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     Dara, Alana and Rhoswen took Haley to the base of the Sierra’s—for here was a secret. Within the cave system was a magical place. Here the naiad nymphs played freely in the hot spring waters. The magical caves also held a long forgotten secret—a portal. Magic had called to magic, and the sisters had found the caves. They guarded the doorway and maintained an escape route for the Miwok people—a back door for those who wished to flee the devastation. The decision to pass through the doorway could not be made in haste, for they might not be able to return—for the doorway opened to the land of Faerie.




     When the settlers came, filled with prejudice and hate, the sisters were gone. When the wars began—some of Miwoks escaped. Still, there was the gold fever and yellow fever—and the sisters returned.




     Their house was a ruin, blackened and burned to the ground. Reverend A.J. Brown had led the mob who descended on the homestead—only to find it empty. In a mob rage—they set fire to the house and all the out buildings. On the orders of the Reverend, no one was to set another foot on this cursed land. The land had been left abandoned for the last two years.




     The sisters stood and looked over their beloved meadow. Determination filled them as they stared out over the blackened buildings. It was time to heal and to mend. It was time to take back what had been taken, and to claim a stake for future generations.




     Yellow fever struck the settlers in 1853, wiping out over half of the town’s citizens. The odor from the cleansing fires could be smelled for miles around. Strangers avoided the road to the town. The settlers were all alone in the wilderness, and watched helplessly as their families and neighbors died. There seemed to be no hope. One week after the first of the fires—the town folk were surprised to see Dara and Alana O’Byrne standing at the edge of town. They demanded to talk to the Reverend.




     To save his beloved wife Annabelle, who was also afflicted with the disease, the Reverend made a pact with the sisters. The sisters administered to the town and there were no more deaths. That very month, the Reverend led a group to rebuild what they had destroyed. The citizens never again lifted voice, fire, or rock against the O’Byrne blood.




     Only the Reverend and the sisters knew the details of the pact—but the pact was made with magic and blood—to this day, it binds the two families. The knowledge of the bindings and rites were passed from generation to generation through the female O’Byrne descendents.



     The seven O’Byrne sisters were Kellan—whose name means warrior princess, Alana—the bright fair one, Dara the one with wisdom and compassion, Rhoswen—the white rose, Vevila—the melodious one, Kane—the bringer of war, and Haley—the ingenious one. Their mother had named them for what she had glimpsed of their futures—for she too had the sight.