Breakfast was, of course, simple: oatmeal and milk, flavored with some herbs. I actually kinda liked it, it was a lot better than the packaged crap you get in my time. And as Saoirse said earlier, work was after. We put on cloaks before heading out, and fastened them with bigger versions of that circular pin Saoirse used on her overdress.

The rising sun nearly blinded me as we stepped out of the cottage. But once my eyes adjusted I couldn’t believe what I saw. The view!

Saoirse’s cottage was slightly uphill, and directly downhill was the seashore, with that same castle thing visible in the distance. The town of Cill Rois was visible to the right, and based on that I figured the hills I landed on yesterday were on the exact opposite side of town.

“This is what you wake up to every morning?” I asked, stunned by the view. Saoirse looked at me with a sort of confused indifference.

“Is it good?”

I chuckled.

“It’s incredible, a view like this would be super expensive where I’m from!”

She then led me to her family’s farm plot near the cottage. Now that we were in daylight and I was fully conscious, I was finally able to get a good look at her for the first time. Her dark hair went down to her waist and was worn in a loose braid, but was stiff, matted and frayed. Her face was pale and weathered, and was covered with patches of soot from cooking over the hearth. She had hollow cheeks, and visible dark circles and bags under her eyes. She was lean, but wiry, and had broad hips and narrow shoulders. And she was short, at least two inches shorter than me. She’d have been thought of as malnourished in my time.

“You stare,” she said, suddenly. I snapped out of analysis mode.

“Oh, sorry.”

“Come see.”

We had arrived at her modestly-sized farm plot. It looked like any ordinary farm, with a field and a small barn with some animals. What interested me though, was the large wooden contraption in the middle of the field.

“What is that, Saoirse?” I asked. “It looks cool!”

She started walking towards it and beckoned me to follow.

“I... I made this. I wrote it on parchment with charcoal, then made it with Tadhg. It helps with work.”

My eyes widened with delighted surprise.

“You mean you designed this?”

“Yes. I… de-signed it.”

“Whoa,” I said, grinning stupidly. “You must be super smart then, huh!”

And then I saw it: Saoirse smiled properly for the first time since I got here. My heart skipped a beat–

… er... where did that come from?

“Come,” said Saoirse. “First I will show you the animals. After, I will show you how to work on the field.”

Saoirse led me to the barn, where she had one cow, two sheep, three chickens, and one rooster. She explained to me all their feeding times and habits, then we headed back to the field where she taught me how to use her farming contraption. That’s when a thought occurred to me.

“So um, Maebh is your friend, right?”

“Yes,” said Saoirse, turning to me.

“Is she your… only friend?”

Saoirse hesitated.

“... Yes.”

“Oh.”

Saoirse went back to work. Neither of us said a word for the next few minutes, until I suddenly heard her take a sharp breath.

“People in town… they think me strange. But it– it’s okay. I think them too… simple. They don’t like change.”

“But Maebh sees you differently,” I said. She nodded.

“Maebh asks many… q-ques-tions. Like I did. Like I… do.”

“She’s curious, like you.”

“Yes.”

Suddenly a lot of things started to make sense. Why her only friend was a literal child, despite being smart enough to teach herself literacy and to design that brilliant farming contraption. They were drawn to each other because Maebh reminded Saoirse of herself.

Soon an hour came and went. It hit me just how back-breaking this work actually was, and I was already sore in multiple places. Not to mention how dirty it is, with mud and soil getting all over my new-used outfit. I counted myself lucky that I wasn’t in my regular clothes.

Another hour passed by, and while helping her till the land with her contraption I started to notice the occasional white stone being turned up. I picked one up, and noted its glittery, translucent appearance.

“Hey Saoirse,” I said. “What’s this?”

Saoirse came over.

“Fairy stone. We see them in fields.”

“Interesting…”

I continued to examine the stone, but Saoirse was getting impatient.

“Come,” said Saoirse. “Help with this.”

I sighed in exasperation, pocketed the fairy stone, and headed back to her. If I ever make it out of here I am never handling plants again.