The Great Leprechaun Hunt
By Donna and Abby
After the birth of his son, Tadgh really did not have much to do with the Natives any longer. He and Marea were expecting, too, and like it or not, she actually loved him, and wanted to stay with him. Echo had only needed a man to father a child.
He and Marea had been staying with the gypsies, but he really didn't feel at home there, either. So, when he heard Marea say something about some Irish settling in a place named Glenerin, he decided that it was where he wanted to go. He didn't want to admit it, but he did miss Ireland. It was the main reason he'd hunted a leprechaun! Now he took his leprechaun lover (he called her his wife, but they had not done anything official) and moved to Glenerin! It wasn't a fast move, though. The horses pulling their gypsy wagon had only one speed, a slow amble. But eventually, they made it to the small village that would now be their home!
Marea was still in a sour mood, not being able to reduce in size, though she was able to go invisible. People must have thought Tadgh was really insane, talking to himself that way! But then again, the people of Glenerin already had Father Rudden, who was constantly talking to someone that no one else could see. So, what was one more crazy Irishman in their midst? Tadgh found himself welcomed, and shown a nice little farm site just waiting for someone to take it over!
He was a hard worker - always had been - and to his delight there were cows on the land. He knew how to deal with cows.
And Marea was pleased with the little house. It came complete with a pretty, but very overgrown garden just out the back door. All it needed was a leprechaun woman's loving touch! It brightened her up enough, in fact, that she did not always remain invisible! After the wagon was unloaded, she took stock. What the little house needed was some lace curtains and a few other things, so she talked Tadgh into taking her into the village to see what she could find at the new general store that had just opened there.
He was rather easy going - if a little slow witted - and whatever she wanted, it was just fine with him. As far as he was concerned, life could not be better. So, he hitched up the small cart that he had found in the barn to one of the horses, and they headed into the village. But they weren't the only ones that had come to shop for supplies that day!
The police were keeping a close eye on a family of brothers who had come into town. Only one of the brothers was married, and the others were looking for brides! They were a rather unruly bunch, that was for sure! The Pontipees had started out near Edan, but had made their way to the Camelot area, where they had found some good farmland near the loch. This was the first time they had all come into the village since the law enforcement officials had moved in.
They weren't *bad* men, certainly, and none of them wanted to think of themselves as being like Michael Christian had been. But they were a little pushy with the village women, especially the ones in the tavern!
As some of the brothers walked down the street, looking for women to talk to, they noticed Tadgh and Marea coming into down. The tiny little redhead was pretty before, but now that she was pregnant, she looked almost radiant! Daniel smiled and tipped his hat to them both. "Good day to you, pretty little lady," he said, trying to remember his manners. "You wouldn't happen to have any sisters, would you?" He liked red heads!
"Well, aren't we all sisters under the skin?" Marea laughed, delighted at the praise. Tadgh's jaw was tightening, showing that he was getting jealous.
He didn't like the way the men were looking at his woman. So, he did the first thing that came to his mind. He told them that there were all sorts of red headed women living in the forest, and all they had to do to have a good woman was to catch them!
"That's what I did," he grumbled, "though it ain't so easy as yer think!"
"Why is that?" the youngest brother asked. Ignoring Marea's attempts to shush him, Tadgh told them it was because they were leprechauns, and could appear and vanish at will!
Six pair of eyes swiveled toward the pretty expectant mother, and she did a vanishing act immediately!
"Woo hooo!" yelled Frank, throwing his hat up into the air. "Come on boys, let’s go catch us some leprechauns!" And before Adam or Millie could stop them, they all dashed into the woods, grabbing any type of nets or rope they could find on their way!
Marea appeared as they ran off, and she hit her lover on the shoulder. "You horrid man!" she scolded.
"Yer ain't that easy ter catch," he reminded her.
She closed her eyes for a moment, sending out a mental message to all the other leprechaun lasses. Most of them seemed amused at the idea and were already plotting how to get the most fun of out it!
"Yer forgiven, Little Man," she said sourly, to cover up that it really wasn't so bad after all. "Seems th' lasses're up fer a little sport after all."
And sport it was! Soon the hills surrounding the loch were ringing with the sound of giggles and the yells of men as they caught a glimpse of one of the diminutive girls. Even some of the fae were joining in on the fun! The Glen faeries were particularly happy to help the leprechauns out. They loved living there, but thought there were far too few eligible bachelors around!
Of course, the other residents of the village couldn't help but enjoy all the entertainment that was being provided them! The men would called out encouragement to the brothers, and the women cheered on the playful leprechauns. All of the available ones were taking part in the fun, with the ones who were "taken", or interested in men already, watching or listening in, if they were far away!
It didn't take too long for word to get out to the Knights and ladies at Camelot about what was going on, so some of them went out to watch as well! The fae at Camelot were especially interested, since some of them had been in Edan quite some time, and still had not found their One.
As Ephraim raced through the woods, the fishing net he was carrying flying in the wind behind him, he suddenly heard the sound of feminine laughter. Turning, he saw a beautiful red headed woman sitting sidesaddle on one of the King's white horses.
He thought she was one of the leprechaun girls, because she had such beautiful red hair, but she was a fae - Lady Amber! Because of this, she was a little surprised when he ran up to her and placed the net over her head, pulling her down into his arms!
"I caught one!" he yelled, reaching out to catch the reins so he could hold the startled horse from running off.
There was a sizzling noise and he looked down to see the net turning orange, as if glowing with fire!
"Uhh ohh," he sputtered. "Yer not one of them leprechaun gals, are you?"
"No," she said, looking up at him with eyes like embers. He hurriedly took the net off and helped her to her feet, and they died off into languid blue. "There are other ways to catch a faerie, you know," she now said, coyly.
He grinned at her. "I don't suppose you would be tellin' me how then? Millie never read us no book about catching faerie women."
Amber brushed up against him and cooed, "You're doin' fine now, honey."
He grinned at her, pulling her close to him. "My name is Ephraim," he said. "And I'm lookin’ for a woman to be my wife. Interested?"
She giggled. "I might be. If you asked me nicely and brought me sweets." Then she kissed him quickly, and licked her lips as if tasting something very sweet indeed!
"Oh wow," he breathed. "I got sweets!" Ephraim reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out some fudge candy that he had bought at the general store. "Please?" he said, dropping to one knee and offering her the fudge. "Marry me?"
Amber took the fudge, but she did not eat it. Instead she pulled him up and kissed him flush on the mouth. He was stunned for a moment, then he leaned into it, and it fairly sizzled!! "Yes!" she said when they separated. "I will, for those sweets!"
Of course, all this had attracted an audience. Derry, one of the unattached leprechaun girls and a bit of an incurable romantic at heart, had stopped to watch, sighing happily as Ephraim’s proposal was accepted. But the next thing she knew, she had been scooped up into a net herself!
"Gotcha!" said Daniel, the fourth brother. He was just a bit older than Ephraim. Derry hardly had time to catch her breath when he reached into the net and grabbed her. Of course, she was visible but small at the time.
"Ye caught me fair and square, little man," she said as she shifted to a larger size.
"And not a bad catch, if I do say so myself! Marry me!" But leprechauns were not that easily wed.
"You caught me," she said, "but ye still have te woo me!"
Poor Daniel had not heard about all the hoops that Dani had had to jump through to win Nickel's hand. But at this point, he didn't care. He just wanted a wife!
“Fair enough," he said, eyeing her. She certainly was pretty enough! And perhaps, while wooing her, he would come to know what she was like. After all, that was what Millie said they *should* do!
Taking her hand in his, he walked back to the village with her, a silly grin on his face, accompanied by cheers from all that had been watching.
Two of the other Leprechaun maidens saw Derry get caught, and decided they would pick their own men! Caitlin, a very young one, was eyeing the youngest brother, Gideon. On the other hand, Brigit, who had had such a terrible past (though she did not remember it now) wanted one of the older brothers!
Having singled out the ones that they wanted, the two leprechaun lasses let the men chase them, allowing them to come closer and closer each time before they disappeared.
Brigit let Benjamin, the next oldest after Adam (she knew they were alphabetical, and wanted a B, like her name was!) catch her while Caitlin popped in and out around Gideon's legs, taunting him. He could not catch her, but he knew she wanted him from the way she was acting!
"Please, little lady!" he finally cried out. "Let me catch you!"
"Consider me caught," she sang, "but ye've gotta court me like the others . . . right proper an' all!"
"Yes, yes!" he said, falling to his knees in front of her and holding his arms wide.
Then, amazingly (though no one who knew the boys would have thought it so) the brothers who now had women suddenly started to dance around! The leprechaun maidens joined in, though they danced with each other, and in their own way! The two brothers who had not managed to catch anyone watched dejectedly, but just then one of the Glen fae brushed by, and they were off on the hunt again!