Withstanding Trials: Day 20

Word Total: 120,011

Year to Date: 300,136

Summary of Events:

Saraid helped with cleaning up the burnt-out huts, removing the ashes to a heap and sorting through anything that had survived, although plans to rebuild were to be delayed until the promised second attack, which hadn't yet come. Aodhán and Conchobhar spent the nights in the church belfry waiting for the attack to come, but instead of an attack, as they were heading home in a thick fog on the fourth day since the first attack, a messenger from the Lord of the isle came, declaring that Uncle Séaghdha had ordered a search for Aodhán, presuming him to have been lost in a storm or to have crashed in a fog. Considering the alarm that had been caused, Aodhán immediately declared that he was going to participate in the search while, at the same time, returning to his family to inform them that he'd found a job…

Excerpt of the Day:

Out in the open water, Aodhán manoeuvred the Athchóirigh toward the beach, where Conchobhar hopped off before making his way over to a smaller vessel in which Úna and Caitríona were waiting. Other such small boats holding members of the settlement were already out on the water searching for something Aodhán alone knew they wouldn’t find.

It had taken a day for the fog to lift, which assuredly forecast a very rainy day somewhere in the early part of February, but Aodhán had been glad to be able to spend his birthday in fellowship with such wonderful people, and had been incredibly touched by the fact that they’d made a special meal for his birthday, and had even expressed regret that they’d had no presents to give him for the occasion.

Now, however, it was time for Aodhán to set his course for Inis Neamhaí in order to assure Uncle Séaghdha and Aunt Caoilfhionn — and the rest of the Taoiseach, evidently — that he was still alive, and hopefully before word got back to Father that he might be anything less than alive, as even if he wasn’t terribly loved by Father for his choice of faith, he was sure Father would be deeply troubled to receive word that a fifth out of his six sons might be dead.

Aodhán felt sad to be leaving everyone behind, but considering the gift that Conchobhar had given him, he had every intention of returning — besides, the more time he could spend here instead of at Finscéalta would be preferred.

Bundled in sealskin bags in the storage compartments beneath the little deck were fifteen of Conchobhar’s finest-quality rabbit skins, which Conchobhar had given Aodhán as a wage for his work.

Considering he was, in fact, the High Prince of the realm, and thus had no want for money, Aodhán hadn’t wanted to take them, but since he wasn’t known as the High Prince to the people of the settlement, but was known as a commoner who needed a job to help provide for his family, Aodhán had taken the skins, but already he was coming up with a plan in his mind.

A good rabbit skin, owing to its luxuriant texture and good insulating qualities, was worth at least ten bearta. These rabbit skins were of top-grade quality, however, which made them worth a good twenty bearta apiece, meaning that Aodhán had some three hundred bearta’s worth of rabbit skins.

Three hundred bearta was a handsome wage for his labour, rather more than Aodhán had expected to receive, but he suspected was so generous because of the fact that Conchobhar believed him to be in need.

As a result, Aodhán meant to send the skins to Grandfather, instructing him to sell them for whatever he could get — which, even if only ten bearta apiece, would still yield one hundred fifty bearta — and to use that money to not only buy some new songbooks for the settlement to replace the fire-damaged ones they currently used, but to also get some Bibles for the people, as the only Bible in the settlement was the one that Tighearnán had inherited from his father, who’d received it from his father, who’d paid a lot of money to get it all the way from Aifos.

Next Post: 2 April