“There’s something I’ve been wondering about,” Donal asked.

“Just one thing?” Niall asked.

Donal shook his head. He never expected to have so much competition for being the least mature member of the group.

“You can keep one of the Four Treasures in a box by your bed, yet this cauldron has to be in some abbey hidden between all these mountains.”

Donal’s eyes followed the southern edge of Loughaskerry Mountain as the slope crossed their road and ran down to Lough Akkibon. Akkibon and Lough Gartan sprawled across a valley ringed by mountains. He’d forgive anyone within the valley for thinking they were walled off from the world.

“What I have is part of the Lia Fáil,” Niall said. “The rest of it is sitting out in the open down in Meath. The cauldron has the power to bring much more good—or harm—upon the world.”

“So they put it on a shelf in a random abbey.”

His brother closed his book he was reading in the back and looked up at Donal in the front seat. Donal hooked him.

“It’s not ‘a random abbey,’” Finn said. “It’s named after St. Colmcille, and he was born in this valley.”

“Did he build it?”

“He’d been dead several centuries by the time it was built,” Finn said.

“And they named it after him.”

“Being a patron saint of Ireland has its perks,” Niall said with a nod to Finn.

“I thought that was Padraig.”

Donal leaned over to Siobhan and softly nudged her with his elbow and winked. Siobhan pursed her lips and hid her face from Finn.

“I thought that even you would know—”

Finn paused. Donal wasn’t subtle enough, apparently.

“You do know it, you little melter!”

“I get no thanks for keeping your historical mind sharp?” Donal asked.

“When you least expect it, you will.”

“Seriously, though, where’s yer man buried?”

“Scotland,” Finn said.

“One of the patron saints of Ireland is buried in Scotland?”

“He was exiled.”

“For what?” Donal asked.

“He had a quarrel with another monk and it—”

Finn looked at his brother and circled his hands, his mouth held open. Donal had seen this look often when he was younger. His brother was about to dumb down a story for ‘the common folk.’

“He sneaked the other monk’s book and copied it,” Finn said.

“And they kicked him out for that?” Donal asked.

“Many people died over it,” Finn said.

Donal scoffed.

“I’m sure they did,” Donal said. “Stop trying to get one over on me, you’re bad at it.”

“He’s right, though,” Siobhan said. “It led to a big battle down near Sligo town.”

“If we’re done with this nonsense—and we are,” Maeve said, “we’re coming up on the abbey.”

Donal looked ahead of Maeve and Niall and understood why a person would want to stash something important here. The countryside rolled from behind them and along their entire left-hand field of view. Miles of tree-topped hills crossed the horizon ahead of them and ducked behind the nearby woods on their right. Between the hill peaks several faint layers of smaller hilltops offered hope that this view extended indefinitely.

Most of the groves ended halfway down the slopes, cleared in favor of bright green grazing fields that surrounded two separate groups of houses. Aside from sporadic brown spots, these fields endured the blight better than the growing fields.

The full length of Lough Gartan was now visible at the far edge of the valley. Lough Nacally emerged for the first time in the middle distance above the trees between it and the group. The late-morning sun glinted off of all three lakes at the valley bottom.

If Donal ever had something worth hiding, he would hide it here and check on it regularly.

“Where?” Donal asked.

Maeve pointed to the right.

“Up there,” Maeve said.

He turned his head up the hill and followed the direction of Maeve’s extended finger, past a grazing field. A forest of aspen, birch and pine rose from a hill eighty yards away. The row of trees was dense and unbroken, save for a small clearing with a stone structure and the road that led to it.

“That’s it?” Donal asked. “Grand. Let’s go.”

“You can’t just rush in, lad,” Niall said. “That’s a small window through the woods. We don’t know if they’re up there.”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Siobhan stuck her hand in front of Donal and pointed to the side road.

“Look at that slope,” she said. “We’re not getting the wagon up that—especially not after a rain like yesterday’s.”

“So we’re waiting for them here?” Donal said. “Seems a bit far to catch them.”

“We’re not waiting,” Niall said. “We’re going in—with care. Keep it slow, everyone, to hear above the wagon wheels.”

The turn neared and with it came good news.

“This road curves up the slope,” Siobhan said. “It won’t be a straight climb. We can bring the horses off the main road and keep them closer.”

They followed the road as it turned to the left just past a stone well ten feet in diameter. Niall, Maeve and Siobhan all twisted their necks to look down inside it as they rounded the corner. Donal looked down the well and saw nothing of note.

The road turned right at the top of the hill, pointing the party toward the abbey and the graveyard that surrounded it. Donal shifted to leave the wagon but held fast once he noticed nobody else dismounted.

“Hear that?” Maeve asked.

“I really don’t,” said Donal.

“That’s a problem,” she said. “No birds, no animals. Something’s off.”

“Agreed,” Niall said. “Let’s tie up here at the tree line, out of view from the road. We’ll put on all our gear and go in.”

Donal slipped his hauberk over his head and arms and reattached his mantle. He grunted as he struggled with the extra straps meant to secure his new spaulder. Siobhan patted his shoulder and secured his straps. Once satisfied, she reached behind her back and handed Donal her mother’s golden knife.

“Just in case,” she said. “You did me proud with it last time.”

She held his gaze until he smiled. With a last pat on his spaulder she turned and walked over to Niall.

Finn flipped his chin to the abbey. It was wide enough for a window on each side of the front door and its sides were twice as long.

“Doesn’t look so foreboding,” Finn said.

Donal held up the knife.

“Neither did I to the dullahan,” he said. “And we know what happened to him.”

Finn bumped him with his arm and laughed.

“His opponent ran and forced someone else to retrieve this knife?”

“Well, yeah, but I’m sure he felt it in the morning.”

“I’m sure he did. Let’s go.”

Donal followed Finn down the narrow path through the graveyard.

“Oi! Where are you two eejits going?” Maeve asked.

Niall and Siobhan walked back down the side road ahead of Maeve.

“To the abbey,” Finn said. “To check on the cauldron.”

“The cauldron isn’t inside the abbey,” Maeve said. “It’s this way.”

The brothers reversed course and exited the graveyard. Finn leaned into Donal.

“Am I going mad?” he asked. “All this time I thought we were coming to the abbey to check on the cauldron. That was the whole plan, wasn’t it?”

“You’re no madder than I,” Donal said. “For once, anyway. I don’t know where they’re going.”

Donal reached the end of the side road and saw Niall, Siobhan and Maeve staring into the well at the corner. He backhanded his brother’s ribs.

“That’s how we’re getting to the cauldron,” Donal said. “That’s why the three of ‘em were staring so hard at the well on our way up. I’m not sure how leaving the cauldron at the bottom of a manky well for centuries is any better a place than an abbey.”

“I don’t think it’s at the bottom,” Finn said.

The brothers filled in the empty spaces around the well. Siobhan were fixed on the well’s bottom. Niall and Maeve scanned the landscape around them.

“Yesterday’s washout isn’t doing me any favors,” Maeve said, “but I see no recent footprints, no wheel treads, no sign that anyone’s been here in the past few days.”

“How are we getting down?” Finn asked.

“We climb, of course,” Maeve said.

She pointed to the northern side of the well’s interior. Donal missed it at first, but the pattern revealed itself as his eyes drifted downward. Empty pockets within the wall formed two vertical lines of handholds. A large hole in the northwest wall opened just above the water’s surface.

“I think we’re in luck,” Siobhan said. “The rains did not flood the chamber entrance.”

“Those holes aren’t big enough for my hands, let alone my brogues,” Donal said.

“You can wait up here and give our regards to Breaslin’s people when they arrive,” Niall said.

“I’m just pointing it out,” Donal said. “How deep is this thing, anyway?”

“Deep enough. Don’t fall in with that chainmail,” Maeve said.

Niall climbed onto the wall and faced away from the center. He stooped and straightened his right leg behind him and lowered it until his toe found one of the holes in the wall. He climbed down the wall until his feet were in the first set of holes below the water’s surface. The path ended within arm’s reach of the hole.

He extended his left arm into the hole and jerked himself sideways, landing in the base of the hole with a splash.

“There’s still water flowing from the chambers up ahead,” Niall yelled over the sound of running water. “It won’t be enough to submerge the entrance. Boys, you’re next.”

Donal followed Niall’s lead and climbed into the well. Once his feet were submerged he slid his left arm out until he could grab hold of the broken wall. He pushed with his right foot but did not transfer enough weight in the jump. His left foot slipped off the bottom of the hole and he tilted backwards when his feet landed. Niall grabbed Donal’s hand and righted him before he could fall into the water.

“Next,” Niall yelled.

As Finn’s footholds echoed throughout the well, Donal turned his back to the well and to examine the opening. The stones across the top sagged in the middle, its sides were asymmetrical and jagged. This hole was created after the well was built.

Donal’s eyes adjusted to the darkened space ahead of him. Five steps, each carved from the stone and nearly as high as his knee, ascended toward a narrow passage. The running water he had heard from above flowed from the passage, a thin layer that cascaded down the steps until it met the water just below the top of the first step.

Finn landed behind him and tapped him on the shoulder.

“We should move up and make some room,” he said.

The pair ascended to the highest step. No light was visible. Only their echoes provided any clue to the length.

“Oíbell,” Siobhan said.

From behind them an orange glow outlined the entrance to the passage.

“Allow me, fellas,” she said.

She pushed between them and crouched under the low ceiling. A tongue of flame hovered over her outstretched hand. Maeve followed her, her silhouette blotting out most of the flame’s light.

“Crack on, lads,” Niall said.

Donal dropped his head and followed Maeve. The floor was smooth but not flawless. After a few paces his foot caught on and uneven slab. He fell forward into Maeve and reflexively tried to stand upright, banging his head in the process.

“Next time that happens, it’ll cost ya,” Maeve said. “I reckon you don’t need all ten toes to fight with a spear.”

Donal rubbed the top of his head.

“Oi! It’s not like I planned it,” Donal said.

“Can we move this along?” Niall asked.

The passage opened up into a corridor after twenty feet of crouching. Not only could they stand, they could walk in rows of two.

“Should someone count paces?” Finn.

“There’s no need yet,” Niall said. “Unless we’re here past sunset, we’ve got the light from well to lead us back. We’ll talk once the layout changes.”

Donal liked Finn’s idea and decided to count paces to himself. Unfortunately, he lost count several times, never exceeding 30 counted paces. His best guess by the end was that the corridor was two hundred feet in total length.

“This must be the main chamber,” Siobhan said.

She searched the closest wall for a torch as the rest of the group filed into the room behind her. She found a torch near the left corner and handed it to Finn. The chamber was 45 feet wide by 35 feet deep. In each corner a concave stack of stone supported the ceiling. Each of the three walls before them had a small doorway. The floor was generally damp, but it appeared that the headwaters of the corridor river were through the doorway on the right. Donal couldn’t tell if it was a trick of the light bouncing off the condensation of the wall, but a faint glow emanated from the doorway as well.

“You all feel that, right?” Maeve asked.

“Feel what? Finn asked.

“Sure feels like we’re being watched,” she said.­