The First Spell Weaver of Airendell: Book Two of the Airendell Chronicles (3 page)

Carlisle had contacted his brother and a cousin from Airendell, both are warriors that were trained by Morna, Luca and Bronwyn, and will protect the girls while Morna is occupied with the as yet unknown threat against their Guild.  She sits on the bed and composes her notes, seals them up in envelopes before returning to the group.

She is walking back into the dining room when she hears Fionn and Rinda arguing.  Others such as Breena and Brigid are trying to get them to lower their voices, but Morna hears enough to freeze in her tracks.

“No Fionn, I did not get into her pants last night!  You dumb ass, nosey son of a…” Rinda shouts.

Morna is sickened when she hears Damian’s calm voice cut in, “That’s enough!  Do not talk about Morna that way.  Fionn, I will take you out if you ever speak of her that way again!  I have been staying outside of Morna’s door when she sleeps ever since Luca left her.  I will keep her safe.  Safe even from her friends, if necessary.  Morna and Rinda did nothing wrong last night.  Morna showed Rinda pictures of kids and then they talked about growing up together.  God Fionn… can you really believe Morna would do that?  She loves Luca more than any person I have ever met has loved another person.”

“Look Damian, I wasn’t disparaging Morna’s character.  But you have to admit she is really vulnerable right now, and this one has been hung up on Morna since they were fourteen years old.  Hell kid, they are almost eight hundred and fifty years old.  Do you realize how long that is to carry a torch for someone?  I was just afraid that Rinda might have made a desperate attempt to get something back she was never destined to have.”  The room is silent for several seconds.  “Look, sorry.  I should have discussed this with Rinda in private, but I suspect everyone was wondering… Rinda can be a little impulsive…  God I am a dumb ass.”  Fionn rubs his face, and looks around the room, “I am sorry, I should have just kept my thoughts to myself.”

Breena chuckles and mutters; “Yeah, like Fionn MacLeod has ever kept his thoughts to himself.  You dumbass.  Good thing we all love you so much and know you aren’t malicious when stupidly blurt out whatever you are thinking.”

Morna gathers up her courage and walks into the dining room.  “Yes, Fionn.  You always have been a dumb ass, but we love you anyway.  Now if everyone is finished discussing my private life, can we take care of some business?”  Everyone looks embarrassed, but Morna acts like she doesn’t notice.

After Rinda, Fionn and Micah leave for The Bridge Morna mutters, “Poor Micah, I bet he will have to listen to those two snipe at each other all day.  I wonder when they are going to realize they are meant for each other.”  She chuckles softly to herself and then she looks at Maria, “Have you had any luck with the beads I brought back from the Spirit Plain?”

Maria and George both looked very troubled.  Maria looks at her hands.  “What is it?” asks Morna.

Maria finally speaks up, “The impressions I got from the beads are very, very confusing.  I could clearly make out a connection with the tall silver haired witch, and a tiny dark haired Spell Weaver, presumably your mother.  But I also get glimpses of a golden woman, and a very, very dark woman of great power and evil.  But I can’t make any sense out of those images.  I think one of them or both, is who the creature thought of as the great mother, but there are other connections that confuses me.  I see an elf.”  Everyone gasps.

“What?” demands Breena.  “Which elf?  Was it Ari?”

“Yes, I think might have been Ari.  Maybe.  My vision is confusing.  One time I glimpse him as the light elf, the child, at other times he appears as a dark elf, one I have never seen before.  But it almost feels as though these visions point to the same being.  Or at least they are connected somehow.  As I said, it is very confusing.  I can‘t even figure out if the creature saw these elves as friend or foe.”

Morna looks at Breena, “Why did you ask about Ari?” she breathes, her hands gripping the edge of the table.

Breena hesitates.  “I should have spoken up sooner.  I just thought it was gossip, nothing to be taken seriously.  A couple of hundred years back, I heard that Almeda had taken a lover a couple of millennia ago.  The lover was rumored to be a dark elf.  Ari is said to be the product of that union.  I assumed that since the light Elf Council had tolerated them, even seemed to embrace them all these years that Ari must have taken after his mother and not his father.  It feels wrong, even now to say anything that sounds like criticism of an elf.”

Morna is deathly white when she asks, “Breena, did you ever hear the name of the dark elf that was Almeda’s lover?”

“Dortain,” says Breena.

“Oh God, NO!” says Morna. 

Carrick looks at Morna, “Oh hell, Morna!  They are after revenge!”

Brian whistles softly and mutters, “Shit!”

Everyone looks at Carrick, Brian and Morna feeling very confused and equally worried because the three powerful warriors are obviously alarmed.  Morna takes a deep breath and explains; “We were on patrol in the gateways near home.  Someone had been tampering with the barriers between Middle and Upper worlds.  I think this was about 1360.  Does that sound right Carrick?”  At his nod, she continues.  “The patrol was made up of me, Luca, Carrick, Bronwyn, and Brian.  Enya had gone to Waterford on a healer’s mission.”

“Our patrol came upon a dark elf attacking the barrier at the end of a remote path near Airendell.”  Morna continues, “We ordered him to stop and explain himself.  He told us his name was Dortain, like we should know who he was, and that we would be wise to mind our own business.  That’s when he attacked us.  He was acting crazed.  I have never seen anything like it before or since.  We had no choice.  He was killing Bronwyn.  Luca and I struck him down.  He swore with his dying breath that his Mistress would make us regret interfering in his business.”

The horrible fear that had been circling around Morna’s heart was now squeezing hard with an icy hand.  “Luca let Ari into his mind, and we both let them take Aideen with them.  Oh Lord God, help me!  What have I allowed to happen here?”  Morna closes her eyes and murmurs “Aideen - link” in Ancient Light Elvish language. 

Once the link is established she can hear is her daughter’s voice raving gibberish about the dark one getting revenge, preventing the spread of the weakness… and then nothing.  Someone or something has broken the link. 

Morna is frightened and decides to link with Almeda.  “Almeda - link,” in Ancient Light Elvish.  She hears Almeda’s frightened voice in her head saying, “He’s not responsible.  Help him!” And then the connection is severed.  Morna tries a couple of times to re-establish the link, but is unable to do so. 

She reluctantly tries to link with Almeda’s son, Ari, “Can’t stop myself.  Primordial --- too strong.  Help me!” Is all that she can decipher from the gibberish she receives in the link.  Again, the link is severed by some outside force. 

Morna links with Luca in desperation and is devastated when he says, “Not now, Morna!  Give me some peace!” Tears well up in Morna’s eyes as she feels him break the link.  She has never felt so rejected or more alone in her life.  She quickly shakes the feeling off and decides to take action rather than sitting here feeling helpless.

She quickly explains what she just experienced and then stands up straight, takes a deep breath and says, “I can‘t just sit here on my fat ass and do nothing!  I am sure our enemies are counting on our ignorance and confusion.  But since I linked with them, they must know we suspect something. We must move, now!  Carrick, you, Enya, and Elias go find my father and the patrol, inform them of this new information.”

“Breena, Damian and I will go to Alfheim to retrieve Aideen, but we will go by Airendell on the way and inform my half-brother Archer of our suspicions.  We will also look for Luca at our cottage in the glen. I suspect, if Ari isn’t exerting too much influence on Luca that he has gone there to sort things out.  He told me once in a past lifetime that he goes there when he needs to think.”

“Whether or not we find Luca, we must approach the high council at Alfheim and let them know what we suspect.  Aideen and Ari sounded as though they were possessed or something.  But I could sense the same foul taint that experienced when I was being attacked remotely before I destroyed that stone cannibal creature.  I can’t explain it, but I have a feeling that Almeda and Ari may be victims as well.  But we have to tread carefully where they are concerned.  Regardless of Ari and Almeda’s loyalties we must go to Alfheim to look for Aideen.” 

“If they actually took Aideen to Alfheim, I must get permission from the High Council to take Aideen back.  If they are not there, perhaps the elves will help me find her and get her back.  Either way, I think the two patrols should meet up at the entrance to Alfheim as soon as possible.”

George says, “What about me?”  Morna looks thoughtfully at George.  She had been trying to make up her mind about him.  When she first met him she thought of him as an ally.  George Wellborn is a Stone Breaker.  A member of a magical race that dwells in the Americas which has dedicated themselves to protecting humans from the Stone Cold vampires.  Ari and Almeda gave the Stone Breakers their endorsement.  Now that endorsement may or may not mean that the group has traitors in its midst.  She decides to ask him and Maria, his grandma and Shaman, to stay behind and to help Brigid protect this Gateway. 

Morna is trying to decide whether or not to give Brigid a heads up about the quandary of their uncertain loyalties.  But that worries Morna as well because Brigid is a Spell Weaver and Neurosurgeon, not a warrior.  What would become of Brigid if they turned on her?  But Morna is confident that George is truly in love with Brigid and he would never hurt her, even if he is a traitor.             

“Please stay and help Brigid watch this gate.  We cannot leave it undefended.” says Morna.

“Morna, I am capable helping Brigid defend the gate.  I cannot run like you can to cover long distances, but I am a good fighter and have strong protective magic.  We could hold the gateway entrance by ourselves for a long siege if we needed to.  My grandson should go with you.  No offense, Breena, but you are not a trained warrior like Morna and Damian doesn’t understand magic.  You need my George.”  Morna continues to look pensively at Maria and George. 

“Ah,” says Maria.  “I see.  Ari or Almeda must have supported our involvement in this struggle, now you are doubting your own instincts about us.”  Maria looks over at George.               

George shrugs.  “Well you can’t blame the lady, she just realized someone she has been genetically programmed to trust and look up to, has possibly been out to destroy her for centuries.  Give her a minute to decide whether or not she wants to trust her gut again.”

Carrick reaches over and takes his friend’s hand.  “Morna, now is not the time to start doubting yourself.  Go with your gut.  Your instincts are good.  They always have been.  You know that.”

Morna nods and then says, “George, Maria, please forgive me.  George I would be grateful for your help, brother.  Maria, please keep an eye on Sammy.”

No sooner had Morna mentioned Sammy, than they hear her scream from her quarters.  Damian gets to her first.  They find her in her quarters.  It appears as though she has been sleeping in bed but something disturbed her.  “Luca!  Oh Morna, they are sending Trolls to attack Luca at some cottage in a little valley.  I don’t recognize the place.  He is alone and outnumbered, there are so many of them.  Morna, Ari and Aideen were there, too! They are both acting crazed!  What does this mean?”

Bronwyn looks at Morna, “Could Ari and Almeda have blocked her visions while they were here?”

Morna shrugs, “I don’t know, but if anyone can do that they probably could.  Elves are certainly more powerful than we are.  We have to go now to help Luca!  Carrick, Elias, get Enya and go find my father. I think they are searching near the Coral gateway near the Great Barrier Reef.  Use your finder spell, it should take you straight to him.  Meet us at my cottage near Airendell.  Be careful!  Maria, watch the gateway.  Brigid, go relieve Enya.”

Elias lightly grabs Morna’s shoulder.  “I think I could be of more use with you Morna.  I am no longer a child.  I am a man fully grown, trained as a warrior, by you I might add.  Let me stand by your side.  I have fought Trolls before.  Damian, Breena and George have not.”  Morna nods and heads out to the arsenal.

Everyone follows except for Brigid who has gone to get Enya. As Morna is handing weapons out to Damian, George, and Breena and the other warriors are arming themselves, she instructs Maria.  “Keep Sammy safe.  Any who attempt to pass through this gate who are not part of our group that you know, must be held off until we know what is going on.  Can you handle that?” 

Maria nods.  “I can keep anyone from using this gate.  And I will protect Sammy like my own child.”

Morna hugs Sammy quickly and takes off at a run for Airendell.  Maria calls out to her, “Are you sure Luca is in his right mind?”

“Yes, I believe that Ari will only be able to confuse him.  At most, plant seeds of doubt in his mind.  I am confident of that.  Luca is too strong for anyone to assume control of his mind.  You don‘t understand the precision with which his mind works,” calls Morna over her shoulder.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

They have been running for a couple hours now and Morna‘s fear is growing.  She has been unable to link with anyone using the Elvish mind link.  She is fearful that they will reach Luca too late.  She wonders why she has been unable to get through to warn him. But now they are nearly there.  She lets the others know this, and warns them to be on the lookout for Trolls because they are entering a bad area for them.