Ian groaned when he slowly woke up, somehow, he felt like he lay next to a huge warm body. Slowly opening his eyes, he found he wasn’t in the crew’s quarters but in one of the cabins. Next to a horse. A huge white horse, a noble grey, that looked like some lady’s steed. How did he get into one of the cabins and why was he with a horse? Then all the events of the day before came back into his mind. He was Sidhe and the ‘horse’ was a kelpie and definitely not an it but a he, because he knew Ròn would make him suffer if he called him ‘it’.

And if he called the first mate ‘it’, wouldn’t he also imply, that he himself was an ‘It’? He was a sidhe himself… a monster, his brothers would say, an unholy creature, just like the crew had said when they had thrown him out.

Today was his 13th birthday, the day the captain had told him would change his life, today he would become a ‘real’ sidhe, something he did not really look forward to… he had had enough struggles due to him having latent sidhe powers thorough his youth. In the end those were the reason he had to flee his home before his father’s ashes had been cold.

Ian sighed and tried to get himself out of bed, not an easy thing to do, when a huge horse was lying next to him encasing him between himself and the wall. The boy knew why Ròn had done that, he tried to protect him from the crew, for why he had changed into his horse form, the first mate had tried to make it as comfortable for Ian as possible and avoid any sexual implications. His guess had been correct.

Ian felt much more secure, sleeping with a horse in the same room, than he would have with a man. But right now, Ròn’s horse body was a massive wall between the scrawny boy and his way out of bed. After some futile tries to climb out of his encasement, he gave up and started thinking of yesterday’s event, as well as what was bound to happen today.

Sean, the captain had said, that today was the day they would get to know whether he was his lost sister’s son or not. Which would make him his, Sean’s, nephew. And the grandson of Manannan MacLir, the sea god of sidhe. As for his grandmother on this side, he had no information. But the possibility of being a quarter-God and full-sidhe, due to the dominance of their genes over human genes, whatever genes were, was already overwhelming enough.

Even if he only was a ‘normal’ sidhe, like Ròn, it would be enough to swipe him of his shoes. But a deep part of him doubted that possibility strongly. He had always felt an uncanny sense of familiarity with the captain, that had only been strengthened over the course of time especially

during his lessons, he had given to him.

Those lessons were much more than simple school lessons to him. After only two month he was able to read and write acceptable, a speed, that had made his fellow students more than envious. He had been given books about history and lore. Real books. And he had been allowed to touch them. Every single one of those treasures had been worth more than his own life on slave market or even more than he would have earned in his entire life as a farmer. Ian couldn’t know for sure, but he knew, that the price for books was astronomical. The opportunity to read one of those and their whole presence on the ship was a miracle to him. Even the thought of their carefully written words and masterfully painted initials and illustrations made him smile.

In the end even now, that he was about to be spirited away to the sidhe he felt, that it was worth it.

Again, he tried to climb out of bed for he wanted to talk to the captain and an inner unrest wouldn’t let him go back to sleep. Finally, after a few futile struggles his stirring woke the stallion. Ròn groaned and said ‘you seem to be eager to see the changes this day may bring to you. Happy birthday, little one.’

‘Not so sure about that, but I feel like I can’t stay still for any longer. Never mind sleeping. It’s like some kind of energy is racing through my veins. Is that magic?’ Ian asked whilst trying to keep the nervosity out of his voice.

‘Might be, though I think it’s good old nervousness, lad.’ The kelpie answered with a neighing laugh in his voice. Then he changed into his human form, that looked slightly different to Ian than it had yesterday, as if his true form was slightly overlapping his human features.

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‘You are seeing it now, aren’t you? No more comfortable lies for you it seems, boy. Even without that accursed mirror Sean saw fit to show you yesterday. It’s quite early for you, but that only means, you are going to be much more powerful, than I could ever dream of. The possibility of you being Sean’s nephew is increasing with every passing minute. But now come on, we need to get you over to Sean, to talk and plan how proceed.’ Ròn said with a worried expression.

Ian nodded and then asked ‘Getting me over to decide, that sounds as if you are giving me a say in how to proceed?’

‘Well as far we are concerned you will definitely get a say, sidhe only follow their commanders and kings, but are not as much into hierarchy otherwise as humans are. You should get used to it, for otherwise they will use you for their definition of fun… so never agree into doing something that puts you between rock and a hard place, because as of today you will find it increasingly hard to lie or go back on your word until on your next birthday you will be rendered completely unable to do so at all. In your case that might occur even earlier, you know the greater the powers the greater the balancing forces. You will surely have a Geas, too.’ The tall man said looking at the flustered Ian and smiled reassuringly. ‘Don’t worry, we will help you during transition.’

‘Would all of that happened to me if I had never met you?’ Ian asked suddenly feeling he needed to know if he had had a chance of a normal life.

‘Of course, it’s your heritage. Your mother’s. But come on, Sean is far better in explaining things than I am.’ The kelpie said and took Ian’s small into his big hand, leading him out of the room.

Outside they met some of the crew members, that consciously avoided Ian’s gaze, every thought of giving him a hard time diminished in the face of Ròn. Well Ian could certainly get used to that. Maybe one day he would have a similar aura of danger… a little part of him craved it…

He was fed of running… but even though there might be some advantages of his situation he knew of some major drawbacks already and felt there was more to it, like he really had bitten of more than he could chew…

Then they entered the captain’s cabin, it looked still like he had seen it on his first day on board. But the same it looked not at all like it had looked even yesterday, the overlapping of pictures felt nauseating. The other version looked much larger and darker. Like the space inside the cabin was unstable… runes were glowing in a green light at every empty space on the room’s walls. The single bookshelf had expanded into a complete library out of huge wooden shelfs. Then Ian blinked and the room had changed again showing several doors looking like they belonged to a patrician house. Next blink all of it looked like a tent in some tent in a roman army camp, he had seen in one of the books. Next, he felt his knees give in and he sank into the blackness of unconsciousness.

‘…You should have warned me that he is that far along the road. I could have at least closed the ley-door. You know how straining magic overload can be, morron.’ Sean chided his old friend, who had a guilty expression on his face fidgeting back and forth like a horse, that couldn’t decide whether to flee or not.

Those were the first things Ian picked up when he came back to his senses. ‘I didn’t know it was as hard for you born sidhe, too, I thought only us made sidhe were that unstable first.’

‘Well, you are right, once he got used to his new abilities, it will be much easier on him, than it was for you, natural, if you get what I am saying. And of course, you were victim to your new instincts, something Ian will most likely not experience. Well not like you any way.’ Sean argued.

‘Uhm, hello, I am awake…’ Ian said unsure how else to make them stop rambling.

‘That’s good, lad, that’s good. I need you awake for the tests I want to do with you. Just get over with it now, then you can ask all your questions and we are going to plan our further proceedings.’ The captain explained, what he had planned. Ian and Ròn both nodded in agreement.

Seeing their agreement Sean went over to a cupboard and took his sabre out of a specifically manufactured drawer. ‘This is Badhùn, which is breakwater in my first language. He was forged by my father when I became a man in his eyes. Manannan used some of his blood to prevent him from ever falling into the hands of anyone outside our family. If you are able to lift it, your identity is all clear.’ Then he put the sabre back into the drawer and motioned Ian to lift it.

Unsure what to make of it and strangely reminded of the legend of the one true king and the sword in the stone, Ian stepped forward and gripped the sabre’s hilt. The same energy that had been cursing through his veins all day came to a crescendo. The hilt vibrated as if to respond and then he felt himself easily lifting the sabre that seemed to be strangely alive. Like some kind of animal not a weapon. It was an uncanny feeling and Ian was entirely unsure whether he liked it or not.

‘Oh, Badhùn likes you… that settles it you and me are family. Since none of my remaining siblings ever left the sidhe and Badhun only reacts to the mainline that strongly my best guess is for you to be my nephew. Father will know for sure, when we arrive at his court at Tír na nÓg.’ Sean stated and took the humming sabre out of his newfound-nephew’s hands.

‘Okay, that makes the other tests superfluous. We can proceed in planning how to proceed…’ Sean smiled and winked at his first mate and nephew.

‘First of all… what do we do regarding the crew, I don’t feel like taking those idiots with me to the sidhe.’ Ròn said in a sour tone, he couldn’t get over the fact his men had turned against one of their own.

‘I say we leave them behind in the nearest port and sail to the sidhe.’ Sean agreed and nodded.

‘Is that even possible, I thought a ship of this size needs a crew to sail it?’ Ian asked confusedly.

‘Well, that would be true if the Feodora was a human ship. And even now, we do not have all we need to proceed with our plan. Would you be so kind and get Ol’Tom over and tell him I have a deal to offer.’ the captain said, sending the boy away.