The birds had been singing in the trees all day, but it was dusk now. Orla and Diarmud sat outside, enjoying the last rays of the sun.

"Diarmud..." Orla wound her hair around her finger. "You'll stay tonight? We'll take our pleasure by candlelight or firelight...whatever you wish."

Diarmud turned his head and looked Orla in the eye. "No, Orla. I'll not stay with you tonight. I'll be going home."

Orla sighed, her lips forming a dissatisfied O. "I suppose you must go, then." She turned slightly away from Diarmud.

"Aye, I must." Diarmud rose from the grass, offering a hand to Orla to help her up and going to where his horse was tethered to a tree. He mounted in a fluid motion and smiled at Orla, who had followed him and now stood at his stirrup.

"Kiss me before you go, Diarmud." She tilted her face upward.

Diarmud looked down at her with a smile. "Gladly." He stooped, leaning over the edge of his saddle to reach her lips.

Orla wrapped her arms around his neck, then suddenly stabbed him with a knife.

Diarmud sat up, pressing a hand to his chest. "Orla!" His eyes were wide with pain and shock. "You've killed me...you false...woman..." He slumped in the saddle, the blood oozing through his now-limp fingers onto the saddle.

Orla took the horse's bridle to keep it from fleeing and took a step back to survey her handiwork. "There." She led the horse up to her door, then paused. She stood for several long moments, her face twisted in thought.

Finally she took hold of Diarmud's body and pulled. She almost collapsed under his weight, but managed to stay on her feet and drag Diarmud inside the door.

Orla put her hands on her hips, then looked back outside at Diarmud's horse. "Off you go," she said shortly. The horse didn't move. Orla sighed, stepped outside, and slapped the horse's flank. "Go!" This time the horse went, trotting away then slowing to a walk.

Orla waited until the horse had disappeared, then went inside and shut the door. She listened for the maid came to light the fires, but heard nothing. Taking Diarmud under the arms, she dragged him into her chamber and let his body lie on the floor while she barred the door and cleaned the bloody knife on his clothes.

"Lie there, Diarmud." She set the knife on the table beside her bed, then perched on the edge of her bed and gazed at his body. "A pity. But you must have had another love besides me." She dressed for bed, blew out the candle, and went to sleep.

The next morning, she woke and looked down at Diarmud. He lay where she had left him the night before, his body stiff and still. Orla went to the door and listened for the sounds that meant the maid was in the house. Hearing the noise of the poker in the fireplace, she unbarred the door.

"Help!" She called. "Maura, come here!"

Within a few moments, the maid had come and was standing in the doorway. "What is it, my lady?"

Orla was sitting on her bed, staring down at Diarmud's body. "This man was in my chamber, Maura. I had to kill him."

Maura was instantly at her side, murmuring and caressing her hair. "Oh, dear, how terrible. Here, don't think about it."

Orla let herself be fondled by the older woman, sighing. "I want his body away, Maura! Help me. You'll help me, won't you?" She looked pitifully up at Maura.

Maura stood resolutely. "Of course I'll help you! Dear child, having that body in here with you." She clucked her tongue and stooped over Diarmud. "A handsome man, he was. A pity."

Orla said nothing, but rose and looked down at the dead man. "Handsome no more. Death makes ugly corpses of us all." She stood there a moment longer. "Let us throw him in the well, Maura."

"The well? Have you lost your wits? It's poisoning the water directly you'll be after next!"

"No, Maura, the empty well a little way from the house. Not the drinking well."

"Ah, that one. Well, that changes things. Further away, hm? Men are heavy, you know."

Orla smiled. "I know." She bent over and grabbed Diarmud's arms. "You take his legs, Maura." Maura obeyed, and together they lifted the body off the floor and into the air.

When they had gotten Diarmud out of the bedchamber, the two women stopped to rest. "Handsome he was, but he ate well, too!" Maura muttered, wiping her brow with her sleeve.

Orla allowed herself a little laugh. Diarmud had always enjoyed a good meal. She stretched her arms and picked up the body again. "A little further, Maura." They lifted Diarmud again and carried him through the door, making more progress towards the well before they had to stop to rest again.

Finally they came to the old, unused well. Orla propped Diarmud up against the wall and let out a gusty sigh. "Well!"

Maura was panting, the exertion having winded her. "And...you still...want...to toss him in?"

Orla nodded firmly. "I do. I never want to be reminded of him again. And he deserves it."

Maura nodded slowly. "Over he goes, then." She and Orla both worked to tip Diarmud's body over the edge of the well. They watched the body fall for a spit second, then heard a splash and could see nothing.

Orla dusted off her hands. "That's done."

Suddenly from above came the sound of a bird singing. Orla and Maura both looked up into the tree beside the well. A little bird sat on a branch above them, singing and watching them. Orla frowned. "Is that bird watching us?"

Maura squinted up. "No."

"No?" Orla put a hand to her eyes to see better. "I swear, it looks like he's loo-"

"He's watching you," Maura interjected. "Not me, you."

"Me?" Orla put her hands on her hips. "Why just me?"

Maura shook her head, shrugging. "'Tis none of my business why a bird decides to look at you and not me." She headed back to the house, muttering.

Orla stood looking up at the bird, frowning at it. Suddenly the bird spoke. "You false woman! May you die an ill death! That man had no love but you!"

For a moment Orla couldn't believe her ears. She gaped, going as limp as Diarmud's body. "What?"

This time she was sure the bird was speaking. "You are false! A false woman! You killed your love out of jealousy of a woman who does not exist."

Orla closed her mouth tightly, frowning. "Come down here, bird. A pretty thing like you belongs in a cage." Her voice changed, becoming more sing-song in tone. "I have a gilded cage for you to sit in that I will give you. Come down, sit on my knee, and sing for me!" she coaxed.

The bird tilted its head to one side, its dark eye glinting as it watched her. "I won't come down to you, false woman. How can I trust a woman who killed her love? I'm sure you would kill me just as easily."

Orla stamped her foot angrily. "If I had a bow and an arrow, I would shoot you through the heart!"

The bird hopped and fluttered its wings, unperturbed. "No, false woman. That statement is as false and as empty as anything you've ever said. If you had a bow and an arrow, I would spread my wings and fly away from you before you could send an arrow towards me." As if to illustrate its point, the bird flitted lightly from one branch to another, singing once again.

This time, Orla could only hear the bird saying, "False! False! False, false lady!" Orla put her hands to her ears and gave a cry of frustration, stumbling back from the tree. She ended up back at the well where Diarmud's body now rested.

"Oh, Diarmud!" Orla kept her hands pressed over her ears and looked down searchingly into the well's dark depths. "Is it true? Was I your only love?" She removed her hands, hoping to hear Diarmud's voice. But she only heard her words echoing back to her. "Your only love?"

The bird was still singing. "False! False lady!" Orla let out a cry of frustration and ran towards the house, slamming the door to block out the bird's singing.

Maura came into the room, drying her hands on a towel. "What's amiss?"

Orla held both hands in front of her mouth, panting. "The bird...the bird...it spoke to me."

Maura's eyebrows shot up. "Spoke to you?"

Orla nodded. "It...it said I was false!"

Maura came close to Orla and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "How could you be false? You are one of the truest people I know." She guided Orla to a seat and pushed her down gently. "But, if it bothers you so, I will go and shoot the bird."

Orla looked up at Maura, her face lighting up. "You will? You have a bow to shoot it with?"

Maura smiled wickedly, her pudgy face somehow still seeming innocent. "If I don't, I know where I can get one. You just wait here." She poked at the fire, then hurried out of the room.

Orla sat, covering her hands with her eyes. Not a single tear rolled down her face, however. She sighed, then took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

She began to doze, visions of Diarmud flying through her head. They were outside in the sun, hands intertwined. Diarmud turned to look at her and Orla's heart was torn in two. The love in his eyes was clear to see, even for Orla. And I thought he had another love. She felt a pang of guilt stab her heart. "No...no..."

Orla rose from her chair and paced the room. "Diarmud...you only loved me!" Her voice caught and she choked on a sob. "No, do not cry. Do not cry, Orla." She swiped at the few tears that threatened to roll down her cheeks.

Orla clenched her fists and took a deep breath, composing herself. "What's done is done. The fact still stands that he didn't love me enough to stay with me." The thought made her angry once again, and the house seemed unbearably close and still.

Orla pushed the door open and stepped into the grass, breathing in slowly. All seemed well until she heard the birds singing in the trees around the house. Suddenly she heard the bird again: "False! False!" The bird's song was cut short and Orla looked around in confusion.

Maura appeared, a bow in her hand. "The bird'll not bother you anymore."

Orla's eyes filled with tears of relief. She put an arm around Maura's shoulder. "Thank you, Maura. Come take breakfast with me."

"Why, me?" Maura asked with surprise. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You came to my aid when I needed you." Orla started walking to the house, guiding Maura along.

"Well, if you insist...you do keep a very good table, I must say." Maura laughed.

Orla laughed, too. "Well, when you only have to cook for one, it's easy. I have plenty of food for us." She and Maura went inside and closed the door behind them, shutting out the birdsong and the sunlight.