Chapter 9 #2
He smiled and left her at last.
Deidre had moved out to the center of the gravelly main road that stretched through the village. She wasn’t alone. She was deep in conversation with her brother, Aidan.
He looked up and nodded at Kylin.
“We’re underway,” Aidan informed him. “Our first preparations—great cauldrons to rain down fire upon those who would scale the walls. Stacks of missiles to use against the invaders as well and, of course, our men are prepared to take on anyone in hand-to-hand combat. But our reasoning is sound—the defense must be from behind the walls. Oh, and we’re creating stocks of food, but they will be limited. ”
“We’ll be prepared to lead the enemy inland,” Kylin said.
Deidre was silent. Aidan was looking at him curiously.
“I’m not sure if our fathers’ decision to let it be believed that they have betrothed the two of you is .
. . Well, I’m afraid that while a greater enemy is about to come upon us, it may well anger some who are supposed to be aligned with us.
I fear for you both, lest some angry past suitor seek revenge. ”
“I’ve tried to tell my brother that this may be a good thing. In their reactions, others may give themselves away if they do intend to betray Declan,” Deidre said.
“And that’s true.” Aidan winced. “I just worry about the personal danger it might bring upon you two.”
“We’ll be prepared,” Kylin assured him.
“Oh, by and by,” Aidan told him, grinning. “Someone mentioned that the two of you together could be a powerful alliance. Against me.”
“Aidan!” Kylin said. “First, it is a ploy—”
Aidan was laughing. “Kylin, I’m not in the least worried about either of you.
We have been privileged to grow in an incredible environment with men who are possibly some of the finest on earth.
One day—and I pray that it will be a day far, far from now—I will be rí, my father’s heir.
But you will take your father’s place in your village, and as our fathers have supported one another for years and years, so shall we. ”
Kylin smiled at Aidan. “And so it shall be. Though, I, too, pray that our fathers will live on and on!”
“Aidan, I just worry—” Deidre began.
“There is no worry here, sister.” He smiled at her, his hands on her shoulders.
“Thanks to Sigurd, and thanks to your travels, we are forewarned and so help me, prepared for what will come. And I know that you will see that the enemy is led on to where the great battle must be.” He sighed. “I wish that they had spoken to me.”
“Pardon, brother?” Deidre asked, frowning.
Aidan laughed again. “The Tuatha Dé Danann, angels, fairy folk . . . all one and the same, I don’t know. But I believe with my whole heart that they have spoken to you, and that between us all, we will be the survivors.”
“Aidan, thank you,” Kylin said. “Your faith is greatly appreciated.”
“All this is too good,” Deidre said, shaking her head.
“We’re having support from Father, from Sigurd, from you.
Our people believe in us, perhaps believe in the lie.
It seems too good to be true . . . that somewhere, somehow, the tide will turn, someone will refute us . . . Oh, I don’t know! I’m so worried.”
Aidan set his hands firmly on her shoulders, causing her to look up at him.
“Did you hear what I said? The ancients have chosen you. I’d have been happy had they chosen me, but you are the next best thing.
Will you face danger, hard times, death—oh, aye!
But for all of us, we must be banded together, and have faith. ”
She smiled at her brother at last, and nodded. “Thank you, Aidan.”
“We saw Colleen. And we saw the injured invader Eric,” Kylin told Aidan.
“I know. Deidre was speaking about your conversation when you came out to the road,” Aidan said.
“I may be a bit like Deidre. I admit to being worried that all the injured may be as loyal now to a new regime, as grateful for their lives. And yet . . .”
“In my father’s world, they cannot be left behind,” Aidan said. “They will be brought behind the wall. But while merciful, my father isn’t stupid. We will have careful eyes upon them at all times. And, of course, you are returning here to lead the troops to tempt them onward and inland.”
Kylin nodded. “We woke so early, and we should have been on our way.”
“We’ve delayed a bit, but we head out now!” Deidre declared, more determined now. “Come on, my beloved,” she added dryly.
Aidan suddenly drew his sister to him, holding Deidre close.
“I can’t do this alone. You two must survive.”
“Promise!” Deidre teased.
He laughed suddenly. “Just as you promised you wouldn’t eat the last berry when we were children?”
“Sadly, we’re no longer children.” Deidre smiled wistfully.
“And I trust in your every promise. Go!” Aidan commanded her.
“Aye, my lord,” Deidre said, grinning as she turned from her brother and walked in the direction of the stables.
It wasn’t easy getting away; news was spreading about the expected attack and the plans to be made to defend the village.
Friends stopped them, anxious, and they had to be reassured.
Eamon, Sigurd and Aidan would speak to all those in the villages that afternoon.
Kylin and Deidre finally made their way to the horses, and then on into the woods.
“We could reach Cillian today,” Kylin said thoughtfully as they rode. “Perhaps we should do that, then move on to speak with Declan. We should, of course, explain more of our battle tactics to Cillian.”
“All right, that should be fine. I know that my father has runners ready to move in any direction if anything happens quickly.”
“We know that anything might happen at any time. But because the men who attacked us failed to take a hold, I believe we have a few days of grace time, all to our benefit to prepare.”
Deidre nodded. “All right, then. Onward to Cillian!”
She spurred her horse and rode ahead. He followed. They slowed as they moved through thicker foliage on the trail.
“Colleen is an amazing young woman,” Deidre said.
“Aye, that she is. And still, a mix—a mutt—like me.”
“Please! Look at our history. I had a right to be wary—”
“You did. But not after my father proved his loyalty for well over twenty years!” he reminded her.
She glanced at him and made a face.
“I forgive you,” he said with mock solemnity.
“Oh?” She laughed. “You know that you have changed my mind, taught me that a man makes himself—his birth cannot control what he becomes.”
“True and not true,” he said, shaking his head.
“My father has often spoken to me about the village where he was born. Children are taught from an early age that they need to train, be fierce and sail their great longboats to seize what they can from others. Yet, there, too, he knew gentle men who just wished to work, live in the comfort of their homes, raise their children. But, sadly, when a ruler wants absolute power, what he does to the minds of little ones can be terrifying.”
“Well, I am seeing more clearly that your father is quite the amazing man. And I was just curious. You and Colleen . . .”
“Jealous—my beloved?”
“Curious.”
“We are friends.”
“Your father hasn’t suggested forming a greater alliance through marriage?”
“My father is like yours in many, many ways,” he told her. “I have been left to make my own choices in life. Until now, of course,” he teased.
She let out a soft sigh. “You are a man. For men it is different. When a woman weds a man, she is expected to be little more than his servant in all things.”
“Never my mother,” Kylin assured her. “They talk . . . my parents talk about people, cultures, his and hers, and no, she was not trained as a warrior as you were. But she has always been the one to listen to my father. He in turn takes her every word to heart, has leaned upon her, loved her . . . and, I am willing to bet, your mother was no servant to your father.”
“And yet it was her death that led him to determine that I must be among the best trained warriors possible,” Deidre murmured.
“Well, we will play our roles in this game nonetheless,” he told her, then looked away.
He had cared for others in his life; he’d had his share of fleeting affairs as he’d grown to manhood.
And it was true that he’d known from a young age that he would be allowed to make his choices.
He had never found the woman with whom he wanted to awaken every morning, whose voice and laughter he wanted to hear throughout his lifetime.
Until now.
In this ridiculous and dangerous game.
If it were but true! I can’t deny the attraction. I’m equally certain that Deidre feels it as well, but now . . .
They were about to come under attack and they needed to make use of every advantage at their disposal, and if the world believed that they were to be a couple, truly combining the lands of Eamon and Sigurd, well, if it was necessary, so be it.
“It’s just . . .” Deidre began.
“Just what?”
“I am my father’s emissary,” she said. “I’m not an accessory!”
Kylin couldn’t help the laughter that burst from him.
“What?”
“By all the gods or angels, dear lass, no one in his or her right mind would ever, ever consider you an accessory!”
“Well, you know that. But—”
“Men like Angus will learn that, too, I promise.”
“But this story we’re using . . . it hasn’t hurt you in any way, has it?” Deidre asked him.
“Hurt me? How?”
“Well, it was quite obvious this morning that, whether you realize it or not, Colleen has looked at you in a different way.”
He shook his head. “Trust me, please. This doesn’t hurt me in any way.” Other than I realize that I’m wishing it was true! “No,” he said aloud. “When I say that we are friends, it is true. I think the world of her. I also believe I know who she does care for, and . . .”
“Who?”
He grinned. “It may all be in my mind,” he said.
“Tell me. I swear, I’ll say nothing.”
He laughed softly. “Your brother!”
“Aidan?”
“Aye, Aidan.”