Winter Moon: A Banshee's Tale

Chapter 4

There is no light without dark, and no norm without the unexpected. My charge had retreated into the woods just before dawn, the clothes of the fated awaiting her while I visited those I was due to call upon. It is true my companion and I are bound by duties of our own, but in times of disaster, there was no place I couldn't be. Observing one little girl would be of little consequence to my excursion. No one ever misses me. Indeed, they would rather I not turn up at all.

For all the bitterness between families, Oisín knew the girl well enough to rightly predict her return. I admit there is something to be said of children and their unquenchable thirst for love. Aoife returned to the baker's barely an hour past dawn, the morning chill leaving her cheeks pink and skin paler than usual. A tattered scarf had hastily been wrapped around her frame, something she didn't look particularly pleased about—no doubt an addition made at her father's insistence. Her walk was thankfully quiet. I don't suppose many have cause to venture outside. Apart from the businessmen, of course. Even as his cousin approached the humble shop, Nolan was sealing the wrappings with soda bread—that and other treats to sell over his three-day trip to Roscommon. He had only stepped into a small room behind the counter to do so when he heard his father.

"Rather early for you to be here, wouldn't you say?" Aye, especially if it's one of the regulars. He didn't catch much of a response. Perhaps there wasn't any at all. Early buyers tended to just grunt or huff their greetings these days anyway. Those that came later in the day were hardly better; they just sounded less grumpy and more tired. Nolan turned his attention back to his father's voice.

"Ai, come 'ere lass, you can stop searching for him now. No, no, he hasn't left yet. He's just at the back, packing up. Go on, I'm sure he won't mind."

"What, no, da—" But the door creaked open even before he could voice his protest. He groaned. "Ai, just come on in." He certainly didn't look like he meant it, I assure you. To nobody's surprise, let alone mine, the door shut with a squeak of what could've been an apology. "Aoife?" A muttered curse and a long-suffering sigh later, he dropped the package none-too-gently and rushed out, muttering.

"Aoife!" He quickly manoeuvred his way, past the meagre furnishings of the shop, to where she had stopped, getting as close to her as he dared, which wasn't much. "I... wasn't expecting you, is all." A pause. "Come with me?" She looked back at Oisín, who nodded with a small smile. "It's warmer in there, at the very least," he said. One would say that a man would vouch for his son regardless, but clearly, the baker had her trust. She followed, slowly pulling the door close behind her.

"You're not cold? Or sleepy? It is quite early."

"No," came the rather indignant reply. "I'm no child!"

"I meant no offence," Nolan said, offering a tentative smile when he noticed how mortified the girl looked. "Look, like I said, I just didn't think you'd be here so early. I assumed... well, I assumed it was a suitor for new money, if I must be honest with you. What brings you here at such an hour?" He didn't repeat that it was much too early, knowing Aoife would likely storm out if anyone pointed it out to her again. "I didn't think Liam would be too happy with it."

"Da doesn't mind," she said pointedly. "He just dropped me off." A brief pause, when she realised she hadn't really answered the question. "I never thanked you for the other day. Uncail Oisín said you'd be leaving, and..."

"Well," he said, placing another neat pack of bread by his side. "I'll be back soon. Roscommon is not too far."

"Oh."

For a few minutes, the only sound in the room was that of packages of bread softly hitting the floor where they were being piled carefully. The pair of them worked quickly, neither quite knowing what to say to the other. Ah, if only they truly saw each other, they would not fear rejection so much! Evidently, the baker was of the same mind as I if he wasn't the least bit worried. Then again, children tended to be loud, and there was no evidence of an ongoing argument, if indeed there was one.