Shadowmagic - Sons of Macha Read Online Free PDF

Ruby,’ I said, ‘I’m not sure if I can get you a pony.’
    â€˜Why not?’ she asked without slowing down in the slightest.
    â€˜I don’t think they’re just going to give me one.’
    â€˜Your father is the king – right?
    â€˜Yes but …’
    â€˜And you are a prince?’
    â€˜Well, yeah.’
    â€˜So just ask for a pony. What is your problem?’

    The stable master saw us coming and greeted me at the entrance. He was an old one. It had gotten to the point where I could spot one from a mile away. ‘I am Pilib,’ he said without bowing or even offering to shake my hand.
    â€˜Hi, I’m Conor.’
    â€˜I know,’ he said. ‘You have your grandmother’s eyes.’
    â€˜Oh, did you know Macha?’
    â€˜Of course, she held the Capall yew wand. She had the supremacy over horses. When she lived in Duir she was only ever truly happy when she was here.’
    As he spoke Pilib’s eyes glossed over lost in the memory. I remembered Spideog telling me that my grandmother loved him and Dahy at the same time. I wondered if I should add the stable master to that list.
    Ruby hit me in the shin with her stick. ‘Ask him.’
    â€˜Ah … Master Pilib, I was wondering if I could have a pony.’
    â€˜Certainly. Am I safe to assume that it is for this little lady?’
    â€˜I’m not a lady, I’m a young girl.’
    I looked down at Ruby, astonished. ‘You speak Ancient Gaelic?’
    â€˜Grandma taught me some words.’
    â€˜OK,’ I said turning back to Pilib. ‘Can we get this young girl a young-girl-sized pony?’
    â€˜Right this way, Prince Conor.’
    The stables were quite an operation here at Castle Duir. He led us past what must have been a hundred stalls and then outside to a paddock that contained four ponies.
    â€˜Spirited or docile?’ Pilib asked.
    I toyed with the idea of answering, ‘Super spirited.’ That would teach her a lesson for putting me through this but I had to remember that no matter how bossy she was – the kid was blind. ‘Docile please.’
    Pilib placed his fingers in his mouth and emitted a series of whistles. The ponies looked up and then at each other as if saying, ‘Who, me?’ The smallest of the ponies slowly walked over to us. She was glossy black, just like Ruby’s sunglasses. I picked Ruby up and placed her feet on the bottom wooden rail of the corral so she could reach over. The stable master whistled again, this time quietly without the fingers in the mouth and then pointed to the young girl. The pony walked slowly up to Ruby as I guided her hand to the animal’s snout.
    â€˜This is Feochadán,’ Pilib said.
    I remembered a story my father used to tell me when I was young about a sheep that got covered with
feochadán
. As Ruby tentatively stroked her pony’s nose I said, ‘It means thistle.’
    A huge smile crossed Ruby’s face. It was the first smile I had ever seen on that face and it changed her from a bossy tyrant to the young girl that she was. ‘Thistle, that’s a lovely name for a pony. Hello Thistle.’
    That pony looked up and I could have sworn it recognised its new name. A stable hand showed up with a saddle.
    â€˜Oh no, I’m not teaching her to ride.’
    â€˜On the day a young girl receives her first pony,’ Pilib said, ‘surely she must ride it. I wouldn’t worry, Feochadán is very easy to ride. Shall I get Acorn for you, Your Highness?’
    Acorn, I thought, I did so want to see Acorn and it was a beautiful spring day. Well, I could see no harm in having a quick wander around Castle Duir.
    Ruby allowed herself to be hoisted onto Thistle without any of her usual
I can do it myself
fuss. Acorn was brought to me and even though he tried to hide it, I could tell he was pleased to see me. I mounted up and we left through the stable exit. True to