Highland Magick

I would like to start an attempt at another new story. I will give you an idea of what it is and then you can let me know what you think. I have no idea what to call it yet and have to do more some looking through the Welsh/Scottish map. Also, this story will involve elves, scotsman and their clans, clan wars, time travel, romance, adventure, trolls, ogres, etc.

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Cheyenne MacKellan had taken her cousin's advice, even though she still thought it was crazy. She'd closed her bank account, withdrawn everything she had in it. She'd made arrangements with the bank on her house and had opened a special account for the bank to take the mortgage payment every month out of it for the next 6 months. Then she'd packed her new suitcases after buying a plane ticket and had called her cousin to come pick her up and take her to the airport.

Living outside of Chicago had it's perks, but she'd missed the simplicity of country life. After her mother had passed away a year ago, she'd sold the farm and moved closer to the city. But, then her father had died. A father she didn't even know about. She'd always seen Sean Ramsey as her father, but 3 months ago, she'd found out that her mother had been lying to her when she'd told her that her biological father had been killed. She'd gotten a phone call from a lawyer in Scotland telling her that she was part of a Robert MacKellan's will...her father and that she needed to come over to claim her inheritance. At first she was shocked, then angry as this had imlpied that her 'father' had known about her the whole time she'd been alive and had never once tried to contact her. Her cousin, Rick Ramsey, was the one who had finally convinced her to go....get away for awhile....visit where she came from. So, she finally prepared and now she was on her way...standing in O'Hare Airport with Rick, saying her good-byes and see ya laters to him.

Hey...chin up, Cheyenne. You know that Uncle Sean loved you as his own, but this Rober MacKellar was your biological father and apparantly, he wanted you to be a part of his will. You need to go, for your own peace of mind if nothing else, Chey. Besides, you've always wanted to visit Scotlan, your birthplace. So, do what you need to do and then have fun."

"Yea, I know Rick....I know, but I have a lot of questions that can't be answered now. But, you're right. I was born in some small village by the Welsh/Scotland border and I would love to see it. Thanks, Rick."

"For what? I didn't do anything."

"For knowing me better than I know myself and knowing what I needed to do to close this chapter of my life."

She stood up on her tip-toes to give him a kiss on the cheek, her dark amber/brown eyes shining with affection for him. Rick gave her a tight hug then stood back and got a good look at her, something telling him that it would be longer than 6 months before he ever saw her again. Rick stood a good 6'5" and was 260 pounds of muscle. Cheyenne was barely 5'3" and weighed 120 pounds soaking wet. She had long, thick coal black hair laced with red highlights, high cheekbones showing her mother's Native American heritage, large dark amber/brown eyes and full pouty lips. He'd always thought her lips were the kissable lips of a man's dreams, but she'd always thought of him as a true cousin, so he'd never pursued her. Her body was luscious, curving where a man wanted curves and her waist was slim. He could have spanned her waist with his hands. Her legs were long and muscular, her days riding horses and working the farm still showed in their outline of her tight fitting black jeans. She still wore black, donning tight black jeans, a black silk blouse and black leather boots with 2 inch square heels. She was beautiful and if one didn't know her, they wouldn't know that behind that look of innocence was a temper and stubborness that belied her small size. He would miss her, but he also knew she had to do this for not only did she carry Native American blood, but she also carried a little elven blood. Her father had been half elven himself, according to what his uncle had told him. Her ears even had delicate points to them, points that he found endearing but she'd found embarrassing.

Sighing, Rick hugged her again then watched her walk away, somehow knowing that it would be a long time before he saw her again.

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Cheyenne was finally here...in Scotland. She'd landed in Edinburgh, collected her luggage and hailed a cab. That was 3 days ago and now she was in the little village where she'd been born and her father had lived. She'd met with the lawyer and had been astonished to find out that she'd been left her father's estate on the border. It was huge, with a large manor and hundreds of acres of woods. Last night had been her first night in the manor and the housekeeper, Mrs. Price, was estatic to see her again, even though Cheyenne did not remember the plump, motherly woman. But, she couldn't feel anything but warmth coming from the woman and had liked her right off the bat.

Today, she was exploring the woods, riding one of the beautiful thoroughbreds from the stables. She still wasn't quite used to using the English saddles, so today she'd opted to ride bareback. She loved riding and even though the stablemaster, Mr. Edwards, balked at her riding bareback, he kept his opinions to himself. Again, she was dressed in dark, tight jeans, black soft sweater, and black knee high riding boots. She'd left her hair down today and it streamed behind her as she ran the beautiful dapple gray mare named GrayStarr. She came to a grove of trees where GrayStarr came to a tooth-jarring halt, refusing to go any farther. Cheyenne tried everything to get the mare to go into the grove of trees, but she wouldn't budge. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Chey dismounted and tying the reins so that GrayStarr woudn't trip over them if she spooked and ran back to the manor, she entered the grove.

At first, Cheyenne was cautious, the grove somewhat eerie. After a few minutes, she noticed how beautiful the trees were, how green the grass was at her feet, the air almost crisper here. She saw a light fog coming towards her and knew from what Mrs. Price had told her, that it was normal for fog to just roll in out of the blue, so she thought nothing of it and walked into it. She had a weird sensation, the further she walked in, a feeling of being disoriented and then it was gone, along with the fog.

~Wow, that was weird. I wonder what that was all about.~

Cheyenne looked around, noticing that she was in the same grove of trees, and yet there were differences as well. For one, there were more trees than she'd remembered from when she'd first entered the trees. Two, the air was.....well, cleaner smelling....fresher. Turning around, she decided to head back to GrayStarr and ride back to the manor to ask Mrs. Price about this grove of trees that she'd not been told about. As she made her way back to where she'd left the horse, she noticed that were a lot more animals than when she'd entered the grove. Rabbits, squirrels, chipmunks, birds and weasels were scampering around and away from her.

As she came to where she'd entered, she stepped out of the grove and stood there, her eyes wide, her mouth open. Everything was greener, different somehow and GrayStarr was gone. But, off in the distance, riding hard towards her, were what looked like Scotsmen of old. As they got closer, she realized that she wasn't dreaming and these large Scotsmen were riding their steeds straight for her. When the leader unsheathed his sword, pointing it at her, she gave a short scream and ran back into the grove of trees.

~Where in the hell am I?!! What happened inside that damned fog?! Oh, God, I don't think I'm in Kansas anymore.~

These thoughts were running through her mind as she ran through the trees, branches scaping her cheeks and grabbing at her sweater.

That sounds a lot like Outlander. As memory serves it was about a 20th century nurse who goes back in time to the 1700's and falls in love with a handsome young Highlander named Jamie MacPherson.

I've never heard of this show 'Outlander'. Sounds kind of cool. I've read novels by Karen Marie Moning based on an ancient elven race, evil druids, sacred texts and magicks, a family of druid men who have been chosen by the ancient elven race to protect and guard the sacred texts. This is something along those lines.

http://www.squidoo.com/outlander

Gabaldon has a whole series. I read the first two, but then lost interest. Her research into the history of the Highlanders is what really impressed me, that, and she is a great 'romance' writer.

Personally I am not a big fan of time travel since I don't believe it's scientifically possible to travel backward along our current time line. I, however, believe there are an infinite amount of time lines many of which are started when even the most infinitesimal piece of the future somehow breaks away and travels backward to another point of the past. If that said piece of the future has consciousness, I believe another time line is started and technically we have time travel, although moving back and forth from the past to the future along the same time line is impossible without forming a paradox and destroying everything within that time line.

In your face Einstien.

The time travel really is immaterial in this regard. The setting is an interesting one.

I can see your point, which is why Cheyenned will have a difficult time finding her way back to her own time period. LOL And Einstein would be proud!!!

Cheyenne couldn't believe what was happening. She was being chased by what looked like ancient Scottish warriors!! She could hear them behind her, from the sounds of it, they had left their mounts outside of the grove of trees and were chasing her on foot. Her face was scratched from branches and she'd already lost some hair that got tangled up in a low hanging branch. Her breath was coming in harsh gasps and she had a stitch starting in her side. She didn't know where she was going, all she knew was that she didn't want to get caught.

~How large is this grove of trees? I didn't think it was this big when I rode up to it, but of course I don't know what year this is either. Maybe this is just a joke and I'm still in my own time.~

Cheyenne knew though, that she wasn't in her own time any longer and she'd try to figure it out as soon as she found a place to hide. Until then, she kept running, her hands out in front of her, trying to keep the branches from slapping her in the face and snagging her clothes. They were closing in on her, she could hear them. She was beginning to falter and knew that she would have to find a place to hide. She began to zig-zag, trying to find a way to lose them, but she was in their territory and had no idea as to where to look for a place to hide. She was beginning to panic, her breath starting to come in sobbing breaths when she saw it. What looked like a small nook in some rocks. She squeezed inside, listening and waiting.

"Where did the lass go, Angus? Did ye see 'er? A lass ta be warming me bed, I'd wager."

Cheyenne heard everything the large man said to 'Angus' and then the laughter of the men. What in the hell had happened?! Closing her eyes, she struggled to keep hold of her composure, something she was usually good at holding on to. The muscles in her legs were beginning to cramp, balled up as she was inside the small nook of rocks, but she didn't dare move for fear that they would find her hiding place.

Suddenly, she was grabbed and yanked out of her little hole, turning into a screaming, scratching animal.

"LET GO OF ME!!! OWW!! DAMN YOU!! LET GO!!"

"Loo' 'ere, lads!! We grabbed a spittin' banshee!! And a pretty one to boot!! OWW!! Damn if'n she ain't a she-cat!!"

Cheyenne suddenly went limp, causing her weight to cause the one holding her to drop her. She was instantly on her feet and running again, cringing inside when she heard the laughter as they gave chase. Her hands were in front of her, trying to keep the branches from scratching her even more, her clothes becoming ripped as they were snagged. She had no idea which way she was going until she came out of the grove and almost ran into one of the men's horses, tethered at the tree-line. Untying all of them and hanging on to the big black stallion, she swung herself up into the saddle and hollering, sent the other horses running guiding the one she'd stolen away from the grove of trees. She turned in the saddle long enough to see the big men come running out of the grove of trees, shaking their fists and roaring with rage in a language that sounded like Gaelic.

She had no idea where she was going as the terrain was different from what she'd remembered, all she knew was that she was headed north.

Cheyenne didn't know how long she'd been riding, but the large stallion was tiring. She had to rest the poor animal and herself and figure out just what it was she was going to do. The path she was on was lined with trees on both sides and her senses were on full alert. She remembered the romance novels she'd read about bandits that lay in wait.....waiting for the right target which is exactly what she was. Coming upon a hill, she urged the horse on to the top, only to look down upon a medium sized village. She stopped the large black warhorse, looking down upon the people scurrying around. Sighing, she looked behind her then back to the village, wondering what she should do. She was still trying to figure out just how in the hell she wound up here to begin with. She knew it had something to with that blasted fog, but she had no idea how or why. Looking back at the village, she turned the horse to go around the village her stomach rumbling as she smelled something cooking coming from what looked like a pub.

Grey ran down the Cathedral hall he great high arched roof his boots thumping against the laboured polished black floor seeming shiny enough to slip on yet he ran on it his boots finding grip his baggy coat and trousers making a rhythm as his feet landed one after the other the two elven crafted knives banged against his thighs he kept running. He saw a door seeing it as an escape what he didn’t see were the guards stepping from alcoves wearing dark green priests clothing both seeming ancient their white hair pulled back the two stepped forward to stop him Grey could help but smile ...now he really wanted to go through that door. Bringing up his pace he took three long strides weaving left and right then feeling light on his feet he smashed both feet to the ground a crack as both boots hit the floor he leaped over the guards landing heavily on his toes he let them give way falling into a roll he stood back up losing very little momentum. The guard yelled at him to stop but he continued the old door looking fragile especially to his shoulder. Slamming into the door the hinges wrenched the boards splintered and the door fell. He found himself in a outdoor courtyard trees growing in the four corners of the room a diamond shape a door like the very one he had smashed in sat in the wall on each flat wall he looked up to find the trees grew to the height of the church. Grey looking back down he found the trees emanating thick rolls of fog he slowly walked forward.

Grey felt a chill as it continued to come from the trees looking down he found he could not see his metal toe capped boots looking up he found to his amazement he no longer saw the opposite door and looking behind him he found... just the mass of fog around him he continued walking till he felt a shiver up his spine. Grey looked around find himself smash bang in the middle of a small grove of trees this grove was not inside a forest like a small cherry garden he stepped from the grove the fog evaporating away he looked around himself finding he was in the middle of know where. “What the F...” He stopped himself as he saw a town in the distance he rearranged himself pushing his knives back into the coat he began to walk down the hill his feet trudging on the heavy dirt little did he know he was heading up the path Cheyenne herself sat on with her horse from the direction she was heading he scratched the side of his face looking around as he saw someone in the distance on horseback. “Hey up someone I can ask for damn directions in this bloody sinkhole.” He continued to walk towards the large stallion realising just how huge the horse was his pace slowing slightly he saw the...girl had noticed him now on the path the two stood staring at each. “Yo the names Grey!” throwing his introduction into the air.

Cheyenne was making her way around the village when she heard a faint voice behind her. Stopping the large horse, she turned around and saw what looked like a man waving at her. She turned back around, her brows furrowed together as she considered what course of action to take. Should she ride on and ignore him or turn around and go back to him?

Turning the horse around, she made a clicking sound with her tongue and trotted back to the young man. She'd heard him say his name was 'Grey', at least that's what she thought he'd said. Stopping in front of him, she looked down at him, taking in the clothing, stocking cap, shaggily cut hair poking out from under said stocking cap then her eyes strayed to the swords at his sides. She couldn't tell if he was from this time or not. His clothing said that he probably wasn't but the swords said that he probably was. At least she had the horse, so if need be, she could out run him.

"Grey, you said? I am Cheyenne. Where are you from?"

She watched him closely, waiting for an answer.....scared at what that answer would be.

“Aye Grey nothing wrong with the name I hope.... and I’m from Scotland can’t you well tell from the obvious accent and I can’t be that far from Aberdeen all I did was fall into some f....” stopping as he realised he almost told her the secret of the church’s parish. “I work at the parish church of Aberdeen near the east coast of Scottie?” He looked around himself finding green hills stretching for the eye except for the village. “If I may ask do you have any fecking idea where I am?” Grey didn’t like this she had a good eye noticing the blades quickly there was no use hiding the long daggers at his waist. “If you got any idea would ya at least have the decency to point me in direction to the nearest damn train stati......”

It had taken Grey a while to notice the state Cheyenne was in having been distracted by her luscious .... “Umm if you don’t mind my probing but your clothes are in some serious tatters there, I could let you borrow my coat.” He tried his hardest to sound friendly and now he found it distracting this women wearing what he would call rags with little left of her clothing he took off his coat holding it arms length round the horses head for her to take.

Cheyenne looked down at her clothing, noticing that her run through the forest and then the grabbing hands of the large scotsman had ripped her shirt open, showing her black lace bra and one shoulder. Blushing, she accepted Grey's coat from atop the horse, still unwilling to dismount. Shrugging on the coat, she mumbled a thank you then heard him say something about a train station.

"Train station? I'm not sure where the nearest one is Grey. I suppose you could head down into the village and ask around down there."

There was a shout in the distance and when Cheyenne looked up, she saw the Scotsmen riding hard towards them, one horse carrying two riders. Shit!!! She looked down at Grey, thinking fast....then she looked again at the two swords and dagger he had. Reaching her hand out to him, her dark eyes bore into his.

"I think that you had better get up here behind me and fast because those men are not the nicest of the lot."

She was surprised at the grace with which he swung up behind her. Throwing her hair out of her face, Grey would see the delicate point to her right ear before her hair covered it again. Cheyenne whirled the big stallion around and kicking him in the sides, she had him galloping hard over the hill.

Turning a blind eye as she slipped on the coat he couldn’t help but think over the black lace bra a rather tantalising wear but shook the ideas from his head she was human it would be a disgrace to his family to meddle in such an affair. Grey gave a sigh as she told him that she did not know of any close by train stations to the location. He looked beyond her horse to the village he saw the Scotsmen but he saw the town a smoking mud pool in his eyes. He looked to the Scotsman screaming some drivel into the air. “Celtic speech? Who mutters that kind of thing these days?”

He looked up his eyes meeting hesr only to find them bore into his blue eyes he gave a blink he was about to step back when he realised the pace at which the Scotsman was racing down on their position he looked to the hand finally deciding he would take it. He dismissed the hands swiftly clambering onto the horse with grace. She yanked on the reigns he did not wrap his arm around her keeping a private disgust but also a curiosity in when they had started the gallop he had noticed her ears were pointed into tips yet he saw no other features of such an elven heritage a half breed? He stopped his train of thought to look back finding they were escaping the two probably much lighter than the two burly men on the one horse. He decided he would keep his questions till later hoping to ask them when he was in a non-violent situation with an alternative.

Cheyenne spurred the large horse into a gallop, heading around the village, but giving it a wide berth. With her and Gray being lighter than the two large Scotsmen on one horse, they were able to stay ahead of them, but the other three men were riding one man on one horse and they were catching up with them. Looking over her shoulder, she saw them gaining on them over Grey's shoulder and shuddered at the thoughts going through her head on what would happen if they caught them. She saw woods up ahead and to the left and headed for them, hearing the men behind her yelling at them to stop. Something about the woods holding spirits. She felt that the spirits would be better than them and ignoring them, steered the horse into the trees.

The forest was thick, making it hard to maneuver the horse around and she had to slow him down so that they wouldn't get knocked off by branches and trunks. She looked behind them and saw that the men were not entering the trees. Smiling she snickered.

"Looks like we're okay....for now. We need to find some water for us and for the horse."

Grey looked back watching the village go past seeing some seriously ‘medieval’ technology he was worried no village should have a functioning well they were for decoration...well he thought they were. He glanced at the three other men still attaining to catch up they kept getting closer Grey’s hand slowly went to the knives at his belt he didn’t like the idea of being chased by some bare hairy chested lunatics. Grey saw their faces change as both her and this girl Ch....wait what was it....Chey...ahh that will do they went into the forest that's was what mattered the looks on the men's faces worried him as they entered.

The two entered the forest the horse slowed down by Chey he had to admit for a half breed she was taught well in the arts of riding a horse. He jumped down landing easily and gracefully his eyes searching round. “I don’t like how they spoke of the spirits though sounded pretty convincing.” He stepped over some branches as she explained they should be okay and would need water Grey didn’t want to admit it but he defiantly needed a drink. “Ok let’s go in search of this water Chey.” Shortening it as he had already forgotten the second half of her name to just the first name he really didn’t want to know her surname.

Cheyenne also dismounted the horse, leading it by the reins as she followed the sound of running water. The trees were thick here, but not so much that they couldn't walk through them. Stepping out of the treeline, she looks down at a shallow embankment with a small stream running beneath it. She leads the horse down to it so that it may drink, kneeling down to drink as well. Once done, she looks back up at Grey.

"So, any ideas? And, I may sound crazy, but I don't think you're going to find any train stations around here, or anywhere for that matter."

Cheyenne was still trying to wrap her mind around the possibility of this not being the 21st century anymore as well as trying to figure out just how she wound up here. She looked back at Grey again as she stood up.

"I guess the next order of business is going to be finding something to eat. The horse isn't going to have a problem but we might."

Grey walked casually hands in pockets at a distance from her. He was lost...he couldn’t believe it he was actually lost. The two came upon a embankment he gave a light smile as he slowly came into the lesser wood he looked around everything was too green...yeah green he already missed the city but wasn’t the wood his homeland. He stopped his track of thought as Chey turned to him saying he would never find a train station. “I had already guessed that with the horse riding lunatics coming after us who would build a train station here.” He had considered the idea that he wasn’t in the 21st century but that meant no...He shook his head dismissing the thoughts he knelt down beside Cheyenne he lifted a handful of water taking a deep drink of the water finding it was clean enough to drink unlike the rivers in Glasgow. “Eating would be an idea and I’m sure your horse has plenty of problems like us eating it...but that would not suit be clever...” Grey had his obligations to nature eating the horse would be problematic as it was so big it would be a waste if they didn’t finish it and it was acting as transportation a much higher cause. He stood carefully straightening his knees. “We might find a kinder town as well to get you some new clothes and if you don’t mind my probing but how did you get here if you ain’t from around here?”