"Alright, let's get moving before people wake up. Thorun, are you coming?"
Stripping off his backpack and taking only his knives, Ruadhán slips into the water and heads out across the water.
Sister Cobhlaith eyes her feet, clad in traveling boots, then removes the boots and ties them securely to her horse.
She wades into the water, looking at Thorun for assistance.
"surely it is faster to just swim across with Ruadhan?"
"Aye, let's go steal us a boat." Thorun wades into the water.
As Cobhlaith wades into the water, she begins to doubt herself. The other shore seems suddenly quite far and, when her undergown clings heavily to her body, she realizes that the crossing would allow for very little modesty...
Thorun and Ruadhan undress and, taking with them only sheathed knives tied around their waists, dive in.
"Trust me sister, just let them do their job." Aoife said to Cobhlaith. "The church doesn't teach you to swim, so I'd just wait over here till they bring the boat back. Unless you are a strong swimmer you'll only be a hindrance to them." Aoife told her bluntly.
Sister Cobhlaith feels the current tugging at her legs as she wades tentatively into the water. Then it grabs at the bottom of her gown and starts to pull more strongly.
This is not a good idea!
She turns as Aoife speaks, and with wide eyes, nods solemnly.
"You're right. Swimming was not in the lessons that I studied. I've heard sailors say that it's better not to know how to swim, so you'll drown faster and not prolong your agony.
"But not today. I'm waiting here, as you suggest."
Aoife gave a small chuckle at the sister's words. "Trust me when I say, don't worry if you can't do something. We'll cover what you can't do. We've always do our best to bring you back alive." Aoife said.
Slipping into the water, Ruadhán strikes out for the other side, a couple of sections of river catch him with tricky currents, slowing his progress before he makes the other side. Dragging himself out he takes a moment or two to catch his breath and see how Thorun is doing.
Daire keeps quiet and keeps his ears open for trouble.
No need to make more noise just yet.
"Don't all cross at once, cross in pairs with the strong swimmers watching in case somebody gets caught up in the current." Thorun goes to lead one of the horses across.
no progress
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While Ruadhan swims easily to the other shore, Thorun has trouble leading the nervous horse across. What should have taken seconds takes interminable minutes as Thorun struggles to keep the horse afloat. Again and again, the horse goes under, and again and again, Thorun, ever stubborn and steadfast, leads it back to the surface.
Finally, exhausted, Thorun reaches the northern shore of the river Erne.
Sister Cobhlaith sits back near Daire, somewhat out of sight, but still in her long linen gown, waiting patiently for help in crossing the river.
Daire, to pass the time, chats with Cobhlaith.
"So Sister, what did inspire you to take the vows?"
"Bloody beast! Bahh!" Thorun ropes off the horse with a snear and goes back to continue getting everybody across.
Frustrated, Thorun prepares himself to cross anew... Ruadhan ties a rope to the horse and hands his companion the other end. Thorun of course understands. With the rope tied around his waist, he swims across quickly.
He ties the rope around Sister Cobhlaith who, rather than attempting to swim, allows herself to be pulled across by her old friend. They make it back across safely and then Thorun swims back across to safely ferry Daire across.
Finally, he crosses one last time to then swim back together with Aoife and the horse in tow.
With a sigh of relief, Sister Cobhlaith squeezes the water out of her linen shift, and unpacks her black gown, cloak, and veil. Turning away from the shore, she dresses quickly, She fingers her Paternoster beads with a quick prayer and then turns back to the rest of the party.
"Many thanks to you, Thorun, for bringing me across. Aoife was right, it was better to wait. I hope we don't have any more big rivers to cross."
Leaving her shoes in the pack, and her feet bare, she gives a handful of grass to her mount. "We made it."
She sits on a large rock, waiting for everyone else to sort themselves out and remount.
To Daire she says, "The BOOKS! Do you know how many books there are in monasteries? And they all have so much knowledge!!
She smiles mischievously.
"How else was I going to be allowed to read all those books?"
As she speaks with Daire, she looks around, still worried that someone might have seen or heard their crossing.
Collecting his equipment from it's place strapped to his horse, Ruadhán hopes that the bowstring and flights will dry out before they are needed, and stashes them as best he can to dry. Feeling more comfortable with his shield and darts back in hand, he scans around to make sure they haven't been found yet and to find the route onwards.
"Right, are we happy that the is the way? Then let's get going. If the situation is as you suggested before, then we need to move quickly and quietly away from here."
"Ask?" Aoife questioned as she looked to Cobhlaith. Then she made sure all of their food and such was alright in the saddle bags.
"Now, if all of you are alright, let us get moving. If we waist another day I might just drag us all through enemy territory because at least then there would be a road!" Aoife told them.
Sister Cobhlaith grimaces.
"Asking is likely to get you sent back to your spinning" she says.
"Even as a religious, I'm often turned away because I'm not a man. When I was younger, there was not so much pressure, but these days, there seems to be less acceptance of women as scholars."
The reforms are needed, but why do they have to be accompanied with so much hostility towards women as the source of sin? Thank goodness it is not so bad here as it is in other lands.
"I find when you learn how to use a blade that goes away." Aoife said with a slightly sarcastic tone. Oddly enough the fact she was a woman who could handle a blade had yet to come up in anything she did... though that might have been because she was fighting those who might complain.
"Was there ever acceptance?" Aoife asked as she mounted her horse. "Men can't handle it when a woman can do something better than them. Or well most men. Thorun and Ruadhán haven't complained to me when I do something better than them. I actually think Ruadhán was impressed with my hunting skills."
"Oh yes, think of the Blessed Brigid at Kildare. It has not always been this way."
"A woman of letters? An all-too rare breed! I find they make for more intriguing company.", Daire says with a grin.
With a somewhat more serious expression, he continues:
"When we have a little time and are in somewhere drier, to keep the devil from our idle hands, I have a tome that you might find a fine read. And I would look over that fine bible of yours."
*************
Once across the river:
"Thanks be to God and good swimmers!"
While looking around for witnesses to their crossing:
"Talent is talent, given by God and left wherever He wills it. Be in the shell of man - or woman. Just make sure you use it, or He will not be happy!"
"A book? Oh, I'd love to see it! And of course you can take a look at the Bible. I'm St. Fethlimidh's Church in Kilmore. I've been asked to help start a scriptorium there."
But somehow I've gotten myself caught up in this rescue. But I should end up back in Cavan with at the end.
"Most excellent! It is a comprehensive work of genealogy of the noble houses. Very comprehensive. I will ask how a scholar ended up on this little trip north."
As they dry themselves and prepare to embark on the next leg of their journey, yesterday's ordeal seems already far away. Surely, these tests are occasions to forge bonds that will matter later, when swords are drawn...
Sister Cobhlaith moves slowly next to Aoife and quietly whispers.
"Don't look, but there are three children right over there. The boys look older, but there's a little girl as well. Shall we split around the boulders and walk over there together as if we were looking for a place to relieve ourselves?
"I think we may be able to persuade the little girl that we are not fearsome."
"Aoife, before we mount, I need to find a spot for necessary business. Would you come with me?"
"Of course, after all I'm kinda the only one who can." Aoife said as she motioned for Cobhlaith to lead the way.
Cobhlaith's suggestion seems unbelievable under the circumstances, but nevertheless, Aoife proves so convincing that Ruadhan himself is confused. He points away from the kids, inviting the ladies to head in that direction.
Then, he sees both Cobhlaith's uncertainty and Aoife's nod, and he understands that they too noticed the spies.
Daire idles while the two ladies head off to attend to their bodily needs.
When they had gotten far enough from the group, Aoife broke away from the Sister. Creeping back to take the children by surprise and cut off their ability to run away.
Cobhlaith tries to look as if her only concern is finding a private spot.
Aoife and Cobhlaith step away from the men, making their way to a copse of blooming yellow furze. Cobhlaith hides there, while Aoife creeps back and around to take the children by surprise. Wearing the exquisite pelt cloak of the Wolves of Largay, she seems to almost disappear. She comes upon the children who still are spying on Ruadhan, Daire, and Thorun. They are unaware that they are now being watched...
Aoife who got as close to the children as she could without alerting them, readied herself to grab one before she spoke. It was softly, and nontheatening, but she knew it would send the kids running either way. After all they had been caught. "Why are we spying?"
As soon as Cobhlaith hears Aoife's voice she steps out on the other side of the children and moves as close to the small girl as she can, slipping behind her if possible.
She too readies herself to grab the girl if she turns or runs
"Come on then guys, let us give the ladies some space, they can catch us up."
As the guys prepare to head out, Ruadhán moves closer to Thorun and Daire. "Thorun, that strap looks to have come loose, crossing the river, no, no, this one. Oh and Daire, you still have water caught in that bag, you might want to empty it." when he gets closer, he whispers to them what is going on and to continue to play along.
"Ah, so I have!"
Daire does indeed play along.
The children are caught completely unaware and seem about to bolt, but there is something reassuring about Aoife's tone that keeps them from running. The little girl hides behind her older brother.
"We weren't spying," the younger boy defends.
"These are my father's lands," the older boy speaks defiantly. A boy playing the part of a man. "We have every right to be here. You're from Breifne?"
"Ooh, well if you weren't spying then, why where you hiding?" Aoife asked with a slightly raised eyebrow and small smirk. She stood up fully now and shifted her weight a bit to look sideways at the eldest. "Not yet a man, but I like your courage. Careful though, it can get you in trouble. We're from all over actually. One two of us hail from the same place. Simply passing through. Truly we mean no harm to your family."
The older boy blushes. To him, Aoife, with her beautiful wolf's pelt cloak, looks more like a princess than a slave.
"We should go home," the younger boy suggests. The little girl looks up at her brother, clearly the leader of the pack, for guidance. He nods and smiles.
"These are my father's lands," the older boy repeats. "He will certainly offer you hospitality if you ask."
Sister Cobhlaith steps to face the children.
"God's grace be on you."
She smiles her most reassuring smile.
"Thank you for your offer of hospitality, but we are trying to reach my monastery as quickly as possible. The weather has not been kind to us, and we must keep pressing onward to make up for lost time.
"Tell your father that we are simply travelers passing through with no intention except to move on quickly. If he asks, tell him Sister Cobhlaith and her friends are trying to reach Saint Colmcille's monastery in Doire. "
Thorun looms in the back, looking aloof. He rarely puts children at ease, and he has to know them well to do that.
Aoife gave the children a reassuring smile. "I wish we had time, but we must be off." Aoife told them as she looked to the Sister. "As the Sister here stated." She gives a motion for Cobhlaith to rejoin the group.
Then she address the group before her once more. "If you're going to spy, than do be more careful." She told them. "Not all who wonder the land as are friendly. While you are close to manhood remember that you not only look after yourself but your brother and sister as well." She then looked to the younger two. "And don't think that just because you where born after that you don't have a place too. Keep him from doing something foolish." She said winking at them. "I do the same for my brother, and I'm the youngest." Aoife told them as she gently gave the young girl a pat on the head.
"Stay safe young ones, this world can be unforgiving." She finally warned before she headed back to the group.