Coimhlint
So this is my new version of Love Define Us… LDU was my first story here, and while I liked a lot of the things of it, I have always wanted to change the way I decided the story to go, but I could get the itch of going on with the story, till, I finally after a long break and a couple of works of sewing and a lot of cooking recipes, I figure out what was wrong with the story lol!
So I'm doing a re-telling, changing character names when needed, cutting out others and simply making myself happier about this. So I hope I can make you all happy along the way too.
Chapter 1
Hope
"Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul
And sings the tune without the words
And never stops at all."
Emily Dickinson
I stand before a mirror, with my nursemaid rushing about getting my hair ready. I stare at my reflection, wondering how I am supposed to carry on. A gentle hand makes me walk towards the entrance, as I walk thru the endless corridors that saw me grow up; I wonder how I'm going to take care for those who resided under the care of my father. Years of training allows me to stand tall, chin up, eyes dry and back straight.
We finally arrive to the main hall and my step flatters when I take in all that is inside. My father is resting in the middle of the room, his face still sporting that kind smile he gave me before passing away. People have left little mementos around him to make his passing thru the veil an easy one. Taking a deep breath, I walk towards my place at the head of my father, where I'm going to stand for the rest of the ceremony.
The Elder stands and with that the songs that all have compose to commemorate my father's life starts. The song is slow and peaceful at the beginning; it talks about the start of my father as the head of the clan. I allow myself a moment to close my eyes and take comfort out of the words. The pace on the music picks up, signaling the marriage of my parents and soon my part in the song begging's. I cannot help but let out a strangled laugh, which has many of the presents turn look at me with a knowing smile. The peaceful pace and the more exotic mix up tangled on what we were. I have always being a ball of energy that came into my father's life to wreck it… running, always searching and acting so less lady like. As the song enters a slower interlude, the doors of the halls open and the song is interrupted.
My mother is standing there, her hair completely dishevel and her eyes red with tears. Her eyes found mine and something wicked stand there for a moment before the grieving widow takes place again. My heart clenches and I wonder if it's so terrible that I'm wishing for my sweet father to be alive instead of her. I wonder how her song will sound. Where it be any love in it? Yes, a part of me answers, there was love at the beginning, before… I let my shoulders fall, before I catch the small twitch of my mother's lips, now that she is standing right in front of me. Tears are streaming down her face, but her eyes remain cold and detached. My mind feels numb and the notes of the song are lost in me. The air inside the room feels tense, and a solid unmovable presence comes to stand behind me. I don't need to turn my head to know is Cedric, my father's loyal advisor and our chief of security.
I blink a couple of times, and I realize the song has long ended. Taking a step back, I allow for the men to take my father outside towards the lake, where he will make his last travel towards the veil. Cedric pass next to me, making sure to brush his arm on mine. Chin up, clear eyes and confident step. I can almost hear him saying that to me, so I collect myself and walk behind them, as its fit of my station. Each step has an air of finality to it, and as my mother falls in line to walk next to me, my stomach recoils.
"I should have known that you were going to make this easier for me." She whispers with a pleased smile just for me. "But I wonder, how does it feel to be the reason why the person you cared the most is no more?"
I gasp and she smirks one last time, before adopting her grieving widow posture and walks in front of me. My feet get caught with my long black dress, but before I can even stumble to catch my feet again, a soft tug gives me balance again. My nursemaid Evelyn is playing with the arm of the dress, smoothing it, all over again.
"Don't believe a single word she tells you," her touch is comforting and her words final.
I give her a small nod, and she stops for a moment, before resuming walking behind me. The rest of the way to the lake is silent, with only my thoughts as my companions, and I make myself not to think about what my mother said, to keep it together till this is done and the state of the leadership of the clan resolved. As we stand in the edge of the lake, my father is gently placed in a boat that appeared just a couple of months before. As soon as the body is placed, the boat moves towards the center of the lake. Someone gives me my bow and an arrow, which is lilted for me.
I'm not even able to start a small fire for his passage. I bitterly think, before I aim towards the boat and release the arrow. Soon different blue flames start to consume his body and the rip on the veil accepts him, as he is consume and transform into tiny little lights.
"And we see you sail to the eternal lands." I whisper softly.
How long I start here, is anyone guess. The sun is half drowning into the lake, and the last blue flames dance across it. A strong hand on my shoulder takes me out of my moment of grieve.
"Whatever happens in the next twenty minutes, I want you to follow every order I give you without complaining." Cedric seems calm but on edge, I nod and walk behind him, a little bit towards the right. "Everything will be alright, Ava. I promise you this."
His tone is resolute and his hands at his sides are set in fist. Evelyn comes and stands by my right side, I see her bow is out and ready. I observe the group of people before us and I can't help but make a pause on my walk. The Council. My breath is coming in harsh, quick takes. My mother is nodding and she looks pleased by something.
"Aiofe," the Elder calls me, "we are vey sorry for having to do this in a time like this, but your clan is very important to be without some kind of leadership." I blink confuse, for the moment not following. "Your father last wish was for you to take over, but with barely seventeen years old, we cannot allow for this to happen." I know for sure my eyes are wide open, and the stand of Cedric and Evelyn changes around me. "As the widow of your father, we have chosen your mother as the successor. Of course, this is only temporal, till you are of age…"
My whole world halts, people move around me, and I know words are said, but I can only watch as my mother nods slightly, her fake tears coming to live again, and I fight to reach for something to help me to hold on in this sea of madness. Nothing makes sense anymore. I think as I see the Council go away and my mother fully facing me.
"Come on Aiofe, you should have known that this was going to happen." The fake tears are long gone, and only the coldness of her brown eyes remains. "Your beloved father is gone, and as for now on, you belong to me."
She takes a step forward, but before she reaches me, a sensation of being pull away in the middle of black smoke intensifies. Someone is dragging me towards a place, while I cannot help but stare at the empty space before me.
"Ava," Evelyn tries to get my attention, "come, we need to move."
I turn around, as I realize that Cedric must have teleport us away. We walk for a space of five minutes before we reach a black SUV with the driver waiting for us. Cedric takes something from the back and presses it to my chest, where I automatically move my hands to hold the package.
"She is taking you to the airport; there Lionel will be waiting for you with a plane ticket to get you out of here." So many questions start to pile inside my head. "When you arrive to the other airport, another ticket for your final destination will be waiting for you."
"How…?" I whisper.
"I knew you mother was going to make a move, so we prepared in advance." He pushes me inside the SUV, making sure to get my seatbelt in place. "You will be going to live with your father's best friend for the time being." He places a hand on top of my shaky one. "We will find a way to fix this."
I stare into his onyx eyes, and I shake my head slowly. "I can't do…"
He rudely takes me by the shoulders and makes me look at him, the seatbelt hurts my chest, but I forget about it when I see the resolution, fear and something else in his eyes.
"Who are you?" He states in a calm deep voice. I look at him, wondering if he has lost his mind, but he shakes me again. "Who are you?"
"I'm Ava O'Connell," my voice is shaky, but as the pressure in my shoulders turns a little bit painful I carry on, more steady, "I'm daughter of Sean O'Connell Lách, chief of the North clan."
"And because you are his daughter, you can do it, and you will do it." He lets my shoulders go. "I will fix this, but you need to heal your wounds and fix the problem with your powers." He opens his mouth, but then quickly closes it again. He is about to close the door, when I whisper.
"Be safe, please."
He nods and closes the door, taping on the hood. I silently pray to the Gnéithe to look over my Caomhnóir. I close my hands tightly around the messenger bag that Cedric gave me, fighting the tears that are threatening to fall.
It's only rational for me to be out of the way. My nails are digging into my palm and looking towards the road that is taking me far away from home. Like this… I'm only in their way.
I hold into my necklace, where the picture Charlie, my father and me is kept safe, with one of Cedric and Evelyn. I can do it, I will fix my problem and then, the Council will have to listen to me.
With a new resolution on my mind, I let the memories of the time spend with Charlie Swan and my father give me strength to take over the need to sit down and collapse.
So tell me what you think of this new version of the story. I will love to receive your comments about it.