The Great Rebellion

Preface

The sun warmed my face with it’s bright rays as I ran through the poppy field. Behind me Sive and Saoirse followed their skirts flying behind them as we ran. We ran until we reached the sprawling grounds of Chapman Manor where our tutor/maid sat frowning at our wild behavior. My Given Mother stood beside her beaming, “Come girls we must go on our outing now. You’re change of clothes are inside, remember to put on the cloaks.”

We nod and rush inside to change. Sighing heavily Ms. Gardner follows us, “Ms. Gardner? You really don’t need to help us get dressed!” I smiled as innocent looking as I could.

“Alright but I’ll come in to do your hair later.” Ms. Gardner frowns at me.

Sive smiles at our poor tutor, “Why thank you Ms. Gardner!”

Laughing we run up the rest of the steps and into our rooms. I smiled as I saw the familiar worn gray dress that was simple and versatile. I eagerly changed into the clothes, put on the blue velvet cloak (which I would shed as soon as I reached the stables) and rushed downstairs past poor Ms. Gardner who was beside herself with despair, “Don’t you dare go out that door without  respectable hair!”

I laughed and ignored her ‘commands’ soon I was sitting on Blue, my horse, and riding with Mother, Sive, Saoirse and my two Aunts into the North Brooke Forest. We laughed and cheered as we rode; glad to be away from the tediously boring Manor. Soon we were leaping off our horses and running deeper and deeper into the forest so we wouldn’t  alarm the horses. Soon we were surrounded by the rest of our kind our heads tilted towards the moon and our voices rising towards it as we danced wildly. Our screams rose in union for several moments until the voice of our leader Banshai stopped us with a single high pitched note that only banshee’s would hear, “Fellow sisters come we must warn Aodh Kavanaghs.” She holds up a stone amulet which briefly flares out, leading us North towards the Kavanaghs’ Manor.

We follow her out of the forest and towards the Kavanaghs’ Manor singing in hushed voices. I edge closer to Sive, “Who do you think is going to have to warn him?” I whisper.

“Perhaps it will be you Ciar! This may be your chance!” Sive could barely contain her enthusiasm.

Saoirse leaned in from where she skipped next to her Watcher, “It’s got to be your turn Ciar! There’s no way it could be any one else’s since we’ve both had our turns! Oh it’s so fun!”

Mother looks back at us, “Come on girls we wouldn’t want one of you to be left behind!” Still laughing we run to catch up with her feeling our hair fly wildly through the breeze. Soon we reach the sprawling grounds of Kavanaghs’ Manor.

Banshai raises a hand, commanding us to stop, “Today Ciar will earn her name. You must go inside and wash this cloth beside Aodh’s bed. Do you understand?”

I nod, trying to quell the nervous and excited butterflies in my stomach, and take the shirt from her hands. As usual it had been dipped in lamb’s blood so that we could fulfill our duty. Banshai motioned for me to follow her to the entanglement of vines below the distant bedroom window of Aodh. I slowly began to climb making sure that I didn’t slip. Turning from where I was climbing I saw a distant Dullahan riding his wild steed through the country side to see the Manor. Turning back to the wall I climb the rest of the way and hop through the window.

Silently I creep over to where the wash basin lies and pick it up. Silently I walk back to the chair beside the old man’s bed. Slowly I begin to sing the wailing song of Death that our ancestors sang and their ancestors before them. I hear Aodh begin to wake and quickly begin to wash his bloodied shirt. He glances at me and instead of the terrified look I imagined he just smiles, “Death a comin’. Well so be it; e’erthing’s in order.”

I ignore his comment and keep singing as I was taught. Soon enough he falls back asleep, snoring slightly. I put back the wash basin and lay his shirt on the foot of his bed to dry before sneaking out through the window. As soon as I touch down I’m met by Sive and Saoirse, “Well?”

“It wasn’t as I imagined it, he thanked the Gods for his long life and then went back to sleep.” I answer staring over the fields to where the Dullahan continues his journey.