Part 1

In which the song is sung.

In the days of old, the Sidhe walked among mortal man. They had their mounds back then, where they danced and mere mortals would be snared at night. However, they would be more apt to come out in the day and mingle with mortals then. Every now and then lass would go chasing after those lords or the lords would have affair with the fair maidens. This tale however is that of true lovers twixt the daughter of man and a son of Sidhe. For no matter the distance, true love will cross it all, no matter what befalls two lovers.

 

Part 1

 

A man, with hair as red as that of fire’s flame stood there among his personal body guards, visiting and inspecting the wares of the market at Meidi. The market was full of gay characters and gay colours. He was Lord Darach, one of the immortal Sidhe who lived ‘neath the ground of the lands. Many ladies set their eyes on this fair piece of work, but Darach never paid attention to one eye batted eye. He seemed content to be staying celibate as some Druids were wont.

 

"M’lord, would you please look at my wares? My cloth is one of the smoothest around, perfect for a lady or even ceremonial purposes. It is grand cloth gentil lord," said a small female voice. She was rather shy young lass, barely fifteen winters since she had been born, but she was proud of her work and her tenor came through. The Lord Darach smiled and walked over the young lady’s wares, to view the cloth. He may not have his eyes on a potential mate, but he could easily buy such fine cloth for his dame.

 

"Ah, such grandeur cloth! It is the fairest my eyes have ever set upon!" He smiled at the young woman. The young woman smiled back meekly, becoming quickly distracted to seemingly be meek and demure.

 

"Sister dear, I haft new cloth for thy," cried a flourishing warm voice. A slightly older woman with golden hair and eyes as blue as the ocean, she must not have been more than seventeen winters and was as green as the spring in its heights. The young lady presented a finely woven cloth died a beautiful green upon the stand behind the table full of markets wares.

 

She waved at her sister, smiling and began to walk off, "Excuse me m’lords, I am off to the Beltane festival!"

 

"Milady, pray, tell me, what is thine name" asked one of the guards of Darach?

 

"It is Aislinn, daughter of Liam; please no formalities with me, it is not desired! I am no daughter or a lord or lady or have any claims to land. My only claim lay in the craft that I call mine." With a flourish wave of her hand, she walked off into the crowd.

 

Darach was struck in that moment with a craving to go after her. He looked at his men and noticed it too. With her golden hair shining amongst the light, bringing out shining blue depths of her eyes, she was gem, most likely coveted by her family. Maybe it was a mere fantasy, a fixation of the moment, but his heart entreated him to go after the young woman. His guards must be wondering too, was she claimed? He smiled, without realizing it in his daydreams, he had slipped through the crowd away from his protectors. He came to a stop afore the group of bards who had just begun to perform the songs and the music. Darach studied around him, noticing he had slipped away, finally.

"Kynrede, I finally spotted you! I want thee meet a fair friend of my sister’s!" Darach looked over at his cousin. Trailing behind him was the lady he had just met, Aislinn.

 

"Ah, kynrede, we have just met, the lady Aislinn and I. Are thou the one who makes such lovely cloths," Darach enquired.

 

"No, it is my esteemed dame." Aislinn answered, her blue eyes blinking wide; "Though I fond of the artisan crafts. I take pleasure in creating pottery." Aislinn smiled at Darach. Darach’s kinsman secretly left the two alone, tip toeing away.

 

The bards played a testing note, signaling to the crowd that they were just about to begin. Darach pleaded, "May I have this dance or shall we go somewhere else, where it will be much quieter."

"Let us go to a place much quieter, I know the perfect spot! Follow me," she cried excitedly! Aislinn weaved in and out of the crowd, her soft coloured green cloth not so easy to spot within the vibrantly coloured crowd. Only her golden hair that must truly come from the sunlight was easy to spot against the few other golden-haired fellows. Darach managed to catch up to Aislinn and the two quietly slipped away into a grove.

 

"I love this place, it is so beautiful and peaceful," Aislinn whispered in a reverie. Darach silently agreed that this was a beautiful place. Ivy wrapped around the trees, while the most perfect flowers of roses, daisies, and amaranths, the light filtered through the tree tops to light up the grove-aye the place was perfect in so many ways. Towards the north side, a small waterfall around five feet fell into a pool that drew away from the grove as a stream. Then, just beyond the grove was another opening that led to a meadow surrounded by another grove of trees.

 

Aislinn walked into a ray of light midst the center of the grove. The ray lit up her hair, played upon her clothes, making her entire self sparkle. She raised her voice quietly into a song, her voice filling in with a depth of range the silences that existed – except for the water. It may have been quiet, except the notes were strong beyond definition. It was a simple song and ended all too quickly for Darach’s delight.

 

"Thou haft a fair voice Aislinn," Darach said joining her in the light. He looked down at her, though he was only several inches taller.

 

Aislinn smiled warmly at him, "Thanks m’lord."

 

Darach tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, "I am Darach. Please call me that. I may be a Sidhe Lord, but to my freends, I am Darach."

 

She smiled, "Okay!" Aislinn moved, taking Darach’s hand and they sat together on a rock. They stayed silent, only being serenade by the dialect and song of the forest. The birds wove through the tree branches, their babies had not been born yet, they even a doe and her fawn, a family of foxes, and the forest was truly alive in this grove. The light all too soon faded into twilight.

 

"Tis twilight Aislinn, we should head back." Aislinn nodded her head, then Darach took her hand and led her back out of the forest, "we should meet again, friend."

 

"We should. How about when the Luna will be full, here, that is coming up," she suggested.

"That would have been well, except I am required to attend to my people during then," he whispered. Aislinn stopped short studying Darach’s eyes that were now the darkness of the forest at night.

 

"Then I will go with thee to meet your people. It is not wrong for me to join you," she enquired? His darkened eyes studied her lighter ones, what he looked for, Aislinn did not know.

"I would accept, magic with us is at it’s potency during the full moon, I am aferd the lure would be too much for thou."

"Do not worry for me! I will be fine!" Aislinn confidently promised Darach and offered him a smile filled with just that. Darach nodded and agreed.

Indeed fellows that was how they first had met, on Beltane day. Lovers fires’ were meant to be created during the night, it was common among the celebration of Beltane. Love, sensuality, and sex were all that existed within a Beltane. This was how they lived, in celebration of the seasons and the passing of years. For now, they existed carefree of any war and pray so for many more years to come.