In the deepest and darkest parts of the forests of Ireland, a magic unknown to most mortals can be found lurking. However, this magic may only be witnessed on the first of May, when the holiday of Beltane takes place. Held to mark the beginning of summer, this is the night when fantastical and mystical events occur. Unseen by humans, fairies dance gracefully to hauntingly beautiful music that is unique to the fae. Their musical laughter, like the tinkling of bells, can be heard drifting along the breeze, enchanting mortals to come nearer. Many who are aware of the old stories of fae, told to children around the fire, have an understanding of how deceiving faeries can really be, and know to stay inside and not venture into the woods after darkness falls. However, one young girl, a beautiful child of 15 years, disobeyed these unspoken laws, and entered the forest on this magical night.
Head down and eyes on the trail below her feet, her blonde hair glowing in the faint moonlight that occasionally broke through the barrier of trees. Pale as a ghost upon the black night, she raced through the fallen branches and blossoms coating the ground, fearing that she would not reach her destination in time. Her brother, only 10 years of age, lay upon his death bed, the illness that had overcome the village plaguing him for months. It had been a surprise that he had lasted so long, but Eibhleann knew that only one thing could save him, and that was the herbs from a healer on the outskirts of the forest. She continued on through the never-ending maze of trees, unaware that a pair of eyes watched her journey, staring in wonder and awe. The eyes belonged to a creature known to be a commonly occurring character in the Celtic tales told to children. Known to prey upon mortals, Eibhleann had hoped that one should not catch her in the night.
The eerie and yet beautiful music drifting upon the summer breeze caught her attentions, bringing her to a stop. The faint music drifted in and out of the air as her eyes widened in curiosity. Never had a tune so beautiful befallen her ear and she was captured by its loveliness. Her footsteps turned slow and deliberate, each step taking her nearer to the music. The closer she went, the louder the music became and she became aware of the faint glow coming from a meadow ahead of her. A voice at her screamed at her to turn and run away, but she was no longer in control of her body. An unknown force pulled her closer, and the rational part of her mind was unable to resist. As she arrived at the place where the music originated from, she stared in awe and delight at the events unfolding before her very eyes. The legends her Grandmother had spoken of were true. There before her, danced tall and beautiful creatures, the definition of perfection. Their skin was ivory and the women's long tresses of golden and auburn hair were decorated with red blossoms. They wore long flowing gowns in the colors of summer and danced with an otherworldly grace, spinning and swaying. The men wore robes of Gold and fiery red, golden circlets around their heads. They roamed around with their female partners or sat upon massive mushrooms with other men, laughing and talking. The old tales had spoken of fae of unspeakable beauty and Eibhleann immediately knew that these were those same creatures. A look of peace came over her face as she watched the dancing faeries, the haunting music luring her deeper and deeper into the trancelike state. Desperate to find a flaw with one of the many men or women, she scanned each of them, determined, only to be disappointed. They really were perfect.
She danced silently, unable to stop her feet from moving in the pattern the others were following. By this point, there was no backing out. All fear and worry had escaped from her mind, replaced with serenity and joy. The unseen eyes continued to observe her with curiosity before moving towards her hiding place. The blonde girl felt a hand slip around her waist and looked up into the face of the man holding her. He was young, no older than 18 in human years, with dark blonde hair. It was cut long, reaching mid-neck and had the appearance of holding flecks of gold in the strands. His piercing blue eyes held a certain glee and mischief, but revealed nothing to her. His pale skin glowed in the moonlight and gave him an unnatural look. As he took both her hands in his, the boy, if he could be called that, spun her into an elegant dance. His lips held the ghost of a smile, as though laughing at some secret that he alone knew. Eibhleann was breathless and stunned into silence by the events around her. Never had she given thought to the tales told to her. She had believed them to be myth. The blonde girl, small in comparison to him, leaned against his chest, her head not even reaching his shoulder. The girl was content as she gazed up into the boy's eyes, which were watching her intently. Still dancing to the mystical tune, she breathed out a deep sigh. "If I may ask, what is your name?" her voice rang out in a light Irish accent. She cocked her head to one side, curiosity flooding her features.
She felt the heat radiating off of his body as he leaned down and whispered into her ear, "Auberon." She shivered involuntarily as his breath tickled her ear. "May I be graced with the name of a young lady so beautiful as yourself?" He inquired.
Her cheeks burned red and she felt the color flooding to her cheeks at the compliment. Looking at the ground, she replied quietly, "Eibhleann."
Auberon gave a small smile in return and pressed his lips to her right hand, "A beautiful name for a beautiful woman." He complimented, causing her to blush yet again.
He held out his hand and an object appeared in his palm. A small, perfectly round peach lay there, appearing innocent to the mortal eye. Auberon placed it in Eibhleann's outstretched hand. "You must be very hungry after your long journey."
She stared at the peach in her hand, a touch of suspicion stopping her for a moment. Auberon arched an eyebrow and she took a bite, the sweet juice filling her mouth. She was unaware that at the exact moment her lips were placed upon the fruit, that her fate was sealed.
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Auberon spoke, his voice deepening so that only she could hear the words he uttered next, "Will you stay with me? Forever?"
He looked at her intensely, awaiting her response. Hesitantly, Eibhleann nodded and Auberon grinned triumphantly. He leaned in towards her and Eibhleann knew he was going to kiss her. All lost thoughts came flooding back, every warning of the fae and her journey. She broke free of his embrace and without a glance back, ran faster than she ever had. If she had looked back, she would have seen the wave of confusion and sadness that swept across the man's face. She pushed through the dancing faeries, tears clouding her vision as she raced through the forest and towards her home.
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She hurriedly placed the crushed herbs inside the small boys mouth, praying that he would not have to suffer the fate of their parents. Keagan was a sweet little boy of only 8 years. He had so much life to live and Eibhleann would do anything she could to give him that.
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