Nuada and Nuala: The Early Years

Nuada

~Nuada~

I woke to a blast. A cannon. I had heard it many times before. I jumped up. There was a pain in my face like no other.

“Nuala?!” I exclaim, noticing she’s gone. I throw the tent flap open and rush outside, putting on my boots. “NUALA?!” I yell. Her horse is gone and mine is scared out of its wits from the blast. I hop on my horse, untying it.

Then her horse comes running into our clearing and rears up. My horse does the same and I pull on the reins. I kick it in the flanks and it takes off. I grab the other horse’s reins as I go by. It’s snowing hard, and Nuala must be hurt.

What tracks there had been were now gone from the snow. My horse races among the trees.

Then I see a figure in the snow. “Nuala!” I yell. She’s not dead, or I would be too. I stop my horses and jump off. I race to her and pat her face. Her eyes are moving beneath their lids, but won’t open.

“Dammit Nuala! Wake! Up!” I smack her face and feel the pain in mine. Her eyes burst open and she jumps. I catch her and steady her.

“There was a blast and my horse-” She says frantically.

“Nuala. It’s alright.” I say gently.

“Nuada. I want to go home.” She says, tears going down both cheeks. In my gut I feel it too. I, also, wish to go home. I put her up on her horse and get on mine. We gallop off towards home and don’t stop.

It’s that night that we see the lights of Bethmoora. Everyone has lit lanterns. We urge our horses to go faster.

“It’s them!” I hear someone cheer. They open the gate as we rush in. We stop our horses and hop off. Father comes out, his face, seeming to have aged slightly with worry.

“Nuada! Nuala!” He says with a sigh of relief. He runs to us and throws his arms around us and weeps with joy. We hug him. I look over his shoulder to see Chamberlain a few yards off, huffing and puffing.

Father lets go and Chamberlain takes his place. “I believe that an apology to the city of Bethmoora and to your father is to be made.” He says.

“I don’t think so, Chamberlain.” Nuala says, shoving past him. He gasps in surprise and stumbles. I walk with her as we enter home.

And trust me. I’m never running off again.