Saturday, July 16, 2011

Achtung, Baby! Part 5

It was well after dark when Nate and Nevermore returned.

During the day, Aisling had briefed me on what Dad had asked her to convey to me, including handing over a few more gifts, including the very pen used by Michael Collins himself to sign the treaty with the British government creating the Irish Free State. Aisling explained that although it had no inherent powers of its own, it would allow me in the future to channel special powers from the "purviews" of Justice, Guardian, and War, said Aisling with uncertainty. I reassured her I knew what Dad meant. She also explained my engagement ring would "help you shoot better and help you fight better at close quarters with Gae Bolga...somehow."; Aisling looked a little confused as to how this could be possible but I again assured her I knew what Dad meant.

"Yer Dad also told me to do this," said Aisling, performing a ritual I wasn't quite familiar with and laying her hands upon my Irish Ranger Wing bullet proof vest. She produced a sheet of paper with a prayer scribbled in Old Irish in Ogham script, and then faithfully reproduced it in tiny letters upon my vest, repeating the prayer aloud from memory. The Ogham lettering glowed then faded and disappeared into the fabric of the vest. I felt the whole vest glow briefly and fill me with a magical warmth that faded a minute or so after the magical glow had faded.

We also talked briefly about our wedding plans...Aisling was pretty open to suggestion but on one thing she was firm: "Not Dublin.", she said.
Even though Dublin wasn't Chicago, Aisling had decided she didn't want a wedding in a big city of any kind. Just a simple country wedding, in the open air, she said wistfully.

I suggested the Sacred Hill of Tara, and Aisling agreed it would be nice, but wasn't sure Dad would approve...not just any Scion could ask to be wedded there, of all places. I suggested Mag Mell but Aisling stuck out her tongue...

"Not while SHE'S still running that show...no thank ye kindly...maybe we can renew our vows there when Master Gair grows up and takes over, but that's on down the road a bit..." said Aisling.

I noted it was a pity we couldn't invite Derrick to our wedding, as his geas would not allow him to attend. Same was likely true for Cordelia as well.

"Well, she was kind of a b*tch anyway...", said Aisling with a shrug.

I found I could talk to Aisling for hours and it never got old or boring. She knew me far to well to ever let that happen.

I looked up as Nate approached...

"So how'd it go?", I asked Nate, as he came back into the clearing.

"Not good.", said Nate.
He paused, then elaborated: "Yeah, apparently it's common knowledge around here that Hitler died in 1945 just like the history books say and all...see, I was trying to sorta bluff them that just maybe Der Führer was alive and well in Brazil, maybe and..."

I remembered this being the plot of a movie from the 1970s.

"You got that idea from the movies, right?", I inquired.

(Pause)

"Yeah."

"...and they didn't buy it?"

"No, not really. Didn't think it was very funny either."

"I'm genuinely shocked that failed, Nate, really I am.", I lied, resisting the urge to face-palm.

"So 'itler's dead'n'all, can't we just declare victory and go the hell home then?", said Nevermore only half-jokingly.

To our great surprise, Harlan and Ciara reappeared from the Fairy Circle of toadstools in the clearing mound, fully awake and with quite an adventure to relate to Nate and myself and Aisling. Harlan and Ciara stared at Aisling and I said formally, "Everyone, this is my fiancee, Aisling..."

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