Jewels from the Dark

Darach motioned to Luan and Lorcan and they all moved forward as one. You could feel the anticipation radiating from each man as they weaved further into the Wood. As the darkness swallowed him, Darach breathed out the familiar request –

“A Sholais, lig dom Laoise a aimsiú slán ó gach dochar.”
Oh Light, let me find Laoise safe from all harm.

On that fateful day years ago, he had tried to stop the group of children from taking Laoise to the Wood. She had been his first friend after his family had moved to Grian – no one else had bothered to talk to him, except Laoise. Even from that young age, he could see her heart and the depth of what mattered most to her. He had tried to convince the others that there was nothing wrong with being at home in both the Shadow and the Light, but to no avail. When she was lost, he hadn’t known what to do. For hours then days then months, Darach stood at the edge of the Wilding Wood every spare moment, hoping that Laoise would come home.

Her brothers, Luan and Lorcan, often joined him and together they watched and waited. They became family to each other and the boys started venturing into the Wilding Wood to search for Laoise. Each time, they went deeper into the Wood, leaving small bundles at the foot of trees, setting up shelters in hollows, ever hoping she would find them.

The years melted into one another and yet she remained missing – a Lost One – and it was unheard of for Lost Ones to find their way back from the Shadowlands. Yet the boys continued to leave supplies where they could, knowing that other Lost Ones could use them, if not Laoise.

Then Lost Ones began returning, often speaking of a woman with no name, but whom they call Líadan – the Grey Lady – who had found them, sheltered them, and brought them back to the Liminal Border. Darach started questioning all the Lost Ones and their families, growing ever more convinced that Líadan was actually Laoise. Yet if it was her, why had she not returned home too? Clearly she knew the way to the Liminal Border…Something must have happened to her that made it impossible for her to cross the Border.

Some of the family members had even met with Líadan and had sent for Darach to join them. Alas, each time, the Grey Lady had slipped back into the Shadowlands just before he arrived. Frustration gave way to determination. Darach, Lorcan, and Luan agreed that they must sojourn into the Wilding Wood to find Laoise and, if possible, bring her home.