Trapped Underneath a Frozen River

Chapter 1: A Winter Morning

"Come, Piuthar* Olibhia!" shouted a small redheaded girl, dashing through the snow and falling in a snowbank, "Let us go exploring!" Olibhia, the nearly middle child of the Seadhs, followed her sibling into the winter wonderland that was the surrounding hills. The sun was shining but did little to rid Olibhia of the cold biting her cheeks and nose. Aoife Seadh, the redhead, spun around and laughed, her little rosy face tilted up towards the sky in joy. Aoife's triplet brother and sister emerged from the dairy-house, carrying bottles of milk in iron wire baskets. 

"Bhaltair! Peigi! Come play with Piuthar Olibhia and me!" Peigi shook her head and opened her mouth to respond but Bhaltair had already set his basket down and ran to Aoife, tackling her into a snowbank. The two emerged from the fluffy whiteness only to dive back under, play fighting with each other like two puppies. Olibhia strode over to where Bhaltair had left his basket and picked it up. 

"I will help you Peigi," she said. Peigi huffed.

"Bhaltair is so lazy!" she said, "Always leaving me to do the work!"

"Bhaltair doesn't know better. He's a boy and as Mathair* and Athair* have told us, they mature slower than girls." Peigi nodded and started to make her way towards the main cottage, her basket of milk bottles swinging merrily at her side. Olibhia followed her, her boots crunching in the snow as she took each step. It was mid-December and the air was cold and crisp. Olibhia could see her breath in front of her face and watched the small cloud of crystallized vapor appear then vanish into thin air. 

When she reached the main house, she found Mathair and Athair cooking breakfast and her older siblings,  Brathair* Connoli, Piuthar Fionnah, and Brathair Ealie, were setting the table for all of their family members. Along with baking bread, Mathair was caring for her infant child, Solamh, the youngest of the Seadh siblings. Solamh was strapped to her chest with a cloth and was peacefully napping against his mother's chest. 

"Olibhia," said Athair, taking the frying pan full of freshly harvested greens and dumping them into a wooden bowl, "Go fetch Bhaltair and Aoife from outside. It is almost time to eat." Olibhia nodded and went to the door. She stuck her head out and called out to her siblings.

"Aoife! Bhaltair! It is breakfast time!" Aoife and Bhaltair emerged from the snowbank, little piles of snow on their heads. They dug themselves out and brushed the snow off their jackets and started to run inside. Olibhia returned to the table and Fionnah set the last glass on the table. 

"Mathair," she said, "Do you need any help with preparation?" Mathair shook her head.

"No Fionnah," she replied, "But can you help get Bhaltair and Aoife cleaned up and ready for breakfast? Peigi too, please." Fionnah nodded and led Peigi, Bhaltair, and Aoife to the adjoining washroom. 

"Is there anything I can do, Mathair?" asked Olibhia. 

"Yes, actually," Mathair said, handing her a tray of freshly baked bread and a small plate of butter, "Why don't you put this on the table and Connoli and Ealie can help you put the rest of our meal there too." Olibhia took the tray of bread and butter and walked it over to the table, draped in a white lace tablecloth. Connoli took the bowl of greens and the pitcher of water and Ealie took the cooked meat and eggs. The two of them arranged the foodstuffs on the table in an orderly fashion around the bread. Fionnah returned with the triplets and Athair motioned for all of us to sit at the table. All ten of the Seadhs at their pinewood table, all sitting in a specific order. There was Athair at the head, Mathair sitting opposite him. On Athair's right were Connoli, Fionnah, Ealie, then Olibhia. On his left were Peigi, Bhaltair, Aoife, and infant Solamh. 

The ten Seadhs were sitting at the table, waiting for Athair to start the meal. He held his hands out, palms up and everyone did the same, connecting hands to start.