“Let’s put your things in my house for now,” Valerie suggested. “You can stay with me until we find a place for you to stay. But first, I want to introduce you to my family.”
“I’m a hunter; I can camp outside.” Ammon countered.
Valerie gauged the man as she considered his words. I’ll bet you could, she thought, then decided to press him further on the subject. “It’s too cold for you to be out here; you are staying inside with me— I insist.”
Ammon raised his eyebrows in wonder. He considered it his place, his duty to camp under the stars. Didn’t someone need to stay on the watch during the night? But he didn’t dispute the fact that the clear sky overhead meant the night was bound to be bitterly cold. However, he’d meant what he said; he was used to cold camping and didn’t want to inconvenience anyone.
As they approached the house, Pearse threw open the door. When he saw Valerie, his eyes narrowed warily; He doesn’t recognize the man I’m with, Valerie realized. Quickly she assured Pearse that Ammon was a friend. Pearse beckoned them inside with a welcoming gesture. Before entering, the travelers set their bundles beside the door. Once inside, the young family welcomed them, and Pearse offered them a seat by the fireplace. Lauryn had a meal of deer shank and boiled vegetables prepared and offered them a share of the food. This is nice, Ammon thought. He observed the domestic scene, the likes of which he had never before witnessed. Rather than lounging on floor cushions by a fire pit, the family of five was seated around a table. The seats were knee-high with seatbacks allowing them to sit comfortably upright around the table facing one another. Across the room, a pair of raised pallets held bedding above the stone floor. But the most exciting feature was the fireplace, chimney, and hearth, which he found captivating. He marveled at how the stone firebox was raised above the floor and built into the exterior wall freeing up floor space. As Ammon stared at the dancing flames, he noticed how smoke was drawn up the chimney, keeping the room smoke-free.
As they sat beside the fireplace, warming themselves, Valerie recounted the trial and Riordan’s twisted interrogation of the witnesses in vivid detail. Then she described the dangerous mob she and Ammon had escaped from in Erlin. Without holding back on her part in the event, she revealed how she stopped time for the mob as they came upon Ammon to murder him.
Without understanding Valerie’s reference to “stopped time,” Ammon added that from his perspective, it seemed as if the crowd was suddenly turned to stone. Pearse and his family were fascinated as they recounted the events.
Valerie was aware Ammon needed to be sold as a valuable newcomer to the group. She set about painting him as a professional hunter, leader of men, and a capable fighter. Ammon remained silent as she portrayed him as someone they could count on to bring in meat and as a protector. Pearse and Lauryn nodded, agreeing that adding another capable man to the group would be beneficial, although they couldn’t help noticing how she looked at the hunter and shared a knowing glance.
Pearse and Lauryn were well aware of Valerie’s uneasiness regarding her personal security, having mentioned it to them repeatedly during the conversation. That she needed protection was undeniable.
Valerie explained that her first contact with people typically provoked accusations of being a witch. Moreover, Ammon had been driven from his home in Erlin, so he wouldn’t be able to return anytime soon. In essence, the man was in exile. If he didn’t stay here now, he would be forced to move on, and his valuable skillset would be lost to them. The problem of security would remain unresolved. That line of reasoning was hard to dispute, so it was agreed; Ammon was in.
As the conversation moved on to other things, Lauryn served the evening meal. Afterward, the subject of additional housing came up. If Ammon were to make the Bearnán Éile ridge his home permanent lodging would be required. With spring on the way, wintertime would be the best time to get the work done. So, it was agreed they would all work together to build a third house, and with Ammon’s help, they could get it done quickly.
With seven people working together, they had the new house built in ten days. The new structure was identical to Valerie’s in form and function. However, with most of the red shale already used on Valerie’s home, this one was predominately grey.
Ammon felt like he fit in well with the group, marveling at how they worked tirelessly together. Not a complaint was heard right down to Saoirse, the smallest of the three children. He liked how they did everything as a unit, working, eating, relaxing, and sleeping as one.
A lifetime of associating with hunters taught him that modesty was a rare commodity. Ammon had grown weary of the never-ending squabbling and wrangling for dominance that came with hunters. But what he detested most was the foolish one-upmanship and backbiting. That sort of pointless nonsense got men killed.
Much to his relief and pleasure, he had seen none of that sort of folly with this group. Valerie had referred to Pearse’s family as her family, even though she had arrived just days ago. Ammon found Valerie’s modesty remarkable considering her talents. She set an excellent example working beside the others and never attempted to assert her will or dominance over them, even though no one doubted they couldn’t stop her if she did.
A lot had happened since Valerie arrived. Ammon saw that she had come with companions and that they followed her lead, not by compulsion, but willingly. Then, when she left them behind to go with Pearse and Tierney, those people were visibly upset by her departure. There was no doubt in his mind as to why. He had seen her heal Pearse, levitate the log into the fire, stop time to save him from the mob in Erlin, and today erase two weeks from his life without his knowledge. The woman radiated power, yet everything she did was done for others’ benefit and with discretion.
Things were good here, but maybe too good. Ammon had the nagging feeling it might be too good to be true. An unease in his gut told him to beware of trouble from Erlin. The hole in his gut said they were never going to let him go. Sooner or later they would come; they would find him and kill him. Until now, listening to that little voice had kept him alive, but this time he had ignored it. Why? Was it because he was happy here with these people? No one had to tell him that within days these people had become his family faster than he could have imagined. Had the happiness he felt clouded his senses, or was he ignoring the truth?
Ammon spent the first night in his new home settling in, once again happy to have his own space. With the new fireplace providing the only light, he sat staring at the hypnotic flames for a long while. A sense of warmth beyond heat from the flickering firelight filled him with satisfaction as shadows danced on the walls. A knock at the door woke him from the hypnotic spell.
At the door, he was surprised to find Valerie, Pearse, and Lauryn waiting outside. The moment he laid eyes on their anxious faces, he knew there was serious trouble. His very first visitors stepped into his house with their eyes downcast, as if they were stepping into a funeral. Once they were all seated around the fireplace, Pearse spoke.
“We had a visitor a few minutes ago,” he said uneasily. “Padraig, our nearest neighbor to the west, came to inform us that fighting men from Erlin paid a visit to his farm today. He said they were searching for a hunter named Ammon, demanding to know if they had seen the man. Padraig told us he and his family knew nothing, but those men asked many hard questions and were rough with him and his family. The warning was clear: if they saw this man Ammon or hid him without reporting it to Riordan in Erlin, they would be back to teach them a lesson.”
All eyes were fixed on Ammon as they waited for him to come to terms with this startling news. How could I have ever believed Riordan’s men would give up searching for me? he thought. Deep down, he knew better than to think the danger had passed and ignore the threat. And now his new friend’s lives were at stake. Ammon shook his head in grief.
“Riordan will never call them off until the clan has had its revenge,” he mumbled. “I will have to leave tomorrow. My being here endangers all of you,” he
said sullenly. His words echoed in the dark, followed by another lengthy silence. No one wanted to speak first.
“You can’t run forever. Neither can we. We need to find another way.”
Ammon raised his eyes to meet Valerie’s. “There is no other way,” he said. “I cannot allow them to find me here. If they do, we all may die. And what of the children?” he asked, gesturing at Lauryn and Pearse. “I can’t let that happen. I will leave tomorrow.”
“I won’t let anything happen to the children or anyone else here,” Valerie assured him. “Maybe you forgot about what happened in Erlin. That crowd never stood a chance at getting to you while I was there.” Then she added, “And don’t forget you and I have an agreement. You protect me, and I will protect you. Together we are strong. How can you help me if you leave? Your promise is good, isn’t it?” Valerie said with a small smile tugging at her lips, the firelight playing on her mirror-like eyes.
Ammon couldn’t help but notice how the firelight played on the dark orbs of her eyes as if they held their own fires within. Recently he had become so comfortable with them that he seldom noticed or remembered to fear them. And it was always a treat when she decided they should be blue.
Knowing she could choose to make them blue whenever she wanted helped. Perhaps the firelight is playing tricks on my eyes! But for whatever reason, he realized for the first time he felt differently about Valerie. The attraction was undeniable; he had feelings for her and didn’t want to leave. But was the attraction mutual? He couldn’t be sure but also couldn’t help wondering. Her eagerness to help him, combined with her steadfast determination to keep him from leaving, hinted that there might be more than what met that unknowable gaze. Then Ammon wished her eyes could be blue once again, if only for a moment.
The age difference between the two didn’t deter his interest in her in the slightest. He guessed she might be ten years older than he, but she was capable, fit, and had a healthy glow. It seemed to him her steel-grey hair aged her more than it should. Her black eyebrows contrasted with her lush head of silver, betraying its former pigmentation.
Intuition told him Valerie was right when she said she didn’t have eyes in the back of her head, but if she had someone like him looking out for her, they were all stronger. Ammon decided that he could put trust in her without endangering Pearse and his young family.
Valerie continued. “We are stronger as a team than we are alone. Stay with us, and we will fight them together.”
Hearing this, Pearse and Lauryn nodded their agreement.
“Alright, you have a point,” admitted Ammon,” I hope you are right. I will stay, but we need to be prepared for Riordan’s men. They could come anytime.”
For a long moment Ammon considered the possibilities. “I have an idea,” he said. “Hunting dogs would warn us of danger day or night. I know a man who sells good dogs. I can go see him tomorrow.”
“I think that is a good idea, Ammon,” Pearse said with enthusiasm. “But I should be the one to go. You should not allow yourself to be seen by anyone right now.”
“Agreed,” Valerie said, while Lauryn simply nodded again. “Ammon, can you tell me how to find this man?”
“I can,” he said. “His place is easy to find. Lochlan has a farm on the road to Erlin, half-way between the road to Locarno and the Erlin bridge. You can be there from here in one hour. He is proud of his dogs, though. He will not sell them unless he likes you, and his price will be high. Do not bargain. Pay his asking price,” Ammon advised.
“I have gold. I will pay for the dog,” offered Valerie.
“Pearse, I suggest that you buy two dogs,” Ammon insisted. “Raiders have been known to kill a dog before striking. More than one dog would make it that more difficult and give us more warning. Ask Lochlan if he will sell you a mated pair. That would be best. Then we will have more of them in the future.”
“Where I come from, we call them watchdogs,” Valerie added.
“Watch-dogs? I like that,” Ammon said. “The dogs can be the eyes you don’t have in the back of your head!” They laughed together at that, although the joke fell flat with Pearse and Lauryn since they hadn’t been present when she claimed she didn’t have eyes in the back of her head.
Just after dawn, Pearse and Tierney set out on foot for Lochlan’s farm. Valerie supplied them with a pouch of golden pebbles, far more than it seemed necessary. But since he couldn’t know the price of trained hunting dogs, Pearse didn’t want to object to the amount she offered.
As they came off the ridge heading toward Erlin, Pearse noticed the scent of spring in the air. Behind him the ridge was still heavy with snow, though as they descended, most of the snow had melted off revealing green grass in the pastures and fields. The blue sky was crystal-clear above him, but the valley below was a sea of thick clouds that were just beginning to burn off. Birdsong was everywhere, while squirrels ran to-and-fro in the underbrush reminding him spring was imminent.
Approaching Lochlan’s farm, they spied a man in the distance tending to his animals. Even before turning on the trail to the house, dogs began barking, announcing their presence on the road. The man they assumed to be Lochlan looked up from his work as soon as the dogs barked, which brought a knowing smile to Pearse’s face.
“See how the dogs warn their owner?” Pearse said to Tierney, with a hand on his son’s shoulder. “That is the warning we need.”
Ammon was right about hunting dogs, Pearse decided. Sounding an early alarm to approaching visitors would protect them. As they turned to walk down the lane, the man named Lochlan whistled to his dogs, instantly ending the commotion. However, he scolded one dog that began running toward the visitors with its head down. With another whistle, the dog turned obediently back to him with its tail between its legs.
“Make sure you say nothing about where we live or that we have a hunter,” Pearse whispered. “Lochlan has probably heard about Ammon from Riordan’s men. We need to be careful.” The boy nodded obediently.
Once he was face-to-face with Lochlan, Pearse introduced himself and his son, then explained he had heard from some hunters that he sold good dogs. If that was true, he and the boy were there to see about purchasing a pair of hunting dogs from him.
“Who were these hunters?” Lochlan asked, his brows furrowed, his voice filled with suspicion. No doubt the man was concerned one of those hunters the visitor spoke of might be the one sought by Riordan’s men.
Aware that he couldn’t provide any names, especially Ammon’s, Pearse thought fast to come up with a plausible story. “A group of hunters came onto our farm a few weeks ago. They came upon us without warning, which made me uneasy. I was worried for my family. We want a pair of hunting dogs that are also good watchdogs.”
“Watchdogs— what does that mean?” Lochlan asked, puzzled by the unfamiliar term.
“Hunting dogs can tell us when visitors approach, just like your dogs did when they saw us on the road. They watch out for us, which makes them watchdogs.”
“I see,” Lochlan said, his mood lightening. “That’s right, they do.”
“How many dogs do you keep?” asked Pearse. “A few,” the man said evasively.
Pearse could see and hear several dogs tussling, whining, and fussing beyond a fence behind the house. “Do you have a pair of dogs for sale?”
“I might, but a breeding pair of these dogs are worth their weight in coin. My dogs are trained for hunting, not watching.”
Pearse flashed an understanding smile. “I planned to hunt with them, too. We live on the ridge; I have small children and want them to be safe from intruders and wild animals.” With Pearse’s reference to children and living on the ridge where wild animals were known to prowl, Lochlan’s distrustful attitude evaporated all at once.
“Stay here. Let me show you what a good pair hunting of dogs can do.”
Pearse and Tierney looked on as Lochlan turned and disappeared behind the house. At the same time, a commotion ensued as anxious anima
ls maneuvered for position to receive his attention. Lochlan was heard muttering to the animals as they whined and scuffled over one another.
Lochlan reappeared with a pair of medium-sized dogs, one at each side of him wagging their tails, looking up at him, eager for his attention. The shorthair dogs were predominately brown with white spots on the face and hindquarters. Lochlan whistled once, which sent the excited animals sprinting together into the open field. The pair worked together for a few minutes running and sniffing at the ground picking up scents. When he let loose with two loud whistles, the animals returned then sat at his feet, staring expectantly up at him. Lochlan knelt on one knee as he patted, rubbed, and commended the dogs for their “good work.”
The display of his animals’ obedience deeply impressed Tierney, who pulled on his father’s arm, exclaiming excitedly, “Did you see that? Will they do that for us?”
Lochlan answered for Pearse. “Certainly,” he assured the boy, then added, “but you need to learn the commands and always be consistent with them, or they will not respect you.”
“Is this pair of dogs for sale?” Pearse asked, attempting to begin bargaining for them.
“Yes, I will let you have them for ten silver coin— each.”
Never having used gold for trading, Pearse was unfamiliar with comparing the value of gold nuggets compared to silver coin and hadn’t thought of asking anyone before leaving that morning. So, in the hope that Lochlan had a better knowledge of comparable values, he simply stated, “I have gold.”
“Oh,” Lochlan said, standing. “That’s alright. That would be about three gold coin then.”
“Twenty silver coin in silver is too high.” Pearse sighed. “You have very nice dogs, but I could buy the Erlin bridge for that much! I think ten coin in silver would be a fair price.”
“I know a man in Erlin who would sell that bridge, too,” laughed Lochlan. “But you don’t have silver, so I guess he will have to keep his bridge,” Lochlanhe joked.
“Can we agree to the equivalent of two gold coin?”
The Rings of Hesaurun Page 31