43
We heard the Lir Valley before we saw it.
The mooing and braying of livestock carried into the forest, followed quickly by the scent of their dung. Voices cut through the sounds, and every once in a while a dog would bark, setting the other animals off into a round of calls.
“I didn’t think the Lir Valley was farmland,” Finn said.
“It’s not what it looked like on the paper.” I hesitated before reaching into my pocket. My fingers felt cold as they found the bloodstained parchment. I bit the insides of my cheeks as I pulled out the little map and opened it.
A roughly-drawn image took up most of the folded page. One thick line formed a strange shape that seemed to be the outline of the valley. Another thick line, which I assumed to be the road, cut in on one side and ran to the center
