Warrior

by Jana LaPelle

  He buries his face in my neck and I shatter into a million pieces as his walls begin to crumble and I’m exposed to all his fears and perceived short comings, and then there is his sorrow over a child that he was helpless to protect. His loss is so profound I nearly buckle under the weight of it. Now I know what he has been holding back from me, all the anguish and horror he suffered while roaming through The Underworld looking for the rift, looking for me. All the while there was a constant companion he couldn’t save, a soul that saved him from certain death, not once but more times than he can count. Then, there is the fear that he should have been able to be more, even while his abilities were bound and that he does not measure up and will not be able to protect his family in the coming war. I cling to him and send him all my love and soothing comforting thoughts while my heart aches for him and his loss.

  Through our link, I say, “I love you.” Aloud I ask, “Tell me about him?” Alaric stiffens in my grasp and I reach up and grasp his face tenderly in my hands and whisper, “No, don’t shut down on me. Honor Pip. Honor his memory. Tell me about him.”

  “You’re right, Ash,” Alaric grasps my hand, and with a heavy sigh we sit, he pulls me on to his lap and begins his tale. “You would have loved Pipperton, and when I’m done with the story of my time with him, you will understand why.”

  Chapter 21

  (Alaric)

  It’s been almost a week since Ashlinn brought me back to The Mortal Realm. Since the night she came to me in the snow, each day has gotten a little better for me. I still feel hollow when I think of Pip and the image of his broken form haunts me. My nightmares have been relentless but being here with Ash and the twins has helped me deal with my loss. Luc’s parting words have played a large roll in my nightly torment, and I can’t help but wonder what Luc meant when he said that he would take care of the imps. Whatever his meaning, I certainly hope that Paynga is finding some peace, I’m not sure if that is even possible, I can’t even imagine what she must think of me. How she must hate me. I know that she will never forgive me for taken her son from her, how could she. I know that his death is on me, and I can’t seem to let that go. God, how I miss that kid. He filled such a large hole in me after my kindred link was suppressed, that, and I just flat out missed my family and he was there. He became family and as I mourn his loss, I vow that my children will know how brave and selfless Pipperton was, and how a mere child in The Underworld is the reason why I have been returned to them.

  I’m pulled out of my thoughts when I hear Lillie’s little voice, “Da…, da…, Da da.” She grins up at me, drool glistening on her pink lips. She’s rocking on her knees. I can’t help but smile as I swoop down and pick her up, holding her up high in the air, she squeals in delight. My daughter has the ability to salve my very soul. I cradle her close and she reaches for my face with both her chubby little hands. I’m taken off guard when I feel healing energy course through me, seeking out my pain, my torment, and countering it with warmth, and love.

  Sighing, I lean in and whisper, “Thank you, daughter.” I gently kiss her forehead, the love I feel coming off of her is beyond anything that I deserve. “I love you Lillie, so much.” She snuggles in, and for a moment everything is right with the world.

  Ashlinn walks in with a sleepy Lachlan and smiles at the sight of us. “Hey there, it’s nap time. I’m going to nurse the twins and then meet you and the others downstairs. Dagda should be here any time now. Everyone is gathering together. Evidently, they have some news to share. I’m not sure if that’s good or bad. I’m inclined to lean toward the latter.” She takes a seat in the large comfortable rocker, and I watch as she gets situated before handing a very sleepy Lillie over to her. The sight of my kindred with my children will never get old.

  Sighing heavily, I say, “I guess it’s time for me to get back to the real world. Time for me to put everything behind me. Did you know that Lillie has healing majic?” Ashlinn’s look of surprise tells me that this is news to her and I push on quietly, “Right before you walked into the room with Lachlan she got my attention, and when I picked her up and held her close, it was as if she could sense my pain. A warmth washed over me, and in that moment my suffering was lifted. Being here with you and the twins helps make each passing day a little easier.”

  “Alaric, we will always be here for you. As you will always be here for us.” Ashlinn smiles up at me and then down at the twins as they nurse. Lillie’s head falls to the side and Ashlinn chuckles, “Here, I think Lillie is done, she’s all but tuckered out, you take her and put her down and I’ll finish up with our hungry little man here.” I take Lillie from her and rock her gently while Ashlinn continues, “You know, Alaric, you don’t have to rush back into the fray of things. You can take your time here. We haven’t even been gone a full twenty-four hours yet from Faerie. I want you to take as much time as you need to grieve. Because once we get back, I have a feeling that all hell is going to break lose.”

  I lay my sleeping daughter in her crib, and gently cover her, running my finger down her silky soft cheek before turning back to Ash, “I think you’re right. I think that The Morrígan may be on the move with her newly acquired demigod. That may be why Dagda is on his way here. Cú Chulainn has had time to acclimate to his current situation, which means that they will be looking for the last, and possibly the most important of the treasures of the Tuatha Dé Danann. The Spear of Lugh. Dagda has his cauldron, we have the Sword of Light, and the Stone of Fál. As soon as The Morrígna get their greedy hands on the Spear of Lugh they will be ready to go to war. We can’t let that spear fall into their hands.”

  Ashlinn stands to lay Lachlan down by his sister and we both watch as the two snuggle into the other. Their fox companions whine at our feet and we each reach down to pick them up and settle them in the crib with the kids. Ash turns to me and sighs, “We still have time. A whole week in fact.” Her concerned eyes look back at me.

  She reaches up to cup my face in her hands before standing on tip toes to kiss me. I lean into her touch and meet her halfway, wrapping my arms around her, pulling her form to me. The kiss is gentle and reaffirming as our lips glide over each other. The moment she opens to me we all but melt into one another. Our mouths slowly exploring, our tongues tentatively dancing, tracing, and licking. Slowly, the heat between us grows and my hands find her hips and I pull her to me, cupping her cheeks, pressing her close to my arousal. I can feel her heat, scent her need, and our kiss grows more demanding. For the first time in forever, I feel as though I’m home.

  “Hey, you two, Dagda just got here,” Lexie calls up the steps to us from the first floor.

  Groaning, I break the kiss and murmur, “Later, you belong to me.” I kiss her forehead before tucking her into my chest, holding her close, “By the gods, Ash, I’ve missed you.” I kiss the top of her head and just breathe, knowing that we are back together. Back where we belong.

  “I’ve missed you too, Elf-Man.” The two of us just stand there for a moment wrapped in each other’s arms before she sighs and looks up at me with her beautiful amber eyes and says, “Come on, let’s not keep the Dagda waiting. I have a feeling this is going to be important.”

  We make our way downstairs to the back of the house. There’s a fire burning in the fireplace and Millie and Hank are puttering around the kitchen. The smell of homemade bread baking in the oven permeates the house. Flour covers the island. The two are wearing aprons and look to have been in a war with the white powder as they bicker amicably with one another and go about cleaning up their mess.

  Beside me Ashlinn asks, “Millie, are we having hot browns tonight?” Through our bond I can sense that her excitement is building.

  “Yes, dear. It seems like ages since I’ve fixed this for you and Lexie. The bread will be out of the oven shortly and will have to cool for a bit, but I anticipate having dinner ready in a couple of hours.”

  “Oh Millie, thank you. I know that I don’t say it enough, but I appreciate your skills in the kit
chen.”

  Ashlinn is practically bouncing beside me and for the first time in a long time I chuckle at my kindred and her love of food. It feels like things are getting back to normal and I’m beginning to feel like my old self. My curiosity gets the better of me and I ask, “What’s a hot brown? It has to be something exceptionally good to have Ashlinn so excited.”

  Millie smiles as she continues her clean up, drying her hands on her apron, “Well, you see, the hot brown is a Kentucky favorite and is what they call comfort food. It’s an open-faced sandwich. Each plate will have two slices of homemade bread, a layer of sliced turkey, sliced ham, sliced home grown tomatoes from Faerie and this will all be covered in a creamy white sauce topped with a couple of slices of cheddar cheese and bacon. The plates are put under the broiler just long enough to melt the cheese and crisp the bacon and voila the hot brown is born.”

  “And it’s yummy! There’s nothing better on a cold wintery day than a good old Kentucky hot brown. Millie makes the best. Better than Ramsey’s in Lexington, and theirs are really good.”

  Smiling, I look down at Ash, and say, “Then, I can’t wait.”

  She stills beside me and looks at me curiously before grinning, “It’s good to have you back Elf-Man.” She whispers.

  “It’s good to be back, I don’t know what Lillie did, but it feels as if a weight has been lifted. I still miss Pip, and I grieve his loss, but it has become more bearable. Now let’s find out what news Dagda has for us. I thought for sure everyone would be back here.”

  “Come on Elf-Man, they’re probably in the study.” Turning she leads us toward the large study. Silently, I’m dreading what is to come, because from this point forward, our path is clear. We are heading toward war, whether we like it or not. My time with The Morrígan has affirmed that her intent is clear. She wants nothing more than to see Ashlinn on her knees groveling before her. She wants her to pay the ultimate price for meddling in her affairs. I can’t let that happen.

  Chapter 22

  (Ashlinn)

  He’s back. Finally. Our link to one another is open and thriving. I’ve missed him so much, but I don’t even have time to appreciate my kindred’s return. We walk into a filled to overflowing room. The study is not as large and spacious as the library at Glenndale Loch, but it will do. I want Alaric to myself for a few more days before we head back to reality. I know that I’m being selfish, but I can’t help it, damn it.

  “It’s about time, you two.” Jasmine exclaims as she bounds our way, Camoryn on her heels. He is so utterly smitten with her. I believe he would forgive her just about any transgression. Jasmine continues, “Dagda would not spill the beans until the two of you were present.”

  The imposing god walks our way and I see that Lugh has accompanied him. I squeeze Alaric’s hand in my own and say through our link, “This can’t be good.”

  “I was thinking the same thing. Let’s see what they have to say, mo grá.” Alaric clasps Dagda’s hand in his own and the two lean in for a man hug, shoulders bumping together as they smack each other on the back. Pulling back, Alaric asks, “So…, what news do the two of you bring?”

  Dagda looks down at Alaric assessing him, “You look well, Alaric. How are you, lad?”

  “Better. I’ve had some time to come to terms with everything, but that’s beside the point. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t have news on the happenings in our enemy’s camp. We all might as well hear what you have to say.” Alaric pulls me into his side, holding me close, and I linger there before we both move to have a seat with the others.

  Dagda looks to Lugh and says, “We have reason to believe that Cú Chulainn has been compromised and is now loyal to Morríganna since his resurrection. He has been seen very recently on the outskirts of what we believe to be The Morrígan’s fortress, in large part thanks to you Ashlinn. We sent spies to the west to the general location that you described from your dream walking attempts to find Alaric. He travels with a company of Fomorians and they are heading toward the Northern Territories. We have informed your father Alaric, and his army stands poised to take action at the first sign of any kind of trouble, but I believe that Lainn will avoid drawing attention to their group. We believe that he is after the Spear of Lugh.”

  He pauses, and I look over at Lugh who is sitting quietly beside Dagda, his features schooled and set in hard lines, before saying, “Lugh, it’s not his fault. Morríganna probably had him drink from her cursed elixir. If that is the case, then he will more than likely follow her bidding, like others have before him. He won’t have a choice, but in the end, he will still have a decision to make. Even if he has been cursed by the phantom queen. Just maybe the curse can be used against Morríganna once he realizes what she has done to bind him to her to do her bidding.”

  The sky god’s eyes find my own and he replies, “I do hope you are right, Ashlinn. I know that he will need to make a choice, I just wish that there was something more that we could do to put a wedge in between the two of them. At one time, before Fandra came along, he was completely besotted with Morríganna. The two were an item on and off for years. I fear that even though he is back from The Underworld that he will fall back into her waiting arms, thinking that Fandra is forever more out of his reach.”

  “There might be something,” Alaric speaks up and looks to my mother and Dagda, “Luc said something about Lainn learning the truth of his kindred’s demise. He said that once Lainn learned the truth, he would want Morríganna dead. Do either of you know what he was talking about?”

  “No…, but I’m willing to bet that she played a huge roll in what went down between Manannán, Fandra, and Lainn. Everyone at the time knew she was the scorned lover.” My mother imparts.

  “Well, we need to find out what went down. That could be enough to snap Lainn out of his current devotion to her wicked highness. Now, you said that he was riding north. Why do you think he is heading that way? Is he after the spear?” Alaric asks.

  Lugh’s reply is quick, “Yes, you see, I gave the spear over to my son and asked him to take it to the dwarfs for safe keeping. The dwarfs are the only ones that hold the clues to the whereabouts of the spear.”

  “Why the dwarfs?” I ask, “and how many days ride to the dwarfs’ territory?”

  Dagda assesses me before replying, “They are apparently traveling the lesser known paths. We believe that Cú Chulainn means to stay out of sight, or as close to it as he can. He was heading toward the Dorcha Forest where the trolls and goblins reside. It will take them several days just to traverse the forest and its many winding paths and possible pitfalls. The Dorcha Forest leads upward to Ardland Gap in the Oighreata Mountains. The mountain passes where they are heading are very dangerous to traverse, covered year-round in ice and snow. I believe it will take his company at least a week to reach their destination, possibly longer if they run into trouble. I’ll let Lugh weigh in on why he commissioned the dwarfs.”

  We are all eagerly awaiting Lugh to respond. He inclines his head to the group and begins, “You see, dwarfs are master miners and craftsman. They see the value in certain objects. Once they are commissioned to a task they are very dedicated to following the implicit instructions of their new master. You see, I paid the dwarfs rather handsomely for the task at hand and I asked that my spear be hidden away in an underground labyrinth that they were to design to hide the lost city of Gorias. It seemed fitting that the spear would find its final resting place in the city from which it was forged.”

  Lexie is the first to speak up, “Wait a minute. Why do you refer to Gorias as a lost city if the dwarfs know exactly where it is? I thought Gorias was lost along with several other cities. Will Cú Chulainn have a free pass to get to the city when the dwarfs see him? Didn’t you say that you tasked your son with going to the dwarfs to accomplish this task?”

  “First of all, not many people know what happened to Gorias. Once upon a time, the city was a majical place that floated above the northern most reaches of the Oighrea
ta Mountains. It was reigned by an ice goddess, by the name of Cailleach, and it is said that she fell in love with Belenus the god of summer. They were polar opposites and their love was star-crossed from the very beginning. Cailly, as she liked to be called, was like a delicate snowflake. Her beauty was unique, and she was fated to remain in her city ensconced in ice and surrounded by other winter fae creatures. Whereas, if Belenus ventured into her domain, her city would melt bringing summer with him. It is said that she died of a lonely broken heart, and when she did so, her city lost its majic and slowly began to sink from its lofty height in the skies. As it continued its descent, the earth below it opened up and the city was swallowed whole. Never to be seen above ground again. The dwarfs know of its whereabouts because they were tasked to be its keepers. Gorias now resides under the northern most reaches of the Oighreata Mountains. Not only has it become the resting place for my spear, but Cailleach’s final resting place as well. The dwarfs swore their fealty to their ice queen. They see the spear as an extension of their long dead queen. Anyone is allowed access to the labyrinth, if you know that it’s there. It has been enchanted. It will be difficult to navigate, and most will become forever lost within its confines.”

  Everyone sits in stunned silence at the tale that Lugh just spun as we digest what we are up against. I can’t help the sigh that escapes me. Once more we are pitted against almost impossible odds.

  Alaric squeezes my hand and pulls me closer to him before asking, “When do we need to leave out? The Spear is legendary. If Cú Chulainn gets his hands on that weapon, we lose. Plain and simple. No one has ever lost a battle that wields that spear. You both know that, it’s what we have all been taught of the histories as children. We already know that Cú Chulainn has the advantage when it comes to his battle ríastrad. Even Luc said that he was nigh on impossible to defeat, so he absolutely cannot obtain that spear. If he does, then we have to work on plan B and C to save all The Realms from The Morrígna’s reign, but more than likely, all will be lost.”