Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series)

by Isabelle Stewart

  “Speaking of family. How are you doing? I’m worried about everyone back home. I sometimes don’t even think about it with all that is going on here. Then it smacks me in the face.”

  “We have a strong family. I miss them too.” Kedryn said as he stood.

  Lara dropped her pack and started making up her bed in her shelter. She leaned out and saw that Kedryn was getting ready to head out.

  “Good night Kedryn.”

  “Good night mom. Love you. Good dreams. Sweet dreams.”

  “Love you too and Good dreams, Sweet dreams to you too. When you get back.” she said smiling at her son.

  Lara watched as Kedryn and Aodhan walked off away from the bright flames of the fire and into the darkness beyond. Eion settled himself in the shelter next to hers. Lara picked up both packs and noticed that Aodhan had set out pine needles and leaves for her to sleep on. She stood just outside of her shelter and looked at Eion who appeared to be almost asleep. Eion looked at the question on her face and sighed to himself.

  “Do you have any more questions? He asked.

  “I guess not this time. We both need to get some rest.” Lara said as she pulled out her blanket and small pillow and lay down. She inhaled the fresh sent of pine needles.

  “Good.” Eion said as he turned over falling asleep.

  Chapter 11

  Kedryn followed Aodhan closely through brush and trees and up a slight hill. The moon light gave off only a faint glow and Kedryn squinted as his eyes adjusted. He followed Aodhan who sidestepped through a couple of bushes and squatted down in a damp grassy area surrounded by sticker bushes. The lookout allowed them to see for a few miles without being spotted. It was just big enough for a couple of people depending on their size.

  Aodhan moved over so that Kedryn could fit in next to him. “What do you think?”

  “Good spot.” Kedryn said as he scanned the small area and the ground.

  “I noticed it when we were looking for a spot to set up camp. It will do for tonight and this way I can show you what to look for. Find a comfortable position we will be out here for at least three hours.”

  They sat in silence for some time with Aodhan interrupting every once in a while to show Kedryn the difference between the shadow of an animal and a human. No human was spotted until Kedryn saw a shadow heading towards them. Kedryn nudged Aodhan and he followed Kedryn’s eyes to a black shadow a few feet from their spot.

  “Nice spotting. Eion is really good at staying in the shadows.”

  “Eion? How did you know?” Kedryn shifted his position to get a better look.

  “He has a certain swagger about his walk.” Aodhan said as he watched the shadow of a man get closer.

  “Swagger.” Eion said as he showed himself through the brush. “This swaggering Druid of the Light is here to relieve you two. Go get some sleep. I will come and wake you and Lara when it is time.”

  Kedryn and Aodhan both stood up stretched and started heading back. Eion studied them both as they walked off wondering what if. He watched as they kept to the shadows heading back to the camp and sat down making himself comfortable.

  As his eyes scanned over the landscape he thought he saw a movement a few miles away from where the camp. He scanned the area for a while more but did not see anything else after that. When the moon moved more towards the horizon he walked back down and woke Aodhan and Lara up. Aodhan led Lara to the small enclosed clearing and sat next to her. She gave him a look.

  “What?” he asked scooting closer to her.

  Lara made a show of sniffing him. “You seriously need a bath.” He playfully tried to put an arm around her. She tried to unsuccessfully push him away “Ewe back off tracker boy.”

  She sniffed herself “So do I. We have passed a couple of small farms. When are we going to see a village or someplace where I could get a bath?”

  “We have been avoiding the towns. I was thinking about a nice bath too. Tomorrow afternoon we should be close to the city of Tralee. We are stopping at my cousin’s estate and will stay there for the night. Then head out to the Duir Plain to meet with General Ruark.”

  She shivered. “Your cousin. Would that be the one that’s married to Carrick?”

  “You have a good memory.” he said looking over the land around them.

  “Some of my ex-boyfriends thought that was incredibly annoying.” she let out a laugh and shivered again.

  Aodhan moved closer to her and Lara gave him another look but didn’t move away. “Must you?”

  “It is for warmth. I am not trying to cuddle, my Lady Battle Raven.”

  Lara leaned her head on his shoulder noticing that he was tensed up. She could sense there was something on his mind and she lifted her head up turning to him.

  “Something on your mind?” she asked and watched as he ran his fingers through his hair and glance at her.

  “There is something I would like to ask you if it is too personal. You do not have to answer and I will not ask again.”

  “Go ahead.” Lara shifted to see him better.

  “I would like to ask about Kedryn’s father.”

  Lara let out a long breath. “You didn’t ask Kedryn about him? Did you?”

  Aodhan inwardly cringed. “I am sad to say that I did. He said that his father is not around. To leave it at that.”

  “I don’t blame him. Alec, is well, Alec. He is egotistical, materialistic and only cares about himself and the win. The man will never change.” Lara turned and picked a leaf off of the shrub in front of her. She glanced over at Aodhan who’s eyes scanned over the shadows in the darkened land.

  “If you wish to not say anymore. I would understand.”

  “I would like you to know. And it would pass the time. I’ll give the basics and start with how Alec and I met.” Lara sat cross legged staring out into the starry sky thinking of a different time and realm. She scooped up a rock next to her and started twirling it through her fingers.

  “Alec and I met at an excavation site in Rome. A country in my realm. I had always wanted to meet with him and exchange stories. Everywhere I went I heard his name being compared to mine. I guess that’s beside the point.”

  Lara threw the stone and gave Aodhan a half hearted grin. “By the time we met I had already been given the reputation of being a treasure magnet. I have a knack at finding lost objects. Alec didn’t like competition. As he always said In order to beat the competition. You must use the competition.”

  Aodhan let out a snort. “Sounds like an honorable man.”

  “That is so very far from the truth. In the beginning I didn’t realize that his belief included me.” Lara let out a short laugh. “I can laugh about it now but back then, oooohhhh man. At first I thought he really cared. He did lay it on thick. I’ve never meet anyone quite like him.”

  “Love is blind?” Aodhan asked curious.

  Lara shook her head. “No. I didn’t love him and he knew it. Don’t get me wrong I had strong feelings for him. Kedryn wouldn’t exist if I didn’t.”

  “When did you finally figure him out?”

  “I finally woke up after almost a year. The whole time I stood back out of the lime light. I let him take credit for a couple of huge finds. The third, which was the biggest one so far, was of a tomb of an Ancient Chinese Emperor. It did not matter he didn’t use my name but this time he didn’t even mention the University that funded the dig. He made it look like he had found it all on his own. I almost ended it that night and for some stupid reason I couldn’t seem to leave. I finally left him after I caught him with one of the assistants. It appears he was sleeping around and I didn’t even notice.”

  “Like I said. Honorable man.” Aodhan said with ice in his voice.

  Lara scooped up another stone and started twirling it. “Very. Shortly after I left him to take my mind off . . . things. I decided to give a lecture in Egypt. That was when I found the dagger. When he found out about it he tried to come back. I put him in his place. A month later I found ou
t that I was pregnant with Kedryn.” She stopped twirling the stone through her fingers and clutched the stone.

  Aodhan took the moment to seriously search the land and seeing nothing he took the stone out of her hand. He took her hand and squeezed.

  “Did you tell him?”

  “About Kedryn? Yes. He told me to get rid of it and I laughed in his face. I called him the day that I was to have Kedryn and he told me I’m going out with the boys tonight. After that I suppose he learned about Kedryn when I agreed to be interviewed about being a free lance single mother archaeologist.”

  “He really does need a good kick in the arse and then some. It is a good thing for him that he is in a different realm. Did he ever see Kedryn?”

  “Not until three years ago. I got a telephone call from Alec claiming that he would like to get to know his son. He found out that we both would be in Greece on separate digs and close enough for Kedryn to visit. I made arrangements for Kedryn to come along during his summer vacation. Not once in the fourteen years of his life had I ever said anything bad about Alec. Until after that summer.”

  Lara shifted and leaned her head on Aodhan’s shoulder. She started to talk again and Aodhan held a finger to her lips. He looked over the rolling hills for the shadow he thought he saw. After a few quiet minuets he finally spoke.

  “Must have been nothing. What did he do to make Kedryn so angry?”

  “Kedryn never gave me the details but what he did say made me break off all communication with the man. Not that he would call again anyway. Alec thought that Kedryn might have inherited the same “talent” at finding objects that I had. When there was no sign of that talent in Kedryn’s so called father showed no more interest in him. Apparently there was an argument and Kedryn showed up just a week after he had gone to visit.”

  She looked up at the moon and Aodhan turned to look at the hills. “I think that is terrible for Kedryn and for you. You both deserve better.”

  “Thank you.”

  The rest of the night they sat quietly both engrossed in their own thoughts looking over the land. When the sun started to touch the horizon Aodhan stood up and he held out a hand to Lara. She took it and straightened up stretching out her arms.

  “There are parts of me that are sore that I didn’t even know existed.”

  Aodhan grinned to himself and shook his head in agreement. He stretched and led her back to the camp. Lara quietly walked past Eion and Kedryn. She grabbed the coffee rack and pot and got started on making the coffee. After the coffee was on the fire Aodhan woke Eion and Kedryn up. Lara passed out breakfast and coffee and soon after they packed up camp to head out to Tralee.

  Chapter 12

  Aodhan led them onto a muddy and deeply rutted road away from the path. The road curved to a huge stone wall with a tall archway covered in multi colored roses. The mud turned into a cobblestone covered pathway and as they passed through archway. Lara tried to get a good look at the estate house and at first she couldn’t see it clearly through the trees. Tall oak, birch, pine and others lined the path and as soon as the house came into view she drew in a sharp breath.

  The house was painted a light yellow and with its dark contrasting wood accents it had a certain enchantment about it. There were two dark wooden carved columns that flanked the long steps that led up to the entrance of the covered veranda. The porch ran the full length of the house and had two smaller columns holding up the corners.

  Double doors with oak tree carved into the dark wood were flanked by two huge arched windows. Above the porch was what looked like a lattice covered balcony with vines and small roses that protruded from the second floor. Lara wondered what room was behind the balcony. She saw smoke rising out of one of the two chimneys that jutted out of the roof of the house covered with all sizes of rocks.

  Off to the side of the house was a colorful garden with a large fountain surrounded by a cobblestone path that ran the length of the side of the house. Lara’s eyes rested on the fountain for a moment. The statue in the middle wasn’t the normal angel, children playing or lion, it had a large bluish white marble tree in the middle of it surrounded by Celtic symbols with streams of water flowing out of each one.

  A small quaint cottage stood off to the left side of the garden and house. It had a small square door with two arched windows and what looked like an addition on the side. The cottage had a thatched roof and was covered with the same different sized rocks that were on the estate house chimneys. As beautiful as a Thomas Kincaid painting she thought, excluding that.

  Her attention was drawn away by another building past the cottage. Lara looked at a square wood building with what looked like a huge fire pit with benches surrounding it. Her attention was drawn back to the garden.

  Halfway up the path to the house a little girl ran through the garden and up the stone pathway. Her reddish blonde curly hair was bouncing all around her as she ran squealing up to Aodhan.

  “Aodhan, Aodhan!” she squealed as he swung her up in his arms

  “Annie, how are you? Where are your mother and father?”

  “You made it back!” Lara heard a woman say and her attention was drawn away from Aodhan and the little girl. She looked up to see two people hurriedly walking towards them following the same path the little girl had run through. The man was tall and well built. His tan skin was set off by black wavy hair and dark brown puppy dog eyes. He looked to be of a different race being much darker than the rest. She looked to the woman next to him and was interrupted by Aodhan taking her hand and pulling her to them.

  “Carrick! Shanna! How are you?” Aodhan asked as he led the group up to them. He let Lara’s hand drop and walked up to Shanna and kissed her on both cheeks and turned to Carrick and grabbed forearms with him. Carrick pulled him into a huge bear hug.

  “Whoa Carrick, easy.” Aodhan tried to breathe out which sent Carrick into bellows of laughter.

  “Cead Mile Failte!” Shanna said to all of them.

  “A hundred thousand welcomes to you also.” Aodhan said as he turned to Eion, Kedryn and Lara.

  “Carrick, Shanna, Annie, this is Lara, Kedryn and all of you, except Annie, know Eion.”

  All clasped hands and said their greetings. Shanna removed her arm from around Carrick’s waist and walked up to Lara.

  “I am sure you have had a long trip. Are you ready to set that bag down somewhere else than the ground?”

  “Absolutely! If you have a place where I could wash up that would be lovely.” Lara whispered to Shanna “I think the boys need it more than me.”

  Shanna giggled “Follow me.”

  She led Lara to the cottage while Carrick led Aodhan, Kedryn and Eion to the barracks. Shanna stepped through the door and waited for Lara to follow her in. She took Lara on the guided tour of the cottage. They stood in a little living room area which had a huge limestone fireplace and a hodgepodge of different seating. She moved to an open kitchen off to the side.

  “My sister stayed here until she got married. She has better sense than I when it comes to decorating. I gave her free reign.” Shanna smiled as she thought of her sister.

  Lara was immediately in love with the cottage. The quaint little kitchen had a cute floral carved table and chairs to match. On the table was a large vase with a bouquet of multicolored flowers. Lara walked over to smell them. She picked out an orchid and thought of Aodhan and of the ghost orchid that was now pressed in her sketchbook.

  “Do you like the flowers?” Shanna asked.

  “The flowers are beautiful and orchids are my favorite.” Lara took another sniff of the flower and set it back in the vase.

  “Please. Come this way.” Shanna said as she led Lara past the fireplace, big overstuffed chair, rocking chair and stool which were set out by it. Shanna walked through a white arched door into a bed room. The bed was made out of what looked to be white pine. It had beautifully carved roses on the bedposts along with a matching chest of drawers and bench. The colors of the bedding, drapes and pillow
s were all sorts of shades of plum and chocolate brown.

  “Did your sister really do all of the decorating?” Lara asked as she looked around.

  “She did and is a quite talented seamstress too.”

  “I love her taste.” Lara sat her bag on the bench at the foot of the bed and looked around.

  “Then you will love the inside of the main house. She decorated that too.”

  Outside the barracks Carrick stopped in front of the large door. Kedryn looked over the building and realized it was just a little bit bigger than where he took his mixed martial arts. The only difference would probably be the inside since it housed soldiers.

  Carrick stepped through the door and turned to them. “You three can stay in the General’s quarters. There are four rooms so you all can take your pick.”

  “No more sleeping on the ground!” Kedryn said. “That Rocks!”

  Aodhan looked around thinking of his memories of the summers at the barracks. He walked up to Carrick slapped him on the shoulder as he looked down the small corridor with four doors.

  “Are you still in charge of the group here or did they move you to Duir?” Aodhan asked.

  “I am still in charge at Tralee. The city will need good protection since it is the closest to the battlefield.”

  “I have lost track of days. How much more time do we have?” Aodhan asked.

  “There is one day of the peace negotiations left. Then the Day of Rest. It should only take you a half day to reach the camp.”

  “Have the negotiations been successful?” Eion asked as he opened a door and looked into a room.

  “I have not heard recently. Not as of a couple of days ago. As soon as you all are settled in I believe there is enough daylight left for training before the evening meal.” Carrick said.

  “I am assuming the other rooms are the same.” Eion asked.

  “Down the hall to the right is the war room where you all can relax in. The kitchen, pantry and others are off to the left. If any of you need anything just ask.”

  “I will take this room here.” Aodhan said as he stepped through the door next to him.