True-silver
The stories I were tellin' to me grandkids were about to take another turn. I hoped me daughters wouldn't renew their efforts to soften me tale...
'Followin' the reunitin' of the Five Sisters, Beannaithe and Mac paid a visit to the River-woman.
"Thank you, child, for calming the waters of my daughters,' the River-woman said to the lass. "I hope that I may call on you again should the need arise."
Beannaithe were very surprised to hear this. The lass had hoped that her dealin's with the peculiar and occasionally tempestuous river-maidens were over. However, bein' unable to deny the River-woman, Beannaithe consented with a smile and a nod of her head.
The lass mounted her pony then rode for her home in Lyndelby for a brief respite before her next adventure. Beannaithe's family welcomed her warmly, and made sure she had plenty to eat.
"You never eat enough when you're out adventurin' or whatever it is you do," her mother, the farmer's daughter, told her. When Beannaithe looked to her granda for support he merely shrugged. Bein' a dutiful daughter, the lass ate another spoonful of whatever dish her mother put before her.
Hearin' that Beannaithe had returned to the village, the blacksmith paid her a visit. He marvelled at the quality of the workmanship of the Armour of the Aes Sídhe when the lass showed it to him. Forgettin' for a moment that Beannaithe were mute he asked her, "What sort of metal is this, lass?" She merely shrugged and blushed. She did not know.'
'What sort of metal were it, Granda?' Diolun asked.
'It's difficult to say for certain, lad,' I answered him, 'but it may have been forged from a rare metal found only in the Dwarf-mines of the Misty Mountains.'
'What metal is that?' Daibhidh asked.
'The Dwarves are a secretive folk,' I answered him. 'They are unwilling to yield to their secrets to outsiders, or to only very few.'
'Why's that?' asked Darowva.
'I reckon that in the past their skill and labour have been exploited by outsiders, and they've become wary because of it,' I explained.
'Do others besides the Dwarves have a name for this metal?' Daibidh asked.
'Aye, they do,' I replied. 'The Fair Folk have their own word for it. The Big Folk simply call it "true-silver".'
'True-siver!' exclaimed Dooli in awe. 'I warrant that it fetches quite a price!'
'I'd say it's priceless,' I replied before continuin' me story:
'Hopin' that her next destination would be revealed, on evenin's when the sky were clear Beannaithe would creep out at midnight to dance in the fairy circle but nothin' happened. Áine weren't appearin' in the lass's dreams, either.
Beannaithe recalled the Lady of Light stating that their great enemy dwelt east of the Great River. The lass decided that she and Mac would travel to the haunted forest on the eastern shore opposite the land of Dreamflower. It is said that in a fortress upon the Hill of Dark Magic within the haunted fortress dwelt Balor of the Piercin' Eye, the leader of the Fomóraigh.'
'Well, me piercin' eye sees a handful of lads and lasses in need of their beds,' says me daughter Ériu.
'I'm not needin' any sleep just yet!' says a yawnin' Diolun, clearly in denial of the truth of it.
'Yes, you are!' says Darowva.
'And so are you, love,' Ériu gently says to her.
'Time for your beds, me wee darlin's,' I says to me grandkids. 'Oíche mhaith!'
Yawnin' a bit themselves, Ériu and her sisters Fódla and Banba led their wee ones off to their beds.
'Good night, Granda!' say me grandkids.
