Chapter ten
a riddle in the darkness
“ W e’ll stay here for the night.”
Having left the plains, we’d trudged through a forested area until we came to a small clearing. The ground was bare, the shrubbery trampled from overuse, and the remains of an old firepit sat in the centre. Darragh pointed to the canopy, where a treehouse was nestled in the branches. I never would have seen it on my own. Darragh tossed his bag down and I collapsed. We’d walked for hours, and I’d dreamed about this moment the entire time.
Darragh remained standing. “We need to check the area.”
“For what?” I gestured at the unassuming trees.
“We need to make sure it’s secure.”
“Do I have to?”
“I’d prefer if you stayed where I can see you.”
Wasting what scant energy I had left, I sighed, with extra vigor, and dragged myself up.
“Stay close,” Darragh muttered.
“Stay close,” I mimicked.
Darragh walked silently through the forest, disturbing as little foliage as possible. I stomped loudly after him. A vine dangling next to the path brushed my arm—it wriggled against my skin. “Ah-ah!” I slapped the vine, and it swung away. As it arced back, it came to life and lunged at me. “Oh, shit!”
Fangs gnashed in my face, and I tumbled backward. The thing struck again, and I braced for the bite.
It didn’t come.
The creature struck an invisible wall. It slid down the barrier until it reached the underbrush. The snake-vine-nightmare-thing hissed, displaying bright blue fangs, and then slithered away.
Darragh couldn’t have looked more unimpressed if he tried.
“That was close, eh?” Smiling at Darragh, I saw him bite his tongue. I brushed leaves off my shins and stood. Following more closely, I picked my way through the bushes. Soon, the trees grew sparse, and the ground sloped down to where the forest continued below. The setting sun skimmed the treetops.
Darragh cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about what I said earlier.”
“About what?”
“Getting you back to Earth as soon as possible.”
“Oh.” I shrugged. “It’s okay. I deserved it.”
“No, you didn’t.” Darragh faced me. “I shouldn’t have said it—I didn’t mean it.” He shifted and pushed a hand through his hair. Redness crept into Darragh’s cheeks; it tinged his ears bright pink.
“What’s up?”
“I just… I’m happy you’re here.” Darragh chewed his lip and looked back to the sunset. “Even if it is for a short time. ”
A million questions tumbled through my mind, and before I could ask even one, Darragh turned and walked sullenly back to camp.
After a quiet campfire and supper, we climbed into the treehouse. Darragh cast a small orb of light onto the ceiling, illuminating a single room. He laid down a bedroll while I glanced out the open window.
Boots sounded on the ladder.
“Where are you going?” I asked.
“I’ll sleep on the ground,” Darragh replied. “You stay up here where it’s safe.”
“Are you sure? I can sleep on this side”—I pointed to the far side of the treehouse—“and you can sleep over there.”
Darragh’s gaze darted over the wooden boards. “I’ll stay on the ground,” he repeated. Worry nagged at me; Darragh wouldn’t have made the treehouse if it was safe on the ground.
He’s wrong; tell him so.
But I don’t want to make a fuss…
“Okay.”
Darragh disappeared. Then reappeared. “Uh, goodnight.”
“Goodnight.”
Gentle thuds sounded from Darragh’s boots as he climbed down the ladder. Each step reinforced my disappointment like a hammer.
***
The creak of old wood and a sweet smell beckoned me from unconsciousness. Darragh sat neatly in the treehouse, with several plates of food laid before him. I pushed myself up and stretched. “You should have woken me up to help.” I yawned. “Or at least eaten without me. You didn’t have to wait.”
“I kept it warm for us.” Darragh piled pancakes onto a plate and handed it over. He slid a jar filled with thick purple syrup across the boards. “It’s good with this.” I poured the syrup over my food and a lovely, floral aroma filled the treehouse.
Darragh waited, eyes wide and rigid in anticipation. “How is it?”
Swallowing my first bite, I mumbled, “It’s lovely. Thank you.” I wondered if Darragh thought I was just being kind. He didn’t dig into his own breakfast until I was onto my fourth and fifth bite.
“I can make more if you’d like.”
There were twelve pancakes left on my plate.
“I think I might be full after this, but thank you.”
We set out after breakfast, heading back to the slope where we’d watched the sun set the night before. Darragh and I picked our way down the rocky incline and walked along the base of the cliff.
“So, what are we looking for?” I asked.
“A stone.”
“How will a stone get us back to Earth?”
“We trade it for passage. There’s a man, Senan, who helps me cross. It’s not exactly legal, but he’ll look the other way for the right price.”
“And this stone is the right price?”
Darragh nodded. “He’s like—what do you call them on Earth? They like shiny trinkets and things.”
“A magpie?” I guessed.
“Yes. Senan is a magpie.”
“He’s a bird?” I joked.
“What do you mean?”
“A magpie is a bird.”
“No! It’s a person who collects shiny bits. I read about it in one of your books.”
“Yes, you call someone a magpie, based on their likeness to the bird. The bird famously collects shiny objects.”
Darragh looked confused.
“It’s a metaphor, I think.”
“What’s a metaphor?” Darragh scratched his cheek.
I delved deep, searching for English classes. “I think it’s when you draw comparisons between two things.” I made a mental note to Google it when I got home—if I got home. “I’m sure you do it all the time without realizing. If I were to say, ‘Bowyn is a tree,’ that’s a metaphor. I’m comparing Bowyn’s height to a tree, so you know he’s tall. I guess learning metaphors would be a nightmare on a different planet. How could you know a magpie was a bird?”
Darragh rubbed his chin, looking shaken. “What’s another metaphor?”
“Uhhh.” My mind emptied. “There’s a famous play about two lovers, Romeo it was pitch black. “I’m fine.”
“Close your eyes,” Darragh warned. I did, and a bright light flashed through my lids. When I opened them again, a small creature of flame fluttered away from Darragh. It flitted about like a tiny canary, trailing smoke wherever it went. It took off down a dark path that stretched ahead. As we followed, Darragh caught me watching the fiery canary. “I can make it go away if it bothers you.” He snapped his fingers, and the light returned to his hand.
“I thought it was cute,” I admitted.
Darragh relit the fire creature. It burned brighter the second time. “Ash. That’s what Bowyn used to call it,” Darragh recalled. He touched my arm. “Don’t look directly at it. Bowyn lost his sight for three days after I learned to conjure it.”
I made a note to keep Ash in my peripheral. “ How long have you known Bowyn?”
Darragh exhaled and scratched his chin. “Since I was six.”
“It’s nice that you’re still friends.” Darragh’s only response was a non-committal grunt. I noticed Darragh’s willingness to chat declined as soon as the conversation turned to his childhood.
The path gave way to a vast, dark cavern. I stayed close to Ash, reluctant to discover what lurked in the shadows. Ash flitted around our feet, and Darragh stooped to pick up a smooth stone, roughly the size of his palm. “We’re looking for stones like this.”
“Alright,” I said, scouring the floor.
“Don’t even think about touching anything that’s not exactly like this, okay?” Darragh showed me the stone again.
“Yessir,” I mocked.
Unsuccessful in my hunt, I wandered farther away. As I reached the perimeter of Ash’s light, Darragh called, “I’ve got one.” I headed back. Something red glinted on the rock wall. In the dim light, I glimpsed an ancient painting. It depicted a stick figure, held from all directions by thick chains. I admired the still-vibrant paint on the smooth stone. What would it feel like to drag my hand along it? A click echoed through the cavern, followed by a slithering sound. Before I could react, Darragh slammed into me, sending me crashing into the wall.
“What the—” I blurted.
A glowing green chain circled Darragh’s legs. I reached out, but the chain yanked Darragh’s feet from under him. It flipped him upside down and pulled him high into the air. I braced myself to be dragged up next. Another chain did not come.
“Are you okay?” I called.
Darragh’s arms hung toward the cavern floor, his feet tied and held fast to the ceiling. “I’ve been better,” Darragh called. Then more icily, “ You just couldn’t resist, could you?”
“I didn’t touch anything!”
Darragh crossed his arms. “You thought about it.”
“You didn’t tell me not to think about it!”
“I did,” he replied crossly.
“Ugh!” I looked around. “How do I get you down?” I squinted at the chain. It adhered to the ceiling but came down somewhere in the cave. “Hold tight. I think I see the other end.”
“Be careful,” Darragh shouted.
“Come on,” I beckoned Ash, who zoomed after me.
“I don’t mean to be an alarmist,” Darragh called, “but this chain is draining the life out of me. Haste is appreciated.”
Ash’s light bounced off the shallow puddles. I carefully picked my way across the slick ground. We located the chain where it met the far wall. Although it didn’t really meet the wall, it passed right through it. Beneath the chain, several doors lined the rock. They blended seamlessly into the wall; I couldn’t open them. I touched a door and a haunting melody filled the cavern. I tried to locate the source, but it came from everywhere all at once. An ethereal, airy voice joined the melody.
In a quiet meadow across the stream,
A young girl, only seven, picks a wild rose,
For each powerful queen this land has seen.
But nightfall approaches, make haste! She knows
At night, wicked creatures haunt the meadow.
She clutches her basket filled with flowers,
But as she wades across the stream, a shadow
Casts itself across the water, over her it towers.
A bathori! And behind, more wait.
Clever girl knows the creatures cannot cross a rose.
They screech and cry, eyes filled with hate.
On her way she goes,
Back home to her mother.
The creatures must devour another.
I wandered back to stand under Darragh. “Did you hear that?”
“It’s a riddle,” Darragh’s voice was strained; I struggled to hear him. “Including our current queen, we’ve had thirteen. Bathori always travel in groups of seven, always. Thirteen minus seven is—”
“I can do the math,” I called, heading back. I found the first door and counted. When I reached number five, I pushed. Stone ground stone, and the door fell away. I peered into the darkness.
A low, guttural growl echoed from within.
The tiny hairs on my arms stood up. Ash froze mid-flight. He emitted a blinding light and grew until he was the size of a horse. Heat poured from him like lava, and I cringed away. Ash ruffled his feathers of flame and let out an anxious, “Caw!”
With Ash’s extra illumination, Darragh could see us. “Which door did you pick?” He squinted and pointed. “Did you pick that door?”
“Yeah, the fifth door—”
“Thirteen minus seven isn’t five!”
I stared at the doors. My face pulled back into a deep cringe. “Ohhhh no…” Another growl echoed from the doorway.
Darragh’s voice rose an octave. “Pick the door beside it!”
“Left or right?!”
“RIGHT!”
“My right or your right?!”
“WE’RE LOOKING THE SAME WAY! WE HAVE THE SAME RIGHT!”
“You’re sure it’s this one?” I gestured toward the door to the right of the one I’d chosen, terrified to get it wrong again.
“IT’S NOT MAGIC! IT’S JUST MATH!”
Too late.
Two spindly, black hands reached around the doorway. I zeroed in on the dark opening and shrunk away. A curved, elongated skull entered Ash’s ring of light. The creature hissed, a breathy noise that sent drool oozing between silver teeth. It stalked out on four thin, vertebrate like legs.
It looked deadly…and fast.
A long, flexible tail flicked back and forth, cat-like, behind the creature.
Too terrified to scream, I thought as loud as I could: Darragh, what do I do? No reply came. I risked a glance over my shoulder. Darragh hung limply from the ceiling, unconscious. A quick-moving, shuffling sound closed in.
Teeth gnashed, and claws ripped my shirt just as bright light and fire exploded in my face. I careened back into a frigid, mucky puddle. I blinked in the dark, regaining my night vision. Like rabid dogs, Ash and the creature fought. High pitched squeals rang out as teeth and fire sought to dominate each other. Ash’s bright talons sunk into flesh. The quick-moving tail lashed out and wrapped Ash’s throat. The creature swung Ash to the ground.
“No!”
Ash squirmed and screeched as the wet rock ground against him. The creature lifted Ash into the air and slammed him onto the rock again.
And again.
Ash cried weakly.
In the dying light, I saw Darragh, still hanging helpless from the ceiling. Ash’s light sputtered and went out, plunging the cave into darkness once more.
Keep the monster away from Darragh .
I sprinted in the direction we’d entered, and loud splashes echoed after me. Without Ash, I was blind, and the ground was uneven and slick. My feet hit a shallow patch of water; I slipped and lurched forward.
Whoosh!
The creature’s tail whipped over me. I’d fallen just in time. Unable to see, I felt gangly limbs clawing for me. Scrambling to my feet, I ran back the way I’d come, toward the doors. I pumped my arms but slipped again, hydroplaning. “Oof!” I smashed into a boulder and pushed myself away—the creature’s tail connected with my legs. The force propelled me into the cavern wall and knocked me to the ground. Sharp pain exploded up my shin and white stars prickled my vision. Adrenaline and fear kept my body moving. I turtle’d onto my hands and knees but didn’t know which way to run. I’d become so disoriented; I had no idea where I was.
An ear-splitting screech rang out, and a searing light flared in the dark. I peered through my fingers; Ash was alive. He attacked mercilessly, swooping and tearing, until the puddles below the creature ran red. The tail swung frantically—a swing went wild, connecting with a hanging stalactite. A splintering crack exploded through the cavern as the stalactite fell. It struck the creature’s spine and pinned it. More stalactites and boulders crashed down. I watched in horror and relief as debris flattened my attacker.
The cave quieted.
Ash rushed to me, bathing the area in light. Pushing myself up, I put weight on my good leg. I stepped and steadied myself with the injured one— snap ! I collapsed and bit back a scream as red-hot pain radiated up my shin. The sweet, syrupy taste of breakfast filled my mouth and I vomited. I couldn’t bring myself to look at my leg. Shaking, I crawled across the damp floor. Ash shrunk to his normal size and hopped beside me. Every time I stopped to catch my breath, he made an encouraging cooing sound. When I finally reached the sixth door, my clothes were soaked in sweat and dank cave water. I brushed the door with my fingertips. The grounding noise sounded, and the door fell away. Directly inside, the chain was attached to the wall. I hauled myself over, but couldn’t reach it from the ground.
“Aghhh!” I pulled myself up. The moment I touched the chain, it unravelled. Across the cavern, Darragh plummeted. Ash beat his wings and streaked toward him. Before he crashed into Darragh, Ash burst into a ball of light. Darragh absorbed the light and awoke mid-fall. Thrusting his hands out, Darragh stopped himself from colliding with the ground. He stood quickly and looked around.
“Nell?” Darragh called, a tremor in his voice.
“I’m here,” I croaked. Darragh threw a ball of fire into the air and followed my voice. I saw my leg. Just below my knee, a bloody white lump protruded from my skin. My stomach somersaulted. It was a bone poking through my flesh. I gagged and leaned against the wall.
Darragh knelt, cupping my cheeks. “Are you okay?”
“Uh, mostly.” I sniffled. “I think there’s something wrong with my leg.” I pointed down. Darragh inhaled sharply. He passed his hand over the bone. The pain lessened—just a bit.
Another growl rang out in the distance.
“Is that another one?!” I cried.
“Hey Nell, Nelli, it’s okay. Look at me.” Darragh smiled. “I’m gonna pick you up, okay? We’re going to get out of here.” I rubbed away my tears and nodded. Darragh slipped one arm behind my back and the other beneath my legs before lifting me.
“Agh!” I winced. Fresh tears blurred my vision.
“I’ve got you,” Darragh whispered, breaking into a jog. “I know it hurts, but we’re going to have to be quiet until we get out of here, okay?” I sobbed quietly. “Close your eyes. I’ll help you relax.”
I don’t remember the pain or our journey out. The faint, quickened beat of Darragh’s heart gave way to rustling leaves and gurgling water. In my mind, I was somewhere far away from the depths of the cave.
When the fantasy faded away, the wood boards of the treehouse came into view. I nodded in and out of sleep, unsure if I was awake or dreaming. I think I recalled Darragh kneeling over my leg, working through the night.
The next morning, I managed to climb down the tree on my own. Whatever Darragh did hadn’t mended my leg completely, but it was still pretty good, considering there was a bone poking out a few hours ago. Though painful, I hobbled around on my own. Darragh mentioned hot springs nearby, and suggested the soak would be good for me.
“Are they hot?” I looked at the pools. “I like my water hot.”
“I can warm it up if you’d like.” Darragh pulled off his shirt and tossed it aside.
I bet you could.
Darragh undid his pants but stopped when he caught me staring. “Oh, sorry,” I said, then turned away while he climbed in. Darragh moved to the far side of the pool, and kept his back turned so I could slip in. “Ah!” I hissed when my toe hit the water.
Darragh laughed. “I can cool it down if you’d like?”
“Just hang on. Don’t turn around.” I forced my foot back in. After a moment to adjust, I found I could tolerate the heat. Luxurious warmth hugged me like a blanket as I slid in. Resting my head against the edge, I closed my eyes. “So, what’s next?”
“There’s a mushroom we need. They grow near home; it won’t be a long detour. I hoped to leave the second we got the stone, but I don’t really want you walking on that leg right away. We’ll see how you feel tomorrow.”
“Trying to keep me here longer?” I teased .
“It would be a shame if something happened to your other leg.”
My eyes snapped open. “Pardon me?” Darragh’s response was a sly smile. I laughed. “Was that a joke? I didn’t know you could do that.” Darragh gave me a bashful grin as he leaned over the edge of the pool and rummaged in his bag. He handed me a little puck that smelled like flowers.
“For your hair.”
“Yes!” I dipped under the water and rubbed the bar against my scalp. I handed the bar back to Darragh, and he did the same.
Darragh waited for me to look away before he left the water.
As we readied to return to camp, there was an air of apprehension about Darragh. He stooped to pack his satchel, which was already neatly packed—by him—and then stood and cracked his knuckles.
When he knelt to re-check his satchel a fourth time, I asked, “What are you doing?”
Darragh exhaled, as if readying for battle. He stood and approached me. Sweat beaded his temple, and Darragh didn’t meet my eyes as he said, “May I take your hand?”
“Oh, no.” I laughed. “What are you going to show me this time?”
“I”—Darragh fidgeted with a belt loop—“I wasn’t going to show you anything.”
“Oh.”
I hate myself .
I offered my hand, and Darragh took it. My skin sizzled where it touched his. “Ah!” I yelped and yanked it away. Darragh’s eyes bulged, and he stumbled back. Whorls of smoke swirled from my hand. I hid it behind my back.
Darragh’s throat tightened like he might be sick. Head down, he wouldn’t look at me. “We should go back.”
“It’s okay.” I reached out, but Darragh dodged and crossed his arms.
A muscle in Darragh’s jaw clenched. He repeated, “We should go back,” and turned to leave. I didn’t follow. I thought about the nettle I’d fallen in outside his cottage. I summoned memories of the pain, and unleashed a scream so convincing, even I believed it. I’d barely hit the ground before Darragh was on me, his hands cool as they scanned my body for injury.
“Where does it hurt?!” Darragh’s frantic eyes danced over me. “Is it your leg?!”
I stopped mid-scream.
“Heh.” I chuckled. Darragh’s eyes widened, and he froze. The bewildered look on his face gave way to understanding. A seriousness set on him as he climbed to his feet.
“Will you help me up?” I asked, feigning innocence.
“I shouldn’t.” He eyed me warily. “You trickster.” I reached for the hand he hadn’t offered. A moment passed before he pulled me up. His touch was warm, but my distraction worked—he didn’t burn me a second time. Darragh relaxed his hold, but I held fast.
“Shall we go back?” I asked. Darragh fixed me with one of those stares—a lingering look that saw everything and left me feeling bare. Instead of wriggling away, I smiled.
Darragh did something unexpected.
He smiled back.
A broad, genuine smile that crinkled the tiny crow’s feet around his eyes. I blushed and broke eye contact. We walked in companionable silence back to the camp. Darragh’s shoulders sagged a little less as we strolled hand in hand. Where my fingertips met his skin, they tingled. I couldn’t stop thinking about the way he’d looked at me. The curious expression that tugged at his cheeks. I couldn’t be sure but…
I think it was hope.
Later that evening, while Darragh busied himself with dinner preparations, I sat down beside the charred campfire spot. “So how do you make it…you know”—I wiggled my fingers at the scorched ground—“burn?”
“I don’t know. I just do.”
“Can you teach me?”
Darragh ran a hand through his hair and grimaced. “I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not a teacher.” He waved at the surrounding trees. “You could burn this whole place down.” Before I could argue, Darragh said, “I’ll be right back,” and wandered out of sight. I concentrated on the cold campfire. I just needed one spark.
Nothing happened.
Propping myself up with an elbow, I sighed.
I suppose I don’t belong here .
My thoughts wandered to Darragh. To his reluctant smiles and his curious eyes. ‘ He’s keen on you ,’ Bowyn had said.
I tried again.
Focusing on the campfire, I raised my hands and blocked out everything, willing flames to life. My heart leapt as a tiny tendril of smoke blossomed in the dead campfire. I focused harder. A flame sputtered and lit. “A-Ha!” I laughed. “Look what I’ve created!” I threw my arms up and boasted to an imaginary audience. “I have made fire!”
Darragh stood at the edge of the clearing, watching me. I pointed at the hungry flames. “Did you see?”
Darragh gave me a lopsided smile as he walked over. “I saw.” He placed a basket of fruits down. “I’ll take it from here, if you don’t mind.” The flames erupted into a blaze so hot, I scooched away.
After dinner, Darragh and I relaxed by the fire. Darragh held up the unassuming stone he’d found. “I was expecting more,” I said. Darragh slid one boot from his foot and pulled his sock off. He slipped the stone inside. I jumped as he slammed it against the ground. He pulled out the stone, now broken in two, and handed me half. Rainbow-coloured veins ran through a delicate, pearlescent cream centre.
“It’s quite striking.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Darragh inspected it.
“How are you going to get the shards out of your sock?”
Darragh looked up at me, and down at his sock. He furrowed his brows and tucked the sock beside him. Leaning against a tree stump, Darragh pointed up above the fire, to the night sky. “Do you see that star? The brightest one at the top of the sky?”
I followed his finger. “I think so.”
“We use it for navigation, like your North Star back on Earth. For thousands of years, people gazed upon it, yearning for home, longing for loved ones.” Darragh paused. “In my language, the name means, the way home .”
I cocked my head. “And what name is that?”
Darragh set his keen eyes on me. “Melaethien.”
“Oh! That’s what you call each other.”
Darragh smiled and turned back to the sky. “Yes,” he whispered. “That’s what we call each other.”
***
We spent the next two days doing nothing much at all. Darragh brought me food and forced me to relax. I lounged by the fire while Darragh trailed the rays of sunshine on the wood floor, sunbathing. Both were activities I enjoyed immensely. While he lay with his eyes closed, soaking up the sunlight, Darragh and I exchanged stories. We quickly realized that many of our stories on Earth were brought over by Hiraethans .
On Hiraeth, there’s a horrible little creature they call a bone fairy. Bone fairies have a nasty habit of sneaking into the bedrooms of small children and gobbling them up. Fathers took to leaving piles of bones in their children’s rooms while they slept, to distract the bone fairy. Hopefully, when the father woke to the crunching of bones, they’d find the fairy had fallen for the distraction, and not the alternative. Something to consider the next time your child slips a tooth beneath their pillow for the tooth fairy.
At night, Darragh massaged my leg and assessed my recovery. To ease the awkward, silent tension of his hands pressed on my skin, I’d made a game of asking him about unsolved mysteries back on Earth. Darragh often researched enigmas as part of his work, trying to determine if they had a touch of magic about them.
“Jack the Ripper?” I asked.
“Magic.”
“The Zodiac Killer?”
“No, actually. That one was shoddy police work.”
“No shit, eh?” Darragh nodded. His palm passed over the sorest spot on my leg. The coolness in his hand numbed what pain remained. “How do you cool it down?” I asked.
“I don’t know if I cool it down, so much as draw the heat out.” While his hands moved over my leg, I tried to think of more mysteries.
“Dyatlov pass?”
“I don’t know. Which one was that?” Darragh replied distractedly.
“The hikers in Russia. All dead, missing eyes and tongues.”
“Oh, yeah. Magic.”
My jaw dropped. “What happened?”
“One of the girls, Lyudmila, she—hold on. I need to focus. This might hurt. There’s a shard of bone I need to fuse—” POP.
“Hhhh!” I gasped and nearly fell over.
“Sorry.” Darragh grimaced. “That was the last piece. You’ll heal on your own now, as long as we take it easy.”
I blinked back tears as Darragh finished inspecting my leg. Rather than draw away, his hand remained. Without thinking, Darragh stroked my skin. Responding to his touch, a wave of goosebumps prickled down my leg. Darragh tensed and leaned back. “I need to go get uh…” He floundered and stood. “I uh—I heard a noise.” He wandered into the night.
I fell asleep by the fire, waiting for Darragh to come back.
The next morning, I awoke to the clattering of metal. Somehow, I’d gotten into the treehouse, though I had no recollection of it. I climbed down the ladder and found Darragh hurriedly packing.
Apparently, it was time to leave.