1. At All Costs #3
He split the land in two, granting his brothers rule over their halves, while dedicating himself to documenting Ireland’s wonders so that ériu’s legacy would endure for all time.
But Amergin knew that words alone were not enough.
In his heart, he understood that the land would not always be left in peace, and so he made another vow—one spoken only to the winds and hills that had once carried ériu’s voice.
Should ériu’s lands ever need defending, his bloodline would rise—bound by honour, waiting for the call.
ériu’s solemn rest could be felt across the land, sending silent warnings that the Age of the Gods was over. The hour to seek refuge had dawned on them.
As the world above changed, the Tuatha Dé Danann did not vanish, nor did they fade from existence. Instead, they dwell in the radiance of their undying essence—
In the Otherworld."
Triona’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Why are there still bad folk? Where is her magic?”
James placed a steadying hand on Ellen’s shoulder, ready to take the lead.
Crouching down to meet Triona’s gaze, he said, “ériu’s magic still lingers, but it cannae always shield against human choice.
It’s woven into the land and lives in the hearts o’ good folk, but even the strongest magic can fade if mankind allows hatred to take root. ”
Triona’s posture shifted, almost in defeat.
James took her small hand in his. “But there are far more good folk than bad, and as long as they’re here, evil won’t prevail.
It’s hope that fuels them, keeps ‘em fightin’—for themselves and for those they’d sacrifice everything for.
Hope gives ‘em the strength to believe that a lass as fierce as mine might save ‘em all. ériu’s magic still breathes in them, waitin’ to prove themselves worthy of her return. ”
“How? You said she died.” Triona questioned, her eyes wide with innocence.
“Not died—” James considered his words carefully, “just slumberin’, in a sense.” Despite Triona’s puzzled expression, James pressed on.
“Do ye wanna ken what ériu means now?” She nodded enthusiastically.
“It means éireann.” James paused for a moment to give Triona a moment to ponder the importance of what he was saying. Though her middle name was not a typical one, Ellen and James loved it.
He continued. “ériu’s spirit still lingers, not just in the land, but in those who refuse to let darkness take hold. Folk like ye, my fierce one, is why the world hasnae fallen to ruin. Ye’re filled with the love of others, ye’re bountiful, and life in ye is abundant and everlastin’.”
She smiled at him. “Casey said it was a daft name.” He chortled and looked up at Ellen.
“Remind me to have words with that boy come mornin’.”
Beneath the warm glow of the flickering fire, the room brimmed with a tenderness that wrapped around them like a soft, encompassing embrace. Ellen, her heart brimming with love, brushed a tender hand over Triona’s cheek and spoke softly.
“It isnae a silly name, my bonnie lass. Yer cheeky brother’s just fond o’ teasin’. The name ye bear is a promise of grand adventures yet to come—jus like the one ye got it from.”
With a mother’s grace, Ellen cradled Triona’s cheek lightly, as if to leave a whisper of her affection. Ellen’s eyes were deep pools of emotion, and danced with the light of a thousand memories, glistening with the sheen of tears unshed.
“Yer father speaks true. Ye carry more than jus a name, my love. Ye carry a spark of something greater—something the world cannae afford to lose. The fire in yer heart’s set to turn the world on its heid.
The name ye bear is the breath of Ireland herself.
It’s a strong name, like the emerald lands of old.
” Triona stared into Ellen’s eyes, and frowned, noticing the silver glisten there.
“Mama, why’re cryin’?” Ellen let out the faintest chuckle, and blinked forcibly, containing what was sure to be an onslaught of tears.
“Oh, I am jus so proud to be yer mother. Da and I-” Ellen paused, unsure how to even explain such emotions to a child. She continued, “We’re so grateful the heavens saw fit to give us an angel on earth.”
That single statement was as close to the truth as Ellen would ever willingly get.
With eyes wide and full of youthful curiosity, seeming to mull over some statement Ellen had made, Triona turned to James.
“Will I be stronger than ye, Da?” James let out a full belly laugh.
“Oh, my sweet girl, ye’re gonna be strong enough to defeat many a foe.
The strength ye wield will rival the legends!
Grown men, in their pride and glory, will quiver at the mere mention of yer name!
” James spoke with melodramatic flourish, making hand gestures as if he were a stage actor.
The sight of it had Triona and Ellen rolling with laughter.
“I have no powers, I’m just a wee lass! ”
James impulsively reached out and teasingly pinched the tip of Triona’s nose.
Like that of a little lion cub, she burst from Ellen’s lap to unleash her playful wrath, pinning James beneath her.
The surprise of the attack knocked the wind out of him, causing Ellen and Triona to laugh harder at his expense.
“Seems ye’re already well equipped with that strength.” With a resonant laughter that echoed through the hearth-warmed room, James stood, pulling her close as he twirled her in his arms. Holding her tight, he pressed a kiss to her temple, a seal of eternal fatherly love.
“In due time,” he whispered with an air of mystery, as though speaking of an old secret, “all will be revealed. But until then, it’s my solemn duty—nae, my sacred promise—to keep ye locked away from all the terrible groonies that lurk beneath veiled shadows.”
James sat, Triona safely cradled in the crook of his arm, wriggling delightfully with every peal of laughter.
He stroked Triona’s head as she settled down, energy slowly starting to wane.
He sat there with her for a long while, just relishing in the rarest of moments.
Ellen hummed the sweetest of lullabies, and together they watched as Triona’s eyelids began to sag.
When her lashes fluttered close for the final time, James gently stood, and walked to lay the cherished bundle down on her bed, Ellen at his heels.
Turning, they exchanged a look brimming with silent understanding—an unspoken pact to nurture and protect the wonder that was their Triona.
In James’s mind, the image of her smile mingled with fears of what lay ahead, a flicker of resolve hardening in his chest. Ellen’s gaze, shimmering with unshed tears, spoke of her own quiet promise: no matter the cost, they would stand united against whatever challenges might threaten their daughter’s light.
This extraordinary girl they had been blessed with.
Gone was the playful smile that had just been plastered across his face, and an all too familiar gleam returned to Ellen’s eyes.
James grabbed Ellen’s hand and pulled her in tight for an embrace, grounding himself in the warmth of her presence, though a chill ran through him.
He pressed a quick kiss to the top of her head, the simple gesture unravelling her last fragile restraint as silent tears slipped free.
When he spoke, his tone had an unsettlingly eerie chill to it. Much unlike the typical light-hearted tone familiar to their household.
“Called by powers, true and bold, she journeys forth to claim her hold. Upon the sacred ground, she’ll stand, with fate’s dark price in trembling hand. ”
James’s voice lingered on the last word, his gaze fixed on the firelight as though seeking answers in its flicker.
The prophecy was as familiar to him as his own heartbeat, yet speaking it aloud made the weight of its truth settle heavily in the room.
He clenched his jaw, his thoughts a tempest of pride and foreboding.
“Ellen,” he murmured, “this lass of ours… she’s got a destiny grander than we’ll ever ken.
We savour every moment, every blessed second. ”
Ellen nodded solemnly, her tears falling in silence. She brushed a tender hand over Triona’s brow, her voice hushed, almost reverent. “Each moment she’s safe is a gift borrowed—one I’d trade anythin’ to keep.”
They stood there for a long while, watching over their daughter as she slept peacefully, her small form a flicker of light in a world so vast and shadowed by unseen dangers.
Though any road set before them remained uncertain, fraught with peril, they stood ready—knowing that even against the mightiest of foes, the love they bore for their daughter was a strength beyond reckoning.
They knew that love alone could not shield her from the storms to come, but they would give everything, even the very marrow of their bones, to stand between her and the gathering darkness.
Whatever the cost, their love would burn as a beacon, defying the shadows threatening to consume her light.
At All Costs.