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Dec. 20th, 2006 09:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
axesladeNext part of Shounachar. Go back one entry to read the first two parts. This chapter does contradict some information found in the Prologue, I'll fix that later. We also settled on a starting date: 830 AD. Some information on the Tuatha and the Mil may be erroroneous, I'll fix errors as I find them. Now...
The sídh, or ‘faerie mounds’ had been the home of the Tuatha for centuries by this time. I had been, at least compared to the rest of my father’s race, only a child when the Mil had come to Eriu. In reality, I had been around two hundred. Nevertheless, I was young when the Mil invaded our island and declined the offers of my father and others to share the isle. But I had not been too young to fight. I still remembered the smell of human blood on my hands. I had taken down more mortals then some of the men. But it had not been enough.
Of course, it had been a wise decision for us to hide after that battle. On the whole, we had no need for others. No other race came close to us, they could not understand us. And even though we lived ‘Underground’ we were still able to enjoy the beauty of our isle. We were just hidden from the eyes of the mortals. I had never truly been bothered by this. Until now.
I smiled despite myself as I thought back on what had happened just a short time before. How wonderful it had been, albeit a bit terrifying, to have someone recognize me who was not one of my kin! It had been so long since I had been viewed by someone besides my family that I had forgotten how shocking we could be. As a whole, the Tuatha generally did look like humans. But there was also something more. I realized this shortly before we went into hiding, looking from my father to one of the Mil’s sons. At first glance there wasn’t much difference, but then I saw how my father…well, glowed is the best word I can come up with. Glowed with the knowledge he had of the world around us, the magic and beauty all around, that the Mil wanted to tame and cultivate. I noticed the same when I saw one of the Mil glance from his wife to me, saw the strange shining in his eyes that proved I truly was different from them. Then I saw the lust in that glance, recognized his desire to cultivate me like so much grass. After that, I was apathetic, at best, towards humans. Or I had been.
“Kellan my child! Where have you been?”
I snapped away from my thoughts at my father’s voice, smiling as he put down his harp and came towards me. I gave him an answering smile, willingly stepping into his embrace, hoping it would erase the strange feelings I had felt that afternoon.
It didn’t. After a moment he pulled back and stared down at me, steely eyes dark with concern.
“Is something wrong, Kellan?”
I smiled wryly at him. He knew me too well.
“I’m not sure, really.”
He tilted his head questioningly.
“What do you mean?”
I sighed and sat down on the floor. Shrugging, he sat down on a rock opposite me.
“Whatever’s the matter Kellan?”
I shook my head and stared at my feet, still unable to come up with a clear answer for what had happened.
“I…I don’t know. I was out…and I heard these humans, boys. And one of them…he saw me. Stared at me. Not just a glance, he stared at me for quite a long time and I know he really saw me and…” I trailed off and turned my attention to tracing patterns on the floor with my foot.
“Ah. So you don’t know how he saw you and you’re worried he has some sort of vile intent, hmm?”
I glanced up at Abhean, stunned when I saw that he was smiling.
“Well…ah…yes…”
He shook his head, smile still on his face, and stood up.
“Kellan, they aren’t all the same. They aren’t all sons of the Mil.”
“Close enough” I muttered, kicking a rock. He laughed, stooping down to kiss my hair.
“Ah child, you forget, your mother was one of them.”
I glanced up at him and felt my brow furrow in confusion.
“Yes, but that was before-“
He put a finger on my lips, smirking at me.
“We don’t always stay in the sídh, Kellan” and before I could ask what he meant by that, he walked away, leaving me in the company of my questions.
Home
, I thought contently as I stepped through the thin boundary out of the land of the mortals and into the sídh. No matter how breathtaking the ocean and the cliffs and the fields were, it always felt good to be home amongst my own kind. Even though, I thought bitterly, Eriu had been our home first.The sídh, or ‘faerie mounds’ had been the home of the Tuatha for centuries by this time. I had been, at least compared to the rest of my father’s race, only a child when the Mil had come to Eriu. In reality, I had been around two hundred. Nevertheless, I was young when the Mil invaded our island and declined the offers of my father and others to share the isle. But I had not been too young to fight. I still remembered the smell of human blood on my hands. I had taken down more mortals then some of the men. But it had not been enough.
Of course, it had been a wise decision for us to hide after that battle. On the whole, we had no need for others. No other race came close to us, they could not understand us. And even though we lived ‘Underground’ we were still able to enjoy the beauty of our isle. We were just hidden from the eyes of the mortals. I had never truly been bothered by this. Until now.
I smiled despite myself as I thought back on what had happened just a short time before. How wonderful it had been, albeit a bit terrifying, to have someone recognize me who was not one of my kin! It had been so long since I had been viewed by someone besides my family that I had forgotten how shocking we could be. As a whole, the Tuatha generally did look like humans. But there was also something more. I realized this shortly before we went into hiding, looking from my father to one of the Mil’s sons. At first glance there wasn’t much difference, but then I saw how my father…well, glowed is the best word I can come up with. Glowed with the knowledge he had of the world around us, the magic and beauty all around, that the Mil wanted to tame and cultivate. I noticed the same when I saw one of the Mil glance from his wife to me, saw the strange shining in his eyes that proved I truly was different from them. Then I saw the lust in that glance, recognized his desire to cultivate me like so much grass. After that, I was apathetic, at best, towards humans. Or I had been.
“Kellan my child! Where have you been?”
I snapped away from my thoughts at my father’s voice, smiling as he put down his harp and came towards me. I gave him an answering smile, willingly stepping into his embrace, hoping it would erase the strange feelings I had felt that afternoon.
It didn’t. After a moment he pulled back and stared down at me, steely eyes dark with concern.
“Is something wrong, Kellan?”
I smiled wryly at him. He knew me too well.
“I’m not sure, really.”
He tilted his head questioningly.
“What do you mean?”
I sighed and sat down on the floor. Shrugging, he sat down on a rock opposite me.
“Whatever’s the matter Kellan?”
I shook my head and stared at my feet, still unable to come up with a clear answer for what had happened.
“I…I don’t know. I was out…and I heard these humans, boys. And one of them…he saw me. Stared at me. Not just a glance, he stared at me for quite a long time and I know he really saw me and…” I trailed off and turned my attention to tracing patterns on the floor with my foot.
“Ah. So you don’t know how he saw you and you’re worried he has some sort of vile intent, hmm?”
I glanced up at Abhean, stunned when I saw that he was smiling.
“Well…ah…yes…”
He shook his head, smile still on his face, and stood up.
“Kellan, they aren’t all the same. They aren’t all sons of the Mil.”
“Close enough” I muttered, kicking a rock. He laughed, stooping down to kiss my hair.
“Ah child, you forget, your mother was one of them.”
I glanced up at him and felt my brow furrow in confusion.
“Yes, but that was before-“
He put a finger on my lips, smirking at me.
“We don’t always stay in the sídh, Kellan” and before I could ask what he meant by that, he walked away, leaving me in the company of my questions.
