The bright autumn-sun was shining down on the land with its rich fields and the trees with the beautifully coloured leaves, melting away the mists of morning. The people in the Sanctuary were all busy, working on the fields and in the forest, preparing for the winter or training for the next battle.
Conor was walking around, having some nice words for everybody. Then he finally reached the practice field where he found Fergus introducing a young man in the art of sword-fighting and Catlin standing in the archery stall. While he made his way towards Fergus he watched Catlin who fit another arrow into her bow, directed at the target and – closed her eyes. Conor gasped for breath; was she going to shoot with her eyes closed? Yes, Catlin fired the arrow – a bull's eye! She opened her eyes, looked at the target and smiled. Conor began to clap. "Wow, Cat! Well done! What is going to come next? Will you fire your arrows without a bow?" Conor joked.
Catlin turned her face towards him and grinned. "Who knows..." she mumbled mysteriously.
Conor laughed and went over to Fergus who had finally finished his lesson.
"Hey old man! What about going hunting today? I'm tired of being in the camp all day long with nothing happening."
"Sure, lad." Fergus answered. "There's nothing I would prefer doing today. By the way, have you heard anything new about this new sect? What do they call themselves again?"
"`Servants of Harmestor´. No, I haven't heard anything new, nothing that we didn't know already."
"Those bloody bastards think they are the greatest, yet, all they do is killing innocent children, sacrificing them to their god!" Fergus spat out the words. "Oh, how I'd like to..."
"Hey Conor!" Fergus' description of what he would like to do with the members of the sect was interrupted by Tully who was shouting across the field. The young man hopped off his horse and came running towards them, leaving behind a stranger sitting on his horse. Conor glanced at the man on the horse.
"Who is that man, Tully?"
"I don't really know. I met him in the forest and he asked me if I could lead him to the Sanctuary. So I took him with me. Don't worry," he added when he saw the anxious looks of his friends. "I made him wear a blindfold while we were travelling. He does not know where the camp is."
"Do you know what he wants?" Fergus asked.
"No, he only said he had to talk to somebody in here."
Conor and Fergus exchanged glances, then Conor sighed. "Well, as he's already here, we can simply ask him what he wants. Bring him over to us, Tully."
Tully waved to the stranger to make him join the little group. When he was walking towards them, Conor eyed him critically. The stranger was about 27 years old, had short black hair and was wearing fine clothes and a sword. He could have looked quite handsome, if he would have been smiling. But he wasn't at all; indeed he looked rather grave – his dark eyes were as cold as ice. As he reached the three men he sent them a contemptuous look. Conor didn't like him and his behaviour at all, just as Fergus and Tully did, but he remained politely.
"Welcome to the Sanctuary." He said. "My name is Conor, I'm the leader and these," he pointed at his friends, "are Fergus and Tully. What's your name and what can we do for you?"
The stranger snorted. "You, a boy, a leader?" he asked contemptuously. "Well, that's not my cup of ale at all... So, I'm Rowan and I came here because I heard that a slave-girl named Catlin lives in this camp. Is that information correct?"
Conor nodded, his thoughts were racing. What did this disagreeable person want from his archer and friend? "Yes, Catlin lives in the Sanctuary, but she isn't a slave anymore. Do you want to talk to her? She's right over there." He pointed at the archery stall and then shouted towards the girl that hadn't noticed the stranger yet. "Hey, Cat! Come over, here's somebody who wants to see you!"
"I'm coming!" Catlin shouldered her bow and quiver and walked over to the men, smiling and quite surprised as she didn't get a visitor very often – it fact it was the first time ever for her. But when Catlin noticed who the man was, her happy face fell. For a moment she stopped, staring at Rowan, paralysed, then she got an aggressive look and clenched her fist. Rowan, in contrast, was grinning insinuatingly. The three men were shocked to see their friend react like this by the mere sight of the man.
"YOU!" Catlin hissed. "What the hell do you want?"
"Hi, dear. I'm also pleased to see you again." He eyed her up and down, lingering at her short skirt and her tight tunic. "As I can see you're still a beauty..."
"Stop this stupid game and simply tell me what you want!"
"All in due time, dear, all in due time." Rowan said with a glance at Conor and the others. "But shouldn't we continue this lovely conversation somewhere else - alone? I'm not sure if your friends are supposed to hear everything I have got to tell ya."
Catlin grabbed Rowan by the shirt. "Would you excuse us for a minute?" she asked Conor and pulled the man away, not waiting for an answer to her question. After a few dozen feet she stopped.
"That's far enough. And now tell me, what do you want?" Catlin could feel her heart beating hard in her chest, as she was afraid of the answer, but she'd rather have died than to show her fear.
"Ah, now I see that you've changed very much since the last time I saw you. You were nothing more than a timid slave then, weren't you? But now you're a real woman, just the kind I like ..." Rowan said with a cruel grin.
Meanwhile, the men were standing together, talking about the 'guest'.
"I don't like him." Fergus said.
"I think 'not like' is the wrong expression." Tully contradicted. "I would say 'hate' fits much better. I already regret bringing him here. Conor, what do you think?"
The prince was deep in thoughts and jumped at hearing his name. "What? Oh yes, I agree. Did you see how Catlin reacted when she saw him? She also doesn't seem to be much in tune with him. But why does he visit her then?"
His friends had no answer to that question, too.
**Back at Catlin's and Rowan's side**
"As you may see, I'm no slave anymore. So you either tell me what you want or leave - but don't waste my time!" Catlin hoped that this would sound quite confident as she didn't want to let Rowan see how afraid she was. Deep down in her soul she had a pretty clear picture of what he wanted from her, but she couldn't admit that.
"I think you know what I've come for. Where is my child?"
Catlin gasped for breath – just what she had feared! But she didn't say a word, she only clenched her fists at her side.
"So, tell me: Where is my son? Is he here in the camp? I'm sure he would be a great warrior some day – after all he's MY son!"
"You damn bastard, you have no son!" Catlin couldn't help shouting the words out loud. Conor, Fergus and Tully whirled around at that yell and gazed at Catlin – what son was she talking about? What was it that made her so angry?
Rowan's eyes grew even colder. "No son?" He inched forward to Catlin's face. "A daughter then? Well, in the end it doesn't matter. All I need is a child of my blood to satisfy my god Harmestor."
Catlin's face turned pale. She was so shocked, she could only whisper. "You mean, you want...want to kill, to sacrifice her?!"
"Did you think I came to give her a home and a father? Stupid slave!" he grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her. "And now tell me where she is!" he hissed. "Is she here with you in the camp? No, I know you, you'd never let her grow up in such surroundings!"
Catlin had totally stiffen up in his brutal grip. Why did she let this happen, she wondered. She would have already killed anybody else treating her like that. But here she stood, unable to move. Her body simply didn't obey her mind wishing to beat the man.
"Tell me where she is!" he yelled.
"Never, you bloody bastard!" Catlin finally found her power and her courage back. "I'll never betray her! Go to hell where you belong to and take your damn god with you!"
Rowan's face turned deep red of anger, his blood was racing trough his veins. He slapped her hard across the face and the blow had enough force behind it to throw her to the ground. "Cursed whore!"
The three men, having seen everything, began to run towards him, roaring in anger and pulling their weapons. How dared he beating their Catlin? And above it all, why did she let him?
Rowan suddenly grinned dreadfully at Catlin. "Now I know it! Your friend, the daughter of that trader. You gave my child to her, didn't you?"
"NO!" Catlin screamed. Her heart stopped beating in panic.
"Yes, I can see the truth in your eyes! I'll find her and satisfy Harmestor!" With those words Rowan turned round and fled towards his horse, seeing the three angry warriors chasing him. He reached his horse and escaped even though Tully rushed after him with all his speed.
Conor bent down to Catlin. "Cat, are you okay?"
She didn't react, she only stared of into the distance where Rowan had disappeared.
"Cat, give me your hand!" Conor pulled her up. Fergus and Tully returned.
"Are you okay, lass?" The elder man asked her concerned.
Catlin still didn't say a word. Conor shook her gently. "Cat! Do you hear us?!"
The archer turned towards them with a look on her face as if she had just woken from a terrible nightmare. Her deep blue eyes were empty. She began to stammer: "He...he wants... the sect... the girl, Lea... I can't... Rowan..."
"Hush, Cat, he's gone."
At those words the fire returned to Catlin's eyes. She broke free of Conor's hands. "No! I won't let him get her! I'd rather die!" she yelled and ran off, heading to her hut. There she put on her sword, her bow and arrows and wanted to mount her horse. But Conor grabbed her hard.
"Let go!" Catlin shouted.
"No, first you tell me where you are going to!"
"What do you think? Afterwards him, of course! I won't let him get the girl... Lea... And now, let go!"
"Not until you tell me why that girl is so important to you!" Conor still kept hold of her; he was bewildered but, moreover, he grew more and more angry about Catlin's behaviour which he didn't understand.
Finally Catlin yielded; tears of anger and sadness welled up in her eyes. "Why she is so important to me?" she yelled. "Hell, Conor, because she is MY DAUGHTER!" Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Conor's jaw dropped; he was shocked, and so were Fergus and Tully who were standing right behind Conor.
"Sweet Bridget!" was the only thing Fergus was able to say. Tully remained silent, his mouth standing open of surprise.
The prince stared at Catlin, seeing endless pain in her eyes.
"I... I'll accompany you." He finally said toneless and released her.
"No lad," Fergus contradicted. "We all will!"
*~*
They had been riding all day long and stopped only once to give the horses a rest. Now the sun had set and it was getting dark.
Catlin hadn't said a word since the band had left the Sanctuary. She rode ahead, not noticing the landscape. She seemed to have forgotten her friends were accompanying her. Her face was stony and she stared off in the distance.
Conor rode faster to get to her side and said: "Cat, we'll rest here for the night. It's getting too dark to see where we are going to and furthermore we need a break!"
"What?" Catlin jumped. "Resting, while this devil is hunting Lea? Never!"
"Try to think clear, lass!" Fergus added. "We have new moon tonight so we can't even see where we are! I'm sure Rowan is also pausing somewhere. What kind of opponent will you be for him if you are completely exhausted?"
"I guess you are right." Catlin whispered discouraged. "So let's rest until sunrise..."
The warriors put up a little fire and sat down to it. They had a wretched supper consisting of bread, water and a bit of cheese. All the time nobody said a word, only the three men were exchanging meaningful glances. Catlin was staring into the fire.
"Cat?" Conor finally broke the silence carefully. "Don't you think you should explain us several things? At least, tell us where we are going to?"
"To Karneol, a small village about half a day-ride north-west of here." She answered after a while.
"Okay. And would you also explain us, what this Rowan wants from... Lea – and where you met him?" Conor spoke in a soft voice to calm her.
The young woman remained silent. Just as Fergus thought she wouldn't say anything and was close to ask her again, Catlin began to speak.
"He... Rowan wants to sacrifice her. He is one of the Servants of Harmestor." She whispered toneless.
"But why does he want YOUR daughter?" Conor was still confused, especially about the fact that Catlin had a daughter that he hadn't known anything about. However, he felt that Catlin was close to tell them the whole story.
Catlin let out a sigh. "Because he needs a child of his own blood..." For the first time she looked directly into Conor's eyes. "He is her father..."
The men gasped for breath.
"Try to tell us everything from the beginning, lass." Fergus advised her. "You will feel much better then, I promise!"
Catlin took a deep breath, fighting back the tears that welled up in her eyes as she thought back to the time it all happened. All these sorrows and the pain...
"It all happened years ago..." Catlin said in a quiet voice, staring at her feet. "I was about fifteen then and already a slave in Gar's fortress. There was a trader who came to the fortress once every season for a few days with his daughter. For the time they were there I was working for them – I liked that kind of work as it wasn't too hard and quite interesting. One summer, the trader had a new assistant - Rowan. I admired him, he was so handsome and skilful with words. Heaven, I was so stupid, so naive then!" Catlin said contemptuous, angry about herself. "He gave me little presents, called me his Princess and so on. I was so foolish... I thought it was true love... Then one day he brought me to a silent corner..."
Catlin's voice trailed off. This memory was difficult to speak of. Conor, Fergus and Tully were listening eagerly and didn't dare to say a word.
So Catlin continued. "I... I didn't like what he was doing with me. But... he had been so nice, so generous; I didn't want, didn't dare to disappoint him. Three days later they left, leaving me behind. After a while I realized, I was pregnant. I was shocked, yes, but moreover I was somehow proud and happy. I thought that when he'd come back the next time, he'd free me and marry me – I was so naive, so damn naive!" She repeated. "When they returned in autumn I told Rowan about the baby. But the only thing he did was to beat me. He called me a stupid slave-whore, unable to make anything right... He left without having spoken to me a second time." Catlin stopped. Her memories were close to defeat her. Conor carefully put his arm around her shoulder and rocked her gently. "Hush, dear..." Catlin was still staring at her feet. She swallowed hard.
"The following weeks I bit by bit came to understand what a fool I had been and what a devil Rowan really was – only wanting to have his pleasure... And the more I began to hate Rowan, the more I loved the child growing in me. I felt her inside of me, we were one. As time passed I felt her kicking me..." Catlin smiled slightly and stroked her stomach where once her baby had been. Then she continued. "But the more I loved my baby, the more I knew, I couldn't let her live with me, growing up in slavery, never knowing freedom... When winter came, the trader returned with his daughter Aruna. Rowan wasn't with them any longer. Aruna, she was about six years older than me, had always been very friendly with me, and when she met me, clearly visible pregnant, she wanted to know, who the father of my child was. So I told her the whole story and about my biggest worry, that I could not raise my child in slavery. Aruna understood my fears and then she offered me to take my child with her in spring when they would return and raise it as her own. I agreed even though the thought of losing my child made me sick.
In the first days of spring, I gave birth to my daughter and named her Lea. She was so beautiful, so fragile, so sweet, perfect!" New tears welled up in her eyes, her voice turned rough. "I loved her so much, more than my life. And then the trader arrived with Aruna and I had to give away my daughter, my baby - that had grown inside of me – and that I loved so much!" Catlin's voice cracked, tears were rolling across her face. Conor held her even tighter and she sobbed looking into the flames. The men were unable to speak, touched by Catlin's story, her past. Only the crackle of the fire and Catlin sobbing could be heard.
Finally Fergus broke the silence. "But when you loved Lea so much, why did you give her away? Sweet Bridget, I simply don't understand!" After all Fergus was a father himself. Conor gazed at him, shaking his head. This was the worst thing he could have said now. But it was too late.
"Why I gave her away?!" Catlin cried out and stared at Fergus. "Hell, are you so blind? What else could I've done? If I had tried to flee the guards would have easily caught me and killed me and Lea! I also couldn't raise her in slavery, never knowing freedom. I knew, some day she would have to go through the same sorrows, the same agonies and tortures, as I did. I couldn't stand this thought so I gave her away. My only child, my Lea... And you dare asking me, why I let this happen?" she shouted at Fergus. Then she broke down, crying. Her memories had defeated her.
"Oh, lass! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! Forgive an old man!" he embraced her gently and felt her shiver in his arms. "I feel for you, lass!" he whispered in her ear.
Conor also folded her in his arms, held her tight until her tears slowly dried. She raised her head. "I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I didn't mean to shout at you..." She swallowed hard and took a deep breath to finish her story. "I... I only saw Lea once again, when Aruna brought her with her to Gar's fortress. But then the trader never returned and I don't know why or what happened to my child. It was only last winter that I heard that Aruna had married and moved to Karneol.
I guess now you understand, why that girl means so much to me," she glanced at Conor, "and why I can't let Rowan get her."
"Aye, I see. And I promise you, Cat, I'll do everything to help you, to save your daughter." Conor said hearty. "So will we!" Fergus and Tully promised in unison. Catlin smiled slightly. What a gift it was to have such friends.
"It's late. Let's try to get some sleep. Tomorrow we'll think about what we are going to do." Conor ordered.
They laid down to sleep and soon the bloodcurdling snoring of Fergus could be heard, together with the regular breathings of Tully and Conor. Catlin, however, wasn't able to sleep. Fergus had been right: She felt better, now that she had lifted her secret; it had been hard throughout the years never to talk about it. Nevertheless her mind was busy: She was thinking about Rowan's words and about her daughter and when she closed her eyes she could see their faces. All night long she tossed and turned, only sleeping for short times. Conor woke several times to find Catlin still awake or in restless dreams. But he didn't say anything – what could he have said or done?
They woke at sunrise and prepared to leave their camp.
"Did you sleep well, Catlin?" Tully asked.
"Yes, thank you." She lied.
Conor raised an eyebrow, but he didn't say anything. So they rode off.
*~*
In the early afternoon the group arrived at Karneol. It was a beautiful small village including about two dozen huts and surrounded by some fields and a forest. Nearby a little river streamed by. The inhabitants were all busy at their daily work. But when the four strangers arrived they interrupted their works, sending them mistrustful glances. A huge man slowly walked towards them with a sword on his side.
"Are ya friends?" he asked when he was only about ten paces away. "Y'er not looking like Romans."
"Aye, we are friends." Conor answered. "Could you..."
He was interrupted by Catlin. "We are looking for a woman called Aruna. She lives here, doesn't she?"
Catlin sounded nervous Conor realized. Indeed, she could hardly speak or breath. She was so close to see her daughter again!
"Aye, Aruna lives here. Ye wanna visit her, I guess? So go ahead. The last hut is hers."
Catlin took a deep breath and began to walk towards the last hut, Conor, Fergus and Tully followed. The inhabitants sent them some last glances before they returned to their work.
When they reached the hut Catlin's legs felt like they wouldn't support her weight any longer. Catlin fought hard with herself to regain composure – she was so close to the moment she had waited for for more than five years – since she had given away her daughter.
The three men didn't dare to say a word. They could feel their friend's excitement; it was so intensive they were almost able to touch it.
They stopped in front of the hut. The door was opened and the noise of somebody working in there could be heard.
"Hello...? Aruna, are you in there?" Catlin shouted, her voice sounded rough. Conor saw her tremble and felt the sudden urge to hold her tight. But he didn't as he knew it was not the right moment; any gently touch would most likely make Catlin lose all the strength she had left.
"Yeah... one moment please, I'm coming..." was the immediate answer. After a few seconds a form appeared in the door, a woman with brown hairs and dark eyes and she was obviously pregnant. She blinked several times to readjust her eyes to the sun.
"Oh, hello. Can I help you?" she asked eyeing the four strangers. Suddenly recognizing flashed in her eyes.
"Catlin is that you? Can it be really?" Catlin simply nodded, she felt unable to speak. "But... how did you escape?"
Catlin swallowed. "Conor" she pointed at him "rescued me some time ago. By the way, these are Fergus and Tully. Yes, I'm free now and fighting against the Romans. But as I can see, things have been changing for you, too!" she added looking at Aruna's rounding stomach.
"Aye, you're right, I'm married now. My husband inherited my father's business. Right now, he is on tour, trading with a king in the north. But I'm forgetting my manners... Come in, take a seat!" Aruna said friendly. Conor found her very pleasant although he noticed the indefinable looks she sent to Catlin. The men took a seat only Catlin remained standing, looking at Aruna.
"Alright, Catlin" the woman said "I guess, I know why you are here. Just give me a second and I'll show you what you've come for." With this she stepped to the backdoor of the hut and shouted: "Lea-darling, please come over here, there's someone waiting for you. Look, who finally found us!" Catlin didn't seem to have enough air, she felt a big lump in her throat.
They heard a sweet voice answering. "I'm coming, Aunt Una! Tell me, who is it?"
"Just come in and see..."
A little girl came rushing in laughing. The three warriors gasped for breath. The resemblance! The girl's smile, her hair and the glowing blue eyes – all just like Catlin's!
Tears were welling up in Catlin's eyes. Her daughter! It had been so a long time and now here she was standing in front of her and she was so beautiful!
"Aunt Una, who are those people?" Lea asked. Then she looked at Catlin, unbelieving. Finally she stuttered "Mmmm...Ma?"
Catlin nodded, the tears had stolen her voice completely. She knelt down and unfolded her arms. Lea came running towards her, sobbing and embraced her. "Ma...Ma, finally...!"
The archer stood up with the child in her arms, holding her tight, caressing her back. Tears were flowing down Catlin's cheeks.
"Lea... my daughter... My one and only... Lea!" she whispered. She felt unable to let her daughter go ever again.
Aruna cleared her throat. "I always told Lea that I wasn't her real mother, so she called me Aunt. I told her that her mother was busy somewhere else and that she would return to Lea some day. I also told her that you love her..."
Catlin raised her head and looked into Aruna's eyes.
"Thank you, Aruna! Thank you so much, for everything!" was all she could say. Finally she put Lea back on the ground, caressing her hair.
"Lea, there are some men I'd like to introduce to you. My best friends: This is Tully, he's nearly a magician and you wouldn't believe what a funny kind of sorcery results out of his tries and how childish he can be!" Tully was grinning broadly at this words. "Then we have Fergus, the strongest man on Eire and a quite good story-teller. Maybe he'll give you the pleasure of hearing one of his stories soon!" Lea first had feared the big, hairless man a little but now he smiled at her with endless warmth and all fear was forgotten. "And finally there's Conor. He's a prince you need to know and our leader. Moreover he is master of getting on your nerves until you tell him everything he wants to know." Conor smiled at Lea and said: "You're as beautiful as your mother." (Catlin blushed, for never a man she really liked had said she was beautiful before!) "Maybe one day you'll be even more beautiful!"
Lea eyed the three men exactly. "You all look so different! But also friendly – I like you!" she said with the innocence of a child and giggled. The adults also laughed heartily. *She is so much like Cat! So innocent, so sweet!* Conor thought.
"Lea, don't you want to show your new friends your water-mill at the stream? I have to talk to your mother for a while..." Aruna proposed. Lea nodded and took Fergus and Tully by the hand to show them the way.
"I'll stay, if you don't mind, Lea!" Conor excused himself. He felt that this dialogue would be important. And he was right:
As soon as Lea had left with the two warriors Aruna grabbed Catlin's shoulders, narrowing her eyes.
"Now tell me, why did you come? You said you were freed some time ago, so why didn't you come earlier? Why now?"
Catlin sighed and looked at her feet. "Why didn't I come earlier? A good question. The life I'm living now is no good for a little girl, and I know that. Aruna, I'm a warrior, no mother! I knew Lea was save with you and I didn't want to change that. But then Rowan appeared... You remember him, don't you? He..." Catlin started to tell Aruna the story and the reason for her coming.
"You see now, I had to come!" She finished. "Lea isn't save here anymore, you aren't save! You need to get away, both of you! At least until I've found Rowan and... and defeated him. Aruna, I'm begging you, come with us to the Sanctuary! What do think of it?"
Aruna had turned away and was staring in the fire at the middle of the room. She didn't say a word for a long time. Then she began to speak, very quiet. "I must admit Catlin, when I saw you standing in front of me I hated you! I was so angry! I thought you had come to steal my Lea who I raised as my own child. I thought you had come out of a foolish whim, not really ready to take responsibility of a child. But now I see you had good reasons to come and that you really care for your daughter. Okay, Cat! We'll accompany you to the Sanctuary. I guess we are going to leave tomorrow?" She looked at Conor and he nodded. "Then I have to pack some things for Lea and tell the leader of the village where I'm going so that he can inform my husband when he returns."
Since the decision was made, things were easy to handle. Lea was looking forward to travelling with her new friends. They spent the night in Aruna's hut the men sleeping on the floor near the fire. Catlin slept aside of Lea and when Conor woke that night he saw Catlin smiling slightly in her sleep. Conor had never seen her sleep so deep and peaceful before. The magic of Mother & Daughter was working true miracles on Catlin.
*~*
Early the next morning they left. They were travelling much slower than the last days as they didn't have to fear Rowan being faster. And of course also because of Lea. The group made a lot of breaks in order not to overtax Lea. But the girl didn't mind riding all day at all. She was busy talking to Catlin and the others, watching the landscape and asking question about everything. About what the Sanctuary was like, whether there lived children in the camp, about the different trees and plants they were bypassing and many more questions. Lea was riding with Catlin and the woman was smiling all the time. Yet, Conor noticed that she was attentively observing the surroundings. Soon it dawned on Conor that she was still afraid of Rowan finding them and stealing Lea.
By nightfall the built up a little fire and had their supper. Even though she wouldn't admit it, Lea was unbelievable tired; she fell asleep in Catlin's arms, still holding her bread. With a little grin Catlin wrapped a blanket around her daughter and situated her so that she would be comfortable. The adults were talking some more time about nothing important and soon laid down to sleep, too.
Later that night Conor woke as his body demanded his natural rights. So he walked to some bushes nearby.
Catlin woke when she heard a silent noise.
*What was that? Rowan must have found us!*
She assured herself that Lea was still asleep and then quickly got up. She took up her bow and an arrow and walked towards where the noise had come from. There it was again! She fit the arrow into her bow and directed towards the unseen enemy.
"Come out and show yourself!" she hissed. The bushes rustled and dark form slowly stepped out. Catlin's heart was thudding in her chest, but she was ready to protect her daughter with all her might. She bent her bow even more aiming at her opponent and – stared into Conor's frighten eyes. Catlin was startled and almost fired the arrow.
"God! It's you Conor! I almost killed you!" she said, her voice was trembling "What have you been doing out here?"
"What do you think? I was doing something natural!" Conor answered. "Wow, you startled me, Cat! I thought you were Rowan or at least a Roman!"
"I thought the same thing of you. So I came to defend my d... my friends..."
Conor knew what Catlin had wanted to say, he had seen her eyes when she directed at him. She had been ready to kill or die to protect Lea, he could tell. Once again he had come to know how much this child really meant to Catlin.
The two warriors returned to the camp and laid down again in order to get some more sleep.
*~*
The following day the group travelled on without anything special happening. Lea was now riding with Tully who was joking all the time. The horses were trotting slowly, enjoying the bright day just as much as their riders did.
Catlin rode aside of Aruna. She looked back to Tully and Lea and let out a little sigh.
"She is so innocent, so beautiful..." Catlin mumbled.
"Aye, she is." Aruna agreed. "Just like her mother."
Catlin sighed again. "What kind of mother am I?" she asked and Aruna heard the pain in her voice. "I wasn't there when she was making her first steps; I don't know what her first word was; what her favourite lullaby is and so many things more!"
"Alright Catlin. But NOW you are here and that is the only thing that matters."
The women turned their heads to look at Lea and Tully again. Right that moment the girl was bursting into laughter. *Must have been one of Tully's jokes*
Nobody noticed the shadow that followed them in a distance well hidden between the trees.
In the late afternoon the friends reached the Sanctuary.
*~*
Days passed and the peaceful atmosphere returned to the Sanctuary. The people in the camp had immediately accepted the strangers sharing the hut with Catlin.
As the archer still didn't want anybody to know about her maternity, she had forbidden her friends to let out who the strangers really were. So everybody believed the two were simply Catlin's friends; refugees probably, nothing special that would change anything.
However, for Catlin things had totally changed, Conor could tell.
He had spent the last days watching the new Catlin: From dawn till dusk she was smiling – even if she was talking to someone seriously or sitting alone by the fire her face had a happy expression. Her eyes were laughing as well. Especially when Lea was around her – then those unbelievable deep blue eyes practically glowed.
In those moments she looked so breathtakingly beautiful... Conor knew he had sworn never to love anybody but his lost Claire; yet, it seemed impossible to deny his feelings when he watched Catlin.
She was in great spirits, working hard all day long. Her archery seemed to get even better everyday. She was playing with Lea, talking with her and Aruna, showing them the Sanctuary and the forest or helping the people at their work. When the sun had set and her two visitors had gone to sleep Catlin could be found sitting by the fire, smiling to herself. Conor knew, at those moments she was thinking about her beloved daughter.
Indeed, she was thinking about Lea then. She made Catlin feel complete in a way. The woman couldn't explain it but the feeling was there. Whenever Lea was around everything felt perfect for Catlin, as if she had found a missing piece of herself, an unknown warmth filling her body. But Catlin was also pondering. About what would future bring, about where Lea would live and what Catlin herself would do as soon as she had got rid of the 'problem'. Catlin knew deep down in her soul that things couldn't stay this way. Lea needed one fixed, save home and ONE mother. If only Catlin knew what was going to be best for Lea.
Lea... she was a chapter of her own. That little girl seemed to have a special kind of magic about her. As soon as they had arrived at the camp she had won everybody's heart in no time. It was just impossible to resist her; her innocence, her cheerful, clever nature, her laughter, her sweet way to ask questions or to explain something. She called the prince 'Uncle Conor'. She was often seen with 'Uncle Tully' who tried to show her some magic tricks (and most of the time failed, causing incredible laughter). Every evening Lea was sitting on Fergus' knees while he was telling the children of the Sanctuary stories.
Conor didn't know about Catlin's internal struggle and he wished he could spend the rest of his life like this in simple happiness.
But life was holding another destiny for them.
*~*
