“My name is of no importance at the moment.” The spirit lifted her chin and flared her nostrils as Alainn had seen her Aunt Siobhan do so many times when she did not desire to speak on a topic! This spirit was surely her sister, who had been murdered, found strangled in the woods, when she was only three and ten.
“You are Shylie, my aunt Siobhan’s younger sister? You are my father’s sister?”
“Aye, it is truth, Siobhan is my dear sister, and your father Teige is my brother, but now, Alainn you must listen and you must observe.”
Alainn remembered longing to have this vision come to an end and she shook her head in attempt to do so, but Shylie took her arm and held tight. “Do not be distanced yet, for you must learn more.”
Then the voices grew louder and when she dared to peek around the stone once more, she saw that the women’s gowns had been discarded and they were all entirely unclothed. The dark demon was at present mating with one of the women in the circle while the others watched on, and soon he made his way to the next and the next.
Alainn had no desire to watch such intimate relations, much less be witness to this unnatural coupling and depravity, so she looked away, but the young spirit insisted she must not leave yet. Alainn occasionally allowed herself a quick glance. When the demon made his way to the last woman, she watched in disbelief as the other five magically shape-shifted into varying animals from wolves to falcons. Only the one with the long dark curly hair remained in human form and Alainn felt an even stronger repulsion as she watched the demon wildly claim her. She turned away and hid once more. While she listened to the guttural grunts and moans of the fornication, she heard an especially disturbing sound, and when she dared to look once more she watched in horror as the man turned into the hellish incomprehensibly ugly beast she had seen in the dungeon at Castle O’Brien. And his maniacal laughter as he copulated with the woman chilled her heart. As he finally moved from the woman he stared up directly into Alainn’s eyes, and the woman who still lie upon the ground stared at her as well.
Alainn was confused and her mind struggled to comprehend what she was seeing for the woman was surely Ciara, and yet she was obviously much older, with many steaks of white through her dark hair and numerous scratches, bites, and scars upon her sickly colored skin. She stood and began to walk directly toward Alainn who was now frozen where she stood. When the woman who so uncannily resembled Ciara snapped her fingers the five women who had recently become animals, soon turned back to human form again, and they all cackled eerily and leered at Alainn, and began walking toward her.
Alainn gasped aloud and the woman stared deeply into her eyes, as she spoke.
“Did you truly believe yours was the only line of powerful witches?” She sneered wickedly and pointed straight toward Alainn’s belly and shook her head. “You were sorely wrong, foolish woman!”
Then the spirit girl, Shylie, forcefully grabbed her arm, shook her abruptly and she was once more back at the lakeshore.
Standing on the shore of the lake, Alainn tried to come up with a reasonable interpretation of the vision she’d been shown by the spirit, Shylie. The menacingly disturbing woman looked as though it surely must be Ciara, but she was considerably a woman of more advanced years. She was surely nearly two decades older than Ciara was now. Her dark hair had many coarse white streaks throughout, and her middle possessed a thickness and her breasts a heaviness that often accompanies age. Her face was a sickly shade and when Alainn dwelled more upon the vision it became clearer, Alainn recalled the many bites and scratches on the woman’s hands and face as well as open wounds and scars. She had an unusual pallor as though she might actually be a corpse. Alainn shook her head to rid herself of the displeasing image.
She tried to decipher why she would be shown this vision at this precise time when she had been curious to learn if Ciara possessed wounds caused by animals. Was this how Ciara would appear in the future? Would Ciara, when she was older and wiser, more accomplished in dark spells or more powerful magic possibly claim the ability to travel about in time as Alainn had once done herself? Could she have come to this time to place the spell on the animals, and then have returned to her time? When Alainn had placed the spell of thirteen on whoever had created the spell, had the evildoer been affected by the spell of thirteen even if she’d returned to another time? The spell of thirteen was unusually potent and far-reaching, but could it span two decades?
As Alainn dwelled intently upon the unusual and perplexing vision, she was startled at the voice of the actual woman beside her.
“Are you quite well, milady? You appear distressed.”
Alainn shook her head and steadied herself once more. “No, I am well enough.”
Ciara nodded and continued speaking to her. “Milady, so you do maintain your interest in bein’ a healer? I have heard through many that you were a respected herbalist and healer at Castle O’Brien. I would appreciate it much if I might learn from you. I sense my grandmother is envious of your ability and is not always congenial toward you.”
Alainn remained shaken by the unusual vision and now uncertain how to respond to Ciara. Surely Alainn’s harbingering vision was from somewhere far in the future. She must simply concentrate on her present unpleasantness in contending with this woman who seemed intent on appearing to be cordial.
Had Ciara actually not remembered the vexing incident between the two of them on the night of the celebration, as Killian had suggested she might not? Or was she tactfully avoiding the subject and hoping to grovel and be friendly toward her so Alainn would harbor fewer ill feelings toward the woman? She could not deny Ciara could be outwardly charming, and her aura seemed ever changeable. It was still dark, but not nearly as black as when last they met.
Perhaps Ciara did not realize Alainn was well aware she and Killian had been lovers. Alainn narrowed her eyes at the woman and found herself scarcely able to bear being anywhere near her when she dwelled on that sore subject. She chose to respond in hopes the woman would soon take leave.
“Aye, I make herbal remedies on occasion when they are required or it is asked of me. And, ’tis not uncommon for healers to feel resentment toward others of that lot, but I assure you I have no intention of interfering with yours or your grandmother’s healing. And I am not interested in revealing my own recipes for herbal remedies, to you or to anyone else.” Alainn tried unsuccessfully to keep her mind from the many maimed animals that had been found within Glynnis’ chamber and the unsavory potions Ciara surely had created from the unfortunate animals.
Ciara seemed to ignore what Alainn had said entirely for she continued on with her questioning. “What potion do you intend to create with that item? I am not so very learned in the area of all herbs for my grandmother seems unwilling to apprentice me entirely. I know the plant is oft used for womanly concerns, but I am somewhat uncertain what its true purpose is. I believe my grandmother feels threatened by me learning all that she knows. She seems to need the reassurance that the villagers and servants will come only to her for their potions and remedies. But she is an old woman and I have told her she is selfish and bitter if she will not pass on the abundance of knowledge she carries within her mind!”
Alainn wanted to tell the woman, Glynnis was probably as suspicious of her as Alainn was herself, and perhaps even fearful since the woman had been so callous and cruel with the tortured animals, but she bit her tongue and continued on with her task not wanting to continue conversing with the woman. But Ciara remained, watching Alainn’s every move and seemed disinclined to end the conversation.
“So tell me, milady, what potion will you mix with the herbs you now seek? Is it to create a remedy or elixir for your own use or for another?”
“A healer seldom divulges such personal information, Ciara. Surely, Glynnis has cautioned you on the need for privacy and secretiveness when dealing with remedies?”
“Aye, well, she is a peculiar old woman, some say her mind is not as it should be. She is closed mouthed a goo
d deal of the time, but how am I to learn if neither of you who seem so capable will instruct me? Do you intend to become healer for Castle O’Donnel, then, when my grandmother passes?”
“No, I have absolutely no aspirations to become a healer in such capacity, Ciara. And, in truth, you should not eagerly await your grandmother’s passing simply so that you may take over her duties. No one ever knows how lengthy their life may be. Your grandmother may live a goodly long life, perhaps three more decades.
Ciara looked down her nose at her in obvious disbelief and scoffed, so Alainn elaborated.
“Morag, the old wise woman, who was healer at Castle O’Brien and taught me nearly all that I know, lived to be over five and ninety. Glynnis may outlive the both of us, Ciara, for often if a woman lives past childbearing years she may well live a lengthy life.”
“Aye, for tis not uncommon for young women to meet their dismal end in childbed, or soon thereafter!” Ciara dared to allude to the unfortunate truth and she stared at Alainn’s belly as she spoke.
Alainn noticed, but chose to address the comment with hopefulness. “Sure, you’ll marry again and have many other children, Ciara, and I pray to carry this child and many other children as well, but ’tis hoped neither of us shall bear ill in bringing children into the world.”
“You’ve clearly not labored and birthed a child before or you’d maybe not be so eager to declare you’d be inclined to do it many more times. The birthin’ of my Kale was not a pleasant time, for the labor was long and he was a large babe, but I suffered no long-lasting ill effects. The midwife, Eibhein said I was well built for childbearing, that any man would be fortunate to have me as their wife for I could surely present them with many healthy sons. She tells me I healed remarkably well considering the grand size of the boy.”
Alainn did not care to consider that the woman’s son had been of great size when he was born for that may be another indication Killian had fathered the child. And the boy was tall for his age, even now. William McCree had not been a large man, but of average stature. But who was to know the proportions of the other men she had apparently been with around the time of Kale’s conception might have been.
“Has Eibhein been seein’ to you and your condition? Has she mentioned whether she believes the child is expected early or might be delayed?”
“I believe the child will come when he is expected due.”
“I have some experience with midwifery for I have accompanied Eibhein on occasion and by the look of you, I would suggest the child will be early. You carry low and are larger than most by this period of term for I understand your wedding took place in early summer, so unless the child is unusually large it will come before nine months past the date of your nuptials. I suppose even women of your station and with your title do not always wait for the vows to be spoken to give themselves to men.”
“I hardly think that is of any concern to you, Ciara. My marriage took place in late spring in actuality and, aye, nine months will not have passed from then till the time my son is born.”
“So ’twas the babe that was the inducement for your marriage then, was it?”
Alainn found herself becoming completely infuriated at this blatantly intrusive line of questioning by the bold and abrasive woman. “Again, I warn you, Ciara, none of what has happened between my husband and myself is of concern to you. If you are as tactless with Glynnis as you have been with me this day, I see most assuredly why she does not care to share her herb chamber or her secrets with you!”
“It was not my intention to affront you, milady. I was curious is all, for I’ve not had occasion to speak with women often, for I have few female acquaintances.”
“Aye, well you’ll remember, Ciara, it was curiosity killed the cat!” She stared into the woman’s own cat-like eyes and she once more thought of the wretched animals, including the pitiful dead cat in the cage as she haughtily spoke once more, “And ’tis perhaps because you’ve been bedded by a good number of both the villagers’ and the servants’ husbands that they care to have little to do with you. That does tend to put a bit of a damper on relationships with other women!”
Alainn could contain her temper or control her tongue no longer and she noticed the fury in the amber eyes that glared back at her.
“Since it is clear you were not virtuous on your wedding day how does your husband trust you when you apparently gave yourself to him without benefit of nuptials? A man can never trust a woman entirely when she gives herself to him in such a manner when they are unwed!” Ciara dared to declare. “And you have a slight build, perhaps not beneficial for birthing a child without duress or ill fate. And if you are forever afflicted by the birthing and cannot give milord more children, will he desire to stay in your marriage or your bed?’
“I am done speakin’ to you, Ciara. In truth, I forbid you to speak to me ever again. I find your company objectionable and your conversation inappropriate. I will henceforth be pleased to end all association with you!”
“Aye, well, you can distance yourself from my son then as well, though I’m certain Killian does not wish to be excluded from Kale’s life entirely!”
“And I would ask you to never again refer to my husband with such familiarity! Because you shared a bed with him some years ago does not give you that right. And if you actually had proof he was your son’s father, or if you truly had any notion whatsoever whose seed was responsible, you would have long since asked my husband to claim him!”
“And one day it may come to that and what discord that would cause for you, for he would be heir to the chieftainship.”
“Not on your life, Ciara! For should Killian actually accept the boy as his own he would still be an illegitimate child, and that would cause a great insult to the memory of your own husband, to take away a boy believed to be his son. He was a good man, Ciara!”
“Aye, William was not unpleasant, mostly tolerable, I suppose, but no chieftain, or no man of any amount of importance or appeal, not like milord!” The woman’s lips curled into a distasteful smile and then she actually licked her lips and her eyes filled with sensuality as she spoke of Killian.
The skies darkened and a cold wind began to blow. Alainn sensed a great need to be distanced from the meddlesome and oppositional woman. Although she did not welcome the use of her magical abilities in Ciara’s presence, she deduced if the woman remembered any of what had happened the night of the celebration, she was already aware she possessed supernatural capabilities. She reasoned using them to leave hastily would be preferential to using them to harm the woman, and in her raging temper she believed the harm might be deadly or irreversible.
Alainn held tight to her amulet and the herbs she had collected, she closed her eyes and imagined herself in her bedchamber and she disappeared, leaving Ciara to deal with the bitter and fast approaching storm.
Killian had remained nearly silent all evening and Alainn knew him well enough not to prod him to speak of what was troubling him. He would tell her in his own time, she believed, and she did not mention any of what had occurred between her and Ciara.
She had briefly discussed it with Danhoul. Though he’d thought it unwise to wage battle with the woman or use her powers, he believed in light of her temper and the level of her supernatural abilities, it was fortunate Alainn hadn’t struck the woman down with a lightning bolt!
Alainn’s thoughts filled with discord regarding Ciara and all she’d spoken of. The disturbing vision and what it could possibly indicate kept her mind occupied far more than she cared for as well. Although she did not wish to dwell on the unpleasantness, she could not fall asleep, especially since Killian had not yet retired for the evening. It was not until he had come to bed much later than his usual time that Alainn finally could still her curiosity and concern no longer regarding his obviously disparaging mood. As his large warm form drew near to her and he put his arms around her, she noticed the tension in his taut muscles.
“What’s on your mind, Killian? Tell
me what makes your heart heavy this night!”
“I thought perhaps you’d be asleep by now, Lainna!”
“Thought or hoped?” She quizzed.
“You’re more than a wee bit suspicious, my love.”
She turned to face him though the bedchamber was dark, save the peat logs that had burned low in the hearth.
“I know you well and somethin’ has you grieved this night. I can only surmise if you’re not willin’ to discuss it with me, it must be something that will leave me troubled as well!”
“Aye, I’m apologetic to say so, Alainn. I must leave again and journey to Galway. I hope to not be gone so long as before, but I am loath to leave you when Danhoul is so concerned someone means you harm... and with the wee babe only weeks away from arrivin’!”
Even though she felt saddened they would be parted again, she needed to set his mind at ease.
“Danhoul worries overly much; the both of you do. I will be well enough. But you must tell me, what takes you to the Galway then for ’tis not the usual meeting place, another meeting of the Council of Clans?”
“Aye, there is to be another vote. The clans who are in allegiance with the English have raided two more castles along the southeast shores, the last one not a day’s ride from Castle O’Brien so we are avoiding Dublin at the moment. We are to vote on whether to take action to prevent further attacks and whether to stand together as one army or for each clan to remain in position to protect their own land and castles. The other option is to strike out against them before they can attack once more. And I cannot see how an agreement will ever be reached, for ’tis an enormous decision to make.”
“What will your vote be, Killian?”
“Well I’ll not stand by and watch my castle raided or my kin and clan murdered, but I am not so eager to start an unprovoked battle with them for they have weapons and numbers that far exceed what we lay claim to. And I am of the opinion if we were to meet with the king perhaps an agreement can be reached before there is more blood spilled on both sides.”
A Chieftain's Wife Page 19