Double Star

by Cindy Saunders

  Thea turned to Corm. “I have an idea.”

  She and Corm went outside and when they returned Corm was smiling. “Raya and I have made a connection,” he said. “She will find our location and deliver any messages Meg receives, regardless of where we are.”

  A clap of thunder shook the house, followed by the sound of rain on the roof.

  “We should delay our departure until that subsides,” Oisin said. “It would only slow us, and at this late hour, we would not get far.”

  The look of disappointment from Ally was obvious but Liam had to agree. “It would be irresponsible to neglect Fate’s hand in these matters. We will take our leave in the morning.”

  “I will sleep in the barn,” Shane said after they finished dinner. “Liam, I would like to set up a target to brush up on my archery skills, if you do not mind.”

  Meg shook her head. “Shane, please do not impale one of the horses.”

  Shane picked up his bag. “Meg, you disappoint me.”

  “I will join him,” Oisin said. “Something tells me that ‘brushing up’ might not describe the task at hand.”

  Ian pulled an armful of books from the bookcase and began to separate them into two piles.

  Corm sat beside him. “What are you doing?”

  “Research. None of us has ever left the forest. I have done more than a bit of reading, but it would be useful to possess a chart or map to help guide the way.”

  Liam looked at his friends. All of them were excited, impatient even, to leave. His star had finally changed. Everything he longed for, all his dreams, were beginning to come true. Why was he not happier?

  He reached out and took Ally’s hand. “Please,” he said, and motioned to the ladder that led to his room. “I have something I would like to give you.”

  ***

  Ally carefully stepped over the last rung. Wow! Drawings hung from the walls of his room, some in color, some in black, but all in the same style as the one he’d given her at the lake. “These are amazing.”

  “Thank you,” he replied. “Please, sit down.”

  She sat on his bed and he reached beneath her feet.

  “I made this for you,” he said and handed her a piece of cloth. “I thought you might enjoy it. You had so much fun at the lake.”

  She unfolded the material. “A kite? You made this?” Drawn on the sail was the outline of… “Is this a butterfly?”

  “It began as that, but it is now something more, as you have become to me.” He picked up his charcoal and drew a circle above the body. It now resembled an angel.

  “I love it,” she whispered. “Thank you.”

  He sat on the bed beside her. She leaned over and kissed him.

  “Perhaps I should make something for you every day,” he said as he looked into her eyes.

  She smiled. “Perhaps you should…” His expression was serious… sad almost. “What’s the matter?”

  He took her hand. “I have been waiting my entire life for the star to change. The mark of the sword dictates that the greater good should be one’s focus. What if I am not able to do it justice? What if I let my father down, or the others of the forest?”

  “You won’t. I know that much about you. Don’t let pressures of what others expect you to be, change who you are.”

  “That might be easy, if you were to remain by my side, but…”

  No matter how she tried, he refused to say more than that. When she awoke during the night, his arm was curled protectively around her. They had talked for hours until she fell asleep. He was special. She’d known that from the beginning. She wound her fingers through his and pulled his arm closer. His grip tightened, even in his sleep. She envisioned him making the kite… tried to imagine his hands creating the delicate treasure.

  She and her mom had gone through her dad’s study after he died. Inside a shoebox, they found some of the cards and drawings Ally made for him when she was younger. At the time, she couldn’t understand why he saved them. But now, she knew. There really was nothing as precious as a gift from the heart.

  ***

  Liam opened his eyes. His left arm was wrapped around Ally. He held her close, wanting to prolong the moment, wanting to remember the smell of her hair, the softness of her skin, the taste of her lips... Why was life so complicated?

  He kissed the back of her head, reluctantly slipped his arm from around her waist, and headed out to the barn, where Shane and Oisin were saddling the horses.

  “Top of the morning, Liam,” Shane said. “Where are the others?”

  “They are still asleep.”

  Oisin looked at Shane. “Aye, I am certain sleep comes easily when the noises of the barn are absent.”

  “Oisin,” Shane said, “the horses were responsible for the foul noise this morning, not I.”

  Liam saw the target Shane had constructed on the wall at the far end of the barn. Arrows surrounded the bull’s-eye but none were within its center. He walked over and began to remove them. “Did either of you even come close?”

  “I could have, if Shane had removed the covering from my eyes,” Oisin said.

  “You did this blindfolded?’

  “Surely you do not think my aim would have been so careless had I been able to see my target?”

  Liam had actually thought that for a moment, but forgot with whom he was speaking. He was not aware of anyone who possessed greater skill than Oisin with a bow.

  Liam handed Oisin the arrows. “How are you able to focus, put the goal in your sights, when the objective is hidden?”

  “I do not understand it myself, but it has become a sixth sense.”

  Liam removed his quiver from the wall. It was blanketed with a layer of dust, a reminder of another interest neglected for far too long. He set an arrow into the bow and focused on the center of the target. When he released it, the arrow hit well to the right of center.

  Oisin took the bow and held it to his eyes. “You have some drift. This needs to be adjusted. Bring it, and I will take a look when we stop tonight.”

  “Corm, it is about time,” Shane said, seeing Corm enter the barn. “You slept soundly, eh?’

  “That I did,” Corm replied. “Liam, I hope you do not mind that I slept in your father’s room. It appeared no one was going to sleep there.”

  Liam felt the color rise to his cheeks. “Ally fell asleep in my bed and I did not want to wake her.”

  Thea stepped into the barn behind Corm. “Liam, I need a moment. Please come with me.”

  He followed Thea into the house and to her bedroom. “This belongs to you,” she said. On top of the bedclothes was a sword.

  He swiveled his head to meet her eyes. “Where did you get this?”

  “It was given to your mother. She knew it would benefit you one day. I believe that day is upon us. Deidre brought it to me during the night. It has been called by many names over the centuries, but you know it as the sword of Nuada.”

  “The sword of Nuada?” Liam pulled the sword from the long metal sheath. It was beautiful. The steel cross guard of the hilt was decorated in red and black—the grip and pommel held intricate carvings. A red jewel was embedded in its center. Carved within the blade was a labyrinth of symbols. He was in awe of it… the way it fit so easily in his hand.

  “You will learn how to use it in time,” Thea said. “It will serve you well but you must keep it close.”

  “How did my mother come upon it?”

  “It has passed between Ally’s world and ours, has fallen into the wrong hands from time to time, but it was delivered here, to Gilgamesh, before your mother died. She went to great lengths to ensure it was safe until you needed it.”

  ***

  Ally admired Liam’s artwork while she packed her things. His drawings were unbelievable, and one sketch caught her attention. It was of his mother, gazing toward the sky. He’d used color and it… she, was beautiful. As Ally stared at it, the drawing began to move. His mother lowered her head, looked at Ally, and s
miled.

  I’m still half-asleep, that’s all. Ally shook her head and closed her eyes. When she opened them, the picture was as she remembered, but she glanced at it from the corner of her eye while she dismantled the frame of the kite and wrapped it inside the sail. She looked around the room, and at the drawing of his mother, one last time. “I’ll take care of him. I promise.”

  Ally stepped down the ladder, and Meg ran in from the kitchen.

  “Something smells good,” Ally said, putting both feet on the floor.

  “Thanks. Breakfast is almost ready.” Meg smiled. “I want you to have this.” She handed Ally a length of braided string. “It is a friendship bracelet. See, I have one, too.” Meg displayed her wrist. “I made it from extra pieces of thread.”

  “It’s great,” Ally said, and held out her arm so Meg could tie it to her wrist. “I’ll think of you every time I look at it.”

  “I am going to miss you,” Meg said when she finished pulling the ends together.

  “Me, too.” Ally remembered, not that long ago, wanting desperately to leave here… to find her way home. In her heart, she sensed this trip might lead to that. Well, I’m getting my wish.

  So why wasn’t she happier?

  “Where is everyone?” Ally asked.

  “Liam is with Thea in her room and the others are in the barn. Could you tell them breakfast is ready?”

  Ally walked into the barn. Ian was kneeling on the floor in front of a piece of paper. “I copied a map I discovered in one of the journals,” he said. “It might be outdated, but I determined the distance we could travel each day in conjunction with the towns we will pass through.” His finger moved along a bold black line. “These X’s indicate where we can stop for the night. And this is the boundary of the forest.” He pointed to a spot almost off the paper.

  “So,” Ally said, “based on that, how long ‘til we get to Portsmouth?”

  “Traveling eight hours a day should put us out of the forest in three. Portsmouth is an additional two-day ride from Gilgamesh.”

  Five days, riding eight hours a day? Liam better put more than an extra blanket on Chestnut. She rubbed her face. “Oh, Meg wanted me to tell you breakfast is ready.”

  “I hope she prepared enough for all of us,” Shane said and hurried out of the barn.

  Ally helped herself to a plate of pancakes, bacon, and fresh fruit and was about to sit down when Liam walked from Thea’s bedroom. A sword, concealed within a sheath, hung from a belt around his waist.

  Oisin pointed to it with his fork. “New piece?”

  “You could say that. It is a gift from my mother,” Liam replied.

  They stood in the front yard. “I will send Raya when the diary speaks to me,” Meg said.

  Liam bent his knees to meet her eyes. “Know I am counting on you to help Thea until I return.”

  Meg put her arms around his neck. “Hurry back,” she said and kissed his cheek.

  “I will, I promise.”

  “Thank you, Meg. I’ll never forget you,” Ally said and wiped her eyes. When she got home, she’d never look at things the same way. And that was good. Now she could really see what was around her. She touched her necklace. Dad would have been proud.

  Thea took Ally’s hands and whispered into her ear, “Safe travels, Malakai.”

  Ally looked into Thea’s eyes. “I’ve heard that word a few times. What does it mean?”

  “Angel, my love, it means angel.”

  Liam helped Ally mount Chestnut. She held his hand tight, not wanting to let go. She looked at Meg and Thea, closed her eyes, and committed their faces to memory. She didn’t want to forget because she began to sense she’d never see either of them again.

  Chapter 22

  When the group entered Pembroke, Ally and Corm volunteered to go to Stearns’ while Liam and the others rode out to Doc’s. They found him in the yard, not tending to an animal but kneeling over a bed of flowers, pulling out weeds. “Good to see you again,” he said, eyeing the straw hat on Shane’s head. “Are you off somewhere?”

  “Aye, that is the reason for our visit,” Liam answered and dismounted Pollux. “We are headed to Portsmouth. I wanted to ask if you might check in on Meg and Thea if you are out that way.”

  “I will be glad to. I have to pay a visit to the Brickman’s day after tomorrow, and will travel by your house.” He got to his feet. “Portsmouth, eh? I have not visited there in a long time. It is quite an interesting town, quite different from Pembroke. Many ships pause in her port as they travel north. There is a lot of activity and not much law, which only adds to the excitement.”

  Shane nudged Oisin and smiled.

  “We are headed to the Davenport Inn,” Liam said. “Have you heard of it?”

  Doc thought for a moment. “I cannot say I have, but where are you staying before you reach Portsmouth?”

  “I determined we could stay in Constance tonight,” Ian said, “and then a pause in Exeter and Berwick. Once we leave the forest, Hollis and Fredericksburg.”

  “Find the veterinarian in any of those towns within the forest. Tell him ‘The pig is wearing long johns.’”

  Shane laughed. “What does that mean?”

  “It means you will secure a warm, dry place for the night.”

  “Thank you,” Liam said. He assumed they would camp and, although the idea did not pose a problem for him, Ally might appreciate a roof over her head. “We will stop in upon our return.” Liam extended his hand.

  “Ah, none of that,” Doc said, and put his arms around him.

  As they made their way to Constance, Liam noticed spring was beginning to unwind; the first hints of summer were already in the air. The trees were nearly in bloom and the landscape was ever changing. One moment, enormous cedar trees lined either side of the road creating an archway above. Then the forest would thin out and yield to meadows and fields bursting with wildflowers. Not more than a week ago, he had yearned for his life to change. He thought of Ariana’s words: The Lovers Card… the strongest of romances. She also predicted a journey and the sword. It appeared she had been correct in all her prophecies.

  “Liam,” Ally said quietly, “there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you.” She hesitated. “I dreamed about all this. Well, not this,” she said and motioned around her, “and I don’t mean this figuratively, but literally, I dreamed of you. I was being chased by a wolf and, when there was nowhere left to run, no chance of escape, I fell off a cliff.”

  “It is not exactly the vision I hoped to be in,” he said.

  She laughed and shook her head. “No. You weren’t the one chasing me. You were trying to warn me, to save me. Don’t you think it’s weird that’s how I wound up here? I guess what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think any of this was an accident. Did you know this was gonna happen? Did you dream about me?”

  “I have always dreamed of finding you—”

  “You know what I mean.”

  He sighed. “No. I did not.” But why was she here? He no longer believed it was without purpose and, whatever the reason, whatever course Fate planned, he made a promise to keep her safe. Her dream, her vision of him, would stay true.

  ***

  They rode into Constance late in the afternoon, and the few townspeople in the street eyed them with curious disinterest. Life definitely traveled slower over here, and Ally liked the change.

  Ian climbed off Nyx and walked into the feed and grain store. “The town veterinarian is David Sharpe,” he said when he returned. “He lives beyond Constance proper.”

  On the other side of town, they passed a farmhouse where a group of children ran to the edge of the road.

  “Aye, lads,” Shane shouted and tipped his hat.

  “Is this the house of David Sharpe?” Liam asked.

  “He is my dad,” one of the boys answered.

  “He is my dad, too,” another added. They looked identical. Twins, Ally assumed.

  The first twin nudged the other. “Go.”
<
br />   The boy returned followed by a tall, thin man. “What can I do for you?” he asked.

  Liam jumped off Pollux and extended his hand. “I am William Cheveyo of Pembroke. We are passing through on our way to Portsmouth. Doctor Whitman sends his regards. I was told to inform you ‘the pig is wearing long johns.’”

  The pig is wearing long johns? Ally tried not to show her surprise. What the heck is he talking about?

  “Ah,” the man replied and visibly relaxed. “David Sharpe. Pleased.” He took Liam’s hand. “How is Rupert?”

  “Rupert?” Shane asked and chuckled.

  “The doctor is fine,” Liam said. “Let me introduce Ally, Shane, Corm, Ian, and Oisin. We are in need of a place to spend the night. Could we put up in your barn?”

  “Cheveyo, eh? Related to the Cheveyo in the ministry?” David asked.

  “Jon Cheveyo is my father.”

  “He is a good man. Always looks out for our best interests. Of course you are more than welcome to stay, so long as you do not mind sleeping with a few patients.” He pointed to a building behind the house.

  “I appreciate it, Mr. Sharpe.”

  “Call me David, please.”

  “Are you Shayeen?” one of the twins asked.

  “And this is my son, Jack, and my other son, James. Please mind your manners, boys. The rest of them do not belong to me, thank goodness.”

  “Yes,” Liam replied, answering the boy’s question.

  “I will inform Jane there will be a few more for dinner.”

  “It is not necessary to share your table,” Oisin said. “We can prepare a meal if you allow us to build a fire.”

  “I would not hear of it,” David said. “Please, make yourselves comfortable before it gets dark.”

  “Shayeen!” Jack exclaimed and raced ahead of them. “Tell me what each of you are.”

  “Let us see if you can guess,” Corm replied.

  “I have a better idea,” Shane said. “Once we get settled, we could show you.”