Enid glanced at Eyre through her curly bangs. Eyre seemed to be prepared to hang on her every word. Enid frowned.

“Do I have to do this?”

“Yes mother, I want to know about your childhood.”

“Fine, where was I?”

“You were born in the highlands of Scotland.”

“Okay, yes, I was born in the highlands of Scotland, though it wasn’t called that at the time. It was divided into tribes and…”

*****

“My little cuachag what has happened?”

Morag wrapped her arms around her adoptive daughter pushing her curled red bangs aside and kissing the forehead of the crying ten-year-old. Enid was inconsolable. Morag looked into her daughter’s eyes she recognized the look of shattered innocence. She clenched her fists. She had ignored the beatings and the touching, but this had gone further. She looked towards the chieftain’s round house. She stared at it long and hard with her arm holding Enid close. Her lips pursed and she kneeled in the grass at the top of the cliffs and pushed her daughter’s hair out of her face once again.

“My little cuachag, I know what he has done, I cannot do anything to stop him, he is the chief and your father, but what he is doing is wrong. Are you hurt?”

Enid nodded, she was sobbing so much couldn’t get a word out. She lifted her skirt up. Morag saw the bruises and as her eyes moved up past her daughter’s thighs she saw the brand he has burned her with. Her face twisted with anger and Enid stepped back. Morag forced herself to calm down and lifted her hands.

“Shh, shh, I am angry at him. Not you come, we need to tend to that.”

Morag scooped Enid up in her arms and took the girl to her hut. Morag started gathering the ingredients she would need to soothe her daughters wounds. She could do nothing for the bruises but the angry burned flesh of the brand was another matter. Cela walked in shortly afterwards and looked down at the Enid coving her mouth with a gasp when she saw how hurt she was.

“By the Gods how does a man do such evil to his own flesh and blood?”

Morag looked up at the apparently older woman.

“It is what men do, it was the creator intended. Women to serve men. Which breeds comtempt, which breeds this vileness. We aren’t human to them. We exist to birth children.”

Morag sighed putting her hand on Enid’s forehead when she brought it away it was covered in the child’s perspiration. She frowned and glanced at Cela.

“Please sit with here, I need to gather some ingredients.”

Enid reached out and grabbed Morag’s hand.

“Don’t leave me momma.”

Morag smiled at Enid and put her hand over the girls.

“I will be right back little cuachag. You won’t know I was gone.”

Cela nodded to Morag then took Enid’s hand.

“Have I told the story about the Tuatha de Danan child?”

Enid nodded shifting in her sweat stained clothing. Cela picked up a wet rag from a bucket and dripped it on Enid’s drying lips.

“How about the Night Sidhe?”

Enid shook her head and blinked her green eyes up at Cela. Cela pushed Enid’s red curls to the side of her brow and smiled.

“They are called the pale ones, or the beautiful ones. They are as beautiful as they are deadly in their true form. They take the shape of loved ones to get close and they drink of your blood. They are the fallen daughters and sons of mother earth. They take from the living to protect her even in their death. The first would take the form of a red wolf. They say she was the mother of all the gods and spirits. That she walked among giants. A queen and a mother. She came to the isles and taught our people fire. She protected them. When her son was of age she left him with us and it is from him you got your fiery red hair. He was said to be as much wolf as man. She oversaw your birth wee lass. Saved you from the clutches of death. For what reason she came I know not. She suffered so very much to bring you into this world.”

Enid’s cracked lips opened, and she spoke her voice barely a whisper.

“Was she, my mother?”

“Nay lass, she was not. Your mother…she died in childbirth. Like I’ve told you many times. But you have Morag and your brother, don’t you?”

Enid nodded and her head fell back to the straw matt.

“She left on the night Morag appeared. As if she knew she were coming. She was wise beyond words. So powerful, she defeated the tribe’s entire war party herself with a wave of her hands. Her skin sparkled in the moon light. She called herself the Empress of the Court of Eternal Night. She fed you milk from her own breast until Morag arrived. You are blessed child even if it doesn’t seem like it tonight.”

Enid blinked slowy, he breathing was difficult.

“What did she look like Cela?”

“When she appeared, she had long blonde hair, and eyes as blue as the sky. She was tall, and beautiful. But her true form, she was a Goddess. One of the Tuatha no question about it. You could feel the power coming off her. She had long flowing red hair and green eyes, like you. Her skin was flawless. Like she was made of the purest flowing milk. It sparkled in the moonlight and she had such confidence in herself. And she was a warrior beyond measure.”

Cela glanced behind her when she heard the fur at the entrance to the roundhouse rustle and Morag walked in holding a strange pack.

“Thank you, Cela please leave us, I need privacy to commune with the gods.”

Cela nodded, squeezed Enid’s hand one last time and left. Morag opened the pack and injected the barely conscious Enid with several modern style needles.

“What are they mother?”

“Potions of the Gods child. When you wake you will feel better. And your father’s seed will find no grass to grow in.”

Enid blinked slowly and lost consciousness.

*****

Enid’s head was pushed to the side with the force of her father’s back hand. She stumbled but righted herself before falling to the ground. She had long since become used to the pain. She could not remember a time in her short life she had not been bruised. She had just passed her eleventh winter.

“Does he tell the truth?”

Enid looked up at her father who was a mountain of a man for all intents and purposes. She didn’t cry anymore when he hit her. Or when he would take her into his round house at night. She had grown used to it. She spit at his feet.

“I don’t know father, is he?”

He closed his fist this time and hit the side of her face causing her to bite the inside of her cheek. The blow was so hard she fell to the hardened earthen floor of the round house. The world was spinning. She heard him moving something and she knew what that meant.

“I should have drowned you when you were born you formori wretch. Maybe tonight I should correct that mistake.”

She heard the crack of the whip. She involuntarily tightened her muscles, but she said the words anyway. For she would rather be dead. She was used to the slaps, punches and kicks. The sexual abuse but the whip was a new pain. He would soak it in vinegar. Every time he was drunk and in a rage she hoped he would go to far.

“Do it then!”

She closed her eyes when she heard the haunting whistle of the whip move through the air. She heard the snap and felt he burning pain as the acid on it seared her back. She clenched her fists trying to not even make a whimper. Tears formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Mouthy little sow. You will regret those words.”

The whip cracked again, and her flesh was on fire.

“Did he tell the truth?”

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Enid’s voice cracked as she held back sobs.

“No, he was lying.”

“Good.”

The whip cracked again and again on her back. She cried out and her whole body shook with sobs she lost count with how many times he hit her. Her back may as well have been on fire she could feel nothing but pain now. He kicked her and lifted her up and threw her on to the ground outside his round house then walked to his gathering place leaving her there motionless on the ground. She felt firm hands helping her up and helping her to her home. She looked up and it was Cullen. He was one of her father’s men. He helped her to her bed and left her there. She heard shouting in the village and the sound of weapons clashing. She heard footsteps then felt a gentle hand on the side of her head.

“Oh, my little cuachag. One day you are going to push him too far.”

“At least the pain would be gone mother.”

“Oh child, you have no idea what you’re contemplating. You need to be cautious. I will not always be here to put you back together.”

Enid felt coolness sooth her burning back. As if the vinegar her father used was washed away. Then she felt a cool weight on the lashes. She closed her eyes and breathed deeply for the first time since the beating began. She opened her eyes suddenly but didn’t dare move beyond that for fear of the pain coming flooding back.

“What do you mean you will not always be here mother?”

“Your father has told me to leave. He is the chieftain, and I will not risk is wrath falling on you and Liam because he cannot harm me. I am taking Liam and I am going to go home. But I will always be watching you even though you may not see me child.”

Enid felt tears forming in her eyes for the second time tonight. Her body began to shake with sobs. Losing her mother and brother in one night.

“Shh, my little cuachag. You will always be in my heart child. You are the child of my heart if not my womb. We will see each other again in another place far away from this terrible place.”

*****

“Enid your father would like to see you.”

Her day began in pain as she often did. Her father had been rough the night before she could barely stand. She looked at Cullen standing at the door. She blinked at him shifting herself so her feet could touch the earthen floor of the round house she had shared with Morag until she left with her brother six months ago. Now she was alone save for Cela who would check on her. She took a deep ragged breath. Cullen stepped back as she stood his hands held up slightly.

“He didn’t seem to say it was a rush you can take your time Enid.”

Enid pushed herself off the bed and held her head up. Her ribs ached along with many other parts of her, but the ribs were making it a challenge to breath. She had never asked Cullen why he showed such fear of her. She assumed it was her gift. It set her aside from the rest of her tribe. The sight often showed her truths best left undiscovered. Her fellow humans were all liars. She straightened her dress and walked up to Cullen who backed away from her as she approached the entryway. She motioned for him to lead on after she pulled on her fur boots and cloak. He led her to her father’s round house.

Inside she saw her father sitting on his stone bench drinking what passed for alcohol in the village and he motioned for her to sit to his left on a chair he had made for her. She pulled her cloak close and sat down. Her face was unbruised today, all her injuries were hidden by her dress and cloak. A fire warmed up the room. Across from her father sat another chief and his son and daughter, along with several of his men. Her father patted her on the shoulder and grinned.

“My daughter Enid.”

Enid held her side the cloak her voice was weak because she couldn’t take deep breaths. So she merely nodded. The other chief looked at her.

“She’s so thin. You said she was a healthy young virgin. She is sickly.”

He waved his hand at her dismissively.

“You said she would give my son strong children.”

Her father laughed.

“Her milk mother recently left she’s been picking at her food since. I’m sure your boy will give her something else to worry about.”

Enid nodded in agreement after she felt her father’s hand tighten on her shoulder. The thought of leaving her even to be someone’s wife inspired her to be more agreeable then usual. She smiled to the other chief’s son. He smiled back looking bashful. She could sense an honesty and gentleness about him. She felt her father’s grip release on her shoulder. She wanted to lay down again all she could feel was pain but she had to sit there through her marriage negotiations. Her father was trying to make an alliance to take down a rival tribe and take their lands and share them and their resources with the man across from him. The man was being honest. He wanted to unite the tribes with the marriage. Her father was negotiating in bad faith. She wasn’t sure what he was lying about but he was being dishonest when he said the marriage would being a new era of peace. She needed to meditate and see if she could discern future events but she needed silence and something for the pain. The negotiations ended and her father said he would need to consider all of it. Enid promptly stood up and walked out. She heard footsteps crunching on the packed snow behind her. She looked back and it was her soon to be betrothed. The pain was becoming unbearable in the crisp cold air but she stopped as he waved his hand.

“Wait, Enid, wait.”

Enid leaned on her round house looking at him.

“What do you want?”

“I was hoping we could talk seeing as we’re going to be married soon if all goes well?”

“I really do not have the time for that right now.”

She pushed herself off and wobbled on her feet he caught her. He unlike most men smelled good. He had definitely put some effort on making a good impression.

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine.”

She struggled him to push him away but she was small and injured and he was larger and healthy. He held her firm and helped her inside. Her cloak came off and he saw the bruises on her arms and he frowned.

“Who did this?”

She glanced in the direction of her father’s hut.

“Who do you think?”

“What kind of man would do this to his own child?”

“Look my father is lying, I’m no virgin he’s seen to that repeatedly. You should tell your father to leave, mine is up to something.”

“I will not. I cannot leave you here. I do not care about your purity. You should not be here.”

Enid shook her head.

“Save yourself. My father is a lying pig.”

She sat on the bed.

“Please leave me be I need rest.”

He nodded and left his face had become very serious as their conversation had progressed. Enid sighed. She pulled the magical pain treatment that Morag had left her and the other treatment that would save her from her father’s children. She took both and laid back down and waited for the pain to fade. When it was faded to a dull ache she sat up and she closed her eyes trying to focus on the path before her. They were unclear, clouded. She concentrated trying to push past the fog before her and it blew apart and she stood. One path lead to her looking into the lifeless eyes of her husband two weeks from now as her father decided her gift was too dangerous in someone else’s hands. The other led to the family and guards dying tonight and her following later in the middle of the night. Tears dripped down her cheeks. Death would be preferable to this living hell but the chief and his children were innocent in all of this. She felt something on her lip and lifted her hand and touched it pulling it away she saw it was red with blood.

She stood and pulled on her boots and her cloak. She walked out of her round house and she saw the boy who would be her betrothed standing with his father and sister seemingly in a heated discussion. She approached them and the father hushed them she smiled and motioned to the boy. He approached her and she pulled him close. The father laughed.

“Why is your nose bleeding?”

“That is not important you need to listen to me carefully.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You need to take your sister and get out of the village. My father is going to betray you this night. You cannot tell your father or your tribe will die. Do you understand?”

He looked at Enid.

“You speak nonsense.”

“No, I have the sight. My father will murder you and me and your tribe in two weeks, or your father and I die tonight, and you survive.”

“What are you talking about?”

Enid grabbed his shoulders and looked him in the eye.

“If you do not do as I tell you, you will die tonight.”

He nodded to her Enid felt someone tugging at her shoulder as their gazes remained locked it was Liam, one of her father’s men.

“Girl your father wants you.”

Enid looked at the boy again.

“Remember what I said.”

She went along with Liam who was dragging her towards her father’s round house. When she arrived, her father shooed his men out and looked at her.

“Is he lying to telling the truth, will this negotiation end with my victory?”

Enid stared at him. Her words would choose her time of death. She chose life for the innocent.

“He is going to betray you. He is telling his children to flee and take me right now and he is going to murder you. You will defeat him because you know of his betrayal. His children will freeze to death. The death of cowards.”

Her father grabbed her shoulders.

“You might be worth keeping around.”

Enid nodded and made her way back to her home giving the boy a nod before she went inside. She didn’t stay outside to find the outcome. She heard the sounds of men dying. She took the last of the painkillers that Morag had left her and laid and waited for death to claim her. Her father came in a few hours later. Drunk and elated with his swift victory. He started to get handsy and she slapped his hand. He backhanded her. She laughed.

“Have you gone mad?”

“No, I’m free.”

He grabbed her around the throat and lifted her then back handed her again throwing her down.

“You have gone mad like your mother. I should put you down.”

“Go ahead, I’ve already made sure you’ll go with me!”

His eyes went wide, and he shook her. She giggled madly.

“I lied, he was negotiating in good faith it was you who was going to betray him. You’re going to kill me tonight in a rage and then you’re going to die in two weeks when his men seek vengeance and to rescue me. His son will cut your manhood off before he watches you die.”

She laughed again. He punched her over and over again, but she just kept laughing. She was past the point of reason. She wanted to die. He finally stabbed her in the back and her laughter died away as she lacked the ability to breath deeply enough. He looked around outside then carried her to a snowbank tossing her in it. The other chief’s knife left in her.

She lay there waiting for the cold or the knife wound to claim her. But death never came. Something else entirely came to claim her that night.

*****

She looked up at the man who wore a white toga and sandals standing in the snow as if it was sand on a sunny beach. He looked down at her with kind brown eyes. She met his gaze with her green ones when he kneeled down elbows on his knees.

“A woman risks everything to ask me to help a child and what do I find but you, cast off in a snowbank like refuse. Who has done this to you child?”

Enid coughed up blood spraying the snow as she tried to breath in.

“My father.”

The man frowned and sat down crossing his legs. She could feel warmth surrounding her as his hand touched her shoulder.

“Then he doesn’t deserve such a title. Tell me child I felt a ripple in reality shortly before the woman I spoke of appeared. What have you done?”

Enid coughed up more blood and smiled.

“I changed the future. Made my father seal his doom.”

He frowned and nodded.

“Did you know this would happen to you?”

She nodded.

“And why would you do that knowing you would die here, like this, alone in a snowbank?”

She coughed again as she drew another ragged breath into her one working lung.

“Life.”

He chuckled and touched her hair.

“That was the right answer child.”

“Are you a god?”

“Some call me that”

He gently lifted her chin and looked in her eyes. He smiled.

“This will hurt, and I can do nothing for the pain, but I do it so you will live.”

She shook her head tears filling her eyes. Coughing up more blood from her pieced lung.

“No… Let me die here. I don’t want to suffer anymore.”

Blood tears fell down his cheeks.

“To hear a child beg for death is not something even a God can hear and not weep over. I promise I will take you somewhere where you will you be safe and loved Enid of the Wolf Tribe.”

He scooped her up and the world turned into a blur around them.