During the mid and late 1500's, first under the English rule of Henry VIII and later Elizabeth I, Ireland experienced great political turmoil (what else is new!). Many Irish chiefs and liege lords surrendered their land to England in order to have it regranted to them along with an English title. It was a time in history when an Irishman might have changed his name, more than once. Such being the case, I know little about my father's last name, only his first "Kier". My last name then, "Kieran" means "son of Kier". "Duncan" means "dark-skinned warrior". With my mother having grown ill at my birth, my father wanted me to have a strong name in hopes that I would survive my childhood. He was a blacksmith and supported my family - two older sisters and a sick mother. All the money he made went to their well-being. His primary concern was keeping them alive, which meant selling his weapons to anyone who would buy them... even the English.

Currently, I make the journey to England on my father's behalf, so that I can sell the weapons that he has made, while he continued to make more. Being an impetuous young man, however, I care very little for the political upheavals and simply want to be part of the crowd. That means wearing the latest fashions, and socializing. I try my best to fit in with the English, learning their dances, wearing their clothing - but many of them were just as impetuous as myself, perhaps more. I needed to learn to defend myself in the duels I was in, so I used a small portion of my father's profits to learn the art of the rapier. I used another small portion to make sure I always had the latest trend clothing, whether it be English, French, or Italian.

My father never questions the profits I give him when I return. I never lie to him about the missing money, but he never asks where it is. He knows the difficult life we lead, and I'm sure it's his way of letting me know he loves me. Perhaps someday I'll be able to repay him, if I don't wind up gutted on the end of someone's rapier first.