Double Star

by Cindy Saunders

“Go!” Ally shouted.

  Meg dashed through the brush and Ally followed. “Pilotte, come!” I hope he knows the way out. She forgot about her ankle, picked up her skirt, and ran while bloodcurdling screams echoed through the woods.

  She lost her footing more than once, but they finally broke free of the forest. Ally put her bag onto her shoulder and climbed onto Chestnut. In an instant, Meg was beside her and they took off down the road.

  Once they were a safe distance, Ally brought Chestnut to a stop. Meg pulled on Shilo’s reins and came about. “What is the matter?”

  Ally wasn’t able to believe she just witnessed a scene from Animal Planet. “What happened back there? Where did those animals come from?”

  “They live here.”

  “Oh my god, I’m still shaking. It was a miracle that black cat came along.”

  Meg looked into the woods. “I hope he is all right.”

  “You hope who’s all right?”

  “The panther. Liam will be upset when he learns what happened.”

  “Well, he won’t… not if we get back before he does.”

  “Oh,” Meg said and grimaced, “I suspect he will know.”

  ***

  Shane did not interrupt while Liam and Corm told him of their discovery yesterday afternoon, but then the questions came quickly. “How did she get there? Where did she come from? Who is she? Have you ever seen her?”

  Liam held up his hand. “Whoa, Shane. One question at a time. But you might save your breath. I do not have answers to any of them.”

  “Well, where is she now?” Shane asked.

  “She is at home with Meg. I should get back and make sure they have not managed to—”

  Shane looked past Liam. “What happened to you?”

  Liam and Corm turned in the direction of Shane’s question. Ian walked toward them, his face covered in blood. Shane rushed to his side and helped him to sit down.

  “I am fine,” Ian replied. “It looks worse than it feels, I just need to—”

  “Take a minute,” Shane said. “We will wash off the blood once we are certain you are okay.”

  Looked worse than it felt? Liam did not understand how that could be true. Ian looked awful. A nasty cut ran over his left eye and a gash the width of his palm could be seen on his upper arm.

  Corm ripped the sleeve from his shirt and ran to the creek.

  “I was on my way here when I smelled something unusual,” Ian said. “I followed the scent and it led me to… this part might cause you concern, Liam… it led me to Meg and another girl. They were in the woods, a rather large cat was about to attack them. But it was not a wild animal. It was a fellow Shayeen. I tried to give them the opportunity to get safely back to their horses.”

  “What?” Liam shouted.

  “Pilotte was with them. That damn dog was ready to take on an animal five times its size but he did not have to. I gave whoever it was more than he bargained for.”

  “You were triumphant then,” Shane said.

  “You might say that,” Ian replied. A smile broke through his bloody face. Corm cleaned the cut over Ian’s eye and returned to the stream.

  “I am in your debt,” Liam said, “and grateful for what you have done. Thank you.”

  “You are welcome, but you would have done the same for me… for any of us. Who was the girl with Meg, and why were they there?”

  Corm rinsed the piece of cloth again and tied it above the wound on Ian’s arm. “This will stop the bleeding. Where were you?”

  “Not far from Henge Cliff,” Ian replied. “Why?”

  “That is where we found Ally yesterday.”

  “Found who?” Ian asked.

  Liam whistled for Pollux and picked up three of the fish. “Corm and Shane can provide the details. I need to get home.” He wrapped the fish in brown paper and threw them into his bag. “They have some explaining to do. We need to determine who you met today, Ian. Perhaps there is more than one stranger among us.”

  “Let us take a trip to town tomorrow,” Corm said. “Someone must know something.”

  “Aye,” Ian answered. “I will not forget his eyes. They were unusual… black in color.”

  “Well,” Shane said, “I have no intention of allowing you three to go to Pembroke proper without me. I will join you and make Oisin aware of our intention.”

  Liam mounted his horse and sped away, his anger more intense with each second that brought him closer to home.

  ***

  Meg showed Ally how to remove Chestnut’s saddle and brush her down. When they finished, she handed Ally three apples. “Here, give her these.”

  Ally put her hand in front of Chestnut’s mouth and they disappeared in one bite. She stroked the horse’s nose. “Good girl.”

  “Come on,” Meg said.

  Ally sat on the couch, opened her bag, and pulled out the jeans and T-shirt she’d brought for after the interview. Perfect choice. On the shirt, two hands held a colorful replica of planet earth. “Save the Earth, There is no PLANet B” was written beneath it. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna go change.”

  When she walked back into the living room, Meg laughed. “A shirt with writing on it? What do the words mean?”

  “You’re not the problem but I can’t believe you’ve never heard of pollution, global warming, soil erosion…”

  Meg looked at her.

  “It means the planet’s being ruined with our carelessness.”

  Meg raised her eyebrows.

  “Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?”

  “No,” Meg answered, “but I am starting to realize I usually do not. What else is in your sack? I have never seen one like that.”

  “It’s a cargo bag. My dad bought it for me because he thought it was cool.”

  “Cool?”

  “Oh, brother.” Ally grinned. “It means he liked it.”

  “I like it too. Coooool.”

  Ally was about to reach inside when Meg made a face and groaned. “Uh oh, here comes Liam. And I hate to tell you, he is riding fast.”

  “Well, just don’t say anything. Let me do the talking. There’s no way he could know.”

  ***

  How could Ally be so selfish? The question cycled around in his mind during the ride home. It would not take much to sway Meg to do something foolish, although she should have known better. He would not allow Ally to disrupt their lives. She needed to either wait for Thea or leave.

  She and Meg were on the couch. His anger and frustration simmered just below the surface. All it needed was a push to throw it into full boil.

  “Meg! Go to your room. I will have something to say to you later.”

  Liam’s eyes followed her as she ran down the hall. She would no doubt be listening but he did not care.

  “What were you thinking, venturing into the forest alone with Meg? You have no regard for anyone but yourself. You put not only your own, but Meg’s life in danger. Not to mention that of our dog. For what? Again, I ask, what were you thinking?”

  Their eyes met and, despite his anger, he felt something… slip but before he could continue, she began to speak.

  “I’m sorry, Liam. You’re right. I didn’t understand how dangerous it could be. Meg tried to stop me. I don’t understand what’s going on. I’ve gotten lost before but I’ve always been able to find my way, eventually. I never would have forgiven myself if anything happened. I’m sorry.”

  His anger began to dissolve and he sat on the couch beside her. “Tell me what happened.”

  When Ally finished her story, Meg ran into the room. “She didn’t tell you how brave Pilotte was. Come in here, you brave little puppy.” Meg opened the front door and the dog bounced into the room.

  “Meg, please watch your manner of speak—”

  “But Ally is allowed to speak that way.”

  “She does not know any better. You do. Make sure Pilotte has a special supper tonight. By the way,” he said before Meg could escape to the kitche
n, “whatever possessed you to think it was acceptable to go out alone?”

  “Please, Liam, it’s not her fault,” Ally said. “She was only trying to help. I’ll do whatever I can to make up for it.”

  “Let me see.” A hint of a smile played upon his lips. “Perhaps you could help with the chores tomorrow… muck the stalls, clean the chicken coop, and milk the cows.”

  Ally made a face and nodded her head. “A smelly chicken coop along with the aroma of fresh manure? I’m looking forward to it already. By the way, I have a question for you.” She followed him into the kitchen. “How do you know what happened? You weren’t there. It was only me and Meg and… Pilotte.” She looked at the dog, “And I know he didn’t tell you.”

  “It does not matter.” He put two logs into the kitchen stove. “My concern lies with the animal you encountered. Have you ever seen it before, Meg?”

  She shook her head.

  “We will be taking a trip to town tomorrow, to see what we can find out.”

  “Town!” Meg began to dance around. “I love going to town. Oh, Ally, you will like it too.”

  “I will be outside preparing the fish. Meg, please start potatoes and beans.”

  “You still haven’t answered me,” Ally said. “How did you know?”

  His initial assumption was correct. She would not be asking if she were familiar with the Shayeen. But, apparent as well, she had not been at the fair. How much to tell someone not of the forest? Then, a voice inside his head, clear and strong, spoke to him. She is not a threat. It is necessary for her to know but use discretion. It was Thea.

  “Come outside. I want to show you something,” he said.

  Chapter 11

  The sun had disappeared and the sky on the western horizon was a beautiful shade of rose. “Do you see those?” Liam asked. His index finger traced a line between four bright stars.

  “Yeah?”

  “And do you see the six that intersect with them, forming a cross?” Again his finger indicated where he wanted her to look.

  “That’s the constellation Cygnus,” Ally answered, “and, at the head of the cross, is a double star, Albireo and… Ascencia or something.”

  “You know the story then?”

  “I don’t know any story.”

  Her ignorance continued to astound him. “How can you know about the constellation but not its origin?”

  “My father was fascinated with the stars,” she said, “the possibilities they held. We used to sit in our backyard and he’d point them out to me.”

  “All of the groupings of stars tell a unique tale.”

  “Well, why don’t you enlighten me?”

  He chuckled. That might take more effort than he imagined.

  Patience.

  He sighed. “I will tell you the story that I know.”

  Ally followed him into the barn. She crossed her arms and leaned against Chestnut’s stall. Her blue eyes held his but he forced himself to turn away and began to remove Pollux’s saddle.

  “That constellation is also known as the Swan of the Northern Cross. Long ago, when the gods traveled freely between the heavens and this world, there lived the goddess Ascencia. From her father, who ruled the animal world, she inherited the gift of Shanyo. From her—”

  “Shanyo? What’s that?”

  He turned to face her. “You really do not know.”

  Ally laughed. “How could I? This is your story, not mine.”

  “Shanyo is the ability to assume the form of an animal.” She opened her mouth in surprise and he continued. “And from her mother, Ascencia received the gift of music. It is said her songs could bring the most brutal beast to its knees.”

  “I would love to be able to sing like that. I’ve tried but… let’s just say I should stick to the violin.” She met his eyes with eagerness now.

  “At birth, Ascencia was betrothed to Cepheus, son of Golan the Hunter. But, as she neared her seventeenth birthday, she realized her true desire was to visit this world, on her own. So, her parents proposed a compromise. She could spend a year in this realm. But, upon her return, she needed to fulfill her obligation to marry Cepheus.”

  Ally put her hands on hips and looked at him in disbelief. “She had to marry someone when she was only seventeen? That sucks.”

  Sucks? “I do not know if it ‘sucked’ or not, but Cepheus was enraged. The marriage guaranteed he would assume the seat on the council held by Ascencia’s father, a necessary step in Golan’s plot to overthrow Zeus. His impatience was misinterpreted. Ascencia’s father assumed Cepheus was merely… eager to wed, so he offered the boy a gift for his understanding in the matter—the power of Shanyo… the mark of the wolf. Ascencia traveled to this world, to the forest of Gilgamesh, content to spend a year. But she underestimated what she would discover here.”

  “Which was…?”

  “She fell in love with Albireo, a poor farmer boy.”

  “Albireo. Like the double star.”

  “Aye.”

  He put Pollux in his stall and took the fish from his saddlebag.

  “Is that it?” she asked when he didn’t continue.

  “Hardly. Come with me while I prepare this, and I will tell you the rest.”

  They walked behind the house and Liam placed the fish on a flat rock. He pulled a knife from his belt and began to fillet their supper.

  “When the harvest moon appeared in the sky, signaling that a year had passed, Ascencia made the decision to stay upon this earth and marry Albireo. The choice to remain here did not diminish her powers, but it did change one thing. She was now mortal… and vulnerable to the dangers of this world.”

  “She traded immortality for love. How romantic,” Ally said. Even in the shadows, Liam could see her smile. She was quite pretty…

  “Liam.” Ally was looking at him, snapping her fingers. “Earth to Liam.”

  “Yes?”

  “I asked you, what about Cepheus?”

  “Aye, Cepheus. He was infuriated by the news. He made the decision to kill Albireo, to take back what he felt belonged to him. He traveled to this world armed with a quiver of his father’s arrows and found Albireo at the edge of a pond. He was not aware that Ascencia had taken the form of a swan and was swimming nearby.”

  “His father’s arrows?”

  “Yes. The Hunter never missed the mark when using the arrows of Golan. But Cepheus chose his words poorly upon releasing it.”

  “What’d he say?”

  “He said, ‘Find the one who has stolen my destiny.’ And the arrow did as it was told. Its pile and shaft entered the flesh of the swan.”

  Ally dropped down onto the stone wall beside Liam. “He killed her? Does this story have a happy ending? Please tell me it does.”

  “It is for Fate to decide if their ending will be happy, or not. Ascencia’s spirit was placed in the heavens in her last form, the swan. The animals of the woods protected Albireo. Cepheus, outnumbered and fearful for his life, changed into the wolf and disappeared.”

  “What happened to him… Cepheus, I mean?”

  “Zeus spared his life but he was banished from the heavens, sentenced to this earth forever, immortal in a mortal world.”

  Ally looked into the sky. “If they were in love and married, why isn’t Albireo’s star as bright as Ascencia’s?”

  Liam followed her gaze. “Some believe it is beginning to die.”

  “I don’t know a lot about legends, but I know the death of a star can have devastating repercussions.”

  Liam lowered his eyes to the sight of Ally’s hopeful face. “Then we need to pray it does not happen. For now, Ascencia’s magic is still alive and her light continues to shine on this forest.”

  ***

  Liam laid out the third fish and expertly slit open its belly. Ally had to look away. She tried to think about what he’d just said, but her confusion only grew. It’s a great story but… “How does that explain what happened today?” she asked again.

  Li
am finished, put the fish down, and wiped his hands on a wet cloth. “Before she died, Ascencia gave birth to a son, half mortal, half god, who grew up in this world.”

  “And?”

  He lifted his hair and she saw the star on his neck. “This is the mark of Ascencia.”

  “So… you had it tattooed, out of respect or something?”

  “No. I was born with it.”

  She began to laugh. “And what… you can change into an animal?”

  “No. I cannot.”

  Whew.

  “Not yet. But there are those of us who can. The black cat who saved you yesterday is a friend of mine.”

  She loved the story, but please. What kind of medication was he on? “Really. And he told you what happened?”

  “Yes.”

  “Okay.” He was crazy. Not that it mattered. Her goal was to get out of here and find a way home, but she was curious about something else. “Who told you that story?”

  The muscles in his jaw tightened and he looked into the woods. “My mother.”

  Oh. Her shoulders dropped and she swallowed hard. Regardless of his insanity, she owed him an apology. “What I said earlier, about your mother. Meg told me what happened. I had no idea. I’m sorry.”

  He re-wrapped the fish in the brown paper. “Let us get inside. Meg must be wondering where we are.” He stood in front of her and offered his hand.

  It was a gesture she wasn’t used to but she took it and felt his warmth, his strength, and her cheeks began to burn. She was glad it was dark. When she got to her feet, he released his hold on her and they walked inside.

  “That was great. Thanks,” Ally said when dinner was over. She cleared the table and, remembering what Meg had done earlier, pumped water into the pot and placed it on the stove. Meg was in her room and Liam disappeared outside. She sat at the table and put her head into her arms. It had all happened so fast. What was the last thing that made any sense?

  I was standing in Sedona. But even that was weird. She only wound up there because her GPS malfunctioned, some type of glitch. And then she was falling. Every bone in her body should’ve been broken, but she survived with no real injuries. And then these kids found her. And what about Liam? She was sure she’d dreamed about him. Maybe she had died after all, and crossed over to… where?