I gazed into the mirror as she brushed my hair and styled it like hers.She braided the crown of my head, leaving the rest of my long hair to spill down my back.Our eyes met briefly in the large, gilded mirror as she loosened golden strands to fall softly around my face.Her eyes narrowed slightly, and her mouth tightened as she took in my changed appearance.I wondered what it must be like always to compare yourself with others.
‘Move,’ she ordered me.Bethel took my place before the wavy glass to put on her mask.The mask had fanciful bird feathers in greens and blues, bringing out her sharp green eyes and perfectly complementing her cerulean gown.
My mask was elegantly decorated with delicate gold leaves and flowers in a filigree design.I was pretending to be someone else in such fine clothes.The last time I played dress-up was when I was a child with a mother at home.
Taking more of the black ribbon we had used to attach our masks, I told Bethel to stay in her room while I went next door to get my dagger.
Torgrin and Cillian’s muffled voices carried through the closed door.I recognised Cillian’s easy rolling voice responding to Torgrin’s deep and authoritative tone.What had they found to talk about?
I knocked on the door and heard a terse ‘Enter’ from Torgrin.I opened the door to see both men, still in their travelling clothes, lounging in chairs by a crackling fire.The flickering light caught the amber liquid they held in delicate glass goblets.Observing these dissimilar men partaking in a drink together was peculiar.
Cillian halted mid-word when he saw me in the doorway.Whatever he was going to say fled him as his golden-brown eyes fixed on me in my dress and mask.
Torgrin cleared his throat and raked his hands through his hair.Unlike Cillian, he avoided looking at me altogether.
Choosing not to comment on the unexpected scene, I went to the bags I had set beside the opulent bed.I pulled out my father’s knife and placed my foot on the edge of the bed, lifting my dress and lace petticoats to expose the length of one leg, and began tying the knife securely around my thigh.
‘Curse me,’ muttered Torgrin, biting the corner of one thumb as his eyes came back to explore my exposed skin.
My fingers fumbled with the ribbon as both men stared hungrily at my bare thigh.I imagined I was prey to them – something to devour.
There was a knock on the door that made us all jump guiltily.I resisted the urge to smile at the look of disappointment on their faces as I lowered my skirts, having somehow secured the knife despite their scrutiny.
It was a heady feeling, being the object of desire of these two men.I searched for any hint of jealousy in Cillian’s eyes at Torgrin’s failure to hide his attraction to me behind his usual mask of indifference.But my blacksmith’s eyes shone with love, not possession.
Opening the door, my breath caught in delight at the sight of Tomas and Rhett wearing skeletal goat heads.The rough-surface of the horns coiled on each skull’s side shimmered with gold powder.They looked at me mischievously through their bone masks, making me laugh at the young lovers.
When they noticed that Cillian and Torgrin weren’t in costume yet, they offered to escort Bethel and I to the city centre.
‘We promise not to leave the beautiful goddesses unguarded for a moment, Captain Torgrin,’ Rhett declared with a bow, his mask almost sliding off.
Torgrin’s brow creased as he regarded the young soldier.
‘We will wait with Lady Bethel and Caris until you are ready,’ Tomas added sincerely, elbowing Rhett.
I smiled at the young men affectionately.They deserved some fun too.
Torgrin saw my expression and relented.‘We will come find you when we are dressed then.’
As soon as our merry foursome stepped outside, we were surrounded by masked creatures of the night in elaborate costumes.Beaks, claws, gnashing fangs and deadly tusks surrounded our group in the dimly lit streets.The excited crowds led us to the centre, where the festivities were well underway.
Bethel and I laughed as women and men stood on balconies, throwing flowers and petals at us and our fellow revellers.I felt a little disorientated by the strange sights and sounds unfolding around us in the wintery night air.
We reached the centre of Danu, where an immense bonfire flickered.People of all ages and in various costumes circled the fire, laughing, dancing and drinking.We passed through them to find a quiet space on the other side to observe the unfamiliar customs of the blue-frost moon celebration.Danu was overflowing with musicians, and vendors selling heated bags of nuts, sweets and spiced wine to warm the festivalgoers.
Tomas left us with Rhett to find some spiced wine.I watched as Danu couples swirled around before us.While their faces were concealed by masks, their bodies communicated their desire and longing for each other.
Tomas returned, and I sipped my warm wine slowly.Bethel was not so carefully inclined, downing hers recklessly while she flirted with a young man in a pointed fox mask.He had eyed Bethel furtively through the fox’s eyes until he finally summoned the courage to ask her to dance with him.
The fox’s whiskers twitched gleefully as he twirled Bethel around the bonfire.I kept a close eye on them, as did Rhett and Tomas.
As the hour grew longer, I began to wonder what was keeping Cillian and Torgrin.
The powerful blue moon hung high in the night sky, and the tone of the celebrations changed as children and older people went home to their beds.My hips swayed to the flute music that had infiltrated my relaxed limbs.I wasn’t sure if it was the wine, the slow beat of the drums, or the heady scent in the air, but the dancing couples grew bolder with their movements, and I longed to be in someone’s arms.
Bethel staggered back to us with the help of her smitten fox.She was swaying and giggling, her eyes bloodshot.
‘Tomas, you and Fox Boy take her back to the inn, and Rhett can stay with me until Cillian and your captain arrive.’I didn’t needRhett to stay, but I knew he would get in trouble with Torgrin if I ordered him back to the inn with the others.
