(Highlander)
"HALLOWED GROUND"
by Brandiwine
December 13, 2009
Chap. A
Snow littered the ground as the highlander stood watching the woman pace. She was tall with brown hair and sad blue eyes. The man near her wore a priest's collar and had black curls and more vivid eyes than hers. Duncan was curious as she held two things in her arms that he was unsure if they were dolls or bodies as he approached.
"Hi." He said as she started from hearing his voice behind her as she swiveled to see him.
"Hi. Why be here this night, Sir?" She asked holding her burdens close to her cloaked body.
"I'm Duncan McCleud of the Clan McCleud. Why do you pace here like a ghost?" He asked watching the priest dig a hole with a long, handled shovel.
"I'm Ariwil McTan. That's my husband." She said pointing to the man working so hard to dig a hole in the frost.
"Nice to meet you. What's your husband's name?" He asked feeling like he had just passed into the world of the dead.
"ALLISTAR McTan. He's a priest." She said holding back tears.
"Good to know. Why be out on a night like this?" He asked pulling his trenchcoat close around him to ward away the chill of the wind.
"Come in. Come in and know me better man! This boy is ignorance. This girl is want. Be ware of the boy. Are there no prisons? Are there no workhouses? They'd better die and decrease the surplus population." She quoted from the Christmas Carol as Duncan waited for her to finish.
"What does that have to do with this?" He asked seeing a smallish box near the digging site.
"This one is Ishbil and this one is ALLISTAR Jr. Two innocent children who cried once before ceasing their breath." She finished crying as Duncan began to understand she was holding bodies as her husband finished digging and turned to her with sympathetic eyes.
"Give them here, ARIWIL." He said softly as she sniffed.
"You're not done yet." She said clutching the children close.
"I can't dig much deeper with the ground being frosted like this. I promise this is deep enough." He said trying to keep his teeth from chattering as he spoke.
"Ok, ALLISTAR. You know best." Ariwil said placing the two small forms in the box lined with velvet as the priest sealed the box, lowered it into the hole, and covered the site with dirt as Ariwil let her tears spill.
"I'm here to help." Duncan heard a familiar voice say as he turned his attention away from the man who knelt beside the grave praying and sprinkling holy water over the site.
"Why are you here?" Duncan heard Ariwil say as Methos's kind eyes washed over her.
"It's my job to help. I'm a doctor. Remember?" He finished as Ariwil turned to face Duncan.
"You know this man don't you?"
"Yes. We're friends." He said seeing tear tracks on her cheeks.
"Is what he says true? Is he here to help?" She asked with innocent, troubled eyes.
"Yes. He speaks the truth. You can go with him." Duncan said as she smiled and turned to take Methos's hand.
"I'll meet you at Joe's later. ALLISTAR, I'm taking Ariwil home." Methos said as ALLISTAR stood near them now.
"I'll come with you. I'm finished." He said lugging his shovel, dirty from his work.
"I can bring that back for you if you like." Duncan said curious as to what was going on here.
"Thank you, Mr. McCleud. I'd appreciate that." ALLISTAR said walking through the graveyard with Ariwil between him and Methos as Duncan followed behind carrying the shovel.
The house was splendid with picture windows of beveled glass and cherry wood doors. The porch was a wrap-around affair with stone steps that they trudged up as Duncan made his way to the adjoining shed to stow the shovel before joining them inside a house furnished with hand-woven rugs, hand-woven tapestries, and victorian furnishings with overhead chandeliers.
"Welcome to our house. We decorated it ourselves." ALLISTAR said as he rang a silver bell.
"What would you like, My Lord?" A maid asked with red curls and brown eyes wearing a black uniform with apron and cap.
"Coffee, please. Hot chocolate for Ariwil." ALLISTAR said as Ariwil sat on a sofa with Methos beside her.
"Coming right up." She said sparing a glance of sympathy towards Ariwil.
"Thank you, Trishia." Ariwil murmured after Methos had given her an injection.
"You should sleep soon. Don't you think you should have your chocolate upstairs?" Methos suggested as Ariwil yawned.
"Trishia, I'll have my chocolate upstairs." Ariwil said once the girl had returned with a silver tray with china cups and silver spoons.
"Of course, My Lady. Shall I help you upstairs?"
"No thank you. Doc will help me." She said smiling at Methos before reaching for ALLISTAR who cuddled and kissed her before letting Methos lead her from the room.
"Would you like coffee, Mr. McCleud?" ALLISTAR asked watching them go.
"No thanks. I should be going. I'm meeting him at Joe's later. It's a bar."
"I know Joe's. Thanks for bringing back the shovel. God bless you." ALLISTAR said as Duncan smiled before leaving as Methos reentered the room.
"Ariwil's asleep. Is this the first time this has happened?" He asked with hooded eyes with a medical bag in his gloved right hand.
"Yes. Thank you for coming along. She likes you." ALLISTAR said a bit sad himself.
"We're friends, ALLISTAR. You can count on me when you need to." He said shaking ALLISTAR's hand as he nodded.
"Thank you, Adam. I'll see you soon."
"What are friends for?" Methos finished before leaving ALLISTAR to his lone coffee as he sunk into the sofa alone with his thoughts.