Part 4: Ghillie Dhu

Aileen is bored. So much so, that I am beginning to fear that she very well may go off on her own in search of entertainment. She's already memorized the patterns in the bark of her tree, and she's seen enough insects to last her a lifetime. She's followed my guidelines thus far, but boredom can push many a person over the edge. Adventure is in that child's blood.

"Lachlan?"

"Yes, Aileen?"

"I'm boooored." Ah. So she finally cracked.

"I realize that." I stood up from the patch of grass I had been lying on, already accustomed to being human more often than not. "Would you like to go on an adventure?" Her eyes shone at the prospect of this change of pace, and her round cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Yes! When can we go?!" I smiled at her genuine enthusiasm. I have smiled so much more in this past week since I met Aileen.

"Right now, if that is what you wish."

She sprang up from her perch on the roots of a tree, hair in tangles yet again, and bounded towards me.

"Really? You mean it?!" Her small hands were clamped around my right arm, and she was all but hanging off of me.

"Yes. Come, and I will take you to see someone." I headed off in a southward direction, Aileen still attached to me like a giant leech. I really had no idea how I would find this acquaintance we were searching for, and I have not the slightest clue if he would reveal himself to us. I suppose at the very least, the walk around the unfamiliar parts of the forest can settle her restlessness for a while. I hold no hopes, but perhaps fate would come through for us once more.

We walked through the trees, the forest being so different in the morning sunlight compared to under the silver moon. Aileen was ogling the sights around her, bringing a sense of déjà vu upon me. I do have to wonder what goes on in that little head of hers, though. The girl had seen me devour a man, and held no fear. So bold was she, it was admirable.

Among the budding plants and saplings, multiple fairy rings could be seen in small clearings. I'm sure that if one delved deep enough in the forest, you could easily find a fair few amount of fairy mounds. This forest holds many secrets, and houses faeries of all kinds, both kind and malevolent. It truly is a magical place.

Aileen pointed to one of the more obvious rings, and asked what it was, wonder clear in her eyes. My heart warmed to see her in such a way.

"That's called a fairy ring. It causes either good or bad luck, depending on which clan it belongs to. It's a link to their magic, in a sense." She looked satisfied at my answer, and was content to continue taking in the rest of the wonders. Soon enough, we inevitably found ourselves just steps away from a fairy mound, just as I had predicted. Before I could stop her, Aileen got down to her hands and knees, and craned her head to try to see through the small tunnel.

"What's in here?" She was still bent down, and her voice echoed slightly down the passage. I gently pulled her up from the ground, ignoring her protests, and straightened her dirtied clothes.

"That, my dear, is a fairy mound. Careful though; the aes sídhe kidnap children. They may return you, but one cannot tell when." She immediately shut her mouth, and she eyed the sídhe warily, as if expecting it to swallow her at any given moment.

"But....why would they do that?" She looked down, just now comprehending that some faeries do more harm than good.

"Because they switch out their children with a human child. It is a custom their people have."

"But won't they miss their children?"

"Some do. That is why they take the human as a replacement. You see, it is said that they cannot provide the milk needed to nourish their children, and therefore need a human mother for that purpose. They return to their rightful homes eventually, but it's necessary for their kind's survival."

"Oh..." Aileen was torn on whether their actions are "good" or "bad." Morality, or necessity?

We walked a bit further before I gave her a break. She sat on the leaves left by birch trees growing with the now less common pines. We rest in silence, not caring for any talk right now, and just absorbed the sights and sounds around us. I still find it strange when a bird chirps, or a small pixie darts through the branches. Such things never happened in my part of the forest.

A rustling came from the branches above us, and I went to shield Aileen from whatever danger had found us. Tense seconds passed before a green mass fell from the branches. It landed with a loud thump, and writhed until it regained its footing. So it seems he did choose to reveal himself after all.

When steady, we could see that the creature was an aged man of small stature, garbed entirely in leaves and mosses. His black hair was wild, and he too donned slightly pointed ears. Ghillie Dhu is what we call him. Aileen looked at him strangely, and he peered back with wise eyes.

Tilting her head, she asked, "Who are you?"

He shifted uncomfortably until he answered, "I am known as Ghillie Dhu."

"Is that your real name?"

"It was what I was given," he replied cryptically.

"But what's your real name?" He paused, before replying in another riddle.

"Names hold power. My name is for me to know, and maybe for you to find out." He nodded sagely, as if this was a perfectly logical answer. "But can I ask for yours?" Aileen looked like she would refuse just to be stubborn, but changed her mind halfway.

"My name is Aileen." She stood straight and puffed out her chest proudly. Ghillie Dhu just chuckled at the ridiculous sight she made, but I let her have her fun. She suddenly remembered my presence, and stepped closer. "This is Lachlan." Ghillie Dhu's features tightened by just a fraction, but he addressed me to humor her.

"Hello...Lachlan," was his strained reply. He eyed me calculatingly.

"Greetings, Ghillie Dhu." My eyes silently told him 'Aileen is special. Don't mess this up.'

"And what might a young lady such as yourself be doing in a forest like this?" he asked, humor twinkling in his eyes. "This is a dangerous place, you know." Aileen puffed out her cheeks cutely.

"I'm not afraid," she said stubbornly. "After all, I have my big brother Lachlan to protect me." I just about choked when she said that. Since when have I been 'big brother?'

"Oh! Is that so." She nodded her head vigorously. "Then would you like to play a game?"

"Yes! Wait...it's not going to be one of those question games Lachlan likes so much, is it," she asked suspiciously. Ghillie Dhu shook his head no. "Oh. Then what game will we be playing?"

"A simple game of hide and seek," was his only reply.

"I bet I'll win," Aileen boasted. He said nothing in response, but a mischievous gleam took to his eyes.

"Oh, I'm sure you will. But you'll have to find me first." He left Aileen no time to reply, for a puff of green smoke had taken his place. "Catch me if you can," was his echoing taunt. Aileen stood shocked, but soon began her great quest of finding Ghillie Dhu. Their game went on for hours, with Aileen looking for the little man, then finally finding him in a tree's branches, or camouflaging with a bush. Then he'd pretend to look everywhere while Aileen attempts to stifle her giggles, just like the kind old man I was told he was.

And when Aileen complained that he was too hard to find, they moved on to the next game. On and on it went, and I would just silently sit on the sidelines, patiently waiting for her to remember me. I would let her have her fun, for even I am not so willful to deny her that much.

After a while, Ghillie Dhu stopped to look up at the sky, which was now showing a pink tint.

"Dusk is almost upon us. I think it's best you head on home now, Aileen. The forest is a dangerous place at night." She let out a sigh of disappointment, but resigned herself to her fate.

"Can we play again?" Her face begged him to say yes. It saddened me that I could provide no entertainment for her. Ghillie Dhu smiled kindly, and gave into her wishes. He lived for the children, and was far more capable of caring for them than I would ever be. Nothing I could do would change that.

"I thank you for caring for Aileen today." The wizened man gave a nod of acknowledgement. I looked at Aileen, who was now playing with a toadstool she had found, then pulled Ghillie Dhu aside to have a private conversation. "Ghillie Dhu, can I ask you something of great importance?" He nodded once, signaling for me to continue. "If anything happens to me, will you take care of Aileen? I fear I can keep her a secret no longer. Fortune has smiled upon us thus far, but this cannot last forever."

He thought for a moment, then nodded. "I will take care of the girl. We may not have agreed on many things in the past, but I can see that you love her. Perhaps not in any romantic sense, but you love all the same." My shoulders released some of their tension at his agreement, and relief flowed through my very being.

"I cannot thank you enough." I looked back to Aileen, and walked towards her. "Aileen, we must go home now." I glanced at Ghillie Dhu, and nodded once in farewell, before taking Aileen's hand in mine, and heading off in the direction we had come from. We had stayed far longer than I would have liked, and had little time to get back to safety.

I stopped, and disrobed to return to my original form of a horse. Now naked, I handed the clothes to Aileen, and morphed into the black stallion she was so familiar with. I placed her small form upon my back, allowing her fingers to intertwine in my mane, then sped off at a full gallop. She shrieked, but came to enjoy the ride after a moment or two.

Speeding through the trees, I once again had to fight the urge to latch onto her and plunge into the nearest body of water. I will be strong enough to protect her. And I refuse to lose to anyone; including my base instincts!  

The surroundings blurred, and halfway through the journey I slowed. I had tried to ignore it earlier, but I could pretend no longer. Someone, or something was following us, and I had no clue if it was friend or foe. I could sense Aileen's confusion, but she stayed silent feeling the tension in the air. I strained my ears for any noises that may be out of place, but the forest was silent. For what was supposed to be a friendlier part of the forest, it was too silent.

I could not transform again, or I will leave Aileen at risk of attack, but I could not call out to them in this form either....quite the predicament, if I do say so myself. I started walking again, on the alert. Surely they know that their presence has been revealed. If so, there are only two options: reveal oneself, or flee. Thus far, it seems they have no intention of doing either.

I forced my tense muscles to move us towards my home. I will not show weakness. After so long alone in this dark forest, Aileen was like a breath of fresh air with promises of Spring. I can't lose her. Not now.

I started sprinting in hopes of shaking our stalker off my tail, and raced through the trees. Shadows now clung to the trees, and darkness had fallen. My chest heaved with exertion, but I pushed myself to go farther. Just a bit more--

We finally broke through the treeline, and I could feel our pursuer's hesitation to be out in the open. To fight in my home territory would be most unwise, if I do say so myself. I felt smug that they would not get Aileen today. Their presence faded, and I could only feel my neighbors nearby. I've been most fortunate for them to have respect enough to know that Aileen is off limits. But I know that this peace will never last. Proof of this has just run off, sure to spread the word of a human in the forest. And mark my words, they will be back.