I cut Emrys off. “The sword was sent to another realm. Do you know where?”
This time shaking his head, he expounded on the story. “No, I do not, but Druantia said that once I awaked you I was to bring Morrigan with me. She promised by that time she would have the information on where it is and how to get it.”
Finally I felt like I had my wits back with me. “You said we could only enter the land between twilight and night on Samhain. How long until then?”
“Almost a year’s time. It is now December.” Emrys answered. But December meant nothing to me and I could tell he knew by my face.
Emrys sighed. “You know how we have the gift of communication? How we have always been able to enter a Great Oak and travel all over the entire Earth and even though we don’t speak the native languages of the people we come into contact with, we can understand them and they can understand us?”
“Of course.” I took another sip of the wine, noting how warm I felt inside.
He grinned at me and then at King Conall. “My friends, it has been a very long time and the world has changed much. So much that I fear you would not recognize it. We cannot get bogged down by such things, we have a large task before us. With your permission, I shall cast a spell tonight that when all Tuatha awake in the morning they will understand the workings of this world. A sort of—catch you up on the past thousand or so years.”
The King gave a weary smile. The day had taken its toll. “That would be fine, Emrys. Can you by chance include some comfort in that spell? I worry about my people.”
“I cannot take grief away, but I can offer hope. And the smallest spark of hope is all that we need in these great times of darkness,” he said as he stood and bowed. Emrys must have been in an excellent mood to show the King this level of respect.
Chapter 5
I sat up in the bed, pushing the soft blankets back. A white down comforter and matching thousand thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. I shook my head, astonished that I knew that. Emrys never ceases to amaze me.
Making my way to the bathroom I turned the water on for a hot shower. Understanding and knowing about the new advances still couldn’t keep me from marveling at them. It’s the difference between knowing unicorns are real and actually seeing one for the first time. Amazing. The bathing experience was wonderful. Honeysuckle body soap with a loofah. Loofah, what a funny word. Shampoo and conditioner scented of flowers I’ve never smelled. Lotion that made my skin as soft as my hair. It was luxurious.
Clean and dry, I stood naked in front of a full-length mirror. I had rarely seen my reflection before. I am able to command magic somewhat, but I’ve only seen myself a few times, and never my entire self. I walked over to the closet knowing there would be clothes in there. I went through each item: jeans, dresses, sweaters and blouses. There were enough clothes and shoes in this closet for ten women. I decided to put my leathers back on.
Lacing up my boots, I felt myself again. Strapping on all my sheaths I secured my assortment of knives and swords. A dagger in each boot, medium swords crossed on my back and my long sword down the center. The hilts of my swords fanned out out behind my head. My long red hair hung over one shoulder, almost to my navel. Using the smallest hint of magic, with a flick of my wrists, the hair went up into an ornate braid that circled my head.
My stomach grumbled, reminding me of my hunger, when there was a knock at my door.
“It’s me, beautiful,” the voice came through the thick wood.
Opening the door, I saw my Emrys with his wide warm smile. He couldn’t help but tease me. “My, my, my you are an image to behold. Your beauty is the kind that men write poems about. That countries go to battle over. That…”
I rolled my eyes. “Keep it up and I’ll make you marry me.”
“Oh, hell no. I don’t know what you do to men but I’ve seen the aftermath. I want no part of that.” He laughed, smacking me on the back.
I grabbed him in a hug and couldn’t let go. “Oh Emrys, I’m so glad you’re here. I couldn’t make it through this without you. I’m so sorry you had to be alone for so long.”
I pulled my head away, not letting go to see his face. He smiled and kissed the top of my head. “Morrigan, I clung to this day. I knew I’d find a way, and that I’d see you again. That’s how I made it through. That’s how I know we will make it through this next set of trials. We ain’t letting these fools take us down.”
I understood this vernacular was more in line with the times but it made me smile nonetheless.
Treasach, Alastar and Aine walked in. I released Emrys and grabbed all three at once, pulling them to me. “I love you all so, so much. You know that, right?”
We clung to one another for several minutes and finally Alastar pulled away, giving me that twinkle in his eye. “Oh no, what did you do now? Are you getting banished already?”
Laughter filled the room. The kind that came from the heart. That filled the heart. Its warmth permeated throughout. I savored the moment, reminding myself to treasure this and remember it in darker times that would surely come.
Treasach leaned down, kissing my cheek. “Father wants to meet with you and the Teulu in the library in an hour. Nine o’clock sharp. Apparently we begin training the humans today.”
“We just got here. I don’t know why we can’t spend a day getting accustomed,” Aine chimed in.
“Your father is right,” I said, wiping a stray hair from her face. “The sooner we begin, the better. Besides, staying busy will do us all some good.”
“Well whatever we’re doing, I can’t do it on an empty stomach. Let’s eat!” Alastar said, already walking out the door. That boy is always hungry.
We ate and chatted through breakfast noting that the Tuatha sat on one side of the large dining hall as the humans sat on the other. They stared in wonderment. We barely paid them any attention. I did notice Neil sitting off from the rest looking only at his food.
“Emrys.” I threw a piece of potato at him to get his attention. “Neil is going to lead the humans. Why he is sitting apart? He looks left out. As their leader shouldn’t they be clamoring for his attention?”
“Doesn’t know them, I suppose. And they don’t know him.” Emrys threw the potato back at me. “I uh, well uh, he was in South Dakota, of all places when I found him. On his way to work, I believe. An attorney. I verified who he was and spelled him. He didn’t really ‘come to’ so to speak, until after he blew the sacred horn three times.”
We stared at him. “Are you fucking kidding me?” I couldn’t help but laugh. “Poor kid. He’s got to be the most confused person here.”
I took another bite of fried potatoes and onions. “Think he’s up for this?”
Emrys grinned. “That’s your job, dearie. You are charged to make damn well sure he’s ready for it.”
I stopped chewing. Emrys, Treasach, Alastar and Aine laughed hysterically. I’m a great warrior and I trained all three of the King’s children. They can attest, I am not known for my patience. Training Tuatha is one thing. Training a human, a human that has never been in battle, hell—probably not even a fight, was already grating my nerves.
Treasach wiped the tears of laughter from his eyes. “Better get to the library. Don’t want the King pissed at you.”
I put a string of curse words together so foul that even the furthest sitting Tuatha turned to look at me in shock. I was not known for manners or etiquette but I shocked even myself at my level of crudeness.
The King’s children laughed harder at my insults as Emrys and I rose and headed for the library.
We made our way into the large room where the other Teulu had already gathered. Figures, wouldn’t want to offend the King by being late. I shut the door behind me as the clock finished striking nine. Right on time... barely. My own mini-defiance at being tasked to train Neil. I’m not fond of humans and didn’t like nor trust them when we fought alongside Arthur and his Knights. As it turned out, my instincts were right.
The King commanded the room. I’ve been on his good side and his bad many, many times. No matter what side of the line I was on with him he always trusted me, and I him. I trust him with my life and would give my life to save him. That said, I’ve been tempted to rip his head off a few times and today was one of them. I made my way to his side and stared blankly ahead as he spoke.
“My fellow Tuatha, we must first give thanks to Emrys. He has gone to great lengths to awaken us and provide us with such a fine place to reside and train. We begin training today. Emrys will begin training the Druid descendants. They will be but a shadow of the Druids that we called friends. That we called family. But they have Druid blood nonetheless, and will be able to help. It is upon him to get them as strong as they can be. Each of you and the warriors under you will begin training a group of humans. It is your responsibility to have them skilled in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. The modern weapons will do nothing against the foes we face. Taking heads is always assured. These are not skills that they are familiar with, so begin with the very basics. Morrigan is tasked with training Neil and Neil alone. He needs to be ready to lead the Knights and command them. He is the true King of Erin and there is power in that. We have about one year until Samhain, which is when Emrys and Morrigan will travel to the land between twilight and night. Once there, they will be in that realm for one year. In that time, Brian will take over Neil’s training and James will continue overseeing the training of the humans. By that time, Emrys, you will need to appoint the strongest of the Druids to oversee the training in your absence. That gives us two years total to get the humans we have ready for battle. You have your orders.”
The King signaled that this was the end of our gathering by raising his head higher and stiffening his spine. This also signaled that there were to be no questions. Only obedience. We began to file out, me last. I cut my eyes to his, the turquoise color laced with fire when he finally met mine. He gave me an impish grin and softened his face. He whispered, “Morrigan… please.”
And that’s all it took to melt me. “Of course, my King.”
Chapter 6
The other Tuatha and their human trainees were in a large facility attached to the residence. The Druids were in another. I wasn’t sure what I had to work with in Neil and I needed the humans to follow him. If he was unimpressive I couldn’t have the others seeing it. So I had one of my warriors tell him to meet me in the stables. There was an indoor arena that would do just fine. We would be training alone.
He walked in wearing leathers and boots similar to mine but black. These would be the clothes he would battle in. The leather was spelled to withstand claws, teeth, and any sharp weapon. I could tell by his stride that he was trying to project confidence but was unsure of himself.
“I had on gym clothes but the guy you sent to tell me to come here told me to wear this.” He pulled at the leather vest. I couldn’t help but notice his shoulders and biceps were more developed than I realized.
“We train in what we battle in,” I managed to eke out semi-stoically.
“Okay. So where do we begin?” He smiled warmly, his caramel eyes trained on mine.
“We’ll start with a five mile run and begin increasing distance when you can manage a quick pace. I need your endurance to be optimal. Let’s get through that and when we get back we can begin hand-to-hand combat training.”
“All right but I’ll warn you, I lift weights in the gym regularly, but I’ve never been one to do much cardio. I’ll do my best but I’ve never run five miles in my life.”
I reassured him, “You are a descendant of Arthur. His blood runs through yours. There’s strength in that. You will find yourself able to do more physically than you can imagine. You will be stronger, faster and more skilled than the rest. It’s my job to help you get there.”
We set off at a decent pace. One mile in and he seemed to be doing fine. I picked the pace up to a seven minute mile and he hung in. I decided to see how well he could do. If he would be able to hold this pace talking or if he would start gasping for air.
“So tell me about yourself, Neil.”
He glanced over at me. It was cold out and though he had sweat on his face he had no problem answering. “In comparison to the past day, my life has been fairly ordinary. I grew up in a small town in South Dakota. Went to college at the University of Nebraska, then law school. Got a job at a firm in Lincoln. My dad passed away from a heart attack so I moved back to take care of my mom. Got a job as a prosecutor in a nearby town. Couple years later my mom passed away. I think it was from a broken heart. She died in her sleep. She was lost without my dad.”
He never gasped for a single breath and his gaze stared off in the distance. His eyes were still warm but I could see the sadness. I know that sadness. Many of my loved ones have died in battle. Never of disease or old age, and I was blessed to have had them for very long periods of time. My heart ached for him.
“Anyway, I’ve spent the last year just working. I was actually contemplating a change. With my family gone there was no need for me to stay in South Dakota. Guess I got my wish.” He laughed and smiled at me. I was glad it was cold out and that I had an excuse for the blush I know rose in my cheeks.
“What about you? Are your parents here?”
My turn. I guess I asked for this in opening a conversation. I kicked myself for ending up having to talk about myself. “No. They’re not here. My parents died in battle a long time ago.”
“I’m sorry.” He looked embarrassed.
“Don’t be. They lived for several hundred years.” It was now my turn to stare off in the distance, remembering them.
“What were they like?” His voice pulled me back.
How much to divulge? I pondered. “My father was King. Ruler of the Tuatha. He was strong. Ruthless to his enemies and loving to his family and people. My mother was what a queen should be. Regal, beautiful, strong and a hell of a swordsman.”
He laughed. “So you’re a princess?”
Now it was my turn to laugh. “No, I’m not a princess.”
“So is King Conall your brother?”
I choked and laughed. “No!”
“I just thought since he’s King and your dad was King…”
I was still laughing. “Strong bloodlines breed strong Tuatha. The strength of our ancestors is passed down, but to be the ruler of our people is not decided by blood. You remember the Stone of Fal and how it sang when you stood upon it?”
“Barely. I was kind of in a trance.” He laughed but I knew he spoke the truth.
“Well, that signaled you were the true King of Erin. That cannot be debated. We have a spear that is similar. We do not vote for our leader and politics do not come into play. The Spear of Lug is one of our sacred gifts and determines our King. When my father died, Conall was chosen.”
What was I doing? I don’t care for humans. King Conall and Emrys determined we were to tell the humans as little as possible and here I was spouting out information. I couldn’t help myself.
I picked up the pace. A six minute mile pace to be exact. He held but I could tell he had to work at it. Good. Hopefully that would grind the talking to a halt.
The last quarter mile I slowed down to a walk. “And that was our warm up.” I smiled seeing that he was still upright. The hard work was yet to come.
“So Morrigan, I’m going to be completely honest. I’ll work my hardest and learn as much as I can but I’m not confident about any of this. I still can’t completely wrap my head around it.”
I didn’t let my face betray any thoughts or doubts. My lungs had adapted to the frigid air and the cold felt good against my face. Judging by the dark clouds, snow would soon fall. I loved every season, but winter always was a welcome time of year for me. I could smell a fire burning off in the distance. A bonfire no doubt, to gather around between lessons.
“Neil,” I began in as supporting a tone I could offer, “we have plenty of time, and I’m tasked solely with making
sure you’re ready. Don’t worry. I give my word that you will physically and mentally be ready and we will prevail. I have no doubt of that.”
I knew I sounded confident and I could tell by his expression that he believed every word. I wished I did. But knowing that building his confidence was crucial, I began laying that foundation. He would not come close to surviving if he had any doubts in himself.
Making our way into the stables I paused to pet a beautiful black gelding. He was massive and majestic.
“He likes you.” I felt Neil’s warm breath on the back of my neck.
Though it was invisible I brushed it off with my hand. “It’s not that he likes me. He respects me. All animals have a pecking order. A difficult horse is just testing to see if you are below or above him.”
I stepped away before turning to face him. “We’ll begin with some basic hand-to-hand defensive moves. After lunch we’ll begin attack strategies.”
“You’re the boss. Not that I’m doubting you, but aren’t I supposed to learn how to use a sword?”
Having only trained Tuatha I was not accustomed to being questioned. “Footwork and strategy are the basics, and before you can even think of picking up a sword you need to at least become mediocre at the basics.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Sarcasm laced his words but he grinned, softening my prickly surface.
I circled him, my eyes evaluating every inch. “I would say ‘master’ the basics but I fear my definition of mastering something is very high and time is of the essence.”
His eyes locked on mine and I stopped with my left profile in front of him. I telegraphed a right cross and he clumsily stumbled out of the way. “Sloppy, but your instincts are good and you managed to avoid contact.”
“Then show me how to not do it sloppily.” His face was genuine and open. No ego, no animosity. He was malleable and willing to let me mold him. Him trusting me was crucial for his success. Our success.
I walked behind him, placing my hand on his hips. “I want you to keep your feet flat on the ground, but shift your weight to your toes.” I kept my hands where they were and could feel the shift. “Good, just like that. You always have your weight there. And by always I mean always. You’ve had twenty-eight years to relax back on your heels. That time is over. There is no time that you’re relaxed now. Always on your toes.”
Awakening_The Morrigan Chronicles Page 3