clearly thinking about my question before summoning one of the gais over. Funny enough, it was the one that Eileen had thrown over the fire and he wasn't eager at all to cross the line again, even though it must have been clear to everyone by now that the magical flames couldn't do any harm.

Eventually sean coille was able to convince him to cross the fire so that Eileen could interrogate him about the cloaked stranger. Pinning her gaze to him as if he was prey, she said, "You can do yourself a favor and answer my questions as fast as you can and maybe, but only maybe, I will forget this little incident. Do you understand me?"

It seemed that he was rather eager to answer her thoroughly if that meant that he would come out of this day unharmed when all the while Eileen's opponent from earlier watched us with cunning eyes from the other side of the fire.

"Then tell me," Eileen said, "do you know the stranger that gave you all this false information?"

He shook his head so hard that his colorful hair flew all around. "No, we never saw the face. But it was a female with a strange cruel laugh, or so I thought."

Eileen and I stared at each other, clearly thinking the same thing - could the 'hooded stranger' have been Madeleine herself? Or perhaps one of her female warriors? Surely Madeleine couldn't have been in the village without being detected. But still…

Eileen continued her interrogation. "Was it the same person who did the visiting?"

"Yes, " he replied eagerly, "I think so. The voice was easy to recognize."

The muscles in Eileen's jaw jumped. She said angrily, "You are really fools, you know! Let me make this clear once and for all - I didn't turn around or go back to my old habits, damn it! But this story shouldn't surprise me too much after what happened in the village." And with that she dismissed the young sidhe draoi and told sean coille about what had happened after Madeleine's attack and about my spy theory.

Long fingers stroked slowly over his chin as he answered, "Well, well, this is an interesting theory. Ah, unfair actions like that just never happened before between us." Sean coille's face crumbled even more until his eyes were nearly lost in nests of wrinkles. He was obviously fretting about them being an involuntarily participant in such an ugly game.

Eileen nodded. "You are right and therefore I won't blame the gais for their actions, but only if they won't be repeated. If this happens again… " She let the warning linger in the air before continuing, "The sidhe have always fought honorably against each other, not like cowards who sneak here and there, dispensing vicious lies. I would wish that would be remembered the next time there are rumors spread about me. Nobody wanted to listen to me complaining about Madeleine's underhanded ways before, and now the fat is truly in the fire."

Sean coille looked a bit pale, but he rallied and said, "I would very much prefer for you to not use the name or the magic of that damn destroyer in the WildWood! But you are right, we shouldn't have listened, there is still so much anger and fear of humans between us. Anger causes many evils and is no good adviser."

What happened next caused my jaw drop. Sean coille said, "Welcome to the WildWood, milady," and immediately most of those in the group still surrounding us knelt down.

I looked at Eileen, feeling absolutely bewildered. What was I supposed to do now? Where was the manual for situations like this? First, they wanted to tear my limbs apart, and now there were lots of tree-like beings kneeling around me! I felt totally and utterly at a loss.

Seeing Eileen smile, I was sure that she was able to feel my irritation and helplessness through our bond. She took the initiative, saying formally, "Your lady and I forgive this lapse of judgment and accept your welcome."

She took my hand and squeezed it as if to give me a signal… a signal... right. I said, "Yes, thank you," trying to look as dignified as possible.

Everyone stood up. Sean coille, tilting his head, said, "We haven't welcomed a human among us for a very long time, and never thought we would again. It is not easy getting used to new ways at my age, but I will try. Do not think badly of us, milady, we are slow to change, but you will be safe in the WildWood from now on. You have my word." He glared in the direction of those gais that had decided not to kneel down.

I had been hurt, and not only my head but Eileen's ego had been bruised. I could hardly imagine what the sidhe draoi had gone through in the past because of what my kind had done to them. Not for the first time, I felt disgusted at the ignorance of us humans, always keen on seeing ourselves as the most superior beings of this world, and acting like owners instead of the keepers we are supposed to be. Too often, we act as if we had been commanded to rape the earth. I hoped to be able to behave differently, knowing this was a crucial moment for my future with those beings who had experienced much harm at the hands of my race.

I tried to put my feelings into honest words, saying to him, "I am very sorry for the horrors your kin had to endure in the past because of humanity's greed. Let me assure you that I condemn the actions wholeheartedly, and that I am very sorry for what happened in the past to the sidhe draoi."

His brown eyes lit up, and I knew that I had found the right words. The rest of our conversation had a lighter tone as he inquired about my life before coming to Ireland. Before too long Eileen interrupted our conversation. "Sean coille, I am sorry, but we have to continue our journey to the manor if we want to make it back before nightfall. And with everything that's happened today, I want us to be safe before darkness falls. I feel not up to meeting more hostile sidhe today. I've had enough."

Sean coille wrinkled his brows and said, "Why don't you take the ancient path? It would shorten your ride considerably."

There was a lot of hissing around us and even Eileen looked astonished at the suggestion, but sean coille continued, while staring down those around us that looked askance, "It is the least we can do for you after being responsible for your delay."

I was not sure what the commotion around us was about, but noticed that some of the sidhe draoi looked unhappy about this offer, one of them being Eileen's opponent from earlier. He was barely holding back his rage but he still kept quiet even when sean coille turned his attention towards them and asked, "Don't you agree with me, óig coille?"

"Óig Coille means 'youth of the forest' and puts them into their place," Eileen whispered into my ear before saying aloud to our benefactor, "Thank you and yes, I like to take you up on this offer. I promise that we won't stop in the clearing."

"That is all I would have asked of you, beside my wish to see that fire gone, even though it is only a magical one." He pointed at the fire circle which was still burning merrily.

Eileen bowed slightly and spoke some words, then the fire circle was gone, leaving no trace behind. After re-sheathing her sword, she said, "One thing I would ask of you - let me know when you are contacted again by anyone who is trying to spread rumors about me."

Sean coille nodded slowly. "Well, well. That we'll do, I promise."

"Come lass, its time to continue our ride home," Eileen said to me. "I am really looking forward to one of Lena's dinners."

I leaned closer to her. "Will they leave us alone?"

She whispered back: "I am fairly sure. You seem to have impressed sean coille enough to guarantee a safe journey for us."

Me? "I didn't do anything!" I protested.

She only chuckled and put her foot into the stirrup, easily mounting Cinnia. The horse had been standing close by us during the confrontation. I felt a sense of déjà vu strike me when Eileen offered me her arm, expecting me to allow myself to be lifted up into the saddle behind her. This time, I did not ask for a boost but let her pull me up, and smoothly regained my seat, a familiar place already. I held unto her waist in the same way as before, the sidhe draoi bid us farewell, and we slowly continued our interrupted journey, leaving behind one of my childhood dreams that had nearly become a nightmare before sean coille showed up.

As soon as there was some distance between us and them, Eileen said regretfully, "Lass, I am really sorry about that quarrel. How does your head feel?"

"I am fine, Eileen, thanks to your healing touch." I held her waist tighter and leaned my head against her back, feeling her muscles shifting under my cheek while I watched the forest around us. "Did you think that we would meet them today?"

I felt Eileen take a deeper breath before she answered, "No, I didn't, but maybe that was a simple lack of judgment from my side. They don't usually visit this part of the forest, as they prefer to stay in the older parts. I didn't plan on getting close to this area and thought that would be enough prevention. But the ancient behavior patterns seem to be upset more and more, and it seems to affect the ways of the sidhe draoi as well."

I was confused. "What do you mean?"

"I told you before, lass, not only your world is changing, but ours is as well. Some of us struggle mightily with these changes, while others try to use them to their advantage."

I felt that she didn't want to get further into the topic, so I asked something else that was on my mind. "Eileen, what are you going to with the information you got from sean coille?"

"Regarding the… how did he put it… the messenger?"

"Yes."

She pressed herself more firmly against me. "I will get word to Carrick as soon as we reach the manor. We don't know if the mole and the messenger are the same person, but it could very well be so." She hesitated for a moment and added, "I am sure that Madeleine is behind all this. She was always keen on betraying and deceiving whenever she could. Playing fair and fighting with honor is not really her style."

I thought carefully about my next words, sensing a possibility to get a bit more out of Eileen regarding her past. "Is that what she did with you was well?"

I could feel her muscles stiffen under my hands and immediately regretted asking. But she allowed me a first insight into her pain and placed her precious trust in my hands when she finally answered, "That would be a bit too easy and wouldn't do justice to my responsibility in all that happened. Let's just say that we didn't meet at a good time for either of us." She hesitated before continuing in a tone that sounded beyond frustrated, "It is very hard for me to speak about those times, but they formed what I am today. And you have every right to ask. I only ask you to be patient with an old fool like me."

I felt her agony as if it were my own, resonating through our bond. I felt the loneliness and the grief, the hate, the fear, the betrayal, the guilt; all that pain in a split-second. The other thing I felt was that she was building up emotional walls that I didn't want to batter against anymore, so I whispered in her ear, "Don't hide yourself from me. I love you, I trust you and I need you, Eileen. And you are definitely no fool. Old, maybe, but no fool."

Resonating through our bond, I literarily felt Eileen's emotional walls tumbling down, and knew that we had taken another step forward. I patiently waited to see how she wanted to continue our conversation, and was rewarded with another piece of the puzzle. "Let me just say one last thing before I would appreciate changing the subject, lass," Eileen said. "I never told you the reason for waiting to come to your rescue that first night we met."

That was true. It was one of the things that had nearly caused a rift between us - a rift that could have destroyed our chance of a life together had I not been willing to let the issue go until Eileen was comfortable revealing more of herself to me. I was anxious for her to continue, not sure if I really wanted to hear her explanation, but eager at the same time to have part of the enigma solved.

"I was scared, Julia," she said. "Scared that it was another one of Madeleine's plots to torture me, and that you were just a puppet of hers. I couldn't trust what I felt right from the beginning - that you were my soulmate, the one I did not hope to meet in my lifetime. I am sorry that I was a coward and that my hesitancy caused you so much pain."

I felt lost for a moment, remembering how much physical, mental and emotional agony I had experienced in that fateful night because of her hesitation. I would have preferred to be able to look into her eyes, but instead I simply pressed myself against her back. I felt that she was able to talk about that night only because we weren't face to face, so I took what was offered without complaint and decided to be honest.

"I still wished that we would have met under different circumstances," I said, "and I could have done without the injuries. But if that was what it took to bring us together and to make you believe that I am no puppet of Madeleine's… well, then, that is fine with me, Eileen. I don't bear a grudge against you."

"Really?" she asked.

I heard the insecurity behind that question and answered with as much love and determination that I was capable of mustering, hoping that she would believe me, "Absolutely."

Her voice was steadier but full of emotion when she replied, "Thank you, Julia. Having you in my life is like a miracle."

Oh, what would I have wished not to sit on a horse behind her but to be able to seal that statement with a passionate kiss! As it was I could only reply sincerely, "And you are the best thing that ever happened to me, Eileen."

"Even though I lead you into the arms of a mob of angry sidhe draoi?" The seriousness behind her words betrayed the teasing tone.

"Eileen, I am no child and don't need patronizing," I replied. "I know that life has a tendency to bite us into the ass with vehemence more often than we like. But the sidhe draoi could have thrown trees at me earlier, and I still wouldn't regret spending my time and the rest of my life with you. I knew that I said yes to a life full of diversity when I decided to stay here.."

Eileen snorted in answer to my comment and exclaimed, "Diversity, my ass!"

We broke into a fit of laughter that helped to lift both of our hearts. The only tears flowing now were those caused by giggles, and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

The rest of our journey was quiet and uneventful. Eileen pointed out animals to me that I had never before seen except in documentaries, like a badger and a stoat, both not too happy about being disturbed. During the remainder of our journey, I sensed Eileen's focus was more-or-less riveted to our surroundings, as if she didn't fully trust the armistice between ourselves and the sidhe draoi. In a way, I was thankful knowing that she remained alert, and understood that as a warrior, she would probably never be able to relax totally, always scanning the area around her.

Not much later, we passed a huge clearing, an important and mystical place as Eileen explained. Two circles stood in opposite corners of the clearing, one made of massive upright stones and the other of trees. Before I was able to inquire more about the meaning of these monuments, a high-pitched sound split the air.

Without warning, Eileen stood in the stirrups, unsheathed her sword and did a somersault out of the saddle that left me open-mouthed. While flipping through the air she deflected several arrows with her sword that were coming out of the forest. Eileen was moving so quickly, she was practically a blur. Before I was able to react on my own, Eileen was standing next to the horse. She grabbed my trousers and dragged me down out of the saddle in a controlled fall. Cinnia was intelligent enough to seek shelter on her own, galloping into the surrounding forest, leaving us behind as we ran into the direction of the stone circle, away from the source of the arrows that were flying to our left and right, much too close for my liking, but thankfully without striking either of us. Eileen's sword was in constant motion even while she ran backwards. As thankful as I was at the time, it was also somewhat unbelievable.

I was quite out of breath when we reached the large stone circle and hid behind one of the big standing stones that gave us a fairly good cover.

"You okay?" Eileen asked.

"Yes," I wheezed out while still trying to suck more oxygen into my burning lungs, letting my body sag against the cold stone.

An unappealing female voice that I remembered well could be heard calling out across the clearing. "I thought you promised not to enter the clearing. My, my, my… I wonder what the sidhe draoi will think about that." It was Madeleine.

Eileen swore under her breath and took a closer look at one of the arrows in her hand, checking the fletching. A feral growl poured out from her throat. "I'll kill her!" Then she added between clenched teeth, "Julia, I have an arrow in my shoulder. You have to get it out."

She turned around and for a moment I was unable to comprehend what I saw, before I realized that there really was an arrow shaft sticking out of the back of her shoulder. The amount of blood soaking through her shirt and the rusted iron smell of it made my stomach clench. I scrambled away to empty my stomach, an act that surely desecrated this holy place, but my stomach didn't care and my retching continued for a little while before I was able to concentrate on Eileen again.

Wiping my mouth on my sleeve, I stared at her and asked, "You want me to do what?"

Continued in chapter 6