by L. E. Waters
“Well, the good Lord had another calling for you,” I say.
Liddy asks, “Bawn, what about you?”
“Oh, I was a peddler for a rich merchant and made a pretty fair living but lacked the thrill of adventure. So I tricked O’Hanlon and made him take me on.”
I say quickly, “No need to go down that road again.”
Everyone laughs who knows the story.
“Cahir Dempsey, your turn,” Síofra says.
“Oh, well, my story, hmmm… I think I forgot my story.”
“I can remind you.” Síofra grins playfully.
“No need for that now.” He stares right in her eyes. “Melodious is the closed mouth.” Síofra laughs as he says with a nervous look I’ve never seen before, “I feel like I’m in confession.” He stretches his back. “Well then, instead of my life story, I’ll tell you one of my most dangerous moments. I’d just stolen a prize horse. A real beauty she was. Six men were chasing me on horseback, and they were closing in on me, I tried to lose them in the woods. I climbed up to the Dempsey castle ruins and hoped they’d lost their way, but I saw them coming up, and there was no way back down. I rode the horse into the ruins and up the crumbling stairs. The men dismounted and charged up with their guns and swords. I only had one choice, and I kicked the sweet thing to go right out the empty window. The poor beast broke my fall and was gone instantly. I hurt my leg terribly in the fall, so I limped through gunfire toward the river. Once I reached the river, I floated to safety.”
“Okay, O’Hanlon, let’s hear yours,” Hogan says.
“Well, you know, it’s like all the other poor miserable natives’ story. I won’t bore you all, the story’s been well-worn.”
“You really have the gift of storytelling, Redmond,” Cahir says, and we all laugh.
“Well, then, I’ll finish up this storytelling session with a toast,” I say as everyone with a bottle raises it. “May we all be alive at this time next year.”
William looks surprised at this, and Cahir says, “To another year!”
Chapter 15
I stand on an island in the middle of the lake, holding a scian to a lamb’s neck. The lamb’s bleating, but I slice its neck. I watch as the blood runs down onto the ground, forms a red river that slithers its way to the water, turning the lake red. I’m entranced by the red lake, when someone comes from behind and stabs a knife in my back. I fall to the ground and feel my soul leave my body like a last breath. Hovering above me, I see Lucas take a sword and cleave my head off. He picks up my head and holds it in the air in triumph, then brings it down, impaling it on a stake.
My eyes flash open in hopes of escaping the nightmare. I wake up before everyone else and feel the wet mist of the early morning on my face and blanket. I notice with all the festivities the night before that even our hostage guard fell asleep. I see William lying there and decide ’tis time. I shake him awake, and he startles, seeing me over him. He gets up clumsily, his balance thrown off by his tied hands.
I put my arm straight out behind his shoulder and say, “Let’s go for a walk in the woods, boy.” He swallows hard, begins walking, and even the snapping of the branches under our feet doesn’t wake anyone else up. Ghost, seeing me walk away, trots up behind me and nickers. I give him a pat on his shoulder and he keeps walking with us.
“Is that my horse over there?” William asks, seeing the sorrel tied up in the distance to a tree.
I stop. “Do I have your word if I let you go that you will tell no one about what happened here?”
“If you give me my life, I will take this secret to my grave.”
I see truth in his green eyes. I bring up a blindfold to tie, and he says, “How will I get home if I’m blind?”
“I’ll take you to the village and let you ride home from there.”
I reach up to tie it, and he pushes it away slowly. “What if I didn’t want to go back but wanted to join you?”
I laugh. “You’re not serious, are you, now?”
“No, I’m serious. I want to do this for my mother and her people.” He coughs a little, but it sounds like he’s improving.
I stare at him for a moment and go against what every fiber was telling me about double agents and enemies that can sell you out, and say, “You can stay, William O’Sheil, but if I catch you selling secrets or trying to bring me in, I’ll cut your heart out myself.”
“I’ll prove myself to you.”
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The only way Kelly will let William in is if he passes his test. We meet at the bog, and instead of looking nervous, William looks suddenly alive. We wait until his cough’s gone and begin things under the full moon. Everyone except William, skips along the bog stones carefully placed just for fast feet. William falls three times into the mud even before we get to the place where Kelly initiates all his recruits.
Kelly says, “Okay, then, get in this here wax sack.”
William steps in quickly, trying not to seem at all afraid. Liddy starts stuffing the sack full of straw around him. William looks confused by this.
“It’s to keep the mud from getting in,” Liddy explains.
Kelly brings the sack up over his head. “Don’t worry now, O’Sheil, you’ll have space enough to breathe. I left a wee hole here for you.”
Hogan ties a thick rope around the sack under where his arms are, and Berragh and Bawn heave the sack into the air. Liddy and Kelly move the sack into place in a marked space and start lowering him down slowly.
William cries out, “Yeeow!” when his chest starts going under. “How far down are you going?” He tries not to sound panicked.
“Until your feet rest on the plank we put down there.”
A little more down. “Okay, I’m on it!”
Kelly gives the sign to tie it up, and we all go and sit on the large rocks near William. I light my pipe, share it, and say, “Tell me why you do this again?”
“This is how I get some of my information. I have my men lie in the bog here sometimes up to three hours next to this bridge to hear what the soldiers’ movements are and what they’re planning.” He takes a drag. “Plus it’s fun.” Smoke blows out through an evil grin.
Art walks into the group. “Fancy seeing you here, Art, how long’s it been? Two weeks or so?” Cahir asks.
Art gives him a look. “Missed you too, sweetheart.” He grabs the pipe from Bawn and takes a puff. “Who’s the poor slob in the sack?”
“Oh, just St. John’s son.” Kelly laughs.
“Very funny,” Art scoffs. All of our reactions make him freeze. “That’s really him?”
We all laugh. Cahir says, “See what you miss playing house?”
“Hey, there, now.” I jump in. “Art’s making sure Muirin’s safe, no cracks about that, then.”
I don’t like the way everyone looks at each other.
Art asks, “So this is what you’ve been up to the last few days?” He takes a breath in. “Why didn’t anyone think of coming and getting me? This is some serious shite.”
“Well, after St. John was off the walk,” I start, “the boy wanted to join us, so Kelly here wants to test him first.”
“Join us?” His mouth curls in disgust. “St. John’s brat?”
“Look, you missed a lot here, Art, so with respect, let us handle this,” Cahir says.
Art blows a puff of smoke out the side of his mouth slowly. “Right, then.”
We sit for two more hours until we bring William out. He’s shaking from the cold but has a big smile on his face when we cheer as they peel away the bag.
“Wasn’t that bad,” he says as Síofra wraps a wool blanket around him.
Everyone gets in line to hop the stones, and Art stays behind to speak to me. “Redmond, you haven’t been to see Muirin in a week.”
I put my hand up to my head. “I know, Art, it’s been a crazy week.”
“I understand, but she’s been in tears whenever I see her. She has nothing but you.”
“And you,” I retort.
“You and I both know she’d rather see you.”
“Well, we’re going to take William out for his first job, and then I’ll go home tonight.”
“You two coming?” Hogan calls back.
“Yeah, keep your knickers on!” Art yells.
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“Run!” Hogan screams.
“Follow me, boys!” I yell back, taking the lead.
We gallop our horses at top speed down the dirt road. As soon as I see the path I know so well in the woods, I take a quick right, and all my men follow. Not stopping to see if they followed, I keep riding in the darkness of the wood. Even on a full moon, the dense trees leave us blind. I have to trust the horse’s better sight, and Ghost knows this pathway best.
“They found the path, Redmond!” Bawn yells from the back of the pack.
“Head for the east cave!” I turn hard again and cross a small creek, the splashing of the enemies’ horses close behind us.
I grab the two heavy bags of coins we just acquired and jump off at a run. I slap Ghost’s rear end to tell him to keep running, and the other men’s horses follow his lead.
“The militia are still coming!” Berragh whispers loudly.
“Everyone in quick!” I say as I pull the large furze bush away from the entrance, getting pricked deep by the thick thorns. When the last man is in, I dive into the cramped space also. This cave’s deep but narrow. Each of us has to slide down on our backsides into a pitch-dark tunnel. Having no candles or torches, ’tis a frightening experience. We reach the larger space at the bottom, and each of us pants and tries to slow our breathing to listen.
“I hear something at the entrance,” Síofra whispers.
Sure enough, the thorn bush rustles, and a voice echoes down, “Lower him in, boys! Slowly, we don’t know what’s down there.”
The man’s flailing kicks scrape the sides of the tunnel on his way down.
“Lieutenant Lucas!” the hanging man says in a high-pitched, nervous voice. “This cave is very tight, and I can’t see the nose in front of my face.” We hear him coming down to the large cavern. “I think I can hear something down here!” he yells back.
“Well, light your damn torch and see what it is!” Lucas shouts down, echoing.
We hear the flint hit and see the tiny sparks fly, extinguishing before they hit the ground. Finally, a spark takes, and the torch ignites. The soldier, happy to have light, goes to pick up his pistol he laid down on the ground and inhales in shock to see my brown boot standing on top of it and eleven pistols leveled at his head. William jumps forward and covers his mouth so he can’t scream while I take the torch from him.
“What do you see down there, private?” Lucas calls.
I hold my finger up to my lips and whisper, “Shhhh.”
We all hear water and look around to see a large puddle appear at the officer’s feet. Cahir points to it, and everyone grabs their mouths to keep from laughing.
I whisper in the officer’s ear, “If you want to live, I want you to tug back on your rope and holler to your lieutenant that you want them to pull you back up. Say ’twas nothing but some lizards down here, and you’ll live to see another day—”
“Private? Can you hear me? Respond or I’ll send someone else in!”
“If, when we remove your gag, you try to be heroic and say anything other than what we said to say, then we’ll shoot you full of holes. Sure, they’ll probably kill us too, but then what does it matter if you’re dead? And you might be thinking you’re smarter than me and once you get up there safe and sound you’ll tell them. But ah, not so clever now, I have very loyal and high-up men that will find out which soldier had that honor of catching O’Hanlon, and he will search you out. If you somehow disappear, then my men will find your old mam, or your sweet wife or your wee children, I can promise you that.”
I give a quick nod to William, who pulls out the gag on the man.
“Officer? Respond!”
The man seems too scared to form words but then sputters, “I’m fine… Just some lizards down here… is all. Pull me up, boys!”
We watch him hoist the whole way up and wait to hear what he says.
“Where’s your torch?”
“Dropped it when I hit the side of the cave.”
“Well, let’s keep looking. They have to be around here somewhere.”
We all sit in silence for a good thirty minutes, until we hear Ghost’s friendly nicker down the cave.
“Let’s go, boys! Ghost wouldn’t come back unless they were long gone.”
After the last person’s pulled out, I say, “Back to the main cave.” I glance to Art, who gives me a reproachful look, and I add, “See you tomorrow, boys, have to get back to Muirin. Glad to have you, O’Sheil!”
William gives a proud smile and jumps on his horse.
“Wait, this is your winnings from tonight. I want you to get to hand it out to whoever you think needs it.”
He nods and leaves to follow Cahir out.
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William and I are sitting in the tavern snug after a rich job. “In the three years it’s been since you joined, we’ve increased our take threefold.”
Síofra comes to bring us our drinks. “With William telling you the goings on at the la-dee-dah parties, and with me working these taverns where the militia gather to talk, you’ve got everything covered.”
“True, I’m sitting in a nice spot between you and William whispering in my ear.” I give William a strong pat on the shoulder.
“Well, I best be parting ways here before someone catches me with you.”
“Good-night, then. I’ll be along in a bit.”
He leaves the tavern.
“You going back to Muirin tonight?” Síofra asks.
“Oh, yeah, I want to wrap all this business up here before I head home.”
She gives me a reproachful look only women can make. “You can count your coin at home too, you know.”
“Don’t you be starting too, now. I get enough from Muirin.”
She leaves to see to a man who enters, and she sits him at a table across from the snug. I have my back turned but hear the man order sup and drink. When Síofra brings him what he asks, he whispers something to her. Shortly after, she brings me a drink I hadn’t ordered and whispers in my ear, “This well-dressed gentleman come in here just now has slipped me some money to ask you which road you’re taking tonight.”
I smile, enjoying the challenge, and reply, “Why, then, I’ll take the dark and quiet road to Markethill.”
I wait until the man leaves and say on my way out, “Didn’t know I’d still have some fun tonight.”
“Careful there, Redmond, he looks like a clever fellow,” Síofra says.
I tuck my money in one of my hiding places in the woods and make my way to Markethill. When the road gets real dark, I expect him to pounce, and he does.
“Stand and deliver!” the now-masked man says.
Pretending to shake, I say, “Sir, I have nothing.”
He laughs from the bottom of his thick belly. “Ah, but I just watched you count every bit of a small fortune, so hand it over!”
“Oh, you got me there, then. Alright, then, let me get it from my saddlebag.” But I pull out my pistol quickly and say, “I won’t hand it over without a good fight.”
We fire at the same time, but since we’re some distance away, both of us miss our mark. With no time to reload, we draw swords and charge each other. The sound of steel goes clashing like the titans through the woods. After some time of skilled fighting and no bloodshed, the man pants, “Okay, then, let’s draw a truce!”
He backs his horse away and draws off his mask, revealing a sweaty, round face, and even in the darkness, can tell his eyes are a slate blue.
Intrigued now with this skilled fighter, I ask, “How about joining me for a nice gill of poteen?”
He watches me dismount, and I head over behind some rocks to pull out two gills of poteen. He smiles widely. “I have been known to be fond of a drop.”
Chapter 16
The man sits behind a tree beside me with a great grunt and asks, “I must know the name of such a staunch adversary.”
“’Tis Redmond O’Hanlon, my good sir.”
“Redmond O’Hanlon!” He puts his face to the night sky, smiling. “The main purpose of my travel to Armagh was to meet the famed O’Hanlon, and here I tried to rob him.” He laughs for a bit and takes a swig of poteen. “It feels like a torchlight procession going down my throat.”
“Well, here I am, your dreams come true. So you must tell me yours now.”
“Richard Power,” he says, rolling up his sleeves, revealing a long scar on his forearm.
“Oh, that’s not a name.” I look him up and down. “No, you seem more like a Captain Power to me.”
“Captain Power,” he repeats. “Sure, I like that.”
“Well, seeing I’ve never reached a truce before with sword, I’ll have to ask you to join my crew.”
He thinks for a little and takes a long drink. “As long as I’m in Armagh, I’ll join you, but I was headed here to make a gentlemen’s oath.”
“Out with it, then.” I take a drink.
“If I was to be captured or imprisoned, that you would do everything in your clever power to free me, and I would return the same oath to you.”
“Sure thing to have more behind me, and no doubt I’ll stand black for you.”
We sit in the woods together that night, drinking and telling stories. I know Muirin will have my skin, but Captain was far too interesting to cut short.
Captain asks, “So where do you recline?”
“Oh, we sleep in the woods or in a nice warm cave.”
