Originally written for my mythology class. It felt good to finally get something out about these two characters (they're very near and dear to my heart).

----

I am Danu. For years I have lived in the city of the deep, R'lyeh Ulaid. Eleven years ago I was left on Tír na nÓg to be taken under the waves and become Manannan's wife, but that is a story for another time. After six years together I gave birth to twins, Eamon and Gwalchgwyn.

On the eve of the boy's fifth year all who came to the city that day celebrated. Tomorrow Manannan would declare them his heirs and present them to the rest of his family. Food and drink flowed freely. Cares ceased to exist. The party lasted throughout the night through the entire city but my children retired early, complaining of belly pains. My husband carried me back to Gower, our castle, for I still was not used to the potency of the drinks, but in the morning when I tried to rouse him my husband would not wake.

Fearing the worst I called for Jana. She examined him but could find nothing wrong. Worried for my children we rushed to find them in the same state. Not knowing what was wrong I began to panic. She tried to calm me by telling me that while she could not cure them she did know that Manannan's uncle Dagda the Good had in his possession one of the goddess' gifts, the chalice that would cure any ill. I clung to that small hope and knew I could trust no one to the task of fetching it but I.

Here I faced a dilemma, two geisa kept me from leaving the city. I could not leave without my husband's permission and then an escort had to take me to the surface, to leave without either meant my death. I could easily command an escort but my husband, to my knowledge, could not give me leave. I returned to our room and knelt beside our bed. He was sweating. His shifting ocean hair plastered to his face and chest. I sobbed silently for a few moments before I finally managed to speak.

“Manannan, my husband, can you hear me?” He turned, the sheets twisting with him, and murmured something. “Cariad I must ask something of you.” This time he arched upwards clearly hearing me speak. “May I help you?” I whispered in his ear.

“Yes,” he groaned, his voice was so full of agony my eyes welled with tears. “Thank you.” I kissed his cheek, stood, and slipped the sigil ring from his finger. I ran through the city towards the stables, ignoring the shouts and cries of those still celebrating that I crashed into. When I reached the stables I ordered the coachman to take me to my home shores. My husband's ring was enough to convince him of my sincerity. The journey seemed long, yet soon I was on the shores of Éiru.

I left the main road before it ran into the path at Duv Lin and took the wilder paths in the forest, hoping I might run into one of the courtless fae. The sun was falling from the sky when I finally stumbled upon a trio of them. There was a phouka, a pitch skinned man with eagle feathers in his black hair, also a drunken cluricaun clothed in red. A distance away from the two men a pixie woman sat, her skin and hair as green as grass, and whose dragonfly wings fluttered nervously on her back. I approached the woman cautiously.

“Lady I have a question I would ask of you,” I said. She turned to me seemingly unperturbed by my sudden appearance.

“Game first,” her voice floated like leaves through the air, catching the attention of the phouka and the cluricaun. “No fun without it.” With trepidation, for I had never played against anyone except my husband, I nodded and so we began.

“Who are you?” She asked.

“Who wishes to know?” I replied.

“How do you know of us?”

“How can I not know?”

“Why are you so clever?”

“Could I not be?” I heard the phouka and the cluricaun making bets as to who would win.

“What do you seek?” She seemed surprised I had lasted this long.

“Why are you eager to know?” Her wings began to twitch vigorously, sending motes of dust flying away from her.

“Why are you alone?”

“How could I not be?” She gave a shriek when she could think of no reply.

“Tricksy human! Ask your question and be gone!”

I spoke as precisely as possible, “I wish to know where Dagda the Good and his cup reside.” She whistled a short tune before she responded.

“Walk to the north and west. When you find the hill that is not in the ground you will find him.” She gave a feral grin, “but know the journey is long and you can not have no help from beasts nor man, thus I curse you.” Without another word the three faeries left me to my fate.

I slept fitfully and woke with the sun. Finding some berries I went on my way. I walked keeping to the forest, the pixie's geis fresh in my mind. In the middle of the third night I found what I was looking for. The hill itself had been uprooted and placed upon stone pillars. Thoughts of failure tugged at the corners of my mind, but I entered the mound regardless. My eyes widened in surprise at the number of fae and de Dannan before me. Some danced, but most were talking and drinking. In a wash of sound I struggled to remember what the healer had described to me as I looked around. Looking around the hall I finally spotted his portly frame lounging on a throne at the head of the mound's hall. Walking towards him I came upon a table of refreshments, I paused and grabbed a goblet, relishing the sharp, tangy taste of the thorny wine within. Finishing the goblet I continued towards Dagda. Goblins tumbled in front of the throne causing some of the fae ladies to giggle behind their fans. Minutes later the goblins left and a chance presented itself. Seizing it, I knelt in front of the throne, head bowed.

“My lord, I have a boon I would ask of you.” The conversations around us fell silent.

“Who are you, that would ask a boon of me?” His voice sounded like rich cream and I shuddered. “I am Danu, wife of your nephew Manannan. He and our sons are dying and I wish to bring to them your cup to heal them.” He guffawed which sent some of the surrounding de Dannan into malicious titters.

“Have you any proof of this?” I suddenly regretted leaving my husband's sigil ring behind. Leaning forward to hide my shame I quietly replied, “No I have no proof.”

“Then I have no reason to grant your boon. Leave me.” I was leaving when an idea struck me.

“Is there something I could do so you would grant my boon?”

He tapped his bearded chin as he thought. Time passed, anxiousness began to fill me. I was on the verge of leaving when he answered. “There is a man in Kilga who has deceived me. If you kill him and bring his head back I will let you borrow the cup.” Cold dread filled me. I was no stranger to killing but I had never done so without just cause.

“No,” was all I managed to get out. Dagda began to laugh loudly and my shame grew when I realized that those in the hall were beginning to quiet, curious as to why Dagda was laughing. “Then leave me. And do not try and steal my cup. You will find it will not let you.” Chastened and ashamed I fled from the throng of de Dannan, eyes following me as I made my way to a table full of food and drinks. Under their burning gazes I grabbed a cup at random and downed the contents, sputtering at the fiery, vile taste it left in my mouth as it slid through me. The fae and de Dannan lost interest as the saw that all I was going to do was drink. The drink made me floaty and light-headed, so I tossed aside the empty cup and grabbed another one. When I was finished with that one I tried to walk away and felt myself sway, then I collapsed onto the floor, warm, blessed oblivion taking over.

I awoke with a start and briefly wondered where I was. I groaned in pain as memories of last night came back to me. I looked around as I stood up and realized I was alone, except for the goblin curled up on the throne asleep and a brief flutter of cloth entering a unseen door. Curious, for I could find no exit and hoping I might stumble upon the chalice, I left the hall and began to explore. Keeping track of the passage of time in a mound is always hard to do. One has neither sun nor moon to watch and even if one did they might move differently from the true ones. I was pretty sure only a brief while had passed since I awoke.

I noticed a door I had not seen before on my way back to the hall to find my way out. Opening the door I saw the chalice right in front of me. Dagda's words rang in my head, do not try and steal my cup, you will find it will not let you. Suddenly I heard voices behind me. \I hid behind a tapestry and waited for them to pass. When they stopped in front of me I grew curious and peeked around the edge. Five women, each clothed in monochromatic robes ---one in red, one in white, another in black, and the last two in blue and pink--- stood in front of the dais the cup was placed upon. The woman in red bowed then walked up and took the cup, returning to her companions they began to walk again. Fearing I might never find the chalice again I followed after them.

I soon grew bored following them, for they seemed to have no true purpose in their wanderings but they seemed intent on going everywhere in the mound, a plan began to take shape in my mind. In the end they returned the chalice to its place upon the altar, I kept following the women and slipped inside their room as they closed the door. They talked quietly to each other as they prepared for sleep and the thought that they might sleep in their robes was quickly squashed down before it could make me panic. Luck was mine that day though, for all of them disrobed before falling into their beds. I desperately wanted to grab one of the robes immediately and leave, but I held myself in check and waited for the last woman to fall asleep.

When they finally slept I sprang into action. Grabbing the red robe I threw it over my own ragged clothes and raced back to the cup, hoping that it had not moved itself. When I found the chalice where it had been left. Trembling I walked towards it, bowed, and then reverently walked up the stairs before picking it up. It felt warm and faint tingles were running up and down my arms but nothing else happened and the knot in my stomach loosened. I found my way to the laundry room and climbed out through one of the air shafts, ending up on a sun drenched hill. I ran as fast and as hard as I could through the hills and towards the forest.

Finding a town I stole a horse and rode toward the far shore. With the horse my trip took half the time it had on foot. Reaching my destination I let it loose, sure in the thought that someone would find it. I waded into the water. When it reached my shoulders I dove under and whistled. A few moments passed but nothing happened, I had to surface for air before trying again. This time I succeeded in calling the coachman.

My first steps on the dark streets of R'lyeh Ulaid filled me with relief and I ran all the way to Gower. I burst into our room and almost tripped over Jana sleeping on the floor. She helped me prop my husband up as I forced him to drink from the cup. The tension in his body and the lines on his face melted away and filled me with joy. My joy disappeared when I entered my children's chamber.

“Where are they?” I snapped. Jana shrank beneath my gaze.

“They are dead my lady.” The cup clattered to the floor.

“No,” I whispered. The world suddenly tilted and spun. When my eyes fluttered open the first thing I saw was my husband's worried ocean gaze.

“How are you feeling?” His voice washed over me like waves. I was about to ask what he meant but then the memories came crashing back and I bolted upright, causing the world to spin. Manannan's gentle hand pushed me back down and I stared numbly at the diamond stars embedded in the ceiling. He began to stroke my cheek, “I'm sorry you did not come back soon enough.” 'To save our children' hung between us like a specter. The bed shifted as he curled up beside me, his body a comfort I couldn't deny. Curling into him I sighed softly and blinked back tears. In reply he hummed random snatches of tunes as his fingers danced up and down my arms and back.

“I want who did this fed to the creature,” I whispered into his neck. I felt him nod above me as his hands began to thread their way thought my moon-blond hair.

“Go to sleep and I will find whoever did this.”

I sighed, “tell me a story.” I felt his chest rumble underneath me as he spoke, and the familiar comfort of it soon put me to sleep. “Many years ago Queen Rea decided that there should be another fae court. Her suggestion was well met and a short time later she met with the Wylde-fae himself and asked him to create a labyrinth. . .”

-------------------------

There has always been something about my husband that makes one want to tell him the truth. The mermaid confessed before he even asked the first question, saying she knew not why she had done it. We fed her to the creature alive, bit by bit. My sons' funerals were a solemn affair. I did not shed a single tear as their bodies were taken from the temple and down the short tunnel to Mag Mell.

Seven hundred years have passed and they have been long ones, and while my daughter has brightened my life, some nights I can hear my firstborns whispering in the darkness.