Thomas

Fri 16-May-1603 (6-May)

Roma [Chris] volunteered to swallow the cloch caint. After choking it down, he didn't notice anything unusual.

Elrick [Ian], Art [Jeff], Baron [Deacon], the Deacon [Shane] and Tess went out on a fishing trip on the dory, while Ab Siddy [Darryl] and Roma stayed back in Terryhaven.

Art, Baron and the Deacon caught nothing; not even any bait fish.

But Elrick felt a big bite on his line. He reeled it in. There was something large in the water, and it wasn't moving much - certainly not struggling and thrashing like a fish. He pulled it in; it was a barrel, then ... a hand. Some person, was clinging to it. It was a man. They pulled him on board.

Thomas Lichfield [Kevin]

He introduced himself as Thomas Lichfield [Kevin]. He had an English accent, with a beautiful voice, and said he was from Cambridge. They headed back to the beach.

"What are you doing in the water?" asked Elrick.

"I was on a ship, the Witch of Endor, headed for Corke," said Thomas. "But we were attacked by 25 pirates. I killed most of them, but they sunk the ship and I ended in the water. And I clung to this barrel. For three nights, I drifted."

"What about all the English frigates, brigs, and other fighting ships in Cork harbour?" Art asked.

"Oh, well I didn't notice them."

"Why didn't they help against the pirates?"

"Maybe they didn't see them, because ... well, the pirates came in on giant eagles. Hanging from the eagle legs."

"Eagles? You sure?"

"Yes, pirate eagles. That's right."

"Why were you going to Corke?" said Roma.

Flageolet

"I'm one of the greatest flageolet players in all England. I was headed to Corke city to learn from the best flageolet player in the British Isles, Spider Stacey of Corke."

"What's a flageolet?" asked Ab.

Thomas held up a small wooden recorder: "This."

He put it to his lips and gave them a little melody. It was appalling.

After they had calmed down from the unholy din, Elrick said: "Do you know the witch hunter?"

"I've worked for many witch hunters in my life. We have many witches in England."

"The one in Corke."

"Yeah, I know him."

"What's his name."

"Uh... Corkie McCork-face the witchhunter of Corke. He hunts witches, you know."

"We aren't actually looking for him," said Art. "We don't want him near us."

"Oh, ..uh... well, you will be okay. He doesn't think much of me. In fact, I scare him too much."

"Have you heard of Queen Elizabeth?" asked the Deacon.

"Of course! Good Queen Bess. I know her well; well, knew her well. She died this year, you know. She thought I was a great player. The best in the land."

"Do you know the ship called the Golden Hind?"

"Yes, know it well."

"Well, describe it.":

"Uh, it is golden. Like a hind - that's a kind of fish, you know. And the ship, well, it's got sails and stuff, and sailors, and it floats in the sea."

"Do you know the little people?" asked Ab.

"Goodness, yes, we have many of them in London. They sing and dance in the taverns. Some are tossed. Others are dressed as clowns."

"Not dwarfs," snapped Ab. "Little people; magic ones."

"Oh ... ah.. yes, I know them. They do magic, you know. Irish magic."

"London? You said you were from Cambridge," asked Roma.

"I was born Cambridge. I worked in London. Treading the boards."

"An actor too?"

"Yes, I was with the 'Admiral's men'. A performing troupe. I was the head player - First Flageolet. We accompanied the plays of Shakespeare and Marlowe. And Marlowe's musicals."

"Did Marlowe write musicals?"

"Gosh yes! The Lion King, and The Miserables, and Little Dorrit."

"Can you do anything else besides play the flute?"

"The flageolet. Yes, of course. I can fight."

Thomas had a knife. He and Baron faced each other and sparred a little. Surprisingly, Thomas was  not too bad with the knife.

"Can you fire a musket?" asked Art.

"Goodness yes. I'm a crack marksman."

"Bow too?"

"Oh yes, sure."

He didn't have any other weapons on him.

The rest of the day passed peacefully and they retired to the barn for the evening.


Sat 17-May

Second Watch came around, and the wolves returned. This time, Roma tried out the cloch caint powers and found he could understand the growls and scratchings of the wolves; he could converse with them.

The gist was that the wolves had lost two of their number, and had the group seen any sign? Roma didn't admit to them that they had seen a wolf carcass in the satyr caves. But he assured them that he'd keep an eye out.

As soon as it was light, they headed off towards the satyr sacrifice area (where they had first seen Caoilainn). Tomorrow night would be the moon's First Quarter, but the site ought to be clear this eve, so they thought.

The day trip was uneventful and they got to the site just on dark, and set watch.

Sun 18-May, First Quarter

Sure enough, during Second Watch, the satyrs, the glaistig, arrived. There were three or four of them. There was a short arrow battle in woods where Elrick, Roma, Tess and Art were injured. But the party managed to drive the glaistig off. They did realize that during the dark, the glaistig had a considerable advantage, and it was only through the quick thinking of Roma to try to light up them up with torches, that some arrow hits here achieved. Or maybe it was dumb luck. Nevertheless, this was enough to scare the cowardly creatures away.

After light, they made for the Glaistig caves. Elrick, Thomas, Art, Baron went in. The group was last here four day's ago, and since then there were a few changes:

• The larder was empty of its carcasses. 
• The cairn shaft room had an eerie fog on the floor, so they were too scared to enter it. 
• The weapons room was empty of weapons. 
• The torture room had a long-dead skeleton on the cross. The skull had small horns and sharp teeth.
• The cells were all empty. 

When the group of four entered the cell area, they heard a scratchy noise behind them in the tunnel. The skeleton had animated! Poor Thomas was at the back, so he took the brunt of the initial assault. He hurried into the cell room, and that allowed all four to attack it together. It didn't last long under the onslaught, and collapsed into a pile of bones. But, even defeated, the bones kept trying to rejoin to the skull, moving on their own accord. This effect stopped the moment the skull was taken outside the caves. And it was finally put to rest when the Deacon used his Banish Spirits ability. Elrick kept the skull as a souvenir.

Since the area in front of the caves was a clearing in the forest, the plan was to ambush the glaistig tonight as they left the caves. The weather was to be clear, and it was expected that the half moon should provide enough light to take away the dark-sight advantage of the sidhe creatures. So the group got out all their bows and the two matchlocks, and settled down ready for sunset.