the wind calls me home again [Sadhbh]

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

24 January 2028

January was the most solemn month of the year for druids, and that fact was reflected everywhere around them on the island. There were no celebrations, no important milestones, no large gatherings of druids for an entire month. The island was strangely serene instead, with a natural soundtrack of dragon roars in the distance, the bone-chilling songs of the Mermish, and the muted vibrancy of the Wildwood. Even so, Aidan was happy to be home. There were so many places on the mainland he’d found that made him happy – his cozy little flat absolutely bursting with magical plants, the mooncalf enclosure with Eli on a full moon, warm and bright days with Brígh when she was home from her cursebreaker work.

But there was only one place that made him feel at peace, and that was Hy-Brasil. There was magic in every inch of the island, soaked into the waters of the coast and until the high peaks of the Dragon’s Tooth. He could spend a sunrise in silence watching the bowtruckles build their nests, or a wild afternoon in his Animagus form running alongside the unicorn herd with the wind tearing through his fur. Aidan had spent the morning with his da, helping him with some of the farmwork, but then he’d gone trailing off after a porlock and spent all afternoon observing (until it got its hoof caught in a root and Aidan had dutifully helped). So it was the mourning month, but beyond that…it was a time to remember the simple pleasures of the island.

He supposed he’d wandered away from his family’s fields because Aidan soon spotted what appeared to be an overlarge wine barrel in the distance. The Wormwood Cottage, and their closest neighbors to the south. He brightened and changed his trajectory, letting his feet follow him down the familiar path to see Sadhbh. Aidan sent her letters, whenever he remembered, but he hadn’t seen much of the older druid since leaving the island to start his apprenticeship in the mainland. She was a rather traditional druid, at least in her decision to stay on Hy-Brasil, and Aidan vastly admired (and slightly envied) her for it. She was the pinnacle of cool, as far as he was concerned. He knocked enthusiastically on the door, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited for an answer.

sadhbh wormwood

[sadhbh wormwood]

January 24, 2028

Owing to the lack of festivities on Hy-Brasil during the month of January, it was the one month a year when it was guaranteed that the Druids who inhabitated the island could reflect and carry out their traditional rituals without the interference of tourists. The tourists to the island weren't all bad, of course; some of them had come to appreciate Hy-Brasil so much that they had been brought into the Druid community, but the peace and quiet was nice amidst the somber mood that hung over the island each year. (Not having to stop what she was doing and switch to speaking in English for the benefit of mainlanders was another perk for Sadhbh, certainly.)

Agriculture didn't stop just because the pace of life had slowed down on Hy-Brasil, and Sadhbh had been busy helping her family with their preparations for the next growing season. It was still too cold outside to plant new grapevines, but they were getting closer to warmer spring days and to being outside in the fresh air once again.

The sound of a knock at the door to her family's cottage prompted her to stop what she was doing, though, to see who was there. Whenever possible, people on Hy-Brasil tried to help out one another, trading their respective goods and services as needed to ensure that everyone was provided for. Most likely, Sadhbh imagined, that was why someone had stopped by.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Aidan bounced on the heels of his feet for a second, but he got distracted once the door didn’t immediately fly open. His eyes began to wander, and his head tilted curiously as he spotted what was surely the nest of a golden snidget. He’d spent enough time climbing trees in the Wildwood to recognize one on sight, after all. Aidan wandered off the front path and craned his neck to study the immaculate little nest, not bigger than the palm of his hand. The golden bird returned a few moments later and Aidan brightened as he watched it add a little branch to its careful arrangement of sticks. He was careful not to go poking around with his hands, but couldn’t help lean in more to watch with wide eyes.

He watched as it flew off again, and he glanced back around to take in his surroundings. He’d visited the Wormwoods a fair amount over the years – the island survived on bartering and social calls, after all, and his family had done plenty of both. Still, it had been many months since Aidan’s last visit and he came as a dog more often than not. It was easier to be an Animagus on the island, and he felt a strange itching in the back of his head if he went too long without indulging the urge to transform. He was torn out of that thought by the telltale sound of hinges as the door opened.

He bounced back over to the front door, since surely Sadhbh would be wondering who had knocked. “I’m back!” Aidan announced happily, taking in a moment to study the familiar redhead’s expression before wrapping his arms around her excitedly. Technically speaking, he should be a little more somber in public during the mourning month – but this was hardly a public space. And anyway, he hadn’t seen Sadhbh in ages and the emotions were leaking out of him. He shot her a bright grin as he pulled back. “And you have a new nest,” he said matter-of-factly, like this was an equally important observation as the obvious one that he’d come to visit.

sadhbh wormwood

[sadhbh wormwood]

January 24, 2028

"I'm back!"

While some of the Druids who had moved away from Hy-Brasil made it a point not to return to their peaceful island home, not all of them were inclined to forget about the place from where they had come. Some people might have begged to disagree, but that was even true of some of the youngest Druids who had become of age. Though they had gone off to pursue educational or employment opportunities that didn't exist on Hy-Brasil, some of their young adults really did come back. Maybe not all of them made the decision to come back forever, but they did return occasionally.

Aidan Ó Cuinn, whose family lived in the Gardens of Grafmer near the Wormwoods, was one of the young adults who hadn't forgotten their Druid roots. He also happened to be the person at her door, having announced his arrival to her. Sadhbh smiled at him but didn't have the opportunity to say anything to him before he wrapped her in a hug. Although Sadhbh was tall herself, Aidan still managed to stand about an inch taller, but he had never become as broad-shouldered as his relatives.

It had been some time since Aidan had been home to Hy-Brasil to visit, and Sadhbh was happy to see him despite the more funereal atmosphere that January brought with it each year. No one was going to scold either of them for hugging, nor did Sadhbh think that anyone would scold Aidan for remaining bright and cheerful for a few minutes. The gods wouldn't possibly be angered by that, either, she felt. They surely knew what a joy it was for someone to return home to Hy-Brasil.

"And you have a new nest," he added.

Sadhbh paused for a second until she understood what Aidan meant. "Ah, the Golden Snidgets?" she asked him with interest. They were fragile little birds, and she understood that they were protected creatures on the mainland because of it. It was good to hear that they had nested again, and hopefully more would hatch later in the spring once the weather warmed. That was another reason to be thankful to the gods, Sadhbh thought, stepping back to allow Aidan to enter her family's home.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

It was hard to remember that he was supposed to be somber, at least as far as the rest of the island was concerned. But he couldn’t help it. Returning to Hy-Brasil was always a reason to be happy, regardless of the occasion, and he wasn’t good at pretending. The simple pleasures of the island were one of the things that kept him going, that reminded him of everything that made life worth living for. The Wildwood in his imagination was his soundtrack to sleep at night, the sight of the sunrise was a reminder of waking up at dawn to join his da in the fields. Those memories were the brightest things in his life, even if it didn’t occupy the only spot in his heart anymore.

But even if it was too easy to float into one of his daydreams, Aidan kept himself as focused as possible. He’d missed Sadhbh. The druids on the island either tended to be so keen to join the mainland that they didn’t understand the way Aidan missed his home, or so inward-focused that they couldn’t understand the things there were to learn outside. Even so, she was one of the only druids of the more traditional lot that didn’t judge him for the decisions that he’d made. Aidan knew he always had someone to write to, talk with, to discuss the heavier worries in his mind. The sort of things he didn’t want his parents hearing about…

Never mind that. He was just happy to see her and the hug was warm with the usual scent of grapes on the breeze like he could always expect at the Wormwood home. Aidan informed her about the nest he’d spotted and she nodded like she’d been expecting to hear something. He grinned at her. It was hard to tell what surprised Sadhbh because she took everything in stride. He nodded and pointed out the work of art that was the Golden Snidget nest. But then a new smell invaded his brain and Aidan perked up at the thought of food, so he promptly entered the huge wine barrel and bounded in. “Oh! Ma said to invite you all for dinner after Imbolc,” Aidan suddenly remembered. That was a yearly tradition between the two families, even if he hadn’t made it home for the last spring festival.

sadhbh wormwood

[sadhbh wormwood]

January 24, 2028

Aidan drew her attention to the Golden Snidgets' nest, which was exciting to see. Sadhbh didn't want to scare the birds off, though, so she made sure to keep her excitement to herself. Hopefully, the Golden Snidgets would be content to maintain their home there into the future.

After their hug, Aidan, still visibly eager to be there, mentioned that his mother had told him to invite their family to dinner for after Imbolc. Though it was an annual occurrence for the Ó Cuinns and the Wormwoods, Sadhbh was happy to receive the invitation. "Yes, that would be wonderful. Thank you," she replied to Aidan. She would need to confirm the plans with her family members, but there was no reason in the world why they wouldn't agree to come. It was very rare, in her experience, for anyone on Hy-Brasil to turn down the hospitality of another. Most people on the island got along well with one another. They were all connected back through the generations, and they tried to maintain those ties as best they could.

"I hope you'll come, too," Sadhbh added. The mainland wasn't all there was, and she wanted to encourage Aidan to try to come back to Hy-Brasil more often if he could.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

It had been an immensely jarring culture shock for Aidan to leave the island for the mainland, but there were some small things that he’d become accustomed to over the years. But that just made it harder to visit home sometimes, because it reminded him of all the little ways he’d changed. He supposed change was a natural thing, something that belonged to the world and not only to wizards, but it made him wonder what about him had changed. If it was only the things he could see, or other deeper things that evaded his notice. Which, truthfully, wasn’t hard to do. His teachers had always lamented his short attention span.

But the birds was one sign of the little changes he’d gotten used to. The mainland saw them as pests. If he’d said such a thing to someone else in the building, they’d have called a specialist to get rid of the birds. It had shocked him, but he’d gotten used to the dismissive way mainland wizards viewed their creatures. But it was different on Hy-Brasil. Sadhbh simply accepted the Golden Snidgets as a natural development, a little neighbor in the wine barrel along with the rest of the family. They were as natural to the scenery as the fields or creeping ivy around the wood of the barrel. Aidan soaked in the sight for another moment before they went inside.

As he’d thought, Sadhbh seemed pleased at the invitation. That was what he’d expected, since the Wormwoods were their closest neighbors in this direction and the families had had lots of contact over the generations. There were some things that time simply couldn’t change. “I will!” Aidan said eagerly when Sadhbh said she’d hoped he would come. “I’ll bring my girlfriend too. She loves Hy-Brasil, and there’ll be so much to show her.” Aidan’s chattering came as second-nature and he talked almost idly as his eyes roamed around the familiar sights of Sadhbh’s home. “Will you play the harp?” he asked curiously.

sadhbh wormwood

[sadhbh wormwood]

January 24, 2028

Aidan agreed to come back to Hy-Brasil for the meal that his family had invited hers to share with them. It would be a joyous occasion, indeed, Sadhbh thought, and there seemed to be yet another reason to celebrate despite the somber month: He told her that he was going to bring his girlfriend. She loved Hy-Brasil, he said, and he had a lot to show her there. Sadhbh's eyes lit up with his news. Aidan had a girlfriend, and she must have been a mainlander by the way he was describing her.

Without question, she would pray that both Aidan and his girlfriend would be able to come to Hy-Brasil for dinner. It wasn't often that people from the mainland decided to marry into the Druid community anymore, but Aidan's girlfriend would be welcomed with open arms.

"Will you play the harp?" he asked.

"Of course I will." Sadhbh nodded. Her harp could be used to conduct magic, too, in the same way that a wand could, but its size meant that she couldn't easily carry it around for that purpose. It made beautiful music, however, and she was glad that Aidan was so appreciative of it. "Would you like me to play it now?" She could play a folk song befitting of the Time of Passing.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

Aidan set about re-familiarizing himself with the wine barrel, much like a dog would do when it found something familiar. But then again, little habits from his Animagus form always seemed to trickle into his regular life too, or so his ma complained when Aidan tried his puppy eyes when asking for extra dessert. It didn’t seem to have changed much, and Aidan nodded at every familiar thing he found until he returned to Sadhbh. The reminder that Imbolc was almost here excited him, as did the prospect of bringing Brígh back to the island. She’d seemed to enjoy visiting in the past, and his family seemed to like her (it helped that she blended in really well with her red hair and freckles).

“Yes please!” Aidan chirped as Sadhbh offered to play a song on the harp. January was one of the hardest months of the year for Aidan, if only because he forgot to be somber and contemplative in public. He liked parties and music and cheerful conversation, all things that seemed to clash with the spirit of remembering their ancestors and mourning their losses. He was quite eager for spring to start, but until then – he could count on Sadhbh to play a nice appropriate song for the month while still finding a way to make it beautiful.

“I made plans to visit the merfolk tomorrow,” Aidan informed her as he waited for her to set up the harp, “So I might play them a song too. Sometimes they trade me pearls for things from the surface.” He hadn’t been in ages, so he was cheerfully anticipating all the places he would go tomorrow once he had free rein around the island. He’d found some dragon teeth that one of the baby dragons in the reserve had lost in the natural course of things, so he’d brought those along with some other little treasures from the mainland.

sadhbh wormwood

[sadhbh wormwood]

January 24, 2028

Aidan was eager to hear her play something on her harp, and Sadhbh nodded. She moved further into the house, going to where her harp sat. She listened as Aidan told her about how he was planning to visit the merpeople the next day, and she pulled up a chair to her instrument as Aidan spoke.

"I made plans to visit the merfolk tomorrow, so I might play them a song too. Sometimes they trade me pearls for things from the surface."

Not that Sadhbh was romantic at all, but she did have an immediate thought. "You could have a pearl turned into jewelry for your girlfriend," she suggested to Aidan as she sat down at the instrument and thought through what to play on it. If someone on Hy-Brasil wasn't able to do that for him, then someone on the mainland probably could.

Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn

[Aidan Evander Ó Cuinn]

It was easy to find the harp, and Aidan plopped himself down on a vaguely chair-like surface to listen as Sadhbh prepared her instrument (in a round-shaped home, basically nothing was out of sight – that made it easy to find what you were looking for). He definitely didn’t have the patience for an instrument that couldn’t be moved easily, but that just made him appreciate those who did more. Music was an integral part of gatherings on Hy-Brasil, but his family didn’t have many harp-players. Aidan couldn’t even remember if he’d ever tried to accompany a harp before.

“That’s a good idea!” Aidan responded eagerly as Sadhbh brought up some ideas about what else he could do with the pearls. “She likes shiny things. She works for a bank,” Aidan continued matter-of-factly, although ‘working for a bank’ sort-of undersold the whole experience. Cursebreaking was a lot more than just your average bank-going experience – Brígh’s stories included a lot of danger and intrigue, and Aidan thought she probably wasn’t exaggerating most of the details. But she had a good eye for valuables and good instincts for finding herself good adventures. Aidan was just happy to give her little gifts that didn’t involve mortal danger or goblins.

“Do you make jewelry too?” Aidan asked, tilting his head curiously as he considered the thought. Sadhbh’s family were long-established winemakers, but family tradition didn’t stop some druids from branching out and starting little side ventures. It was like that in Aidan’s family, at least. The whole lot of them were farmers and Herbologists, but sometimes an aunt or cousin decided to sell cider or dabble in healing with hard-to-find magical plants. And Sadhbh seemed like the clever sort – grounded in druid traditions, but still willing to understand new ideas. It wouldn’t surprise Aidan to know she had a hundred hidden skills.

sadhbh wormwood