by Clare Wilson
It was now early afternoon and the men would only have two to three hours before they would have to start their journey back to meet Lady Naithara in the clearing at nightfall. They would have to work very quickly if they were to find the family. It was looking more and more likely that this goal would not be achieved in one day. Although none of the men spoke, they all felt an apprehension at the thought of how Lady Naithara may respond to further bad news. No-one wanted to be the one deemed responsible for failure.
* * *
With the MacKay’s camp secure, they all sat down looking over the valley.
‘It is beautiful,’ Adaira said, gazing out across the blanket of green in front of her.
‘Yes, it is,’ Torean replied. ‘We must hope that we're successful or it may not always be so. I wish I knew what Lizzy and Angus were doing,’ he said, with a distracted look into the distance. ‘I fear they may be in great danger if they try to contact us.’
Tom had been thinking about this as they all had. He wondered if there might be something they could do to find out. ‘If we can communicate with animals, would it be possible to ask a bird to go and look for them? I know it sounds silly, but if that little bird could come to us with information when we didn’t even ask it to, couldn’t it work the other way round?’
‘Yes,’ said Torean thoughtfully, ‘I suppose it could, but in order for that to be successful it would be best if we could commune with the same small sparrow that came to us earlier. We know he knows who they are, and that they are trying to reach us.’
‘That isn’t a problem, granda,’ Aneirin said, pointing lazily upwards. ‘He’s been watching us all morning from that tree.’ He pointed to a tall aspen which was further down the hillside.
‘Well done, my boy!’ Torean said excitedly. ‘It’s been driving me crazy sitting here worrying about what they must be doing.’ Without a moments hesitation Torean stood up and raised his staff. ‘Suaimhneach,’ he mumbled. At this the bird flitted from the tree to the ground and hopped slowly towards them. ‘I will need your help for this one,’ the old man said, turning to Tom. ‘Can you use the word we discussed earlier to provide extra strength to my incantation? It is, unfortunately, harder to ask such a creature something than it is for them to relay images to us. I will need your strength.’
Tom nodded and raised his staff ready to help Torean when needed.
‘Suaimhneach,’ Torean said again, and gestured to Tom.
‘Beathaich,’ Tom said. He felt warmth pass through his body and into the staff. The power seemed to be released from the end of the wood and surrounded Torean in a pale blue aura. Taken aback by how the incantation looked, he had to concentrate to keep his focus until Torean lowered his staff and sagged to sit down.
‘Are you okay?’ Adaira asked worriedly, rushing towards the old man.
The enchantment seemed to have weakened Torean and everyone including Onero had gathered round him to ensure he was not injured. Tom found this strange, but for some reason the MacKay’s horse seemed to have a heightened sensitivity to what went on around him. He wondered if this was perhaps caused by his close proximity to the power of the staff.
‘I’m fine, my dear,’ Torean said tiredly. ‘I’m just not as young as I was, and communicating with creatures can be difficult, especially when the bird is so small. It's harder to gain their level of understanding and takes a great deal of concentration and strength. Thank you for your help, Tom, I couldn't have kept that up without you.’
Tom smiled at Torean’s words, and then realised that the bird had not waited around. He had vanished at the end of the communication he had shared with the old man. Then looking up, he noticed the small bird was circling the group and singing at the top of his voice over the valley. Watching him as he flew, he hoped the little creature had understood the message Torean had tried to convey. A great deal depended upon it.
Torean had to go and lie down for a short while to recover from the enchantment he had cast upon the creature. Tom felt guilty he had suggested the spell which had drained him so badly.
‘Don’t worry,’ Aneirin said, trying to comfort him. ‘My granda is very stubborn. I’m sure if you had not suggested the spell he would have thought of it anyway. Hopefully our little friend flies fast and can return quickly with news for us. It’s hard just sitting here. I feel like we’re hiding from these people, from the people who ought to be hiding themselves.’
‘Well,’ said Tom. ‘In a way we are hiding. From what I can gather we will fight them, but we can’t until they make their move. I don’t think the staff can be used for attacking people without provocation. It can only be used as a form of defence. That’s what makes us the heroes. We don’t act, we stop others acting.’
‘I hadn’t thought of us as heroes,’ Aneirin said, smiling.
‘When they destroyed your home,’ Tom continued, ‘they removed the place we could wait. So unfortunately we're stuck spending the next few days hiding out in the hills. I suppose we just have to be patient.’
‘Patient,’ Aneirin said, shaking his head. ‘It’s a little easier said than done unfortunately. Can I ask you something?’
‘Of course,’ Tom replied.
‘If you think it's appropriate,’ Aneirin said tentatively, ‘would you mind showing me what you've learned from my granda so far? I know he wants me to take this slowly, but something about the whole situation makes me uneasy. I wouldn't ask him to train me with his own staff right now, but perhaps if we both work together it'll help me build my knowledge of things, and also help you to continue your training?’
Tom thought for a moment, ‘Maybe. You don’t think your granda would be angry?’
‘What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,’ Aneirin said with a wink. ‘I just feel useless right now.’
Tom looked at Aneirin for a few moments. It made him feel a bit better that he wasn't the only one feeling helpless. ‘Okay. But we should probably find somewhere to work where we won’t easily be overheard.’
Aneirin grinned. ‘Mum, we are going for a stroll,’ he said, loud enough for her to hear. ‘We’re feeling a bit cooped up and don’t want to disturb granda’s rest.’
His mother did not look particularly happy at this thought. ‘Make sure you don’t go far, you mustn't be seen. Also, make sure that you can hear me if I call on you.’
‘Very well, see you soon,’ Aneirin smiled and led Tom away from the camp and into the trees. They found a small clearing and sat down.
Tom began to tell Aneirin everything Torean had taught him since his arrival. It felt good to talk to someone other than Torean about these things. He also felt good about himself when he realised how much he had learned in the short time he had been with the family.
‘Can I try the incantation with the stone?’ Aneirin asked after a short time listening to Tom.
Tom suddenly felt strange at the thought of passing his staff to Aneirin. He couldn’t believe how attached to it he had become. However, he then realised that this was silly because technically the staff must have already belonged to Aneirin in the past. He slowly handed the boy the staff and selected a small stone. ‘You need to listen to the wind in the trees. It helps you focus your energy.’
Aneirin closed his eyes. ‘Amas,’ he said quietly. The wind rose around the two the way it had when Tom had first tried to focus the power of the staff, but as it had with Tom, the stone stayed exactly where it was.
Tom laughed. ‘Don’t worry. I was exactly the same. It seems if you can learn to do this, it means you can focus the energy of the staff, and well, pretty much do anything.’
‘I have been thinking,’ Tom said wistfully. ‘Has anyone ever written down what the staff is capable of?’
‘Well,’ said Aneirin, ‘I doubt it. I can read, my granda taught me. He said the Laird taught him, but we're not wealthy enough to afford books.’
‘Don’t you think it would be a good idea?’ Tom suggested. ‘My granda is an old man, and so is yours. What
if something happened to them before they could teach us?’
‘I hadn’t thought about it,’ said Aneirin. ‘I suppose we’re both in generations where it matters. Most MacKays have probably learned from their fathers, not their grandfathers. Perhaps when you return home, you should write everything down.’
Tom found the idea exciting. It would be like he was writing his own adventure, a hero’s handbook. He was daydreaming about such a text written down in ink, bound in thick leather with a metal clasp, when he suddenly noticed Aneirin.
Aneirin looked very disgruntled. ‘Amas,’ he repeated. Again the wind rose and the stone shook slightly where it lay.
As the wind fell Tom thought he heard Adaira’s voice. He looked up. ‘I think that was your mum,’ he said, looking back towards the camp. ‘We had best get back.’ The two boys leapt up and Tom awkwardly took his staff back from Aneirin before they headed back to the camp. Although it had been hard to give Aneirin the staff, it somehow also felt strange to ask for it back.
When they arrived, they saw the sparrow had returned and was bobbing up and down on the ground as though he was anxious to give them his news.
Torean had wakened and was sitting watching the bird expectantly. ‘Where exactly have you two been?’ he asked without looking up.
‘Sorry, granda. We just went for a walk,’ said Aneirin, his cheeks blushing with shame as he lied to the old man. His grandfather knew him too well, and would know exactly what the two boys had been doing.
As Tom watched this he thought that his granda would be the same. He now understood why his grandfather could foretell the weather. Tom himself had started to feel more of what was going on around him. He was also starting to sense people’s emotions.
‘Well, we shall have to keep an eye on that sort of behaviour. Impromptu walks are not good for your health when you’re on the run,’ Torean said, still sounding exhausted and trying to hide his face so the boys wouldn’t see him smiling. ‘Tom, come and sit next to me, I still feel a bit tired. Could you please cast the spell and I will join in behind you to share your vision?’
Tom felt slightly nervous at the thought of taking the lead. He took a deep breath, sat down next to Torean and said, ‘Suaimhneach.’ He could feel the link with the little creature rush through him, and then noticed that Torean must also have said Suaimhneach, because he could also feel the link between the two of them. He saw a vision of the same old man and young woman climbing through the hillside. They now also had another, older man with them. From the surrounding area it looked like they were headed for Devil’s Ford coming from the West. Tom tried to communicate to the bird that he was grateful for his help and severed the connection. He turned to Torean.
‘Well, boy, it looks like our friends are on their way to see us after all.’
Aneirin and Adaira looked at one another with mingled apprehension and joy. They had been so worried about the Lizzy and the Laird, but they couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of seeing the pair.
‘They look as if they are an hour or so away,’ continued Torean, ‘but are approaching from the opposite side of the valley from the path we took. This suggests to me the men who are tracking us have gone via Longford’s Pass.’
‘Do you think we're safe here?’ Adaira asked, looking concerned. It was easy to forget the evil band out there looking for them when they were focusing on their friends.
‘We should be for now,’ answered Torean, settling back down among his bedding. ‘I don’t think this will be the first place they'll think to look. Although how Old Wilson and the Laird managed to think of this place I will never know! This was your idea, Tom, I guess we're more alike than I realised.’
‘So what do we do now?’ Aneirin asked.
‘All we can do, my lad, is sit and wait,’ Torean replied wearily. ‘They have come this far without being harmed, and hopefully they'll be with us soon and we can discuss where to take things from here.’
Adaira stood up and went to make them all some tea. It was the late afternoon and was starting to cool down. She thought it would be a good idea to get a fire started. Torean dragged himself from his bed to follow her and advised that they set up their fire away from the edge of the camp. The vantage point they had over the valley also meant that any fire they lit could be easily seen, so she set up a fire in a small cave near the camp.
‘I do have some enchantments which can provide heat and light without being a beacon to others out there,’ Torean told Adaira. ‘If we end up sitting out in the camp at night I will use this to sustain us rather than fire.’
Adaira nodded and went about her task, and she was grateful to have something to do. As always, she found it best to busy herself doing something which made things feel normal, routine.
‘Torean?’ Tom said, thoughtfully. ‘Can I ask you about Onero?’
‘Of course, boy,’ Torean said, sitting down painfully with Aneirin’s help. ‘What can you possibly want to know about our old friend?’
‘Why does he seem more aware of what's going on around him than a normal horse?’ Tom asked. ‘I might be imagining things, but it seems he gathers round when we talk as though he understands what's going on. I keep expecting him to join in the conversation!’
‘He is special,’ Torean said, chuckling. ‘He's been in our family a long time, as was his father before him. I think that over a couple of generations, the constant exposure to the staff has made him more than just an ordinary horse. In spite of this, he will not, as you say, join in our conversations. He can sense when we are worried, and can even find us sometimes when we need him. But he can't talk.’
‘I see,’ Tom said thoughtfully. ‘I knew there was something about him. I'll need to get you to tell me about a time when he has come to find you. It sounds perfect for a hero to have a magical horse.’ Tom was now off in his own imagination. He was again envisaging himself as a hero astride a great talking horse.
Torean shook his head, unaware of Tom’s wild imagination. He was about to launch into the story of the time when Onero had come to his rescue, when Adaira returned with the tea and the group’s conversation turned from such things towards speculation about their friends and where they were. It was hard for them to focus on anything, other than the thought that they were out there, coming for them. Tom didn’t know Lizzy or the Laird, but he couldn’t remember feeling this impatient in a long time.
Chapter Eleven
A Friend in the Dark
Lizzy, the Laird and Wilson had been walking for hours and she was starting to weary. ‘Is it much further?’ she asked them, while wiping the sweat from her brow.
‘Not too far, Lizzy,’ the Laird replied. ‘We should be there soon. We just need to hope Torean will not be too shocked by our arrival. I am sure he will be nervous of any visitors approaching him right now.’
‘Yes,’ Wilson said, nodding. ‘We'll need to be careful when we get closer. If I know Torean, the old goat will have set up traps to stop people sneaking up on them unawares.’
Lizzy tried not to think about this, as she looked forward to seeing Torean and Aneirin. The thought of surprising them was the only thing stopping her from dropping to the ground to rub her blistered feet.
As they made their final approach the light was beginning to fade. They heard someone speak out of the gloom.
‘My friends,’ said a familiar voice. ‘You're fools, but I am glad to see you!’
‘Torean, is that you?’ The Laird said, peering into the growing darkness.
‘Yes,’ Torean replied, chuckling and appearing from the undergrowth with a large grin on his face. ‘Now follow me and we'll talk where it's safe.’ The old man had sensed their arrival through the wards he and Tom had placed around the camp earlier that day, and was able to meet them upon their approach in order to lead them safely to the camp.
They walked for several more minutes and reached the place where the family was staying. As they entered the clearing the first thing Lizzy could s
ee was two figures sitting around a fire set back into a cave front. Suddenly they turned and she saw it was Adaira and Aneirin. She felt a great rush of relief flood through her as she looked at them and saw that they were well and smiling. She noticed another boy further inside the cave, although she had no idea who he was. Aneirin rose from his place next to the fire and rushed to embrace her.
At that she stumbled slightly. ‘I hadn’t realised how tired I was,’ she explained. ‘My feet are killing me.’ She couldn’t stop smiling at the sight of Aneirin.
Torean looked round at the three of them, concerned. ‘Come, sit. I believe we have a great deal to discuss, my friends.’
The group sat down and Adaira began to fix a pot of tea for them all. ‘You look weary. I’m sure a nice hot cup of tea will sort that out,’ she said, looking physically refreshed simply by the presence of these new allies. ‘We don’t have milk I’m afraid.’
‘Ah,’ the Laird said, removing his shoes. ‘That sounds just the ticket, my dear.’ He stretched his feet out in front of him and flexed his toes. It was a great relief to sit down. He had never thought he would find sitting on rough ground so comfortable.
‘I’m so glad you’re safe,’ Lizzy said, looking at Torean. ‘After I warned you, the Sheriff told us you were dead! I was distraught! I couldn’t stop thinking that I should've gone to the Laird before. Perhaps if I had, I could have saved you...’