Chapter Seventeen
Alasdair
Alasdair stood on a large rock a distance away from the water’s edge, casting his net into the loch.
These early morning hours, before anyone else stirred, were his favorite time to fish.
A slight breeze rippled the water and whenever it happened, he could see the fish coming to the surface to feed.
Most of the beef had been devoured last night, thanks to six strapping lads.
He’d salvaged half of the smoked pork, tucking it away in a cool spot for today’s meal.
He recalled the days of his youth with Els and Alick; if meat was before them, they ate it. Now, isolated in this new area in the western isles of the Hebrides, he was mindful of their need for caution. He wasn’t prepared to return to Finlaggan yet.
Fish would be for lunch, smoked pork for the evening meal. The remainder could make a fine stew on the morrow. He and Emmalin had purchased salt and a few other spices to flavor any pottage, along with barley and oats for porridge.
He waited for the familiar tug on his net, his thoughts drifting to their long journey.
He vividly recalled his devastation at MacLintock Castle when their malicious neighbor had kidnapped Ailith, imprisoning her in his cellar.
She had endured five days in a cold, dark cell, sustained only by bread and water. He had never felt so utterly helpless.
The neighbor had intended to trade Ailith’s life for their land. Alasdair had followed the trail the man left, finding his daughter lying in filth within a small, locked chamber. She’d barely had enough strength left to cling to him.
But she had. She’d fought to stay alive.
He’d always thought having a son was difficult, but a daughter proved so much more heartbreaking.
How could a man teach someone as delicate as Ailith to protect herself?
He had taught her to use a dagger, but she’d been without it when she was seized at the market that day long ago.
Thankfully, Alasdair had found her before it was too late.
He tugged the net in, surprised to find three large, unfamiliar fish floundering inside. He tossed them into the bucket, pleased that fishing here wouldn’t be difficult. He would hunt deer with Dyna and Derric someday, but first, he had to follow Ailith’s lead.
If he could do it.
He sat on the rock, watching the sun peek over the horizon, ushering in the day’s most beautiful hour. Bowing his head, he offered a quick prayer for the strength to help Ailith with her mission concerning these stolen bairns.
He didn’t fault her for exploring her new talent, or for her adamant resolve to help find the bairns. He couldn’t be upset with a gift so deeply connected to Dyna, Sylvi, and Tora, all of whom he trusted completely. The one he didn’t trust was himself.
His thoughts drifted to John, whose path had been so simple.
John had found his “lassie,” as he’d called Coira, when he was even younger than Daran was now.
He and Coira had never been interested in anyone else, nor had they ever strayed from Grant land unless one of the clan was with them.
Coira, now carrying their first, had opted to stay at Duart with Sela.
Alasdair reflected on his own family. He and Emmalin had been delighted when she carried another child to term, a strong laddie whose bellows at birth had echoed off the rafters, a blessing after they had lost another. But Daran still had years before he would be looking for his lassie.
He’d never imagined it would be so difficult to envision Ailith with a man he didn’t know.
This was the source of his current unease. He’d explained to Emmalin when they first married that, while blessed to have three bairns, he never wanted just one. He didn’t wish to inflict on a child the loneliness he had endured himself.
Alasdair had lost his mother at eight and ten, and then his sire six moons later.
An only child, he had been so distraught that he denied his father’s death for nearly a year until Dyna had forced him to confront it, descending into an awful state.
He didn’t wish to do the same to their children, so having three made him deliriously happy.
The door opened, and his beautiful wife stepped out into the cool air, a plaid wrapped around her shoulders. “Fishing already, Alasdair?”
“’Tis a fine morn out here on the loch. You know I love to fish, especially in the early summer.”
She approached, and he held a hand out, helping her walk across the path of stepping stones and onto the large rock he sat on. “There’s plenty of room for you. Join me for the sounds of dawn on Islay. There’s even enough wind to keep the midges away.”
“You’ve caught fish already? What kind?”
“I think trout and they’re good-sized. We can easily put them in a stew if they aren’t sweet-tasting alone. And after seeing the lads’ appetites last evening, I think we’ll need plenty of food.”
“They’ll probably be delicious. But that’s not why I came out.”
Alasdair let out a sigh he didn’t even try to hide. “I know why you are here.”
“Why?”
“Because you are worried about me.”
“Am I?”
“Aye, you are worried that I’ll struggle when Ailith begins to forge her own path.”
“Will you?” She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her, inhaling her sweetness.
“I think I’m going to struggle a bit. Watching Edan gaze at Ailith was difficult enough. I fear she might leave us, and that day could be soon.”
“Alasdair, I want our daughter to find someone to love, to marry, and have bairns with.”
“I do too.”
“Do you? Or do you wish to keep her safely at home forever?”
“I wish for both, truthfully. I’d hoped she’d find someone on Grant land or even a Ramsay lad. I’d share her with the Ramsays. Or if she found someone on Mull, it’s a small isle, and Dyna and Maitland will always be there.”
“The thought of someone anywhere else frightens you?”
“It does. It would take more than a day to get to her if she needed our help, and I don’t like that.
And we wouldn’t know anyone there who could give us advice.
I’m struggling with it, I’ll be honest. It’s not just a man, Em.
It’s this man. The one who’s dragging her into a faery hill. How can I not be afraid?”
“Even though it hasn’t happened yet.”
“Exactly. I know we have time.” He tossed the net in again and sat back down to wait for the tug. “Nothing is certain yet, and I’ll be patient. But even the thought of her chasing faeries here has me a wee bit unsettled. Doesn’t it bother you, Em?”
His wife wove her arm inside his as he held the net.
“I’ll admit it does. But I’ve seen Lia with my own eyes, and I trust her.
I’ve also seen your parents and grandparents, who are not part of this world.
These things help me, knowing she’d have others watching over her, your ancestors and mine.
But the land of the faeries is so unknown. We’ll have to be patient.”
Alasdair held his snort in. “My best quality.”
His wife barked out a laugh, looking over her shoulder to see if anyone else was up. Sure enough, Magni joined them.
Alasdair hauled in the net again, finding two different kinds of fish inside. “Magni, are these good eating?”
“Aye. They’re all good. The ones in the bucket are brown trout, and you know they’re good. If you take the boat out into the middle, you can catch one three times that size. May I ask a question?”
“Absolutely.” Alasdair held the net open while Magni reached in to grab the two fish, tossing them into the bucket.
“Maitland said you saw Lia on the ship. I’ve seen her a couple of times. Did she mention anything about coming to Islay? I’d like to see her again. It’s been a long time.”
“I didn’t hear her say anything other than to ask Edan who he was and then what he was. Magni, you weren’t there years ago when Lia explained something to us.”
“Us? To whom exactly?”
“To the adults present during the kidnapping. She advised us that we wouldn’t be needed for many years, but she would return when the time came. Then, she would need John, Grant, the sapphire sword, and the rest of you.”
“Me too?” Magni still had that innocent look he’d carried ever since they all met him at eight years old on Mull. Perhaps it was the ruffled hair or the steel gaze that locked onto someone until he got the answer he sought.
“Aye. She mentioned you along with Tora, Sylvi, and Sandor. Brynja and Hagen also had special talents, but you were specifically named in the list of people with special gifts. The main point of the conversation was that you would all be needed several years later. I think those times are here. In fact, she told Dyna and Avelina last night that it was time.”
Magni’s eyes widened, brushing a bug from his forearm. “Now? Why do you think now is the time?”
Maitland stepped out from behind Magni. “Because we’re all here, and I know it’s not by accident. Ailith and John were both called to come here.”
“How are they called?” Magni looked from one face to the next for an explanation. He’d always been the type to ask many questions, probably because of the difficult life he’d had.
Maitland looked to Alasdair for help.
Emmalin stood up, leaning on her husband for support.
“I would call it being compelled. John said he was coming. He didn’t ask, he just declared he was going to Duart.
It’s those inklings Lia warned us all about many years ago.
She sends them to us and told us not to ignore them.
Adults ignore things that don’t make sense, but young people don’t.
Those inklings brought us all together again. ”
“Inklings?” Magni scratched his head, sweeping his dark hair back from his face. “I’m not sure I understand.”
“Em’s exactly right. Let me think of a good example.” Maitland gestured toward the second cottage. “Why did you decide to build that cottage when you had plenty of room in the first one you built?”
Magni shrugged. “I don’t know. We just decided one day. Wait… is that what you mean? When we’re convinced we need to do something, it’s an inkling?”
“Aye,” Maitland explained. “I think it could be from Lia, but it could be from anyone who has passed on. It could be my father pushing me too.” He’d lost Drew three years ago.
“So you think our building the extra cottage came from Lia? I’ll believe that, I guess.”
Alasdair asked, “And the extra bedchambers you added abovestairs recently? What made you decide to build those?”
Magni grinned, tipping his head back. “Aye. That’s exactly why we added those bedchambers.
No reason, I just felt it needed to be done.
” He laughed and paced back and forth along the shoreline.
“Cormac asked me why we needed more, and I looked to Morgan for help. Morgan just shrugged and asked Cormac if he’d ever met our clan. So Cormac agreed to help us.”
“That was definitely Lia.” Maitland clasped Magni’s shoulder. “She told you while you were sleeping that you needed more.”
Magni rubbed his dark beard. “I hope she’s coming later. I’d like to see her again.” His boot scuffed the soft dirt as he stared at the ground. “Standing here reminds me of a day long ago.”
“Tell us, Magni. I’d love to hear it.”
“It was the day the men tried to sneak onto Iona from the rear in the dark. Simone and Artan sent me back for something, and as I returned, I heard noises. I turned around and saw the men climbing out of the boats with their swords. They wanted all the bairns on Iona.”
“And?” Emmalin asked, crossing her arms. “I love this story!”
Magni rubbed a tear from his eye. “I ran out to the shore screaming as a line of Grantham warriors passed by me: Brynja, Hagen, Artan, Eli, Alaric, Broc, and Thane. Grandda had to shake me to make me stop. I think he said, ‘For the love of all that’s holy, lad, stop your screaming!’ or something similar.
I ran straight to Thane and told him I would move in with him. That must have been an inkling too.”
Emmalin moved over and hugged Magni warmly. “We love you, Magni, but nay. Logan is never an inkling. He’s more like a hard slap against the back of your head.”
Magni laughed. “I hope he’s still well. I’ll have to stop for a visit soon.”
“He’s fine, Magni. Still barking orders at everyone, but he can’t chase anyone anymore.”
Alasdair climbed back ashore from the rock, carrying the bucket of fish. “Oh, someone has Logan all shook up.”
“Who?” Magni asked.
“His granddaughter, Gwendolyn. She talks just like Gwynie, and it’s got him unsettled.”
“I’m definitely going to have to visit soon to see that. What are the plans for this day? I have to run a few ferries across the sound.”
Maitland said, “We decided to head to Finlaggan Castle after Edan arrives. I’d wager Lia will be there. We’ll tell her you’d like to see her.”
Magni nodded. “Aye. Please do. I promise to return before nightfall.”
Emmalin waited until he was out of earshot. “I love Magni. What a difficult life he’s had.”
“He has a good life now. But what is his power? Wasn’t he on the list of special talents?”
Maitland said, “He was. I remember it exactly: John and Grant with the sword; Sylvi, Tora, and Sandor; and Magni. Alasdair and Emmalin were to help John, Maeve, and me to help Grant. Brynja and Hagen were bound together for their healing abilities. Dyna, Derric, and bairns had their three talents, and Connor was a general add-on.”
Alasdair stared up at the clouds moving overhead. “Now that I think about it, Ailith was never mentioned, was she? She and Magni have powers we don’t quite understand yet. And what is Magni’s ability?”
Emmalin whispered, “I’d wager we’ll be finding out soon enough.”
“Bringing that up does make a point.”
“What?” Emmalin grabbed her husband’s hand as they headed back inside.
He kissed her cheek. “We’re all here, and Lia has been here as well. What exactly are we going to find on Islay?”