The Hunting Game

21 1 1
                                    

The song is "Macushla" by Dermot MacMurrough and Josephine V. Rowe.

Lilly stayed silent for a very lengthy amount of time, staring blankly at Robert as she tried to process this information.  She was having issues with it, to say the least.  She didn't even know where to start.  As she collapsed to the floor, Robert tried to hold her but she smacked him off.

"Not now, Robert!" she growled, clenching her fists tightly.  "Ooooh, this is...oh, I canna even...fathom...what the...I canna even speak!" she yelled.

Robert grasped his hair and groaned.  "Fuck, I'm sorry, honey.  I shouldn't have said anything."

Lilly shook her hand.  "No, it's...okay.  It's...not yer fault...I...told ya tah...tell me," she breathed heavily.

"What can I do?" Robert asked calmly.

"I need tah talk tah Adair.  Now."

Robert nodded and clicked on the blue ball of his bracelet.  "Patrick Nolan."

A blue image sizzled up and Robert saw nothing for a few moments, but he definitely heard a baby crying.  "Mr. Lewis," Patrick said hurriedly.  "What do ya need?"

Robert crinkled his face with a chuckle.  "Are you alright, Patrick?  Where's Adair?"

More crying ensued as Patrick struggled with Alex.  "She had tah leave fer a couple days.  Had tah retrieve something from her vault in Tír na nÓg."

"What did she need?"

"Uh...is Lilly there with ya?" Patrick asked quietly.

Lilly stood and grasped Robert's arm to look at Patrick.  "I'm here, Patrick.  Are ya havin' problems with the wee chiseler?" she inquired.

"Yes, but," Patrick grunted as he lifted his son and pat his back gently.  "That's...dunna worry about him, lass.  How are ya doing, Lilly?"

Lilly chuckled with a shake of her head.  "Have you tried singing to him?"

"Yes!" Patrick exclaimed.  Alex cried even more and the Earl of Galway sighed.  "I've changed him, fed him, rocked him...I dunna know what tah do and neither do any of the damn staff!"

Lilly cackled loudly and sighed.  "Aww, poor little Alex.  Okay, okay," she giggled before clearing her throat.  "Should I try to sing to him?"

Patrick made a very grateful expression.  "Oh thank ya, Lilly.  Should I plug me ears, though?"

Lilly giggled.  "No.  I can control my voice now so people don't get all...stupefied when I sing."

"Really?" Both Robert and Patrick said.

"Yes!" Lilly replied with a grin.  "Now, what song should I sing?  Hmm," she tapped her chin as she looked deep in thought.  She turned her gaze to Robert, her mouth turning up at the corner to form a smirk.  "I got one."

"Okay," Robert said with a smile.

Lilly cleared her throat and looked at the screen.

Macushla, Macushla, your sweet voice is calling
Calling me softly, again and again

Robert gaped at Lilly as she sang, Alex now stopping his wailing.  It'd been far too long since he'd heard her sing and she had definitely improved.

Macushla, macushla, I hear its dear pleading
My blue eyed macushla, I hear it in vain

Macushla, Macushla, your white arms are reaching
I feel them unfolding, caressing me still
Fling them out from the darkness, my lost love Macushla
Let them find me and bind me again, if they will

Embers in the DarkWhere stories live. Discover now