Fate/Curadh Beag

Chapter 30: Grand Servant Conspiracy

FATE/CURADH BEAG

"Little Champion"

Chapter 30: Grand Servant Conspiracy

Back in the human world, the skies were turning dreadfully dark as a ferocious storm slowly approached from the south. The persistent sound of distant thunder rumbled for the majority of the morning, and it obviously wouldn't let up as it turned to the afternoon hours. Emer stepped outside to see what the weather was like, and she sighed in resignation.

"Guess I better get the barrels out before it starts pouring," she muttered to herself.

Despite the gloomy weather, she was glad such a thunderstorm was coming. She was running low on water, and the only consistent source she had was rainwater. There was also the hassle of needing to boil it to make it safe for consumption, but she had grown used to such a chore over the many years. She couldn't imagine how the cities managed to run what were known as 'rain farms', where rows upon rows of barrels were lined up along an empty field to catch thousands of gallons of rainwater. It was the only solution that any town not named Galway could rely on for their continued survival. Some nobles even sold their additional barrels for a tidy profit, which always frustrated Emer. It was that kind of stuck-up attitude even during dire times like these that she decided to live out at the edge of Lough Neagh like a recluse, far away from the negative influences that rotted away the nobility's sense of common decency.

She struggled to roll out one of the four barrels she owned outside from the kitchen. She exhaled a deep gasp of exhaustion after just bringing out the first one, and was about to start rolling out the second barrel. However, as she made her way through the door, that was when she noticed a strangely thick mist cloaking the first few inches of her feet.

"What in the world?" Emer blurted and looked around.

She soon heard the distinct sound of horse hooves clopping on the dry earth nearby, and she turned to face the source. To her surprise, she spotted a familiar tall man, a grey horse, and a small girl riding said steed as they approached her from the forest. The bizarre mist was coming from their general direction, which meant to her that they had to be using some sort of magic to travel their way here.

"Hey, there," Cuchulainn greeted Emer with a grin. "Long time no see."

Her expression tightened as she grumbled, "Cuchulainn..."

"You look like you're having trouble there. Need a hand?"

Before she could stop him, he effortlessly hauled the barrel over his shoulder and carried it out into the middle of the yard. He did the same for the remaining two, all while Emer watched him in silence with a dissatisfied look on her face. Connla also watched him, but she wasn't as invested in this encounter like Emer was, so she kept quiet and let her mind wander as she stared at Mini Cu in her hands.

Once Cuchulainn was done, he wiped his hands and approached Emer as he said, "There. Job's done."

She put her hand on her hip and replied, "Thanks for the help, even if I didn't ask for it. Now then, why are you here?"

His attempt at a jovial attitude faded once he realized how unwelcome he was. He frowned and said, "Not messing around, huh? Fine, I'll get to the point. I need to leave Connla with you from now on."

Emer was slightly surprised to hear this. "From now on? You mean she's not going to be traveling anymore?"

"She's finished the assignments that Cathbad gave her. Now that the Three Blights are gone, things should run a lot more smoothly for him now. I'm going to be too busy preparing for the war against Connacht to look after her, and I sure as hell am not going to leave her alone in the Land of Shadows. That's why you're the first and only choice I've got."