I sent the kids to bed and stayed awake all night waiting for him in our bed, eventually, he strolled back in, and I instantly moved towards him.
Cambell was covered in wounds, so I ran up to him and asked, “What happened?”
As I came up to him, I grabbed whatever I could see to put over his wounds, but he shouted, “DON’T TOUCH ME!” And swiped me away.
Then he got up and started walking.
“Cambell, please let me help you!”
“If you want to help me, stay away and keep your daughter away from me as well. The only reason you get to stay here is because I need you so that my wage stays up, Ferdiad future is all that matters now.”
I freeze and stop momentarily, then say, “Minagrain is your-.”
He throws a bowl at the floor beside me then says, “Don’t lie to me anymore, or I might just kill you.”
Cambell moves into our room and locks the door, and I just move beside it then start to cry while whimpering, “Sorry.”
Our days got harsher from then on.
Minagrain and Ferdiad came into the house crying daily, and whenever I asked, “What happened?”
Ferdiad with tears formed in his eyes, would say, “Everyone kept bad-mouthing dad, and calling us names.”
Minagrain crying uncontrollably says, “Mommy, everyone is avoiding me!”
All I could do was hold them both to ease the pain they had been subjected to.
As I walked through the land, I heard many words spoken against me and my children, but one that stood out was, “Whore.”
How much did they know? How did they know? Who told them?
I had asked myself these questions, but I knew deep inside who told them, but at the end of the day I couldn’t do a single thing about it because he had control over our livelihood.
I spent nights with him but knowing that the sadness that I had once wanted to rid my husband of had come back, I couldn’t bear it anymore, and to Cambell, I asked him, “Do you want to leave the village?”
He ignores my words and continues to eat, so I say, “I have heard that some plantations are understaffed so maybe we could go. There have also been many different openings for workers to come to colonies we have set up around the world, so maybe we could migrate.”
As if I am insignificant, he says, “You really want to go and fuck other men that badly?”
I look at the beside us on the table who have rather shocked expressions and say, “Dear that isn’t the type of thing to say with our children in front of us!”
He slams his fist on the table and says, “WELL IF THE TRUTH IS HARD TO HERE DON’ T BRING UP STUPID THINGS!”
Minagrain starts to cry and says, “Mommy, daddy don’t fight.”
Cambell shouts at Minagrain, “SHUT UP!”
She controls herself out of fright then he says, “Can’t even control your daughter and you somehow think we could even afford to get all the way to the colonies or plantations without you paying for it with your body.
If you want to go and sleep with other men so much that you would risk damaging Ferdiad’s future prospects by raising him outside of the Tir na n-iontas is truly a question, then your desires have clearly overtaken your mind.”
Lowering my head, I say, “I don’t want to be with that man anymore, I want to stop and start anew with you.”
Cambell gets up and slaps me right onto the ground, then he shouts, “THEN YOU SHOULDN’T HAVE STARTED THIS!”
Ferdiad grabs his father and says, “Dad please stop this.”
He pushes him away, and says, “Ferdiad I need to teach you a lesson now, and it is how to keep a beast like this woman in line.”
With fury in his eyes, Cambell moves over to me and then starts to hit me again and again, while saying, “Woman like her trick you into giving you their hearts so they can drain you of everything you are, and when you’re at your lowest they will just continue to stab, stab, and stab you.
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Why can’t I have one person in this life who trusts in me? Who respects me? Who wants to actually just be honest with me? I have only ever asked to be loved, but my father couldn’t, my brother couldn’t, my community couldn’t, and now even my wife couldn’t!”
Minagrain runs to Cambell and hugs him, then says, “Daddy, I love you, more than anything. I think you are amazing, so please stop hurting Mommy and yourself!”
Cambell stares at her then with a furious backhand smashes her away into the wall.
I start to crawl over to Minagrain and as I do, Cambell shouts, “YOU’RE A BASTARD! NO ONE WILL EVER LOVE YOU; THEY WILL FIND REASONS TO HATE YOU FOR BEING BORN, SHAME YOU FOR BEING BORN, CONTROL YOU FOR BEING BORN, AND THEN TOSS YOU AWAY AFTER RIPPING YOU TO PIECES, THEY DON’T CARE FOR THE DAMAGE THEY DO TO YOUR HEART AND JUST EXPECT YOU TO GET ON WITH IT! LIKE YOU’RE SOME MULE BORN TO AMUSE THEM.”
I reach Minagrain but she is transfixed on Cambell and despite not saying a single thing she breathes in and out like she has just run all across Gorias.
“Daddy, but I still want to be your family.”
Gripping his fist, Cambell says, “Minagrain one thing I will tell you is that, unlike others who were born out of love, people like you and me can only be born out of sadness, we are underserving of love, and you should remember that. Nothing that comes out of your mouth, or any action you take will change the fact that as long as we try, we will fail others, in the end, all of the failures of this world are our fault. These words are the only warmth I have left for you.”
Cambell went away for that night, and Minagrain cried tears so intense that I felt like she was moments away from dying.
Our lives got worse from then on. Cambell was mocked more each day, Minagrain and Ferdiad were bullied more each day, and the beatings increased with the days.
He lost the restraint he had previously and didn’t even care if the kids were around, he even made an effort to make them watch as I was viscously battered day in and day out.
My face always took the worst of it, as if he was trying to use hurting something his brother wanted as a way to spite him, so I took it, I let him continue as a way to at least comfort him in that.
But I forgot how this would affect my kids. Soon Minagrain had lost her ability to say anything and was left a mute, which enraged Cambell even further.
I think somewhere in his mind he simply couldn’t handle the fact that he pushed Minagrain to such an extent, so he decided to take things out on her as well. His attacks landed on her just as much as me, and Ferdiad watched with tears in his eyes all the time.
I failed my daughter and allowed her to become mute, I failed my son and pushed him to try and kill Cambell, and I failed my husband by turning him into a monster. If I had never left where I was, they would all be so much happier.
But still, fortune shined on us and we were rescued we were saved, and now I can walk through the streets of my village with my head held high.
And as I do the people wave at me and walk up to me looking for my favour.
“How are you doing today?”
“Have you heard from your kids?”
“I haven’t seen Setanta come around, you need to get Minagrain to lock him down.”
“Can you tell Ferdiad our harvest this year will be amazing, here have some of the early goods.”
The faces around me smile and radiate joy, the same faces that looked at me with disgust and abandoned me during my harshest times, those who called me such vile insults that one’s tongue would rotten just by saying them.
Turning to all of them, I say, “Thank you all for how good you have been to my family and for accepting me.”
They all stare back at me with joy, and I feel a warmth within my soul. Ahh yeah, this is it, this is what I love more than anything.
So, I talk to them, hug them, and say goodbye to all of them then return home, but not before staring into where Niall’s house was and seeing the ragged building that remains of it.
-Break-
Location: Minabród’s home
Entering my house, I drop the items I have been given on the counter, then move towards a trap door on the floor, and open it.
I walk downstairs, and eventually, I reach a small underground basement, which has only a small bump on the ground engraved with blood, and a single candle in the room.
Moving up to the bump, I lay against it and say, “Cambell, it was another fun day today.”
Kissing his bump, I say, “You wouldn’t even be able to believe it if you were still here, but your son owns all of this land now. He had bought it from Niall’s wife after Lugh put him to death by lashing.
It is everything you have ever dreamed of in a world where your son stands on top, and has great success. Though he still hates you, I think one day I will be able to turn him around.
On that note, Minagrain apparently had a little scuffle with Setanta and got to meet Scáthach who gave her some advice so now everything should be fine for her.
My little girl has finally found a man for her, and he is such a great one as well. I guess my beauty really did pass onto her, what a little munchkin. Though this doesn’t mean our little boy isn’t handsome as well, and hear this, apparently, he found a girl he likes. We may soon be grandparents.”
I talk to Cambell about whatever I can, my day, my family, my friends, even in death, and I plan to do it for the rest of my life. I have failed you in so many ways but at the very least let me stay by your side today.
It’s funny, even in moments like this I still feel like the world belongs to just the two of us, and it truly fills my life with light.
Suddenly I hear, “What is this?”
Turning myself to the entrance, I see Ferdiad, and then I say, “You didn’t notify me of your arrival,” with a shocked expression.
Ferdiad instantly turns around and runs out, so I chase behind him saying, “Wait Ferdiad, I can explain.”
Name: Ratatoskr
Height: 30 cm
Type: Herbivorous, Wonderbeast
Description: A squirrel-like wonderbeast with two tails, its fur is usually multiple colours, and it has two fluffy horns composed of hair on top of its head that make a jingle sound as it moves. It has the ability to turn it’s body into extremely thin fibres and move them through the wind, but it can only do this for a little amount of time before it reverts, to many this ability looks like it can control its hair.
Fact: It has been noted throughout history that this wonderbeast may be the most protected species. During times when humans or greater predators come to the area it uses its sly body to warn all of the other Fauna in the area to run.
Due to this ability almost all animals have adapted to find their taste disgusting to discourage them from being eaten. Their only natural predators are humans.