By the time the old lady gets to this part of the story, Blackthorn and me are eating up every word. Just as well most of these folk won’t know the tale of how Ciar drowned in Dreamer’s Pool, or they might be putting two and two together the way we are. Emer knows; we’ll have to warn her not to talk.

Well, the tale goes, everyone thinks the second brother has lost his wits. They think falling into Dreamer’s Pool has turned him crazy. Nobody thinks much about the pig. A pig’s a pig, after all. Seems the boar can’t do what he’s supposed to do with the sows anymore. But he can provide a midwinter feast for the whole village. So he’s put in a sty by himself and fattened up.

Villagers think it’s a bit odd the way the first brother goes and talks to the boar every day, as if it was his best friend. Even odder the way the boar seems to be listening. Seems both brothers had their wits addled that day. Word goes around that nobody’s to set foot in Dreamer’s Pool. The water’s cursed. A fey place.

One day, around dusk, the first brother takes the second brother, the half-wit, by the hand and leads him out to the sty where the boar’s being kept. He opens the gate and lets the pig out, and the three of them walk all the way to Dreamer’s Wood. The moon’s full and by the time they get there the pool’s shining with a strange light, so you can almost see the magic.

How’s he going to do it? Doesn’t want to set foot in the water himself, somehow has to get the two of them in. The boar understands what he wants; it wades in straight away, then swims to deep water, a big speckled bulk in the moonlight. But the second brother, he doesn’t want to go in. Scared stiff. Plants his feet on the shore and pulls away from his brother as hard as he can, once he sees what’s happening.

First brother goes in up to his ankles, praying that he won’t be changed. Calls his brother the way he used to call the boar. Hoooo-piggy-piggy! Hooooo-piggy-piggy!

Second brother shivers and shakes. Tight as a bowstring in his brother’s grip. Won’t go in.

First brother’s got a secret weapon. He fishes it out of his pocket. Throws it out into the pool, into the deep water. Lump of fresh cheese. His boar would do anything for cheese.

Second brother runs forward, snorting. He’s in to his ankles, his knees, his hips. He’s diving under, he’s gone.