Night Time is Adventure Time

He could not hide his identity forever; it simply was not possible to maintain that level of guard indefinitely. He was bound to reveal facets and aspects of himself, pieces of the overall puzzle that she could - with patience - begin fitting into place to reveal the whole. Though many of the Clans shared traits in common, some traits were typically more identified with certain clans than others. The love of forest was more indicative of the northern clans, while a love of water spoke of the island clans. Formal manners were a sure sign of Clan Cadag as well. If one was observant enough, such subtle clues often revealed much.

She could feel something radiating along his arm as he led her through the woods, though she could not put her finger on what exactly it was. Eirian was not precisely frightened, but a mild anxiety over losing her way settled over her. That was not going to stop her, however. Thus reassured, she compelled herself to relax further and continue heading deeper still into the fragrant, soft air of the forest that surrounded her home.

Glancing ahead, she noted a subtle glow, intrigued by it. The ambient light seemed to beckon them on like a beacon, revealing itself to be a grove filled with the delicate lilies, opened to fill their cups with the moon's light. Eirian stopped, surveying the scene with an expression that reflected her reverence for the moment. A quiet, content sigh slipped free as she released her grip on him and crouched to touch one of the lilies. "Times like these make me think there is magic in our world..."


Ruadhan Connell

In many ways, Eirian was something of an oddity among her family. The youngest of her siblings by years, she bore little resemblance to any of them with her fair hair, delicate features and hazel eyes; most of the Cadags bred true in terms of brown hair and blue eyes with strong features. She was petite where most were tall. Her mother had often likened her daughter to the sprites of the tales, and surely here and now, Eirian seemed one.

Glancing up and over her shoulder at him as he replied, she smiled suddenly, a true and genuine smile of pleasure. Relieved he did not consider her foolish or frivolous for such a romantic notion when she appeared far more practical by nature, Eirian rose and faced him, moving to tuck one of the moonflowers into his tunic. "Do I?" Her eyes lifted to meet his, fingers once more itching to remove the scarf, but that would spoil the moment, one she allowed herself to relax and enjoy. "Thank you for bringing me here. I have not been this deep into the forest... and I had not known of this place."

Now that she knew, of course, she would return in the daylight hours. The magic would still be there, she knew, though it would be different. For now, she spun away with a flare of her skirts, moving to walk along the edge of flowers and enjoy the spill of light in the glade. She could easily stay the night here...



Ruadhan Connell

The face he saw was the one she'd typically worn during her betrothal to Aindriu. Eirian had been profoundly affected by his death, leaving the bright and vivacious girl under a perpetual shadow for the last two years. Slowly, ever so slowly, she was climbing her way out of that deep valley back into the sunlight of life, revealing occasional flashes of the girl she'd once been. Little did her mysterious companion know how truly rare those flashes were, or the honor done in revealing that vulnerability to him.

She smiled as she turned back to her simple, pure pleasure in the grove and the night. He had indeed rendered her a service and Eirian would not forget it. She cherished these moments when the world held its breath for one perfect second and all was right for her. As he spoke, she laughed quietly, "I do not know if you are so entirely suited to the shadows, my lord. There seems to be a fair amount of sun to you as well. It is a fascinating contradiction."

That confessed, Eirian paused to wait for him so they could walk together, her interest once more distracted. "I am sure of it. Do you know of such secrets that you care to reveal to me tonight, or shall I discover them while you keep watch?"


Ruadhan Connell

Crouching to inspect a cluster of flowers that were not familiar to her, Eirian listened to his explanation about the sun and laughed softly. "It could also be that the sun is weary from blazing and shining all the day long and requires a respite of its own? Still I gather what you are saying. It reminds me of the tale my father used to tell of the contest between the sun and the wind over who was more powerful. Do you know the tale?" She sat back on her heels, lifting her face towards him.

In the back of her mind, she wondered at herself, speaking so calmly and casually to a man whose face she had yet to glimpse, whose name was concealed while the moon rose and most were sensibly abed. Merthen would be astonished at his sister's apparently lapse of sense if he learned of it, as he was likely to. Despite that, she felt no fear from him; on the contrary, Eirian felt safe and protected in the mysterious man's company.

His reply was every bit as enigmatic as she anticipated, knowing he was drawing the game out for both of their sakes. Eirian was finally allowing herself to enjoy it, considering it relatively harmless... at least until she discovered who he was with all of the related reactions to accompany it. "Time is not necessarily on our sides in this, but I will be guided by you on this point." Rising, she brushed off her skirts. "Speaking of time, perhaps we should head back? It grows late, and returning unseen will be a challenge."



Ruadhan Connell

She smiled at him, patting a patch of soft moss invitingly. "Come sit and I will tell you the tale. It is a bit of a moral tale, but I will try to tell it so you are entertained." It was the least Eirian could do to thank her mysterious escort for bringing her to this magical glade. Aware it would look entirely different in the light of day, she wanted to savor the moment of night-time for as long as she could. Reality would intrude soon enough.

Were he to ask her, Ruadhan might be surprised by Eirian's tendency to dismiss herself as unimportant in the Cadag scheme of things. Merthen and Regan, their children, Malduin and his children, they were the ones of greater importance. She was especially proud of her niece and nephew, to whom she was close. Aemrys bid fair to follow in his father's footsteps yet with sufficient differences to benefit Vulcanis when he became High Laird. She was merely a spinster sister, albeit one willing to work for her keep.

"You are right. I should remember that more often, I believe." She offered him her hands to help him rise, a quiet smile thanking him for the poignant reminder. Aindriu would not want her to be unhappy but to take the time to appreciate what mattered most, to find happiness in the little things and the great. Eirian blinked at him, then laughed with a blush she prayed he could not see. "Perhaps another night, hm?"



Ruadhan Connell

The setting and the atmosphere was every bit as important to the telling of a tale as the tale itself, Eirian had once heard a visiting bard say. The audience needed to be receptive to what the tale had to tell, relaxed and looking forward to the recounting. Encouraging him to sit beside her in this glade would hopefully accomplish all of that and allow him to enjoy what was ultimately an allegorical story. Confirmed of it with his words, she smiled her thanks for his cooperation.

Eirian was no bard, but she possessed a quiet, somewhat musical voice she tended to reserve for telling stories to her nieces, nephews and young cousins at bedtime. Artur's twins especially loved when Aunt Eirian came to tuck them in, knowing she would tell them about magical creatures and adventuresome knights. Lowering her eyes, she began softly. "Once, the sun and the wind engaged in a debate as to which was stronger. The Sun said that he was stronger, because his rays penetrated everywhere and everything. The Wind disagreed, saying that he was stronger, because not only could his gales reach everywhere and get into everything, he was more destructive. For several minutes, the argument continued, each standing firm on his argument until the wind spotted a traveler passing by.

'Let us have a contest and settle this,' he told the sun. Pointing out the traveler, the Wind suggested that whomever could get the man's traveling cloak off him would be the stronger. The Sun agreed, and in the spirit of fairness, gave way so the Wind could go first. Using every gale and breeze at his disposal, the Wind blew around the traveler, nearly bowling him over. Try as he might, however, the man simply wrapped his cloak more tightly around himself. No matter what the Wind tried, the cloak did not come off. The man was clutching it too tightly.

Finally, the Wind stopped so the Sun could have a try. He was not convinced that with more time, he couldn't succeed, but to be fair, the Sun needed his chance. Moving up, the Sun drew all of his energy about himself and shone down powerfully on the traveler. That was all he did - just shine warm and strong. After a few minutes, the man stopped clutching the cloak. Another few minutes passed and he opened it. Shortly after that, with the Sun still beaming down, the man stopped and removed his cloak, dabbing at the perspiration beading his brow.

The Sun left off shining so powerfully and turned to the Wind, who bowed in concession. The Sun had won, not by blowing more powerfully or using cold, but by simply by exuding powerful, warm light. Admitting himself beaten, the Wind bowed to the Sun. He understood then that warm was usually better than cold, inspiring him to create the zephyr."

She finished her tale, glancing over at him for his reaction. It was a simple little tale, but one she'd always remembered, perhaps because she responded better to sunshine than to wind.

Rising to her feet, Eirian offered him her hand to help him up. It was time for them to return to the keep. His words made her laugh, as did the wink. "I am sure you will. Rest assured that when I give my word, I keep it." Pausing, she looked up at him. "Shall we go?"



Ruadhan Connell