Chapter Eleven: Cloutie Wells & Wishing Trees

March 12: 5 Days Before Festival 

For the next few days, Hugh was tied up at the stable working on paperwork and preparing the pasture for Orion's stay at Thornegate. It was just as well because Fiona wanted Sunny to stay close to Laurel Cottage for a few days as more arrivals from the various clans began to arrive and settle in for the festival. Curiosity was extremely high among the tribes, and Fiona was more anxious to protect Sunny from their probing questions and well-meaning concerns.

Coming to terms with the newfound knowledge of the geis, and the truth of the Dannan's purpose was something Sunny, as a first daughter, was not having success with. She was still struggling with the knowledge of Fiona clouding her memories. Her memories of the last few days had returned with terrorizing clarity, and Sunny was even more disturbed by the powers she had manifested and the haunting attraction of the man she had helped save! She knew nothing of him at all, only the ambivalent feelings she was having before her memories returned, he had been so supremely arrogant with her and now she had these lingering feelings of attraction! Then there was the attack by daemons in a place she knew nothing about.

Sunny realized that Fiona had tried to cloud her memories to protect her from the legacy her grandmother and mother had run away from. Now that she fully recounted what had happened, she could understand why they had both rejected the geis and had gotten as far away from Ballencoo as possible. What she did not understand was how her mother could think that she would not feel anything. Not be the least bit curious about the secrecy and not ask Fiona questions? Sunny lay in bed staring up at the ceiling with all these thoughts swirling in her mind. 

 Mid-morning Fiona came upstairs to Sunny's room where she was resting and let her know she was going to see her clients and check on Lady Margaret. Sunny decided to stay behind. As the morning wore on, she found herself drawn to the apothecary. There she enjoyed reading over the journals from her great-grandmother. As she leafed through the journal entries, she encountered drawings of the flora and carefully written recipes of elixirs and other herbal mixtures for a wide variety of ailments. The entries were mostly daily accounts about the people of Ballencoo and their needs. 

Sunny found in Siobhan's journal an account of the illness that hit during the Spring festival when so many of the clans had fallen sick. Sunny took to be a virulent form of influenza. The symptoms were similar: high fever, cough, sore throat, chills, headaches, body aches, and nausea. What Siobhan and Fiona encountered seemed to come quickly; within a day or two. Among the healthy citizens of Ballencoo, they dispensed remedies to ease the worst of the symptoms. Those who were very young or very old that didn't respond very well to the medicines they dispensed; needed special care. 

Siobhan worked long hours coming up with a medicinal brew that required hourly doses to all the very ill patients. She had a small encampment of wagons where she and Fiona rotated administering the doses. Of the thirty or so people who were slow to recover or did not respond to the first dose Siobhan administered, eight died. There were three children under the age of ten and the rest were adults, three of whom were Nicodemus Fury's brothers. Sunny read one of the entries in the indigo script that was now very familiar to her:

"It is with great sadness that I write of the deaths of three more people to this terrible sickness. Thaddeus, Samuel, and Leonardo Fury continued to refuse the medicine I offered and now we mourn them. 

 Jacob and Nicodemus lie in the encampment. Both still refuse to take the medicine even after learning of the deaths of their family members. Fiona is with Nicodemus night and day, tending to the high fever and chills. Most of the other clansmen continue to recover, some are still very weak, and Fiona and I must watch to make sure they do not relapse."

Sunny frowned; to hear Fiona's accounting of the illness, she was not as involved in the treatments as she was now reading. Sunny felt there had been a relationship of some kind between Fiona and Nicodemus what had ended it? She leafed through the entries and stopped. 

I have done it! Although against his will, I have forced Jacob Fury to take the medicine. I cannot understand why he so vehemently refused to accept my help. Even now as the fever drops, he continues to defy me. I have been forced to put him in restraints and continue to administer the doses".  

As she continued to read, she ran across mention of Nicodemus and Fiona in Siobhan's entries.

Nicodemus is fully recovered. Fiona has proven her skills as a healer, and I am very proud of her. Through everything that has happened, my daughter has truly become my successor. Her sacrifice will be great, and I mourn for the life she will never have. I see in her eyes the fondness she has for Gabriel and even Nicodemus. Even if Fiona was free to marry, Jacob has such hatred in his heart for me and my family. Nothing will turn him, and he has even severed his ties with the clan. I fear Jacob will carry this bitter burden to his death. I have so many questions, but no answers.

Sunny looked up from the journal, "So Aunt Fiona had a thing for the Fury brothers? What was Jacob's secret? Why was he so bitter?" Fiona had said that most of the young women had crushed on the Fury men. She had been no different! Sunny had to admit that she was among the women who found the Fury charms undeniably intoxicating. 

She read several more pages and it was apparent that not even Siobhan Danann ever knew where the illness came from. She was able to contain it, and almost everyone survived. She turned a page and stopped. "A Cloutie well?" Sunny murmured, "What the heck is Cloutie well?"

The drawing Siobhan had placed on the page by itself was a peculiar illustration. It was a well with hundreds perhaps thousands of strips of cloth tied to the limbs of trees that grew around the well. On the facing page was a hand-drawn map of the location of several Cloutie wells and wishing trees.

During the days of the outbreak of the sickness, many sick family members went to the wishing trees and left offerings and prayers. Even Siobhan had gone to one Cloutie well, in particular, to draw the supposed healing waters to use in her medicines. The well described in her great-grandmother's journal was somewhere deep in the woods, where exactly Sunny could not even guess. The other well was near the old Thornegate ruins. There was also an old oak tree that grew on the property where the current Thornegate manor stood and was the site of another smaller Cloutie well frequented by many of the nearby villagers. Looking at the map, the tree and the well should be in the back pastureland. "Orion!"

The sudden appearance of Bracken startled Sunny so that she screeched in alarm sending the watcher into the rafters of the apothecary. Seeing the creature huddled up next to the heavy beam, eyes bulging, and hands clamped over his ears made her laugh. Bracken scowled down at her, "Scream like a banshee!"

Sunny giggled at him and waved him down. "I'm sorry you just scared the bejeezus out of me!" 

Bracken grinned back down at her and then looking thoroughly pleased with himself for having scared her, chortled, and dropped back down to the worktable. "You find wishing tree? Orion stay there with mares," he pointed to the spot on the map with a long dirty brown finger, "You go there?"

"That's an idea, but what about the Cloutie well here?" She tapped the book where the Thornegate ruins were.

Bracken eyed the map then angled a conspiratorial look at her, "Water there make visions – good and bad."

Sunny frowned at the map, "The well where my great-grandmother got the water to make her cures is too far away. Besides, I don't plan on drinking the water, just explore and draw them."

"I go, we 'splore?" Bracken said. "You old 'nuf to 'splore – not cry like baby when you get far from home."

"You're not afraid of running into a will-of-the-wisp?" Sunny challenged.

Bracken chuckled, winking at her, "No you scare all wisps away with banshee holler!"

Sunny closed the book with a thump and slid it back into its home on the shelf. "Come on brat, let's go 'splorin'!"

Bracken whooped gleefully and leaped off the table. He loped along ahead of her, easily scaling the staircase as Sunny ran up the stairs to collect her knapsack. She got to her room and Bracken was already sitting on her trunk waiting. She shoved her supplies into the canvas pack and then turned to open the trunk. Bracken climbed down to the floor and looked on as she put the bag of Hersey Kisses in the knapsack. She looked over at him and winked, "For all your sweet tooths, eh?"

The watcher grinned showing all his impressive fangs "Aye!"

Within a few minutes, they were heading out toward the old Thornegate ruins. It was much further on foot than it was on horseback, but with Bracken along for company, it didn't seem to take very long to get to the ruins. Rainbow Wells and his clan were camped nearby, but not near the ruins or the copse of trees and thickets. Bracken parted the tall grass and pointed to the trees, "Cloutie there -- next to trees."

"Maybe we should make ourselves known," Sunny suggested looking toward the encampment.

"Already know," Bracken replied and pointed to a group of boys coming back from a successful hunting trip. All the boys carried several rabbits, and some carried a brace of rock doves over their shoulders.

Sunny lifted a hand and waved. "Do they know about you?" She asked Bracken.

"Not see," Bracken replied. "No seeing watchers except specials in Dannan sept."

"Lucky us!" Sunny muttered under her breath. Bracken grunted sourly and moved off into the tall grass. One boy handed his brace of rabbits over to his companion and trotted up the hill toward them. As he got closer Sunny recognized Fox, the eldest boy in Rainbow Wells' family. "Oi Miss,"

"Hi!" She returned. Fox stopped on the hill and squinted up at her. "I'm out exploring." She told him.

Fox looked around curiously, then looked back to Sunny and tugged his cap, "I'll let Da know."

"I'll wait here," Sunny replied and sat down on the hillside. Bracken scowled first at Sunny then at the retreating figure of Fox Wells.

"Why does the Dannan wait?"

"It's polite," Sunny told the creature. "And I'm not the Dannan."

"You are the Dannan child," Bracken insisted, "Wait for no doer-Nemed!"

"I'm waiting!" Sunny flung back. "Come and get some chocolate, you big grump! Maybe it'll sweeten your disposition!"

Bracken giggled and waded back through the grass and took the two pieces of foil-wrapped chocolates Sunny handed to him. He carefully unwrapped the first piece and popped it into his mouth, storing the silver wrapper in his pocket. He examined the other one carefully. "Is magic! Make Bracken all nice in the head."

Sunny grinned at the creature. "Maybe we should try smuggling in chocolates to the daemons – make them all 'nice in the head.'"

Bracken chortled, "Need chocolates big as mountains to make daemons nice in head!"

Sunny scoffed softly, "I hear you!" She watched the scene below wondering if she'd be welcomed as before. As she surveyed the activity in the camp, Rainbow stepped out of his caravan and whistled shrilly. He waved his arm in a wide arc signaling her in. Several others in the camp stopped what they were doing and looked up to the hill. Sunny got to her feet and waved her arm to show she had heard and understood. "Time to be sociable."

"Then 'splore?"

"Yup," Sunny started down the hill slinging her pack over her shoulder. Bracken unwrapped a piece of candy and popped it into his mouth. With each wrapper, he tucked it into a pocket and followed behind in the wake of where Sunny's boots had opened a trail through the tall grass.

Sunny walked into the camp and glanced back over her shoulder to see if Bracken was following. He wasn't. He had dropped off and disappeared into the tall grass, no doubt he was heading toward the Cloutie well. Rainbow met her; several men stepped in behind him, looking more like a possible lynch mob than a welcoming committee. Sunny hitched her knapsack up further on her shoulder and smiled warmly. "Good morning!"

Rainbow nodded, "Miss – my boy tells me you're out exploring."

Sunny nodded. "I've been reading my great-grandmother's journals. and she wrote about the Cloutie well that was near the Thornegate ruins."

Rainbow glanced toward the ruins, "Aye, you…know about that well?"

"Visions," Sunny replied, "but I'm not planning to drink from the well, I only wanted to see it. I'd like to see the wishing tree too."

Rainbow turned aside to the men standing nearest and said something softly to them then looked back to Sunny, "My regards to the Dannan!"

She smiled at the chieftain and waved as she saw Lilly, "I'll let Aunt Fiona know you asked about her. I'll just head back the way I came; It's such a beautiful day and there's so much to draw and take in."

Rainbow lifted his gaze to the hillside and then looked back to Sunny. "A good day to you,"

Sunny politely returned the wish then turned and left the camp the way she had come. She met Bracken at the edge of the ruins. He frowned up at her as she stepped into the clearing, "You take a long time,"

"They seemed a little on the skittish side for some reason." Sunny replied, "So, I decided not to go through their encampment."

"Need many choc-o-lots to make some man good in head."

Sunny chuckled, "Wonder if there's a good chocolate brownie recipe in one of those journals back in the apothecary?"

"Maybe you make it in your book?" Bracken suggested.

Sunny smirked, wondering if she would ever have a journal. It didn't seem like she would ever know everything to take her place in the long line of Dannan's. That made her feel very sad and something deep down in the core of her heart began to hurt. She shook her head to clear the thoughts that were raging in her head. "Where's the Cloutie well?" Sunny asked.

Bracken pointed toward a cluster of trees, "There, water deep-deep in the ground."

Sunny followed Bracken into the thicket picking carefully through the thorny vines and brambles. The well was nearly obscured by grass and moss. On the trees surrounding the well, were strips of cloth with writing on some of them. Sunny could tell that most; if not all, had at one time, something written on them but the weather and exposure to the elements had faded the prayers or wishes away. The well itself was nothing more than a crumbling ring of grey stones that gleamed under the sunlight that penetrated the canopy of trees. The sound of water gurgling brought Sunny closer to the well, it smelled of wet rotting leaves. She wrinkled her nose up at the odor. "Funky kinda dirt smell!"

"Old dirt," Bracken remarked. "Make many visions."

She lifted the flap of her pack and pulled out her sketchbook and tin of pencils. She laid them on a rock that was part of an ancient stone basin. She sat down and opened her book to a fresh page. With quick strokes, she quickly began to sketch the well. Bracken examined the well, dropped a small pebble into the inky hole, and then bent over the opening to hear when it hit the water. His large brown eyes widened as he glanced over at Sunny, "Long long way to water."

"Yeah, well don't fall in," she quipped as she continued to draw the surrounding area, "I won't be able to get you out."

Bracken looked down into the well and considered the possible predicament. He moved away to watch her draw. As they sat there, they began to hear the sound of rushing water. Sunny looked questioningly over at Bracken, "You must have stirred up something when you threw that pebble in."

The watcher grunted at her comment then crept over to look in the well. The water was just a few feet below and rising. He jumped back, "Water is coming!"

Sunny tucked her pencil behind her ear and jumped up, snatching her pack quickly moving back away from the opening of the well. Bracken jumped up into the nearest tree and crawled out onto an overhanging limb. He peered down into the opening. "Water is here!"

There was a fizzing sound that came from the water that rose quickly to the surface. As it was forced into the porous rock and out into the basin that contained the well water, the smell of dirt was replaced with the smell of something more pungent --- akin to the smell of geranium leaves. A mist rose and Sunny began to see a shape take form in the mist. Sunny knew she should be afraid of the apparition but for some reason, fear was not exactly what she was feeling. More of a cautious curiosity fell over her with an icy finger of recognition spilling down her backbone.

"Thou come with many questions; give not voice to them. Go away from this place."

"What the hell is that?" Sunny breathed looking up at the watcher where he sat in a low tree branch.

Bracken growled low in his throat, "Sidhe is bad dook!" He pronounced the name as 'shee'.

 "Sidhe is but one of many names I have had," the apparition said glancing up a Bracken, who narrowed his eyes and shrank back away from the misty form.

 "Are you the guardian over all the Cloutie wells or just this one?" Sunny wanted to know.

"My sisters are many, and you are known to us," the Sidhe said, "You must go away from this place and visit not my sisters."

"Why not," Sunny asked and stepped toward the Sidhe.

The mist grew thicker, and the form thrust out a warning hand. "We are but guardians over the wells, we cannot protect you. Go away from here!"

"Who am I in danger of?" Sunny asked.

The form began to waver and disperse, "Go!"

The mist faded as quickly as it had appeared. The dark brackish water ebbed and gurgled back down into the well to disappear into the inky gloom. Bracken climbed down and peered into the well. "Water gone."

"Now, that was weird!" Sunny murmured to herself.

Bracken eyed her for a moment then started to giggle. "Wee-herd!" he drew out the word the way he had heard Sunny pronounced it. "Funny sound!"

Sunny laughed and rolled her eyes heavenward, "Yeah, like all this other stuff here is normal! Let's get home; I want to talk to Aunt Fiona about this."

Bracken snorted, "She not tell you!"

"Why not?" Sunny demanded. "If this kind of thing is going to happen every time I step out of the house – I'd like to know what to expect and what I should say!"

Bracken shrugged his shoulders, "Fiona scared, all scared you run away when you know all."

 "Well, I'm not gonna turn tail and run before I even know what to be so terrified about!" Sunny grumbled.

Bracken chortled at her, showing all his sharp teeth in a grin that was more than a little frightening. "You need choc-o-lots! You big grump!"

Sunny stuck her tongue out at the watcher, and he returned the gesture and bounded off giggling into the tall grass. She stuffed her sketchbook and pencil tin into her backpack and slung it over her shoulder fuming about the mystery of the Dannan. She looked down into the dark hole of the well and considered what would come next. 

Her life had suddenly taken a turn into the strange and unpredictable realm of the fantastic! "Wee-herd!" She muttered then trotted off to catch up to the equally incredible and improbable Watcher.