Prologue
A Note Before We Begin:
New Readers: If you’re stumbling across this book, you might have no idea who Old Gray is, what a sidhe is, or anything about the setting. I would highly recommend reading Inseparably Forgotten first – HOWEVER, this CAN be read as a stand-alone. Most of the events in this story will take place BEFORE any of the events of Inseparably Forgotten. I’ll make sure to explain the setting and introduce the characters with new readers in mind.
Old Readers: Hello again! Here is the promised beginning of Old Gray’s story! I warn you, this story is sad, but it has a happy ending. Promise.
Updates: The updates are likely to be sporadic. I might not have a ton of time to devote to this, but I promise I won’t forget about it. I’ll aim for one update a week, but it might end up being once every two weeks when things get rough.
Are you excited? ~~~~~~
Prologue
Old Gray wasn’t always known as Old Gray. Over the centuries, many sidhe had tried to figure out the reason behind this nickname.
Old Gray was so wise and knowledgeable, so stoic – of course he would have such a name, one that denoted his years of experience, his status as an elder.
Others thought more simply. His hair and eyes were a steely silver, and no one was quite sure how long he had been around. Wasn’t that why he was called Old Gray?
Of course, Old Gray would never tell anyone the real reason he went by that name. That was between him and that man. That man whose toothy grin never failed to make his heart skip a beat. Of course, he would never tell him that.
In his youth, Old Gray went by the name Sean. His real name – Senan. It was funny how many considered him unparalleled in wisdom, so smart and ethereal as to be above the common sidhe, but he was so unoriginal in coming up with a common-use name. Just rearranging letters should be fine, right? Who really cared?
Once that man found out about it, he never shut up about it, talking Old Gray’s – Senan’s – ear off about it. How boring, he would say…how cute.
In Senan’s youth, he gained fame both as a master potion-maker and a righteous protector of the Tir Na Nog. Though many today were still unclear on the details, at the time everyone talked nonstop about Senan’s dramatic battle with the then leader of the sidhe.
That leader had been corrupt, incorrigible, lecherous. The sidhe assumed that Senan – the first born son of a noble sidhe family, had simply discovered that leader’s transgressions and rightfully challenged him, forcing him to step down. What a good person, being so protective of the common people. How brave. How truly noble.
Those people didn’t know that Senan’s motivations were anything but noble. He had fought the leader of the sidhe out of rage.
Out of grief.
Really, they misunderstood his character. He was never very concerned with being good, with being brave, with being nice. What use did he have for such qualities? He just wanted to make potions. That’s all he ever wanted. Don’t bother him with responsibilities, don’t try to tell him what to do, just…leave him be.
It was only by forcing his hand in such a way that he lost control, that he covered his hands in blood and nearly decimated thousands of his fellow sidhe.
This is the story of Old Gray…who so deeply and completely loved that man who wouldn’t leave him be.
