Mark Paren
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Cianàn is afraid of the loneliness. His love for Aiden saved them both. If Aiden entered the otherworld he may never have returned.
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Though mythic, Cianàn possesses human weakness. Thanks for commenting.
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The morning after Strandhill felt easy in the way that only mornings after genuinely good days could feel. The heat had broken overnight, leaving the air clear and cool, the hills sharp against a sky that was purely, uncomplicatedly blue. Aiden came downstairs to find Rowan already at the Aga and Declan at the table with his notebook, and neither of them said anything about the previous day beyond Rowan asking if his shoulders were sore from paddling and Aiden saying no and meaning yes.
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You may be right. The Tuatha Dé Danann are sometimes compared to the Bronze Age Beaker People, considered fierce warriors. Thanks for commenting.
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That’s right, and they can’t even define it. They just feel it. Similar to Jungian collective unconscious.
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That's funny. Will you be here all week? Ta-dum!
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The Bresnahan’s have deep rooted grievances — very deep and very old. Thanks for commenting.
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Twenty five chapters is the current projection. Thanks for sticking with the story.
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The heat arrived early, the kind that settled over the hills before breakfast and made the farmhouse kitchen feel close and airless before anyone had finished their coffee. Rowan had opened every window and was standing in front of the Aga with the expression of a man questioning his life choices. Aiden came downstairs to find the table set with four bowls, four spoons, and a box of Quaker Oat Squares sitting in the center like a centerpiece. “It’s too hot to cook,” Rowan announced. “W
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In this case, they don’t want things to change and they don’t even know why. Thanks for the comment.
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Thank you for the kind words!
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You make some good points, though the Fomorians, ancestors of the Bresnahans, were in Ireland far earlier than the Tuatha Dé Danann (Cianàn). That’s digging deeper into the mythology, then most people are probably comfortable with..
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Cormac is driven by forces he doesn’t comprehend. I hope I’ve provided sufficient backstory to make the Bresnahan family’s actions comprehensible. Please let me know if I’ve succeeded. If not, I can elaborate further. I’m sometimes hesitant to overexplain things..
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Hmmm. Could be.
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The email from Dr. Nair arrived on a Tuesday morning while Declan was at the kitchen table with his second coffee and the previous day’s notes spread in front of him. Aiden heard the notification from across the room, watched Declan pick up his phone, and saw the particular quality of stillness that came over him when something required his full attention. Rowan looked up from the Aga. “What is it?” “Priya’s preliminary results.” Declan was already reading, his eyes moving slowly
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Beautifully stated.
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Good observation. There are ways to get around it in the mythology, but I probably won’t get into it. Thanks for the comment.
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I agree with you. If it wasn’t in the Irish mythology (Cath Maige Tuired 12th century), I would’ve thought it over the top. In the actual documents created by the monks Dian Cécht killed his son. I used poetic license.
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Aiden came downstairs to find the kitchen already occupied and already strange. Rowan was at the Aga, which was normal. The porridge was on, which was normal. Declan sat at the table with his coffee and his notebook open in front of him, which was normal, a bowl and coffee mug sat in front of his chair which was also normal. What was not normal was the way Rowan kept glancing toward the kitchen doorway every few seconds. Or the way Declan had written nothing in the notebook despite having s
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You’re perceptive as usual. Nothing dramatic but the next chapter will at least hint at answers.
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That’s an interesting comment on a couple of levels. The Irish mythology is believed to be based on Indo European myths that also inspired the Greek pantheon and the Roman pantheon and several others. One question might be where did the Lourdes story originate from? if you’re interested in the mythic origin story of this narrative, you might find the next chapter interesting.
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Declan is fine and his world has been shaken. Thanks for the comment.
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I’m happy you enjoyed the description of the well. The solar clock is ticking. Thanks for commenting.
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Yes, it was the most magicey thing so far. Thanks for commenting.
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Getting Declan into the car was harder the second time. The paracetamol had taken the sharpest edge off the pain but not enough, and every movement required negotiation between what his body would allow and what the situation demanded. Rowan and Aiden took his weight between them. Cianán moved ahead, opening doors, clearing the path, anticipating what was needed before anyone asked. The leg was bad. Worse than bad. Below the knee it had the wrong shape, a subtle but unmistakable wrongness t
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