Lazar pressed a finger to Ewan's shoulder. "Ow! Lazar?!" Ewan said through
gritted teeth, trying to keep his voice down. "See you are not fine. You
are hurt and need tending to. Now tell me what happened." Lazar crossed his
arms and waited. Ewan let out a sigh and began to explain. How he had been
caught of guard when he realized the person he was fighting was actually
Cathain, the wielder of the Llan An Cailleach. "Explain this?" Lazar
pointed at a spot on his neck, the bleeding had stopped but the small cut
left a trail of blood down his neck. Lazar chuckled and shook his head
after Ewan explained. Lazar reached up to help remove Ewan's helmet.
"Cathain" Deirdre's voice returned sounding a bit stronger and less strained then before. She called out to Cathain again. When her sister did not respond Deirdre pushed herself to her feet and walked over to Cathain. Cathain jumped slightly when she felt a delicate hand on her shoulder. "What is the matter with you? I called out to you but you didn't answer me." Cathain's mouth soundlessly moved as she looked from her sister to the man known as Ewan.
Deirdre followed her sister's gaze and noticed that the knight's helmet was finally removed. From where they stood, there was not much they could see. With his head, lowered most of his long, curly dark locks cascaded down, covering most of his face. The rest of him hid behind the old man. Deirdre amusingly looked over at her sister. Cathain stood frozen in her spot. She bit down on her lip as she tilted, and strained her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark knight.
"Argh! What am I doing?" Cathain whispered to herself.
"My thoughts exactly." Deirdre tried to contain her amusement. Cathain narrowed her eyes on her sister and decided that she was acting silly. 'So what she found his voice attractive. He must be a complete dog under all that hair.' Cathain tried to convince herself as she walked over to the two men. Deirdre was following closely behind. Ewan lowered his head when he heard the two women walking towards them. Lazar turned around to greet them. Cathain smiled at the old man. Lazar had first appeared to Cathain the year the Llan An Cailleach chose her to be the next wielder.
Over time, Lazar had helped and guided her. Telling her tales of past wielders, the blade's history, and the role she played. However, the true secrets were held within and only she was privy to those secrets. Then one year he simply told her that he was to partake in an important journey and that he was going to leave her. She was sad when he left but now here he was again but whom did he bring?
"Its is good to see you again, child." Cathain smiled as Lazar hugged her. She tried to get a look of the dark knight's face over Lazar's shoulder but his head was lowered. He did not bother to look up. Lazar then turned to her sister, "Are you alright, child?" He wiped the dirt from her face and gently cupped her uninjured cheek. "I'm alright now Lazar thanks to him." She tilted her head towards Ewan. Cathain gasped, "He saved your life?" Deirdre nodded her head. She had been wrong about him. He wasn't attacking her sister it was the complete opposite. He was the one that actually rescued Deirdre from those men.
Cathain moved over to stand in front of Ewan. He stood still as she spoke, "Thank you. I am indebted to you for not only saving my sister's life but for mine as well." Ewan remained quiet. Cathain continued, "If I had known that you were the one that saved her life I wouldn't have attacked you." Cathain paused for a moment. I bit irritated that he was not looking at her or responding. "Will you forgive my hasty conclusion and accept my apology?" She let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hands on her hips.
"Will you not raise your head so I can properly address thy knight? I am not very fond of talking to someone who cannot meet me eye to eye." annoyed that she had spent most of her time speaking to the top of someone's head. Ewan flinched at her frustrated demand. With a sigh, he slowly raised his head letting his eyes graze every inch of her. Finally, their eyes meet. She had to stifle a gasp for it was he, the man from her dreams. The very one who was there with her as she ran through a grueling gauntlet. He had been there in the beginning and at the end. This had been the mysterious shadow that plagued her dreams since she acquired the Llan An Cailleach. "You!" the word was barely a whisper.
The startled voice echoed in the distance and everything faded to black like some movie that finally reached its climatic end. However, this was not the end. Sara gasped as she tried to shake the haziness she felt. She let her eyes adjust to the abrupt change in scenery. There was no forest, no room, no roaring fire, no large bed, and especially no Ewan. Sara felt a pang of disappointment deep inside. She found herself longing to be back in his loving embrace, to feel his tender caresses and share in his heated kisses. She wanted to drown in those dark pools of hazel eyes. She just wanted the man period.
How could Cathain not tell him what she really felt? Why did the woman hold back? Sara knew Cathain loved Ewan. How could she not know? Sara felt everything Cathain had felt. The butterflies in her stomach, the skipping beats of her heart, and everything that one felt when in love. If Cathain was in love with Ewan, she should have told him. In addition, what happened to Conchobar? Where was he in all of this? Sara had more questions then she did answers.
"Don't worry Sara your questions will be answered in time." Sara whirled around to face Cathain. In place of the robe she had been wearing, Cathain was clad in armor, her helmet secured under her right arm. Sara's eyes widen when she noticed the blade was missing from Cathain's wrist. Cathain followed Sara's gaze to her bare wrist. With a sad smile Cathain said, "You once said to me that we both loved Conchobar and if there was a way to bring him back." Sara nodded her head. "You said yes but you never told me. Will you tell me now?" Sara said a bit hopeful. Cathain looked up at Sara, "How well did you know your Conchobar, Sara?" The question took Sara by surprise. Her mouth began to move but no words were forming. After a moment Sara finally said, "I knew enough to love him." Sara's explanation sounded weak even to her.
Cathain nodded her head, "I was the same way as you, Sara. I thought I knew him well. My love for him blinded me and in the end he betrayed me." Sara was about to protest when Cathain cut in, holding up her hand. "Perhaps your Conchobar would not have betrayed you, Sara. Nevertheless, since he is gone you may never know that. History does tend to repeat itself. My Conchobar betrayed my love, my trust. He used me only to gain his place for power, for a crown. He never loved 'me' he loved what I was able to give him, the powers of the Llan An Cailleach. By the time I realized his true purpose I had already lost so many dear to me." Cathain's voice laced with sadness.
"Your sister, Deirdre and your daughter, Iona?"
"Yes, my dear sweet sister Deirdre and the innocent Iona." Cathain continued seeing the curiosity in Sara's eyes, "Conchobar and I did not have a child together. Iona was an orphaned child Deirdre and I took in soon after Conchobar left. People just assumed Iona was ours I just never bothered to explain. Why should I it was none of their business. But I should have then perhaps she would have lived instead of being used to get to me." Sara nodded her head in understanding.
"There was someone else, Sara." Cathain's voice grew somber and trembled.
"Ewan" Sara whispered sadly.
"Yes," Cathain closed her eyes tears streaming down her face. "Because of my blindness, my fears, and stubbornness I was not able to help him. I lost the one person who truly understood and loved me. Not as the wielder of the Llan An Cailleach but as a person, a woman." Sara's face contorted with sorrow knowing exactly what it felt like to lose someone she loved. 'But who was able to get a drop on him?' Sara thought as she remembered his incredible fighting skills, so much like Ian. "What happened, Cathain?" Sara found herself asking.
"It is best if I showed you, Sara." A doorway seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Cathain reached to push the door but stopped and turned to Sara. "Step over this threshold with an opened mind, Sara. Some of the answers you seek are just beyond this door." Cathain opened the door. Sara, standing closely behind, brought her hand up to shade the light from her eyes. Cautiously she entered through the doorway.
"Cathain" Deirdre's voice returned sounding a bit stronger and less strained then before. She called out to Cathain again. When her sister did not respond Deirdre pushed herself to her feet and walked over to Cathain. Cathain jumped slightly when she felt a delicate hand on her shoulder. "What is the matter with you? I called out to you but you didn't answer me." Cathain's mouth soundlessly moved as she looked from her sister to the man known as Ewan.
Deirdre followed her sister's gaze and noticed that the knight's helmet was finally removed. From where they stood, there was not much they could see. With his head, lowered most of his long, curly dark locks cascaded down, covering most of his face. The rest of him hid behind the old man. Deirdre amusingly looked over at her sister. Cathain stood frozen in her spot. She bit down on her lip as she tilted, and strained her neck, hoping to catch a glimpse of the dark knight.
"Argh! What am I doing?" Cathain whispered to herself.
"My thoughts exactly." Deirdre tried to contain her amusement. Cathain narrowed her eyes on her sister and decided that she was acting silly. 'So what she found his voice attractive. He must be a complete dog under all that hair.' Cathain tried to convince herself as she walked over to the two men. Deirdre was following closely behind. Ewan lowered his head when he heard the two women walking towards them. Lazar turned around to greet them. Cathain smiled at the old man. Lazar had first appeared to Cathain the year the Llan An Cailleach chose her to be the next wielder.
Over time, Lazar had helped and guided her. Telling her tales of past wielders, the blade's history, and the role she played. However, the true secrets were held within and only she was privy to those secrets. Then one year he simply told her that he was to partake in an important journey and that he was going to leave her. She was sad when he left but now here he was again but whom did he bring?
"Its is good to see you again, child." Cathain smiled as Lazar hugged her. She tried to get a look of the dark knight's face over Lazar's shoulder but his head was lowered. He did not bother to look up. Lazar then turned to her sister, "Are you alright, child?" He wiped the dirt from her face and gently cupped her uninjured cheek. "I'm alright now Lazar thanks to him." She tilted her head towards Ewan. Cathain gasped, "He saved your life?" Deirdre nodded her head. She had been wrong about him. He wasn't attacking her sister it was the complete opposite. He was the one that actually rescued Deirdre from those men.
Cathain moved over to stand in front of Ewan. He stood still as she spoke, "Thank you. I am indebted to you for not only saving my sister's life but for mine as well." Ewan remained quiet. Cathain continued, "If I had known that you were the one that saved her life I wouldn't have attacked you." Cathain paused for a moment. I bit irritated that he was not looking at her or responding. "Will you forgive my hasty conclusion and accept my apology?" She let out an exasperated sigh and placed her hands on her hips.
"Will you not raise your head so I can properly address thy knight? I am not very fond of talking to someone who cannot meet me eye to eye." annoyed that she had spent most of her time speaking to the top of someone's head. Ewan flinched at her frustrated demand. With a sigh, he slowly raised his head letting his eyes graze every inch of her. Finally, their eyes meet. She had to stifle a gasp for it was he, the man from her dreams. The very one who was there with her as she ran through a grueling gauntlet. He had been there in the beginning and at the end. This had been the mysterious shadow that plagued her dreams since she acquired the Llan An Cailleach. "You!" the word was barely a whisper.
The startled voice echoed in the distance and everything faded to black like some movie that finally reached its climatic end. However, this was not the end. Sara gasped as she tried to shake the haziness she felt. She let her eyes adjust to the abrupt change in scenery. There was no forest, no room, no roaring fire, no large bed, and especially no Ewan. Sara felt a pang of disappointment deep inside. She found herself longing to be back in his loving embrace, to feel his tender caresses and share in his heated kisses. She wanted to drown in those dark pools of hazel eyes. She just wanted the man period.
How could Cathain not tell him what she really felt? Why did the woman hold back? Sara knew Cathain loved Ewan. How could she not know? Sara felt everything Cathain had felt. The butterflies in her stomach, the skipping beats of her heart, and everything that one felt when in love. If Cathain was in love with Ewan, she should have told him. In addition, what happened to Conchobar? Where was he in all of this? Sara had more questions then she did answers.
"Don't worry Sara your questions will be answered in time." Sara whirled around to face Cathain. In place of the robe she had been wearing, Cathain was clad in armor, her helmet secured under her right arm. Sara's eyes widen when she noticed the blade was missing from Cathain's wrist. Cathain followed Sara's gaze to her bare wrist. With a sad smile Cathain said, "You once said to me that we both loved Conchobar and if there was a way to bring him back." Sara nodded her head. "You said yes but you never told me. Will you tell me now?" Sara said a bit hopeful. Cathain looked up at Sara, "How well did you know your Conchobar, Sara?" The question took Sara by surprise. Her mouth began to move but no words were forming. After a moment Sara finally said, "I knew enough to love him." Sara's explanation sounded weak even to her.
Cathain nodded her head, "I was the same way as you, Sara. I thought I knew him well. My love for him blinded me and in the end he betrayed me." Sara was about to protest when Cathain cut in, holding up her hand. "Perhaps your Conchobar would not have betrayed you, Sara. Nevertheless, since he is gone you may never know that. History does tend to repeat itself. My Conchobar betrayed my love, my trust. He used me only to gain his place for power, for a crown. He never loved 'me' he loved what I was able to give him, the powers of the Llan An Cailleach. By the time I realized his true purpose I had already lost so many dear to me." Cathain's voice laced with sadness.
"Your sister, Deirdre and your daughter, Iona?"
"Yes, my dear sweet sister Deirdre and the innocent Iona." Cathain continued seeing the curiosity in Sara's eyes, "Conchobar and I did not have a child together. Iona was an orphaned child Deirdre and I took in soon after Conchobar left. People just assumed Iona was ours I just never bothered to explain. Why should I it was none of their business. But I should have then perhaps she would have lived instead of being used to get to me." Sara nodded her head in understanding.
"There was someone else, Sara." Cathain's voice grew somber and trembled.
"Ewan" Sara whispered sadly.
"Yes," Cathain closed her eyes tears streaming down her face. "Because of my blindness, my fears, and stubbornness I was not able to help him. I lost the one person who truly understood and loved me. Not as the wielder of the Llan An Cailleach but as a person, a woman." Sara's face contorted with sorrow knowing exactly what it felt like to lose someone she loved. 'But who was able to get a drop on him?' Sara thought as she remembered his incredible fighting skills, so much like Ian. "What happened, Cathain?" Sara found herself asking.
"It is best if I showed you, Sara." A doorway seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. Cathain reached to push the door but stopped and turned to Sara. "Step over this threshold with an opened mind, Sara. Some of the answers you seek are just beyond this door." Cathain opened the door. Sara, standing closely behind, brought her hand up to shade the light from her eyes. Cautiously she entered through the doorway.