John Lenahan - Shadowmagic

This animal was almost on me. I dropped to one knee, planted the base of my stick in the ground, aimed the knob of my staff just below the neck and ducked my head. I got lucky. If I hadn’t hit directly in the centre of its chest the stick would have glanced off and I would be singing soprano in the boys’ choir. Amazingly my aim was true and that sucker was actually launched over my head! Its back hoof clipped me on the forehead as it went over, but other than that I was unharmed. My hazel stick bent but it held and pole-vaulted a very surprised creature sideways into a tree. It ran off, squealing into the night like a frightened piglet.

I didn’t have time to gloat-Essa was in trouble. She had lost her stick and was down on her side, and her attacker was preparing for a killer charge. There was no way I was going to cover the distance between us in time to help. I reached into my sock and threw Dahy’s dagger just as the boar began to move. I swear that knife swerved with the movement of the animal and stabbed it in the neck-right up to the hilt. It literally stopped it dead.

Essa had been winded by her own staff as she tried to block the first charge, but she hadn’t been gored. Araf’s opponent just gave up and ran away-smart animal. Fergal returned with a flaming branch from the fire that he had used to frighten his pursuer away.

Essa got slowly to her feet and looked at the dead animal. ‘You shouldn’t have killed it,’ she said.

‘Excuse me, didn’t you mean to say, “ Thank you, Conor, for saving my life”? ‘

‘We don’t kill animals in The Land without their permission.’

‘I didn’t see the boar asking you if you wanted to be turned into a pegboard!’

‘Nevertheless, you shouldn’t have killed it.’ She placed her hands on the dead hulk and mumbled a prayer.

‘I can’t believe this. I thought you might at least be grateful enough to maybe not want me dead.’

‘She wants you dead too?’ Fergal said. ‘What is going on?’

It was moment of truth time.

‘My father is Oisin-OK?’

‘You are the son of the one-handed prince?’ Araf said.

‘Yes, I am.’

Araf raised his banta stick and came at me.

This was an attack I was not going to survive. I had seen Araf’s banta stick prowess and I had seen his strength and agility with the boar-plus I was unarmed. I dropped to my knees and covered my head. I felt the swish of his lead-filled stick as it travelled close to my head, and then I heard a crack and a squeal of a boar behind me. I opened my eyes, without taking my hands off my head, looked around and saw an unconscious boar.

‘Good one, Araf!’ Fergal yelled. ‘I didn’t even see him coming.’

‘This is a bad sign,’ Essa said. ‘The Pookas need to be informed of this.’

‘Pookas?’

‘Pookas are the animal tenders in The Land. They are having a hard time at the moment. Cialtie has stopped their gold allowance completely. They must have abandoned the Eastlands. We should get back to the fire.’

‘So, none of you is going to kill me?’ I called after them, still on my knees with my arms covering my head.

‘Not me,’ Fergal said.

‘Maybe later,’ Essa said.

‘How about you, Araf?’ I asked, standing.

‘I’m just a farmer,’ he said. ‘I don’t kill people.’

After the animal attack Essa decided we should keep a guard. My trouser-less sleep, the boar fight and a near-death experience had left me wide awake. I volunteered to take first watch.

My three companions went out like cheap light bulbs. I was relieved to see that that I wasn’t the only one who was tired after a long day of riding. I threw a piece of wood on the fire and softly said, ‘ Thank you,’ to whichever tree gave it to us. It was the first time in The Land that I had been outside at night and not been unconscious. I studied the stars. It unnerved me to see a night sky so unfamiliar. The air above me was packed with stars that seemed close enough to throw a rock at. There was no moon but the night didn’t need one-the starlight cast a shadowless glow on everything that made the forest seem incandescent. Other than Fergal’s flopping in his sleep, all was perfectly still.

It was nice to be out of the closet-so to speak. I’m not a very good liar and it felt right to be honest-I liked these people. OK, it would be nice if Fergal talked less and Araf talked more-but those were not big problems. I really liked Fergal. Underneath the laddish exterior I knew he had heart. Araf, on the other hand, was a tough nut to crack. I was beginning to realise that although he was the most taciturn man I had ever met, when he did say something, it was important. I had no problem placing my life in their hands.

Essa was my real dilemma. She was just the most wonderful girl I had ever met, but she was so hostile. If she had been like this when I first met her, I don’t think it would have bothered me so much. A beautiful woman who turns out to be a jerk, loses her beauty in my eyes, but Essa and I got along great at first. These days I flinched every time she scratched her nose. I watched the firelight dance on her face. No matter how cold she had been to me lately, I couldn’t help thinking how lovely she was. I don’t think I fell asleep looking at her but I kind of got hypnotised. I let the fire get low and didn’t snap out of it until Essa shot open her eyes.

‘What are you looking at?’

‘I was just thinking how nice you are-when you’re asleep.’

‘You have almost let the fire out. Did you close your eyes?’

‘No. But I will now. It’s your watch.’ I put my head down. It stung where the boar hoof had clipped my forehead, and I winced.

Essa picked up a twig, set fire to the end and brought it towards my face for light. ‘Let me clean that wound for you, it looks nasty.’

‘No thanks,’ I said, ‘I prefer not to be nursed by people who want me dead.’

I rolled over but sleep wouldn’t come. She was trying to be nice and I was mad at myself for being stubborn. I stewed over how I could have dealt with that better. Soon the stillness of the night and the crackle of the fire lulled me. Then I heard it. It might have been a dream but I don’t think so-just before I fell asleep I could have sworn I hear Essa whisper, ‘Thank you, Conor, for saving me from the boar.’

I awoke to the smell of bacon. Ah, it was all a dream, I thought to myself, I’m back home in my bedroom and Dad is cooking me breakfast , but instead of a face full of cotton I opened my eyes to a face full of grass. Araf had butchered the boar I had killed and was cooking ham steaks over the fire. Essa was not to be seen and Fergal was still asleep.

‘Good morning,’ I said, not expecting an answer and not getting one. I stood up and went over to Fergal and shook him on the shoulder to wake him. His Banshee blade popped out of his sleeve and stabbed the air in the exact place where my nose had been seconds before. I jumped back and grabbed my banta stick.

‘For crying out loud!’ I screamed. ‘You almost killed me with that thing.’

‘What are you talking about?’ Fergal said as he got up. Then he saw his blade was out. He cocked his wrist quickly and it disappeared up his sleeve. ‘I did it again, didn’t I?’

Araf nodded.

‘That’s it!’ I said. ‘From now on I wake you with a stick too.’

Essa returned. ‘What is all the noise?’

‘You have heard of sleepwalking? Well, Fergal was sleep-stabbing.’

‘What?’

‘Never mind. Just be careful if you have to wake him up.’

We broke camp. I washed the dried blood off my head wound. It hurt like hell. I should have let Essa do it last night. I climbed into Acorn’s saddle unaided. I was quite proud of myself, even if no one seemed to notice. The inside of my legs howled in protest at the prospect of another day on horseback but it didn’t hurt as much as I expected.