Dear Maimeó,
I know that you're gone, but I saw you last night. You were there, in my room, just like when I was young.
I saw your wizened brown face, your brown eyes, your short curly hair. Eyes twinkling with a deep secret.
I felt your hand on my brow, soothing my fears. Fingers like a comb, untangling my worries.
I heard your voice, like an ancient beech, lulling me back to sleep. “Amhránaí na Teanga Ainmhithe, slánmhar ar an anáil…”
When my eyes opened again, you were gone.
Aeowynn, my dear friend, stirred - I think she stayed at my side through the night. She had compassion in her eyes, and told me I'd be okay. She's really a wonderful healer, Maimeó - I think even our gnomish healers could learn some things from her.
El, Firia, and Sharn had gone, looking to get support to remove these horrible blood cultists. I'm still so grateful for their rescue - I wouldn't have held out much longer. You always told me to surround myself with good people, and you were right. These sisters are all I have, and together we are amazing!
Well, when we're not all together we're not quite as strong - it turns out no one believed the girls, and the cultist was assumed to be some sort of “innocent citizen”. They also were attacked by deadly archers and other ruffians, so Aeowynn had her work cut out for her.
Maimeó, the feeling of your presence is gone, but I believe that somehow you are with me - I don't know if it's only metaphorically or if your spirit is somehow carried on the winds. “Free yourself to be yourself / If only you could see yourself” - I wonder who I really am. Am I the scared child? Am I the Envoy, the captured slave, the wanderer? Or could I truly be the Amhránaí na Teanga Ainmhithe?
I need you with me more now than ever - so I will think back and recall as much of your teaching as I'm able. “Hold me close / the darkness just lets us see / who we are… / I've got your light inside of me.” Something big is happening - and I'm caught up in it. I've been avoiding the spellsong as much as I can, but I know I need to embrace both spellsong and the Languages to stop the Evil.
If only this land weren't so patriarchally backwards, we could lead an army to stop the darkness… but maybe we will be enough. Cailleach, Draoi, Luibhlia, Fear Leighis, and an Amhránaí na Teanga Ainmhithe - maybe that is enough.
Slánmhar, Maimeó.
~Your Maebh
