Ian gulped as he reached for the mirror. What was he to see?

  ‘Don’t worry my awesomeness is still unreached.’, the Kelpie quipped self-ironical as if reading his mind. His fingers prickled upon touching the mirrors surface. Finally taking it out of the first mate’s hands he dared to take a look.

  His wavy light brown hair was the same as always, as where his black eyes. No changes there, good. But if he hadn’t known that it was himself he was looking he wouldn’t have believed it. Sure the face in the mirror was familiar but he looked like an older improved brother rather than himself. The babyfat was gone. His face was sharply contoured with high aristocratic cheekbones and an unblemished nearly shining complexion. And pointed ears.

  It felt unreal and out of an inner impulse he smiled at his reflexion, finding his teeth blindingly white and sharp, not as sharp as the Kelpie’s but definitely not human.

  This lead him to look into a deeper layer of his reflexion. Just like when he had looked at the Kelpie the image shown wavered slightly. When the image settled he still saw his face but now his complexion was nearly blindingly bright with an inner light, his features looked as if in flux. He felt that wasn’t all to see, but a part of him knew it was sometimes better not to look deeper than one is able to fathom. Still he stared on as if under a spell.

  ‘Are you ready to talk or are you turning into a tulip or something?’, Ron asked breaking the spell. Ian shook his head correcting automatically ‘Narcissus. And I would rather not fall in love with my own reflexion.’

  ‘Ah, Kelly taught you at least some legends of the old. She was nearly as good at this as our father is. But I guess she hasn’t risked to tell you about the Tuatha. She was on the run, you see. Just as stubborn as our father, neither of them would see reason when they were fighting. She is a princess and a warrior. But she would always duel and win over every man our father had tried to marry her to. Until he tricked her into a bet he had rigged. The moment she found out she ran.’ Sean told Ian who listened with rapt attention. It was the first time anyone told him about his mother. His father didn’t talk about her, her disappearance felt shameful to him. And his brothers hated her for leaving.

  He wanted to hear more about her.

  But just when the captain wanted to continue a knock at the door heralded Tom, Jones and Mathews arrival. ‘We will talk later about her.’, Sean promised Ian and called them in. Ian felt a little cheated since he knew there was another round of boring contract work to come.

  ‘Oh I hope we haven’t interrupted something important. Young Ian looks rather down.’ Jones exclaimed smiling at Ian. The boy wanted to say that it was no problem for him but couldn’t form the words. His heartrate increased. It was like he was unable to speak for a moment. Slightly panicked he took a deep breath. Before shaking his head to clear it. After a moment it dawned on him. It would have been a lie to say he had no problem with them arriving especially when his uncle had just begun to talk about his mother. It seemed even white lies were out of question for the moment. But hadn’t Ron and his uncle told him he had a year before being unable to tell a lie? Well, he could ask them later, right now he had to think about a way to be polite and completely honest at the same time. And everything whilst everyone looked at him waiting for his answer. His uncle with curiosity in his black eyes, Ron with a smirk, which both clearly showed him they had understood his predicament, but would do nothing to help him. The sailors on the other hand looked a bit confused and worried. Tom on the other hand seemed to get to the same conclusion as the two Sidhe and grinned slyly after a moment. Another deep breath and Ian finally answered stiffly, resorting to formal speech to avoid a too direct phrasing, which his Sidhe-blood could regard as a lie. ‘Thank you for your concern, Jones. It was nothing that could not be postponed.’

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  Ron laughed ‘You sound like a lawyer rather than a country boy… this way of speaking must be part of the reason you are this good at getting what you want whilst haggling on the market. Poor merchants must have thought you were a noble in disguise. Which you technically are. Unknowingly. How ironic.’

  ‘Can we please stop making me the centre of attention?’ Ian begged inwardly whilst shrinking away from the mockery as well as his uncles scrutinizing gaze.

  ‘You have to get faster in improvising. They will eat you alive. Some literally.’, his uncle stated before turning towards his three non-sidhe crew members in the room.

  ‘Tom told you what we are about to do?’, he asked. They nodded and Mathew added ‘Going to fulfil the oath you gave that voice in the storm, sir.’

  ‘Yes, you are right we are going to answer my father’s summoning. You know that you need our protection when entering the Sidhe? And that you won’t come back as the same humans you were before, if you stay human and alive at all?’ he questioned them further. They nodded solemnly.

  ‘That won’t do. You must say it for the pact to work. Did you understand what I’ve asked you?’ the Sidhe asked them again and the three of them said ‘Yes we understand.’

  ‘Knowing all that you are still willing to come?’ he asked them to which they all agreed.

  ‘Good from now on the three of you will be bound to me, Ron, Ian and the Feodora with your life and soul until the completion of our journey and return to the human realm. Further any actions, words or inactions aimed to harm any of us in any possible way will wound you instead. Any attempt to flee or avoid fulfilling the contract will void our protection of you. This protection includes any avoidable harm that could have been prevented by Ron or me. Ian will be exempted from this compulsion since he has yet to reach his 16th year. This pact is formed by me Sean MacLir, son of Manannan. It was witnessed by Ron FitzRoy and Ian MacLir, grandson of Manannan. Do you agree to the stated conditions? If so say we agree and your names.’, the captain, suddenly prince, asked and Ian could feel the magic of the Sidhe humming in the air.

  ‘We agree. Killian Jones, Thomas Fletcher and Mathew Andres.’ The three agreed. In the same moment Ian could feel a magic tether snap into place. He, his very being had just been connected to a contract. He shuddered inwardly, suddenly very happy about the protection his uncle and Ron offered him, for he knew he was far out of his depth.