Seven Moons Back to the Highlands

by Deborah R Stigall

  “Are ye watching this, Emrys?”

  Caelan whispered to the druid standing at his side as he watched his son reach out and stroke the silkie’s nose.

  “I’m old not blind and didna Rachel tell us Ronan would be so?”

  Repositioning Latharn to a more comfortable position against his shoulder, Emrys glanced warily into the baby’s round green eyes.

  “And what tricks have ye to show us, wee fox?”

  Grinning proudly, Latharn opened one tiny hand to reveal that once again, he had the shell Yvonna had taken away from him and thrown into the sea; the brackish water dripping down his tiny arm as he waved it in the air.

  Harrumphing in amusement, Emrys shook his head as walked slowly up the beach toward Yvonna and Fergus sitting among the rocks.

  “And you, Faolan? Are ye ready to show us a bit of your gifts or are ye going to surprise us some other time?” Caelan chucked the solemn baby under the chin as he cocked his head to one side.

  His dark purple eyes staring deeply into his father’s gaze, Faolan kicked and squirmed to be set down upon the ground. He’d never shown the need or the desire to be coddled and held and as he grew older and more agile his need for independence seemed to be growing.

  Crawling back toward the cliffs, away from the sea, he didn’t once glance at any of the surrounding adults. Finally reaching the spot he deemed worthy, he spun from all fours and sat with a slight thump upon his round behind.

  Frowning at his brother Ronan sitting so perfectly contented nearly within reach of the crashing waves, Faolan held one plump hand toward his sibling and emitted a low rumbling growl from deep within his tiny chest.

  Within a blink of an eye, Ronan was sitting beside Faolan safely away from the frothing sea. Looking around to discover he’d lost his preferred spot beside the water and that his friendly sea lion had disappeared back into the deep, Ronan scrunched up his face and turned beat red as he set up a howl of indignation.

  Faolan then turned toward Emrys and Latharn and once more held out his chubby little hand. Immediately, Latharn’s prized seashell held so dearly in his hand disappeared into thin air only to reappear at Faolan’s feet. Faolan frowned down at the shell at his feet and squealed as though in anger at the offending object that kept finding its way into Latharn’s mouth. As he squealed, the shell quickly disintegrated into a pile of sparkling dust.

  Upon seeing his shell so neatly destroyed, Latharn’s howls of rage joined Ronan’s as he glared across the beach at his brother.

  Staring at his sons in open-mouthed disbelief, Caelan pulled Rachel close to his side.

  “What have we brought into this world?” he whispered as he felt the words catching in his throat.

  Sighing, Rachel patted Caelan sympathetically on the arm, “Wait ‘til you see what their sister will be able to do.”