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Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)


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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit could see little flickers of movement as the other fae of the forest darted and frolicked around the misty forest. She somehow knew they were more fae despite their appearance as nothing more than squirrels, voles, and rabbits. She couldn't even be sure of how many there were as they darted so quickly along the fog-shrouded floor of the wood.

The one standing in front of her frowned as Ceit tried to explain that she had duties and responsibilities she had to fulfill. He looked around at the forest for a second before it seemed to get an idea and spoke manically.

"Time stands still here. That's why we never have to worry about doing such boring things. But if you really don't want to stay and play then you can just turn around and go home."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Could you return the deer to me? I will leave offerings tonight, of your wish," Ceit said carefully, consciously not taking a step behind her until she could get the food, and hide, for her home. She did not want to offend, for their wrath could do a lot more than simply get her lost.

Why now though? Of all the times she had wandered and hunted in these woods. The question lingered. The thought of the distant black dot upon the sea had her worry growing.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The creature giggled at Ceit's request but nodded it's head as the deer that had been flitting above them in the branches disappeared. A merry tinkle of laughter joined that of the fae creature before her as it answered.

"Deal. You get the deer and take it back home and tomorrow you return here so I can show you how to make a proper offering to the protecting spirit of Suilven. It's going to be so much fun I almost wish we could go now but a deal is a deal."

The creature stepped back behind the tree as the laughter faded and Ceit found herself falling backwards through the mist....

Ceit woke with a start under the boughs of the forest, the waves breaking on the cliffs only a few short feet away. Had she fallen asleep and dreamed the whole thing. The deer and all of her equipment were still here and the sun was still high in the sky. Then she noticed it the blood-red rose lay in a small circle of mushrooms.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Bending slowly, Ceit picked up the rose, careful of the thorns that pressed into her fingertips. She glanced around, towards the sea, before tucking the flower into her tunic. A reminder.

Gathering herself, she picked up the deer, and began making her way towards home. She'd made a deal, she'd have to return on the morrow. For now though, she had to get the spoils of her hunt home, and make sure that distant speck on the horizon wasn't a problem.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The black speck on the sea was still there just as it had been before the strange dream. Hefting the deer to her shoulders after tucking the rose away, Ceit began to head back towards her home. The memories of the fae lands and her promise to return tomorrow remained foremost in her mind.

A short while later and she could see the turf home where she and her parents lived. There were quite a few rough spots where the winter storms had caused damage. They would have to repair that as well as the multitude of other chores just to survive. Still a promise was a promise she thought as she glanced down at the rose in her tunic.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit moved to the posts just outside her own home. The repairs were going to have to wait. Some patches to the thatching in the roof were the most important of it. A rain drenched floor made for a miserable morning.

Stringing her deer up from the posts, Ceit knocked on the door once, shouting out that she was home, before drawing her knife and getting to work on the deer, carefully cutting its hide away, cooling blood washing over her hands.

She tried not to let the prospects of wait awaited her tomorrow to bother her, and since that speck had not grown any closer, she could only assume it was an animal or some distant trading vessel, or just something that wasn't going to be a problem to her family and neighbours.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit's mother soon emerged from the house with a weary smile on her brow, for she had been just as busy this morning. She hurried over to help her daughter with the deer, placing a bucket to catch as much of the blood as possible while her daughter removed the hide. It took little time for the carcass to be slaughtered under their trained hands.

Just as they finished her mother noticed the rose on her daughter's tunic and curiously asked. "Strange, I wouldn't have thought there were any in bloom this early in the year. Where did you find it? Such a pretty scarlet color too, almost like blood."

Her mother reached out to touch it but quickly drew her hand back as one of the thorns pricked her finger. A few drops of blood dripping onto her daughter's tunic as she cursed under her breath.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Careful Ma," Ceit said, taking her mother's hand gently as the older woman snatched it away from the prick of thorn's, inspecting the pin prick. It didn't seem bad despite the spot of wet crimson on her own tunic. It matched that smeared up her forearms from the deer.

"It's... a long story. I'll explain over dinner tonight. But, it's from the Sidhe, to mark a promise," she said calmly, despite the wavering fear and excitement that pounded through her mind. How she was not paralysed by these emotions she wasn't sure.

"I, have to go back out to the forest tomorrow. I may want to bring a sword this time," Ceit continued. The iron of the sword would certainly be a great aid to help ensure she wasn't trapped for eternity.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Her mother's eyes grew wide with interest at the mention of the fae, though she didn't seem entirely shocked. She simply nodded her head and smiled as she held her finger to stop the bleeding.

"A promise is a promise, but do be careful my dear. The sidhe can be quite dangerous to the unprepared. Tell me more later after we've finished our chores."

Her mother turned to walk off towards the house with the blood of the deer, leaving Ceit to finish her chores. She did turn and give a worried smile before entering their home but said nothing more as the family did what they could to recover from the harsh winter.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"I know ma," Ceit said softly, offering a simple smile as her mother left.

Ceit then turned her attention back to the deer, cutting its organs free, placing them carefully in a bucket to feed to the hounds. Or used in rituals those further south would frown upon... at best. The times had changed drastically, but up here, little had.

She hung the hide across a line, nailing it into place should any storms come through. To let nature dry it out before her father took the hide to the tanner.

When she was finished with the deer, Ceit found herself on a ladder, carefully fixing the thatch work to keep the elements out of her home. A task that would likely take her until dinner, and even perhaps some afterwords. Then, she would sleep. Tomorrow she had to venture out again.

She'd have to ask father for the sword.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

The remainder of Ceit's daylight hours were spent in repairing the thatching of their home. Her mother was busy with the interior while her father stayed busy with the fields. Perhaps another day and the damages from the winter would be repaired. Then it was only a matter of surviving the day to day problems of survival in their isolated home.

Finally though the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon making it to difficult and dangerous to remain outdoors. The blood red rose was still tucked in her lapel as Ceit and her father made their way inside for the evening meal.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Leaving the carcass outside, Ceit moved in with her family, looking upwards at the roof from within to inspect her handiwork. There were only a few spots where the last vestiges of sunlight broke through. Luckily not near the beds, meaning even if it did rain tonight, they would be dry.

Moving to the table, Ceit looked to her father, touching the rose gently as she found her words.

"Pa. I need to borrow the sword tomorrow," she said gently.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit's family had done well on their first day of spring repairing damage from the winter and preparing the soil for crops. There would still be plenty of hard work to come of course but Ceit was used to it by now and it all seemed worth it as she sat down with her father and mother to eat.

Her father smiled as he noticed the rose in Ceit's hand, as he asked with a teasing grin. "I take it you found more than deer on your hunt this morning, lass. Did you perhaps find a strapping young lad who gave you that pretty flower."

When she asked about the sword though his face took on a different mien as he curiously asked. "And what would you be needing the sword for, Ceit? Not that you can't use it, but I would like to know what kind of trouble yer getting into."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

A light smile touched Ceit's lips as she thought of the sidhe creature that had given her the rose. Lad or lass she still wasn't clear on, but it had been beautiful. The smile quickly vanished though as she looked to her father.

"I'm not even entirely sure what kind of trouble I'm in yet pa. I had to give a promise to the sidhe, and I'd like something to protect myself with," she admitted. She never had been one for lying to her parents; it would do no good here either.

"And we Gunn's need to keep our promises," she said. She was both thrilled, and terrified to go back, but she had given her word after all.

"Much as I wish it had been a strapping young lad."
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Her father's face turned serious when he heard mention of the sidhe and the promise his daughter had made. She could sense the fear in his eyes but he slowly nodded in agreement to her request. He knew what the sidhe were capable of and that there was no other recourse when dealing with them.

"I'll make sure it's ready for you in the morning, dear. Hopefully it will be enough to get you back from the land of the fae. Just do your best, you aren't the first to be ensnared in some intrigue by the sidhe."
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"Thank you pa. I doubt I'll be the last either," she said carefully, turning back to her meal. As she ate, she felt the fatigue of the day slowly settling down upon her as she kept up small talk with her parents, as she did each night.

Eventually, with the sun set, she slipped into bed to rest, and quickly pass the hours until she had to set off again in the morning.
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit fell asleep as she watched her father take the sword down and begin to sharpen it. The scrape of metal on stone sending her into a deep dreamless sleep. Even the unknown threat of her promise to the sidhe could not stop her from resting after such a day.

She awoke as she always did in the morning, looking about the darkened room to find herself alone. She could hear her mother and father arguing outside the cabin. Though she was unable to catch every word she could tell that her ma didn't want her to go. Not that her pa did want her to go but he seemed to understand that there wasn't much choice in the matter.

Getting to her feet and moving closer to the door she did hear her mother mentioning something about her father being kithain. Her pa didn't seem to think that it would matter if he was kithain or not. It was a strange word to Ceit and she wondered what it might mean as she finished preparing to head out.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

With a frown creasing her brows, Ceit quickly dress herself, choosing garments that would be comfortable with travelling, before slipping out into the main room of the home she shared with her parents.

"Ye know the walls aren't that thick. Arguments carry," she said, rubbing some of the sleeping from her eyes.

"And it's better I go, then get the sidhe pissed at us."
 
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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

"I know dear. That doesn't mean I want ye to go, though. I packed some food for you to take with... Just do everything you can to come back." Ceit's mother said as she nodded with a saddened look on her face. After she finished she turned and walked outside to begin her chores.

Ceit's father didn't say anything but he did pick up the sword from the table and walked over to her. He looked a bit saddened but he managed to smile as he handed the blade to her before leaning in and kissing her forehead. "Good luck, my dear. If anyone can come back from the lands of the sidhe it's you.
 

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Re: Furain an taoigh a thig, greas an taoigh tha falbh. (Ceit)

Ceit smiled as she sheathed the sword at her hip, slapping her father's arm gently. "Done it once. I'll do it twice," she said, trying her best not to show any of the fear clutching at her gut.

She waved a goodbye to her mother as she left the house, and the village, starting once more down the path to where she had met the sidhe the day before. Patting the rose stuck in her tunic, she took a deep breath and plunged ahead.
 
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