The Secret Passage
'When we last left the Hobad lass Beannaithe and the Dwarf Laekir they'd completed a long march downslope from the dreaded Hill of Dark Sorcery where, near a dark lake, they'd found a cave...
...Lookin' about to see if anyone were watchin', they went in.'
'Were it dark?' asks Diolun.
'It were a cave,' says Daibhidh. 'Of course it were dark, ye eejit!'
'Now there lads, there's no need for name callin'!' I says.
'Be quiet and, for a change, listen!' adds Darowva who were clearly frustrated at her cousin's antics.
'Please be nice, Darowva,' I softly tells her.
'Okay,' the three say while Dooli merely sits there with a smile that seems to indicate that he were glad that it weren't him who were bein' scolded.
'Aye, it were dark,' I continued. 'Beannaithe lit a torch. Laekir were pleased and a wee bit surprised to witness how nimbly the lass accomplished it before rememberin' that she'd been raised by the Dwarf Fikta.
"We must be very quiet, lass,' Laekir whispered to Beannaithe. "There may be evil folk lurking about down here." She merely nodded at the Dwarf's unnecessary reminder. The lass were young but she were, despite appearances, an experienced adventurer.
The two, Hobad and Dwarf, slowly made their way up the long, dark tunnel. They stopped at every turn to listen for voices or footsteps of approachin' enemies. They heard nothin' beyond drippin' water and their own footsteps, the Dwarf's obviously louder than the lass's.
At long last they came upon a heavy oak door. Naturally, it were locked. Laekir pulled some tools from a wee leather purse that hung from his belt. After fiddlin' with the lock for a few minutes he finally heard a satisfyin' *click*. He had picked the lock, however, when he went to open the door it would not budge. He let out a heavy sigh.
Beannaithe looked at the Dwarf with a quizzical expression on her face as if to say, "What's wrong?" Laekir knew the look well.
"Lass, it's bolted on the other side," the Dwarf explained in a whisper.
Beannaithe looked at him again with a different expression that appeared to say, "What do we do now?"
The Dwarf thought and thought, then suddenly a delighted expression came upon his face. He pulled a long slender knife from the scabbard hangin' on his belt. He examined the blade for a moment before noddin' and sayin' in a whisper, "Aye, this'll do.'
He slid the long blade between the slats of the door, attemptin' to lift the bar on the other side. The blade, however, became wedged and would not move. No matter how much the Dwarf tugged and wiggled the blade it would not budge. The Dwarf's face grew red from frustration.
Beannaithe patted Laekir gently on the shoulder then motioned for him to move aside. She handed the torch to the Dwarf, then drew her glowin' blade from its sheath. The Dwarf's eyes grew wide in astonishment.
Turnin' the pommel of the sword towards the door, she struck a heavy blow on the door's oaken planks. As Beannaithe had intended, the door burst into splinters. The lass giggled mightily.
The Dwarf sighed while rollin' his eyes to the back of his head. He wanted to shout, "I could have done that!" in exasperation but knew it would be futile.
Beannaithe and Laekir leapt through the openin' where the door had been with their blades drawn. They looked left and right but, much to their surprise and relief, no enemies came.'
'Fascinatin'!' Darowva interjected.
'I'll say!' agreed Daibhidh.
'Where were the bad folk?' asked Diolun.
'It's too late to find out this evenin',' interjected Ériu.
'No!' cried me grandkids.
'I'm afraid she's right, me darlin's,' I said. 'Best follow your mams to your beds.'
'Aw!' they complained in vain.
'Oíche mhaith,' says I.
'Good night, Granda,' they say in return.
'Come now, love,' says Fódla to a sleepin' wee Beacha. The lass took her mam's hand and followed her to the sleepin' area.
'You, too, a leanbh (my son),' says Banba to Daibhidh, 'Tomorrow is another day.'
