Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series)

by Isabelle Stewart

  Eion looked at Kedryn rubbing his temples and handed the pendant back to him. Kedryn went to grab his chain out from around his neck and realized it wasn’t there. He looked a bit anxious and put the pendant back into his pocket for safe keeping. Apparently Damon wasn’t the only one losing things.

  “Mom is going to kill me. She bought the cross off of a dig. Are we done?”

  “For the time being. I swear I can smell that fish from here. It certainly smells too good to be just fish. I believe we are done here.” Eion said as he stood up brushing grass and dirt off of his cloak. He held out his hand and helped Kedryn up to his feet.

  As Kedryn and Eion walked back into the camp, Kedryn couldn’t stop thinking about the Pooka. He wasn’t paying attention and bumped against Eion almost knocking him into the stream. Eion let out an oath as he grabbed Kedryn’s arm.

  “Sorry. I wasn’t paying attention and my head is still a bit fuzzy. Are there other magical creatures in this realm?”

  “There were. Now there is only one race of creatures of magic left. Even myself and Faolan are not of pure Druid blood.”

  “Only the two of you?”

  “There was another and he decided against his calling for love. The Pooka are near extinct much like the rest of the magical creatures in this realm. Their lines do remain true through certain blood lines of this realm.”

  “Human blood lines. How did that come about?” Kedryn asked as he again took out the amulet and looked it over and put it back into his pocket.

  “Before the last of the fairy race died out the fairy queen gave her healing power and the power of truths to the queen of the Milesian’s. The Pooka were also on the verge of extension and decided that it would give one of its powers as a gift to the Danann line.”

  “Guess that’s only fair. Obviously the Pooka survived. What power did the Pooka give and to who?” Kedryn asked.

  “It is written that the Danann king was visited by a magnificent black horse with glowing yellow eyes. The Danann kings bloodline was given the gift of prophesies and warnings. Which you know is the power of the Seer. The gifts are limited and one never knows when that gift will show up down the blood line. There were other magical creatures however most of the power I’ve seen in this realm is passed down through the Druid’s blood line. Or in your case the Morrigan blood line.”

  “How did the Pooka survive?” Kedryn asked.

  “The Pooka secluded themselves in caves in the Huath mountain range and were able to increase their numbers. Until Faolan discovered them. At one time I heard a rumor from a scout that Faolan had been using them to explore new ways of torture.” Eion shivered at the thought as he stepped through the brush into the clearing of the camp.

  Lara looked up to see Kedryn and Eion walking towards her. She caught Aodhan sneaking another piece of fish and laughed as he snatched his hand away just in time. Eion looked at their exchange and looked at Kedryn. Kedryn shrugged and walked over to where his mom was.

  “That smells great. You out did yourself. Either that or I’m just hungry for something different than what we have.”

  “It looks like you didn’t have to wait too long.” Lara said and grabbed Aodhan’s hand as he playfully tried to sneak a piece again.

  Eion snatched up a small piece of fish and smirked at Aodhan. He made a show of popping it in his mouth trying not to show his discomfort as he burnt his tongue. Eion instantly healed his tongue and looked at Lara.

  “Time to eat and for campfire stories. I think it is time to add on a bit more to the shortened version that Aodhan gave you.” Eion said.

  They gathered around the small fire pit and Kedryn took a seat in the grass by his mom. Eion sat down next to Kedryn and Aodhan next to Lara. As they settled down with fish, dried fruit and water Lara decided that they should keep with tradition. Hers and Kedryn’s tradition at any rate.

  “Hang on everyone. Before we eat Kedryn would you like to do the honors?” Lara asked.

  “Sure.” Kedryn said as he looked at Eion and Aodhan who had just settled in to start eating. They set down their plates and looked at him. Kedryn took a drink of his water and bowed his head.

  “Heavenly father, thank you for this food. Bless it to the nourishment of our bodies. This we ask in Jesus name. A-men.”

  “A-men.” They all said together and started to eat.

  Eion glanced at Lara and Kedryn curious about the prayer. He decided to eat first and ask about it another time. There are more important matters to discuss. Eion popped the last of his fish in his mouth and set his plate aside. He turned so he could see all of them his face was cast in shadows in the firelight as he put on his best storyteller face.

  “I believe that I should start with some history first. After that Aodhan can tell us of the recent happenings. I am very curious as to the how and why we are at war with Liam and what happened to Tormey.”

  Eion looked around to make sure he had everyone’s attention.

  “Badb is your many greats grandmother who was part of a trio of Celtic War Goddesses. Her two sisters were Macha and Nemain. During battles the three of them formed the Morrigan. They each provided different forms of help in battle. One was a brilliant strategist, one had the power of healing and the other took part in the battle. Badb is the sister who took part in the battles.”

  Eion paused to take a drink of water and looked at Aodhan as he poked at the fire sending sparks in the air.

  “Aodhan, I know you have heard most of this before. You might learn something more if you actually listen or add if I seem to have missed something important.” Eion said and watched as Aodhan reluctantly put the stick down and turned to face him with his eyebrow raised and his arms crossed.

  “Now that I have everyone’s attention. Badb was often referred to as the Battle Raven. She had the skill of a thousand warriors and could use her power to influence the outcome of the battle by causing confusion among the other side’s warriors with her magic. Lara, I hear that you have inherited confusion along with her skills as a warrior.”

  “I believe so. I do need someone to teach me how to use and control it. I don’t want to confuse the wrong soldier or a multitude of soldiers surrounding me. That could prove very deadly.” Lara said as she frowned to herself.

  “What’s it you always say? You’re not confused, just well mixed.” Kedryn said as he laughed

  “I realize we do not have much training time left. I will train you on confusion when we arrive at Ruark’s camp. I think that you should train with the troops when using your power.”

  Lara looked confused “Why not tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow we will reach the outskirts of Tralee and I believe that I will be a bit busy getting reacquainted with some old friends. Aodhan can train with you there and after we should all get some well deserved rest.”

  “Shouldn’t I start now before I train with the soldiers? What about using it on one or two of them or even making sure I only confuse the Milesian side?” Lara asked

  “I will train you on all parts of confusion at the camp. Badb was able to control it enough to confuse from just one soldier to a group of surrounding soldiers. I am confident that you can too and I have felt you use it without even realizing it.”

  “You have? Are you sure?” she asked.

  “He tells the truth. I felt it back at your house. I have faith you can do it.” Aodhan said.

  “No pressure there.” Kedryn said as he watched his mom roll her eyes at him as he leaned back on his elbows in the tall grass.

  “A war has started between a descendant of the Milesian on one side and the Tuatha de Danann on the other. I have a feeling after this war there will be another with whoever is victorious and the Firbolg.”

  “Two battles that I will be in?” Lara said feeling her stomach knot.

  “How about you give you a bit of history of the wars. It may be possible that we can think on finding a way to end this war peacefully.” Aodhan stretched his arms above him and yawned.<
br />
  Kedryn looked at him and yawned. “Stop that. It’s contagious.”

  Eion stifled a yawn and continued on. “During the first battle Badb and her two sisters led the Tuatha de Danann to victory over the Fomore. Which now we call Firbolg at the battle of Magh Tuireadh. In the second battle the Tuatha de Danann and the Morrigan started a war against the Milesian and were defeated.”

  “How were they defeated? Especially since the Morrigan were on their side.” Kedryn asked.

  “It was rumored that Badb had fallen in love with one of the Milesian warriors Donavan McGraith. She would sneak out to meet with him and her sisters were absolutely furious when they discovered this. Especially since he was on the very side they were fighting against. They called her a traitor and made certain he fell in the battle.”

  Lara took in a sharp breath. “That’s horrible.”

  “Badb was distraught and refused to fight in the battle. The split of the sisters caused the battle to turn and the Milesian won the battle.”

  “I absolutely and completely understand. I know what it’s like having someone you love dying and being heartbroken. Having her own sisters being involved is unimaginable.” said Lara.

  “Believe it or not she did end up fleeing with her two sisters and the Danann. Even helped her sisters create the portal.”

  “Ulterior motives I would assume.” said Kedryn as he noticed he was twirling his worry stone and wondered when he took it out.

  “You are correct. Badb was seeking revenge and I heard a lot of stories while I was tracking Lara’s ancestors to find her.” Eion glanced at Kedryn.

  “I met Isleen the Aurar. You will not believe this but she is a descendant of Badb also. She is a descendant of Badb’s second child conceived in your realm.”

  “I suppose since her family was born of my realm I can’t claim you still have the wrong person?” Lara said as she sat back up.

  “You still doubt?” Eion asked.

  “I would be an idiot not to believe. I’ve seen and done so much and have learned a great deal so quickly. Why didn’t Isleen say anything?”

  “She did not wish to interfere with your choice. Isleen told me a few stories that had been passed down to her. One was about the three sisters after they had come through the portal. It turns out that Badb was filled with the fury of a banshee towards her sisters and she talked them into using their powers in the new realm. She had a feeling that something bad would happen.”

  “Wouldn’t they have felt it too though?” asked Lara.

  “Not if she used confusion. She may have lightly used it on her sisters so they would not notice. As Aodhan so recklessly discovered minimal use of our power can be wielded in your realm.”

  “What happened next?” Kedryn and Lara said at the same time and Lara watched as Kedryn mouthed to her Jinx, You owe me a coke.

  “When they used their powers to try and take over Ireland the sisters turned into mist wraiths or banshees as the Irish call them. Something interesting about that is Badb was also known as the goddess of death. That probably explains the stories of banshees I heard among the Irish.”

  Lara glanced at Kedryn. “Was she the only one with descendants? Her sisters didn’t have any?”

  “No, as far as I know she is the only one. In the story Isleen told me it was also said that Macha and Nemain used their powers shortly after they arrived through the portal. Isleen was almost one hundred percent positive that Badb was the only goddess who had descendants.”

  “Why isn’t Badb still around? Being immortal and all.” asked Lara.

  “After a few years the guilt of what Badb did to her sisters caught up with her. She tried to use her powers to bring her sisters back to their former selves. It did not work and turned into a banshee.”

  Lara couldn’t hold in a yawn. “A Goddess with a conscience. If we ever make it back we will have to say hi to Isleen. I thought we knew all of our ancestors in Ireland.” Lara had moved to get up to grab their dishes and sat back down when she noticed Eion wasn’t finished yet.

  “Badb, as you know, came through the portal pregnant. Lara and Kedryn you are the descendants of that child.”

  “How would anyone in your realm have known that my mom had Milesian blood?”

  “Kiara, the Seer, had spoken of mixed blood. She did not say in words anyone could understand who she was talking about. Liam is not unintelligent.” Aodhan said.

  “That may be why Liam only gave the order to capture and not kill. He wanted to get to you first before Aodhan did. To convince you to join his side.” Eion said.

  “I for one am glad that Aodhan found me first. I think that Liam needs to be convinced that this war must to be settled peacefully. We need to join forces especially if there could possibly be a second battle.” Lara said as she toyed with her dagger and looked directly at Aodhan who looked completely bored to tears.

  Aodhan shifted and used a stick to build up the fire some more. The flames licked up the wood as the fire sprung into life. Eion watched as he tugged grass out of the ground and threw it into the fire and decided it was Aodhan’s turn to talk.

  “Aodhan, tell me what happened with Tormey and Liam. Why are we at war with them and how does Faolan fit into the mix? He and his ancestors have been silent for centuries and the truce between Tormey and your fathers ancestor’s has lasted just as long.”

  Aodhan threw more grass into the fire. He stood up to stretch his legs and started pacing. “A few years ago rumors started to spread that my father wished to rule over all of the three lands. Which of course everyone on our side knew it was not true and ignored those rumors.”

  “Not something to do. He should have tried to disprove it.” Eion shook his head.

  Aodhan stopped his pacing giving Eion a harsh look and started pacing again. He edgily ran his fingers through his hair.

  “You may be right. However, you should not express an opinion on things which you do not know.”

  “I spoke without thinking. My apologies, please continue.” Eion said.

  “Apology accepted. Next there were raids that started on Lord Tormey’s land and every once in a while a soldier would spot someone with a Danann uniform running away. Or find something left behind that lead back to my father. He of course denied it and tried to find if there was a traitor amongst us with none to be found.”

  Aodhan paused and walked over to the pile of logs. He threw a couple more on the fire and stood watching the fire. Aodhan let out a breath and he could not hide the sadness on his face.

  “The unthinkable happened. Tormey was murdered and one of our Generals was found in his quarters. The General denied everything after he was found unconscious in the chamber with the blood stained sword in his hand.”

  Aodhan sat down next to Lara and ran a shaky hand through his hair. “It was rumored that after the soldier was tortured he confessed that my father sent him. After a few days of Milesian torture it is most likely anyone would confess to anything. Especially if Liam was involved.”

  “Liam must have been inconsolable. You and your father must have felt the loss also.” Eion said.

  Lara reached over and grabbed Aodhan’s hand to console him. He looked at her with thanks in his eyes and squeezed her hand.

  “It was hard on all of us.” Aodhan said and ran his hand through his hair.

  “You said your father became more ill. When did that happen?” Eion asked with a concerned look on his face.

  “Father’s illness increased shortly after Tormey died. The rumor spread that Liam had sent someone to poison him. Ruark nipped that rumor in the bud though.”

  Eion stretched and stood up to pace. Lara watched him and thought to herself do these men ever stand still. She looked up through the willow tree and saw the stars and the bright almost full moon. Eion stopped pacing. “It was good that he did. I will bet my horse that the rumor is still believed by many.”

  Aodhan glanced at Lara as she yawned. He put his arm around her and she reste
d her head against his shoulder. She felt too tired to pull away and not really wanting to. That realization made her build up her wall again and it was working until he rubbed his cheek against the top of her head.

  “The secret is out even though father did not wish his sickness to be known. Ruark nor I could let Liam take the blame.” Aodhan said as he leaned his head on Lara’s.

  “What is your father sick from?” Kedryn asked

  “He has been sick from a lung disease that has been eating away at him for a long time. We have kept it secret until now.”

  Lara shifted and looked up in Aodhan’s eyes. “I’m sorry to hear about your father Aodhan. None of this seems right. Do you want an outsider’s opinion?”

  “What do you think?” Eion said pulling his cloak around him.

  “It seems to me that someone wants both sides at each other’s throats. I haven’t heard either of you talk about the Firbolg complaining of raids on their lands.”

  Kedryn glanced at his mom and Aodhan with his arms around her. He looked at their colors again and they were still light and dark. He could feel the cold wetness of the grass start to penetrate his pants and was looking forward to the dryness of the shelter and to get some sleep.

  “If a truce can’t be made and negotiations never reached, both sides will go to war with more lives lost. It seems such a waste to me and no one has actually talked to Liam about this?” Lara said.

  “No one can get that close. He took his father’s death very hard and is still grieving mad.” Aodhan said.

  Lara stretched and Aodhan’s arm dropped from around her. As she sat up away from him she looked up at the sky. “It’s really late we should really think about getting some sleep. Who’ll take first watch?”

  “I will take Kedryn on first watch.” Aodhan said.

  “Ready and able sir.” Kedryn said as he stretched and saluted Aodhan making him laugh.

  Eion looked at them all. “I shall take the next watch. Lara, you and Aodhan can take the watch after.”

  “Sounds good to me.” Lara said as she grabbed her blanket and pillow out of her pack and walked over to her shelter. She turned and looked at Kedryn.