My Beautiful Only (Mo Álainn amháin)

I

"Tell me a story."
Brigid rolled her eyes as her sister asked the same thing of her that she always did. Ever. Single. Day.
"I tell you a story every day, Fi."
"Sooooooo... tell me a new one."
She groaned and threw her arm over her eyes.
"Fine. But after this one, you go to bed. And you stay there." She pointed a finger at her and sat up.
Fiona had a habit of sneaking into her bed late at night as most little sisters did when nightmares were chasing away their dreams of guilded roads and faraway kingdoms.
Fiona smiled widely and nodded, clasping her hands in her lap as she eagerly waited for Brigid to come up with an entirely new story.
Which wasn't hard. She did it almost every day. But some days, she continued stories she had told before.
Brigid stood and walked to the window that overlooked the large field stretching behind their small little house. The Wicker Mountains could be seen just beyond the horizon, silhouetting the sky as gorgeous shadows. She always wondered what lay in those mountains... and beyond them. Her mother had always told her that her curiosity would get her into heaps of trouble and unwanted mischief. So she tended to stay cautious. Especially after her parents' death.
Maybe one day she would venture to those mountains. But for now, she would have to stay content where she was.
"Many many many years ago, there was a great battle that took place-"
"Oooh, you never start out with fighting."
Brigid glared at her and shushed her. "The battle was so fierce, so bloody and history making, that it was never talked about. For it could bring bad luck to do so. But during this battle, there was a girl who had wandered out into the woods one night. And would you believe that she was the reason the war was started?"
Fiona shook her head, pulling her blanket more tightly around her shoulders.
"In those woods, she was found by this barbarian sort who kidnapped her. He was over 6 feet tall and had a body like an ape. But he fell in love with her as soon as his eyes landed on her. But she, not with him. She tried to escape, day in and day out, until she realized her family would be coming for her. But with being so situated high up in the mountains where the savage took her, she was losing hope. She made the decision not too much longer that she would escape. The next morning, she acted as if all was well and put on a great act for her captor. But he wasn't stupid. That's why he put a special surprise for her at the doorway that she wouldn't be expecting if she dared leave."
Brigid smiled slyly at Fiona and nodded towards the stairs. "Goodnight, Fi."
"But-"
"Goodnight, Fiona."
She groaned and headed towards the stairs. This was also a part of their routine. She would tell her a story and then she would pout that she had to go to bed. Tonight's story had been short. The sun had barely dipped below the horizon. Kellan, her brother, should've arrived home by then. He had been off on a trading deal that had taken him to an island just a few paces from the coast. That's what he had made it sound like, anyways. Kellan was prone to over-exaggerating. Or under exaggerating, in this case. When he was away, it was her duties to care for the house, Fiona, and the 35 horses that they had stabled in their barn. Their family was known in their little town for keeping and breeding horses for the people of the community and for higher, more noble stock as well. So, it wasn't really a surprise when Kellan hadn't returned. The family business had fallen on his head, for the majority.
Surveying herself in the window for a quick moment, she let out a sigh of tiredness. The face of her mother stared back at her with crystal clear green eyes that almost looked like they had shards of chipped glass in them. Her auburn hair was coming undone from the braid that she had done early that morning and there was dirt on her face.
All in a good day's work.
Looking out to the mountains, she felt a chill run down her spine that was as cold as a winter's night at the sight of a blood red moon rising.
Everyone in their small village would have locked their doors and made offerings to their gods by now. But she had to birth two horses tonight.
And she better get on it if she wanted to hopefully be back in by midnight. If Fiona ever woke up in the middle of the night, she knew to go to the front porch and ring the bell that was tied to the top rafter. It could be heard even at the edge of their small kingdom that was the acres left to them by their parents.
Pulling on one of Kellan's coats, she made her way out into the chilled autumn night. The breeze sent a shiver along her bones. Winter would be coming soon. And it would spare no one of its harsh brutality. Securing the door firmly shut behind her, she started to make the short walk towards the stables.
At the back of her mind, she replayed the story she had told Fiona. Even she wondered if there were such things... such... people... that lived in and beyond the Wicker Mountains. But sometimes the worst of things were best kept as a mystery.