The Curse of Inis Seacht

Copyright (C) 2017 Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

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The Curse of Inis Seacht

A Fae Tale of Eile

by Jenna Elizabeth Johnson

Aneira stood her ground as the rest of the villagers scattered like mice disturbed from their nests. It was mid-afternoon on Samhain, and that evening they would light the great bonfire at the stone circle and offer up their thanks for a bountiful harvest. But not before the tithe was paid to the creature who had come to collect his goods. Just as he'd done every year before, the Collector had arrived at sunset, crossing the dark waters of Lake Ohll in his sturdy boat to demand payment from the poor villagers. Aneira had never feared him, even as a girl, even when the cloak he wore covered his entire body, face and all, sending all the other girls into fits of hysteria as they imagined what gruesome visage might lie beneath that hood. She did not fear him, perhaps, because she had never feared anything. Even when her eyesight began to fade away at the age of five, and even when her own glamour did not begin to manifest until two years ago.

Aneira's glamour was different than that of her peers, being both a gift and a curse. Although her blindness caused her to walk in a constant fog, her natural Faelorehn glamour offered her a different perspective of her world. In her mind, people, animals, plants and even objects appeared as blossoms of glorious color in her head. And the kinder of heart, the more pure of spirit the person or being, the brighter their aura appeared to her. So, perhaps that was the true reason behind her lack of horror regarding the Collector. This creature, this mangled and disfigured stranger who was feared by all, had the brightest essence she had ever seen in a living thing. Despite his outward appearance, and his harsh words, true goodness burned within.

It was Aneira's father who stepped forth when it was their turn to pay the tithe.

"P-please, sir. We had a wealth of honey set aside for you, collected from our own hives, but this morning when I went to gather the jars to bring into town ..."

His voice trailed off, his throat closing around the words.

"They were gone, sir," Aneira's mother cried. "We searched everywhere."

The Collector growled in response, "All must give payment. No exceptions."

The crowd passed around hushed exclamations, backing away from this creature. They had paid their tithes and only remained to see what became of Aneira's family.

Aneira squared her shoulders and stepped forward.

"You must take me, as payment. I am my parents' only child, truly more valuable to them than any trinket or harvested crop. We cannot afford to give you any of our extra stores in place of the honey, or my family will go hungry come the winter."

The young woman's voice trembled as she spoke, but she refused to back down. She sensed the man standing before her, tall, strong, oozing menace. But that part of her mind that could see into the hearts of others painted an entirely different picture. A soul as brilliant as the sun, as multicolored as a spring day in Eile, radiated past all the layers of darkness and menace.

"Very well," the man replied. "My boat awaits on the shore. Let us leave before true dark sets in."

Aneira's mother rushed forth. "No! Aneira! You mustn't go with him!"