Ready
Part XIII of The Blarney Stone Witch
Charmai had found a level of calm in spite of the urgent and dangerous situation she was in. The last step of the plan was the most delicate; she and Isaac had planned it out like this:
When Isaac arrived, he would hide behind a grand oak tree by the lake, and Charmai, dressed the same as Isaac, would crouch behind a boulder on the edge of the clearing, with only her shoulders and head exposed. She would take Isaac’s place in his interactions with Cormac, but needed to cover herself to pull off this switch as Charmai was taller than the little boy. Once Cormac arrived she would instruct him to pick up the Blarney Stone, walk it to the lake, and thank the witch for the gift of the blessed rock. But if all went according to plan, Cormac would never make it that far. When he passed the oak where Isaac hid, that was Isaac’s cue to pull a rope tied to another oak on the clearing, creating a tripwire for Cormac. Both man and stone would fall. Charmai and Isaac would then come out from hiding, club the man, and tie his unconscious form to the rock. Both rock and man would be dumped into the lake, sealing the exchange required by the curse placed on Charmai, a curse that Cormac unknowingly placed upon Charmai himself when he had killed her with coldness and malice. Charmai– having tied another soul to the stone that once held her captive– would be free.
Charmai, who was a very gifted story teller, knew a plot hole when she saw one, and there were plenty in this plan. It was flimsy, with many opportunities for things to go awry. For one, they depended on Cormac doing exactly what they told him to do, a tall order for a headstrong tyrant. But this was as dynamic as they could get with the many limitations they faced. One of those limitations being that, due to the curse of the stone, Charmai could not leave the lake or the area around it. This meant Isaac was the only one capable of fulfilling the dangerous task of engaging Cormac and leading him into the woods. Isaac also wanted to be the one to communicate with Cormac in the forest clearing and have Charmai hide behind the oak tree instead, but Charmai wouldn’t allow it. That put Isaac in too much peril, having him interact with Cormac when the plan was at its most feeble. The least she could do was participate where possible, and protect Isaac when she could. And she was determined to protect Isaac.
Suddenly there was the distinct sound of an ungainly person traveling clumsily through the woods, followed by a bellowing call:
“Forest rat, slow down!”
It was Cormac. The nobleman was a distance away but fast approaching, and it was time to act. But where was Isaac? She looked about the clearing: no little boy. Just before Charmai started to panic, Isaac bolted onto the scene frantically: his eyes were wide and his hair loose and wild. But he was all right. He stopped a moment to catch his breath.
The voice of Cormac cried out again, closer than it was before: “Forest rat, Stop!”
Young Isaac’s eyes flared with dread. Charmai ran to him and stooped down so she could address the little boy at his height, but Isaac spoke first:
“He doubts our story. Cormac don’t believe us.”
“How do you know, Isaac?”
“I feel it. He is suspicious of me. What if the plan don’t work? I failed, ma’am, I failed!”
Charmai could see the boy fight to keep himself from crying.
“My brave lad, you have done well. You got the man here, so he must believe enough. Stay strong…we are almost done.” Isaac hugged her fiercely and then tore away to take his place behind the oak. With the little boy safely out of sight, Charmai assumed her position behind the boulder.
The sounds of a large, angry creature coarsely making his way through forest grew louder.
“Child! I insist you show yourself immediately!”
Charmai took a deep breath, and spoke in her best impression of Isaac.
“Ayy, sir. I am but a little ways ahead. Follow the sound of me voice.”
Charmai was surprised (and emboldened) by how much she sounded like Isaac. The little man himself peaked around the tree for a moment, looking impressed. Perhaps this plan could work afterall…
This boost in morale faded though once Charmai saw Cormac’s face. He was visible now as he moved ever closer to the clearing. When he stopped to catch his breath, Charmai got a good look at him: the man who had hit her, abused her, and separated her from everything she loved in this world.
And her body went numb. Her heart beat slowly as if the blood in her veins were made of something thick. She felt her head was in a fog, her tongue heavy and dumb. The determination that gripped her earlier in the clearing had snuffed out. The urge to lie down behind the boulder and hide herself completely was overwhelming. Charmai was ready to lay down and give up the fight.
But from the corner of her eye, she saw Isaac glance around his tree again to check up on her. His face was red and his eyes glassy with the effort to keep from crying. She thought about what would happen to Isaac if Cormac found him hiding…figured out their plan was a ruse…. He would punish Isaac. There was no question. And the violence the man was capable of… the abuse… she couldn’t allow Isaac to experience any of that. A little bit of Charmai’s determination came back, just enough for her to find her ground and stay in the fight.
Cormac entered the clearing, frantic and feral. Charmai steeled herself, tucked errant strands of long hair firmly into her cap, and spoke in the voice of her small young friend:
“Welcome Lord Cormac. Your everlasting life awaits you.”
Edited by Kat Colado