#ciarnan

Hiking her skirts up further, the girl ran desperately. The stitch in her side only grew, but she couldn't stop. The dogs and the shouts were getting ever closer. And Róisín knew that if she was caught, it would mean death. Whether by her own hand, or someone else's, her fate would be sealed.

But her options were running short. There was no forest to take refuge in. Only the rath, the fairy fort, could potentially save her now. The braying of the hounds was just over the hill. They'd overtake her soon if she didn't hurry.

With the very last of her energy, Róisín charged forward. There! She could see the rath just ahead. The stone wall guarding the ring was low on on side. And if she angled herself just right... Spinning on her heels and darting toward the gap just as one of the dogs came barreling toward her, Róisín threw herself with all her might into the rath.

She'd landed on her face, but she couldn't count on superstition to protect her now. Sure, some of the men feared the fairies, and would go back. But others, Cathal included, would have no problem following her. Scrambling to her feet, she tried to run again. But a large stone tripped her up, and she fell once more. Only then did she see the little hole hidden amongst the bracken and the overgrowth. Quickly, she crawled inside and covered herself as best she could.

God had abandoned her. He'd never heard a single prayer. Maybe now, she thought, it was time to call upon the old gods. Danu, The Dagda, the Tuatha Dé Danann, and Manannán mac Lir! Yes, Manannán had shielded the Tuatha Dé Danann. Maybe his mercy would protect her too. Closing her eyes and clenching her hands together in supplication, Róisín struggled for breath.

@amantesmultorum : Róisín & Ciarnán

Chuckling quiet proudly to herself as she twirled around in the new dress, Róisín grinned widely. With flowers in her hair and her little feet bare, she felt every bit the wild pagan spirit she looked. The fearful Irish girl was gone, and in her place a new creature was blooming.

@amantesmultorum : Róisín & Ciarnán

@amantesmultorum : Róisín & Ciarnán

With a sigh, Róisín leaned heavily against the window, watching her niece's figure flitter away toward the sea. The poor thing walked about lately with the weight of the world on her shoulders, and wouldn't let anyone in.

Ciarnán smirked. Oh, the fae certainly liked being needed. “ Well, depending on who you ask, I would be the OPPOSITE of a lifeline.”  He rolled his eyes as he made his way over to her. “ But, I have no complaints about you holding on tight. By all means, go on a head.”

"Well, you weren't there to save them, were you? So what does their opinion matter?" Róisín asked, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against their chest.

Ciarnán didn't know, could never understand, the hell that she'd left behind in Ireland. The fact that her brother had rounded up a posse to hunt her down, then either kill her or drag her back to be forced into an unwanted marriage, was all he had seen. And really, that was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to Cathal.

Yes, life in Tír na nÓg had taken some getting used to. And despite the fact that she wasn't as free to roam as she'd like, it was a far superior life to the one she'd left behind. Here, there were no threats of violence. No beatings. No going hungry. No illness. Just peace.

@amantesmultorum : Róisín & Ciarnán

The Fae could not help be chuckle, even in their sleepy state. Ciarnán’s were wrapped around her protectively, but they were also seeking comfort from the other. The fae prince never truly felt in danger, but in the others arms there was a sense of peace and a sense of shelter that brought great comfort to him. 

“ Well, it is my duty to act the maggot. ” He said in response to her tease as he rolled his eyes. His smile fell softly as he shook his head.  “ Everything is fine. I was just tired. ”  The fae had drifted in and out of sleep only moments before, but he did not wish to share his dreams with the human who captured his heart, afraid that his dreams might frighten her away.

He unentangled one of his arms from her, so that he could brush aside one of her stray hairs.  “ But, I meant what I said about your eyes. I could get lost in them. ”

"You are the maggot." Róisín laughed, sticking her tongue out at them. Her joking, though, faded the same instant as his smile.

A crease formed in her brow as she listened and tried to read between the lines and riddles. It was a task she'd grown used to since coming to Tír na nÓg, but there were still times Ciarnán could throw her for a loop. Previously, she'd have thought the Fae were incapable of lying, but now she wasn't so sure. Even if, as a rule, the Fae didn't deal in falsehoods, this trickster she'd fallen for certainly would. Just to raise hell.