Chapter 3: The Rainbow
Paddy and Seamus continued to follow the path leading away from Damanta Mallaithe up towards a grassy hill in the distance. As they walked they thoroughly enjoyed the sunshine and light breeze blowing across the hill.
When they got to the top of the hill, they looked out over Boggy Marsh. The mist filled swamp stretched away as far as the eye could see, to the north, east and south. Away in the distance, in the middle of Boggy Marsh, Paddy and Seamus could see a startlingly bright and beautiful rainbow.
“Now, do you see that, Seamus!” Paddy exclaimed.
“What’s that Paddy?” Seamus asked.
“That rainbow out in Boggy Marsh,” Paddy said. “That’s a real beauty that one is. You do know that there’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow, don’t you?”
“Of course I know about the pot of gold. What sort of Leprechaun would I be, if I didn’t know about the pot of gold?” Seamus stated, in a flat dry voice. “Now then, did you know that the brighter and more beautiful the rainbow is, the bigger the pot of gold is?”
“I never,” Paddy stammered. “Really? Truly?”
Paddy turned and looked again at the rainbow. “That’s the most stunningly beautiful rainbow I have ever seen. What do you think, Seamus?”
“Aye, it’s a rare one all right. The pot of gold under that one would be worth going after,” Seamus said.
“Yes, yes, it would,” Paddy replied, thoughtfully. “The only problem is that it’s right smack dab in the middle of Boggy Marsh.”
They both studied the swirling mass of fog and mist that perpetually cloaked Boggy Marsh and felt like it was absorbing their gaze, drawing them into the nothingness. Here and there the withered and blackened branches of sickly looking trees jutted up out of the mist. Every now and then they thought they saw something moving in the mist, but neither of them could be sure if was real or imagined.
Boggy Marsh was the home of the evil folk. The evil folk consisted of a mixed group of Trogs, Goblins, Urks and a lesser variety of other very bad things. Luckily for everyone Trogs didn’t like Goblins and Goblins didn’t like Urks. The Urks didn’t like anybody. They’d had a hard time in the past where poor leadership had let them down once or twice. Now, the Urks were fending for themselves and were worse tempered than they’d ever been before.
The boys’ attention switched from Boggy Marsh back to the rainbow, which glowed brightly and sparkled with an energy that mesmerized the two young Leprechauns. They felt a persuasive pull at the very core of their beings, as the rainbow pulsed and called to them. Whether that was their Leprechaun blood lusting for the pot of gold, or something else entirely, Paddy and Seamus could not tell, but in that moment, a fateful decision was made.
Paddy and Seamus dragged their gazes reluctantly off the rainbow, their eyes alight, both with thoughtful expressions on their faces.
Paddy spoke first. “It won’t be easy, you know?”
“It’s never been done, that’s true enough. Nobody who has ever gone into Boggy Marsh has ever come out again,” Seamus replied, searching Paddy’s face for any sign of doubt.
“That really is a very beautiful rainbow,” Paddy sighed, wistfully.
Seamus continued to stare at the rainbow. “Hmmm,” he said, dreamily. “I’ve never seen anything quite as breathtaking as that. We’ll need swords,” he said, in the same dreamy voice. “And other provisions too: ropes, torches, cooking things, food, you know, an adventurer’s kit.”
“What!” Paddy exclaimed loudly, snapping out of the hypnotic trance the rainbow had caused. “Are you mad? You can’t seriously be thinking of going into that,” he said, pointing into Boggy Marsh. “Besides, how do you even know the rainbow will still be there when we get there?”
“Anchored to a pot of gold that big? That rainbow isn’t going anywhere,” Seamus replied, confidently. His voice had lost the dreaminess and was now strong and confident. “So, are you coming with me, then?”
Paddy contemplated the swirling fog and mist intently. “You’re right; we will need swords.” He turned to Seamus and said, “We’d better go see the Aelf. He’ll most likely have everything we need in that shop of his.”
They hadn’t had much to do with the Aelf who owned the adventurer’s supply shop. The Aelf was one of those who kept mostly to himself and only dealt with the other folk of the village when business required it.
Paddy and Seamus hurried along, chattering excitedly about their plans to get the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They soon arrived outside the adventurer’s supply shop, where a recently painted sign hung over the door. The sign simply said, ‘Mr. Elf’s Adventure Supplies’.
“Now then,” Seamus said, “be calm and don’t let the Aelf know what we are going to do, we don’t want him telling anyone else about our plans.”
“All right, Seamus, you do the talking,” Paddy agreed.
⚔
Mr. Elf’s Adventure Supply shop had been open for business for just over two years. Most of Mr. Elf’s customers were people passing through the village, or those newly arrived at Damanta Mallaithe.
Paddy and Seamus had only been in the shop once before. It had been shortly after they’d arrived in the village. In addition to the adventurer’s supplies, Mr. Elf also stocked items necessary for setting up a home.
Like most of the residents of the village, Mr. Elf lived in rooms at the back of his shop, and if he was home the shop was considered open for business.
On this particular morning, Mr. Elf was just finishing his breakfast. He had already been out to see the baker and had bought a couple of his favorite fresh baked rolls from Frosty.
For some reason that he couldn’t understand, he was feeling very happy this morning. He felt that some huge burden had been, or was about to be, lifted from his life. This feeling was making him happier than he had been in a very long time.
Outside the shop, Paddy and Seamus nodded to one another, entered the shop and moved confidently up to the counter for smaller sized folk. There was no one else in the shop.
“I’ll be with you gentlemen in a moment,” they heard the Aelf say, from the room at the back of the shop.
“How does he do that?” Paddy whispered.
“Shhh,” Seamus said, quietly. “The Aelf always knows when someone’s in his shop.”
Everything in the shop was neatly arranged on shelves around the walls. In the middle was a table, also neatly arranged, with a sign above stating ‘Pre-Loved Adventuring Equipment. Special prices negotiated’.
“Good day to you, little folk,” the Aelf said, cheerfully, as he came through the door at the back of the shop. The Aelf’s face was creased with a happy smile that made his normally inhuman face very pleasant to look at.
“Good day to you, master Aelf,” Seamus replied, politely.
“What can I help you gentlemen with today?” the Aelf asked.
“We need a couple of swords with a wee bit of magic about them,” Seamus started.
“And a couple of adventurer’s kits, too,” Paddy added.
Seamus gave Paddy an angry look and said, “Now Paddy, I thought we had agreed that I would do the asking.”
“So, swords with a wee bit of magic about them and adventuring kits,” the Aelf smoothly interrupted. “I don’t get too many of the little folk wanting swords, especially ones with a wee bit of magic,” he said, with a twinkly smile.
The Aelf turned, flicked his shoulders and shook out a pair of fine and delicate looking wings. Giving them a couple of gentle flaps to loosen them up, he looked back at the Leprechauns and was satisfied with their surprised expressions.
Mr. Elf smiled broadly, brushed his black hair away from his eyes and flapped his wings more quickly. He rose gently into the air and flew over to a high shelf to one side of the shop.
He hung there for a couple of minutes, wings flapping, muttering as he sorted through some items in a big wooden box. “Ah ha, here they are,” he said, floating lightly back to ground.
/> The Aelf carefully folded his wings back into place and stepped forward, placing two sheathed Aelfin swords on the table in front of the Leprechauns. “I’ve had these tucked away for some time.”
Paddy and Seamus looked doubtfully at the swords, and Seamus said, “Ah, good, master Aelf, I don’t wish to sound rude, but those swords are too big and heavy for us. You wouldn’t have something more suited to our size, would you?”
“Hmm, ah yes, one moment please,” the Aelf said, moving behind the shop counter. Mr. Elf felt that he had to have some way to make it possible for the Leprechauns to take and use the swords. He ducked down out of sight, and again the Leprechauns heard the Aelf muttering and the sounds of searching. A minute later the Aelf popped back up with an old and dusty book in his hands. Carefully placing the book on the counter, he started turning the pages, obviously looking for something in particular. “This,” he stated “is a book of magic spells. It has a section on transmutation; that is, on changing the shape or size of objects, while keeping to their original properties. Here it is,” he said, stopping at a certain page. “I don’t do much magic anymore, so I’m a bit rusty at it. It might be best if you look the other way for moment.”
Paddy and Seamus quickly moved away from the Aelf and looked towards the door of the shop. They were a bit worried about Aelfin magic, particularly the rusty kind. They heard the Aelf start a slow harmonious chant and felt the tell-tale tingle that comes to a Leprechaun when magic is being used. When the chanting and the tingling sensation stopped, they turned and looked back at the Aelf.
He stood with a smile on his face, with the two swords now reduced to a size that the Leprechauns would be able to use. The Aelf waved a hand at the now Leprechaun-sized swords. For reasons he couldn’t begin to understand, he felt immensely relieved and happy that he had succeeded in making it possible for Paddy and Seamus to take the swords. Yet somewhere in the back of his mind an alarm was going off.
Paddy stepped forward and picked up one of the swords. He carefully slid the sword out of its scabbard. “Sure, and it’s as light as a feather,” he said, swishing the sword around a few times.
Seamus moved to the table and picked up the other sword, examining it carefully. “Light as a feather and beautifully crafted,” he said, quietly.
“Gentlemen, you have the pleasure of holding Grace and Favour, a matched pair of Aelfin-made swords,” the Aelf said, proudly. “Now, of course, they are of a suitable size to serve you as swords and, as requested, they have a wee bit of magic about them. As you have noticed, they are magically light and perfectly balanced. The other magical powers they have will serve you equally well. Whenever there are evil folk about, the swords will glow to warn you of the danger. Also, when used to cut, or stab one of the evil folk, they will be frozen in place for a few minutes, giving you enough time to finish them off, or get well away before they unfreeze.”
“Nice, very nice,” Seamus said, swishing Grace about.
“Do they do anything else?” Paddy asked. “They don’t make cups of tea, or turn things into gold, do they?” he added, hopefully.
“No, no, nothing like that,” the Aelf laughed. “If they could do things like that, I wouldn’t be thinking of loaning them out. Now, about the rental price,” he said, rubbing his hand together. “Swords like these aren’t cheap, even on a loan basis, how were you planning on paying for them?”
“What do you want for them?” Seamus asked, bluntly.
“The rental cost will be one quarter of the gold from the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow,” the Aelf said, smoothly.
Seamus and Paddy looked at each other with worried expressions. “I didn’t tell him what we were doing,” Paddy said, defensively.
“I know that, Paddy, I’ve been here with you the whole time,” Seamus replied, angrily.
Paddy and Seamus both glanced at the Aelf suspiciously.
The Aelf grinned at them and said, “Don’t be getting upset, now. When two of the little folk come looking for swords and adventurer’s kits, it’s not hard to figure out that they are going after gold somewhere. So, what do you say? You can take the swords and two fully stocked adventurer’s kits, for one quarter of the gold?”
Paddy and Seamus weighed up the swords in their hands and then said together, “Done.”
⚔
Mr. Elf watched the Leprechauns leave his shop and felt an overwhelming sense of happiness and peaceful gratitude. This feeling did not last for long, however.
As he turned to return to his private rooms at the back of the shop, he suddenly didn’t feel peaceful or happy. “The swords!” What in the name of The She had come over him? He had just handed the two most valuable items in the land, to a couple of gold hungry Leprechauns.
Then the worst part of it hit him. They were going to take the swords into Boggy Marsh. He had given up everything he had ever cared about in his life for those swords. Why had he been so happy to give them away?
Mr. Elf was now feeling something very close to panic. He had to get the swords back, before they went into that hellhole and never came out again. The Aelf broke into a sweat, as he hurried to his private rooms. He quickly gathered the things that he would need – his bow and arrows, his sword and his own private adventure kit. These things were always kept ready in case he needed to leave in a hurry.
He didn’t want to have to hurt the Leprechauns, but he had to get Grace and Favour back, whatever the cost. He had his hand on the doorknob of his back door when he felt the warning tingle that let him know someone had entered his shop.
Maybe the two Leprechauns had returned. Maybe they had come to their senses and decided not to go into Boggy Marsh. The Aelf quickly put his eye to a peephole in the wall and peered into his shop, hoping beyond hope that it was the Leprechauns. What he saw froze him and made his heart start thumping faster in his chest.
No, not them! Not now!
Standing in his shop, looking around with contemptuous expressions, were two Aelfin, and not just any Aelfin. He knew these two quite well; they were the king’s sons, Maple and Cricket.
Mr. Elf couldn’t believe he could have that much bad luck dumped on him, all in the space of one short morning. He had to get away, and fast. Maple and Cricket had never been this close before and Mr. Elf knew he was going to have to do something drastic to get away this time.
Tiptoeing silently to the back door, he opened it as quietly as he could and let himself out. He didn’t bother closing the door; instead he flicked his shoulders and loosened his wings. With a backward glance at his shop, Mr. Elf launched himself into the air and flew towards the hill leading to Boggy Marsh.
⚔
After leaving the Adventure Supplies shop, Paddy and Seamus had wasted no time and had headed straight back to the hill to check that the rainbow was still in place. They now stood together at the top of the hill looking out towards the rainbow. They had their new swords in scabbards on their belts and the adventurer’s kits on their backs.
“Still there,” Seamus stated.
“Still beautiful beyond compare,” Paddy replied.
“Right then, let’s go,” Seamus said, determinedly.
Together, the two Leprechauns crept slowly down the hill towards the shifting mists of Boggy Marsh.
“One moment,” a voice said, from behind them.
Paddy and Seamus spun about, pulling Grace and Favour from their scabbards as they turned.
Mr. Elf stood calmly looking down at them from the top of the hill. “Now, now, there’s no need for that,” he said, moving forward to join the Leprechauns.
“What are you doing here?” Paddy asked, suspiciously.
“Dressed for travel and adventure, no less,” Seamus added.
The Aelf was indeed dressed for travel, with a bow and a quiver of arrows over one shoulder and an adventurer’s pack over the other. He, too, had a fine Aelfin sword slung on his hip.
“I have decided to come with you, to make sure that I get my share of t
he gold,” Mr. Elf said, pleasantly.
Paddy and Seamus shared a quick look at each other, as if trying to see what the other thought about the Aelf’s bold statement.
Then Seamus smiled and said, “Why not. You were going to get your share of the gold anyway, you might as well share in the work to get it.”
“Good,” said the Aelf. “I was hoping you wouldn’t make a fuss. Let’s be off then, shall we?”
The three companions started back down the hill, with Paddy and Seamus feeling much better, knowing they would have an Aelf with them for the trip through Boggy Marsh.
As they were engulfed by the edges of the mist, they felt a faint tingle across their skin. Suddenly, each of them felt an overwhelming need to return home, to get out of there, but when they spun around, they could see no way out. The mist had cut off their escape.
Seamus stumbled back, but hit an invisible barrier. He felt along the barrier, first in one direction and then the other. “Well, now we know why nothing ever comes out of Boggy Marsh,” he stated.
Paddy and Mr. Elf took turns at feeling along the invisible barrier.
“Wait here a moment,” Mr. Elf said, as he flicked out his wings. Flapping strongly, he flew up into the mist, along the edge of the barrier, following it to where it curved up out of the mist.
A moment later he returned, landing gently next to Paddy. “It’s solid all the way up and around,” he advised, folding his wings neatly against his back. “I suppose we can worry about how we get out when we have the gold. Come on, let’s get going.”
Mr. Elf strode forward into the mist. Paddy and Seamus shared a worried look, then hurried to catch up with the Aelf, before he was lost in the swirling mirk.
⚔
Back on the hill, in the bright sunshine, Cricket and Maple stood at the very spot where the Leprechauns and Mr. Elf had stood moments before entering Boggy Marsh.
“What in the name of the king does he think he’s doing!” Maple exclaimed, shaking his head with frustration. “Even he should know there’s no way of getting out of that place.”
“You can be the one who tells the king. His majesty is going to be very put out about this,” Cricket said, with a shudder. “Remember what he did the last time we had to tell him bad news?”
“I don’t think we should go to father with this just yet,” Maple said, cautiously. “Maybe he’ll find a way out of there on his own.”
“Damn him! Just as we find him, he goes and does this. If he doesn’t come out of there, father may very well send us in to get him out, and we don’t want that. I suggest we go and search for him in the mountains for a while. Let’s give him a chance, before we go and tell the king anything.”
“We could go watch the Dwarf and the Giants for a while. They can be entertaining at this time of year,” Maple suggested.
Cricket nodded in agreement. The two Aelfin turned and headed off towards the mountains to the west.
⚔
A tall, powerful figure wearing black robes and a hood stepped out of nowhere, strode to the top of the hill and watched the place where the three adventurers had entered the mist. He stood there for a few minutes deep in thought, stepped forward, as if to enter the mist. Stopping abruptly, he shook his head angrily, turned and followed the Aelfin, who were now already out of sight.