The Forest of Aisling: Dream of the Shapeshifter (The Willow Series Book 1)

by D. S. Elstad

  After we parked, Aaron grabbed a small attaché case and quickly made his way to the cliffside. A steep, craggy path escorted visitors down to the rock-filled shoreline. Aaron became like a mountain goat and sure footedly descended the rock walkway, leaving a trail of dust and disengaged pebbles in his path.

  Bram looked on and laughed. “The man’s part goat, I tell ya.” He reached his hand back and we followed Aaron to the edge of the lake and sat on a couple of boulders that outlined the beautiful body of water. Bram and Aaron began discussing options while I found myself mesmerized by the crystal clear water as it played upon the mossy rocks.

  There was no doubt about it…whenever I was in Killarney Park, I felt as though I were home, on a very deep and profound level. Something I’d yet to understand but could definitely feel.

  “We have to make a decision here and now as to who is to become the water guardian,” Aaron ordered as he pulled a stack of papers from the attaché. “Considering the urgency, and from the small bit of information I’ve garnered from the ancient books, the only recourse for us would be to find another descendant of the original guardians.”

  He also removed two folded cloths, tattered and yellow with age. He gently unfolded the first one, roughly the size of a sheet of paper, laid it on his lap, and then unfolded the second. On each one were pictures of shields, painted in intricate and amazing detail.

  “Are they coats of arms?” wondered Bram as he stared at the fabric.

  “Aye, in a manner of speaking. These are the symbols of the chosen lineage, selected specifically by Lugh. They represent the descendants and also show which lineage is able to carry on the appointed duties. From what I can tell, each guardianship–the water, air, and earth–was given three descending families to carry on, leaving us with a total of nine possible sources to go to.” Aaron cautiously laid the cloths on the top of his attaché case and pointed to four of the shields.

  “I was able to trace which families these four represent. The first was the Grady clan,” Aaron tapped the shield at the top. It was colored with reds and golds and blues. On either side of the shield stood griffin-like creatures, each one holding onto a flag with a Triquetra emblazoned on it. “I traced this to Lucy’s family, so we know this is of no use to us since Lucy has departed.”

  “And she has no other relatives, none at all?” I asked.

  “None, at least as far as I can tell. There’s no time to do a more thorough check so we’ll have to focus on these.” Aaron then pointed to another shield. “This is the Monague clan; our ancestors, Bram.” Aaron smiled proudly.

  Bram grabbed the fabric and studied the image intently. He nodded approvingly at the shield with its black and red emblem, framed at each side by large, powerful black wings and inscribed with a red Triquetra at its center. “Nice,” he said, signing the word wings.

  “What’s this one?” he then asked, pointing to a golden shield decorated with a dark blue Triquetra nestled in the branches of a tree. The leaves of the tree were red and orange; on one side of the shield stood a bear with a wolf howling on the other. “Or do I need to ask?” Bram added, grinning.

  A surge of pride swept through me as I looked at the ancient symbol passed down from generation to generation, representative of my ancestry. Of course this was my family’s shield. Just staring at it helped me understand the connection that I felt to the forest as well as the bond to my wolf self. It was something born in me.

  “What’s with the bear though, Da?” Bram asked. “Don’t the shields represent the chosen animal?”

  “Not necessarily; from what I’ve seen, not each one of the shields has a picture of that family’s animal. It just so happens that ours – and yours, Willow – shows the chosen animal. As well as…” Aaron grinned and pointed at the remaining coat of arms. “This family… they’re the key…our only real hope.”

  “Who is that family? Are they near or living somewhere else?” Bram questioned, staring at the blue-and-red shield, which was split in half, with waves of blue on the red side and golden stars on the blue side. An ornate golden Triquetra was perched at the top.

  “Oh yes, they’re near, very near,” answered Aaron, staring straight at me. “That’s the Whelan clan.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  “The Whelan clan?” I asked, searching Aaron’s eyes for explanation. “But I’m already the earth guardian. I thought it was impossible to take on two responsibilities.” My mind flashed to Grandma lying on the steel table, a martyr to the cause because she tried to hold onto two powers.

  “It is impossible, Willow; and yes, you are the earth guardian. You are not, however the chosen one from the Whelan clan.”

  Confusion set in as I prepared myself for the worst.

  “What you are, my dear,” Aaron revealed, signing for Bram’s benefit, “is the chosen one from the O’Brian clan.”

  Bram moved in closer, obviously as confused as I was. “What do you mean, Da?” he asked.

  Aaron smiled again and pointed to the coat of arms with the wolf. “This is the O’Brians’ shield, Willow, from Shannah’s side of the family. Your powers are descended from your grandmother’s side, not your grandfather’s.”

  “But, what you’re saying, then, is that grandfather is also a guardian?” I felt about as confused as I had ever been.

  “No, no, no, that’s not what I’m saying. The Whelan clan is one of the chosen descendant families. None from their clan has been a guardian for some time, as far as I can tell. Your abilities came directly from Shannah; she was the guardian. This shield dates the Whelan clan back to the original chosen ones, handpicked by Lugh.

  “Remember, I told you there are nine lineages that carry the power of the Triquetra. Only three actually have the power at any given time. Now since Lucy is out, the power shifts to one of the other eight. The closest being…the Whelan clan.” Aaron’s face was so close to mine I could feel his warm breath. He searched my eyes for understanding.

  “Is that common, then, for a guardian to have two of the bloodlines directly linked to them…O’Brian and Whelan? Does it give you more power?” I asked, my mind swirling like the small whirlpool at the edge of the lake.

  “I don’t know how common it is or was; all I know is that you are a descendant of both lines. As far as more power, no. Abilities only come from your ancestor who has been blessed with the power of the Triquetra. Your grandfather has not, and as I said, I don’t think any of the Whelan clan have been guardians for centuries.”

  “Do you think Conor knows anything about this, or my Dad?”

  “I honestly don’t believe so, Willow. Shannah would have told me if either of them had been aware, and judging by the charts I found in the ancient documents, as I said, Whelan lineage has not been called upon for a very, very long time. The fact of the matter is that now we need the Whelan clan to fulfill their obligation to the Triquetra.” Aaron’s glasses reflected the passing clouds as his face turned to the changing skies above us.

  “Are you suggesting that my dad needs to take this on?” I wondered, fearful and full of angst at the very idea of putting something like that on my father.

  “Not at all.” Aaron sat back, looking out to the lake before he continued. “No offense to your dad, but I think this needs to be offered to a younger Whelan and one residing here in Ireland. Can you think of anyone?” His eyes raced back and forth between Bram and me, looking for an answer, although I could tell he already had one.

  I racked my brain while staring at the unsteady sky reflecting in the lake. Bram took hold of my arm and when our eyes met, he raised his eyebrows. We stared at each other for a full minute before each of us offered a suggestion.

  “Kelleigh?” I asked.

  “Quinn!” Bram exclaimed at exactly the same moment.

  That was enough to make us all laugh for the first time in what felt like days.

  “They’re both exceptional candidates,” Aaron said. “Perhaps we need to include them in this discussion.�
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  We all agreed, so I sent Kelleigh a text and asked her to meet us at the lake. She happily responded, saying how she wondered when I’d be getting back in touch with them and, “wasn’t the weather behaving crazy,” and, “how are things with your dad,” and about a million other questions, shot off rapid fire in the course of one minute. After promising to fill her in on everything and anything I could think of, she agreed to meet us within the hour. And yes, she would bring Quinn too, if she had to.

  When Kelleigh and Quinn arrived, another outpouring of rain had chased us into the waiting car. Bram and I had been debating key attributes of both of my second cousins, each of us convinced our choice would be the best person for the job. We returned to our places on the boulders near the lake where Aaron motioned for Kelleigh and Quinn to have a seat.

  Kelleigh pulled off her scarf and strategically arranged it on the damp stones before sitting down. Bram looked over at me, frowning. I knew what he was thinking…that was one of his arguments against her becoming guardian. “She’s too soft,” he said.

  I actually argued that it was less about being soft and more about being prepared and taking care of herself, both important characteristics for whoever would take over the guardianship. I patted myself on the back for coming up with what I thought was a pretty good defense for Kelleigh.

  “So what’s this all about, what’s the intrigue?” Kelleigh asked with a lilt to her voice. I knew she was loving this. The girl definitely had a passion for drama…Another plus, I thought.

  Quinn sat next to Bram and began his role as interpreter. The two of them started laughing heartily and I knew it wasn’t anything any one of us had said. Even though Bram and I were beyond any communication problems I still envied the fact that Quinn was so accomplished with sign language. I decided then and there that I would take some classes when I got home.

  That word stuck in my head, home. With so much going on these last few days, I’d barely had time to think of home or even remind myself that there was such a place outside of Killarney, Ireland. This all felt so much a part of me now.

  “Well, Kelleigh, Quinn,” began Aaron, “I know you’re both aware of some of the things that’ve been going on here, with Willow, that is,” he nodded his head in my direction and smiled.

  “Put on your seat belts, children,” Bram said with a grin. “It’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

  Aaron shot his son a serious look before continuing. He went on to explain the whole situation, to the two siblings, beginning with the story of Lugh moving down to the passing of my grandmother.

  I studied their faces as the story unfolded and had to stifle a laugh every now and then at their expressions. Especially Kelleigh. With each new revelation she would contort her mouth into such an unnatural angle that it looked as though she had had a bad day at the plastic surgeons’.

  Quinn, on the other hand, managed to keep his expressions to a minimum for the most part. An occasional jaw drop would occur, followed by an increased urgency in his signing. At one point, Bram grabbed his hands and told him to relax, “no need to sign,” he’d heard the story before.

  The whole disclosure took about forty-five minutes. The fact that Kelleigh was able to sit and listen illustrated to me that she recognized the importance of it all; anything that could keep her attention and comment-free for that amount of time was definitely some serious business.

  When Aaron finished his explanation, he once again opened his attaché and showed the two the cloth with their family crest on it. Explaining the importance of one of them taking on the awesome task at hand, he also reminded them that it was an honor to be one of the few chosen by Lugh himself.

  Quinn stared at the crest while Kelleigh rose and stepped over to her car, without a word. Bram, Aaron, and I exchanged glances, unsure how the Whelans were feeling. Quinn soon raised his head and the expression on his face was priceless.

  “I’m in,” he said, grinning ear to ear.

  Bram patted him on the back and the two stood up shaking each other’s hands excitedly. Quinn then looked over to me. “Looks like we’re in this together!” He laughed before rushing up and wrapping me in his arms.

  “Wait just a minute,” came Kelleigh’s voice as she flew back from her car. “Who said you’re the one for the job?” she retorted, her green eyes blazing. She walked up next to Quinn, practically nose to nose with him, hands on her hips.

  “I’m older, wiser, and absolutely the only Whelan strong enough to take on this job,” she said, poking her brother in the chest.

  Both Quinn and Bram began laughing, almost uncontrollably. Kelleigh was taken aback at their reaction and stepped away a few feet from her brother, who was bent over in hysterics. I looked over at Bram who caught my icy stare and quickly composed himself, with the exception of a few smirks while he tried to calm down Quinn.

  “Really? Is that so?” Kelleigh grumbled as she began circling Quinn and Bram, like a cat terrorizing its prey. “In your teeny little brain, you actually think you’re a better choice for something as life-changing as this?” By this time Kelleigh was almost on top of her brother, even though he stood a couple of inches taller than her; she was now as imposing a figure as I had ever seen. I was glad I didn’t have to be the one dealing with her at the moment.

  Bram meekly backed away, intimidated by her demeanor as well, and joined me at my side. Surprisingly, I felt like I could read him. “This is going to be more difficult than we thought,” his voice said in my head. I stared confused, wondering if and how I was able to hear his thoughts.

  My attention quickly returned to the Whelans. The argument between Kelleigh and Quinn grew in intensity; it felt like they were literally going to come to blows when Aaron finally rushed in, stepping between the two of them. “Now, now, please, we don’t want this to create such animosity between brother and sister. Let’s think about this rationally, shall we?”

  Aaron rested a hand on each of their shoulders. Dirty looks were exchanged before the two finally agreed to calmly and quietly figure the whole thing out.

  We all sat down once again on the boulders while Aaron explained more about the guardianship they would be taking on.

  “This is the water Triquetra,” Aaron said, holding up the necklace. “This pendant fulfills the order sent down from Lugh to protect the people of earth via the waterways. The water guardian will have the ability to shapeshift into a creature of the seas. Along with this ability, that person develops a sensitivity that enables them to tune in more deeply to their particular guardianship.

  “For instance, Bram has developed an incredible sense of sight in addition to his shifting abilities. He has the power to see great distances along with the capacity to see inside objects. The latter gift has just recently started showing itself. As your grandfather discovered, Bram, it grows as your ability to control your powers grows. The gift comes when a guardian possesses their third of the Triquetra, the pendant.

  “And Willow just received her third of the Triquetra, so she is still in the process of discovering her ability. Although I suspect, if she’s like her grandmother, her ability is superior hearing. Shannah was able to pick out sounds from miles away. Who knows what other abilities Willow may inherit. These sensitivities need to be refined and worked with in order to use them to their fullest capacity.” Listening to Aaron speak of my abilities made me think the fact I just heard Bram’s thoughts must be part of that gift. It was something I’d need to concentrate on –after we settled things with Quinn and Kelleigh.

  “This is all trial and error, nothing is written down, there’s no instruction manual. You must be willing to commit to this in a way that you’ve never imagined.” Aaron reached his hands out and grasped both Kelleigh’s and Quinn’s hands, and held them tight.

  “You both need to agree to this. There can be no argument. Once the power has transferred to the new guardian and the Triquetra has been given to one of you, there’s no going back. You must realize, this is a lifel
ong commitment. We can’t have another Lucy incident, where a guardian backs out of responsibilities. It’s like opening the door to the Fomorians and it puts too much strain on the other two guardians. Look at what happened to Shannah. We can’t allow that to happen again.” Aaron spoke with urgency as well as compassion. He truly wanted the decision to be one both of the siblings could live with.

  He reiterated once more, “There. Is. No. Going back.” He spoke the words slowly, deliberately, as though he was trying to carve them into the boulders that surrounded us.

  Kelleigh stood up and walked to the water’s edge, stooping down to pick up a few small stones. We watched as she tossed the rocks into the mossy lake. Quinn joined her and the two engaged in a private conversation.

  Aaron packed the fragile fabrics back into his attaché case and returned it to his car. Bram and I held our own private conversation. The new ability was making itself known to me. With some concentration, I found myself almost able to hear another person’s thoughts. I stared into Bram’s eyes and focused my audio sense to him, trying to close out any other sounds.

  Bram stared, as if he knew what I was trying to do. The sound of his voice became so distinct in my ears I had to double check and make sure he was not physically speaking.

  “You can hear me, can’t you, Willow?” came his voice, almost echoing in my head. My first impulse was to put my hands up to my ears; the sensation of his voice was disconcerting. Once the pinging stopped, I lowered my hands and met his stare. I nodded yes. Excitement spread across his face. “This is fantastic!”

  Our momentary experiment was cut short by Kelleigh and Quinn. “We have a few questions,” Quinn announced.