The Iron Cursed

by J. M. Briggs

  Galvyn was a bit younger than him, having been born in the winter while he’d come along in the summer before. Galvyn had always been stockier and stronger than him, but also heavier and slower. If Galvyn hadn’t been so pleasant, Leugio might have been afraid of him when they were boys.

  “What is it Galvyn?” He frowned as he took in the face that was pale despite his run. Galvyn was panting and looked ready to fall over. Holding out his waterskin, Leugio was surprised when Galvyn waved it off. Galvyn opened his mouth a few times, but nothing came out. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s your sister,” he panted. “Keelia’s missing.”

  “Missing?” Leugio repeated. He closed the remaining distance to Galvyn, looming over the other boy. “What do you mean? What happened?”

  “I’m not sure,” Galvyn said, still panting for air. “Your mother sent me to find you. She isn’t with you, is she?”

  “No, I haven’t seen her since last night,” Leugio shook his head, forcing back the worry growing in his chest. “I think she was in bed this morning when I left. Did Mother say anything else?”

  “No, not really. She came out of her roundhouse and asked me if I’d seen Keelia this morning. I asked around the village, but no one has seen her.”

  “What about Kent?” Leugio asked quickly. “She doesn’t go anywhere without that dog.”

  “He’s missing too,” Galvyn said. He took another gasping breath and then straightened up. “Go back to the village. I’ll watch the flock.”

  Leugio nodded and rushed back to his things. He grabbed his bag and slung it over his shoulder. Picking up his cruit, he found his eyes being drawn towards the distant hill of the Sídhe. There was a bad feeling growing in his gut that made his whole body heavy and off balance. Galvyn caught his gaze and swallowed nervously.

  “Do you think they took her?”

  “I don’t know…” Leugio shook himself. “I’ll go and speak with my mother. Maybe Keelia and Kent just woke up early and went out before the sun rose.”

  “That’s when it’s most dangerous,” Galvyn said. He was all but falling over himself now and eyed the hill fearfully. “If they took her-”

  “They didn’t,” Leugio snapped. He leaned against the earthen wall and leveraged himself over it. “Stay here Galvyn: I’ll find Keelia.”

  The words were confident, but something was twisting in his stomach. Some instinct made him look back at the Sídhe mound. Part of him itched to run towards it. Part of him was certain that his sister was in that direction, but the sensible part won out. His feet rushed him down the well-worn pathway back to the village. Around him, the green landscape and lush trees flashed by. His nostrils filled with the smells of the livestock and cooking food. The noise of the day was already rolling out down around him. Houses were clustered together on the hill up ahead and surrounded by a thick wooden wall. Guards stood at the ready by the gate and eyed him as he approached.

  He ignored them and passed through the open gate. Leugio looked around for any sign of his mother, but she wasn’t waiting for him. His mother’s roundhouse was old and starting to fall apart. As he stepped inside, his eyes jumped over to his sister’s bed. Her blankets were a mess, as if she’d kicked them away in a hurry. Everything else was in place. The pots at the center of the house by the firepit were still here. A loom in the corner had the start of a new blanket. A basket of reeds for making more baskets was at the foot of his sister’s bed. None of the family valuables were gone.

  There were no clues.

  “Mother!”

  His mother was frantically digging through one of his sister’s bags. She looked up at him with wide, frightened brown eyes. Jumping to her feet, she rushed over to him. Leugio stepped forward to catch her hand, fearful that in her state she’d trip and fall into the fire. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and she was quivering. However, she collected herself quickly and looked up at him imploringly.

  “Leugio, was she here this morning when you left?”

  “I think so,” he said. “But it was dark, Mother. I was trying not to wake either of you.” Leugio looked back at the bed, frowning. “You didn’t see her? You didn’t hear her say anything?”

  “I don’t know,” his mother cried. “Her bed was empty this morning, but I woke a little late. I didn’t think much of it. You know what she’s like, and Kent was gone so I knew they must be together. But then I started making breakfast and called her so she could take some to you, but there was no answer. Galvyn couldn’t find her in the village and Perth didn’t see her out on the paths.”

  “Where else would she go?” Leugio asked helplessly. “She knows better than to enter the forests alone: Keelia may like to be by herself, but she wouldn’t put herself in danger.”

  “Oh, Leugio, what if the Sídhe took her?” His mother was nearly hysterical now, her whole body shaking. “If she went before sunrise-”

  “Mother, the Sídhe didn’t kidnap her from the village,” Leugio said. He grabbed her arm and tried to calm her down. “We have iron tools and weapons all over the place.”

  “If it was too early… too dark and she strayed too far then maybe-”

  The sound of barking made her fall silent. Other dogs began barking in response, and despite knowing there were any number of dogs in the village, Leugio headed outside with his mother on his heels. A large dog with a reddish tint to his dark fur was running up the path towards him.

  “Kent!”

  Dropping to a knee, he pet the dog automatically. There were no wounds on the dog, but there was some kind of residue around his mouth. Leugio eyed it carefully as his mother started calling for his sister.

  “Why is Kent back?” she demanded. “Where is Keelia?”

  “I’m not sure,” Leugio said gently. He stood up and tried to grab her arm. “Mother, calm down, please.” His plea was soft, but his mother took a shaky breath and nodded. Her eyes dropped back to Kent, almost suspiciously. “Why don’t you go and check with the guards again. Maybe someone ran into Keelia on their way out to the pastures.”

  His mother looked back at him, biting her bottom lip. Then she slowly nodded, and he released her arm. With slow steps, she moved away and went to the corner of their yard where a few others were gathering. One of the other local women wrapped an arm around her and spoke in hushed tones. Leugio exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the sick feeling growing in his gut. Kent was looking up at him and whimpering softly. Leugio reached down and patted the dog on the head.

  “Easy boy,” he said. “I wish you could talk.”

  Whimpering, the dog shifted down the eastern path. It seemed worried and torn but determined. Leugio nodded to himself. Kent had always been a smart dog. If Keelia had gone out early with him and crossed paths with a Síd…. He stopped that line of thought.

  “Sit, Kent,” he ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

  He looked towards his mother again. She was still down the path and was now speaking with one of the guards. Hesitating, Leugio looked between her and the roundhouse. She’d be worried if he left, but then again, she’d wanted him to go out looking for his sister. That’s all he was really doing. With that justification firmly in mind, he slipped back into the roundhouse. Leugio grabbed his bag and cruit from the bed and latched his cloak around his shoulders. On impulse, his free hand touched the iron brooch that clasped his cloak. It had a simple, curving design and a long, sharp needle that went from one side of the circular form to the other which held it in place. There wasn’t much left of the original knot design as his fingers had long since worn the metal smooth. His father had given it to him shortly before he’d been killed in battle. Today it was warm and gave him strength.

  He got a few looks as he stepped back outside, but no one said anything. Kent looked up at him hopefully. Looking over his shoulder, Leugio watched his mother in the corner. She was still crying, and he started walking. With his left hand, he gestured for Kent to come. The dog leapt after him and ran a little ahead of him, h
eading straight for the second gate. That gate led out towards the Sídhe Mound, he realized darkly. His stomach twisted, but Leugio kept putting one foot in front the other. He didn’t let himself look back at the village.

  With each step, Leugio’s fear increased. A sense of worry and wrongness churned in his chest. He was close to the mound now, and there was something in the air that he didn’t trust. The scent of the grass and the animals was fading away, yet it wasn’t really being replaced, there just wasn’t anything else. Leugio wasn’t sure if it was all his imagination, but something just seemed wrong.

  Kent whimpered softly, but the dog didn’t stop walking beside him. Leugio choked on a wave of gratitude for the dog’s loyalty. Reaching down, he stroked the dog’s rough fur. His fingers twisted in the longer strands on Kent’s back and he forced himself to take a deep breath. As he did, his chest twanged in dull pain while a shiver went down his spine.

  The mound loomed up ahead. Grass had long since grown over the top and if you didn’t know what it was it wouldn’t have drawn attention. There were other small mounds scattered across the landscape, but those were graves. This was different. Leugio was close to it now and could see a small black opening lined with rocks.

  He looked around for any sign of his sister. There were a few human footprints and pawprints in the mud off the path. Swallowing, Leugio stepped off the path and studied them. A few feet further were thick patches of herbs and he realized that his sister truly had gone too far while gathering. Kent whined again and Leugio licked at his suddenly bone-dry lips. Something shifted in the shadows ahead of him, catching his attention in the corner of his eye.

  Leugio froze, standing completely still even as a low growl escaped Kent. The figure was leaning against the side of the mound, half hidden in a long shadow cast by the hillside. It was tall and slim, wearing a long white robe with delicate embroidery. Long, pale, almost translucent hair was bound back simply, revealing an almost human face, but it was too pale and violet eyes stared at him. There were a pair of horns curling up from the being’s forehead, but they were smaller than he had always envisioned. The sense of wrongness was somehow worse around the creature, and yet better without any reason.

  “A mortal comes to the Sídhe Mound,” the Síd said. Its voice was soft and musical, but there was an edge to it. Violet eyes swept over him. “The question is, why?”

  “I’m looking for a young girl,” Leugio managed. His words tried to catch in his throat and weighed heavily on his tongue. “About this tall.” He held his hand up to his mid-chest. “Brown hair and brown eyes, slight freckling around her nose.” The Síd wasn’t reacting to him. “Did one of your kind take her?”

  There was a moment of silence as the Síd studied him. There was a hint of amusement in its eyes that set Leugio on edge. The Síd glanced in the direction of the path and the village. “Yes. Faridon brought a young girl in early this morning,” the Síd said. “The sun was on his heels. It was foolish.” Then the Síd leaned forward and looked him over. “Coming here was foolish on your part, mortal.”

  “She’s my sister.”

  “Ah, family loyalty.” The Síd sounded almost sad and its eyes lingered on the dagger on his belt. “Iron?”

  “Your weakness,” Leugio agreed. He rested his hand on the hilt. “How do I get my sister back?”

  “You don’t,” the Sid answered. It shook its head and looked out towards the green fields. “It is no longer our custom to take your children, but sometimes one of us does. But once we take something, we do not return it.”

  “She’s my sister!” Leugio pulled the dagger free and watched the Síd squirm at the sight of the metal shining in the sunlight. “She’s just a girl. She belongs with her family! Not underground in your realm.”

  Something flared in his chest: a rush of warmth that sparked through his feet and blasted up through his legs. The Síd brought up a hand and drummed its chin thoughtfully. A heavy looking golden bracelet was on its wrist, but Leugio remembered the tales of magic gold. It would vanish once it was separated from the Síd. Still, it made no move to attack him or block his path.

  “I suppose you make a fair argument,” the Síd said.

  Leugio didn’t like his tone- at least, he thought it was a he- and something about the way it was eying him made Leugio nervous. His mind raced, trying to remember the different stories. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do.

  “So where is my sister?” Leugio asked. His voice wavered slightly, but he kept meeting the Síd’s gaze. “How do I find her?”

  “I suppose that I could give you some advice,” the Síd said slowly. Leugio frowned, realizing now that the Síd was eying his cruit curiously. “In exchange for something, of course.”

  “I didn’t think we mere mortals would have anything you Sídhe wanted.” Leugio’s frown deepened as he watched the creature. It shifted slightly and sat up straighter.

  “Usually not, but we are not quite what you believe us to be,” the Síd said. It almost sounded sad. “I suspect that Faridon was attempting to prove something to himself or the others.”

  “What about you?”

  “We are not what we once were. Denying that is the path of fools.” The Síd shrugged, but somehow still seemed powerful and graceful to Leugio. “I can give you advice and the path through the mound tunnels in exchange for your cruit.”

  “My cruit?” Leugio looked down at the simple instrument and then back at the Sid suspiciously. “Why?”

  “I like the look of the carvings, lad, nothing more. An item made by mortal hands and willingly traded has a certain appeal to me.”

  Leugio eyed the dark entrance into the small hill and then looked back at the Síd. “Are you in exile?”

  “Me? No. If I was I would be much further away. No, I just tire of hiding beneath the earth when the hill provides a safe spot to watch your world.”

  Nothing about the creature felt right or made sense, but Leugio found himself nodding. Stepping forward, he held out the cruit nervously. He wondered if the being had some power to use it against him, or if since he’d made it himself the Síd could cast magic on him through it. But the Síd gently took the cruit. It smiled a little and then strummed a finger over the tight strings. Then it sang a few words that rolled past his ears. They were unfamiliar, but something about them seemed off, like they were trying to twist themselves into a shape he knew. Leugio frowned in a mix of confusion and irritation, only for the Síd to stop a moment later. It held the cruit protectively in its lap and nodded to him. Then it pointed into the darkness.

  “Go straight until you reach the first fork in the path. One is illuminated by light, but the other is much darker. Follow the darker path. It will be difficult with your eyes, but you will find another branch. You must take the right path until you find a staircase leading down and to the right. Continue to stay to the right until you find a golden set of armor on display. There is a small passage hidden behind it. Follow the passage to a set of three doors. Take the middle one and that will lead you into the prison. If your sister is still alive and has not been handed off to someone that is where she will be.”

  “And if she’d been handed off?”

  “Then she will already be in the home of a Síd somewhere in the village. You will not be able to reach her then.” The Síd gave him a dark look, its violet eyes fixed coldly on him. “If that is the case all you can do is try to escape. Even with that dagger, you will find that a great challenge.” The Síd’s lips twisted into a smirk. “My best advice, boy, is to run home now.”

  Leugio tensed at the warning but forced himself to nod. Kent was still growling lowly and he looked towards the entrance. He swung his pack off his back. The Síd watched him silently and plucked a few more strings as he dug out a torch. It was merely a stick, but one end was wrapped in old cloth. He dug into one of his pouches and pulled out his flint. The torch caught easily enough and he pulled his pack back on.

  With one more glance towards th
e strange Síd, Leugio stepped forward with the torch in his left hand and the iron dagger in his right. A cold wind seemed to blow out of the mound entrance and he hesitated once more. There were a few stories about people recovering taken children, but he suddenly wasn’t sure if he believed them. Licking his lips, Leugio found himself considering heading back home, but then Kent sniffed at the air and took a hesitant step forward. Leugio nodded to himself and followed the dog’s lead.

  4

  Through the Fog

  Alex groaned softly. She was asleep; at least, she thought she was. Everything was hazy around her and she could sort of remember going to bed after taking a long run. Yet she was standing in a thick field of fog in her normal clothes. Alex frowned and looked around, the lull of sleep beginning to fade as her mind took in her surroundings. For a moment she resisted: dreams that started out with this kind of awareness usually weren’t pleasant.

  Bracing herself, Alex waited to fall. She waited for the floor to collapse and to descend into another time and place. Instead, the fog just churned and began to take on strange shapes. It curled and spun without even a hint of a breeze. Soft, barely there and distant sounds reached her ears and Alex peered harder into the fog, waiting for whatever was coming.