Arching her brows mischievously, Kaitla replied, “Fine! I’ll remember that!” Jared’s deep gray eyes widened, his jaw dropping in surprise.
Smiling at Kaitla’s teasing, Etain held out a hand, “Come now, Kaitla. Let’s leave Jared to compose himself. We have much more ta’ discover.” Taking Etain’s hand, Kaitla couldn’t resist one last glance behind her. Sitting on the bench with his elbows on his knees, Jared winked at her with an embarrassed grin, watching with growing affection as Etain and Kaitla disappeared deeper into the garden.
~*~
Etain and Kaitla slowly made their way through the herbs lining the narrow stone path. Ancient and cracked, the weathered stones were grouted with spongy green moss. The path methodically wound its way through the gardens of the estate, ultimately ending up at the stone-lined spring they were now approaching. An ancient Pictish cross stood at the mouth of the gurgling spring. It had been positioned so the clear fresh waters poured forth from the center of the cross, the waters cascading into a deep pool below. The stones lining the pool were covered with slippery green algae, slowly blackening, as the water grew deeper.
Etain perched on a nearby stone bench, silently inviting Kaitla to do the same. Great oaks and hazel trees surrounded the peaceful spring. The leafy branches intertwined overhead forming a sun-dappled cathedral of tranquility below. The soothing sound of the bubbling waters was musical and healing. Kaitla began to understand all the myths of the healing waters and springs as a sense of peace slowly pervaded her senses.
Kaitla watched Etain closely, wondering why she had brought her here. “What does she expect me to do next?” she thought silently to herself.
“I expect ye to listen and talk with me, child.” Kaitla clearly heard Etain’s words and yet she had not spoken aloud.
“Etain?” Kaitla started to speak but quickly stopped, as Etain raised her hand for silence.
Nodding her head slightly in Kaitla’s direction, Etain gently smiled as she gazed deeply into Kaitla’s eyes. Kaitla clearly heard her voice again, “Think to me, Kaitla, and listen to me with your heart.”
Finally understanding, Kaitla stared hard at Etain thinking, “CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?”
Bursting with laughter in Kaitla’s mind but merely smiling visibly, Etain replied, “Don’t try so hard, child. You’re fair shoutin’ at me!”
Kaitla tried to relax a little, smiling sheepishly at Etain, “Oops, sorry.” She tried to think quietly and calmly but it was more difficult then she thought. Everytime she wanted to say something, well, she wanted to SAY something, not merely think it!
“That’s because of the way ye grew up, lass,” Etain thought clearly to Kaitla. “Here in this realm, the people are too busy to take the time to listen with their hearts and souls. Those that do --fear what the others will say or do to them once their abilities are revealed, so, they usually keep their gifts a secret.” Etain rose, strolling over to the bubbling pool. She filled her cupped hands from the spring, then gently let the water escape in droplets through her fingers. The tinkling drops giggled merrily as they joined their fellows in the pool below. “Ye must cleanse yourself of the bustle of this world, child. Listen to nature, the water, the wind…all these things will teach ye more then I ever can.”
The more Kaitla watched Etain, the more she began to feel at one with all the rhythms of nature. Her heart began to fill with peacefulness. She could feel a small core of inner strength beginning to glow within her like a coal in a deeply banked fire.
Glancing down to the base of a gnarled old oak, Kaitla noticed the body of a tiny fallen wren. Old enough to leave the nest but perhaps too weak to make it’s first flight, it had fallen to the base of the tree where it had slowly died. Kaitla’s heart wrenched at the sight of the pitiful little bird. She had always been saddened by the harshness of nature to the creatures, especially the ones so tiny and fragile. Gently, she picked up the limp little body, cradling it to her chest. Tenderly stroking the tiny-feathered head, she murmured to the still body. Instinctively, Kaitla held the little body to her heart, closing her eyes and thinking how the perky little bird would’ve hopped about had it but lived. A slight flutter in her hand startled her. Peering down into her cupped hands, a pair of beady black eyes peered back. The animated little wren quickly hopped to her shoulder, warbling loudly, rejoicing to be alive. Another little hop off her shoulder and the tiny bird took flight and was gone. Kaitla looked up to find Etain watching her in amazement. “Ye are truly gifted my child…Even more then I imagined,” she silently observed. The lass’s powers were growing strong and they’d not even entered the realm. Etain quietly made a mental note to herself to send word to Laird Caymber of his daughter’s advanced abilities. A wise and shrewd leader of his clan, the Laird would need to know of these gifts to make a proper match for his daughter.
They started back up the pathway, each silently absorbing the events of the day. “Tell me about Ravon,” Kaitla asked impulsively, shattering the reverie of silence that had shrouded them since the fountain.
Setting her mouth in a grim line, Etain measured her words carefully, as she walked along the path, “Ravon is an evil man,” Etain began simply, “Quite capable of doing the most hideous deeds, then sleeping soundly without a worry the same night.” Their steps slowed as they neared an inviting patch of mossy ground beneath a giant oak. Sinking to sit on the cushiony mound, they both leaned against the great weathered trunk, as Etain continued, “Bristna, your mother, was promised to Ravon in an attempt to calm a feud between Ravon’s clan and your mother’s. Ravon’s clansmen are fierce warriors that show no mercy. They are driven by fear of what their Laird will do to them if they should fail in battle.”
“Ravon never loved your mother. He merely wanted her because he knew she despised him.” Etain eyed Kaitla thoughtfully, “It was verra brave of your mother to defy him. But it was also verra unwise.”
“I remember the shadows of the past, Etain,” Kaitla’s voice trembled as she swallowed the rising lump in her throat. Blinking back the tears, she asked Etain to continue, “Tell me about Ravon himself.”
Etain drew a deep breath and sighed with resolution, “Ravon is verra powerful in the ways.” She paused, “Some say he was destined for the council of Auld Ones, so, great were his gifts.” Idly stroking the mossy ground by her side, Etain thoughtfully continued, “But Ravon’s heart is black, filled with tainted and twisted shadows.” Speaking as if in a trance, Etain stared across the gardens through sightless eyes, “When he was but a lad, he was verra fine to look at…what with his ebony hair and sooty black eyes.” The wind gently blew through the huge limbs, the leaves rustling overhead. Etain gazed up into the branches, “A large man, brawny and muscled. A most dangerous man to anger.” As Etain spoke, Kaitla noticed she was cradling her right arm in her left hand, gently rubbing a faint scar that ran from her elbow to the cleft between her ring finger and her little finger.
“Did he do that to you, Etain?” she asked, even though Kaitla already knew the answer. The scar might be faded but the mask of anger and fear was still freshly stamped upon Etain’s face. “Did he try to kill you?” she asked in amazement.
“Aye, he hurt me but he swore he’d never take my life,” Etain replied. “Even Ravon would nay kill his own mother.”
Kaitla stared at Etain in shock, speechless at what she had just heard. “Yes, child,” Etain continued softly with regret. “’Twas I that brought the evil fiend into the Clas Myrddin.” She stiffly rose from her mossy seat, leaning against the oak for support. “I should ha’ drowned the bastard as soon as I gave birth to him,” she observed wryly, a humorless smile upon her face.
Kaitla stared up into Etain’s tormented eyes, unsure of what exactly to say, “You couldn’t have known,” she finally uttered lamely, looking away from Etain as she spoke.
Etain merely closed her eyes and shook her head wisely. “Aye, I knew…ye know that as well as I do, child.” Slowly making her way back toward the stone path,
she kept her eyes locked to the ground. “I met Ravon’s father in the Ancient Black Realm when I was still unsure of my ways. I was young then, easily blinded by the thrill and excitement of new love...of the chase. I had already conceived Ravon before I discovered his father to be a heartless demon.” Hugging herself forlornly, Etain’s voice dropped to an entranced monotone. “Escaping from the Black Realm and Ravon’s father, I returned to Clas Myrddin to await the birth of the child, hoping the babe would inherit nothing from his evil sire. As soon as I held the wee bairn in my arms and looked into his sooty eyes, I knew Ravon for what he was.” Etain raised her tear-filled eyes, imploring Kaitla to understand, “I couldna’ bring myself to harm him though. The lad was still my own.”
Silently embracing Etain as though she was a frightened child, Kaitla clumsily patted her. “It’ll be alright,” Kaitla whispered…trying to console her, knowing it probably wouldn’t be all right at all. From everything she had come to understand, Ravon had to be defeated. The only way to defeat him was to destroy him completely. Kaitla knew Etain also realized this, but would she be able to accept this fact when it actually came to pass?
Etain withdrew from Kaitla’s embrace, rewarding her with a knowing smile, as though she had heard Kaitla’s every thought, “Come, child –we’ve much more to discuss.” Once again, they started up the path, this time heading back to the estate and the veranda outside Kaitla’s suite of rooms. Emerging from the gardens, they could see Tobias basking in the sun on the wide marble railing. He was stretched full length, lying belly up to warm his plump little body. Etain smiled at the sight. As soon as she had cast her gaze upon him, he immediately sounded a startled, “ppprrrrwrff!” and sat up, ears perked in their direction. Etain continued to meet his gaze as Tobias abandoned his ledge to meet her. Etain bent to rub the proffered head replying, “Aye, Tobias, she’ll soon be able to hear ye too.”
“What are you talking about, Etain?” Kaitla asked, picking Tobias up for a cuddle.
Etain reached over Kaitla’s arm to gently scratch him under his chin, “Another of your gifts, Kaitla, is to communicate with all creatures,” she replied, smiling at Tobias’ expression of sheer ecstasy.
“You mean like Dr. Doolittle?” Kaitla asked. Arriving at the table on the veranda, they both took a seat. Kaitla placed the contented feline in the center of the table where he immediately hiked his hind leg to embark on a rude quest for personal cleanliness. Snorting at his bad manners, Kaitla shook her head in dismay at her rude little cat.
“I’ve ne’er met this Dr. Doolittle,” replied Etain, as she eyed Tobias’ behavior with exasperation. “But what I mean is that ye will ken in your heart what a creature feels. Ye willna’ be in danger of being harmed by them.” Etain continued to glare at the cat, willing him to direct his energies in a more appealing pastime. Tobias finally politely curled tightly into a ball and began to snore. “Ye might e’en be able to convince them to do your will. But of that I’m not sure,” she observed with a frown, “It’s been centuries since any of the Auld Ones had that gift.”
Cocking her head to one side thoughtfully, Kaitla eyed Tobias with renewed interest. “I’ve always seemed to know what he wanted…but I’ve never tried “thinking” him to do my will.” Kaitla gazed intently at Tobias, silently willing him to wake up.
Tobias leisurely opened one sleepy eye as if to ask, “Why should I?” Then quite purposely tucked his nose under one paw and promptly ignored Kaitla.
Kaitla concentrated even harder. Narrowing her great golden eyes as she stared at the stubborn cat, Kaitla silently thought, “Come on, Tobias, work with me here!”
Slightly flattening his tattered ears, Tobias grudgingly sat up, glaring at Kaitla with daggers in his eyes. She could hear no voice but it was perfectly clear he was asking her, “What the HELL do you want?”
Smiling triumphantly, Kaitla quickly smoothed the flattened ears and apologized with sincerity, “Okay…Okay…I’m sorry, Tobias, go back to sleep now. I promise I’ll leave you alone.” With a whoosh, he whirled his body around, placing his hindquarters directly in front of her face and flipping his tail like an exclamation point. His feelings clearly communicated, Tobias regally returned to the marble railing, once more stretching out to enjoy what was left of the afternoon sun.
Etain observe this interplay with interest, “Is there anything else you’d like to ask me before I have a bit of a rest, Kaitla?” she asked as she rose from her seat.
Thinking over the events of the day, Kaitla realized there was one more item she’d like to address before she returned to her room for a bath before dinner. “Tell me about Jared,” she replied, arching her brows expectantly.
“Ahh, Jared –now there’s a fine lad,” Etain smiled to herself as she always did whenever the image of the handsome young man appeared within her thoughts.
“Fine lad?” Kaitla mused. She had a difficult time defining the uncomfortably handsome Jared as a fine lad. The dark good looks, the powerful body…Jared was perplexing and unnerving but she couldn’t quite agree with the fine lad part.
“Yes, a fine lad,” Etain repeated firmly, as though to emphasize the statement. “As a matter of fact, he happens to be my great grandson!” she announced with an air of pride.
“Your great grandson!” Kaitla was beginning to sound like a parrot repeating everything Etain said. “That would make Jared, Ravon’s grandson. Etain, I don’t understand how that could be possible.” She sat with her mouth agape, waiting for Etain’s explanation.
Etain cocked one silvery brow, and with a sidelong look replied, “The usual way, Kaitla.”
Kaitla snorted in response; “You know very well what I mean!”
Etain returned to her chair, leaning back and primly folding her hands on the table. Kaitla silently noted the long slender fingers and the seemingly ageless appearance of the silky pale skin. “Your mother was not the first woman raped by Ravon, she most definitely was nay the last. Luckily, Ravon had no interest in fatherhood and dinna foist his person upon Jared’s father.” Etain absently traced a crack in the top of the table with one perfectly shaped nail. “Jared’s father was a decent man who visited Jared often as he was growing up. He tried to see him every day until the day he disappeared into one of the lesser realms, never to return.” Etain took a deep breath, “It has been thought that Ravon had something to do with Lorrigan’s inability to return to Clas Myrddin but no one really knows for sure.”
“What about Jared’s mother?” Kaitla asked quietly. She was having a hard time putting together all the pieces of Jared’s lineage. It was like a massive jigsaw puzzle with some of the pieces missing.
“Melayna died in childbirth…she was always a fragile creature, living in fear of everything around her.” Etain frowned at the memory of Jared’s sad beginnings. “Lorrigan placed Jared in my care. He wished Jared to train with me but he also could nay bear the sight of the lad that resembled so greatly the woman he had loved so much.” Etain stood once more, staring directly into Kaitla’s eyes; “There is one more thing ye must know of Jared and his life.” She slowly tilted her head to one side, continuing to study Kaitla. “He is promised to the Lady Elsbet. He is to wed her upon his return to Clas Myrddin and the restoration of the land.”
“I see,” Kaitla said shortly. Immediately pulling up all the old shields, Kaitla maintained a cool composed bearing. She should’ve known it was something like that. Well, at least this time she’d found out before she’d sacrificed her heart. “Thank you for telling me, Etain. I believe I’ll go have a nice hot bath before dinner, if you’ll excuse me?”
“Of course, Kaitla,” Etain sighed, watching the lass coldly retreat inside her inner walls of emotionless protection. “Ah, child,” she whispered to herself, “If ye but only knew.”
Chapter V
Kaitla slipped into the ancient tub, hoping to sink into mindless oblivion. The high-backed tub was almost large enough to warrant the use of a personal floatation device to keep a person
from drowning. It was the perfect sized bathtub for soaking away your worries, or pondering life’s many inequalities. Unfortunately for Kaitla, she was wrapped up in the latter, barely noticing the comfort of the huge old tub. She watched as though hypnotized as the lavender scented bubbles multiplied merrily at the base of the cascading water. Steam from the near scalding temperature hung heavily in the air, blinding all the mirrors and windows. The tub nearing the point of overflowing, she finally rose from her reverie long enough to twist the steel handle to the off position with the toes of her heat-reddened foot. Slipping back beneath the bubbles, she stretched full length, closing her eyes with a heavy sigh.
Kaitla didn’t know why she was so disturbed by the news of Jared’s betrothal. It wasn’t as if he had made any sort of promises except to protect her in any way he could. Now that she thought it over, she was positive she must’ve misread the earlier scene at the dressing table. It was simply two individuals caught up in the emotions of the moment...not a signal that Jared was interested in a relationship. Thank goodness she hadn’t let it go any further, she thought dismally to herself. She sank deeper into the water. It was tempting to totally submerge to try to escape from the thoughts and emotions coursing through her mind. Jared was simply being kind, fulfilling his duties. She, on the other hand, was quite obviously a fool. “Admit it,” she finally snorted out loud. “You’re simply tired of being alone.”
Big salty tears slowly escaped from the corners of her eyes, rolling down her cheeks to plop into the bathwater, one by one. She was lonely, longing for the shelter of someone’s arms. Someone who cared enough to cradle her to his chest, and listen to her wildest dreams without laughing or falling asleep in the middle of her ramblings. Someone to tenderly kiss her lips and satisfy all the urgent requests of her aching body. Someone who understood and loved her, despite all her faults and insecurities. Kaitla just wanted someone who cared.
Awakening Her Soul to Destiny Page 6
