Ch 6 - Kells

Sionn enjoyed the walk with Aurora. As they stopped on the shore of Loch Lomond he looked down into her sparkling eyes. Even with the thick fog coming off the waters he could see the dimmest light reflecting back at him. He leaned down and kissed her deeply again, inhaling the scent of her through his nose. His chest rose and he grabbed her lovingly around the waist, his hands coming up against her back between her shoulder blades. He could feel every inch of her pressed against him and he clutched at her as if she was the only woman on the planet.

Suddenly there was an echoing howl that loomed over the water. He pulled back quickly and looked to his right, up the shore. Aurora had heard it too and spoke, “Sionn, what…” He immediately pressed a gentle finger to her lips and whispered, “Whisht…”

They both stared into the mist and the silence became deafening. For several minutes there was nothing except the gentle lapping of small ripples of Loch Lomond licking the rocks at their toes. Suddenly the mists seemed to be getting thicker and second bellowing echoed across the water, bouncing in all directions making it difficult to find the source, but Sionn narrowed his eyes to the north along the shore line again and whispered, “Bloody hell…”

He looked down at Aurora and whispered, “Mountain Troll.”

Her eyes went wide and he grasped her hand, heading back in the direction of the house with haste. The mists became so thick that they could see only a few meters in front of them and quickly they found themselves lost in the flatness of the darkness. The mist was so thick it was making them dizzy with lack of direction. Sionn gripped her hand tighter and reached into his long coat, removing one of his hammers. It magically grew to full size but he did not charge it for fear of casting light.

The ground was getting wetter and wetter, making it difficult to hear, but a soft, deliberate sound was coming from ahead of them. Gentle, massive footsteps with a muffled movement of a body. The sound, though indistinct was getting closer and Sionn, knowing that Aurora had not brought her bow, placed a hand around her waist and gently nudged her behind himself so he was between her and the noise. He put his hand back in hers and began to lead her, very slowly, one step at a time in the direction he HOPED the house was. Suddenly there was a thump to his right and he shifted, putting himself again between the noise and Aurora. He stayed completely still, watching, his breathing was slow, deliberate and steady. Again a soft step squished the peaty ground ahead and his heart steadied, the sound was very close now, and a gentle sniffing could be heard. He was just about to take a step when Ean burst through the mists and grabbed Sionn’s hammer before he could strike.




Sionn’s face twisted in rage and Ean immediately placed a finger to his lips and reinforced his command that Sionn needed to remain silent. Aurora would see that a line was tied to Ean’s waist, and he was holding a massive sword in his right hand. The sword was so large that a normal sized person would need two hands just to keep it up, but Ean held it one like its weight was insignificant.

He motioned to Aurora to come grab the line attached to his waist and he whispered as she did so, “Keep your hand on it, it will take you direct to Lizzy and Lex, go.” Sionn stepped forward to protest and Ean’s face was full of such command that Sionn immediately thought it best to remain silent. Just as Aurora was leaving sight Ean motioned for Sionn to follow the line back as well, and then when he was a few steps off Ean began walking back, Lexy keeping the line tight the whole time so his path took them directly back.





Lex and Elizabeth were standing just off the corner of the barn, the line attached to a large, steel ring. Lizzy was wearing robes which Aurora had not seen her in as of yet. They were dark green and made of some of the finest silk and velvet she had ever seen. If the situation wasn’t so tense she wouldn’t have been able to take her eyes off them. Just as Aurora reached Lexy she handed Aurora her bow, quiver and arrows and motioned for her to get near Liz. Within seconds Sionn appeared, and very shortly after that, Ean. The howl erupted again and echoed off the Ben’s all around them, and then a second. Elizabeth whispered to the group, “They are getting closer, but they are still a ways off. Why they are accompanied by this fog is strange however.”

Sionn shook his head, “It is no mystery lass, Arawela used a fog just like this when she attacked our castle, her hand is in this and she is using the mists to hide them.”

Aurora nodded and chimed in her agreement, confirming what Sionn had said. Elizabeth furrowed her brows slightly and then spoke, “We should get ready for a confrontation then.”

Ean furrowed his own brows deeply and spoke, “We don’t have the numbers to take on one Troll much less two Liz.” Liz looked at him, despite her small size she looked just as large as her brother, “What would you suggest Ean? Perhaps we should just offer ourselves over?”

Ean looked defiled and spoke, “You know that is no what I mean Lizzy…”

She looked at him apologetically but moved on without saying so, “Sionn, I suggest you grab your other hammer, Ean, get what you will need, you too Lexy.”

She then turned to Aurora and spoke, “Have you ever fought a Mountain Troll?”

Aurora responded, telling her she didn’t even know there were Mountain Troll’s much less fought one. Elizabeth nodded and spoke, “I want you with me, your bow will come in handy combined with my magic.”

She turned to Sionn, you go with Ean and coordinate with he and Lexy, Aurora and I will stay close enough to be effective but far enough to be out of the melee. He was about to protest and she shot him a look so sharp he simply turned to Aurora, kissed her quickly and whispered, “Be safe.”

Lexy, Ean and Sionn met at the rear of the barn and Elizabeth came up with Aurora. Her robes were as silent as the night air and she glided in beside her brother and sister, “The standing stones are at the top of this Ben, a thirty minute walk in good weather. I say we head that way as there are stones to mark the way and we won’t get lost in this mist.” Another howl broke the night, much closer than it had been last time. Liz looked up and her eyes seemed to pierce the fog, “How are they traveling so fast?”

“Druid magic,” Sionn said flatly. The three siblings looked at him with concern and Elizabeth spoke, “Come. Ean and Sionn, take the lead, Lexy behind them, Aurora and I will take the rear. As the three took a step Liz looked at Aurora who and noked and arrow. She reached under her robe and removed a round crystal about the size of a golf ball. It was without a doubt one of the most beautiful things Aurora had ever seen, pulsing with a swirling within like fine sand moving through crystal clear water. Elizabeth touched the crystal with her finger and a fraction of the contents jumped from within and swirled around her finger. She reached down and touched the broad head of Aurora’s arrow. Without a word she smiled and motioned for them to move. She held the crystal in her closed hand, thin tails of blue light escaped occasionally from between her fingers, like energy trying to escape.

As the five of them made their way up the mountain side Elizabeth whispered strange words that sounded like gibberish. The mist ahead of them responded however, and cleared so they could see all around them a good thirty meters or so. They hadn’t gone fifty meters when suddenly two goblins erupted from the mists heading straight at them. Aurora’s arrow hissed over Sionn’s shoulder, skillfully missing his ear by inches as it struck the first Goblin square in the eye. The blue glow erupted off the broad head and his body twisted into dust. The second caught Ean’s swing and was cut in half before it even had a chance to make an attack. The five of them stood in a circle, watching and waiting for what was sure to be another wave, but nothing came. Several minutes passed and finally Ean motioned for them to continue on. Again the night was deadly quiet and after what seemed like hours they were at the standing stones. Twelve stones in total, each between 4 and 8 meters high made a perfect circle in a large clearing at the top of the Ben they had climbed. Immediately Elizabeth removed a bag from within her robes and on a large stone in the center began mixing a dark powder with blue mists she was extracting from the round crystal in her hand. A very faint pulse of power rapidly fastened itself to each of the stones and over their heads. She motioned to Aurora and pulled what was left of the blue mist from her crystal, touching the tip of her arrow again. The crystal was still beautiful but now showed no signs of life within it. As Aurora looked at it curiously Elzabeth smiled warmly and reached under her robes, removing another that glowed with a yellow light, much like the blue one had done. She winked and the empty crystal disappeared within her robes, “We should be relatively safe here, but be ready, those goblins knew we were coming here, which means whatever sent them knows as well.

Dealing with a mountain troll and goblins was something totally new to Aurora. But, she was true to her form, her arrow infused with Lizzy's magick, hitting it's mark. She didn't let on just how scared she was, knowing that her courage was needed as was her aim. But what in the world was a mountain troll? She stood in the middle of the stone circle, another arrow notched and ready as she tried to see through the thick fog, staying close to Sionn. A large part of her was extremely aggravated at her's and Sionn's outing being ruined by trolls, goblins and most of all, Arawela and her vendetta. She stood at the ready, listening but the thick fog seemed to swallow up most of the sounds. She called on the wolf spirit within her to increase her hearing and sense of smell only to smell Beau and her thoughts instantly turned to his safety.

~Go back to the house, Beau..I am safe within the stone circle~, she thought to him through their link and she was relieved when he did as she asked of him.

She was in awe over Lizzy's abilities with magick, seeing the wizardess in a new light. She was a quiet, gentle soul yet she had a iron will. Ean was in warrior mode and that was something that was impressive within itself. He'd come when they would've surely been lost to the fog, not giving Sionn the chance to argue with him. She wasn't sure what would've happened if Ean hadn't have shown up, but one thing she was sure of. Sionn was ready to protect her and that had her heart swelling with love for him.

She turned towards a sound, her aim ready when a rock came hurtling at them, bouncing off the protective shield that Lizzy had formed around them when another came and then another. With each rock, the shield quivered and she knew what they were doing. They were testing it for weaknesses, maybe even trying to weaken it as much as they could to make it easier for the trolls to break through it once they arrived. She drew her arrow back, waiting for the next rock to hit so that she knew exactly where to aim. Once it hit she let the arrow fly, hearing the scream of the goblin and immediately notching another arrow.

"How big are these mountain trolls, Sionn? And what exactly are goblins? I've only read about them in horror stories. I didn't think that they were real."

Rocks began to hit the shield from all sides, anywhere from three to ten at a time. The group stood in the center of the shield, all facing outward, watching as the shield rippled and swayed under the attack. Sionn turned and looked at Aurora and spoke, “Have ya ever been to the zoo and seen an elephant?” She nodded, he continued, “Thick of a creature three to four times larger with skin ten centimeters thick and strong enough to…” An impact so strong that it knocked all five of them over rocked the shield. Elizabeth looked up, wide eyed, to see a boulder the size of a 15 passenger cargo van rolling off the bottom of the shield and settling in the peat moss. She whispered, “My God…”

Sionn got to his feet and looked at Liz. She was struggling to get to her feet. He reached and helped her stand, then turned and did the same for Aurora. Liz stepped forward and began to whisper strange words, her eyes fluttering slightly as the magic from her crystal flashed around her hand and disappeared into her skin. Her other hand came up and a burst of wind erupted from the shield, swirling outwards in all directions. From the direction of the boulder a massive creature, grey of skin with marbles for eyes stared at them before sliding backwards to keep himself hidden in the mists. He was easily 10 meters tall and rippled with muscles that looked like they could tear steel apart. Aurora looked wide eyed as Sionn whispered, “THAT is a Mountain Troll.”

“Whisht Sionn McGhee!” He turned and Liz, furrowed brows aimed at him, was looking annoyed to say the least, “She is smart enough that I am sure she put that bit o’news together. Now be ready, cast your ice daggers!” As the others looked half a dozen goblins, all one to two meters tall, black skin, white eyes, razor sharp claws and vile as demons burst forth with small daggers and swords. Sionn stepped forward and brought up his hands, collecting the water from that air in front of him rapidly before a swirl of dagger like icicles appeared in front of him. He thrust his hand forward and Liz cast a spell behind his to accelerate their movement, five of the goblins went down in splashes of black blood and an arrow from Aurora’s bow struck the sixth right between the eyes.

Liz looked down at her crystal, it was roughly half depleted and she looked back up, “It’s no even midnight…”

Ean looked at her and then to Sionn and Lexy. Finally he turned to Aurora and made a rough count of her arrows. He stepped over and unsnapped a sword that was attached to his belt just behind the small of his back. Kneeling down he looped the scabbard up under her belt on her strong side and synched it into place, “It’s an elegant blade, made by the Fara, light sharp as a razor, harder than diamond and twice as strong as steel…” He looked at her and she saw a measure of protection in his eyes that she had never seen from Sionn, and he stood, turning to Sionn, “The lasses only have so much magic and ammunition, you and I will need to be the center of the destruction, “Ummm… excuse me you donkey, I am still here to ya know!”

He turned to Lexy and nodded, “Aye, but I need you to stay back and cover them in case the fighting comes in too close, Lizzy is most vulnerable when she is casting, and Aurora will need someone watching her back as long as she is using her bow so she can concentrate on her targets. At the point she has to go to the sword you and she need to protect Lizzy.” Lexy nodded in understanding and walked over beside her sister.

A whistling sound penetrated the air and another massive boulder from the other side crashed into the top of the dome, sending vibrations from the impact down. This time they were ready and everyone stayed on their feet. Aurora spoke, sharing her thought that they were probing for weaknesses and all three MacGregor siblings turned to look at her, Ean smiling and Lizzy nodding, “Aye lass, you are more than correct. The shield will hold a long while, the stones amplify the magic, as long as…”

Another stone came rolling from the opposite side and smashed into the shield right beside one of the stones, the stone shook and the shield quivered, opening the slightest hole for a brief second but held and rewrapped itself around the stone. She turned to Ean and whispered, “Let’s hope they did’no see that.”

Aurora was trying to take in what she saw in the mountain troll and the goblins, her eyes seeing but her mind not quite believing. She'd never seen anything quite like what she was seeing. They were huge and the goblins were like something out of a nightmare. She shivered, notching an arrow again and waited.

When Ean approached her, she lifted her slim arms for him to loop the scabbard to her belt, seeing the look in his eyes. She gave a light blush before she looked away, listening to what he was saying. Mentally, she slapped herself for not keeping an eye on her arrows and realized that she only had fifteen left. It was then that she remembered something. It was a memory.....one from when she was only around four years old. She closed her eyes, concentrating to bring it forth for she knew somehow that it was important to what they were going through now.

~They were everywhere....and with them came a darkness. Her mother was hiding her in the sacred White Oak where the tree itself would protect her. She could hear them....their chatter, howls and screams. They were goblins, but not exactly like these. The ones from years ago were a scaly green with red eyes and smaller, but no less dangerous. They'd come for her and even at four years old she knew this. She didn't have Beau or Eryn yet, but another smaller spirit guide. A fox that stayed with her while she hid within the White Oak. She heard her mother fighting them, her grunts of pain as she called to the animals of the woods to give her aid. She could see herself curled up in a small ball within the tree, listening to the scratching and digging as the goblins tried to get to her, the tree itself swinging it's massive branches to knock them away but there were so many of them.~

Aurora looked around her, seeing her friends and then seeing the goblins, the memory still vivid. This wasn't the first time she'd come up against goblins...she'd just not remembered. "They've come before...in my mountains when I was four", she whispered. She looked around for a tree....any tree and saw none. She knew she had the same ability her mother did when it came to the Earth and her children but did she dare call on Beau and Eryn and put them in danger?

~Beau...Eryn...call on the badgers, foxes, mice, falcons, any animal and bird that will come. We need their help. Beau....I also need more arrows...any that you can handle. Just be careful. Eryn, have the larger raptors stay out of reach of the troll's reach but attack the goblins, take out their eyes. Ask Wipsy to help you.~

She looked at Ean, "I've called in reinforcements....so to speak. They will be arriving within minutes." She turned to Sionn, "Beau is bringing me more arrows...watch for him and please use your ice daggers to protect him." Then she turned to Lexy, "Eryn and Wipsy are calling in their friends to attack the goblins from the air. But it this is anything like I just remembered......it has only just begun for this night."

Another large boulder then hit the shield and she was knocked off balance, falling into Ean.

Lexy looked at Aurora with a touch of confusion… ‘called in reinforcements?’ …. Suddenly it dawned on her what Aurora meant and her face went white, she whispered, “Oh no…”

Suddenly the area erupted with the sounds of animals squealing, she looked in horror as a red deer was shredded to pieces just inside the glow of the shield, she heard Whipsy in her mind, ~ “They come because she calls, they don’t know the danger they are coming into Lexy… they are herbivores, not warriors, but it is the heart of them to bid the caller, and fight for good…we’ve no predators in the Scottish hills, not for decades…” ~

Lexy suddenly ran towards the shield, Liz screamed and she pressed through to the outside, slashing a goblin in half as it was bearing down on two rabbits. Ean looked in horror as his sister left the defensive protection Elizabeth had erected and didn’t even give a seconds hesitation as he went into the fray with her. It was now Lexy and Ean who were protecting the animals, not vice-versa. Whipsy did what she could, scratching at goblins when the window of opportunity came, but these goblins were vile, skilled hunters as much as they were evil, their sustenance came from hunting these very creatures, and if they knew anything it was how to kill them.

Ean and Lexy stood back to back, an occasional burst of magic shot by them as Liz moved as close as she could to the shield edge without crossing into the night and outside it’s protection. Sionn ran to the downhill side and waited, watching for Beau who came running up the hill at full speed carrying a large quiver of arrows in his jaws. Sionn gave one look over his shoulder and then leapt outside the protection of the shield and met the spirit wolf as he was closing in, catching a goblin who was pursuing him square in the jaw with such force it broke the hideous creatures neck. Two more came in from both sides and Sionn extended both hands, gathering the moisture around him in the fog and freezing both of them solid. Spinning he caught them simultaneously with his hammers which flashed with lightening and both of the creatures exploded into shards.

He spun on the peat moss and started running behind Beau, catching another goblin with ice daggers as it jumped at Beau. The shield was only two meters away but it seemed like the distance to the horizon line as the screeching sounds of goblins and dying animals echoed all around him. He felt something hit his calf, the pain was like fire and he stumbled over his own feet as he hit the ground with a splash, sliding to a stop. He twitched as he turned and saw the dark shaft and black feathers of a goblins arrow sticking out of his leg and he grit his teeth, pushing himself up off his hammers and began hobbling as best he could to the shield. He flicked his hand and a blue sphere of moving ice erupted all around him, and then a second around Beau as the spirit wolf reached the shield. His vision was blurred with the pain and he fell again.

There was no impact with the ground this time, an arm caught him, and the sound of a blade hissing just over his head, then the squish of metal cutting flesh as Lexy leapt over him, landing sure footed and sliding into a second goblin, skidding to a stop as she ran it through. Ean secured his arm well under Sionn, hoisted the Fara over his shoulder and ran into the shield, Lexy not far behind. The goblins broke over the shield like a wave and hissed as it burned their flesh, their teeth snarled and dripping red with the blood of red squirrels, rabbits and deer. Suddenly one of the trolls burst out of the mist and smashed its shoulder into the shield, the entire area quaked with the impact and as it pressed its face into the magic Lizzy’s face went white with concern and she whispered under her breath, “God no…”

She then furrowed her brow as she gathered herself and reached into her robes, removing another crystal sphere, glowing with blue. She drew upon its magic and screamed a spell, pushing her hand towards the troll. A wave of energy smashed into his face and he wailed in pain as his entire body lumbered backwards. He turned and looked at her as he got himself gathered, the side of his head dented in where the spell had impacted him. His damaged eye twitched and he roared with a ferocious, blood curdling scream that echoed across the valley, and charged again. As he smashed into the shield next to one of the rocks, the stone cracked and shifted. The shield rippled violently and a massive opening split up and towards the top before mending itself. The troll suddenly displayed a measure of intelligence and watched, then looked down at the stone. Elizabeth screamed to Ean and Lexy as the troll reared back to kicked the stone when an arrow hissed through the air and caught him in the knee. He recoiled back slightly and snarled, though Aurora’s arrow had pierced one of the thinner areas of flesh, it seemed more to shock him than hurt him.

The troll looked up at Aurora and focused his vision on her for a brief second before turning as if being called from within the mists. He turned and lumbered back into the mists, and suddenly the area when eerily quiet.

Aurora looked in horror at the massacre outside the shield, knowing that she was the cause of it.  She'd failed....again.  She watched as the massive troll lumbered back into the mist, limping from the arrow she'd shot into the thin part of the skin on his knee.  She then turned to Sionn who was on the ground, Ean and Lizzy tending to his leg.  "What have I done?", she whispered to herself.  She looked back at what was left of the animals, mangled bodies...the blood...the cries of the ones who weren't dead yet.  She began shaking her head back and forth, throwing the sacred bow at the inside wall of the shield followed by the quiver of arrows.  The throw was so violent that even Beau jumped.  She looked at Ean, Sionn, Lexy and Lizzy then back to the chaos.  

"Will he be okay?", she asked, speaking about Sionn.  At Lizzy's nod she began to walk out of the shield, hearing Lexy's cry at her.  But she didn't stop.  Once outside she looked around her, feeling the squish of the blood soaked peat beneath her feet as she walked to a hare that was all but torn in half, but still alive....barely.  Drawing her knife, she kneeled next to it, tears falling down her cheeks.

"Forgive me, little one...I have failed you...all of you, again", she spoke before slitting it's throat, ending it's suffering.  She began to go to another....this time a red doe, two of it's legs torn off.  It was in shock, crying out as it tried to rise on it's other two legs which were broken.  Again, she had her dagger in her hand, kneeling next to it, "Forgive me, little sister.....again I have failed and you and Mother's other children have paid the horrible price."  She then slit it's throat, her hand not leaving the side of the doe as she knelt there and cried.  

There weren't many animals that weren't already dead, so it didn't take her long to finish what she was doing before she headed back to the shield.  She didn't speak to the others, she didn't pick up the bow or quiver of arrows she'd thrown.  Instead, she stared at the artifacts hatefully.  Beau approached her but she turned away from him, causing him to give a small whine as he stood there watching her.  When he tried to mindspeak to her, she shut him out, putting up a wall and that worried him most of all.  

~Lexy, she is shutting down. Withdrawing into herself, she's shut me out.  She did remember when the goblins attacked when she was four....her mother hiding her in the sacred White Oak tree while she and the animals fought them.  She remembered her mother calling to the wolves, bear and other carnivores.  I don't think she realized that this time those animals were not available.~

He tried to mindspeak to her again, but she'd not open up to him.  Instead, she stood there looking at the bodies and blood of the innocent animals she called to their slaughter.

As the area went eerily quiet, a soft hand came to rest on Aurora's shoulder. Aurora didn't move, didn't look to see that it was Elizabeth, and Elizabeth didn't force the matter. She knelt down in the soft peat moss beside Aurora, her fine silken robes not making a sound and she leaned forward, placing her chin on Aurora's other shoulder and whispered into her ear, "Is àrd ceann an fhèidh sa chreachann."

Aurora perked up and turned to look at her as the Gaelic rolled off Lizzy's tongue like a Siren's song. With a soft smile and a gentle touch to the cheek she whispered this time in English, "Lofty is the deer’s head on the top of the mountain. You did nothing wrong, they fought rightly and died as nobles, no a one of them hesitated at your call, and the same evil devours all."

She smiled again and a tear rolled down her cheek, "There is no lesson in this, you did what was right, and it might have saved us yet."

She gestured with her head and as Aurora looked she would see the glinting eyes of hundreds of trolls blinking in the darkness, looking occasionally from side to side in fear of come what may. Lizzy spoke again, "Sionn needs tending, that arrow was poisoned and I must administer an antidote."

Aurora looked at her fearfully and Lizzy smiled as she helped her to her feet, showing no urgency, "Worry not lass, it is only goblin narcotics, rather easy to..."




Suddenly Lexy yelled for her, Sionn was contorting on the ground and Lizzy ran over beside him. She touched his face, he was burning hot. She looked at the wound and it was festering already, black spider lines crawling across the pale of his skin, "This is dark magic being woven here..."

She placed the blue sphere on Sionn's leg and then reached into her robes, removing a small vial that contained something which looked like petroleum jelly. She dipped her finger in and smeared it on the wound. Sionn retracted and murmered in pain and Lexy spoke, "Whisht lad, whisht... Lizzy can fix it aye?"

She looked at Lizzy who didn't look up but also didn't look convinced she could. Grabbing the blue sphere again she pressed it into the wound and hissed words of magic. Sionn twitched again and she grit her teeth as she pressed the sphere, the remaining blue light leapt form within it and pulsed through his leg, the spider lines disappearing almost immediately and the wound sealed itself. Blue light pulsed under the visible parts of his skin and his eyes glowed a few seconds before the magic Dissipated. He coughed and turned to look at Aurora, his face brightening the second he saw her... "Lass.... I bet you are getting used to seeing me lied on my back and dripping with poisons."

Lizzy shook her head and looked at Aurora.

Aurora glanced at Lizzy, giving her a sad smile when and then turned to Sionn at the mention of his wound. She rushed to his side when he began to thrash about, her dark eyes wide with worry and fear at what was happening to him. She was barely able to remain still while Lizzy worked her magick on him only to breathe a sigh of relief once all was right again, giving Sionn a smile at his words.

She moved to him, cradling his head into her lap and smoothing back his hair from his damp forehead, "I will never get used to seeing you poisoned, Sionn", she said to him before leaning down to kiss him softly. "I am sorry I got you injured yet again." She looked up, keeping his head in her lap, seeing the eerie eyes of the goblins and trolls. "What do we do now? How do we fight them all? I cannot call to the poor creatures of this land again.....I will not do that again", she said with a force that even had Beau cocking his head at her. Suddenly, she became thoughtful, her brows furrowing together, "There is something....something about when goblins attacked when I was four that I need to remember. But what?", she muttered to herself, trying to remember everything from that time. She felt a twinge at her side and her hand left Sionn's hair as she raised up her shirt to see three small scars set together. The looked like small, white scratches the scars only about an inch long now.

~The pain was agony from the goblins claws, Aurora crying out in pain as the little fox darted in to bite at the green, clawed hand that had grabbed her side. She heard her mother coming for her as the goblin cried out in pain from the foxes deep bite, the poisoned blood seeping into the animal's mouth and yet he didn't let go until he was sure the goblin's hand would retreat from their hiding place. Aurora was crying in pain and then in fear as her only friend convulsed next to her from the poisoned blood. "Sasha? Sasha? Nononono", the small girl chanted, watching as the little fox convulsed one last time and died. Suddenly there was a bright light and then goblins screaming in pain and fear, the ones within a tight circle bursting into ash. The rest fled, promising to return for her.~

Aurora wiped at tears that were falling down her cheeks as she remembered more.

~Her mother was suddenly there, reaching for her and pulling her from the white oak's protective niche. "Shhhh.....Rory, it's all over now...hush now. Let Momma see, little one.....let me see." Her mother was looking at the three deep scratches in the little girl's side then looked at Sasha, sadness filling her dark eyes. She stood with Aurora cradled in her arms, looking around to see the perfect white circle around them and the tree. She stumbled, almost dropping Aurora as she made her way back to their small cabin.~

Aurora looked around her at the others. "Momma....she did something when we were attacked. But I don't know what she did. I can't remember....why can't I remember what it was she did?"

Lizzy watched Aurora as she mumbled and worked through the memories. Her body language shifted and Sionn sat up from her lap, keeping his hand on her knee as Aurora's eyes twitched and flicked under her lids. Lexy looked at Ean who softly shrugged his shoulders, not schooled enough in magic to remotely understand what was happening.

Finally Aurora opened her eyes and spoke, telling them she could not remember. Ean let out a breath he had obviously been holding, and turned to look out into the night. The soft glow of the barrier shield was still glowing against the black eyes of the goblins, and they were no longer shifting or nervous, their nerve was returning.

Lexy stood up and looked around, "We are gon' have a right mess of a time if they come at us again, I don't know if we can make it until sun-up.

Lizzy perked up suddenly, "Sun up?"

Lexy turned and looked at her with furrowed brows and nodded, "Aye, they can no live in the sun."

Lizzy turned and looked at Aurora, "While you were thinking and mumbling you mentioned 'a light that looked like the sun'.... Was your mother a spell wielder?"

Aurora nodded and Lizzy's face suddenly went bright, "Come!"

She practically pulled Aurora to her feet and then pointed to Ean, "Go there, to that largest rock," she turned to Lexy, "And you, there, straight across from him."

She turned to Sionn, "Are you feeling better McGhee?" Sionn nodded and stood to his feet, "Aye! What are you..."

"Whisht, no time. Go there, to that cracked stone." Sionn looked and nodded, heading over there, "Sionn!" He turned to look back at Lizzy, "Use your ice magic to fill the cracks that were made by the troll aye?"

He nodded and sprinted to the stone. Lizzy turned to Aurora, "Come with me."

Taking Aurora's hand she led her with haste to a spot directly across from Sionn so that the four of them now stood on the four corners of an invisible square. She reached into her robes and pulled out two more crystal orbs, handing them to Aurora. She looked at Aurora with a slight concern on her face, but her back was to the others so only Aurora could see it, "I've only four of these left, I sure hope this works."

She reached in and removed the other two, holding them in her palms. The crystals were mesmerizing and beautiful to say the least. She touched one and drew a small amount of magic, touching her glowing finger to her own forehead and then running a dim, visible line of light to Aurora's forehead. She looked at Aurora and spoke softly, "I am going to access your mind, but I can only do it if you are willing, I will not intrude beyond where I need to go, and I promise you there will be no ill-effects. Do I have your permission?"

Aurora gave a small nod and Lizzy smiled, "Good. Close your eyes lass."

There was a warm sensation on the spot that Lizzy touched with the magic, as comfortable as the sunlight on a warm day touching the skin. Suddenly, after only a few seconds, the spell of light Aurora's mother had cast came to complete memory and was remembered as clear as day, and then it was gone. The sensation immediately left, and as her eyes opened Lizzy was already gathering the four balls of magic. She turned to Beau who had accompanied them and spoke to him, "Wild one, take these orbs, one to each aye?"

He gave a small 'woof' of understanding and took three of the orbs from her hand and sprinted, giving one to each of the others. She turned to Aurora and spoke, her face full of understanding, "You really do love Sionn don't you?"

Aurora looked at her in surprise. Lizzy smiled warmly and spoke, "I promised I would not go where I didn'a need to in your mind, but every single memory along the path to the spell was wrapped in a thought of him... I kept my promise I assure you, but he is foremost on your thoughts." She smiled very warmly and placed a gentle hand on Aurora's cheek, the look of genuine happiness for her was obvious.

Beau barked as he task was completed and Lizzy shouted, "Everyone! Touch your orb to the shield!"

She turned to Aurora and handed her the fourth orb, "You too lass."

As Aurora did it she ran to the center of the invisible square and reached out towards her siblings and began to draw on the magic in their orbs, then she turned and did the same to Sionn and Aurora. Finally she reached upwards and the magic flowed over the shield and came down from above her, five point of light hitting her body. The shield dimmed significantly and the goblins squealed as they charged towards them. The five point of light suddenly went dim and then a massive explosion of light erupted from the shield, as bright as the sun on the outside, but safe to look at from within. The entire landscape was visible for just a couple seconds, the goblins recoiled and then turned to stone as the light smashed into them, the Trolls recoiled and fell over, also turning to stone. In the distance, on Aurora's side, a shadowy figure stood at the very apex of the hill that rose above the field of standing stones. It flashed as the sunlight hit it, glowing a few seconds as the darkness returned and then disappeared into the night.

Lizzy let out a loud cry and collapsed to the ground, her breathing was faint but she was alive. Ean ran over and scooped her up turning to the others, "Come, we must get her to the house!"

Aurora was all but dumbstruck when the spell came and went into her mind and then she touched the shield with the orb like the other three did and saw what happened, but she didn't have long to wonder as she watched Lizzy collapse, Ean rushing to her to pick up her limp body as they all ran towards the house.

She'd grabbed her bow and arrows, bringing up the rear with Beau, keeping an arrow notched as she watched the darkeness for more goblins, unsure if there were more of them but unwilling to take the chance. Beau too kept watch as they ran. She found herself watching Sionn as well as they ran, admiring his fluid movement even with a limp and bit back a smile. Now wasn't the time for fantasizing, she reminded herself.

Finally, they were at the house and inside the safety of the walls as Ean and Lexy left her and Sionn to care for Lizzy. Aurora was looking out the window, thinking about her mother and the spell while other thoughts rolled around in her head. ~If Momma is a spell wielder and I am half druid, then what does that make me? Can I wield spells like she can? Will my druid blood make me stronger? Or will it hurt me to even use spells?~ She knew that she would have to make another call to her mother and try to get more answers from her. If that was even possible with the way her mother was acting lately. She felt Sionn's hand on her shoulder and turned into his embrace, feeling the warmth of his body seep into her chilled one. She felt safe again and warm as she just stood there with his arms wrapped around her. She leaned back just enough to kiss him lightly on his lips before turning back around, her back against his chest as she watched out the window. "They're not done, are they? Arawela has only just started tonight hasn't she?" She couldn't help but still feel a sense of guilt for what was happening with the steward of the Poe family and closed her eyes to fight back the tears that still threatened to fall when she opened them suddenly to see a doe limping towards the house through the darkness. She strained to see, leaning in closer to the window, trying to see better when she saw two goblins stalking the poor thing.

Before Sionn could figure out what was going on she was out of his arms, grabbing the bow and arrows as she rushed out the door and into the darkness towards the crippled doe. Notching an arrow, she aimed as she ran, killing the goblin closest to the doe. "Beau.....watch for others. Let me know if more are coming", she whispered to him as she notched a second arrow but the second goblin had disappeared. She made it to the doe, seeing the blood from the many gashes about it's body one particularly bad one down it's front right leg. She smiled at the creature, speaking soothingly to it as she helped her stay upright, urging her to keep going towards the house when she heard a deep 'woof' from Beau.

All she saw after that was two goblins leaping from the darkness onto the doe's back. She felt the claws tear into her left arm at her shoulder and screamed in pain as she reached for the small sword that Ean had strapped to her thigh while they'd been in the shield. Beau was coming towards her at a run, his teeth bared at the goblins. She cried out again when one of the goblins leaned over the fighting doe and slit it's throat with blackened claws, leaping from the back as the poor thing collapsed, it's breath a gurgle as it fought to stay alive. "BEAU...STAY BACK!! DON'T BITE THEM!!! PLEASE DON'T BITE THEM!!!", she cried to the wolf, remembering what had happened to the little fox when she'd been just four years old. The two goblins now circled her, taunting her with the gutteral sounds and swiping at her with their black claws. Her left arm was going numb as blood dripped from her fingertips from the deep gashes. She waited patiently, watching the two, waiting for the opening and when it came she struck. The short sword hit it's mark as one goblin screamed, black blood spurting from it's neck as Aurora turned quickly to stab at the other one. But he was ready and leapt back from her, laughing as he did so. She crouched down, watching him as he tried to confuse her with jumps, twists and turns of his body suddenly rushing her. She kicked out with her right leg, catching him in his chest sending him flying backwards from the impact but he landed on his feet and rushed her again. She waited, but just before she could lash out he jumped into the air, leaping over her. She screamed, her back bowing as claws dug into her back, leaving two, four inch long gashes but somehow she stayed upright, seeing Sionn coming. Everything had happened so fast....it seemed like hours since she'd run from the house to help the doe when instead it had only been minutes. She turned, feeling her blood flow down her back, soaking into her pants as blood dripped from her fingertips as well. She watched the goblin again, seeing his red eyes and smelling his foul stench that all but made her gag. When Beau rushed the goblin, growling and drawing it's attention away from her she struck, rushing it and swinging the short sword, severing it's head from it's body. She looked around her, seeing the dead doe and then Sionn was there as she stumbled. "I couldn't leave her.....but she was bait.....she was bait. They used her", she mumbled to Sionn as she leaned on him, letting him help her back to the house. "I will kill them all, Sionn....before this night is over......I have had about enough of this", she said as she looked up at him. Her voice was weak from the pain but what shined in her dark eyes was anything but.

Sionn yelled for Aurora as she sprinted out of the safety of the house. Sionn was in disbelief as she burst through the door and into the night. He gathered himself and snatched his hammers up off the table as he ran after her, crossing the span quickly which separated them, watching as the brief skirmish took place. As he reached her and she spoke he nodded, “Aye lass… aye. That was intentional and coordinated, they are playing on your compassion, drawing ya out to them… come.”

He hoisted her up and carried her quickly back into the house. As they got inside he lay her on the kitchen floor and rolled her over. He whispered softly as he inspected her wounds, “Oh lass…”

She turned to look at him and he touched her forehead, “Whisht…. Stay still.”

Beau nosed his way into the door and then pushed it close with his head, turning and coming to Sionn’s side. He looked up at Sionn and whimpered softly as Sionn spoke, “Beau, can you go to the living room and fetch one of the pillows for her head?”

Beau didn’t make a sound, he moved swiftly and returned with a pillow. Sionn took it and placed it under Aurora’s cheek as she lay on the tile floor. He leaned forward and kissed her behind the ear and then spoke, “This will hurt a wee bit lass, I have to get the shirt off.”

He pulled a dirk form his belt and stuck it under the fabric just behind the neck and then cut the fabric down the center of the back, pulling it away. The fabric pulled a little where the blood had already coagulated and he did his best to do it gently. He then went to do the same to her bra but it was already shredded in half from the goblins claws, so he just took the ends and pulled them away. He looked at Beau and then to the two gashes in her back. They weren’t deep enough to have done anything more then surface damage, and he could see that there was no poison on their claws, however their claws were most certainly not clean and the wound would need to be tended so it wouldn’t infect. He inhaled deeply and whispered, “Alright lass, this is the part that will hurt…” He touched the tip of his dagger with his finger and pushed magic through himself. The steel became ice cold, so cold that the blade turned frosty white, and he drug the flat part of the tip along the first wound. The skin hissed and popped as the bits of fabric and dirt came into contact with the cold. As Aurora cried out Sionn suddenly heard a noise and looked up, Lexy had come at the sound and her face was angry, “Sionn McGhee! Bloody HELL what are you doing to the poor lass!?”



She ran up and caught him in the shoulder with her hip and due to his being slightly off balance in his crouch he flopped over to the side. She pulled the small vial she kept in her shirt and uncorked it, dipping her finger in the thick gel and running along the wounds. Almost instantly the magic within caused the pain to leave, the skin to start to stitch itself and the wound was cleaned. She did the same to the other large scratch and then leaned forward, wiping the tears from Aurora’s cheek, “There lass, friend.”

She leaned forward and kissed Aurora on the cheek and then looked at the wound on her arm, “Oh dear, another ….” She repeated the process and then spoke, “Are those all the injuries you sustained Aurora?”

Aurora nodded, her cheek still on the pillow and Lexy turned to Sionn who had gotten back up. Her face was full of rage and she spoke, “Sionn! What in the name of all that’s holy were ya doin?” Sionn cleared his throat and spoke, “Well, two goblins came, so we went to dispatch them… She was injured as I was trying to reach her and…” Lexy shoved him back and he looked up as he felt the impact of her palm against his chest, “We have METHODS Sionn McGhee! Methods that aren’t barbarian and don't cause the person to suffer when we work them!” She shook the vial right in his face and spoke, “Do you think my sister makes this magic for the looking at?!? No, it’s to heal our comrades when they are injured! It is WHY we have them!”

He exhaled deeply and spoke, “I am sorry, I did what I knew how to do… Whenever T and I are in the field and if one of us gets hurt… that’s what we know to do.”

Lexy’s face softened and she looked at him a long while before finally speaking, “Well… then I suppose we will have to get you some. But if you EVER do that to Aurora again so help my Sionn I will put your bollocks in a jar aye?!”

Sionn looked at her and could see she was not kidding, he nodded and swallowed hard as he spoke, “How is Elizabeth?”

Lexy looked at him and her eyes went even softer, “She’ll be fine, just over exerted herself. That spell took quite a bit o’doin’, more magic than she has used to be certain. She used 4 sun stones to… oh, n’ermind, you were there.”

She turned to Aurora who was now starting to sit up, trying to remain modest while fumbling with the clothing that Sionn had cut off her, “Sionn fetch the sweater form the hook there.”

Sionn went to the back door and grabbed Lexy’s sweater, the same one Aurora had borrowed earlier, and brought it back to her, “Now turn around, let the lady maintain some measure of dignity aye?”

Sionn blushed and turned his back to them. Lexy helped Aurora off with the bloody, shredded shirt and wrapped the sweater around her, snugging it around the waist, “There ya be lass… snug and good.”

She turned to Sionn, “Alright ya knob, you can turn back around.” Sionn turned to look at her and smiled, “Aye, thanks.”

Lexy looked out the window and spoke, “The wards are activated, we should have no more worries tonight, but tomorrow we will need to go back up to the standing stones and investigate, at least we won’t have to worry about them attacking in the sunlight aye?”

Aurora didn't blame Sionn in the least for the pain he'd caused her in trying to heal her wounds, knowing that it was all he knew. But she was grateful that Lexy came when she did to take over, healing her with the care and gentleness of a true healer. She'd heard her berate Sionn and then her tone changed after Sionn explained himself. Once all was said and done, Lexy left the kitchen where Aurora still lay on the floor, getting her breathing back under control as Sionn stroked her long hair. "I am sorry, Sionn. I shouldn't have rushed out of here like that. I should've known it was all to get me to come out. I just couldn't leave her there." She turned her head to look up at him over her shoulder, seeing the gentleness and understanding in his green eyes.

After a few more minutes, he helped her get to her feet and led her to the living room where he had her lay on the couch to rest, covering her with a warm, wool blanket. When he rose to go sit in the chair she grabbed his hand. "The couch is big enough for the both of us, Sionn. Please.....lay with me. I don't want to be alone...I don't want to lay here alone." Seeing the goblins and trolls had shaken her more than she cared to admit along with the memories that were now beginning to surface. She was feeling chilled from all of it and needed his warmth to comfort her.

Sionn was hesitant at first, but he couldn’t deny that he wanted to lie down beside her. The house was dark and quiet, the wardings outside even kept the light winds from making a sound against the home. He looked down at Aurora’s dark eyes and he smiled softly, “Aye… alright.”

She removed the back cushions and threw them onto the floor to make more room, and Sionn took off his coat, shoes and belt, laying them neatly in a small pile off to the side. She lifted the wool blanket and he slipped underneath. She turned her back to him and he slid one arm under her neck, and the other over her and placed his hand gently on her stomach. He could not help but feel that her abdominal muscles had already began to strengthen and firm up as a result of Ean’s training. She inhaled deeply and he squeezed her softly, pressing his nose into the hair behind her ear. Traces of lavender and vanilla lingered, mixed with her sweat from the battle, he closed his eyes and inhaled softly, it was without a doubt the most fragrant smell he had ever caught off a woman, and he liked it. He whispered softly, “I love you Aurora.” She barely mumbled the reply back to him, her body already succumbing to the warmth and comfort of being beside another. He closed his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly.



“Lad.”

Sionn felt through the fog, a voice… a voice he knew… “Sionn. Lad, wake up.”

He squeezed his resistant lids open and through the blur he saw Ean looking down at him. The massive man smiled in a friendly manner and looked down at him, “It’s 9 lad, your father is on his way, should be here in about ten minutes.”

“Da is coming? Why?”

Sionn sat up as gently as he could but his movement riled Aurora who looked up at him and smiled before noticing Ean standing beside the couch. Sionn smiled back and then looked at Ean. Ean spoke, “He said you were supposed to call last night if you weren’t coming home and you never did. I suppose with all the Arawela is doing he got over worried and decided to drive over to make sure everything is alright. I told him about what happened last night and he wants to go up with us to the standing stones to investigate.”

Sionn nodded through a yawn, “Aye, that would be grand, Da is an expert in all these sorts of things.”

Ean nodded and looked to Aurora, the longing to change places with Sionn was obvious, but he bit his tongue on that matter and smiled to Aurora, “Good morning Aurora, I heard about what happened, I am sorry I could no be there to assist, Lexy told me she straightened you out and that you are fine….”



“Donkey!”

Ean looked to the kitchen, Lexy was moving from pot to pan, attempting to shuffle the cooking of the breakfast by herself, “Get in here and help, ya promised!”

Ean looked back and Sionn and Aurora with a soft laugh, “If you’ll excuse me.”

The truth was, he was more than happy to get away from them, it hurt too much to see Sionn and Aurora on the couch, but even more to see her as she opened her eyes and smiled up at him. He mumbled an apology to Lexy and they could be heard talking and shuffling things about in the kitchen. Suddenly a voice from beside them came. Elizabeth was curled up in her favorite chair, cup of tea in hand, looking at the both of them, “Good morning you too.”



Her voice was soft, almost like a spring breeze moving over flowers. She looked a little pale, but other than that as if nothing had happened the night before. Sionn help Aurora sit up and then looked at her, “Lizzy, what you did last night was amazing.”

Lizzy looked from him to Aurora and then back to him before speaking, “It was a miracle Sionn, first the fact that Aurora had the spell in her mind, second that I still had enough magic with me to make it happen, and finally, that I didn’t die. I am not near skilled enough to wield that sort of power, I don’t know if it was the shield, or what that protected me… I have never felt that amount of magic in my life.” She looked up at him, her eyes showing her own confusion, “Four sun spheres Sionn, FOUR to make it happen. I have never used more than one in a single spell…” she shook her head absent mindedly and stared into her tea, “I should be dead.”

Sionn looked at her while gently squeezing Aurora’s hand, “But you aren’t Lizzy, you aren’t! You survived which says volumes of your potential.” She looked up at him over the rim of her cup with a very soft nod, “Aye… aye.”

There was something in her stare, a deep uncertainty, but she said nothing else about it. Sionn’s phone buzzed in his pocket and he reached in, pulling it out, “Da’, aye Ean told me. I know Da’, I am sorry… he told you what happened and with all of that I forgot. Aye, Da’, see you soon.”

He looked up and smiled at Aurora, “He’s five minutes away, let’s…”

Lexy burst from the kitchen, “FIVE MINUTES! Sionn you pick up my living room this instant! I don’t want your father seeing it in this state.” She turned to Aurora and her voice softened, “You might want to brush your hair sister.” She winked and turned back to the kitchen as Lizzy stifled a chuckle, “It does look as if you have been tossing in the wind all night Aurora.”

Sionn flushed with embarrassment and helped Aurora to her feet. He straightened the living room up quickly, there was really very little to do, and strapped his belt back on. He watched Aurora until she left and then turned to Lizzy, “What do you think…”

“Whisht,” Lizzy immediately cut him off.

He looked at her curiously and her unwillingness to talk about it gave him pause. He took a deep breath and went to the door, opening it and looking out into the misty morning. His fathers car pulled up and he went out to meet him. Lizzy watched from the window, her eyes lingering on Sionn a long while before returning to her tea cup, “One can only wonder…”

Aurora had slept soundly in Sionn's arms, his body spooned up behind hers, holding her. When she opened her eyes when he moved, she smiled up at him with a sleepy, sexy smile before turning to Ean and smiling at him. She listened to Lizzy's words after Ean went back to the kitchen to help Lexy, her own mind beginning to turn at what had happened only to turn a bright pink after Sionn spoke briefly to his father with Lexy's words to her. She gave Sionn another smile before she rushed up to her room to make herself more presentable for his father.

Once there she quickly showered using her favorite body soap and shampoo, lavender with vanilla. Once finished, she dressed in a pair of black skinny jeans, a form fitting black and white striped sweater with a v-neck and her doeskin boots. She braided her waistlength, dark hair, tying it off with a suede strip. She look in the mirror, making sure she would look okay for Mr. McGhee and Sionn. She didn't need any make-up, her golden skin already having a healthy shine to it, her dark eyes rimmed with long, dark lashes and her high cheekbones already naturally pink. Before she headed back downstairs she looked at herself in the mirror again, thinking about what Lizzy had said. She thought back to the spell, how she felt and wound up all but falling into the chair at the vanity. She'd felt the power course through her at Lizzy's words and then felt something inside of her reach for Lizzy....something inside of her was making sure that Lizzy could handle the power of the spell. But what? She wasn't a spell wielder like her mother.....was she? Or was it her druidic blood? No, it couldn't be that...druids were evil....but what about her own father? He hadn't been evil. He'd loved her and her mother. Her head began to ache trying to figure it all out. She wanted to call her mother but at the same time she didn't want to deal with riddles instead of answers.

"What is happening to me?", she whispered to herself as she sat there at the vanity. She picked up her cell phone then and dialed, knowing that the others were waiting for her but she had to make the call.

"Momma?.....hi.....yes, I'm okay......I need to ask you some questions.....no, Momma.....Momma, let me finish.....MOMMA! STOP!", she yelled into the phone. Downstairs, Beau perked up his ears, hearing the yell before he trotted to the bottom of the stairs looking up.

"When I was four and the goblins attacked.....yes, I remember....what do you mean 'how could I remember'?...Why wouldn't I remember something like that?....you blocked my memories of it? Why?.....It was dangerous for me to remember? How?....No, Momma...no more riddles. Just answer the questions......YES YOU ARE!! I NEED THE ANSWERS, MOMMA!!! NO MORE RIDDLES!!! NO MORE HIDING IT FROM ME!!" Beau whined and cocked his head to the side downstairs.

[i]"Aurora, honey....you are special. No child has ever been born of a sentinel and druid union before that I know of. Especially when that sentinel is a spell wielder. No one truly knows what you are truly capable of, Rory. Even I don't know what you are capable of. You can wield spells but I never taught you because of the druid blood that runs in your veins. Although you proved time and again that your subconscious holds spells from your past lives."[i]

Aurora was quiet for a few moments as she absorbed what her mother had just told her. "So...what am I, Momma? A freak? What?" She listened for a few more moments and then had had enough. "I need to go, Momma....no....I'm not okay. You have kept things from me...important things, Momma....how do you think I feel? No....I don't want to talk anymore...not right now. I love you, Momma."

She hung up, laying the phone softly onto the vanity when she heard a scratching at her door. Rising, she opened the door letting Beau in. She could smell the breakfast Lexy and Ean had fixed but was no longer hungry as she followed Beau down the stairs and into the breakfast room. She was quiet as she sat down next to Sionn, not noticing the looks from the others nor did she notice that she'd not taken any food onto her plate when it was passed to her.

It wasn't often that Rhain found himself going back the way he'd come, but his wanderings had been uneventful lately, save for a fox that seemed to have taken to him lately. It had followed him for the last 10 miles for no reason Rhain could glean. I believe I've been adopted, he thought to himself. The little gray fox looked up at him as though giving her agreement. As he walked through the thinning trees, he came upon a property in the distance that usually meant some semblance of civilization. As he stepped just outside the forest with the fox at his side, there was something immediately familiar to him. Rhain stared for a long moment. He knew exactly what it was and memories flooded back to him. He'd worked for that ranch for several months a few years back. He remembered the animals fondly. Glancing at the sun, he wondered if it was a good time to pay a visit to some old friends.

Of course, he couldn't do it in such a boring way, he had to do it in a Rhain sort of way. Walking quietly up to the house, he walked to the front door, crouched, and glanced at the windows to make sure he wasn't being seen. Bringing the fox over, he had her sit at the front door and told her to stay. She did, sitting in her very dog-like way with her tongue hanging out of her mouth. He then put his face right next to the door and made the loudest, most fox-like noise he possible could, sure to get the attention of the tenants inside. There was a pause in which he could practically feel the confusion before he gave a knock on the door, made the noise again, then darted back around the side. After another confused moment, the door opened so that the person answering would see only the fox, who was still obediently sitting there. Then, Rhain jumped out, big, welcoming grin on his face. That is, until he looked past the person who opened the door and saw far more familiar faces than he'd expected. Then the grin melted to shock, and his eyes went wide and round.

"Au... Aurora?" he stammered, "Si...Sionn?" It was like his memories collided in his mind and the result was a blank, very baffled stare. The fox picked up on it and tilted her head as she looked up at him. She wasn't sure why she was supposed to be sitting there, but clearly things had not gone according to plan.

Sionn and Erich came to the house, an obvious look of relief on Erich’s face. Ean stepped out, wiping his hands on a fresh towel and extending his hand to Erich, “A pleasure to see you again Sir.”

Erich ignored Ean’s hand and immediately hugged him instead, “We are well beyond handshakes Ean.”

Ean smiled and gave Erich a gentle slap on the back as they embraced. Turning he offered the door to Erich and Sionn, allowing them to enter before he went in himself. As Erich entered his smile broadened at the smell of breakfast. He looked around briefly and saw Elizabeth, she was standing tall now, the blanket folded neatly on her chair. She smiled and bowed respectfully to Erich who stepped forward, “Oh none of that now aye, we are in your home and those formalities are a waste no matter where we are.”


Elizabeth stood back upright and nodded her head in amused thanks, “Welcome back to our home Mr. McGhee, it is a pleasure as always to have you.”


He smiled and turned as Lexy came bursting from the kitchen, her face flush from cooking, “Ahhh… Mr. McGhee, I apologize for not being present as you walked in…”

Erich lifted his hand and cut her off, “Lexy, Lexy, it’s alright lass. If there is one thing the three of you learned it’s manners.” He smiled and looked over all three of them, “I assure you, the formalities are no necessary, I am ranked but I am still just a man.”

Lexy looked at Lizzy and then back to Erich, “Very well, but you will no stop me from calling you Mr. McGhee.”

He laughed and nodded, “Fair enough.”

He looked around her again and then spoke, “It seems you might be a mind reader Lexy, I am starving for breakfast, I neglected to eat before leaving and whatever you have prepared smells absolutely divine!”

Lizzy moved nervously and gestured to the table, “OH AYE Mr. McGhee, please, let us to the table and share a bite aye?”

The group moved and took their seats, Sionn looked nervously up the stairs, wondering what was taking Aurora. He turned to his father who immediately noticed what he was doing, “No Aurora this morning son?”

Sionn smiled and shook his head, “No Da’, she is here, she wished to clean up before you got here, the night took a toll on us all.”

He nodded in complete understanding, “Aye, I am certain it did.”

He turned and looked at Lexy who was waiting and smiled the second he made eye contact, “Well Mr. McGhee, Ean and I have prepared fresh lamb meat pies, blood pudding, tomato cheese toast, and some scrambie eggs. I also have juice, tea and coffee if you would like.”

Erich smiled and spoke, “Truly you two have out done yourselves, I can no thank you enough for thinking of me to prepare this.”

Knowing he was the guest he took food first as was the custom when serving guests in Scotland, after he took his first selection the rest immediately dug in, taking plenty and digging in.

Aurora came down the stairs and Sionn smiled, going to her as he saw the look on her face. He said nothing but escorted her to the chair besides his and handed her a plate. She simply sat there, staring into nothing and finally Erich spoke, “Lass? Are you alright?”

Aurora looked up at him and flushed, her face showing her mind was reeling with thoughts, grasping for unseen solutions. He gave her a sympathetic smile and said nothing more, allowing her time to process.

Ean had only eaten a few bites when Aurora came down. Her outfit caused his heart to thump heavy in his chest and sorrow filled his soul at the sight of her. She was without question the most stunning woman he had ever seen, and she was not to be his. He looked at Sionn who was speaking to Lizzy and his heart grew hard towards him. How could HE win over Aurora so easily? What was it that Sionn possessed that he did not? He looked down and could still see her form fitting clothing in his mind, the jeans, the sweater, all barely masking the amazing beauty and form that waited just beneath the fabrics. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes as the smell of her cleanliness wafted to his nostrils, the lavender mixed with vanilla caused ever more pain in his gut as he clenched his fists under the table.

“Ean?”

He looked up quickly at Elizabeth who was touching his forearm, “Wha… Huh??”

Elizabeth looked at him with a furrowed brow and spoke, “Mr. McGhee asked you what you thought of last nights events.”

His eyes snapped from Lizzy’s to Erich’s and he flushed slightly with embarrassment, “I apologize sir… I, well I have no really pieced it together yet. Those goblins… it was like they were being controlled, but I don’t know sir… I am hoping to learn more after breakfast when we go up there.”

Erich nodded and spoke, “Aye, hopefully we can piece all this together.”

Ean suddenly stood up, “If you will all excuse me, I need to go get some things ready.”

“Good lad! I will come with you!” Sionn was beginning to stand as he said it and Ean looked at him with a hard stare, “No Sionn… it is best I prepare alone.”

Sionn had a look of confusion and sat down, his face reflecting the hurt of being told to stay behind. Lexy looked up at him and spoke, “Ean… you have hardly touched your food brother, come and finish first and I will go help you.”

He shook his head and touched his youngest sister lovingly on the shoulder as he passed her, “Thank you lass, no. I … I just need to get some things… together.”

He walked out the back door, Elizabeth’s eyes fixed on his back as he did so. She looked over at Lexy who was already looking back at her, the right side of her mouth twitched slightly as the sisters seemed to have an entire conversation in a matter of seconds with no words exchanged between them.

Just as Elizabeth turned to speak to Erich there was a crazy noise at the front door, like a fox howling. She furrowed her brows and looked to Sionn and Aurora who were aleady up and heading to the door, the rest standing and following quickly. As Sionn and Aurora opened the door and saw Rhain, Sionn laughed out loud and went to him quickly, “LAD! Where have you been?! Torri has been asking about you non-stop! So good to see you are well!”

Elizabeth followed and shook her head as she looked at him, remembering him well, but also turning to Lexy who went completely pink with embarrassment at the state of herself. Lizzy knew of Lexy’s crush on Rhain when he worked for them all those years, she always managed excuses to go ‘help’ him, or volunteered for any sort of work and chores that would put her in close proximity to him. She stepped forward since Ean wasn’t present and that made her the current eldest in the house, “Rhain… my goodness it has been a long time, how have you been lad?”

Ean stood in the center of the mat, alone while the rest were in the house eating breakfast, looking at the spot that Aurora had taken over and over during the last couple weeks while he ran her through training. He could see her in his mind, wearing skin tight leggings, her soft soled shoes, the black skin tight tank top that Lexy had given her. He watched his memories as she moved with silky, cat like grace, touching her toe lightly and then spinning into an attack, the memory of each impact of her training sword smashing into his, watching the splinters tumble through the air in slow motion as she broke the training sword against the one he was holding.

He inhaled deeply, again the memories drawing into his senses lingering tailings of lavender, vanilla, and her pheromones. He closed his eyes tightly, fighting back the tears that were doing everything in their power to squeeze into reality and drip into his beard. Gritting his teeth he felt the hardness in his heart again towards Sionn, a hardness that hadn’t been there until the seed was planted two weeks ago at her arrival. That seed was watered yesterday as Sionn came, adding fertilizer to the realization that she was not his, that she was Sionn’s, and might always be. He opened his eyes, his face red with the effort of fighting back his thoughts and his emotions. He turned and his fist smashed into the 100 pound heavy bag, the impact was so intense it shredded the canvas and the bag tore open like paper. Sand exploded all around him, ricocheting off everything within twenty feet of where he stood.

He looked at what was left of the bag, still hanging like an empty skin of a man and he smirked. What if he was like Sionn? What if he hadn’t resisted his own urges? What if he had pursued every woman to the sheets and bedded her, then discarded her like trash. He had even done so with one of his beloved sisters… he grit his teeth again and walked over, grabbing another heavy bag from the side wall, carrying it effortlessly to the center mat and hooked it up beside the other. He reared back and his fist smashed into it, the impact was like a watermelon smashing into concrete from a great height, a solid THUD that reverberated through the room. He grit his teeth and stepped in, smashing his left fist into the same spot, a blue flash erupted at the point if impact where his knuckles made contact as he drew on the light to propel his fist. It wasn’t magic, it was the natural flow of the Sentinel power. Though it was technically magic it was a sort of force that could be safely wielded while holding steel, nobody could explain it, but all Sentinels could tap into it, and the MacGregors had been known for thousands of years to be among the best at maximizing its effect. Again he pulled on the force within him and his right fist came in, blasting the heavy bag and rupturing it, his fist stopping just centimeters before coming through the other side. The sand inside began to pour over his arm and he grit his teeth as he squeezed and withdrew the sand, grinding it in his palm. He looked at it and then opened his hand, turning it over and allowing the sand to fall to the floor.

He turned suddenly, feeling eyes upon him. Standing in the back of the room was a woman, roughly the same age as Lexy. She was wearing a thin, skin tight black dress. Her raven black hair hung in shiny curls and slid over her body before ending just above her hips. Her crystal blue eyes gazed at him as she leaned back onto the table which held various types of blades, axes, and hammers. Her ruby red lips broke into a thin, sexy smile and then she gently nibbled on her lower lip before she spoke, “My, my, my… you are a sexy bastard aren’t you?”

Ean instinctually looked around and then back to the woman. She stepped forward and sauntered over to him in a way that made him tingle inside. He watched her and didn’t make a move, though he was calming his heart rate internally, ready for anything as he had a pretty good idea who this was. As she stepped up to him she reached towards his chest and with the speed of a rattlesnake strike he grabbed her wrist and squeezed just enough to make his presence known, “Don’t touch me.”

She raised her eyebrows and smirked, “Mmmmm, I love an aggressive man. Tell me Ean MacGregor, do you approach all facets of your life with the power and presence I just witnessed?”

He squeezed a little tighter and she moaned softly, “Yes, that’s right… I am a sixth of your weight, show me how you can overpower and dominate me….” She smiled, she was clearly enjoying what he was doing. He flicked her wrist away and took a half step back, “You’re Arawela aren’t you?”


Her eyebrows lifted slightly and she spoke, “I see that my reputation proceeds me, that can never work to my disadvantage.”

“Why are you here… what do you want with me?” His eyes flicked to the table behind her, and then to his right as he assessed where his closest weapons were.

She watched with bemusement and spoke, “Don’t bother Ean, I would implode you before you made it half way to any piece of steel in this room. You see, like you, I want to know what my options are before I make a move… of course I suppose that isn’t always the case for you is it?”

He leveled his gaze on her and she laughed softly, “She is a gorgeous specimen, pure, innocent, gentle of heart… hardly the kind of woman you would think Sionn would fall for.”

He nodded and spoke, “From what I hear YOU are more the type he would go for.”

She laughed now, nodding her head, “Yes, that is more than true.”

He inhaled deeply and spoke, “So, enough games, why…”

“WHY have I come… yes, yes…,” She looked at him, leveling just as aggressive stare as he had given her, “I have come to make her suffer Ean, she needs to suffer, and suffer, and weep, and feel the pain of a thousand burns before I draw my last breath. She needs to know what it is, what it MEANS to have the thing you love pulled away from you instantly. To watch it die, to know that kind of inner anguish. I WILL make her suffer for killing my uncle!”

He looked at her and inhaled gently, his body was steady, ready to do what needed to be done, “You know I can’t allow you to do that.”

She nodded as she smiled, “Oh I know Ean, the great protector! Of course you can not allow it to happen, it’s in your nature to protect, believe me I get it.”

He turned and looked, the closest blade was 4 meters away, a hand and a half broadsword leaning against a column. He turned back to her and spoke, “You know I have to try…”

She nodded, “Of course.”

He pressed all his energy into his offside foot and pushed, charging at the weapon which he could use to protect himself from her magic as well as wield against her. The spell exploded in front of him and sent him tumbling into the far wall, he smashed his head against a beam and the world went black as he was buried in debris, only his feet poking out. Arawela smirked and turned, looking at the calf which Aurora had been nursing and taking care of. She pointed a finger and whispered, “You look delicious little one… perhaps tonight we shall have beef at the Poe Mansion.”

In a gentle puff of purple smoke, Arawela and the small calf were gone.

Aurora heard Ean excuse himself but didn't notice when he left the table when she too heard the knock and scratching at the door. She gave Rhainn a small smile when he came in then looked back down at her empty plate, her mind still reeling with everything she'd learned from her mother that morning. She saw Lexy blushing but didn't say anything as she looked at Sionn and Erich.

"If you would excuse me. I need some air", was all she said as she scooted her chair back from the table, picking up her still clean plate and headed to the kitchen where she put the plate an silverware into the sink then headed outside.

She headed for the barn, wanting to check on the calf when she heard the the sound of wood breaking and saw the dust shoot out from the barn. She ran for the building, throwing open the door having to cover her nose and mouth with her hand from all the dust that was in the air when she saw the empty stall. She ran to it, looking in and then all around.

"TEDDY! TEDDY! WHERE ARE YOU?!", she hollered for the calf that she'd named when she hear the moans and saw Ean's feet sticking out from under the rubble. She ran to the doors and yelled, "SIONN!! LIZZY!! LEXY!!! OH GODS, COME QUICK!!!", before she ran back into the barn grabbing boards to pull them off of Ean. She didn't feel the splinters digging into her soft flesh of her hands as she worked, too worried to feel them. "EAN!! EAN!! CAN YOU HEAR ME!! I'M HERE!! WE'RE GOING TO GET YOU OUT!!"

She was able to uncover his head before the others got there, kneeling next to him as she smoothed back his hair, talking to him. "Ean..open your eyes for me. Ean?"

“Rhain… my goodness it has been a long time, how have you been lad?” Rhain grinned at Lizzy.

"Ay, it has," he said, "I've just been doin' my usual wanderin'. I even got to visit the States on an adventure with them," he said, indicating Sionn and Aurora. Though he smiled, that puzzled look still lingered. "How is it that you know each other?" he asked. They went to the table and explained to Rhain their relationships. "I'd say it was a coincidence," said Rhain, "but I don't believe in coincidences. Sounds a bit much like fate if ya ask me." Leaning to the side, he glanced out of the window to see if the fox was still there. She was wandering around in the land near the house, but yet, remaining close. Rhain shook his head to himself but turned his attention back to his friends.

After a few minutes, Aurora excused herself, only to interrupt the rest of their conversation with her panicked screams. Jumping up with the rest of them, Rhain rushed to see what the problem was, only to see what appeared to be an unconscious form laying in her arms. There was dust and bits of wall strewn about him as though he had been thrown through it. As he stepped closer, he realized who it was and dropped to his side across from Aurora while she continued to try to wake him.

"Wha' happened?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers.

Ean was out cold, a gash above his right eye was bleeding but his breathing was steady. Lexy, Elizabeth, Sionn, Rhain and Erich came bursting into the room, and looked around at the devestation.

Immediately Lexy ran up to Ean’s head and grabbed her brother, her eyes welled up, “What in God’s name Ean…”

Lizzy Stepped up as Sionn, Erich and Rhain ran by her to start removing debris. She took one quick look around the room and whispered, “Druidic magic did this.”

Lexy turned and looked at her, as did Aurora, “What?” Lexy’s face was already dirty from all the dirt in the air, “How? The Wardings!”

Lizzy looked over at Lexy, her face was puzzled and she furrowed her brows, “I know not Lex, but look. She waved her hand and whispered ancient Gaelic words, a soft yellow light streaked off her hand as if she was smearing paint on a canvas. It twisted and twirled as it made contact with the dirt lingering in the air, turning a dark blue as it floated all around them, “A signature of magic does not lie.”

Sionn and Erich were working on the chest area as Rhain worked to uncover Ean’s lower half. As Sionn pulled off a large piece of timber he smiled, “Look!”

Ean’s hand was wrapped around the hilt of a sword. Lexy assisted and as they pulled more rubble off of him he was clutching the hand and a half against his chest, Lizzy walked up and smiled, “He’s a smart lad that one.”

Lexy turned to look at Lizzy and smiled with a nod, Aurora looked in confusion and Elizabeth smiled as she spoke, “Sentinel magic is enhanced by steel, as opposed to Arbitor magic which will kill you if you are holding steel. My guess is whoever was here threw their spell and he was wise enough to get to this blade and shield himself from the magic.” She looked at his head, “I would assume he is out because of that knocker on the head.”

Lexy smiled and continued to remove the remaining debris and whispered, “Alright ya big door knob, wake up now.”

Aurora leaned in and spoke again, whispering to Ean to wake up and look at her. Suddenly his eyes fluttered and he pushed his lids open, looking up at her. His smile was as wide and bright as the sun. He looked around at all the faces looking down at him and furrowed his brows as he winced at the pain in his head, “It was Arawela…,” he turned and looked at Elizabeth, “She got through the wardings.”

Upon hearing that it Arawela who did this, Aurora also figured that it was Arawela who took Teddy as well. Her face paled, "Did she say anything, Ean?", she asked his head still cradled in her lap. She saw the look cross his face as he looked to Lexy and then Sionn. "Tell me, Ean....please." After he told her what the druidess had said about her her face paled even more as she gently removed Ean's head from her lap, letting Lexy take care of the gash on his forehead. She rose and took a few steps back from everyone, looking down at Ean. She then looked to the empty stall where Teddy had been and she knew what fate was going to befall him. She ran from the barn, not going far before she fell to her knees, wrapping her arms around herself as she rocked back and forth. She didn't know what to do as she felt a cold, wet nose nudge at her side, turning to see Beau standing there. She wrapped her arms around his shaggy neck, burying her face into his fur as she held back the tears that threatened to fall.

"I did this, Beau. Everyone here is going to get hurt because of me. Because I'm a freak of nature. Momma told me....she told me, Beau. What I am....she sounded scared of me, Beau. My own mother."

Beau stepped back, forcing her to let go of his neck as he licked her cheek. ~You are not a freak, Rory. You are anything but that. You need to tell them.....let them help you, Rory. They won't look at you any differently~, the wolf spirit said to her mentally. He looked up, seeing Sionn coming towards them. ~She has more to tell you, Sionn McGhee. She has more to tell all of you.~

Sionn was walking up and looked at Beau as he spoke to his mind, but he turned suddenly as Lizzy touched his shoulder. He turned to look at her and she spoke, “Go Sionn… go help in the barn.”

He turned and looked at Aurora and then to Lizzy who spoke more forcefully, “GO… I will take care of her. They need your strength, go.”

He furrowed his brows slightly but complied, but not before he looked at Aurora and mouthed the words, “I love you.”

Lizzy watched him walk back to the barn and she turned to look at Aurora. Her face was gentle and soft. She walked up and knelt in the damp peat, instinctively reaching up and scratching Beau behind the ears as she looked down at Aurora and spoke, “You are not a freak Aurora.”

Aurora looked at her in surprise and Beau also turned his head, surprised at what she said. She turned and looked at Beau with a soft smile, “You think me not accomplished enough a wizard to not hear all magic within my own wardings?”

She smiled and continued as she scratched Beau behind the ears, “You are unique Aurora, but ‘freak’ is hardly the word I would use.”

She reached a hand and helped Aurora sit back up. She looked at Aurora as she smoothed her own dress and looked up into the rain, “When I was a little girl, I wanted nothing more than to be a great Sentinel, like my mother. I used to watch her for hours and hours. She can wield a blade even to this day like an artist wields a brush. I watched her once stab an apple in half through the gap in a tumbling horseshoe. She threw them both into the air, and as the horseshoe flipped she stabbed through the gap and skewered the apple clean in two.”

She smiled and looked down from the sky at Aurora, “I was nothing short of amazed. But as I tried to wield a sword, the steel in my hand, it would burn. I tried gloves, extra wrapping on the hilt… everything I could think of, but I could ne’er wield more than those wooden swords. Finally one day, a man came. His name was Archie, of the house of Merlin.”

She turned and looked at Aurora and saw she immediately recognized the name. Lizzy smiled and nodded, “Aye, the House of MERLIN Aurora, the most powerful house of all the Arbitors. He took one look at me and said, “She shall never touch steel again.”

“I was devastated. I felt shame and fear of what would happen. I was ‘cursed’ I thought, destined to not follow in the line of my family, a lineage that had produced some of Scotland’s BEST Sentinels for the last thousand years! Archie took me with him however, and began to show me my path, should I chose to walk it. The MacGregors had not had an Arbitor born amongst them for 800 years, and what he told me changed my life. He said, ‘You are born into the time you are born, when you need to be, for the purpose the world needs you.’ I realized that I wasn’t a freak, I was special, unique, destined for something greater.”

She smiled and reached a hand up, lovingly cupping Aurora’s cheek, “I promised you that I would help you as much as I can, but I don’t have all the answers. I am still very young as Arbitors are concerned, but I am advanced in my training. Even still, I am perplexed by you. I don’t know HOW you can have spells locked in your brain, how you can have such passion, or how you can be swayed so swiftly by your emotions… but what I do know is that it does NOT make you a freak, it makes you the perfect fit, for the perfect lock that is just waiting to be opened. I can only hope I am there the day it all comes together because I can only imagine how amazing it will be.”

She leaned over and grabbed Aurora in a hug, speaking into her ear, “No matter what, I will walk by your side as long as you allow me my friend.”

Aurora listened intently to Lizzy's words, her eyes shining with unshed tears. Until Lizzy wrapped her loving arms around her, whispering words into her ear. Then she broke and cried. It wasn't sobbing or hysterical, but a cleansing cry.....that of someone who had simply had too much too fast thrown at them and needed a release of some sort. Lizzy held her gently, rocking her as one would a frightened child while Aurora spent her tears until finally she was done. Turning eyes darker from the tears up to Lizzy she gave her a smile. "Thank you, Lizzy. For everything and I would be honored to have you walk by my side for as long as you are willing to do so."

She took a deep breath as she sat there, trying to find the words to tell Lizzy what her mother had told her. "Lizzy....Momma told me something this morning when I called her. She said that never had a child been born of a Sentinel and a Druid before that she knew of. She said that she didn't know what I could do but I got the impression that she'd done something to keep me from wielding spells, like she was afraid of me...afraid of my druid blood. She herself sounded as if she were afraid of me", she said with great sadness as if knowing that her own mother was somewhat afraid of her was breaking her heart. "What if she's right? What if.....what if......will my druid blood affect spells if I am a wielder? How will I know? What if it all turns out badly?"

She sat quietly for a moment, giving Lizzy a chance to think about her questions before asking one more. "Would Arawela stop all of this if I give myself over to her?", she asked Lizzy, her face showing her complete willingness to hand herself over to the druidess if it would keep everyone safe.

Rhain listened to Lizzy's words with fondness, remembering why he had enjoyed working with them in his younger days. Her words reminded him of himself and his heart sank a bit as he heard how she could relate Aurora's situation to her own so well. Rhain, himself, was alone. It so rarely bothered him as he had become accustomed to his life. Still, in situations like these, when in a group of magical individuals who should be so alike he still manages to stand out. He was nameless and, for all intents and purposes, didn't exist. He turned away and glanced out the window at the forest, wondering if he should be on his way again. His thoughts began to drift to places they usually only went at night. He wondered how his parents were doing. Had they been caught? Were they still on the run? If so, where? How long had it been again?

Blinking, Rhain turned his attention to trying to help patch up Ean.

Lexy walked over to Rhain who was staring out the window. She felt a knot in her stomach as she looked at his profile. He was as beautiful as he ever was. She knew she was too young for him, and that his ways were too wild, but when had she ever backed down from a challenge? Never.

She stepped up beside him and followed his line of sight, seeing what he was staring at. She then reached up and touched his shoulder. He turned with a start, coming out of his thoughts and she smiled, "Rhain, it is good to have you around again. I do hope you will stay longer than just this morning, we still have the comfortable little shack you lived in when you were here, I could offer that to you again... I..." he could suddenly hear the nerves in her voice, "I would like if you stayed, it was nice having you around."

She smiled and turned as she heard Ean, Sionn and Erich coming their way. Ean's head was healed from her salve but he was covered in dirt and dust. She smiled and spoke, "Well, luckily it's raining so you'll be washed off by the time you get to my house, don't want you tracking all that muck everywhere."

She smiled, there was relief in her eyes despite her quipping, she was glad that he was ok. She turned back to Rhain and spoke, "Come, Ean and I prepared far more food than we all needed, come enjoy some breakfast with us aye?"

The group of them came out of the barn and into the drizzling rain, making their way across the span to the main house. Sionn looked to the right where Lizzy and Aurora had been when he left them. They were still there, knelt in the peat, hugging one another. He half sidestepped to go over to them and his father gently grabbed his arm speaking, "No lad... leave them be. I am not sure why but something tells me she needs Elizabeth right now."

Sionn looked up at his father and nodded in compliance, but he could not help but keep his eyes on them until he went back inside.



Elizabeth listened to Aurora's telling of her conversation with her mother. She remained still and gave Aurora her full attention. She nodded softly and thought a moment before responding, "It may be that she was afraid of you, from what I understand your father died at the hands of his Druid brethren aye?" Aurora nodded, recalling the conversation she had had with Ean and Lexy a couple weeks ago. Elizabeth nodded and continued, "I am merely speculating here so please take this with a grain of salt. I don't think she was afraid of you personally, but more about what you could bring to you and she. My guess is she was also attempting to not allow any magic signature to develop within you."

She could see the intense curiosity and interest on Aurora's face, and she continued, "Spell casters all emit what we call a 'signature'... we can't help it, it's just part of the nature of magic. Other magic users can find you if they know your signature, it's almost like a GPS which can work to your favor, or to your hindrance. Many have tried to find ways to mask themselves, but in the end, my belief, is that magic doesn't want to be masked. As a half blood however your desire would be weaker, and commonly your potential as well. Your mother might have been able to suppress the memory and desire for you to use magic so that you would never start trying. You see, if you don't KNOW you might have magic in you then you won't try, and by not trying, you won't create a signature. It grows as you grow, stronger and stronger, it's all part of the natural balance nature strives continually to attain. By driving out any desire within you to cast spells, she also was not attempting to turn your 'beacon' off, but to never allow it to be turned on."

It was then that Aurora hit her with the question of turning herself over to Arawela. Lizzy almost seemed shocked at even being asked. Her eyebrows dipped slightly and her face turned very serious, "Aurora, I have only known you two weeks. In that short time however, I have seen you rise to every challenge Ean has thrown at you with desire and determination. I can't answer a question of that magnitude despite the fact I suspect I know what Arawela would do if you turned yourself over to her, but mostly because it is not my place to hand you such life altering directions. Instead, I will answer your question with another, Do you really want her to win this game? What is the price if she does? She has singled you out for a purpose, and my guess is that you are the only one who can stop her. She hasn't chosen the weakest in the herd for consumption like lions do, I think she is targeting the strongest to get you out of the way so she can run a muck, unchallenged and unfettered. If you want my real assessment of it all, it's gon'a get worse the longer it goes on."

She furrowed her brows a moment in the silence between them. She looked down at the rain soaked peat for a short while and finally when she looked up at Aurora she spoke, "I have an idea, but it would require us to go to York. Have you ever been to York?"

Aurora shook her head and Lizzy smiled with a soft nod, it's a very ancient city, one of extremely strong magic roots. I think it might be time for us to go there and see if we can find you some deeper answers than I can give you. What do you say, feel like taking a road trip?"