Chapter 7 – Bonds Forged and Broken
"So, what's this meeting about?" Carver whispered in Neth's ear. "And where are you taking me?"
They had gone under water for just a little while, then they had entered a labyrinth of tunnels and caves, dimly lit by crevices in the rock and the occasional torch. Carver stuck closely to Nethanel. He was sure he would never find his way back if he lost his mate.
"What's it about?" Neth's smile was audible. "You. Among other things. I bet they are all dying to meet you and, besides, you need to be formally acknowledged by the clan as Maeghan's mate. As for where we're going…" He paused for effect. "To the Sacred Cave. It's the heart of the Keep, the place where we honour the Goddess and where all the important business of the clan takes place. We'll be there in an hour or two."
They didn't have to go much farther before they had company. At a crossroads between two tunnels, Vaileann was waiting for them, a cool smile on her face. A few steps behind her, a tall, lanky young man with reddish blond hair tied in a ponytail was leaning against the cave wall. He looked… unhappy, and kind of vexed, as if he was carrying a deep grudge but, when he saw them approach, his face lit up in a charming smile.
"Neth!" He tried to step past Vaileann to greet them, but she held him back with a resolute gesture. His brow darkened with anger, but he obeyed silently.
"Maeghan. We've been waiting for you." Vaileann's voice sounded shrill, and Carver flinched internally. "Let's walk the rest of the way together."
Maeghan nodded agreeably. "Of course. Sirin will probably be waiting for us at the Pillar."
The two women took the lead, which left the men free to greet each other.
Nethanel embraced the other man tightly. "Andras. I haven't seen you in ages."
Andras' eyes were closed in pleasure, and he seemed in no hurry to free himself from Neth's arms. "It's been too long. I've missed you."
"Same here." Nethanel took a step back, holding Andras at arm's length so he could look him over. "You look tired."
"Yeah, well." Andras tilted his head toward Vaileann's back with a sardonic smile. "You know how it is."
The look in Nethanel's eyes was full of sympathy, but he didn't reply directly. Instead, he took another step back, so he was standing next to Carver, resting a hand loosely on his hip. "This is Carver. Our new mate."
There was a flash of pain, or maybe regret, on Andras' expressive features, but it was gone in an instant and replaced by an easy smile. "Welcome to the Keep. So, Maeghan got herself a handsome land dweller? Good for her."
Carver nodded, unsure of what to say, but Nethanel spared him from answering by putting an arm around Andras' shoulder and leading him along the tunnel. "Any news?"
The two of them spent the next minutes exchanging gossip and catching up with what had happened since the last time they'd met. Carver was beginning to get bored when they came to another crossroads, this one marked by a huge stalagmite that seemed to have grown from the stone, reaching almost all the way up to the cave's ceiling.
Five more people awaited them there, a short, sweet-faced young woman with jet-black hair and blue eyes, and two men lurking in the shadows behind her, each with a small child in his arms.
Again, the women embraced first, which gave Nethanel an opportunity to keep Carver in the loop. "Sirin and her mates and children." He spoke in a low whisper. "The blond one is Ulf, the tall, dark-haired one is Torn. They joined the clan about two years ago."
Carver nodded to show he'd understood. Neither of Sirin's two mates seemed to be much of a talker. They both nodded curtly and joined them without a word, glaring at each other as if they had just quarrelled. The children were friendlier and more animated. Ulf was holding the hand of a cute blonde girl that looked to be about four years old, while Torn was doing his best to tame a bouncy little boy with black curls. Both kids were eyeing the newcomers with no small amount of curiosity. Andras and Nethanel smiled at them, but ignored them for the most part, too busy talking to each other.
Carver suppressed a sigh, and walked a little faster, straining his ears to catch some fragments of the women's conversation. Maeghan and Vaileann seemed to be complimenting Sirin on her children, and she was grinning proudly in response, but then a shadow crossed her features. "I wish I was with child again. It didn't take as long with either of them."
The other two women made small, clucking noises, both of them smiling politely. And yet, Carver had a feeling they resented Sirin's complaints. For a moment he wondered why Maeghan had no children. It's certainly not for lack of trying.
His ears grew hot when he realized the conversation had moved to a new topic, and they were now discussing him. Sirin must have made some sort of salacious remark that made all three women break into long peals of raucous laughter.
Maeghan was the first to catch her breath again. "Well, all I will say is that I have no regrets."
"I bet you don't." Vaileann sounded so envious that Carver flinched. "I guess I should find myself an outsider, too. They seem to have more to offer than our own men."
Ouch. Carver was glad Andras hadn't been close enough to hear Vaileann's words, though he doubted she would have cared. It was a pity Revon hadn't gone overboard with him, he thought dryly. They would have made a perfect pair. He chided himself immediately for the uncharitable thought. Maeghan seemed to like Vaileann well enough. Maybe she and Andras just were an unfortunate match.
Behind him, Torn snapped at Ulf, who growled back a reply. Carver shook his head, silently grateful that it had been Maeghan who'd saved him, and not one of the other merwomen. Seems I was really lucky.
He was distracted from his thoughts when they rounded a corner of the tunnel and it opened into a large cave with an impossibly high ceiling and a dry, sandy floor. Natural light entered through countless small crevices in the rock and, at the back of the cave, a waterfall tumbled down the rocky wall, pooling in a small basin below. All over the place, people were gathered in small groups, maybe forty or fifty of them altogether.
Carver held his breath. Behind him, Nethanel laughed softly. "Here we are. The Sacred Cave."
Maeghan's heart leapt with joy as she looked around the cave. Here, at the heart of the Keep, was where she felt most at home. Here, she was surrounded by friends and family and could sense the Goddess' presence in the very air she breathed. The Keep was such a good place to live, safe, warm and dry, with rich fishing grounds and hidden from the prying eyes of the landfolk.
Smiling, she made a quick circuit, nodding at all the familiar faces. It seemed everyone had heeded Gwynned's call: Iona was there, with Ghillie and Dairren; Mhairi, with Kristoff in tow; Maeve and Alec; and the older folk of course, Mallaidh and Sawyl and Varlan. They were all straining their necks to catch a glimpse of Carver. Well, let them look. She had no reason to hide him.
"Maeghan? Can I have a word?" Gwynned was beckoning from the entrance to one of the side tunnels.
"Sure." Maeghan followed her down the winding path to a little cave where they couldn't be overheard.
"How is Carver settling in?" Gwynned wasted no time on pleasantries.
"He's fine." Maeghan was surprised that the Clan Mother was taking such an interest. "Taking him out was definitely a good idea, though. I'll have to make a habit of it, I guess."
Gwynned nodded. "Maybe we can work out something that benefits us all. Maybe he could be of help when we trade with the fishermen. Sawyl is getting too old, and we need to find someone else to take over for him. Carver would be far less conspicuous than the rest of us, especially if we find him some land dweller clothes."
"I kept his. We just have to mend them." Maeghan raised an eyebrow. "You seem to be willing to go to great lengths to make him comfortable. Why are you so worried about him?"
Gwynned sighed. "Adapting to our way of living can be hard, for those who aren't born to it. Just look at Andras."
Maeghan didn't quite manage to hide her frown. "Isn't that a little far-fetched? He was just a boy when you took him in."
"And yet he's having a harder time than most to accept his place." Gwynned shrugged. "But Maeghan…" She took a deep breath. "We need your Carver. Our numbers are dwindling. Now, I'm going to tell you something, but I need you to keep quiet about it. None of the others can know, or they might panic."
When Maeghan nodded, she went on. "Something… isn't right, here at the Keep, hasn't been for a while. The Deep Ones are growing stronger and more aggressive with each year, whereas we... Something is weakening us."
"What do you mean?" Maeghan was getting impatient.
"I can't tell you more than I know, and I'm not even sure I should be telling you that much. But there aren't enough children." Gwynned's face was stony. "The last child born to our clan was Sirin's little one, and she was already with child when they arrived. It's... strange. And whatever is going on, it affects the men more than us. Our men are formidable warriors, but they get sick more often than they used to, all of them. It's not just Donagh-"
Maeghan interrupted her, sounding pained. "How is he?"
Gwynned's expression softened a little, but her eyes were sad. "There's not much more I can do for him, except soothe his pain. Why don't you go and see him, after the ritual?"
"I will." Maeghan sighed. "Why are you telling me all of this, Gwynned?"
"Isn't it obvious?" The older woman smiled wistfully. "My daughters are wonderful mothers and lovely women, but neither of them has the strength to lead this clan when I'm gone. You do."
"But, I'm far too young," Maeghan protested. "And you'll be around for a long time, hopefully."
"All the more reason to start teaching you early." Gwynned's voice remained firm.
Maeghan nodded slowly. "So, what are you going to do about the crawlers? Should we follow them to their nests?"
The Clan Mother shook her head firmly. "No. They are the Mother's children, just as we are, and we have no more right to attack them than they have to attack us. We defend our caves. That's all."
"But-" Maeghan bit her lip. Something told her this was not the time and place to question Gwynned. Yet it seemed clear to her that sometimes attacking was the best form of defence.
"Come on. It's time to call the clan." Gwynned got to her feet and embraced her briefly. "They'll be curious about your new mate."
Nethanel's stomach was buzzing with excitement when the meeting finally began. He expected Gwynned to call them to the front as soon as the ritual greetings and invocations were over but, to his surprise, Vaileann stepped forward first.
Gwynned seemed irritated as well. "What is it, Vaileann? What do you wish to bring before the clan?"
Vaileann's voice was high and clear, but her words shook Nethanel to the core. "I wish to sever my bond with Andras. The Goddess doesn't smile upon our union. Please release us from it."
Next to him, Andras seemed to have frozen in place, his whole body rigid with tension. Had he known about this? Nethanel glanced at him and took his hand, pressing it firmly and wishing he could offer more support.
There was a moment of silence, then Gwynned raised her voice again, clearly irritated with the proceedings. "This is a serious matter. You cannot just dissolve a mating bond without good reason."
"There's ample reason." Vaileann's fine features contorted in anger. "Our cave is a battle ground, Gwynned. No one deserves to live like this. Please set us free."
But the Clan Mother shook her head. "Not until you find a new mate." Ignoring the crowd's collective gasp of shocked surprise, she went on. "You are a young, fertile woman. We can't waste a chance for the clan to grow. The two of you will stay together, and you'll do your best to get along. If you find someone else to take his place in your cave and in your bed, we can talk again. That is my decision."
Vaileann was pale as a sheet, but she nodded, clenching her teeth. Next to Neth, Andras let out a hissing breath, clutching his hand so hard that his nails dug deep into Neth's palms. Nethanel had never seen his friend so coldly, quietly furious.
But, there was nothing more he could do for the time being, for Gwynned called Maeghan and her mates next, inviting them to step up on the little dais she was standing on. Her face relaxed a little as she introduced Carver to the clan and asked the others to accept him in their midst.
Everyone murmured their assent, and she turned to address Carver next. "Our clan welcomes you among the merfolk, Carver. Now, are you ready to give your life for your mates, if need be?"
"He's already proven he's willing to do so." Maeghan pointed to the scar on his leg.
Nethanel nodded gravely. "I owe him my life. There can be no doubt of his courage and loyalty."
Carver blushed but, when Gwynned spoke the words of the oath for him, he repeated them readily. "I swear to protect my mates and our children until my last breath. My life is theirs."
Watching Carver's solemn face, hearing his firm, unwavering voice, Nethanel felt a fierce surge of pride. This was a good mate, one he would gladly share his life with. Taking Maeghan's hand, he repeated his own vows, then held her gaze as she swore to take care of both of them and share the gifts of the ocean with her mates.
When they had finished and stepped back down from the dais, Gwynned smiled benevolently at them, then straightened up and raised her arms. Her voice was strong and carried to the farthest corner of the Sacred Cave.
"The clan accepts you as Maeghan's mate and protector. Let us proceed to the inner cave now and ask the Mother for her blessing. You shall be joined in her lap."
A solemn chorus of voices replied, repeating her last sentence. "You shall be joined in her lap."
Next to him, Carver was twitching nervously. "Neth, what does that mean?"
"Shh, don't worry." He put a protective arm around Carver's shoulder. "There's going to be a ritual. We call it the Joining. Gwynned will ask the Goddess to bless our union with children and to keep us happy together."
"The Joining." Carver's adam's apple was bobbing as he swallowed nervously. "Do you mean we have to… Here, in front of everyone?"
It took him a moment to understand Carver's meaning but, when he did, Nethanel nearly laughed aloud. "By the Goddess, no. We're not barbarians. It's just… a ceremony. A symbolic union."
He pulled Carver closer, smiling to himself. "It's going to be fine. No need to worry, I promise."
Hugs and thanks to suilven. :)
