Looking at me, the boy says, “You should have raised this boy to learn more respect, because that was completely ridiculous.”

“I DON’T WANT TO HEAR THAT FROM SOMEONE WHO GOES AROUND HITTING CHILDREN!”

I instantly move towards my son and help him up, “Don’t worry Kian, mommy is here. Does it hurt anywhere; do you need me to kiss your wound?”

Pushing me back, he says, “Stop being so annoying and get off of me you old witch.”

The boy hits Kian back into the ground, and says, “Don’t take that tone with your mother you brat, or I will be making sure you don’t get up again after my next blow!”

Ryan says, “Why are you here young man?”

With a cocky smile, he says, “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Emma takes off her shoes and then moves towards the boy to whack him, but Ryan stops her and she says, “Just let me give him one good whack to straighten out his head.”

“You can’t do that, just look at how he carries himself he is obviously some sort of noble brat.”

“We already have one unruly brat to deal with, we don’t need another!”

Suddenly a man riding a wonderbeast rams into the boy, then starts to pounce on him up and down as the child screams, “I am sorry, I was just trying to have a bit of fun!”

The man turns to us, and says, “Please forgive this deeply troubled child for his stupidity.”

Holding my little son as he struggles out of my arms, I say, “A few more pounces and I might.”

The man proceeds to pounce on him a few more times, and at that moment, Ryan says, “Wait aren’t you Culainn?”

“You still remember me Ryan O Lorcan?”

“Of course I do, the weapons you sold me and my brother and helped us on hunting trips all the time, they were so good we could never forget.”

“I see. I am sorry for disturbing you all as I look like you were moments away from eating but I would like to give you all something that I think you will all like.”

We all stare at each other, and then I say, “Ok then, come in, but please be quick we have all had very hectic days so far.”

Culainn nods his head, then soon a putrid smell hits our nostrils. Turning my head, I see someone dressed in grey robes from head to toe who emanates such a horrible smell that I don’t even want to be around him for a mere second.

This weakens my grip, and my son breaks out then says, “Finally I don’t have to be pressed against that thing anymore.”

The sliver-haired boy grabs my son by his hair and says, “You’re not going anywhere brat, you’re going to come in here and listen!”

He starts to drag Kian into the house as Kian shouts, “Let go of me you eejit, don’t you know you're supposed to respect your elders!”

As he does, I run after my son and scream, “LET HIM GO!”

-Break-

Standing inside the house, the man who releases the foul stench places a shield and a sword on the table in front of us. Both of them are covered in engravings that are expertly hand-drawn, and within the little cracks are what seems to be gold.

They both look like decorative weapons that would be hung on the walls of the red branch families, so the fact that I can simply look at them makes me feel kind of nervous.

But for Ryan, they elicit a different sort of reaction. He says, “Are those Cian’s weapons?”

Turning to him, I say, “What do you mean Cian’s weapons, didn’t he go missing on the battlefield where no one could find him?”

Culainn in front of me says, “But I did.”

My heartbeat rises higher than the sky, and I put both my hands on the man and ask, “Where is his body, you must have found it right?”

Setanta says, “You know it is incredibly rude to do such a thing to the man who went out of his way to look for your husband when no one else did.”

I let go and say, “I am sorry, I just miss him.”

Culainn says, “I found the body of a Vanir mammoth killed and surrounded by a couple of beastkin by the base of a waterfall. Many of the beastkin bodies were completely destroyed and the corpses were feasted on by the surrounding fauna. Though I was able to find both the sword plunged into the beast's head, and the shield batter by the edge of the waterfall alongside a pile of bones which held the characteristics of a fox.”

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I get weak and start to fall only to be caught by Kian who looks panicked.

Ryan asks, “Niamh are you ok?”

With my body relaxing on my son, I say, “I am fine, it is just that deep inside somewhere I had always hoped that maybe Cian ran away. That maybe he thought about protecting his life and decided to go into hiding waiting for the right moment to come and reunite with his family.

But now that I know for sure he is dead it feels like the ground around me has opened and is coming to eat me. I didn’t realize until now how much that fantasy kept me going.”

Tears start to fill my eyes and Kian wipes them off.

“Sorry about this Culainn, even though you did this for us, I really do wish you had never come here because I don’t know how I am supposed to go on now?”

No one in my family says anything to disagree or agree with me, because I am sure it is a fantasy we have all had for a series of different reasons.

The man with the putrid smell says, “I don’t think you should say that just yet, while not knowing can bring comfort, but when we loved these people we agreed to partake in their lives and knowing their ends are just as important. And besides your conversation with your husband hasn’t ended just yet.”

He points at the shield and says, “While we were engraving the sword we found a series of rather shitty engraving already on the sword, and Culainn here already confirmed they weren’t his.”

“What?”

Showing the sword and the shield to me, he says, “I think he left messages for you.”

I get up and stare at the sword and on it I see a gem which I touch and say, “This is his ring.”

Looking around it, I see a picture of a waterfall and say, “This is where we proposed, it is the waterfall over in the distance.”

Setanta says, “Many of these engraving where done in his last moments. It seems before the end the number one thing on his mind was you.”

I start to tear up more and more and soon the tears fall completely out of my control.

Φ My wife takes hold of Niamh, and then the man covered in cloaks says, “Please look at the shield here.”

Staring I see more engraving, and it is of two little foxes, and on top of it the words, “In my mind you were the destined twin.”

“No way that’s true you idiot,” I say looking at the shield with a smile.

Φ My mother has broken down in tears, and my uncle looks like he is soon about to follow her. Their reactions are so intense that I start to feel frightened, and I want to comfort them, so I stretch my hands forward. But I soon real my body back as I realize what I am about to do.

But then the boy called Setanta whacks me on the head and says, “There is something here for you idiot.”

Looking at the shield, I see under my uncle's drawing there are some words written in a corner, and Setanta says, “This part was almost destroyed, and it was hard to get the words back in order, but you lucky had an amazing scholar here to do it for you.”

Reading the shield, I see it says, “Trust in yourself, because I love you so much,” with a little drawing of a baby beside it.

Is this what you wanted to say to me father, I had always wondered what advice you wished to give me, and this is it. Right now, there are many things I want to say to you about leaving us all alone, but right now all I can think is thank you.

Turning to my mother and uncle I say, “It will be okay, so remember to breathe and enjoy the messages.”

Φ In front of us Niamh grabs Kian and starts to hug him, then she cries so loud that I feel my eardrums are one second away from blowing up. Kian looks like he is about to push her away, but he holds her bag.

The scene in front of me is irritating but at the same time,e it makes me pretty happy.

Moving to Aurelius and Culainn, I give them a high five and say, “It looks like we did really good this time.”

-Break-

Φ Looking out the window of the carriage Setanta and Aurelius wave goodbye to the family and then return to their seats, and looking at me Aurelius says, “Another job well done.”

“It was only thanks to your expert work.”

“Aww, don’t compliment me too much.”

“Hey, hey, what about me?”

“Thank you for the transport Setanta.”

“Hey, I did more than just provide transport!”

“I kid, thank you for your help.”

Turning to Aurelius in a mocking fashion, Setanta says, “Remember your place trash.”

Petting his head, Aurelius says, “Whatever you say Setanta.”

“Stop treating me as a kid!”

“Then stop looking like one!”

As the two of them fight I get flashes back to my younger days, back to when my workshop was filled with rowdy youths filled with guts. Flashbacks to my daughter who came to see us every day, and flashbacks to the son I thought I had.

Looking at me, Setanta says, “Are you ok?”

“I am fine just feeling a little wistful.”

Jumping me, Setanta says, “Don’t die yet I still haven’t paid you back in full you old fart!”

“I am not dying, so get off of me!”

-Break-

Location: The path towards the Village of Valeria

Φ Riding on the back of my horse at full speed, the memories of my fight with Setanta play in my head again and again. The words I said, the actions I took, they feel so intense that I am mere moments away from being pushed to tears.

So I keep moving faster and faster pushing my house to the limit until it stops, and takes a break.

Jumping off of it, I say, “Take a break boy.”

But as I do, I hear, “I never thought you would stop.”

Turning my head, I say, “Glic Ó Sealbhóir.”

“Is that really the way you should address someone who stopped an all-out war between two Red Branch families?”

“I would if I thought your intentions were any purer than your father.”

“How rude! My father and I are different people, I would rather not be compared to him and his nonsense.”

“Then why are you here.”

“I was actually on my way back from delivering a message to the house of Serlasracht and I decided to enjoy the scenery of Gorias.”

“A red branch family? No, I don’t care whatever you two are scheming just leave me out of it, I don’t want any left to do with you and your family.”

“Why is that?”

“Because of what your father made me do!”

Moving extremely close to my face, she says, “My father didn’t make you do anything boy, that was your own mind that brought you to your decision.”

“Shut up!” I say swinging at her.

But just like the snake she is, she easily slips her body past me and holds onto me, then she says, “Why don’t the both of us have a little talk.”