When Bracken and Tierney, a pair of Fia (shapeshifting faeries) discover their human friend has turned against them in favor of a new deity known only as "the Shattered God", they try to flee to the safety of the Otherworld, to protect themselves and their unborn son.
All does not go as planned, however, and the events of this day will have far-reaching consequences for all of the realms.
Featuring music by Eamon Coughlan
Cast (in order of appearance)
Deborah Snowden - Tierney (singing vocals)
Stephanie Evers Ard - Tierney
N. K. Schlaudecker - Bracken
JT McClanahan - Sloan
Follow our progress at http://www.tarasgreenman.com
Sound Effects sourced through Splice and BBC Sound Effects Library
When Bracken and Tierney, a pair of Fia (shapeshifting faeries) discover their human friend has turned against them in favor of a new deity known only as "the Shattered God", they try to flee to the safety of the Otherworld, to protect themselves and their unborn son.
All does not go as planned, however, and the events of this day will have far-reaching consequences for all of the realms.
Featuring music by Eamon Coughlan
Cast (in order of appearance)
Deborah Snowden - Tierney (singing vocals)
Stephanie Evers Ard - Tierney
N. K. Schlaudecker - Bracken
JT McClanahan - Sloan
Follow our progress at http://www.tarasgreenman.com
Sound Effects sourced through Splice and BBC Sound Effects Library
Greenman: Sons of Tara Episode 1 “The Parting Glass”
(Tierney humming while working a weaving or with a tatting shuttle. The tune is mournful. (SFX Irish traditional) Distant sounds of people crying.)
(Door creaks, shuts, humming cuts off abruptly)
TIERNEY: Bracken? What news?
BRACKEN: (sighs, he’s entirely exhausted) Sloan’s daughter is dead.
TIERNEY: Oh no…
BRACKEN: Now his wife is taking ill, and I still have no answers for him. Or help. Did you find anything?
TIERNEY: (SFX water pouring into earthenware mug) I checked all the wells. The water is pure.
BRACKEN: Then I can’t imagine what that Eye-cult is using to spread this sickness.
TIERNEY: Are you certain it’s them?
BRACKEN: It must be. The disease isn’t natural, and not…not magical, in our sense…Add that to the fact they’re the only ones who have a cure…(beat as he comes to a decision he’s not sure she’ll like)
Tierney, my love…we need to leave.
TIERNEY: Before the baby comes?
BRACKEN: Sloan is in a rage. He’s blaming us, now.
TIERNEY: He can’t mean it, Bracken. He’s hurt, he’s grieving. He’s still our friend…
BRACKEN: He’s still human. And irrational. This is how Loxias took Saille and killed the Drui…
TIERNEY: (she still has some faith in the people) Darach isn’t Saille.
BRACKEN: (he does not) Isn’t it, though? Let’s take a few hours’ rest, and go at first light. We’ll leave everything here, and go home to Fiaglen, raise our son there, and…
TIERNEY: (Guiltily) Abandon the place we have protected for over a hundred years?
BRACKEN: Soon, Tierney, they will not give us a choice.
***
CHAPTER ONE, Scene Two
(SFX night sounds bleed into dogs barking at a distance, growling closer. Blankets thrown, scrambling to get up)
BRACKEN: Tierney…Tierney, get up.
TIERNEY: (groggy) What? Bracken, it’s not first light yet… (SFX dogs layered into the men’s voices)
(fear dawning on her) Bracken…
BRACKEN: Get up, I’ll get the back door opened for you. Change your skin, I’ll be right behind you…
TIERNEY: Don’t be a fool. We BOTH need to go.
SLOAN: (SFX Savage beating on door) BRACKEN! BRACKEN, you lying monster, come out here and face me!
BRACKEN: It’s Sloan…
TIERNEY: We can’t wait. They’ll surround us in a moment. If we shapeshift, we’ll out run them.
BRACKEN: Agreed. We go to the Faery Ring as fast as we can. You get in the ring, I’ll cast the spell and get us all out of here. Do not let them catch you.
TIERNEY: (pause) All right.
BRACKEN: I mean it. Don’t turn back, and don’t stop for anything. Our son’s life depends on it.
TIERNEY: Let’s go, then…
(SFX door creak, magic effect for the skinchangers, hooves on hard floor, transition to deer running through brush, dogs and men again, pursuing)
(Crashing, they’ve come into a clearing)
BRACKEN: No…no, damn them! It’s gone…And this…(SFX kicking a metal object) An iron amulet of that damned Eye.
TIERNEY: All of the crystals are broken. Bracken...
BRACKEN: We won’t make it to the Hunter’s Wood. It’s days away and they’ll catch us before then… (paces) We’ll have to use the standing stones.
TIERNEY: That requires more magic…the spell will slow you down, put you at risk.
BRACKEN: Better me than you. We can’t wait here for them to catch up.
(SFX, further running, hounds are growing louder)
TIERNEY: (stops, breathless) Bracken! (breathless) Bracken, I don’t think I can make it.
BRACKEN You must. I’ll get you to the standing stones, get us home, and you’ll be safe. Tierney?
TIERNEY Why now, Bracken? Why here?
BRACKEN (gently) Come, my love, it’s not much further, and we’ll have put them all behind us. Leave them to their new god. I’ll lead the way.
(SFX running)
BRACKEN There, just ahead on the hill. Get into the center of the stones! (as he makes an outer circuit, the men and dogs are coming closer)
“I, Bracken of Sadbh-Oisin, call on Tara and the Hunter, Lord Fyre, The Sea Mither and Teran the Violent, and the Four Faces of Air, to open the ring and forge the path home. Open the ring. Open the ring. Open the ring only to Tierney, our son, and me.”
TIERNEY Bracken, hurry!
SLOAN: There they are! Stop him!
(Magic SFX as Bracken finishes the spell)
TIERNEY (desperate—she’s safe, he is not) Bracken! Bracken, please!
BRACKEN: (squares off with Sloan, over his shoulder to Tierney) I must hold them off until the spell completes and you are safe. I can’t let them follow you.
TIERNEY No!
BRACKEN Love our son. Protect him.
TIERNEY Bracken!
BRACKEN I love you.
(Tierney vanishes into the spell, sfx thunder, dogs yelp)
SLOAN (scrambles to get up, breathless) (arrows rattle in quiver) You think she’s safe? The Shattered God will find her, and take from you what you stole from us!
BRACKEN There’s nothing of yours I ever wanted to take. (recovers, hits Sloan as he runs by)
SLOAN (shouts, falls)
SLOAN No you don’t, Hellfiend!
(SFX arrow to bowstring, bow draw and release)
BRACKEN: (SFX stag bark, mix fade into human cry) No…what is this…(SFX, skinchanger, fading) No…it’s the iron…it’s leaching my magic…gods…my antlers are gone…I’m…human…
Tierney…My love, forgive me.
NARRATOR: Greenman: Sons of Tara is written, adapted, produced and directed by N. K. Schlaudecker. Featuring music composed and performed by Eamon Coughlan. With the voice talents of Stephanie Evers Ard, N. K. Schlaudecker, JT McClanahan, and Deborah Snowden.
Follow our progress at www.tarasgreenman.com . Thank you for listening, and join us next time, as our adventure in Tara continues.