Dragon's Moon (25 page)

“And the
Clach Gealach Gra
is here on Sinclair land, in the caves that have been considered sacred by our people for longer than any can remember.”

Perhaps
that
was where they should start their search, Ciara mused to herself. Only, those caves were still used so frequently for Chrechte sacred rites, what chance was there that a forgotten hidden cavern existed that had not been discovered in all these generations?

“It used to be Donegal land,” Abigail reminded them all. “Circin was certainly upset about that strip of land being ceded to the Sinclairs by Scotland's king as part of my dowry.”

Talorc nodded, looking rather pleased by the memory.
“But before that, it was claimed by the Sinclair and more importantly, the pack that hunted on Sinclair lands before joining the clan.”

“Your pack?” Guaire asked.

Ciara's father nodded. “Aye. My ancestors were the original Chrechte of this area, though the pack split when joining the clans and some went to the Donegal while others came to the Sinclair.”

“Which simply proves that those particular caves are on a piece of land that has been in dispute for generations,” Eirik said.

Talorc sighed and nodded. “We will continue with the original plan.”

“I know you do not want Ciara away from your holding any longer than absolutely necessary, but I will keep her safe,” Eirik promised.

“See that you do.”

T
he ride through the forest was quiet, the only sound from their party the carefully placed footfalls of the well-trained warhorses under the four travelers. An eagle and two ravens flew above them in the sky.

Eirik had surprised Ciara; taking heed of her worry for the young Éan, Fidaich and Canaul, he had assigned a seasoned warrior to join them in watching over the horses. She was even more surprised to discover both boys could shift.

“You said your coming-of-age ceremony was only seven years ago,” she said quietly, bringing up the topic that had been worrying at her mind as they rode.

“Aye.”

“But Fidaich and Canaul can shift already.”

“The ability to shift comes early for the Éan; some can take their bird form when they are small children, though most wait until that time when bodies change from child to adult.”

“And these two?”

“Fidaich started shifting this year, which was no surprise,
but Canaul began shifting soon after. He is a year younger.”

“Having his best friend shift without him must have been too much for his raven.”

“Aye.” There was a hint of a smile at the edges of Eirik's lips. “I was the same with my cousin who was two years older than me.”

“I imagine everyone attributed your early shifting to you being the prince and of royal blood.”

Eirik shrugged, but Ciara was sure she was right. “Still, I do not understand the coming-of-age ceremony if you already shift.”

“It is different. It is when we are gifted with special talents and our ability to pass the raven on to the next generation relies on our connection to the
Clach Gealach Gra
during our coming-of-age ceremony.”

Horror filled her at the thought of the Éan losing their stone as the Faol had misplaced theirs. “You are serious?” She had to know.

“Aye.”

“But the wolves give birth to wolves without the
Faolchú Chridhe
.”

“It is a good thing, or there would be no Faol walking the earth today.”

“Do you think one of the other races of the Chrechte stole our stone in hopes of just that eventuality?” Her vision today didn't intimate such, but still she wondered.

“I do not know, but does the why of it matter now? Centuries have passed. Any who had plans for the loss of the stone are gone.”

It was a freeing thought, that the enmities of the past had no place in the present. “If the coming-of-age ceremony is not linked to the Éan's first change, how do you know when it is time for it?”

“It can be performed any time after the first change and before an Éan has seen twenty summers. However, if it is performed too early or late, the special talents conferred by the stone are weak.”

“Who determines the time has come?”

“The stone. It calls to Anya-Gra, the parents and sometimes the Éan himself.”

“It called to you.”

“Yes, but it had been taken and was not in the Sacred Caves.”

“I didn't know.”

“You were not meant to. My sister returned it in time for my final blessing.”

“You would not have your dragon if she had not.” The prospect was untenable.

“Lais would not be able to heal, either.”

“Do you think the
Faolchú Chridhe
will confer special talents like that as well?”

“Yes.”

“But it's not the same.” They'd already established that from the fact the Faol could reproduce without any coming-of-age ceremony. Stone or no stone.

“Each race has its differences. For instance, all Éan have control of their change from the first time their bird takes them.”

“Truly?” Among the Faol, most males could not control their change, so it was dictated by the full moon, until they participated in the sacred act of sex. White wolves and their descendants were the exception.

“Aye.”

“I wonder if it is like that for the Paindeal.”

“If they continue to walk the earth at all.”

“I'm sure they do.”

He frowned, his attention all around them as he sought out potential threats. “You cannot be sure.”

“Yes, I can.”

“Because of the dreams,” he said with sudden understanding.

“Yes.”

“You have dreamed of the Paindeal as well? You did not say.”

“Only when I was very young and I have always thought they were just dreams.” Until today when so many things
had become clearer and more confusing as the case may be. “Nothing prophetic. It wasn't a secret I knew I was keeping.”

“You have spent too many years hiding the truth of yourself.”

But she hadn't been hiding. “I didn't
know
about myself.”

“You do not take my meaning. You have hidden your ability to connect to the
Faolchú Chridhe
.”

“There were many times I thought it all in my head.”

“Aye. You deserved to know the truth, but it was never given to you.”

“I am so angry with my family,” she admitted. “But they're dead and I feel dishonorable being so mad at them. Only, I can't make the feelings go away.” Too many feelings refused to be stifled inside her now.

“They hurt you deeply with their dishonesty and the pain is fresh because you have just discovered their treachery.”

“You are right,” she whispered. She did not want to harbor anger toward those she had loved and who were irrevocably gone, but the pain inside her would not go away.

“Their deceptions harmed your people as well.”

“Only Galen knew of the
Faolchú Chridhe
.”

“But if your mother and father had told you the truth of your lineage, you would have known how important finding the sacred stone was for all of the Faol.”

“Do you think it called to my father?”

“Nay.”

“I don't, either.” And for some reason, that truth made her sad, but her father had not been wise in his loyalties.

A caw sounded from above. Ciara looked up in time to see one raven chasing another through the sky. It reminded her of when cubs played and she smiled. Though she doubted Eirik, or the eagle shifter, for that matter, were going to be so tolerant.

The two ravens flew back into formation with the eagle, though she saw no signs of the eagle physically reining them in.

“They're young still,” she said to Eirik.

“They are feeling the freedom of belonging to the clan rather than living in hiding in the forest.”

“That's a good thing, right?”

“When it does not put them, or those they are assigned to guard, at risk.”

“They will learn. After all, Fidaich is related to you.”

“Canaul is the son of one of our fiercest warriors.”

“The eagle flying with them,” she guessed.

“Aye. Canaul's mother was a raven; he took after her in the shift.”

“Was?”

“She disappeared in the forest.”

One of the victims of the wolves who believed all Éan had to die. “I am sorry.”

Eirik shrugged. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“I hate it.”

“What?”

“That your people were hunted by mine.”

“It is not over, but Barr and your father have fought hard to clear their clans of those who would continue.”

“Not the Balmoral?”

“There were none among his pack that belonged to this secret society of wolves.”

“I'm surprised there were any among the Sinclair.”

“So was your father.”

“He banished them?”

“The ones he did not kill; they were caught hunting Éan.”

“And you? Have you killed wolves besides Luag and Galen?”

“I am protector of my people.”

It was an answer…of sorts.

Another caw sounded from above. Ciara made a point of not looking up this time though. She hoped the young ravens' antics would be less annoying to their prince if she pretended to ignore them.

The rumble very much like a wolf's growl that sounded from Eirik's chest said her hope was in vain.

“You know, if you were willing to travel by boat, rather
than as a dragon, we could take our horses with us on the crossing.” The boats that made this possible required a minimum of two rowers, and not one of them a still healing and fragile human woman. “And we would not need a guard, Éan, or otherwise, for our horses.”

“Birds fly over water. We do not ride boats.”

Right. Arrogant dragon. “Lais is riding in a boat.”

“He would trust Mairi's crossing to no other.”

“Is she really his mate?” Ciara asked in a whisper, though she doubted the others could have heard her regardless.

Lais and Mairi lagged behind because the healer insisted the other woman's horse maintain a slower pace. He was coddling her like she was as broken as she'd been before his sessions healing her. Though it was clear she was much better and well able to ride a horse without trouble.

It was amusing and really, a little sweet. Though Ciara was sure Lais would not thank her for saying so.

Eirik looked up at the sky and then at Ciara, his expression giving nothing away. “Only time will tell.”

“But he's so protective of her.”

“He is a healer.”

“Never mind.” Eirik clearly had no intention of giving her a direct answer.

Even though it was perfectly obvious from the way he'd spoken the night Ciara had found Mairi that Eirik believed the MacLeod's daughter and Lais to be mates.

“Why ask if you do not want an answer?”

“If I wanted doublespeak, I would go to the English, thank you.”

Instead of taking offense, Eirik laughed. Loud and full of real mirth, it was such an arresting sound that Ciara felt a strange tightening in her chest. She wanted to hear more.

Unfortunately, the sound cut off almost immediately. “Quiet,” he ordered.

She didn't ask why but did her best to discern his reason for caution. She could hear nothing in the forest that seemed out of place, but she noted the eagle high in the sky was flying far to the left of them rather than directly above. And the two younger ravens were far to the right.

Suddenly, Lais and Mairi had caught up and Eirik had taken lead while Lais dropped to the back, with Ciara and Mairi's horses between them. The two men drew their swords at the same time, both their attention fixed to the left, though Ciara still could discern no untoward sound.

If she didn't know better, she would think the two warriors were communicating with mindspeak. But only some family and true mates could mindspeak. Though, perhaps among the Éan, this was another difference from the Faol.

Mairi did not make a sound, but it was clear she was aware something was amiss. Ciara's wolf's hearing could tell the other woman's heart rate had increased and fear scented the air around them.

Eirik's head came up and he sniffed at the air, a frown showing on his strong features. He'd noted Mairi's scent of fear and wasn't happy about it.

The danger must be closer than Ciara realized for the dragon to be worried in this way.

She let her horse move next to Mairi's until they were close enough for her to reach out to the other woman. Ciara took Mairi's hand and leaned so she could speak directly into the human woman's ear. “You must control your fear. If wolves from your father's pack hunt us, they will smell it.”

The scent of fear spiked, but Mairi made a clear attempt to calm herself. Taking deep breaths, she even closed her eyes as if she trusted Ciara to make sure her horse stayed its course.

“Good. Remember, we have five Chrechte warriors with us and one is a dragon.” Calling the two raven youths warriors was stretching it a bit, but Mairi needed the assurances. “Naught will happen to you. I promise.”

Mairi squeezed her hand, her fear fading a bit. And Ciara had an idea. She'd never tried anything like this before, but there was nothing to lose by it.

They were taught that human children of Chrechte parents shared none of their gifts because they did not share the ability to shift. Ciara had not always been convinced of this.

If MacAlpin had not had Chrechte cunning, would he
have been able to betray and kill the others of his line the way he had done?

“Concentrate on the scents of the forest around you,” she instructed Mairi. “Can you do that for me?”

Mairi nodded with a tiny jerk of her head.

“Good. Can you smell the trees?”