Gormglaith | Page 9

sparkling platinum nose ring grazing the top of her lips. Alikely wraithish in black longstockings they walked in blond wooden klompen.
"Hi Gormglaith, I'm Bairrfhionn Sparkenbane," said the taller one, holding out a hand, her smile an edgy sway. "I'm thrilled to meet thee!"
"Hi!"
"Gwenhwyfer Sparkenbane," the other put shyly with a hint of Frisian lilt, her yellow, chin length hair freaked with white, swaying lank at the sides but combed straight back on top, nose ring glinting as she leaned forward to grasp hands.
"Hi!" Gormglaith echoed like greeting someone at thorpe school as Bairrfhionn spotted her twin.
"Thou'rt Geileis. I've always wanted to meet thee."
"Morfyd and Morigan often talk about thee," said Gwenhwyfer, taking Geileis' hand
"...and we think of them."
Geileis showed the banshees to a low elmwood bench padded in blue grey cloth and wrapped by a paned window bay looking over the foggy hills and meads beyond Bryn Larach.
"Coffee?"
"Please!"
The Sparkenbanes plopped down as Gormglaith sat on an elm block and leaned forward.
"So..." Bairrfhionn said with a toothy grin, "I hope thou dostn't think we're like, wanton or whatever for trampling in on thee like this."
"No way! My friends do it all the time."
"I like the elms on the lane out in front!" said Gwenhwyfer.
"I climb them."
The banshees smiled.
"To hang with the magpies," said Gormglaith, nodding once. "I've fed them since I was little, the bats too, upstairs in the southeast loft. They were there when my kynn came to Bryn Larach and nobody had the heart to put them out."
"Bats!" said Gwenhwyfer, her sunken sky blue eyes widening. "Kerfuffle!"
Flighty banter fluttered as Geileis came from the kitchen with three coffees in brightly puzzled mugs along with rowanberry in a heavy tumbler.
"I hear tales of Bryn Larach's haunted lofts! How was your trip?"
"We took the skate from Fen Glioon," said Gwenhwyfer. "I told Bairrfhionn I think it's dreamy out here. So gloomy! The afternoon light on the hills is amazing."
Gormglaith sipped ruddy rowanberry whilst watching the banshees from behind a lock of straw blond thatch.
"So... are y'all gonna put it straight or what?"
Gwenhwyfer gasped (with a grin) as Bairrfhionn twirled her eyes.
"We have like, this song."
"Kewl."
The banshees swapped glances, shrugged, then like maegden gone stir behind the fizzy tent on Midsummer's Eve, they spoke as rain swept by outside.
Dreams loom By morning gloom It's cormid soon
Under mabon we'll walk On moors of ancheisht Where swans and magpies lurk
Kin stabbed with rings Fling in a hush Their shivering sings
To crush until They spill and sway In plighted clannin.
Bairrfhionn and Gwenhwyfer waited wide eyed, abashed.
"...Y'all!? That was so too stern! Ok... what happens now?"
The banshees grinned wraithenly.
"Oh Gormglaith how thrilling!" Gwenhwyfer put with balled, waggling hands. "Come with to Glas Knoll! It's on the loch by Blairie in a chilling, way too misty wood!"
"I heard it spins."
"...Are the swans still there?" Geileis asked helpfully whilst casting a broad smile at Bairrfhionn.
"They swim up to you and talk!"
Winsome fleet of shrugs On water still and black Abide these weepy hugs Till we've come braiding back!
The banshees gazed at Gormglaith (as Geileis beamed).
"Why do I know that's Eachdraidh?" asked Gwenhwyfer, smirking.
"Tamsyn to the swans," answered Gormglaith, "when hippies drove her clannin from Siouxie Falls."
"Did they ever come back?" asked Bairrfhionn.
"They did but the swans were gone and the house had been stripped."
"How ghastly. The wretched swans," said Gwenhwyfer.
"Anyway her sisters said Tamsyn wept so many tears into that pond it went to saltwater and no guilbneach ever came again. So the rune is... Tamsyn was selfish for bygone nights. As if the pond went to salt, so too her heart."
"I've heard th'art crack with Eachdraidh," said Bairrfhionn.
"I want to scatter in tongue craft and split on it."
"So when were y'all thinking of leaving for Blairie?" asked Geileis, bright and kynnish.
Gormglaith stared at her as the banshees swapped looks.
"Uhm... now?"
"I wish you'd each tell me you won't stay up after sunrise..." said Geileis.
Bairrfhionn and Gwenhwyfer nodded like moppets.
"We won't, Geileis Grendel Hafgan Halsen."
"Gormglaith?"
"Ok."
"Eat fallainly and be stern!" said Geileis, rising from the bench. "Oh, and have fun!"
"So..." said Gormglaith, "I guess there's some stuff I'd like to take... wanna see where I nest?"
"Way!"
The three rambled there. The earth cast was still on and she showed them Eachdraidh and prism (which they cooed over) along with a few other things. They looked out upon sun smudged gloom through the window then peered in at the bluestone bath. Gormglaith opened the wall cupboard with stacks of neatly folded longstockings and thumbed through them. As if chiding herself for a botch, Bairrfhionn cast up her eyes.
"Thou wilt'nt need a thing," she said, hands on hips. "We'll be stopping in Kin Dails first for shopping and lunch, I mean if that's ok..."
"Tha meanst is it like... ok if I get scammed with linen and spog by a crushy yoke of bodeful