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Chapter 1. Voice from the past

Ireland, October 31, 2024

I was standing close to O'Carroll Castle and trying to get a signal on my phone.

Should I move further away maybe? At the same time, the picture would be better with ancient beauty behind me.

Finally, the phone showed a good signal. Looking at my reflection in the screen, I adjusted my unruly long black hair, and I started a live broadcast.

"Hi guys! Kat is back again! Bridie and I continue to travel around the mysterious places of Ireland, and today we are broadcasting from County Donegal and its coastal town of Ardara. Behind me, you can see the reason we are here", – I raised the tripod up a little so that the entire castle could be captured by the phone camera. – "We are in O'Carroll Castle! Well, more precisely, Bridie is already there, preparing everything necessary for the investigation. In the meantime, I decided to show you the castle and its territory while it is still not dark and tell you a little of its history.

O'Carroll Castle got its name from the clan that built it around the 1400s – 1500s. During the English attempt to rule Ireland, the castle came into the possession of an English lord who did not rule for long because he was killed by the natives in an uprising for independence. After that, the castle came into the possession of one of the leaders of the uprising, whose descendants own the castle to this day. However, they do not live there, and the castle is now used as a museum where many strange things happen.

That's it! I won't bore you with the history any longer. Let's go inside and talk to the castle manager, who has kindly agreed to spend the night with us".

I walked slowly towards the castle, trying to film this dark two-story building in all its glory, gloomily towering on the hill. Two floors of an ancient castle are not like the two floors of a modern residential building. Back then, floors were just gigantic! One such floor would do for three of ours!

I noticed that the connection on my phone began to disappear as I got closer to the castle.

"Guys, the connection is getting lost. And in the castle it is even worse. Most likely, we will be able to go online only at the top, in the Bloody Chapel, where, oh, how many interesting things await you! So, stay tuned! And of course, as usual, we will post the episode with the most striking moments on our website! So, I'm disconnecting for now – see you at the castle!" – I turned off the online broadcast but continued to film the video on the camera. Approaching the massive door, which was twice as tall as me, I knocked on it with a ring with a hammer, which replaced the bell in the past.

A minute later, a handsome young man with brown eyes, about thirty years old, with long black hair, opened the door for me.

"And here is the manager of the castle I told you about", – I continued my reportage. – "Our knight, who could not leave us, two young ladies, alone at night in this haunted place. This castle is considered one of the most haunted castles in Ireland. Isn't that right, Mr. O'Connell?"

"Certainly, Miss Katherine. I am sure that tonight you and your viewers will see that your visit here was not in vain", – the manager smiled. It seemed like there was a note of sadness in his voice… Did I imagine it?..

He closed the huge door and we walked into the main hall with a large fireplace, next to which stood a huge wooden dining table. We sat down near it, closer to the crackling fire, and continued our conversation.

"Tell me, how long have you been working here?" – I began a short interview, while Bridie was upstairs setting up equipment in the chapel, from which we decided to start right away.

"Almost eight years already", – the manager answered. – "At first we thought about making a hotel here, but in the end, we agreed on a museum, because these walls have a lot to tell. The renovation took us over a year, and we constantly continue to do something here, as funding comes in from the owner. Three years ago, we decided to go paranormal and open the castle to ghost hunters".

"And, in fact, that's why we are here, guys! We heard that many mysterious phenomena occur within the walls of this castle. Mr. O'Connell, please tell us about the most common ones. And about those that you have encountered personally".

"Well, for example, here, where you and I are now, footsteps and knocks are often heard. Other groups of paranormal investigators have caught strange sounds and even voices on their recorders that were not heard on the camera", – I looked around nervously… Of course, it was not completely dark yet, but the twilight was already creepy.

"And one of the groups", – O'Connell continued, ignoring my nervous look. – "Claims that they saw a black shadow behind this window".

He pointed with his hand at a small window behind my left shoulder. Naturally, after that I slowly turned in its direction, expecting to see a shadow looking at me there.

"But personally, I have never seen anyone there", – the manager continued. And to my relief, neither have I.

"And what is the most haunted place in the castle?"– I asked.

"Of course, the Bloody Chapel".

"Somehow these two words don't go together… Where did such a creepy name come from?"

"At first it was an ordinary chapel. In the O'Carroll clan, the first owners of this castle, there were two brothers, one of whom was a priest. And he held his masses in this chapel. But during the time of the English ownership of this castle, something went wrong… The chronicles mention several deaths that occurred in this chapel, after which it was nicknamed Bloody. Residents say that some rituals were even held there…".

"Yeah… Now I absolutely understand where such a name comes from. And what unusual phenomena were most often noticed there?"

"Usually, footsteps and various kinds of knocks. But later they were debunked mainly by the behavior of the birds that nest in this chapel. The windows there have no glass, and they can fly there freely. Surprisingly, for many years now only black ravens have been nesting there. We take this as some kind of special sign and do not drive them away. And they do not bother us much, and even exterminate local mice".

"Or maybe these are fairies in the guise of ravens?"

"I doubt it… More likely their familiars. The fairies might live in our backyard, where the ancient trees grow. Just in case, we don't cut them down, so as not to anger the representatives of the magic folk".

The Irish are truly amazing people! They passionately believe that their lands are inhabited by fairies. And they can even change the trajectory of the construction of a highway if a lone hawthorn tree stands in its way. Because under no circumstances should you cut it down! Otherwise, you will incur the wrath of these magical creatures, who were deprived of their portal to the world of humans.

"It was also in the Chapel that the largest number of our visitors heard voices", – the manager continued. – "Mostly it was the voice of a young woman. I didn't hear it myself, but it was very clear on their recorders".

"I'm afraid to ask what that voice said…" – goosebumps ran down my spine.

"Some individual words. Only "blood" and "soul" were clearly audible".

"Oh, I feel like we're in for an interesting night!"

"I have no doubt. Especially today, right on Samhain…"

"Wait a minute… Is it Halloween or something?! Oh, my… Maybe we shouldn't conduct the investigation tonight…" – I jumped up from my chair, ready to run up to Bridie and shout to her that we were packing up.

"Don't be afraid, these nights are generally no different from others, believe me", – O'Connell hastened to reassure me.

"It's hard to believe… The atmosphere of the castle has such an effect on me, I guess…" – I said uncertainly and sat back down. I had already warmed myself up so well here by the fireplace. And the company was so pleasant. It was so easy to talk to him, as if we had known each other for a long time. And I really didn't want to climb into the Chapel, blown by the chilly autumn wind. Not to mention a bloody one…

What the hell do I need all this for? It would be better if I went to work in some office… But no, I'm drawn to everything supernatural! I even opened my own company.

Footsteps came from the stairs. I turned my head there to ask Bridie if everything was ready, because I expected to see her coming down the steps. Well, there was no one else in the castle anyway…

I waited a couple of minutes, but no one came down. A chill ran down the back of my neck…

"Did you hear the footsteps too?" – O'Connell asked calmly.

"Y-yes…" – I answered in a trembling voice. – "I thought it was Bridie…"

"Maybe we should go up to her, if we're already done here".

"Yes, let's go. We shouldn't leave her alone for so long".

O'Connell took an old oil lamp (which added to the creepy atmosphere) and walked ahead of me, showing the way. I lighted up my way with the flashlight on the camera.

By the way, the connection in the castle was completely lost.

"Guys, there is no connection at all", – I said, switching the camera to myself. – "Please leave comments later, whether you heard the steps on the video. And now we are climbing a narrow spiral staircase that leads to the Bloody Chapel. The staircase, by the way, is quite well preserved. As is the entire castle".

I stepped very carefully, afraid of falling on these narrow ancient steps…

"Tell me, why did they build such huge rooms with ceilings several stories high in all the castles, but not normal stairs?!" – I complained to our subscribers. – "Well, they obviously figured it out later, of course, because the estates of a later period that Bridie and I had already visited had gorgeous grand staircases".

We finally reached the highest point, where I spent a couple of minutes catching my breath, bent over. And O'Connell looked like he hadn't walked up the stairs at all… Had he gotten used to it over the years of excursions?

To my right, I heard a rustling sound, like a whisper. I immediately forgot about the lack of oxygen, straightened up and looked in the direction from which I had heard the strange sounds. Birds maybe? The manager had said something about ravens…

But to my right, there was only a blank wall with a window without glass. The wind maybe?

"Do you need any help from me now?" – O'Connell asked, interrupting my inner thoughts.

"I guess not", – Bridie replied, switching on the infrared camera. – "Thank you, Mr. O'Connell. You've already helped us a lot by allowing us to conduct investigation here, and by staying with us".

"You're welcome", – the manager bowed slightly. – "I'd be happy to join you. I find these investigations quite interesting. I wonder what they're like. Those who live on the other side…"

After these words, I got the impression that he was hiding something… Who lives on the other side? Had he someone specific in mind maybe?

Usually, the employees and owners of castles and estates are very skeptical about supernatural phenomena and always try to find a rational explanation for them right away. But this manager… It was as if this was his world. Nothing out of the ordinary… Big deal, footsteps and voices…

I wonder if the camera caught that whisper. I'll watch the footage later.

"So, Bridie, shall we get started?" – I asked my partner.

"Yeah, let's do it. It's already dark".

"I'll film from this angle near the entrance. Your camera is pointed at the three of us, so the viewers will see that we're not doing anything to fake any kind of supernatural phenomena. Bridie, tell our friends on the other side of the screens what other equipment we have here, and what they are used for".

"Yes, of course. In the center of the room, on the floor, in a circle we placed a chain of special lights that react to electromagnetic radiation. In fact, most of our equipment works this way. For example, that music box that stands by the window, and the rampod on this stone pedestal, which is closer to the second window. By the way, Mr. O'Connell, can you tell me what this pedestal was used for? While I was setting everything up, the rampod went crazy here several times… "

"This is an altar. They say that some kind of rituals with sacrifices were held here", – the manager said in an absolutely calm voice.

Lucky for him… He tells everyone about it almost every day. I guess he's used to it by now. And my throat suddenly went dry from what I heard…

"Ah, well then, let's leave the rampod there for now. Maybe we'll be able to talk to one of the victims", – unlike me, Bridie was not a timid person, so without her I never visited places with such a terrible history.

A little to the right of the altar I noticed a bright green light.

"Bridie! Flux!" – I pointed my hand at a small triangle on the floor.

"Oh! Do you agree with me? Will you talk to us today?" – Bridie exclaimed excitedly.

"Guys, Flux is a motion sensor. On one side it lights up green, which we usually interpret as "Yes", and on the other side it lights up red, which we understand as "No", – I explained to the camera.

"Kat, EDI", – Bridie pointed to the window that was closer to me. On its windowsill there was a small device with several types of multi-colored lights. I turned the camera there.

"Blue. Air pressure. Guys, this device records changes in various atmospheric parameters: pressure, humidity, temperature. Oh! And red too. The temperature has dropped. Listen", – I turned the camera to Bridie. – "Maybe I should move it from the window? After all, it has no glass, and the air temperature drops at night".

"Yes, you're right. Let me move it closer to you".

"No, there might be cool air coming from the door. Let me put it closer to the lights. See, guys? A lot can be explained by the wind, or the natural sounds of the building, for example. Well, we have ancient stones here, which means we can’t explain the strange sounds by the settling of the building. By the way, Bridie, did you come down the stairs about twenty minutes ago?"

"No, I was here the whole time. Why?"

"I heard someone’s footsteps coming from the stairs when we were sitting in the living room. I thought maybe it was you…"

"No, it definitely wasn’t me".

"I see…" – I said quietly and went to move the EDI.

When I approached the window, music started playing.

"Oops! Guys, it’s me. Don’t be scared!" – I smiled and moved away from the window. – "As you can see, the music box reacted to my phone. Now, most likely, the lights will go crazy too".

I placed the device in the center of the circle of lights, which, as I expected, all began to flicker at once.

"Look, huh? You've got all the devices going crazy! Look at the EDI – it's twinkling like a Christmas tree!" – Bridie scolded me jokingly.

"Uh… I didn't do that… EDI doesn't respond to radiation. But let me step back just in case".

I returned to my original position near the entrance, where O'Connell was standing quietly, leaning against the door with his arms crossed over his chest. He was watching us with a very serious face, as if he was waiting for something to happen.

I shook my head. Okay, I need to push these thoughts away.

"Kat, should we try the recorder?" – Bridie asked.

"Yeah, go ahead. Maybe we can catch something. When I came in here, I thought I heard something, like a whisper".

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the manager turn his head sharply in my direction.

"Did you hear it too?" – I asked him.

"No… I didn't hear anything…" – he answered with genuine surprise in his voice.

Does he always hear what others hear? And did I hear what others didn't?..

"Maybe it was just a rustling sound, not a whisper", – I tried to calm him down (or myself?). – "Or the sound of the wind, or mice… Or a bird. Downstairs you said something about ravens".

"Yes, you may be right", – he said calmly. – "And the ravens’ nest in that wall over there on the left. There are several steps down leading to a small observation room".

Bridie and I looked towards that wall. There was indeed a rustling sound coming from there, and a moment later a huge black raven flew out. It flew across the room and landed in the window opening. It sat there for a few seconds, looking at us with an inquisitive gaze, and then suddenly took off and flew straight towards me, landing on my right shoulder.

I almost dropped the camera in surprise! But I quickly came to my senses and turned my head towards the bird.

"Hey! Hi, buddy! How are you? Want to join us?" – I said, patting his feathered chest, which he didn't mind at all.

I don't know if O'Connell minded, but he looked at me strangely.

"What are you, a raven whisperer?" – he asked me, smiling. – "I've never seen the local ravens behave like that. They're pretty wild here. We feed them, so they're not afraid of people, of course. But to sit on someone’s shoulder like that – that's the first time!"

"He must have liked me", – I smiled back. – "I love birds. I've always gotten along with them. I've never had any ravens, though… Only parrots".

At that moment, the raven apparently decided that it had paid us enough attention and, with a loud flutter, flew back to its nest.

"Oh… He made me bleeding…" – I rubbed my shoulder where the raven had just been sitting. – "Such a beautiful bird, but those claws… It hurts, damn it!"

"It's okay, we have a first aid kit. Let's finish here and I'll give you some antiseptic", – Bridie waved her hand.

"Yeah, go ahead, it's getting close to midnight. I wouldn't want to spend All Saints' Day in this chapel!"

"Well, dear inhabitants of this castle, good night to you! Forgive us for this uninvited visit. We are not here to harm you or offend you in any way. We simply want to talk with you", – Bridie finally began the conversation.

"Bridie, we have already offended them by not introducing ourselves…" – I noted.

"Ah! Please forgive us! Yes, it was very disrespectful of us to barge into your home without even introducing ourselves. That brown-eyed brunette shaking with fear is called Katherine, or simply Kat," – Bridie took revenge on me for my comment.

"And that red-haired witch is called Bridie", – I responded in kind.

Bridie and I had known each other since high school and were very close friends. When the paranormal investigations became popular, I decided to start my own company that would organize such activities in the haunted locations. In Ireland, I was one of the first, so the business quickly took off. We have lots of such mysterious places in our country, so there is plenty of work.

"I have a small box with an orange light on it", – Bridie continued, raising her hand with a recorder. – "Please talk into this light, if you don't mind. We would be very grateful. I will put it here".

Bridie put the tape recorder on the floor near the altar and took a couple of steps back.

"Tell me, did you live in this castle?" – she paused, giving the ghost time to answer. – "Perhaps you were the owner of this castle or one of the employees?"

Pause. Then Bridie nodded her head at me, as if to say, go ahead and ask something too.

"Tell me, do you know what happened in this room?" – I asked.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door behind me. I immediately jumped away from it with a squeal.

Jesus! It was right behind me!

I pointed the camera at the door, praying that no ghost would fall out on me from there…

"Let me check, maybe one of the staff suddenly came", – our knight suggested to us. He slowly opened the massive door, behind which… there was no one…

"Guys, as you can see, there is no one behind the door", – I said to the camera in a trembling voice. – "Bridie, let's listen to the recording. I hope it managed to catch that sound. Although I’m sure it will be on the video too. I almost went deaf from that knock… Not even a knock! A strong blow even!"

Bridie took the recorder and came over to us so that the recording could be heard on the camera microphone. She rewound the recording, and we began to listen intently. After the second question, I thought I heard something.

"Stop! Rewind a couple of seconds… Right here. Some kind of whisper? It sounds like someone says "No"…

All three of us put our ears over the recorder and listened to that part several times.

"I don’t hear anything", – said Bridie.

"Neither do I", – agreed O’Connell.

"Okay… Let’s listen further. I must have imagined it", – I lied, because I clearly heard that "No" every time we listened. We leaned over the recorder again and continued listening. After my question, a sharp hum was heard on the recording, followed by that loud knock on the door.

"And there was no hum then", – said Bridie.

Finally! She heard what I heard. I was starting to attribute paranoia to myself…

"Well, it’s not much", – said Bridie in a calm, professional tone. – "But that knock on the door was definitely interesting!"

Oh yeah! Interesting enough to make your hair gray…

Bridie returned to the center of the room and, putting away the recorder, took out the headphones with the radio.

"Yes, guys, we know that this is just a broken radio that picks up words and phrases from different radio stations. But ghosts can manipulate it and try to communicate with us in this way", – Bridie explained and looked at me. – "Kat, you or me?"

"Please, you do it first, and then I'll try".

Somehow, I didn't really want to listen to ghosts right now… Especially near the altar, where Bridie was standing, putting on her headphones and turning her back to us.

"Okay, guys. Bridie can't hear us, so we can ask questions. Hello again, inhabitants of this castle. My name is Katherine. What is your name?"

"Blood!" – Bridie's loud voice rang out, making me jump.

Goosebumps ran all over my body…

"Whose blood?" – I started asking leading questions. – "Yours? Did something happen to you here?"

"Call!.. Gates!.."

"Were you called here? Were you the one knocking on the door just now?"

After this question, there was silence for a few minutes. Bridie took off her headphones and turned to us.

"Nothing", – she said disappointedly. – "At first, a couple of words were really clear. A loud female voice. And then everything turned off… Here, maybe you should try?"

Bridie came to me. I reluctantly took the headphones with the radio from her and gave her the camera.

"Just please, don't ask the ghosts to pull my hair, like you usually do. I swear, if I feel anything, I will disappear from here the same moment, and you'll go home by yourself!" – I immediately warned her menacingly, to which she only smirked slyly.

Yeah, like hell she'll listen to me… I'll see how you'll smirk when I cut your salary!

I went to the middle of the room and stood in the circle of lights. At least a little further away from this creepy altar.

Bridie was standing by the door with a camera pointed at me. O'Connell was still standing quietly by the wall, but his face seemed very tense. Or maybe I just didn't see him well in the semi-darkness.

The lights around me began to blink chaotically one by one.

"Clearly from the radio", – I said, putting on my headphones and closing my eyes.

I didn't immediately understand what had happened… A female voice was loudly shouting a lot of words in my ears. My head started to hurt. Little by little, I concentrated and began shouting out words that I could clearly hear.

"World!.. Dead!… The call again!.. Gates!.. Blood!.."

After the last word my shoulder suddenly began to hurt unbearably. Maybe I should have treated it with antiseptic right away after all? Who knows what kind of infection this raven carries… It eats mice…

Sweat appeared on my forehead. It was getting harder to breathe.

And suddenly I clearly heard a whole phrase and, of course, immediately shouted it out to record everything on camera.

"Blood of descendants, hear my call! Open wide the gates of the world of the living to the restless soul!"

My head began to spin, and I fell to my knees, supporting myself with my hands. I couldn’t open my eyes; my eyelids were terribly heavy. I felt blood flowing from my shoulder down my arm, making its way to the floor.

"It's hot… I can't breathe… Help…", – I wanted to say, but my mouth would not obey me. I continued to shout the same words, repeating them after the woman in my ears. After the third time, the woman said the last phrase.

"So be it!" – I repeated after her before losing consciousness.

Chapter 2. Samhain Night

Ireland, October 31, 1524

The moonlight was getting brighter.

"There's not much time left", – I said out loud to myself, already starting to get nervous. – "Where is that banshee?!"

I looked up.

"Finn! Look up there. Is she anywhere nearby?" – I shouted into the darkness and immediately heard the sound of spreading wings. My black raven didn't need much persuasion to help me. Love you, buddy!

The seconds dragged on like hours. I began to nervously tap my foot. "Calm down, Eithne. You still have time…" – I said out loud to myself.

The next second, Finn landed on my shoulder, flapped his wings and cawed twice. Aha… So, no one nearby.

"Okay, my friend. Let's go without her".

Taking one last scanning glance into the pub, I closed the door and hung a sign on it that said: "The Tipsy Moon" pub is celebrating Samhain tonight! A free mug of ale to the first guest!"

"Ready?" – I asked Finn, who flapped his wings happily in response. – "Fly ahead. I'll catch up!"

The raven soared upward, and I turned to the thicket of the forest to the north. Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath. As I exhaled, I slowly let out a soft, high-pitched sound. Almost a whistle that only the certain inhabitants of this forest could hear.…

Will-o'-the-wisp,

Hear my call.

May my path be bright,

On sacred Samhain.

After another breath, I opened my eyes and saw three silvery will-o'-the-wisps next to me.

"Happy Samhain, my friends! Thank you for your help. Well, shall we run to the Fairy Meadow?"

I smiled, anticipating the fun, and ran into the thickest part of the forest, now well lit. I wouldn't have gotten lost anyway, but with such guides it's much better, right?

Moss, grass, twigs… Roots, trees, bushes… Nothing stopped my legs from running. I loved this forest, and it loved me back. This is my home. The energy that I live by, which I also share with the others by brewing the best ale in all of Erin. The inhabitants of not only this forest come to my pub every full moon, but also the inhabitants of the neighboring mountains and hills, rivers and lakes, plains and ravines.

I ran, and the headwind carried away my tears of happiness… Happiness and gratitude to this forest and its herbs that made my ale so magically delicious. And tonight it will flow like a river! Even the noble fairies will visit my pub today. I want to see them madly! Such an honor falls only once a year on the night of Samhain, when the border between the worlds is erased.

I wonder who will be at the Meadow today? Abcan promised to write a song about my pub… I should remind him… He probably forgot. I think the chief bard of the Tuatha De Danann has enough topics for songs without my modest brewery…

"Eithne! Where have you disappeared to?!" – a ringing voice in my left ear pulled me out of my thoughts. – "Everyone has already gathered. The ceremony is about to begin!"

A little elf, who lived not far from me in the crown of an ancient ash tree, fluttered next to me.

"Kitty! And why aren't you there yet?" – I asked, frowning. Maybe something happened…

"I just came from there. I flew to look for you. I thought maybe something happened".

Wow! The neighbors' thoughts coincide! I glanced at Kitty's worried freckled face and smiled.

"Everything is fine. Thank you for your concern, dear. I was just waiting for Ashlyn. We agreed to go to the Meadow together. But she never came… By the way, is she not there?"

"I haven't seen her", – Kitty answered thoughtfully. – "But Clíodhna is there. Let's find out from her?"

My eyebrow flew up.

"Yeah, right, I'll ask the queen of all banshees: Can you tell me, your honor, where the hell your subordinate is hanging out?!" – I answered with a dull face.

Kitty's ringing laughter seemed to spread throughout the entire forest. Like hundreds of little bells falling on the leaves of the trees.

To be honest, this thought didn't make me smile much… I was worried about Ashlyn. I hoped she was just howling on someone's roof in Ardara, foreshadowing another death. No, of course I didn't wish death on the inhabitants of the coastal village. That's just the way things are in the world of fairies. Everyone has their own purpose. I wonder what mine is. Not to serve ale to everyone of course…

Thinking about the sublime, I didn't even notice how I reached the Meadow, and Kitty had long since flown ahead. It's good that the forest helped me not to stumble over every snag and not get a bunch of slaps from branches, otherwise I could have forgotten about dancing! Of course, I could have used the portal, but on sacred Samhain I just wanted to run through the forest and breathe in the magic of this night…

Having thanked the forest and the Will-o'-the-wisps once again, I came out into the Meadow, flooded with the light of the full moon and fluttering fireflies. In the very center low heather grew, forming an even circle. In this circle were the fairies of the highest rank, including representatives of the Tuatha De Danann. As always, a bright aura of strength and age-old wisdom radiated from them. They were wearing the most beautiful clothes and jewelry. The women were wearing weightless flowing dresses, it seemed as if they were floating in them, and not walking. The rings and bracelets sparkled with multi-colored gems, and stars shone in their hair. The men were no less beautiful and graceful, with their luxurious robes and jewelry in their long hair.

A fascinating sight… I can't take my eyes off it every time…

It's a pity that I missed the ceremony. At it, the noble fairies praised the gods for the fruitful year and sang spells, calling for the new year to be no less successful. So be it!

Among the rest in the main circle was the Master of the Forest. He was wearing simpler clothes, without jewelry. In my opinion, his main decoration was the long, flowing branches of mistletoe that grew straight from his head, intertwining with his long golden hair. And this did not cause any surprise, because the Master of the Forest was the forest itself: every blade of grass, every branch, every animal and bird, every drop of morning dew… Often I communicated with him through Finn, or through the hawthorn tree that grows in front of the entrance to my house, when the winged one was not nearby. I loved the Master infinitely, because he gave me the shelter in his forest and accepted me as his own daughter, knowing nothing about me. Maybe he sees something in my aura that I don’t? I would like to know at least something about myself and my past… But for hundreds of years now I have not been able to remember anything since the hermit Fenias found me on the bank of the Ardara.

The sounds of music pulled me out of my sad thoughts. That's it, I have to stop this! You've become very thoughtful lately, Eithne. You'll miss all the fun! It's not the time for sad thoughts during the celebration of Samhain!

Oh yeah, I need to look for Ashlyn… Where did that banshee disappear to?!

I glanced around the meadow, but still didn't see her sparkling long silver hair. But I noticed a dark figure that I hadn't seen before. A tall young man with a beautiful profile, my age by the look of it (well, not exactly my age of course… I don't know how old I am myself… you can never tell how old a fairy is by looking at them, but by human standards he looked about thirty). He was wearing clothes made of expensive fabrics, in which a bright red velvet vest stood out.

As if he sensed my piercing gaze, he pushed back his unruly long black hair and turned to face me. Oh! And the red vest perfectly matched his red eyes… Damn it! It’s a vampire! A rare guest in our lands though… I’ve met them three times at most in the last two hundred years, and then only briefly. And in all of Erin there were no more than twenty of them (if you trust Abcan’s stories, of course… but this dwarf had an iron reputation, so I was tended to believe him).

I didn’t get a chance to examine the rarity because the dancing had begun. Never mind, the night is long, the moon is bright, we’ll have time for everything. But for now – let’s go have fun!

* * *

A trio of dwarves set the rhythm with a cheerful reel on a violin, bodhran and flute. To their sounds, all the visitors to the clearing began to dance, jumping and spinning with each other in turn. One of the musicians began to sing in this cheerful rhythm:

Oh, full moon, pour your light upon the Fairies' Meadow.

My bodhran is banging hard the rhythm of our souls.

Drive away from our lands all the darkest shadows.

Celebrate, the young and old, when sacred Samhain calls!

Wow… What a celebration indeed! My head was already dizzy… In order to avoid a dangerous collision with other participants in this chaotic action, I stepped aside a little to catch my breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed tables with refreshments and drinks, among which a red cap with a feather flashed. Merrow! I hope it's Eavain… I ran up to the tables and to familiar cap.

"Eavain! Is that you?!" – I called out to the merrow joyfully. She jumped slightly in surprise and turned to face me.

"Eithne!" – seeing me, her frightened face softened and broke into a warm smile. – "Happy Samhain!"

Eavain ran up to me and hugged me tightly.

"Happy Samhain to you too, my dear!" – I happily hugged her back. – "May the new year bring peace to the lands of Erin and send invaders back home!"

"You couldn't say it better! So be it!" – Eavain raised her hands to the sky in prayer to the gods, and a second later grabbed my hands, which now made me jump too. – "Eithne! Where have you been?! I haven't seen you for over a week! I'm starting to worry…"

I love Eavain very much. She is an incredibly beautiful, gentle creature. My mind is always at peace and my soul is happy when I'm with her. For me, she was the embodiment of all the tenderness of the world, love and compassion. Even the dress she was wearing today was incredibly delicate and airy, peach shaded with flowing sleeves and a belt embroidered with precious stones and shells. There was also a beautiful sparkling shell brooch on her cap. Of course, I can't say that the red cap went well with the dress, but without this attribute, the merrow would not be here now. But thanks to it you definitely won't lose this beauty in the crowd.

"I'm so sorry! I was terribly busy", – I answered with a guilty face. – "As you can see, this year full moon falls on Samhain. Half of the attendants of this event will go to my pub after the dance to continue having fun until dawn! I needed time to prepare enough ale and treats. And make a couple of hangover potions… I'm sure someone will definitely need them in the morning".

After a small pause, we both laughed. Ballads about gatherings in my pub fly far beyond the borders of our forest. Even to the depths of the sea.

"By the way!" – I remembered. – "That last type of fish that I got from you, when dried turned out to be just perfect for ale! Tomorrow evening I will come to you to get some more. The more the better! Can you get some?"

Eavain was not only my friend, but also my main seafood supplier. For myself, I always took various shellfish, and dried fish always went well with ale.

"Of course!" – merrow answered happily. – "This fish is easy to catch, although it goes far from the shore… I think I'll have time to get enough for two baskets by tomorrow evening".

"Excellent! I'll take everything! What do you want for it?"

The price was always different, depending on what Eavain needed at the moment. Sometimes something from the forest (berries or mushrooms), medicine or potions that I made from herbs, or my ale of course.

"This time I will have a very unusual request…" – Eavain whispered modestly, lowering her eyes.

It was a bit dark, but I swear I noticed how her cheeks turned red! As soon as I opened my mouth to find out all the secrets from this modest girl, someone grabbed me by the shoulder.

"Hey, mistress!" – jumping up in surprise, I turned around and stared at a happy face with reddened swollen eyes. Aha… So, she was howling somewhere after all…

"Finally! Where have you been?!" – I exclaimed and turned back to the merrow. "Eavain, I'll come tomorrow, and you'll tell me everything! Deal?"

"Sure! I'll meet you tomorrow at sunset at our usual place then. I won't disturb you anymore! I'll go back to dancing".

Having said goodbye to Eavain, I took two mugs of ale from the nearest table and turned to Ashlyn, handing her one.

"Well? Tell me!" – I said this with such indignation that the banshee almost spilled her drink. – "Where have you been? Because of you, I was late for the ceremony!"

"Sorry", – even knowing well that it was not her fault, Ashlyn still apologized, because she deeply respected me. After all, I was not only her friend, but also her employer: this constantly disappearing banshee was my right hand and helped me run my pub. – "I was already halfway to the "Tipsy Moon" when I heard the Call. I didn't even have time to warn you that I might not make it in time…"

Ashlyn's face with those swollen red eyes looked simply heartbreaking.

"Ashlyn, my dear, I'm not angry at all. Don't be so sad. It's your duty, what can you do. Your eyes are completely swollen already… Don't be sad even more…" – I stroked her silver hair in a silent "everything will be fine", and she finally smiled.

"Tell me", – I continued in a softer tone. – "Who is it this time? Someone from Ardara villagers again?"

"Yes, from there again. Already the third one this week. He has two days left… The English are strangling them with unbearable taxes, and their harvest this year is very poor. Barely enough for food. There is nothing to trade. There is nothing to pay the rent. Someone decides to commit suicide. Someone dies of famine. It's sad to see… They are Erin's children too. But we can't interfere with their world. At least I can warn them of their upcoming loss", – Ashlyn took a deep breath and shook her head, driving away sad thoughts. – "It's not right for us to be sad on the holy night of Samhain!"

Still with a trace of sadness, she finally smiled.

"You are right, colleague!" – smiling, I hugged her tightly. – "We have no time for sadness today, for a hot night with a tipsy smell awaits us!"

"Oh! That's true!" – the banshee laughed, already anticipating rivers of ale and dancing on barrels.

Suddenly a shadow ran across her face, the smile and enthusiasm were replaced by thoughtfulness and anxiety.

"Eithne…" – she turned to me, but her gaze was looking somewhere to the right of me into the distance. I turned in the direction of her gaze.

"Mmm?" – and saw that she was looking at the main guest of the night – the vampire.

"Have you noticed who our guest is tonight?" – the banshee asked anxiously.

"If you mean the handsome vampire, then yes. I managed to get a good look at him. But I haven't had a chance to talk to him yet".

"I hope there won't be a chance…" – Ashlyn muttered.

"Why?" – my eyebrow went up. Maybe he's not her type? I wonder what kind of taste the banshee has. I've never seen her flirting with anyone though …

"The appearance of a vampire is always a bad omen… It is always better to stay away from them".

There was something in her words that sent shivers down my spine. A banshee would know a thing or two about omens. Perhaps I should have listened to her, even though there was something so alluring about this vampire. Maybe it was just my natural curiosity…

We gazed at him for a couple more minutes and, having made sure that no danger emanated from him at the moment, finished our ale and returned to dancing.

* * *

"Ah… That's it… I can't take it anymore…" – Ashlyn was barely dragging her feet, finally leaving the dancing circle. I was following her at the same speed of a turtle.

"Yeah… that's definitely enough for today", – I agreed, breathing heavily.

Then I heard the flapping of wings and a few seconds later, which was quite expected, Finn landed on my shoulder.

"Hey, buddy! Where have you been?" – I asked the raven with a smile, lightly patting his feathered belly. – "Did you find anything interesting?"

Finn slightly raised his right leg, on which I noticed a small ring. I held out my palm, and he shook his finding into it.

"I hope you didn't steal it…" – I looked at my friend warily. Stealing the personal belongings of fairies, especially jewelry, was a big taboo in our world. These things absorb part of the owner's aura. A curse will fall on anyone who dares to steal this part…

The raven cawed twice and flapped its wings, clearly saying angry: "How dare you think that about me!"

"There, there. I'm sorry. I don't doubt you at all! It's just very strange… Who could lose a ring in the Fairy Meadow?"

I held the ring up to the moonlight to get a better look at it. The smith who made this ring clearly was skilled in jewelry. There was a beautiful ornate pattern all over the ring, successfully intertwined with small precious stones.

"Silver with sapphires. Very beautiful… Ashlyn!" – I turned sharply to the banshee.

"What? Do you know whose it is?" – she asked in surprise.

"No. But let's try to find out something from our guests today. Just don't mention the lost ring. You never know… There are many hunters for such beauty".

"Okay, I got it. I'll think of something", – the banshee nodded.

"And I'll hide it in a safe place until we figure something out. We don't need to bring any trouble upon ourselves…" – I said, hiding the ring in my dress pocket. – "Come on. We need to hurry to the pub. Otherwise, we won't have time to get ready for the guests".

I took Ashlyn by the hand and pulled her towards a huge hawthorn tree growing alone at the edge of the Meadow. We will go along the northern ley line. I had no strength left to run… Ashlyn immediately understood where I was leading her and didn't even think of arguing. It'll take us at least half an hour to walk normally, and two minutes along the ley line. Hmm… A difficult choice!

We approached an ancient tree, the branches of which were turned to the north. That is why the line was called the northern one. We turned our backs to the forest, touched the trunk and closed our eyes to tune in to the dimension of the portals. How long did this tuning take? It always varies. A minute, two, five… At some point, you simply begin to feel the flows of power where they seemed not to have been before. In fact, they have always been there, since the creation of the Earth. But not everyone can feel them, much less see them. Humans are definitely not capable of this. Well, maybe only druids can. They can see, but not walk on them. Only fairies can do this.

A few minutes later, I felt a vibration behind me and opened my eyes. Ashlyn was already looking at the line and waiting for me. Golden streams of power, slightly twisting, radiated from the tree and floated deep into the forest thicket.

"Finn, catch up!" – the raven cawed and having fluttered, disappeared into the darkness of the forest. Of course, he was far from being a fairy and could not walk with us along the ley lines. Although, looking into his wise midnight eyes, I sometimes had doubts about this …

"Ashlyn, so what? Are we diving?"

"Let's go!" – the banshee nodded, and we simultaneously jumped into the golden wave, tuning in to our destination. The main thing is not to lose focus, otherwise the line will take you wherever it wants. That's how I once managed to visit Dublin, which is a week's walk on horseback … So, let's not get distracted! "Tipsy Moon", catch us!

Two minutes later, as I expected, we jumped out of the hawthorn tree right at the pub doors, almost crashing into them.

"Oh, my gods!" – Ashlyn exclaimed, stopping a millimeter from the door. – "I'll never get used to this! And why did you have to plant this tree so close to the entrance?!"

"For uninvited guests, of course! It welcomes its regulars into the house without any problems, and strangers get stuck in its branches and thorns until I find them there and decide what to do with them", – I answered, gently stroking the trunk of my favorite one, which was one of the central elements of the defense system of my home. And mainly it guarded me from wild animals and dark fairies. Humans were not even able to see my house, thanks to the eye-diverting spell. Instead of a picturesque house in the forest, their eyes will see the impassable swampy bogs. That is, of course, if they even get here… The nearest village from the pub is in a two-hour walk through the forest.

The sound of Finn's returning wings reminded me that I needed to get back to business. Ashlyn was already busy in the kitchen. Bowing to the hawthorn tree with gratitude for its care and putting on an apron, I went to get tables and chairs for the veranda. The weather is wonderful today! What could be better than a glass of aromatic ale in the fresh forest air in the silvery light of the full moon?! Right! The only thing better could be a glass of MY ale!

I arranged the tables and chairs so that they would not interfere with the customers dancing and walking around chatting with their neighbors. Moved away, I glanced at the arrangement, and, having made sure that there would be no congestion anywhere, wiped my hands on the apron.

"Damn it! The ring!" – by wiping my hands, I felt the forgotten finding in my pocket. This is not good at all…

After making sure that Ashlyn could not see me, I approached the spring, which waters looped around my house and the surrounding area. It was as if I lived on an island. The spring, of course, was not a regular one either. At least because someone lived in it.

I hid the ring under a stone near the source, where its aura would be sealed by the power of the water, and no one would be able to sense it there.

"I'll ask him for advice later…" – I muttered to myself and went back to the pub. As I passed the hawthorn tree, I felt a slight vibration of power.

"Ashlyn!" – I shouted through the door. – "Guests are coming!"

"Excellent!" – the banshee shouted back from the kitchen. – "Everything is ready here. Welcome!"

* * *

The musicians played a lively reel, the ale flowed like a river, Ashlyn danced on a barrel, loudly beating out the rhythm with her boots, and the guests continued to arrive. Almost all the seats were already taken.

The veranda was mostly occupied by elves and noble fairies (not the greatest of course… my modest pub would hardly be honored with such visitors). Of course, the Master of the Forest came, who was sitting under the crown of an ancient hazel tree closer to the spring, and was telling something to Finn, who was greedily devouring a piece of raw wood pigeon.

Closer to the window, Gancanagh and Leannán sídhe were chirping. These two certainly had something to talk about… They were probably exchanging their new techniques for seducing the unfortunate inhabitants of Ardara. Although maybe not unfortunate… It depends on how you look at it!

Inside the pub, there were always more of those who wanted to be closer to the ale supply. I even gave Clurichaun his own barrel! It stood in the corner farthest from the entrance next to a small table, so that this noisy drinker would not disturb the other guests too much.

Closer to the entrance sat two mountain dwarf brothers. The gleam of their huge axes always kept me in good shape… At the same time, I respected them very much and loved to talk to them when I had a free minute (which I clearly will not have this night). They had countless stories about their adventures in the mountains of Erin’s various counties. Bards composed songs about their gold-digging expeditions and fights with trolls. Everyone had heard of the glorious names of Goban and Bradach. Two red-haired dwarves, huge as boulders, barely fit on my small chairs… and were drinking endless amounts of ale made with mountain herbs.

By the way, this was my best finding. Each customer's favorite type of ale was the one that contained herbs from the places where they lived. Memories of home awaken the most sincere and warm feelings, the most genuine happiness.

The Leprechaun, however, was happy to drink any type of ale. No one knows where he really lives… As for me, he probably has pots of gold hidden in every county!

I always loved to look at the guests while filling mugs with ale at the bar. Ashlyn finally stopped dancing and ran to deliver more portions of roast boar, wood pigeons and hares. I, in turn, went to hand out ale to everyone. Passing by the window, I overheard Ashlyn's conversation with Leannán sídhe.

"… Beautiful emeralds… but sapphires would suit your blue eyes so well!" – the banshee said in a voice full of admiration.

A melodious voice, like a song, came in response:

"Ah, my dear, you are absolutely right! Perhaps I will order our Goban to make me a pair of earrings with these stones. They say he is the best blacksmith in our mountains".

Aha… There was no need to spy further. The ring with sapphires definitely doesn’t belong to her. And the banshee is a good! She figured out well how to find out the information we needed without raising suspicion.

I put my load of six mugs on the dwarves table who were arguing about something and went for the next bunch. Ah, by the way, I need to somehow find out what Goban knows about the ring. If he made it, then he must have remembered it. It was very remarkable, so he probably did not forget who he made it for.

I poured another round of six mugs and was about to leave the bar stand with them when I noticed that the room had become dead silent… Even the musicians had stopped playing and were staring straight at the front door. I turned in the direction of their astonished gazes and stared at… myself. My eyebrow rose. A double ganger with golden eyes and a black cape was smiling at me.

"Free ale for everyone! " – the other me announced to the entire pub.

The real me frowned.

"Very funny, Púca. Keep it up and you won't get any ale at all, even for money!" – I yelled at the mischievous shapeshifter, causing him to gasp in fear and take his usual form. I threw the mugs on the empty table and quickly ran up to the prankster, lifting him by his long black ear.

"Ouch! Eithne! I swear, I won't do it again!" – Púca squealed, quickly realizing his future fate. He was certainly a troublemaker, but many could envy his intelligence. Although today he clearly messed up… Turning into me wasn't very smart, of course.

"Now, go and take these mugs to the guests on the veranda! They've been waiting for them for a long time because of you", – I ordered the guilty shapeshifter, finally letting go of his ear. He, in turn, quickly grabbed the mugs and disappeared behind the door. Told you – he’s smart! He didn’t even argue!

Realizing that the show was over, everyone returned to their mugs and conversations, and the music once again filled the pub with a cheerful, festive mood.

Of course, there were plenty of jokers among the fairies… Mentioned before Clurichaun for example is constantly trying to steal a barrel of ale from me when he goes home. But he doesn’t see my charms and doesn’t know that none of my property can leave my house through the portal in the hawthorn tree. But he still tries every time, and gets stuck in the branches, which always amuses me.