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"Let me get this straight," Brian, the eldest of Tuireann's
three sons, gave Michael a long, searching look, "You'll help us get the
puppy if we tell you where you can find the Gae Assail?"
Eirinn made a face and interrupted, "No, no! You've got it all wrong! We're not looking for some guy who's an A-hole! We're looking for a spear!" Brian's brother, Iucharba, laughed derisively, then grumbled, "That's the name of the spear - the Gae Assail." Eirinn turned red with embarrassment. How was she supposed to know the thing had a name? Besides, she thought to herself, it had sounded like he'd said . . .Oh, never mind! "To answer your question," Michael said to Brian, "Yes. We'll get the puppy for you, if you'll tell us where to find the spear." The three brothers exchanged looks filled with both suspicion and bewilderment, then stepped away to confer privately about the offer. Michael crossed his arms and waited. This had been much easier than he thought it would be. He and Eirinn, Riobeard, Mairin and Aine had left Muirenn's hillfort at dawn that morning, taking Cas Corach's advice and travelling east across a long stretch of scrubby moor land, toward the territory of the puppy's owner. By chance or design, they had met up with Brian, Iucharba and Iuchar, the three sons of Tuireann, at a crossroads that ran through a tree-studded meadow. Cautious at first, due to their reputation as murderers, Michael and the others had warily greeted the brothers and stated their proposal. The three bedraggled and tired looking men hadn't taken them seriously at all. Having carried out their penance on their own for almost a year, they weren't accustomed to strangers - or anyone else - offering them assistance. It had taken a while for Michael to convince them of their sincerity. Now, as he watched the brothers whispering animatedly to each other, Michael had to admit that none of them fit his idea of a hardened criminal. All three were big freckled men, and although they looked worn, and somewhat dirty, they didn't appear to be dangerous, or even mean-spirited. "What if they don't want our help?" Aine asked nervously, "What if they decide to kill us instead? They are murderers, remember?" Riobeard gave them a sidelong glance, then shook his head at Aine, "I think they'll accept our help. They look like they could use some help." "Here they come!" Mairin whispered, "And they don't look too happy." Brian, who seemed to be the spokesman for his brothers, stepped up to them. "Let's sit in the shade and talk." They followed him to a nearby tree and sat on the hard ground under it. "Now then," Brian began, folding his big hands in his lap. His eyes looked directly into Michael's. "We have spent almost a year travelling around the country collecting things as penance for the crime we committed. Do you know about that?" At a nod from them, he continued, "So far we've collected three apples, a pig skin, a poisoned spear, a chariot, and seven pigs," he almost ran out of breath reciting the list. Eirinn looked around for all the things he'd just mentioned, but all she saw was the road and the grass and the trees. "Where'd you put it all?" "We've been keeping them at our farm," Brian answered, "With the situation the way it is right now, we can't exactly deliver them, can we?" Riobeard nodded, understanding, "There isn't anyone to deliver them to. So why don't you just give up and go home?" For the first time, Iuchar spoke up, "We're oath-bound to complete the tasks given us. Everyone in the country knows about the oath. If we were to break it, we'd be fair game for anyone to kill, without fear of any consequences, So, you see, we have to fulfil our obligation to get all the objects we're under oath to collect, whether or not we can deliver them." "What have you got left to get?" Mairin asked. Brian scrubbed his face with his hand and sighed, "Three things: The puppy; a cooking spit, which is supposedly buried somewhere on the beach on the island of Manannan mac Lir; and the last, the most difficult of all, three shouts on a hill belonging to Miodhchaoin and his sons." "How do you get three shouts?" Aine asked. Brian looked a bit annoyed, "We have to shout three times." "What's so hard about that?" Now Brian glared at her as if the answer should have been obvious, "Miodhchaoin was the foster father of Cian mac Chainte. Do you think he and his sons are going to stand by while we climb his hill and shout on it?" Riobeard laughed nervously, "Well, we can't do THAT one for you!" Brian smiled mockingly at him, then turned serious. "Our thought was that if you COULD get the puppy for us, that might give us a chance to find the cooking spit at the same time." Eirinn's face brightened, "We can do that! I've got a plan. You three just go ahead and find that cooking spit. We'll get the puppy!" Michael shot her a questioning look, but she just continued on as if she hadn't noticed, "Meet us back here in three days." Brian and his brothers looked at Eirinn with eyes full of hope. They nodded agreement, then pushed themselves wearily to their feet and left without speaking another word. After watching the three men walk away toward the north, Mairin turned eagerly to Eirinn, "Now, what's your plan?" Eirinn grinned proudly, "Simple, we buy some doggie biscuits, and when we see the puppy, we lure it away . . ." "Dog biscuits!!" Mairin screeched, startling Eirinn, "That's your idea?! Where are we going to get dog biscuits?" "At the store," Eirinn said matter-of-factly. "Haven't you noticed there aren't any stores here?" Mairin threw up her hands in exasperation, "Look around! Do you see a single store anywhere in sight?" Eirinn looked sheepish and her face turned red, "Sorry. At least I HAD an idea." Michael chuckled and put an arm around Eirinn's shoulder, giving her a quick hug, "Yes, you did." "A pretty useless one, if you ask me," Mairin muttered. "You have to admit," Michael said genially, "It is easy to forget we're not in our own time." Then a thoughtful look came into his eyes, "I think I may have an idea that WILL work. Remember Cas Corach told us this puppy can catch any animal?" They nodded, drawing closer to listen. "Here's my plan."  |
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 Sunrise the next
morning found them crouched behind some thorny brambles that grew around
the perimeter of the clearing where the owner of the puppy lived. The house
was like most of the houses they had seen - a squat, round wattle structure
with a thatched roof that came to a peak at the center. The puppy was nowhere
in sight. They waited while their clothing soaked up the cold dew from
the grass, figuring the dog was indoors and would come out eventually.
About an hour later, the dog was let out. Aine nearly fell over in shock.
"That's not a puppy!" She hissed, "That's a horse!" The grey dog was as big as a small pony, and as shaggy. Very little about it was actually puppy-like, except the way it frisked around nipping at the bugs. Michael's stomach started to knot up as he watched the enormous gangly creature pounce on something in the tall grass. He chewed his lip and glanced around from one face to another, "Everyone ready?" He whispered. Their faces were all ashen-white, but they nodded. "I feel kind of foolish," Aine said. "So do I, "Riobeard told her quietly, "But I don't mind feeling foolish for a couple minutes if it will get us that dog!" "Besides," Mairin added, "The dog's the only one that's going to know anyway!" She noticed Michael's pale expression, "Michael, are you sure YOU'RE ready?" Michael fingered the large, rough sack he had snatched from a nearby farm yard, then looked down at it with uncertainty. He hoped it was big enough - and sturdy enough - to do the job. Only one way to find out. He nodded to Mairin, "Let's do it." They all began to make loud snuffling and snorting noises, attempting to draw the dog by convincing it that a group of wild pigs roamed nearby. The puppy's long head snapped up immediately and they could see the gleam of its bared white teeth. A low growl emanated from deep in its throat as it sprang toward them, swifter than any dog they'd ever seen. It dove through the bushes, oblivious of the thorns, but not into the sack as Michael had hoped. Instead it came out between Michael and Riobeard. At the sound of someone's scream behind him, Michael yelled, "Get back! Slowly!" Aine, Mairin and Eirinn carefully stepped away from the dog as Michael and Riobeard closed in on it. It swung its head back and forth between them, hackles raised. Then its lips curled back from its fangs and it snarled viciously, taking a step toward Riobeard. For a split second, Michael thought of using his spear, then hesitated. It would do no good to bring the dog back dead. Somehow they had to get it into the sack alive. He snapped the sack out to his side to get the dog's attention. It worked. The animal turned on him and growled, bunching up its muscles, getting ready to leap. "What are you doing?" Riobeard hissed at him. Michael shook his head dismissively and gripped the edges of the sack tighter, bracing himself. It lunged right at him then, and he whipped up the sack toward its head, praying. Michael was knocked backward by the force of the impact. He fell heavily onto his back, desperately throwing the sack over the dog's head and shoulders and gripping tightly. "Somebody help me!" he screamed as the animal began to struggle wildly. It growled and thrashed around, snapping its jaws and trying to scratch its way back out of the sack. Mairin and Riobeard both pounced on the dog and wrestled it off of Michael. "Hold it down!" Michael shouted as he rolled quickly onto his knees beside the dog and yanked the sack down over the rest of the animal's body. It snarled and snapped viciously, flailing around wildly in an attempt to back itself out of the sack. Michael pulled up the ends of the sack and struggled to get them tied tight. He finally succeeded, and stood up, breathing heavily. Realising it was trapped, the dog stiffened and just growled threateningly. "You did it!" Eirinn laughed in amazement, "But how are we going to get a dog that size back?" They all looked reluctantly at the dog in the sack. "We'll have to carry it back, won't we?" Aine asked. "Well, whatever we're going to do," Riobeard said quickly, "We'd better do it before the owner of this beast discovers it's missing!" In the end they took turns pairing up to drag the sack, trying to avoid the bumpiest parts of the road for the sake of its contents. The dog fought them all the way back, wearing them down and making the trek back take twice as long as it would have otherwise. The sun hovered just over the western horizon when they finally trudged back to the tree where Eirinn had told the sons of Tuireann to meet them. Brian and his brothers were waiting there for them, looking happier than the last time they'd seen them. "Well done!" Brian smiled as he strode up to Eirinn. "It looks like that plan of yours must have worked!" Eirinn grimaced, turning bright red. "Actually," she said, "my plan wasn't . . ." "Wasn't that bad a plan!" Michael burst in, hauling the growling sack up to Brian and releasing it at his feet with a heavy sigh. He slumped against the tree, then slid down the trunk to the ground, "We got the, uh, . . . puppy. Now," he looked up slowly and locked eyes with Brian, "where's the spear?" Brian met his gaze and said, "The House of Donn." "Not another Donn!" Aine rolled her eyes. "First it was a Donn with no body, now it's a Donn with a house. Isn't one Donn enough for this story?" Brian made a face and looked at Aine as if she was cuckoo, then shook his head in pity, "The House of Donn isn't a real house. It's part of the Otherworld." "How do we get there?" Mairin asked, positive it was going to involve more walking. Brian crouched down on the ground and smoothed out the dirt with his hand. "South of here, off the coast, is an island shaped like this," his finger traced the outline of a triangle. "I remember seeing that!" Mairin said, "When we first got here." She looked at the others for confirmation and they nodded agreement. "Well, that island is supposed to be one of the entrances to the Otherworld." "We'll need a boat to get out there," Riobeard stated the obvious."I'm not up for a swim just now!" "We have a boat,"Iuchar suddenly spoke up, "We'll take you there. After all, you got the puppy for us. It's the least we could do."  |
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 The next day they
set out for the coast, and the walk took almost the whole day. They arrived
at the rocky shore in the late afternoon. The air blew off the water in
salty gusts. The ocean itself rose and fell in great undulating swells
that crashed against the secluded crescent beach where Brian, Iuchar and
Iucharba had their boat pulled up. To the west, enormous dark clouds were
piling up, threatening a coming change in the weather. Brian urged them
to hasten to the water's edge so they could cast off and hopefully return
before the storm hit. Their boat was small, but large enough to fit all
of them comfortably. It sported a short, slim, single-mast. Brian and Iucharba
shoved it out into the surf, then hopped aboard and sat down, pulling at
the oars with long, powerful strokes.
Once out on the water, even under the weight of eight people, the boat bobbed around like a cork until the sail was unfurled. The brisk wind caught in the sail immediately and it tautened. Iuchar took the rudder and the small craft picked up speed, skimming over the waves toward the island. Michael sat toward the bow, eyes closed, enjoying the exhilarating feeling of fresh wind in his face. He could sense the moment the sun disappeared behind the clouds, and he opened his eyes just as the scent of the storm arrived on a gust of wind, damp with rain. The black clouds seemed to be inflating and swelling at an incredible speed, and the wind had begun to howl in his ears. He glanced back at Brian and saw a concerned frown on his face as he watched the sky. Was there a possibility they wouldn't beat the storm after all? He looked at the others. Eirinn hugged herself to keep warm, and Riobeard put his arm around her to lend her a bit of his own warmth. Despite the chill, they both seemed to be enjoying the boat ride as much as he was. Mairin looked a bit green. She clutched the side of the boat and every time it was pushed up by a wave her eyes widened in alarm. She hadn't said anything about getting sea sick before they left. Michael would have suggested she stay behind and wait for them if he'd known. That's probably why she hadn't mentioned it. Aine's face was clouded with uncertainty, but it was hard to discern whether it was due to being out on the ocean, the approaching storm, or just their mission in general. When she noticed him watching her, he smiled reassuringly at her, but her gaze was suddenly directed over his shoulder. He turned and got his first close-up view of the island. It towered over them like a wall of solid rock. Black cliffs thrust out of the water on all sides, converging several hundred feet above in three jagged peaks. At first it looked as if the island was totally barred to outsiders, having no visible means of a safe landing without risking the danger of being dashed against its sharp, rocky coast. "Are we supposed to climb those rocks?" Riobeard shouted above the wind at Brian. Brian shook his head and pointed. His sharp eyes had spotted the only opening in the cliff side: a hole, almost hidden and easily missed, but large enough for their small boat to sail into. When they got close enough for the surf to carry them in toward the rocks, Brian and Iucharba pulled up the sail and set to rowing again. They skilfully guided the boat through the churning waves. Michael didn't miss the sudden look of anxiety on Brian's face as they slipped through the opening. The wind was cut off abruptly and a total, almost suffocating darkness closed in around them. The dank air was cool, but the dampness was oppressive, clinging to them like a wet blanket. Everyone sat in silence as the boat moved smoothly through what seemed to be a tunnel. The only sound was the oars slicing through the water, and a constant dripping sound from somewhere. Then Michael felt someone shifting their weight in the boat. There was a sharp clinking, as if two rocks were being beaten together. In another moment, a light flared in their midst and Iuchar held a flaming torch aloft. Now they could see a little of their surroundings. The glow of the torch ran unevenly along glistening solid rock walls that rose out of the water on both sides of the tunnel. They arched high above them, but the actual ceiling was swallowed in blackness. They glided slowly through the passage for some time, peering into the gloom. Michael leaned forward and whispered to Brian, "Have you been to this island before?" His voice surprised him, seeming louder than he'd intended. Brian just shook his head. "Then how do you know the spear is here?" Brian's eyes seemed to take on a strange, far-away look as he stared back at Michael, "A man who knows for certain what his fate will be knows many other things besides." Michael raised his eyebrows and wondered whether his question had actually been answered or not. Gradually, the tunnel began to lighten up ahead. They could make out a rocky ledge running perpendicular to the passage they now followed. A pale light came in from somewhere to the right from a source they couldn't see yet. Apparently this was the end of the line. As they approached, Brian and Iucharba brought the boat about and pulled in the oars. Brian reached over to grab for the ledge, steadying the rocking boat against it. "This is it,"he said in a hushed voice. Iucharba stepped up onto the ledge and helped each of them get out, then climbed back in. "You're not coming with us?" Michael asked. Brian's face was grim, "No. We said we'd bring you here, and we have. We didn't say we'd go with you." "Aren't you going to wait for us to come back?" Eirinn's alarmed voice echoed down the tunnel. Brian winced at the loudness and shook his head, "We've done all we can. Now we must try to beat that storm back if we can." Then a sudden look of gratitude softened his expression. "Thank you for your help. With any luck we'll complete our tasks soon, and be able to get on with our lives." Iucharba smiled and waved, winking, "Good luck finding the Gae Assail." Michael and the others then huddled together in the dim light and watched as the boat moved away, fading into the darkness. Within seconds all they could see was the point of light that was Iuchar's torch. They could still hear the swish of the oars for awhile, but soon even that was gone. Then they were alone in the heart of the island.  |
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