Chapter Two
The next morning, Bran was at the farm early and was exceedingly nervous. "You are coming with, aren't you, Will?" he asked for the third time. Will chewed thoughtfully on some bread and pretended to reconsider. "It seems like an odd way to get a girl alone if you drag a friend along." Aunt Jen was pretending not to eavesdrop. "Got a date this morning?" she finally said teasingly, unable to help herself. If at all possible, Bran turned even paler. "No, no." He flopped into a chair and nibbled on a biscuit. "You know, Cafall settled in just fine last night." Will nearly choked on his milk. "You named him Cafall?"
"Cafall II," Bran said quietly. "It seemed right. His eyes are pale blue - not exactly like Cafall's, but I don't know. Will, it is almost like Cafall being here again." There was a new happiness in Bran's face. Aunt Jen gave Bran a sympathetic smile. "And your father?" "Oh, we've been needing a new dog anyway," Bran said way too casually and Will suspected that Owen Davies had nearly had a heart failure when he'd seen his son's new dog. "Da took Cafall to the vet to make sure all is well and we'll need to set up a regular nursing schedule." He gave Aunt Jen a grateful smile. "I do appreciate you helping with us with the puppy." Just then, Will's cousin Rhys and John Rowlands entered. "Left us some breakfast, did you, Will?" Rhys asked, grinning. It was an old joke. Rhys then turned to someone who was following them in and said, "Your two friends are in here." Both Will and Bran came to their feet as Kaira followed John into the kitchen. She was dressed very casually in pale blue jeans and with a directness unusual for a teenager, she walked right up to Bran and Will. "Ready, are we?" she said to no one in particular. Without waiting for an answer, she stuck her hand out towards Aunt Jen and introduced her name. "Hello, you must be Will's aunt. I'm Kaira." "Your father's developing that grand hotel by the ocean, isn't he?" Aunt Jen asked as she placed some plates full of biscuits and bacon in front of Rhys and John. Kaira's eyes flickered momentarily. "Yes." Abruptly changing the topic, she asked Bran, "How is Cafall?" Bran gave Will an uneasy look that communicated his surprise. How did she know the dog's name? "He is at the vet today. If you like, you can come over this afternoon and see how he's doing." Kaira tucked her hair behind her ears. "Perhaps. Walk first, though. Let's go." Will and Bran grabbed a knapsack that Bran had stuffed with some bread, fruit, cheese and lemonade that morning and followed her out. "We'll take my father's car out," she said to them as they stopped to gawk at the Hum-vee. Will didn't think he'd ever seen one before in person. "Hop in," she said, sounding very American. Bran gave a low whistle. "Nice car," he commented, as they clambered in. They arrived at the Square after taking extra time to park the car and walked most of the way up. Kaira's odd mood changed, and she became chatty and inquisitive. Will tried to stay in the back, but Kaira turned to him frequently to ask him about home and his many brothers and sisters. He mentioned that Max was engaged, James was a pretty accomplished tenor, and that his oldest brother Steven was still in the military. She then asked Bran a number of questions about his hobbies and how he and Will met. But when they in turn asked her questions about herself, she grew quiet and reserved. Through snippets, Will learned that she had never been officially at a school. Her education came from select tutors that her father dragged around the world. They lived mostly at hotels in large cities around the world for months at a time and she was an only child. Her father had been married several times, but Will couldn't determine the count. And she skirted any issues regarding her mother. After a peaceful lunch near Happy Valley that was surprising quiet despite the tourists, they headed back down. Will, thoughtful, continued to have a nagging feeling about this unusual girl they had met. But he was also wary. He knew Bran was interested in her and although it was likely that interest would not go very far, he had to admit to himself that he was just as drawn to this girl as Bran. "Do you think Cafall will be back by now?" Kaira asked Bran as they headed back down. Bran was trying to hide his excitement. "Yes, I think so." He added somewhat shyly, "It was very nice of you, I mean, your dog being sick and all that. Well, I just want to say thank you." Kaira looked at him, unsmiling. "I knew it would mean a lot to you, Bran Davies." Bran groped for something to say but instead found himself looking right back at her. He was conscious of Will trying to be unobtrusive, of Kaira's look that seemed to see within him and unlock memories that he didn't seem to remember ever having. Bran blinked and something like alarm flickered over Will's face. Will put a hand suddenly on Kaira's arm and he jerked back as if he had been shocked. Something very much like electricity passed between then and suddenly that intense green gaze was fixed on him. He felt exposed and vulnerable, as if she knew everything about him and that the questions about his family had been just an act. He thought oddly to himself, She seems somehow wild and restrained at the same time. And Bran, noticing that Will and Kaira were staring at each other longer than he liked, felt the first stirrings of resentment. He yanked at Will and said, "We should get going before it gets too late." No one talked on their drive back to the farm, which was fine with Will. He was too preoccupied with all that was occurring. He knew he'd need to reach Merriman that very night because he sensed that something was happening and he wasn't sure if it was all that good. When they got to the farm, Bran somewhat coldly announced he was going to check on Cafall. Will followed slowly behind but Kaira stayed in the car. As he moved around the car, Kaira rolled her window down and Will stopped and waited. In a distracted tone, she said, "I'm afraid Bran's memories are returning, Will." She then looked at him directly. "That means our time grows short, Old One." And with that, she drove off, leaving Will hanging in astonishment and surprise.
The next morning, Bran was at the farm early and was exceedingly nervous. "You are coming with, aren't you, Will?" he asked for the third time. Will chewed thoughtfully on some bread and pretended to reconsider. "It seems like an odd way to get a girl alone if you drag a friend along." Aunt Jen was pretending not to eavesdrop. "Got a date this morning?" she finally said teasingly, unable to help herself. If at all possible, Bran turned even paler. "No, no." He flopped into a chair and nibbled on a biscuit. "You know, Cafall settled in just fine last night." Will nearly choked on his milk. "You named him Cafall?"
"Cafall II," Bran said quietly. "It seemed right. His eyes are pale blue - not exactly like Cafall's, but I don't know. Will, it is almost like Cafall being here again." There was a new happiness in Bran's face. Aunt Jen gave Bran a sympathetic smile. "And your father?" "Oh, we've been needing a new dog anyway," Bran said way too casually and Will suspected that Owen Davies had nearly had a heart failure when he'd seen his son's new dog. "Da took Cafall to the vet to make sure all is well and we'll need to set up a regular nursing schedule." He gave Aunt Jen a grateful smile. "I do appreciate you helping with us with the puppy." Just then, Will's cousin Rhys and John Rowlands entered. "Left us some breakfast, did you, Will?" Rhys asked, grinning. It was an old joke. Rhys then turned to someone who was following them in and said, "Your two friends are in here." Both Will and Bran came to their feet as Kaira followed John into the kitchen. She was dressed very casually in pale blue jeans and with a directness unusual for a teenager, she walked right up to Bran and Will. "Ready, are we?" she said to no one in particular. Without waiting for an answer, she stuck her hand out towards Aunt Jen and introduced her name. "Hello, you must be Will's aunt. I'm Kaira." "Your father's developing that grand hotel by the ocean, isn't he?" Aunt Jen asked as she placed some plates full of biscuits and bacon in front of Rhys and John. Kaira's eyes flickered momentarily. "Yes." Abruptly changing the topic, she asked Bran, "How is Cafall?" Bran gave Will an uneasy look that communicated his surprise. How did she know the dog's name? "He is at the vet today. If you like, you can come over this afternoon and see how he's doing." Kaira tucked her hair behind her ears. "Perhaps. Walk first, though. Let's go." Will and Bran grabbed a knapsack that Bran had stuffed with some bread, fruit, cheese and lemonade that morning and followed her out. "We'll take my father's car out," she said to them as they stopped to gawk at the Hum-vee. Will didn't think he'd ever seen one before in person. "Hop in," she said, sounding very American. Bran gave a low whistle. "Nice car," he commented, as they clambered in. They arrived at the Square after taking extra time to park the car and walked most of the way up. Kaira's odd mood changed, and she became chatty and inquisitive. Will tried to stay in the back, but Kaira turned to him frequently to ask him about home and his many brothers and sisters. He mentioned that Max was engaged, James was a pretty accomplished tenor, and that his oldest brother Steven was still in the military. She then asked Bran a number of questions about his hobbies and how he and Will met. But when they in turn asked her questions about herself, she grew quiet and reserved. Through snippets, Will learned that she had never been officially at a school. Her education came from select tutors that her father dragged around the world. They lived mostly at hotels in large cities around the world for months at a time and she was an only child. Her father had been married several times, but Will couldn't determine the count. And she skirted any issues regarding her mother. After a peaceful lunch near Happy Valley that was surprising quiet despite the tourists, they headed back down. Will, thoughtful, continued to have a nagging feeling about this unusual girl they had met. But he was also wary. He knew Bran was interested in her and although it was likely that interest would not go very far, he had to admit to himself that he was just as drawn to this girl as Bran. "Do you think Cafall will be back by now?" Kaira asked Bran as they headed back down. Bran was trying to hide his excitement. "Yes, I think so." He added somewhat shyly, "It was very nice of you, I mean, your dog being sick and all that. Well, I just want to say thank you." Kaira looked at him, unsmiling. "I knew it would mean a lot to you, Bran Davies." Bran groped for something to say but instead found himself looking right back at her. He was conscious of Will trying to be unobtrusive, of Kaira's look that seemed to see within him and unlock memories that he didn't seem to remember ever having. Bran blinked and something like alarm flickered over Will's face. Will put a hand suddenly on Kaira's arm and he jerked back as if he had been shocked. Something very much like electricity passed between then and suddenly that intense green gaze was fixed on him. He felt exposed and vulnerable, as if she knew everything about him and that the questions about his family had been just an act. He thought oddly to himself, She seems somehow wild and restrained at the same time. And Bran, noticing that Will and Kaira were staring at each other longer than he liked, felt the first stirrings of resentment. He yanked at Will and said, "We should get going before it gets too late." No one talked on their drive back to the farm, which was fine with Will. He was too preoccupied with all that was occurring. He knew he'd need to reach Merriman that very night because he sensed that something was happening and he wasn't sure if it was all that good. When they got to the farm, Bran somewhat coldly announced he was going to check on Cafall. Will followed slowly behind but Kaira stayed in the car. As he moved around the car, Kaira rolled her window down and Will stopped and waited. In a distracted tone, she said, "I'm afraid Bran's memories are returning, Will." She then looked at him directly. "That means our time grows short, Old One." And with that, she drove off, leaving Will hanging in astonishment and surprise.