Part 2

Conchobar was called to his throne room and had the same reaction as Rohan. He then walked slowly to his throne, sat down and just stared at Maeve, thinking. Finally he said, "Well Maeve, I see you've come back to us."
She gave him a nasty look.
He ignored the look and continued speaking. "And now that we're all here I hope you don't mind telling us how you got here."
"Oh, I have my ways, Conchobar," Maeve growled.
Rohan thought he heard her say, "More than you can imagine you drunken bastard," but he shook his head, telling himself that Maeve would never say anything like that out loud.
Conchobar said, "Then if you won't tell us then maybe you'd like to spend the evening in one of our jail cells."
Maeve said nothing.
Conchobar ordered the guards to take her away. Rohan followed them.
Maeve was thrown into the cell but quickly got back up, her back to the wall.
Rohan put his hands on the bars and asked, "Was it you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Maeve replied, but her voice was a little uncertain.
Rohan took a deep breath. "Tell me how you got here," he said. "You can trust me."
She said nothing and turned her head.
"Why won't you speak?" he asked. "Do you not even want to talk to your own son?"
She leaned against the wall and slid down to the floor. "It's not that I don't want to talk to you." She paused. "There's just nothing to say."
The words echoed in his head as he thought he heard Maeve say, "Except for everything." He shook his head. Why does he keep hearing her voice when she doesn't speak? COULD it be her who was sending those visions? But she isn't a dragon . . . is she?
He studied her. She looked different than the last time he saw her. Her pale dress was torn in places and she had a scratch on her left cheek. Her face seemed to be quiet and sad, which was not normal for her since Maeve was not the kind of person to show her emotions much. She reminded him of a small girl, sitting against the wall like that. Everything about her seemed so plain, yet unnatural, and it kind of freaked him out.
She looked up at him and a bright light filled every corner of his mind. He put his hand to his head and winced as pain shot through his skull. The Sending had given him the worst headache he'd ever had, which forced him to leave and go back to the throne room where his friends were waiting.
When he arrived everybody looked up to hear what he had to say.
"I just KNOW it's her sending those visions," he said---quietly because of the pain in his head. "I had a vision when I was with her."
"That's funny," Garrett said. "I had a vision, too."
"Same here," Ivar said. "What was yours like, Rohan?"
"It was only a bright light. It seemed like an emotion to me."
"My vision was the same," Ivar said.
"Same here," Garrett said.
"What if it IS Maeve?" Deirdre thought out loud. "The question is: how did she get the power to Send as dragons do when her powers were destroyed?"
"You're right, Deirdre," Ivar said. "How could Maeve have gotten those powers?"
"Why don't we find out?"
Ivar nodded and everyone started to leave. Everyone except Rohan.
"Aren't you coming?" Angus asked.
Rohan shook his head. "I'd rather stay here then bear to see Maeve like that again."
Angus nodded to say that he understood and rejoined the others. When they got to Maeve's cell she was in the same place as when Rohan was there, only this time her head was resting on her knees as if she had been falling asleep.
Ivar asked, "How did you get them?"
"Get what?"
"The power to speak as certain dragons do."
"And what exactly do you mean by certain dragons?"
"You know what we mean," Garrett said.
Maeve stood up and started to slowly pace. "I won't tell you how I got those powers. All I know is that I can't totally control what I send."
"Why did you only send to Rohan, Ivar and Garrett?" Deirdre asked.
"Yeah," Angus agreed. "I was beginning to feel left out."
"No reason."
"Why don't you tell us everything and we'll go easy on you," Garrett said.
"What makes you think I WILL tell you everything?"
"Listen, Maeve," Deirdre got up close to the bars. "You will tell us everything and you will tell us everything NOW. Do you understand?"
"If I tell you the whole story will you promise to release me?"
"We're not making any promises.
"Neither am I."
"What does that mean?"
Maeve walked up to them. "I won't promise to tell you EVERYTHING. Only most of it."
"Go on."
Maeve looked away, afraid to look any of them in the eye or else she might tell too much. "I met a Dragon Master who taught me the secrets of Sending. I still hadn't quite mastered it when he retired and so he sent me to another Master."
"How did you end up here?" asked Ivar.
"Shipwreck," she simply answered.
Deirdre said, "Well, maybe if you tell us who and where this Dragon Master is we can help you get to him."
Maeve shook her head. "I was to sworn to secrecy not to let anybody find out about who he was or where he lived. He wants to keep his identity a secret. Why, I don't know."
"I think that's enough information for one day." Garrett said.
The four left Maeve alone and headed back to the throne room. Rohan jumped up immediately. "What did she say?"
"She said that she got here by shipwreck while searching for some sort of Dragon Master," Angus said. "I wonder if that's really the truth."
"Why shouldn't it be?" Rohan asked. "Don't you trust her?"
"Of course we trust her, Rohan," Ivar said. "Why are you defending Maeve?"
"Because---I don't know." Rohan stormed out of the room. "I'm going for a walk."

He arrived very late that night. The others hadn't bothered to wait for him because they were used to him going off like that by now.
Rohan stopped at Maeve's cell and saw her lying on the floor sleeping---or at least trying to.
She looked up to see him standing there looking at her. "What are you doing here?" she asked, surprised that he would even want to see her after the many times she tried to kill him just because he was a Mystic Knight.
"I'm . . . I'm just visiting," he replied. They were both silent, too afraid to speak. Rohan leaned against the wall and finally said, "So . . . how is it in your new life?"
"It's fine, I guess."
Suddenly a picture of a knife shot into his mind. He held his hand to his head and groaned. "What are these emotions you keep filling my mind with?"
"Oh, no. Was I Sending again?" She closed her eyes tight and concentrated.
Rohan felt the knife fade away and his mind was clear. "How do you Send messages mentally?"
"It's hard to explain." Maeve sighed. "I don't know how I Send the emotions or thoughts. They just escape from my mind and I can't totally control them yet. I wish I could."
"How come you only Sent to me, Ivar and Garrett?" Rohan asked.
"It's probably because Deirdre and Angus are Kellsmen and right now I don't want anything to do with Kells."
"I'm a Kellsman."
"Actually, you're not. You weren't born a Kellsman, so that's why there must be a connection."
They sat there for a while, just thinking. It was a surprise to Rohan that Maeve was his mother. He still remembered when he first found out about it. It was almost like a dream that never left him, no matter what. Every night since Maeve was banished he wondered what she was doing, where she was, and if she was thinking of him. Now that she was here everything would be all right. . . . Would it? He decided not to think about that right now. He was getting so tired he almost couldn't think straight. "Good-night," he said.
Maeve glanced up without a word and watched him leave. She sighed and lay her head down, wondering how much longer she would have to stay in jail.

"King Conchobar." Rohan came into the throne room the next morning.
Conchobar looked up from his papers.
"I've been thinking." Rohan took a deep breath. "We could give Maeve a second chance."
"WHAT?!"
"We could let her prove to us herself that she is worthy of staying here."
"Rohan, I don't think---"
"Oh, please, please, PLEASE?"
"You know she did take over Kells."
"Yes, but it was only for a short time."
"Why are you suddenly on Maeve's side?"
"I don't know. Maybe I just want to give her a chance because she's family, or maybe because I never got to know her."
Conchobar sighed. "Will you keep an eye on her?"
"Oh, of course," Rohan pleaded. "I'll make sure she doesn't try anything."
"You do know that I'm trusting you totally with her."
Rohan nodded.
Conchobar thought. "All right. Ask the guard standing by the cell for the key. She will remain at the castle until we can get her to that Dragon Master."
"Thank you, thank you!" He hurried off to Maeve's cell.

"Where IS he?" Ivar asked.
"Probably with Maeve," Angus said. He was sitting on Conchobar's throne like he always did when the king was out of the room. "He's spent all day with her."
"You mean every day," said Garrett. "He's spent every waking moment with her since she was let free. It's like he's devoted his life to her."
"Well she is his mother," Deirdre implied.
"But still," Garrett started.
"Hey," Angus' face lit up. "Maybe we could spy on him!" Everyone looked at him. He looked back. "What?"
The other three shook their heads.
"We can't invade Rohan's privacy," Deirdre said.
"And plus, he's our best friend," Garrett added.
"But I was only trying to---"
"What the---" Ivar suddenly said.
"What could it mean?" Garrett asked.
Angus and Deirdre looked at Ivar and Garrett as if they were nuts, then looked at each other and said in unison, "What?"
"We just got a Sending," Garrett explained. "It---it doesn't make any sense! What truth?"
"Huh?"
Ivar filled in, "It's something Maeve was thinking. It says 'If only I could tell Rohan the truth.' "
"That's odd," Deirdre said. "Are you sure that's what it said?"
"Positive," Ivar replied.
Everyone thought for a moment.
"Angus, go get Rohan and Maeve," Garrett said. "We should talk to them."
"Aww, I just got comfortable."
"Angus, do it."
"Yes, and get off my father's throne," Deirdre yelled.
"All right," he mumbled as he left the room. "Sheesh, can't I have a break now and then?"
"No!" all three yelled back.

Later that day Garrett, Ivar, Deirdre, and Conchobar were in the throne room waiting for Angus, Rohan, and Maeve to arrive. Angus showed up first, out of breath and panting.
"Where's Maeve and Rohan?" Conchobar asked.
"Right over here." He pointed behind him while Maeve and Rohan came around the corner. Angus bent down. "I searched all around the kingdom for them." He sat down on one of the benches, gasping.
"Why do you wish to speak to us?" asked Rohan.
"It's about Maeve." Garrett looked at her. "We know you're hiding something."
Everyone turned to face her.
"We heard one of your Sendings," Ivar said. "We heard you thinking 'If only I could tell Rohan the truth.' We want to know what it means."
Rohan asked, "Maeve, is this true? What is it you're not telling me?"
Maeve started to step back. "Maybe I did think that, but it doesn't mean I'm hiding anything."
"What if it does?" Ivar said. "We must know that you won't try anything."
"Yeah," Angus exclaimed. "Like when you took over Kells' throne."
"You got it back, didn't you?" she snapped. "Anyway, I wouldn't try to do anything like that again. I've learned my lesson."
Deirdre shook her head incredulously.
"What do you think, Deirdre?" Conchobar asked.
"I think it would be wise that Maeve continue her journey to the Dragon Master," she suggested. "Then we wouldn't have to worry about getting her there later on."
"No," Maeve started. "I want to stay here . . . for a while."
Everyone looked at her with wide, surprised eyes.
"Maeve," Ivar gasped. "Are you well?"
"Of course I am," she replied.
But in his mind, Garrett heard her say, "Except that the only reason I came here was to . . ."
He looked up at her and saw that she was biting her lip.
"I have to do something," she choked as she spun around and left the room.
Rohan started to go after her but Angus stopped him. "I think you've spent enough time with her today."
"I wonder why she left in such a hurry," said Deirdre.
Garrett watched Maeve leave, wondering if Ivar and Rohan heard the Sending too.

Rohan walked into Cathbad's chamber that evening to find all the other Mystic Knights there.
"What is everybody doing here?" he asked.
"We're discussing how weird it is that Maeve wants to stay here," Angus said. "I agree with you, Ivar. She must have come down with some very SERIOUS illness."
"I still wonder what truth Maeve is hiding." Deirdre sighed. "Angus, stop fooling around with those magic powders, you don't know what you're doing."
"I know plenty what I'm doing." Angus picked up a small jar and poured the contents into a bowl.
A puff of smoke poofed up and when the it had cleared, an oval of light was floating above the table. Everyone gasped at the sight. Angus started to step back.
"Angus, what did you do?" Deirdre yelled.
"I didn't do anything," he defended.
"Every time he comes in here," Rohan said to Garrett, "he always has to fool around."
"How is it that every time he makes a mistake it's always a bad one?" Garrett asked.
Rohan shrugged. "I guess that's just his luck."
"Look!" Ivar pointed to the oval.
It was beginning to fill with a deep purple color. Then it turned into an image of a pool of blood lying on the grass. Suddenly they saw a Temra soldier hitting the ground, blood spewing out of his mouth. After a few seconds, the soldier formed into the image Garrett, Ivar, and Rohan saw earlier of the Kells and Temra swords combined.
"A prophecy?" Rohan exclaimed.
Deirdre and Angus looked at him.
"Written a thousand years ago?" Garrett wondered.
Cathbad then walked in. "What's all this about?"
"Oh, nothing," Deirdre said innocently. "Angus was just messing with your powders again."
"Anguuuuuus!"
"What?"
Cathbad shook his head and sighed. "How many times do I have to tell you NOT to mess around with my magic?"
"I won't do it again, honest."
He shook his head again.
"Cathbad," Rohan interrupted. "Do you know anything about an ancient prophecy?"
"Of course. I know of many. Why do you need to know?"
"We received a Sending about a prophecy that was written a thousand years ago. Do you think you may have it?"
"I don't know. I'll look around."
An hour later, the entire room was a mess and everyone was exhausted from searching.
Angus was relaxed in a chair with his feet propped up on the table. "You know, Cathbad, it's funny." He laughed. "You can't blame this mess on me."
"You know," Deirdre spoke up. "I think Maeve has something to do with this prophecy."
"You could be right, Deirdre." Ivar said. "Why didn't we think of that before?"
"Perhaps," she bragged, "that's because I'm the only one in this room who can think for herself?"
Angus started to crack up. "That's a good joke, Deirdre. But I bet I'm smarter than all of ya."
"Well . . ." Cathbad started to get the same look on his face he always did when he was about to prove Angus wrong. "If you're so smart, why don't you tell us a clever way to clean up this mess."
"Oh, that's easy." He looked around. "You could, uhh . . . maybe we can, um . . . how 'bout, ahh . . . Rohan, what do you suggest?"
Deirdre rolled her eyes. "I'll go speak to Maeve." She left the room, turned the corner down the hall, and onto Maeve's chamber. She knocked on the door.
"Come in," she heard Maeve say.
She opened the door and saw Maeve sitting on the bed, looking at some stones.
Maeve looked up and once she saw Deirdre standing in the doorway she quickly collected the stones and put them in a sack. "What do you want?"
"Oh, I just came to tell you that we got another one of your Sendings."
"What was it about?" Maeve asked curiously.
Deirdre paused, trying to think of the right way to describe the Sending. "It---it had blood . . . that turned into Temra soldiers attacking Kells soldiers . . . and then it showed the Kells and the Temra swords combined. What do all these Sendings mean? They never seem to make any sense. At least, not the ones I've heard about."
Maeve laughed. "That wasn't a Sending."
"What?"
"It was a memory."
"How was it any different from a Sending?"
"Did you receive it mentally?"
"Well, no."
"Then it's not a Sending. Was there anything else in the memory?"
"No, but we got a real Sending about some sort of prophecy."
Maeve instantly stopped everything and stared at Deirdre. "A prophecy?" she exclaimed. "Tell me exactly how much information you got on it."
"The only information we received was that it was written over a thousand years ago."
Maeve sighed. "Good. Uh---I mean . . ."
Deirdre eyed her curiously. "What DO you mean, Maeve?"
"Um . . . uhhhhh . . . it's GOOD that you got that information . . . because if you didn't, you wouldn't know anything about it . . . and then it wouldn't help you very much."
Deirdre looked satisfied. "Perhaps we will get more about this prophecy in the next couple of days."
"Yes," Maeve nodded. "Perhaps."