Chapter 4
"NO!! BLOODY HELL!" Erik roared as he shot up from the bed. Another pound on his door. He flew to it and threw it open. "WHAT THE HELL?! HAVE YOU ANY IDEA WHAT YOU JUST DID YOU BLOODY IDIOT!?" he roared in Malcolm's face.
""Tis nigh time ye woke." He replied coolly.
"I'D RATHER STILL BE ASLEEP!!" Erik yelled. Malcolm moved past him and into the chamber, and grimaced at the sight of Erik's naked form…and apparently he hadn't yet recovered from the dream.
"Where you dreaming about her again?"
"Aye, I was till I was woken from it." Erik growled, moving to collect his plaid, dressing himself. "Christine." He whispered to himself.
"What was tha'?" Malcolm asked.
"Christine, that's her name. My dream-me asked her, and she replied Christine. Sounds like the name of an angel."
"That's all that happened?" he inquired, eyebrows coming together in confusion.
"No, ye bastard! I was about to make sweet love to her and you interrupted!" he yelled.
"I dinna ken ye were about to love her, sorry mate." He said he said with his hands up, shielding himself from Erik's shouts.
Erik's demeanor changed as he thought on her again.
"Know you any lasses with that name?" Erik asked.
"Nay, 'Tis a rare name." Malcolm replied.
"'Tis a rare woman who would accept my face." Erik threw back. Too agitated for anything else, Erik paused, "I need to go to the stones." He stalked over to the desk in the room and withdrew a scrap of parchment and a ink well and quill, scratched something down and retreated. "I shall be back." And with that he was gone.
~;~
She felt like crying. Why? Why does it always end right when something amazing is about to happen? This dream had been a bit different, she learned his name. Erik. Such a strong name for a strong man. A strong, sinfully beautiful and intensely sexual man.
A loud knock sounded at her door. "Christine?" Larry called from the other side.
"Hold on a minute." She replied, as she got out of bed and put a robe on before opening the door to let the man in.
"Good morning, Sunshine." He said with a big smile.
"Highly debatable." She said dryly.
"Well, I have something that might cheer you up. There are two men out in the lobby who are positively delicious."
"I don't want any of them, I want-"
"You dreamed about your hot warrior guy again didn't you?" he said knowingly. She nodded. "Well Christine, maybe if you had a man in your bed-"
"Then I'd forget the man in my head, yeah, yeah." She finished. "Only thing is the only man I want in my bed, is the one in my head."
"That sucks." He said frankly.
"Well let's get up and go to the circle, I feel we have a long day ahead of us."
~;~
Tomnaverie Stone Circle. Right over the hill from Malcolm's castle. Of all the stone circles in Scotland, Erik's Druid senses told him it was the strongest. He came often to pray and perform his druidic duties. If the Scottish weren't at war with the English he'd go to England to use the most powerful Stonehenge, but as it were, he could not. He knelt in the middle of the circle and prayed.Give thou thine heart to the wild magic,
To the Lord and the Lady of Nature,
Beyond any consideration of this world.
Do not covet large or small,
Do not despise weakling or poor,
Semblance of evil allow not near thee,
Never give nor earn thou shame.
The Ancient Harmonies are given thee,
Understand them early and prove,
Be one with the power of the elements,
Put behind thee dishonour and lies.
Be loyal to the Lord of the Wild Wood,
Be true to the Lady of the Stars,
Be true to thine own self besides,
True to the magic of Nature above all else.
Do not thou curse anyone,
Lest thou threefold cursed shouldst be,
And shouldst thou travel ocean and earth,
Follow the very step of the ancient trackways.
Erik reached out with his soul and prayed again.
Grant, O Goddess Danu , Thy Protection;
And in protection, strength;
And in strength, understanding;
And in understanding, knowledge;
And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;
And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it;
And in that love, the love of all existences;
And in the love of all existences, the love of Gods and Goddesses.
Gods and Goddesses and all goodness.