by Jana LaPelle
Today we travel north of Dublin for yet another surprise. It doesn’t take us long to reach our destination. Colin pulls over into a parking lot for Maguire’s Café on the Hill of Tara. The Hill of Tara, I’ve heard that name before, but where? Searching the recesses of my mind, I reach for Colin’s hand, and I take his in my own and ask, “The Hill of Tara, there’s a tale about The Four Treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann, the Stone of Fál. Do I have it right?”
He nods and says, “Yes, that’s why we’re here. For some reason, it feels important ta me, and today I’m drawn ta this place. Like something has yet ta come from this spot. Like it holds a great secret, I have visited this spot many times. I believe that it once held great majic and ta some extent still does but that signature of majic is long since passed. It is said that the Stone of Fál was placed here in The Mortal Realm by the Tuatha Dé Danann and that the Stone of Fál would sing for our rightful kings and queens at the time. Come, lass, there are na many here today, so we may have the hill ta ourselves for a period of time, but before we walk ta the site, I thought we would stop by the café for some coffee or tea and some scones or an early lunch. What do ya say?”
“That sounds good, how about an early lunch? I have a feeling that we will be traveling the rest of the day.”
“How did ya know?” He asks, smiling at me as he rounds the car to take my hand.
“Oh, I don’t know, just a lucky guess. Colin, everything is so green. The countryside reminds me a bit of home. The gently rolling hills…” My attention is drawn from the view around me to the quaint little café that we are approaching. It’s a white and dark green storefront with a colorful blackboard out front announcing the specials of the day.
Once inside, we are quickly seated and place our orders. Colin chooses a hearty Irish beef and Guinness stew served with homemade bread. I select their smoked salmon on homemade brown bread paired with cream cheese and a salad. It’s cool out, only around about fifty-eight degrees Fahrenheit, so we choose hot coffee and tea to drink with our meal which pairs nicely with their homemade scones and jams for dessert. Everything is delicious, so good in fact that we quickly eat with very little discussion between us. I sit back and smile, my stomach full and satisfied.
“That was amazing. I’m going to have to take some of these Irish recipes home with me,” I say with a broad grin.
Colin reaches over to take my hand in his own before saying, “You’ll na be finding any of that smoked salmon back in the States, and that cream cheese is a specialty from around these parts, lass. We may be having ta special order from our local Irish vendors. Best be makin’ a good impression on the local fishmongers and butchers.”
He’s so handsome sitting there with a smile on his face and his green eyes twinkling in his jest. My reaction is instinctual as I lean in for a gentle kiss, his hands reach up to cup my face, and for a moment I savor the taste of him. My attraction to this man grows daily, and it takes considerable effort to pull away from him, and I whisper breathlessly, “I love that you just said we.”
“I never want ta be parted from ya mo chroí,” he sighs before reaching up to kiss my forehead and pulling away from me to settle our tab. “Let’s go for a walk, Joanna. Are ya ready to see yer very first ancient Irish landmark?”
“Yes, let’s go my handsome Irishman.”
Hand in hand we leave the quaint café and shop behind us. We make our way past St. Patrick’s church heading towards what I think can only be footpaths toward the ancient monument. As we break through the hedge of trees all I can see for miles and miles are rolling hills and farmland, and again, I’m reminded of home, until we get close enough for me to see the ancient monument. I decide to break our comfortable silence, “So tell me about the Hill of Tara and the Stone of Fál.”
“Did ya know that it is also called the Stone of Destiny? Tis said that Lugh’s son, Cú Chulainn, in a fit of anger or rage, damaged the Stone and that from that point on the Stone never sang again. That was back in a time when the gods of Faerie visited our realm, The Mortal Realm. They have na done so for a very long time, at least centuries, possibly since King Arthur’s time. If they have, they are keeping a very low profile.”
With wide eyes I look up at this man that I love and ask, “You believe that, all of that?”
“Yes, my bonnie lass. Every word,” he winks at me.
“Okay, so if that’s true then where do they reside? If they are gods then they still live, so where did they go?” I ask, smiling and swinging our conjoined hands. The sun is high overhead, spreading its warmth across the fields.
“Why, The Otherworld, of course, the land of Faerie. Look, I don’t expect ya ta believe me overnight. I just ask that ya have an open mind. Okay, Joanna?”
I hear the unspoken plea in his voice and smile, “My mind is open and ready to receive anything and everything that you want to throw at me.”
His smile falters for a moment before he says, “Joanna, ya should know that I hail from a line of druids. A line that has na always been aligned with the light, Daerok led many a druid astray many centuries ago.”
“Who was this Daerok?”
His hand gently squeezes my own, “A very evil majic wielder, a very powerful druid. He was cast out of The Otherworld by his peers, by the Druid Order. He was once their Luminary, their leader before he fell from grace. My great, great, great, great grandfather followed him ta The Mortal Realm before he realized that the male he thought was good and wise was leading him down a path of darkness and destruction.”
“What happened?” I find that I’m completely wrapped up in this story of majic and evil druids that is part of his history.
“He defected from Daerok’s followers and fled from his dark influence. He used what majic he had left and cast a spell successfully cloaking his whereabouts from the dark order. Ya see, when the corrupt druids where cast out of Faerie, the Druid Order bound Daerok and his followers majic as best they could, and it took everything that my grandfather had in him to maintain the cloaking spell. After some time of being on the run, he found my great by the fourth grandmother and settled down in secrecy. He did na want Daerok finding his newfound family, so with her help, he was able to maintain the cloaking spell. You see, all of Daerok’s followers were banished from The Otherworld and were banned from traveling the dolmen portals from one realm ta another. It is my understanding that the dark order still has power and still follows their dark leader and has found a way ta tap into their majic.”
Squeezing his hand, I say, “I love you, but this all sounds a bit like a dark faerie tale.” My attention is dragged to a phallic shaped object standing erect in the field in front of us. “Oh my, is this the Stone of Fál?
“Yes, Joanna, this is it.”
“Colin, you do realize what that resembles, right?”
His laughter carries out on the wind and becomes a bit more robust. “Yes, mo chroí, tis an astute observation. I have never viewed it in that light before, but now that ya say that, I will never view this landmark the same again.” He pulls me to his side and wraps his arm around me, tucking me close to his side as we stride up to the stone before us. The breeze has picked up, and my hair is whipping about, and I reach up to pull it to one side.
“I’m not sure exactly what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.” I survey the monument before me, the stone stands erect, pointing skyward. At its base, there are long slender rectangular shaped stones placed on the ground pointing outward. They are smooth tile like stones that draw my fascination. I pull away from Colin and circle the stone to see that the tiles are not symmetrically placed and sort of form what looks like a starburst pattern before my attention is drawn to the shadow that the stone is casting on the ground. I look up at Colin, “It looks like it could have been a very large sundial. I’m fascinated with the tile work around the stone. I wonder what the placement means. In some places, the tiles seem to point outward, and in others, they don’t.” Looking around the hill, I�
�m able to see that there appears to be a precise placement of everything here. There are what appears to be trench like circles and in the distance to the north a mound that draws my attention, “What’s that over there?”
Colin takes my hand again, and as we walk toward the mound, he begins, “That Joanna Claire, is known as the Mound of Hostages or Dumha na nGiall, it is said to be in alignment with the sunrise during Imbolc or what is known as the midway point between the vernal and autumn equinox and also at Samhain. I think that the significance is that it is in alignment with the sunrise only certain times of the year. I believe that during the mornings that the sun’s rays strike the opening there, that under the right conditions someone could activate the portal between realms.”
I continue to stare at the small opening and ponder his words before asking, “Why do you believe this is a portal between realms?”
“Well, it looks like a dolmen. Or at least what remains of the original structure after the excavation in the 1950’s took place. I believe that the integrity of the portal may have been compromised. From the lore’s that have been passed down ta me, I know and understand the importance of the dolmen in this land and beyond. Some are easy ta spot, and others were created ta be hidden away in natural landmarks. One only needs ta know what they are looking for ta locate a dolmen or portal if ya will. In order ta travel from one realm ta another one must know the secret of how the portals work. They can only be activated at sunrise and sunset and only then if the rays of the sun reach the portal opening. I know how all this may sound. Are ya okay with everything so far?”
“Yes Colin, please continue, how does it work? The portal I mean. Do you know?” My curiosity getting the better of me as my imagination takes hold. I have never been one to give into my ponderings. My focus has always been in learning the science of it all, but I find that Colin is unlocking the child within me and I’m beginning to see the world around us differently.
“That information my dear lass has been withheld from me, something about it na being a good idea for my grandfather’s descendants ta attempt to travel through the portals, but I think it’s bloody rubbish after all this time and diluted bloodlines. I’m really close ta figuring it out. Come look, there are markings on the stone inside the opening. See? I believe that ta be a symbol of water. I have been told that the four main realms are The Overworld, the element that best describes that realm is air, The Underworld and its fire element, The Mortal Realm or Earth and its earth element, and lastly The Otherworld or Faerie and its water element. They are the four main realms. Of course, there are lesser realms, like Avalon and the like but ultimately, here at this portal I believe that at certain times of the year mortals could cross over ta the world of Faerie and water is the key, mortals and gods and goddesses alike.”
“You believe all that you tell me, don’t you?” I ask, not able to take my eyes off of his face.
“Every word, is it too much? Should I back off?” His handsome features are pinched in concern.
He has sparked a desire to know more, and I shake my head vigorously, as I utter a single word, “No.”
Leaning in, his lips capture my own, and he pulls me close as he deepens the kiss. I find that I’m melting into his embrace, needing more but conscious that we are not in a private place. We pull away at approximately the same time, forehead to forehead before he says, “Yer taking this much better than I thought ya would.”
Smiling, I pull back to say, “I guess that I’ve repressed my thoughts for so long on what my mother believed to be true about our family heritage, that I’m now ready to explore a world I’ve been afraid to look into. What you have shown me here today has awakened an interest to learn and discover a world where majic does exist.”
“I’m just glad that I’ve na scared ya off. I’ve shown ya what I thought ya needed ta see here today. Are ya ready ta head out? Are ya ready ta meet me family? Because that’s our next stop, I’ve promised me Ma that we would stay for a week or so. Is that okay with ya?”
“Of course, I can’t wait to meet your family.”
Soon we have put the ancient ruins behind us as we head for the car and I’m left to wonder about a world that I’ve dismissed up till now and what I have yet to learn.
Chapter 4
The next several hours are spent in the car traveling back toward Dublin and then west toward Limerick, and after I’ve had time to process all that I have learned this afternoon, I break the comfortable silence between us to ask, “Colin, you said that the dark order was still in existence. What makes you say that?”
“Ah, I was wondering when that beautiful mind of yers would find its way back ta that nugget of information. It’s simple really, the cloaking spell is still working, but over the years it continues ta lose power. My ancestor designed the spell ta continue ta protect for as long as Daerok and his followers remain a threat, but as the bloodline becomes more diverse, the spell’s original majic continues ta dwindle.”
“After all this time, why would Daerok’s followers busy themselves looking for you and your family? Wait, do you think that Daerok is still alive?”
“We know that he still lives. He has become an abomination. He still lives because he preys upon the life force of others. He has become something other. Early on it was thought he had become a Lich, but he has morphed into something more. Somehow, he has found a way ta drain the life force of others ta fuel his own and in doing so has found a way ta become immortal.”
“What? How is that even possible?” I ask, my mind reeling from this news, the Irish countryside just a blur of green to my left as I try to process this latest bombshell.
“Majic, Joanna. That’s why I asked that ya keep an open mind. It’s hard for me ta process and I have grown up with all of this craziness. I can’t imagine what ya are thinking. Talk ta me, please. I need to know that ya are okay with all that ya have learned.”
Colin looks away from the road to assess me. His look is one of concern, and I reach over to smooth the crease in his brow, and while I’m there, I run my fingers through his unruly auburn hair. I smile before saying, “Watch the road, Colin. I’m fine. Just a little shook up as I try to integrate the science of what I know to understand and what you’re telling me. I’m… I don’t know. I guess I’m off-kilter. I’m just trying to assimilate it all. I’m learning that the world that I know is not really exactly as I thought it to be.” Sighing I look away to watch the scenery as we pass through the countryside.
Colin is quiet for a time before taking my hand in his free one and bringing it to his lips to gently kiss my knuckles. I turn to smile and lean over to kiss his cheek. With his eyes on the road, he says, “I know how crazy all of this sounds but before we get home, I need ta tell ya something about me family. When my ancestor married his kindred, he married a witch, and it would seem that the males in our line are destined to mate witches.”
“Then I don’t understand why you and I are together. I’m not a witch, my grandmother was, but I’m not.” Suddenly, my throat threatens to close, and my breathing grows labored. A sort of panic begins to take hold. I can’t imagine him not being in my life, the thought is enough to have my heart racing. He said we were kindred. I don’t understand. I try to pull my hand out of his, and he tightens his grasp.
“Joanna, why do ya doubt us? Yer gifts are evident ta me and should be to ya as well. Ya. Are. A healer. Healing is where yer majic lies. It may be minute, but it is there. Ya are a witch,” with those last words he pulls my hand to his lips and kisses the inside of my palm.
A sigh escapes my lips before I realize it and I slump back into the seat I occupy, suddenly relieved. I look over at the man I love and ask a question that begs to be asked, “So you think I’m a witch?”
His laughter is contagious, and I find myself smiling in spite of my panic from the moment before. Then he says, “Mo chroí, ya most certainly are a witch. Yer healing gift is a natural ability. Ya don’t even know that ya are engaging yer raw
talent, tis a thing o’beauty and a part of who ya are. I’m surprised that yer mother never picked up on yer talent.” Cocking his head, he glances my way, briefly assessing me, his eyes asking the question on his mind.
Shaking my head, I say, “My mother and father were amazing but utterly caught up in one another and my father’s ministry. Since I’ve been away at school and involved with my residency, I’ve only seen them a handful of times and then it was only a couple of days at a time. They decided after I graduated high school that they were going to travel the world and minister to those in need. It has always been my father’s lifelong dream. You see, my father is a Baptist pastor and my mother, being the dutiful wife of a minister, only ever talked to me about our ancestry in hushed tones and never within hearing distance of my father. That’s one reason why I never gave any credence to her claims. It was just so out of character for her. The mother that I grew up with, she was always so steadfast in her Christian faith. I don’t think that my mother even noticed that I was constantly finding wounded birds or injured animals of every kind. I always seemed to come upon them as if they were left in my path to find. Looking back on it, I was always able to release them back into the wild after their injury was manageable. As a young girl I thought that I would become a veterinarian, but as I got a little older, I found that I wanted to help people, more importantly, children with life-threatening diseases. That’s how I ended up becoming a doctor and specializing in pediatric oncology. I have no idea when I will see my parents again. I heard from them about a month ago, and their letter said that they were going to a remote area of the rainforest and expected to be out of contact with me for at least a year, maybe longer.”
