Day 6 of Midwinter, Sunset

In the Wild, Emain Ablach

Annwn

We walked north while before turning toward the coast. We did very little talking for the first few hours. I walked in front of the woman and she told me if I was veering off course. Monty stayed hidden inside of my cloak and only occasionally poked its head out for a breath of fresh air.

“Hi,” I finally said. “My name is Bren.”

There was no response. Sometimes the woman was so quiet I had to look over my shoulder to make sure she was still there.

“You wouldn’t have any water on you, would you?” After a few moments of silence, I continued. “How long until we get to Findrias? That’s where we’re going, isn’t it?”

Still nothing. The last time I looked, she had stowed her chain whip in favor of a smaller, double-sided dagger.

“What do you call those chain whip things? Those things are terrifying.”

“You really don’t shut up, do you?” she finally responded.

I shrugged. “It’s my nerves, I think. I saw how you took on those Fomorians back at camp.”

“Those Fomorians,” she mocked. “Like you didn’t just run away from the same camp. You are a traitor AND a coward.”

“You think I was with them?” I was shocked. “I guess that explains why you’re treating me like this.”

She scowled. “You can spare me your excuses.”

“It’s hard to make excuses about a situation I don’t understand. I’m not even sure which side Roo is on.”

I heard the woman come to a halt behind me. “Stop,” she commanded. I slowed to a stop and turned with my hands up so she could see them.

“Why were you there?” she asked.

“I came there with Ruadan, from Flamebright…well, I should clarify that I came there with one of the Ruadans…you’re going to probably think I’m crazy…but one of them came with Cai and Tethra…and the other brought me to train…” It sounded weird when I said it out loud. “It’s a bit confusing, but we left from Gorias after Brigid told me to get stronger…then, after a fight with Caoránach, we were camping…”

“Stop. Do not so flippantly use the former Queen’s given name. You came from Flamebright and you took council with Breo-Banríon?”

I nodded. “We all did, yes.”

“Who are ‘WE’?”

“Morias, Fíadan, and I.”

“Morias, the sage?” She looked incredulous.

“You know him, too?”

“Why has Morias chosen NOW to come back to us?”

“No offense, but I’m not sure who you are.” I second guessed the words the second they came out of my mouth.

Her brows furrowed at this, clearly not believing that I could be so out of touch with her status in this world. She straightened, her face stern and proud. “I am daughter of Ernmas of the Tuatha, sister to Badb, Macha, and Ériu. Servant of Findrias and the crown. Mistress of War. I am The Morrigan.”

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“I don’t know who or what most of those things are…but did you say Ériu?”

“Yes. My sister.”

“The only time I have heard that name was in reference to Earth…where I’m from.”

The Morrigan looked at me like I was dense. “Yes, she is the patron goddess of… Earth. It is named after her.”

“This is going to get confusing.”

“Earth…” She seemed to be processing my words. “That explains a lot. What in Ériu’s name are you doing in Annwn?”

I wasn’t sure how much of my past I was supposed to share with people. Should I mention that I had been taken from the Heart-shaped Pool? She was clearly one of the Tuatha, like Brigid and Ruadan, but was that information still hush-hush? Honestly, I had no idea at this point.

“I’m told the Dagda sent Fíadan to find me. I’ve been with Morias for the last four years.”

“Did you bring the Stone of Destiny back to Annwn?”

“Yes…” I looked away, embarrassed. “But Ruadan took it from me when I was recovering from my injuries.”

“It is not clear why he is helping the enemy.”

“So you’re on Brigid’s side?” I was still trying to figure out where The Morrigan’s loyalty lay.

“When it comes to the Treasures and the politics of Annwn, you should know there are many sides.”

“What Treasures?” I asked. “Do you mean the relics?”

She pointed in the direction we had been walking all day, and we resumed our trek northeast.

Her tone took on the sound of someone reciting from a religious text. “Upon the founding of Annwn, there were always the Greater Gods. One serving life in the realm of Hy-Brasil and one serving death in the realm of Uffern. With them were created the relics, the Four Treasures, to represent the four truths of existence. These Four Treasures included the Stone of Destiny, the Spear of Victory, the Sword of Light, and the Cauldron of Plenty.”

I tried to process what she said. “And now Cai has two of the Treasures.” I shook my head.

“You are a mystery to me,” she said, looking unsure. “I have looked to the heart of you, and cannot see your place here.”

I nodded. “That makes two of us.”

“You are not Tuatha, nor are you Fomorian. You are not a changeling. You are something else entirely, like the sages of old. You gain boons and Power Rank levels. I have only seen one other like you.”

“Cai?”

“Indeed…yet you are not in league with him, are you?”

“I thought I was here to stop him.” I looked back at her. She still held her blade, but she no longer pointed it in my direction. “But now I think I see that I’m outmatched in so many ways.”

“You were the two that came through the Pool those short years ago,” she said, as if suddenly recalling a memory. “The King called you the Children of the Cold Moon. He was fearful of your emergence, I think, both you and Cai.”

“Cai scares me.” I thought back to his demeanor. “He made it all look so easy.”

“What?”

I thought back to what had put me on the edge being around him. “Corrupting Ruadan, I guess. Gaining the loyalty of that huge woman who was with him. He didn’t even carry a weapon.”

“And yet…” she said, and I thought I heard her voice catch.

“What’s wrong?”

“Everything!” Her voice was at once angry and confused. “The Fomorian uprising. The stolen Treasures. The switching of allegiances” She paused, grinding her teeth before continuing. “The death of a god.”

“How did you find out about Bres?” I had thought that was a closely held secret.

“What?”

“You said the death of a god…how did you know Bres was dead?”

The Morrigan’s mouth dropped open and she grabbed me by the shoulders. “That cannot be.” She released me and began pacing on the hillside. “Then there are two.”

I was confused and nervous that I had just done the one thing Brigid had told me not to do. “Two?” I asked, unsure I wanted to know the answer.

“We had them pinned down. Neither of them would have been able to escape. I was battling Cai and Lugh was engaged with the Fomorian woman. She was lame already, only having use of one arm.”

I could picture exactly what she was describing. It was the scene I had left when I fled the camp.

“I had nearly made it through Cai’s defenses and saw Lugh about to deliver the killing blow to the Fomorian.” Her voice cracked. She seemed to steel herself, and suddenly all emotion was gone, as if pushed down deep inside. “That is when Cai exposed his flank to me and threw the spear at Lugh.”

“What happened?” Dread filled me as I began to piece together what must have happened.

“I struck him in the kidney with my athame.” She held up the dagger. There were still flecks of dried blood on the blade. “He shouldn’t have survived.”

I couldn’t believe her words. “You stabbed Cai in the kidney?” She nodded. “What about the others, Lugh and Tethra? What happened?”

Her eyes met mine. “Lugh is dead. The Spear…Cai killed him.”

Then I understood. Cai had opened himself up to The Morrigan’s attack in order to save Tethra, his companion. He had thrown the Spear of Victory at Lugh to prevent her death, and it had killed him.

The Morrigan locked eyes with me, as we both reached the same stunning realization. It appeared that relics could break Rule Number 3. Relics could kill the Tuatha Dé Danann.