Trinity

Chapter Three - Sáinnithe

Trinity

Chapter Three – Sáinnithe

 Saersha cried out and leaped down, running to the main doors. Neela's head whipped up from where she was comforting her daughter at the altar. Her face paled, the mother of three didn't even need to know what had her sibling in distress, she instinctively knew it was bad. Before Saersha could even reach the doors, Una appeared beside her and pulled her back.

 “No! Let me go! They're burning!” Saersha screamed, struggling.

 “We can't Saersha, it's too dangerous.” Una reasoned.

 Neela raced to the door only to find it blocked by Killian, his face was grave. Neela tried to tug his arm away from the door but it was almost as thick as the plank that barred it. She fought back sobs. It broke Saersha's heart to see her family so torn, but Una was right. They had to protect the ones that were here. She remembered all too vividly the day her parents had made that mistake, they wouldn't make that one again...or any other for that matter. When Saersha had been but Cara's age, the others not much older, the Tuatha DayDannan came to Sligo for the first time. The girls had been in mass at the time, with their grandmother. Their parents trying to fix their electronics and car, everyone pretending that the communications black out would be rectified at any time.

 Then the dreaded warriors crested the hills just outside the village. People gathered outside, wondering what kind of parade or charity event the group was promoting. It was only when the screams started did people realise what had happened. The community panicked. Some ran indoors and left neighbours and children to fend for themselves outside, banging on the windows to get in, only to be cut down where they stood. Others ran to find their families, like Saersha's had, and never made it. The priest of St. Patrick's had ushered as many as he could inside his church, including the girls, before the dread Fae were upon them.

 And then something astounding happened. They could not enter the church, even though the doors were wide open. The Tuatha DayDannan could not enter the sacred sanctum of St. Patrick's. Nor could their weapons. Something held them back. No matter how much the living legends, struck, threatened or ran at the church, they could not penetrate. For the remainder of the raid, the seventy odd persons trapped inside were safe. And so, the Churches were always used as sanctuary.

 Frustrated, Saersha retreated to the balcony to keep watch on the windows. She lay her bow across the railings and glared through the open ports, figuring that she could take a few down for spite while they were shouting themselves hoarse outside. She tried not to look at the thick smoke billowing from the direction of St. Anne's. Preferring instead to stand the other direction, and wait for a willing victim to walk into her line of vision. It quietened outside.

 For hours it seemed she stood there, bow propped and ready to use. The hushed sounds of weariness and fear drifted up to her from below, the children had been taken into the sacristy as evening fell, fed on a few strips of rabbit that the girls had brought with them. There had been a discussion about the food, but as they didn't know how long they could be here they had been frugal with that nights dinner, as with the holy water. They were reluctant to drink a potential weapon, just a few sips to wet the mouth.

 As the night darkened, it became hard to ignore the glow of the church and an acrid smell in the air. People huddled together to keep warm, and try and sleep if they could. Saersha could feel the worry emanating from the group. A few times Father Murray had spoken to calm the group, they had prayed and sung a few hymns to raise spirits. But morale was failing as quick as the light. Neela and Una joined their younger sibling, without words being spoken they entwined arms and hugged each other tightly, in a manner they had done since childhood. At last a sort of peace enveloped Saersha she inhaled deeply and for once since they had entered the building, felt confidence in the fact that they could get survive this.