When dusk came and Aaron had still not returned, Duncan was very worried. He doused the fire and climbed up onto his horse and rode off, Aaron had promised he wouldn't be far, Duncan knew there was a stream not far and the very real possibility that Aaron had found it and had lost track of himself was better then any alternative that Duncan could think of.
Taking his hunch he navigated the horse towards the stream a good mile to two away. On horseback it did not take Duncan MacLeod long to reach the stream, not far in the distance was a small farm cottage overshadowed by the large fort that had cropped up behind it. There was no sign of anyone near the stream and Duncan was just about to turn the horse in a different direction when he spied something in the grass, a piece of cloth, marked with the colors of the Clan MacLeod.
"Woah" Duncan said loudly and pulled the reins slowing the horse to a stop, he dismounted and reached down to pick up the cloth, it was from his tartan, he had given it Aaron as a babe and the boy never left it anywhere it was always on his person, to his horror Duncan realized the tartan had blood stains on it. He looked around listening for any sounds, but was quiet minus the sound of the wind and the sound of rope creaking on a tree. Instinctively Duncan looked towards the sound of the rope and his mouth dropped in horror. There, hanging by his wrists swinging in the strong breeze from a tree was Aaron.
Aaron!" Duncan said in a loud whisper, he jumped off the horse and ran over to the tree, taking out a knife he cut the rope holding his son and caught Aaron as he fell. "….Why?" Duncan said unable to find his words, the shock had taken over "Aaron, please no."
He placed a hand on Aaron's chest and felt no heart beat, Aaron's body had turned cold, and the blood from his wounds had dried. Duncan cradled him in his arms as he sat down feeling numbness careen through his body.
His son was dead, all the protection all the teaching everything was gone, the promise he had made to a dying woman and to her father was broken, and a promise he had made to a crying infant weak from all matter of illness that plagued his young existence was lost.
Duncan had always known his son would grow old and eventually pass away, but he hadn't been prepared for it to happen so soon, it should not have happened so soon. He had expected to see Aaron grow into a man, and start his own family to see all that he had taught his son be put to use for the next generation.
He stared into Aaron face and cut away the remaining rope from his wrists. "My son," Duncan said quietly he pushed Aaron's bangs back feeling tears slide down his face. He'd kill the bastards responsible for this, there would be hell to pay in exchange for the young life that had been cut short. Duncan
MacLeod was prepared to slaughter whoever got in his way, but especially the animals that would do this to a child.
What Duncan was not prepared for was Aaron's eyes to suddenly open and his body spring forward as life returned to his frail body.
"AHHHHH NO!" he screamed he took a deep breath and looked around quickly. "Da?" he said when his eyes fell upon Duncan, "DA!" He jumped forward and dove into Duncan's arms.
"Aaron yer alive!" Aaron looked at him obviously scared, remembering that he had died, no it wasn't possible, he must have passed out, he couldn't have died. Quickly Aaron's eyes flew down to his shirt, still covered in blood, he pulled his shirt up and stared where the wound had been, the wound was gone, he looked at his wrists the bruises and cuts inflicted by the rope had also vanished, he knew he had been shot, he had felt the ball pass through him, he could remember the pain, but that was all it was a memory, like it had never happened. But how? Dark magic tis dark magic Aaron thought in horror. "Yer immortal," Duncan said his hand resting on the back of Aaron's head "I cannae believe it."
"Immortal?" Aaron said "tis dark magic, a faerie trick!"
"No tisn't, tis a miracle." Duncan said, he reached into his shirt and extracted the cloth Aaron's eyes went wide as he realized it was no longer with him, he took it from his father's outstretched hand and held it close to his body "Come let's get you out of 'ere before they realize yer not dead." He picked Aaron up and placed him on the horse and hopped on himself. "Ya!" he said and road off away from the fort.
"Immortal?" Aaron asked, while they sat around a fire "does that mean I'll never die?" Duncan poked the fire and nodded.
"Aye that's is exactly what it means,"
"Will I grow old?"
"No,"
"I'll be this age ferever?"
Duncan nodded
"Aaron do you remember the stories I used to tell you?"
"The ones 'bout Connor MacLeod?"
"Aye, when I was yer age, that's what I thought they jus' were stories. 'e died in battle then 'woke from death 'ours later." Aaron watched his father intently his knees up against his chest tightly huddled under the stag hide. "The same thing 'appened to me, before you were born. I died then 'woke from it. That was when I was cas' out from the clan and I met Connor MacLeod,"
"Ya met Connor MacLeod?!" Aaron said in shock
"Aye I did, 'e taught me everything I needed to know 'bout being Immortal which I will teach you." Aaron stared into the fire, still trying to comprehend everything his father was telling him. Duncan knew he needed to explain everything to Aaron, as Connor had him. Aaron needed to know how to protect himself and why he needed to protect himself. "Immortals can only die if they lose their 'ead," Aaron's eyes went wide and he hiked his blanket higher over his shoulders as if hiding his neck. "When the 'ead is taken, the immortal receives what is called a quickening, all the power and knowledge the other immortal retained over his life time becomes part of victor." Duncan paused and looked at Aaron for a moment before continuing. "There are rules Aaron, rules as an immortal you follow. You cannot fight upon 'oly ground, and once a fight has begun no one may interfere."
Aaron took a deep breath trying to fully understand all this he understood a little bit, but wasn't sure exactly what this all meant for him.
"Will I 'ave to fight you?" he asked worriedly
"I pray we never come to that, I swore when you were a babe, that I would always protect you and I intend to keep that promise." Aaron moved closer to the fire, he was confused, more then he was really willing to admit. Chills ran up and down his spine and he shivered. "I know its 'ard to understand Aaron, I didn't understand it a part of me still doesn't understand." It was finally sinking in; Aaron finally understood what all this meant. He was going to live forever until someone came to take his head, he'd never be an adult; he'd be a 12 year old forever. In less then two months he would turn thirteen yet he'd never look it.
"What if I don't want this….what if I chose not to-"
"You cannot choose Aaron, it's either live or die,"
"I want ta live aye…..but not this way…I don't want ta worry 'bout losin me 'ead…I like it where tis. I don't think I can 'andle livin ferever tisnt right and I'm 'fraid….I know I shouldn't be but I am, I don' wan' to live ferever." Duncan stood up, walked around the fire and knelt near Aaron.
"Whatever comes our way Aaron, we'll face it like MacLeod, araon?" He said putting his arm around Aaron's shoulders
"Araon." Aaron replied softly
"get some rest Aaron, tomorrow we'll start yer trainin." Aaron nodded and stared into the fire light he still wasn't ready for this, then he remembered what dying felt like and how scared he was. Maybe living forever wasn't as bad as it seemed, he looked at his father, his father had experienced what he had only he was alone, at least Aaron wouldn't be alone he had his father, and would have his father forever, he would never lose his father like he had lost his mother.
(Araon: means together in Scottish Gaelic)
That night out of pure exhaustion, Aaron fell into a deep sleep, a deep sleep that was plagued by nightmares violent nightmares. Demons chasing him with swords going for his head, and the feeling of death hanging over the boy like a veil. Suddenly the demons wielding swords vanished, Aaron looked around in shock he was deep in the highlands, and enclosed by dense fog that.
"Da?" he called out "Da where are ye?" the fog seemed to move closer to him coming closer and closer, Aaron felt fear fall over him like rain on a stormy day. "No leave me 'lone!" an opening in the fog appeared with a bright comforting light cutting through the dense fog, he put his arm up shielding them from the bright light
"Aaron?" a female voice called to him though the fog, slowly he put his arm down unsure what he would see or if he wanted to see.
"Who's there?" he asked keeping his voice as steady as possible he was afraid, but did not want to admit it.
"Aaron my little one,"
"Who's there!" he repeated
"You do not recognize me my son?"
"Mother?" Aaron said hardly daring to believe it; his mother had died after giving birth to him, even though a part of Aaron knew this wasn't and couldn't possibly be real, a larger portion of his mind so wanted it to be real that he put aside all thoughts that he was dreaming.
"Tis time to come 'ome my son,"
"'Ome?"
"Aye, to 'eaven," Aaron began to walk slowly towards the light, it felt right to be there. It hadn't been real, all that had happened, waking from the dead, his father telling him that he was now immortal, it hadn't happened. He had died and now he'd be with his mother. Aaron moved more quickly getting closer and closer to his mother, "tis so beautiful Aaron and so peaceful, you can be safe my son, safe forever," suddenly the warmth turned cold. Aaron suddenly felt frozen in place,
"Mother!" he called out "Mother 'elp me!" a tall cloaked figure rose up in front of Aaron blocking him from his mother, he couldn't even see her, the large red robes shielded her from him.
"I cannot let you pass child"
"Why not?" Aaron said a lump forming in his throat
"You have no business with the dead; you are not ready to cross over boy."
"Aye I am! I died! Please let me go,"
"There is nothing I can do for you, you have not passed boy." The figure waved a hand in front of Aaron, only it was not a hand with flesh only bone, the hand had been skinned and was free from flesh or blood. "When you truly die then you may cross over, until then you will remain upon earth, dying and returning to life never reaching the other side, forever."
"Aaron!" his mother called out to him as her voice drifted farther from him
"Mother no, I wan' to be with 'er, I wan' my mother!"
"I'm sorry my little one, please forgive me," his mother said before her voice was silent.
"Forever boy, trapped forever with pain and sorrow boy." The cloaked figure reached towards him the hand began to regenerate flesh, but it was rotting and decaying flesh, grasping towards the boy, who still could not move.
"NO PLEASE!" Aaron shouted loudly
"Aaron!" that voice…it sounded like his father,
"Da, 'elp me!"
"Aaron, tis jus' a dream wake up,"
Aaron closed his eyes and opened them again slowly, his father was leaning over him a look of concern on his face
"Da?"
"Yer all right, twas jus' a dream," Aaron sat up and tried to calm his breathing; Duncan put his arm around his son's shoulders and hugged him close.
"Twas so real Da, I knew it wasn't but I couldn't stop meself from believin' it."
"I know, but yer safe now."
"I'm not goin to be gettin these dreams every night am I?" Aaron asked.
Duncan sighed
"Bein immortal is somthin ya will 'come custom to, it may take some time, but trus' me Aaron, twill get better son."
A/N: I apologize for the short chapters, I did not want to change the chapter titles and therefore mess up the amount of chapters I have. I promise the short chapter trend is not throughout the fic.
