Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series) (24 page)

As Scanlon predicted they started making the climb to the top of the camp of the Tuatha de Danann around noon. Lara looked up and saw three small pavilions decorated with shades of deep blue, emerald green and dark maroon. All had intricate designs in silvery white that she couldn’t quite make out. The larger pavilion amongst them was a dark chocolate brown trimmed in gold. It looked to be constructed of three smaller round pavilions connected by arched covered hallways. The pavilions were placed on a hill facing East above the Duir plain looking over the rest of the camp set out on a sloping hill below that rolled down to the plain.

Aodhan led them to the entrance of the large pavilion and walked up to two men standing outside talking. Scanlon was one and the other she had not met yet. Lara watched Aodhan nod as he bypassed Scanlon and headed straight to the other.

“Devlyn it is good to see you. Where are my father and General Ruark?” Aodhan asked as he clapped him on the back.

“Straight to the point and demanding as usual.” Devlyn said as he smiled and slapped him on the back. He looked over the party that stood before him and walked to where Eion was standing.

“Glad to have you back.” Devlyn said as he clasped forearms with Eion.

“You do not know how good it is to be back.” Eion said

Devlyn’s eyes moved to Lara and stopped. He immediately stepped over to her, took her hand and kissed the top of it. His face turned up from her hand and he gave her a huge grin and glanced at Aodhan.

“This lovely woman must be the Lady Battle Raven.”

“Back off smooth talker.” Aodhan said giving him a wary look.

Devlyn let go of Lara’s hand and glanced Kedryn’s way. “Picking up stragglers along the way?”

Aodhan gestured to Kedryn. “This is Kedryn. Lara’s son.”

Kedryn held out his hand and Devlyn clasped his forearm in welcome. “You have a good firm grasp. You any good with a sword?”

“Well, I do my best.” Kedryn said.

Devlyn let out a laugh and shrugged. “Kedryn was a surprise to us all. Your father and General Ruark are in the war room looking over some maps and still sorting out some of the details.”

Devlyn paused at the entranced and turned “I suppose I should warn you. Bevin is here.”

“What? Why? I thought she would stay where she was at the palace in Milburn. Not here.” Aodhan said.

“Apparently Bevin and Liam do not agree on a few things and Dillon is here. It seems he changed his mind about which side he wanted to be on.”

“Dillon. Here? How on earth did that happen? Having Christian with us put a dent in Liam’s plans. Now Dillon? Does Carrick know that Christian and his wife are here yet? He did not say anything about it when we were in Tralee
and I did not wish to go against Christian’s wife’s wish to surprise her sister.” Aodhan said.

“Carrick knows now. Christian wanted his defection kept quiet. I am just as surprised his wife has not rushed off to her sisters with them so nearby. As for Dillon. He followed Bevin here. She fled the palace shortly after her father died.” Devlyn said a little irritated he had to keep something from the former General.

“Who’s Dillon?” Kedryn asked as he leaned Aodhan’s way.

“He is the one she wants to marry.” Aodhan said.

Kedryn belted out a laugh. “Awkward . . .”

Devlyn pulled aside the flap to the entrance and Kedryn noticed that on one side there was a huge golden griffin with its wings spread for flight and on the other side there was a proud loin ready to leap. As they followed Devlyn through the entrance into a large sitting area he turned sharply. They walked into what looked to be the war room that had maps scatted all over a large wood table. A diagram of different battle plans were pinned to the canvas wall. Aodhan walked over to his father who was standing beside the table looking at some of the maps. Kedryn watched as Aodhan hurried over to his father’s side and felt a twinge of jealousy. He missed his family and friends.

“Father, it is good to see you. You look well.” Aodhan said as he stepped up beside him to look at the map his father was studying.

Blaine turned and pulled Aodhan in a bear hug. “I am very happy to see you.” He looked at everyone in the group “All of you.”

Eion stepped up to Blaine and did what Lara considered
the manly hug thing
.

“Better late than never”. Eion said as he walked up beside Lara and said in close to a whisper. “Doing any better?”

She whispered back. “I’ll have to be. There will be no rest on the battle field. Besides, we will get some rest tonight.” she watched as Aodhan turned away from his father and stepped over to where they stood. He cleared his throat until he got everyone’s attention.

“Gentlemen, This is Lara Eve O’Broin and Kedryn Ashton O’Broin.” he gestured to the men they had not met yet.

“Lara and Kedryn may I present my father Lord Blaine MacCionaoith, General Ruark Callahan, and outside you met Devlyn Hughes.” Aodhan said as each man gave a nod as their names were spoken.

Ruark walked up to Kedryn and looked him over. “How are you with that sword boy? It looks to be Milesian.”

“I can hold my own sir. It is Milesian General Carrick thought it fit my fighting style”

“General Carrick. You must have some skill if he presented you with a sword. Right now you will bunk with the soldiers.” He turned to Scanlon.

“Your bunk is still open in Devlyn's tent. Kedryn will be bunking with Doyle and Lawler. Show him where to drop off his pack and take him to train with the men.”

Lord Blaine looked Kedryn over. “That is a good plan. After we see him spar we will know where we can use the Lady Battle Raven’s son during the battle. Scanlon you know where to find Doyle and Lawler.”

“Yes sir. I will show him the way. Kedryn let’s see what they are up to.”

Kedryn glanced at his mom. She waved her hand and gave him the signal to go and she watched as they stepped out of the room. Ruark turned his attention to Lara.

“Lara, Devlyn can take you to the training area. Devlyn, get a group of your best men together. I wish to see how the Lady Battle Raven uses her power of confusion.” Ruark looked at her up and down.

“I think we can do better for armor also.” Blaine said.

Eion stepped over to the table and picked up a map and set it down again. He should have worked more with Lara instead of Kedryn and he was kicking himself a bit for that. He wondered what would happen if she didn’t catch on quickly and decided to fess up.

“Lara still is in the learning process with the power of confusion. I have not completed her training. I have been training with Kedryn. It was a failure on my part not to see to it sooner.” Eion said.

Ruark tugged on his beard. “This will be interesting. Lara, you can train with the men until I’m finished with Eion. Aodhan, I would like for you and Eion to stay here and give us your viewpoints on the strategy that has been devised.”

Blaine took a sip of water and his hand shook as he sat it down. “Devlyn, take The Lady Battle Raven down to the armor’s first to be fitted.

Christian will have his work cut out for him. I m certain he could mold a chest plate that will fit her. This will be a new record for him if he can do it in a day and a half.”

Devlyn looked at Lara. “Yes it would be. His wife is away for the day. She could help later with some new clothes for you if you wish my lady.”

“I think it a good idea that you should see to some comfortable boots. Ones where the laces stay put.” Eion said.

“These are perfectly comfortable. Don’t worry I’ll double knot them.” she said and winked at him she watched as Devlyn turned from the plans at the side of the tent and walked her way.

“This way my Lady Battle Raven.” He held out his arm and she looped hers through his. Devlyn turned his head giving Aodhan a sly grin and wink. Aodhan returned it with the best glare he could muster up.

Ruark turned to Eion. “I will only keep you for a few minutes. After you can head down. The battle will start the day after tomorrow and have decided to give the troops the day off. I have received word that Liam will honor the Day of Rest. We will join you shortly.”

Lara heard the last of Ruark’s words as they stepped out of the tent. The day after tomorrow. Lara felt her stomach tighten with millions of butterflies. Devlyn felt her stiffen at the words and gave her arm a reassuring squeeze and led her to the armory.

Aodhan looked up from the map in front of him and at Eion. He ran his fingers through his hair. “How do you really think she is doing?”

“I believe she is right. Lara needs to be out there with the men as a symbol. Also to show them that she can fight. It will probably keep her mind off of things and getting out the aggression will help.” Eion said.

Aodhan felt his father bump against him and glanced over. He was leaning on the table for support. Aodhan pulled over a chair and helped his father sit down. He gave Lord Blaine a concerned look and his father gave him a leave it alone look.

“How do you think she will react when she sees Liam again?” Aodhan asked.

Eion walked around the table to get a better look at Ruark’s maps.

“She will be more prepared for it this time.”

“What does the Lady Battle Raven have to do with Liam?” Blaine asked.

Eion rubbed his chin and looked around the table. “It is a long story. I will make it short in order to move onto more important events.”

Ruark put the piece of charcoal he was holding down. “If it affects the Battle Raven. I believe we all should know about it.”

Blaine motioned for the rest of them to sit. Eion looked at all of them and recalled what Kedryn had told him and some of his own experience.

“I will start off with Lord Faolan. When he spun the web around me he ended up turning into a mist wraith. The rumors are true that a person uses ultimate true power in the other realm he or she is lost. Faolan used his abilities as a wraith many times to influence Lara down the wrong path for eighteen years. Every plan he tried failed. She always struggled but would choose the light instead of the dark. I believe it was her upbringing that saved her.”

He leaned back in his chair and looked around and glanced over as a couple of servants walked into the room with goblets and a wine flask. He watched as Blaine gave a signal and goblets were filled. Eion nodded his thanks to Blaine as he took a sip.

“Faolan caught a break. Lara fell in love The man was the spitting image of Tormey and of course Liam since he’s a chip off the old man’s block. Faolan saw his chance and formed a new plan. He used his influence on the mind of the man to cause her and her son all kinds of grief. Kedryn filled me in on some of the details.”

Aodhan leaned forward in his chair. “When you asked to talk to Kedryn and fell behind. That is what you were talking about?”

“Yes. Apparently Faolan could sense that Wash, that was his name, did have genuine feelings of love for her. Unfortunately for Wash his mind was easy to influence. Faolan was able to influence him when he was not around Lara. For some reason he could not or did not influence Wash when he was with Lara and Kedryn. It worked well for him and confused and hurt her even more. When Wash was with them he was everything she wanted however when he was away he did everything someone you love was not supposed to do.”

Blaine started a coughing fit and Eion waited and passed the flask down to Aodhan so he could fill up Blaine’s goblet.

Blaine cleared his throat and took a drink. “That must have driven her mad.”

“Not just Lara. It drove Wash to the brink of insanity. He knew that he loved Lara and could not understand why he would do all of the hurtful things he was doing to her and Kedryn.” He shifted in his seat and looked around.

“He ended up killing himself right in front of Lara. Kedryn said his exact words were.
I’m just a stepping stone to someone better. If I’m not here you will be free
. Apparently Lara was like the living dead for almost two years then all of the sudden snapped out of it.”

Ruark looked at Eion with disgust on his face. “Right in front of her? That is the coward’s way out and it seems that Faolan’s plan with the man worked. He took a huge chance but must have had a feeling that if we did go after her, Lara would break down and be of little use to us when she saw

Tormey or Liam. Or perhaps it was that Wash was the only one he found that worked with his plan. Or it could have just been pure blind luck.”

“It is all speculation. The only real way to know is to ask Lord Faolan himself. Why do you think she stayed with him?” Aodhan asked.

“Kedryn seems to think that she hoped that he would see the
light
and change his ways. Wash would always tell her that they were the two only good things in his life and his reason for living. It seemed as soon as things were looking good he would leave again. Kedryn said she was completely in love with him and never gave up on him until he gave up on himself.”

“Faolan truly is an evil creature. If she took the anger of all of the bad she could use it.” Blaine said and Aodhan looked at his father a bit annoyed at his lack of sympathy for Lara.

“It is a possibility. You should have seen her reaction when she saw Liam. Kedryn said Liam and Wash could almost be twins.” Aodhan said