~~~~~~~How Fragile This Trust~~~~~~~
"Here, m'ionuin, let me help." Rionnac's nimble fingers quickly untangled the rope and handed it back to her frustrated lover, "Ceolta, relax and things go easier. I'm going back to the smaller stream to get some water." She said laughingly and grabbed up the water flasks.
Ceolta looked up, her first thought was to stop the young woman who was vanishing into the forest, but stopped . She had to stop being overprotective, the laughing red-head wasn't the same frail creature she had been a year before. She was turning into a bright eyed and self assured beauty, who could take care of herself.
Rionnac moved gracefully through the trees, she was happy and felt wildly alive. Every sense was awake and alert , she had lived so long in the haze of the drugs, but no longer. She filled the flasks with icy cold water,humming softly to herself. She took pleasure in the sound of the stream, in the dancing light on the water, even the bone numing chill of it as she trailed her hand in it.
She returned to Ceolta still humming, catching sight of her lover she stopped. Overwhelmed with the strength of her love for her bond-mate, and her trust of the mercenary that had stolen her not once but twice. Strange as it was she knew that she would never have to be afraid as long as Ceolta was by her side.
Ceolta glanced up from her task, she was startled to see the look on Rionnac's face. 'How can she trust me so completly?', Ceolta wondered yet again. "I destroyed every thing she knew.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
One year earlier.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She sat in the corner of the dank little inn, she was bored and the watered down ale wasn't helping. Neither were the local louts drawn to the fact that she was a female alone. Although that had provided a bit of entertainment earlier this evening it had worn thin swiftly. Only the fact that it was still raining outside kept her here.
The door opened letting in another burst of the cold,damp air and two men trying to pass them selves off as soldiers. Their careless and inattentive behavior gave them away, but the woman that followed them in was another story altogether.
She looked around the room, her eyes missed nothing. She had the air of a queen or a predator, Ceolta was betting on her being a predator. The woman was slender and tall, her clothing covered by a heavy fur cloak, but it was her hair that drew everyone's eyes to her. It was thick, long and a shade of red that was more common to a fox than a woman. Ceolta's eyes narrowed as she saw that the woman wore it in a roman style. So this was who had requested that she come to this Gods be damned place.
She approached Ceolta sizing her up the way a gypsy would a horse. " Do you want to see my teeth?" Ceolta asked the woman sarcastically.
"You have spirit. That's good." The red-haired women purred as she looked around the inn frowning, "Come Laoch, my tent is far more amendable than this pig sty."
" I'm sure it would be, but I don't think I can accept your hospitality." Ceolta stood and began walking toward the rear of the inn, "I have a private room. We will talk there."
Pale blue eyes narrowed,"Very well." the woman said to Ceolta's back , then signaled for her bodyguards to follow.
"Alone," Ceolta stated without turning around "They can wait outside the door.", and continued the thought in her mind, ' or in the barn where they belong. '
The room was tiny, it had one chair and a bed that was barely wide enough to lay on. Ceolta took the chair, leaving the woman to stand. Disapproval showed clearly, but the woman decided standing was better than the rough bed.
"Who are you? What do want ? And what does it have to do with me? " Ceolta asked abruptly.
"My name is Lyco. I need you because as a celt you have access to places my usual people don't. And what I need is for you to take someone from a druid sanctuary."
"Your not asking much are you. Why would I take a druid hostage for you." Ceolta asked coldly.
"Because she isn't a druid, she is my sister and they have held her hostage since birth. If our father doesn't do as they wish....she pays."
Lyco honestly looked distressed, but Ceolta felt that something was wrong. "Why would the druids hold a Roman's daughter hostage?"
"Neither Rionnac nor myself are roman by birth. We were born to a Prince of Tara, I was called Faela at birth. The druids arranged to have me taken and sold as a slave. I was to old for Their plan. Rionnac was only an infant, perfect for them to raise as they wished. Plus my loss made our father more amendable to their wishes." Lyco paced the tiny room, "But they didn't count on me surviving or freeing myself. They watch our father and his people too closely for them to rescue her and I don't dare reveal myself. That is why you must not be seen on our fathers lands. Only a total stranger can get close enough to Rionnac to take her from them."
"I've never heard of a druid keeping hostages."
"Until you I had never heard of a Daughter of Skye becoming a mercenary." Lyco snapped, "The story they tell is that she was cursed and our father gave her to them to protect her. But if you saw her......" Lyco sat down on the bed and looked at the wall, her back to Ceolta, " I saw her from a distance. She has hair like mine."
Lyco turned toward Ceolta her eyes wet with tears, "Celt you must get her away from them. They are killing her."
Ceolta's eyes narrowed. She wondered how the woman had discovered that she was a Daughter of Skye. The Romans had been creeping inward for years. Was it so unbelievable that a druid community had been corrupted. She decided swiftly, Imboloc was a half moon away perfect time for her to enter the sanctuary and have a look around.
Ceolta stood, "Give me the location. I will see for myself the conditions in which this girl lives. If you are telling me the truth then I will bring her here in one turn of the moon. If you have lied to me...." She broke off the sentence letting her eyes and half smile complete it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Slipping on the rain sodden trail yet again, the cold, wet, and very angry warrior, cursed again. " Why in the name of all the gods above and below did they choose to build a sanctuary on a mountain only a bleeding raven can get to."
Night had fallen at least two candlemarks ago, but she was not going to sleep in the wet again tonight. The druid community couldn't be much farther, cresting a rise she saw the tiny village nestled within a vale below a brutal cliff.
Walking to the center of town she looked around. Pale light gleamed though shuttered windows, she watched as the door of one opened and a small form appeared carrying a bucket. A rough brown cloak covered the approaching figure from head to knee, Ceolta was surprised when she realized that it was a young girl fetching water from the well she stood beside.
"Here little one let me help you." She offered the small girl as she struggled to draw water from the well.
Startled gray eyes looked up at Ceolta, the thin face paled even more as the girl backed away.
"Here now little one, I'm no ghost or raider come to harm you. Let me help you with the bucket. I swear it probably weighs more than you do." Ceolta easily carried the water to the house the servant had come from, "Now pale one will you point me to the elder's house that I can make myself known to him properly."
The still frighten girl nodded and pointed to a house, "His name is Cathbad. Please don't mention seeing me." She pleaded her eyes wild with fear, "Thank you for helping me." she stammered in a soft whisper. Then retreated swiftly into the house.
Ceolta stalked across the common toward the house the girl had pointed to muttering, "It's not a good sign when the first thing I see is a servant that is so frightened she almost faints. That woman just might be telling the truth." She stopped and collected herself, if there was a problem she didn't want to give herself away.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
'Now where is she? Ceolta was annoyed to say the least. She had been in the sanctuary for six days, and although every thing seemed normal, she had not seen the servant girl again.
The druids were friendly toward her, asking Their usual barrage of questions about where she had traveled and what she had seen. But her own questions where still unanswered and growing.
She had waited till even the moon had set to creep into the house. It was small, the main room was taken up with racks of drying herbs and shelves filled with ceramic jars. Only two doors led from the room, the first led into a small kitchen. It was as tidy as the main room but nearly empty.
Creeping quietly into the other room she found a slender shape laying on the small bed. Carefully she opened the lantern she had brought with her. It was the girl. Looking closer she realized that the girl was drugged, her breathing was soft and very slow.
'Damnu Air!! They drug her? Why?' Ceolta gently examined the girl. She was too thin and her heartbeat was labored. Ceolta softly caressed the pale cheek, twining a strand of the bright red hair around her fingers.
Ceolta stood and rummaged through the room swiftly. She gathered the few articles of clothing in the house and wrapped the tiny body in the blankets. Then she went back to her own quarters and grabbed her pack. Returning quickly she gently cradled the girl against her. Who softly mewed in her forced sleep.
"Shh little cub you will be with your sister before you know it." Ceolta murmured as she vanished into the night.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Morning found the girl awake and terrified. "Easy little one, No one is going to hurt you." Ceolta's heart hurt at the sight of the frightened girl.
"Who are you? Why have you taken me?" The trembling girl asked.
"I've come to take you home" Ceolta said softly. " Your sister sent me. "
The gray eyes brightened, "Faela? Faela is alive? Did she really send you for me? can I really go home?" The voice was brighter as longing replaced fear.
"Yes Leanbh, then you know of her?" Ceolta felt a pang of relief so the Roman had told at least some truth.
"Yes, Mauve was her nurse maid too, before the raiders took her..." the thin face took on a look of sorrow, "Mauve thought that she must have been killed as that no one ever heard of her again."
"No Little one, she asked me to bring you to her." Ceolta said softly. "Within a seven day you will be with her. I promise you Leanbh that you will be safe."Gently wiping away a tear from Rionnac's cheek.
A jolt of fire struck her, shaking her head she saw that the small red-head had also felt it.
Rionnac looked up at Ceolta her eyes shimmering, "I believe you."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Ceolta look at that." Rionnac exclaimed, pointing toward a doe grazing calmly at the forrest edge.
Ceolta never took her eyes from Rionnac's face, "Yes it's beautiful." She could not believe the difference only a few days had wrought. Still pale and fragile the small fox had become more alert and had so little fear of anything.
Rionnac had a curiosity and zest for life that made her a whirlwind of energy, only her delicate health slowed her down.
Ceolta smiled as Rionnac settled back against her. Riding double was slowing the journey down but Ceolta was unwilling to risk her falling asleep on a horse. Besides she had grown to like the feel of the small body cradled against her.
This was her last day with her, tonight she would be returned to her sister. Perhaps Ceolta thought she would stay with the pair till the were reunited with their father and safely under his care.
Looking down she saw that yet again Rionnac was asleep, she placed a swift and light kiss on the cool forehead. How had this small child slipped past all of the defences she had built around herself? Nothing as delicate as the girl would have survived on the harsh island of Ceolta's birth.
She pulled her fur cloak tighter around them as a light rain started.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyco paced like a tiger awaiting it's turn at death in the gladiator's arena. Her men tried to stay as far away from her as they could. Tonight she would have that pale excuse for a girl in her grasp. Oh and when she did. The smile was cold enough to send the men backing away even further from the fire.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To Be Continued
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Return to Library Page
