Siobhan flipped an empty pail and placed it on the ground next to her brother, Ciarán. He looked up from the cow in front of him and scanned the pasture north of their home.

“Half of Ballyness surrounds us, and this is the place you sit?”

“I’m just happy to get out for a dander,” she said. “Even with all this gray above us. I’ve been in the house waiting on Gavin to come ‘round ever since Mam left.”

“How is he?”

“He spoke to me earlier,” she said. “His head hurts, he can’t sleep, and he says he can’t eat. I’d give him some feverfew for his head but I’d like him to put some food in his stomach first.”

Ciarán nodded. He had their mother’s round face and stout frame, though he stood a foot taller than her. The top of Siobhan’s head only met his eye level. The family would put that large frame to use in a few weeks, sending him out to cut turf to be saved for winter heating. It wasn’t that kind of strength Siobhan concerned herself with today.

“C’mere to me, brother,” she said. “How are you?”

“You can see yourself. Milking’s coming along well.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“Can’t blame me for hoping otherwise.”

“You were quiet when you returned from Magheroarty,” she said. “Cathal did all the talking.”

Ciarán’s green eyes rolled from the cow to his sister.

“I wouldn’t be the first person who failed to get in a word around Cathal,” he said.

Siobhan chuckled.

“Certainly not,” she said. “Still, the look on your face was rather rough. It must have been a terrible thing to see.”

Her brother turned back to the cow but rested his elbows on his thighs.

“Can you tell me what you saw?” she asked.

“What for?” he said. “You know what happened.”

“I think it will help me bring Gavin around if knew what he saw.”

“Do you, now?”

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

“Why are you being such a dose about this?”

“Because I wish I could forget what I saw,” he said. “And once I tell you, you’ll wish I hadn’t.”

Siobhan said nothing and stared at the side of Ciarán’s head. He glanced at her before returning his eyes to the ground. He squirmed in his seat as he spoke.

“You asked for this,” he said.

“I did,” she said with a nod.

Ciarán sighed.

“We didn’t see anything as we rode through the town. Once we came out the other side of Magheroarty, we started seeing odd tracks along the south side of the road. We approached the turn as Gavin instructed us and that side road had these tracks all over the road and on each side.”

“What kind of tracks?” she asked.

“They appeared to be wolf paws,” he said, “but the paths and pack formation seemed odd. Maybe we’re wrong and that O’Connor lady will show up and tell us it’s normal. Anyway, we followed the road and it wasn’t long before we found…”

He looked up at Siobhan.

“What?” she said.

“Doesn’t feel right telling this nasty of a thing to my baby sister.”

Siobhan smiled and leaned into him, resting a hand on his cheek.

“I’m so lucky to have a brother like you who looks out for me,” she said.

She slid her hand past his ear and smacked the back of his head.

“Catch yourself on and tell me already.”

Ciarán brushed the hair on the back of his head down and resumed his account with a glare in his eyes.

“We saw bits of blood. A few streaks at first, more as we continued. The camp itself was a hideous sight. Each of them had claw and bite marks all over their bodies—and that was not the worst part.”

Siobhan winced at the thought of her brother’s next sentence.

“Oh no,” she said. “Don’t tell me the wolves—”

“—Not the wolves,” he said. “Worse.”

Siobhan canted her head, her brow furrowed at her brother.

“Even though there were signs that the people fought back against the animals, they were lying in their tents and lean-tos as if they were sleeping,” Ciarán said, “only someone had stuck them with their own weapons.”

Siobhan placed a hand over her mouth.

“I don’t understand,” she said. “To what end?”

“As if I’d know what would make a man do that?” he said, his voice breaking as he spoke.

He took a deep breath and continued.

“There were maybe three of ‘em. We couldn’t suss out if they fought alongside the creatures or came in later. All we know is that we found no one else wounded or dead in the surrounding area.”

“Gavin didn’t arrange them out of respect?”

Ciarán scoffed.

“Without removing their weapons? Not likely. We did see the ground where he knelt by Aoife, just as he told us before we set out.”

“Wasn’t their camp hidden?”

“It was. Decent brush cover, only a trail of worn turf from it to the side road. They weren’t there long enough to tip anyone off.”

Siobhan nodded and turned her body away from her brother.

“It’s no wonder why Gavin’s in such a state, I suppose,” she said.

Ciarán shook his head.

“No doubt I’ll be seeing it in my own dreams for a while.”

She leaned back in and hugged Ciarán.

“I’m sorry for that,” she said. “And I’m sorry that you had to tell me. But this will help me with Gavin in there.”

“I think you’re right about that,” he said.

“My brother, you must be in bits if you’re agreeing with me!”

Ciarán put his hand on Siobhan’s face and gave her a soft shove.

“Can I get back to work now? Mam will be back from out east before dinner. I don’t want her to see me still doing this when she returns.”

“Maybe I’ll go bring another proper seat out here and help you with this,” she said. “Lest I leave you alone with your thoughts after telling me a story like that.”