Celtic Rain (The Battle Raven Series) (34 page)

As the Danann celebrated the Firbolg were holding their own banquet. Lady Paili prepared the plans for the banquet and General Daigh the entertainment. They agreed that the council should see that the rumors were true. That Lord Faolan had indeed returned and that his
lord’s
plan had succeeded. The Milesian and Danann were heading into battle the next day.

Lady Paili was sitting on a black velvet bench in front of her vanity when she heard the sound of the heavy boots on the marble floor of her sitting area. The sound became muffled as soon as he entered her sleeping chamber stepping on the rugs. General Daigh walked up to her standing directly behind her chair. He looked at her in the mirror as Paili sat her brush down and adjusted her silk robe. She slowly rose and turned to him as she put on a large ruby and diamond necklace.

“Is he here?” Daigh asked.

He adjusted his sword and tugged at his collar. He was not used to dressing up for an occasion and was in his military best. He slowly looked her over as she stepped up to him.

“Lord Faolan is off entertaining himself elsewhere.” She placed her hand on his cheek.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her to him. “Good.”

She placed both of her hands on his face and pulled him to her and kissed him.

“I must finish preparing. We can resume with this after the festivities.”

He bowed to her. “Lord Faolan asked me to escort you to the banquet hall when you are ready. I will take my leave and will be outside your chamber door. I will take this time to discuss with the guards tonight’s entertainment.” he turned and stepped out her door.

As General Daigh talked to the guards to make certain everything was proceeding as planned. He heard a door shut and he watched as the Seer was being led down the hall by her two guards Cadman and Kelvin. Shortly after Lady Paili emerged from her chambers in a crimson velvet gown with a heart shaped neck line bodice, silky fitted sleeves and straight skirt. He looked over her appraisingly and held out his arm, she took it and the General led her to the banquet hall.

As they stepped through the huge oak double doors her eyes searched the room for Lord Faolan. He was not seated at the head of the U shaped table that was set out for himself, the council and nobility. She heard his voice and saw that he was flanked by two council members. Her eyes looked him up and down as she admired him. He wore his typical high collared long black doublet that buttoned to his waist. There was a silver wolf embroidered on each side that flowed down to his boots. Her eyes focused on his silver shirt and black leather pants that showed offer his strength underneath much to her satisfaction.

Looking around the room at the rest of the council and nobles Lady Paili quietly laughed. All she could picture was a room full of peacocks. The men
were wearing doublets of all sorts of bright and garish colors with their family crest emblazed on their chest. Their wives all wore the same style of flowing silken gowns that matched the color of their husbands doublet. She looked in Kiara’s direction and thought that indeed herself and the Seer were the only two women with any sense of style.

General Daigh led her over to where Lord Faolan was and she was passed off. Lord Faolan looked her over and gave an appraisingly sly smile. He took her arm and led her to their seats. Most of the council was already seated at the tables, with some stragglers coming in. Lord Faolan took up her hand and kissed it.

“It seems everyone has arrived.” she said.

“I am pleased. You look lovely, my Lady. The dress suits you.” Faolan said.

“Thank you, my Lord. You have exquisite taste.” she said as she fingered the necklace he had presented her with earlier.

Daigh walked over and sat down on the opposite side of Faolan. “I believe you will be most entertained tonight, my lord.”

Damon sauntered in and sat beside Paili. “You look lovely sister.”

She patted his hand. “I know, brother.”

Paili glanced over at Kiara and nodded to her and Kiara gracefully nodded back. Her attention was brought back to the servants who placed a variety of meats, cheeses and bread on the tables in front of everyone. Their goblets were filled with wine or ale and Paili stood to give a Dark Irish blessing to toast Lord Faolan’s return. When she rose the room slowly fell silent.

“May the blessing of Dark be with us always. May the Firbolg always be Dark without and Dark within. May the moon shine upon us and in our hearts until it glows like a great fire consuming our enemies.” Paili turned to Faolan and looked into his eyes.

“May you be poor in misfortune, rich in blessings and quick to conquer your enemies. May you know nothing other than their misfortune from this day forward. Welcome back, a ghrá.” She leaned over and kissed him and grabbed his hand as he stood up.

General Daigh raised his glass and shouted. “To Lord Faolan.”

All of the guests raised their goblets and replied “To Lord Faolan.”

As Paili and Faolan sat back down Damon stood. He faced his sister and raised his goblet to her.

“My dearest sister. May you be in Heaven a half hour before the devil knows you're dead!”

“Sláinte!” all said and cheered as Paili gave him a look.

Faolan raised his goblet and his voice boomed through the room. “Let us eat and be entertained!”

All eyes turned to a side panel that had slid open and watched as two guards dragged a man into the room. Many started to eat and watched in anticipation as the first item for entertainment was brought into the room.

Kiara recognized the Danann tracker that had been caught entering her
chambers. The man’s long blonde hair was matted with blood and dirt. His shirt had been torn and was in shambles around his waist. His pants were torn and bloodied. He was half dragged to a platform which held two makeshift posts. Attached to the posts were chains with iron clasps the top and bottom.

One of the guards kicked the tracker in the middle of the back and he stumbled on the platform between the two posts. They raised him up and clasped the irons around his wrists and ankles. He wearily lifted his head and looked directly at Kiara and his eyes surprised her. They were ice blue, cold and resigned to his fate. A man willing to die for his mission and what he believed in.

Kiara hardened herself and her heart to about what she was going to witness. She felt pity for the man and masked her face to show no emotion. Over the years she had learned to trust and confide in only one person the fact that she still felt loyalty to her true bloodline. However, she did learn much from Lady Paili. Kiara had resigned herself to her fate and took full advantage of Paili’s training. The methods of hardening and hiding emotions she had learned over the years would come in handy at this very moment.

Lady Paili took pride in showing her the many forms of torture that Faolan had created. Kiara had witnessed servants being tortured and pitied the poor creatures. She was spared witness of human torture. Until now. In her own twisted way Lady Paili thought of her as a daughter. Her little protégé she would fondly call her. Kiara could almost best her with the sword and was just as smart academically. With Cadmon and Kelvin ever at her side she knew that Paili still considered her a threat.

Kiara’s thoughts were interrupted by the Danann man’s attempt to muffle his screams and the sound of the cracking whip and thuds of a club against his body. She focused on him and it all seemed to go into slow motion as she tried to numb her mind. The torn and bloody flesh, the long bruising marks from the whip across his chest.

His eyes met hers again and she could not look away. He did not let out another sound and every blow he took made a slight pang in her stomach. She successfully kept herself from flinching as the club smashed into his side sending a ripple across his bared chest. Kiara could tell that the guards were getting flustered that he had made no further sound and started increasing the beating.

She silently said a prayer for the man and thanked God that Lord Faolan had given both her and Lady Paili permission to leave before the final bloodletting. Paili was not fond of his favorite form of torture. The Blood Eagle.

The council members around her were cheering knowing it was coming to an end. Faolan glanced over and examined the Seer’s reaction. He turned and examined the tracker and noted the man was staring straight at the seer. She was watching straight faced and impervious to what was happening. He put his arm around Paili and leaned over close to her ear.

“I am impressed. The Seer even looks a little bored.” Faolan said and stood. Everyone was silent looking his way. He held up his arm and closed his fist.

“Finish it.” he said.

One of the guards nodded, reached over and pulled a sword from his side. Kiara looked to the top of one of the pillars and blanked out her mind so she wouldn’t see what was to come next. The guard brought his sword down and ended the trackers torture. She picked up her goblet and took a drink of wine to steady her nerves. At least the tracker did not have to endure the Blood Eagle.

Faolan looked over to Paili. “I have heard of rumors of a plan to use the seer to get to her brother. How has that progressed?”

Paili glanced Kiara’s way wondering how this really was affecting her. She thought now that she should have subjected her to human torture. Paili glanced over at her brother who was engrossed in a conversation with a council member’s wife. She brushed some hair behind her shoulder.

“Damon has successfully pushed through the barriers and into the boys head. I believe he needs a bit more help. It seems the boy is able to push him out.” she said.

“That is interesting. His power is not as limitless as he claims.” Faolan stated and Damon turned to him.

“It appears you are correct, my Lord. The boy is the first I have encountered, besides the Seer who can push me out. I am not quite sure how he is doing it. Now that you are back we can combine our powers and force our way in. I have seen a quick glimpse in his head that he is close to the descendant’s son. If anything happens to him she may be distraught enough to not help in the battle.”

Lord Faolan stroked his beard. “It is possible that the descendant would be vulnerable if anything happens to her son. It must be at the right moment an if he strikes at the son as the descendant is in battle. That may provide the right distraction to make sure she falls.”

Lady Paili glanced at General Daigh who was intently listening in to their conversation. Lord Faolan’s plan just might put a crimp in her plan. She started to wonder if Damon should go with the group tomorrow. If not they would have to head out tonight. She decided to discuss the idea with Daigh to have Damon translocate the group there and come back.

Faolan took a side glance at the look of contemplation on her face and at General Daigh. He knew what was going on between them and planned on putting an end to it. As for now he needed Daigh and had not decided if he was going to let their little plan, which was supposedly a secret, follow through.

Faolan’s attention was drawn to the former entertainment and watched as the guards cleared away the body to be thrown in a pit with the hungry wolves. He turned to Paili as she rose and excused herself and the seer for the night. Kiara walked up to Paili’s side with her two guards following directly behind her. They both curtsied to Faolan and turned to walk to their quarters.

Kiara let out a breath of relief when she was in her quarters alone and took a seat at her vanity to get ready for bed. She had hoped that Paili did not wish to come to her chambers and have some wine before they settled in for the night. She did not feel like having company. To her relief Paili bid her good
night at her door and left for her own.

Unexpectedly, Kiara jerked in her seat as she felt a flash. She saw that the Lady Battle Raven had made her choice.

“I wonder when the son will make his.” Kiara said as she set her brush down. She stood and walked over to her bed. Mentally and physically exhausted from the nights activities she curled up in a ball hugging her pillow.

Lara slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to look at Aodhan lying next to her.

“I shouldn’t feel so happy when a war is about to wage on. My family and friends most likely think I’m dead. How could this be?” she said quietly to herself.

Lara rolled over to face Aodhan. Sometime during the night she had ended up on her side facing away from him and he was on his stomach with one arm draped around her. Lara lightly pushed some hair out of his face. She couldn’t think of anytime she had ever seen him so peaceful.

Something colorful caught her eye. A Griffin tattoo all shades of red and gold tones covered his back. The Griffin’s large black and gray talons ran from his side and almost to the front of his stomach. The wings were spread out so one reached up over his shoulder. It was a glorious tattoo and she ran her fingers all over the lines. His shirt must have covered it just right. She remembered lowering the light on the lantern last night before he took his shirt off. Being such a sucker for tattoos it surprised her that she didn’t notice even in the dim light.

Thinking about hers she wondered how they even did tattoos in this realm. If it was like the old style needle and ink that they pounded into the skin it made her cringe especially considering the size and detail on his. Lara glanced around and noticed that it wasn’t sun up yet and wondered what time it was. She propped her head up in her hand and started to outline his tattoo lightly with her fingers.

Aodhan had woken up when Lara turned over keeping his eyes closed and enjoyed the moment of laying there with her. When she started to outline his tattoo he did not want to move away from the feathery touch. When she stopped he pulled her to him with his arm that was still wrapped over her waist and turned over to face her.

“Good morning a chroí.”

“Good morning my heart. Your tattoo is beautiful.” she said and put a hand over his heart where the Griffin’s wing tip ended and grinned.

“Not as beautiful as you, my Lady. Are you going to tell me the story of your tattoo?” Aodhan asked.

“Which one?” Lara said

“The one on your shoulder is easy enough to figure out. This one however.” He moved his arm down and rubbed the small of her back. “Is not.”

“It’s my design. A depiction from my favorite story of Exodus from the Bible. A religious book in my realm.”

“Sounds familiar somehow.” he said pulling her even closer to where he could barely breathe.

Looking at him she frowned. “I’ll tell you the story some other time. It will take too long and we have things to do today.” she glanced at the light that was starting to peek through the cracks in her tent.

“We better get up and start getting ready.” she smiled and tried to wiggle away from him.

“I see that Christian brought the rest of your armor in last night.” he said.

Lara moved from the comfortable position she was in and glanced to where he was pointing. A gleaming pile of metal was on the floor.

“I hadn’t noticed.” she sat up and swung her legs over the bunk and sighed.

“I was a bit too exhausted last night and I can’t believe I fell right to sleep. Especially with you right next to me.” Lara leaned over and kissed him.

He reached up pulling her back over into a hug and pushed some hair behind her ear. “Both of us needed the rest. We need more time.”

“That we do.” Lara said as she rested her head on his chest.

Aodhan moved her over and sat up. He looked at her as he reached out his arms and stretched out his legs. Reaching over he grabbed his shirt and boots and tugged them on. Looking at her.

“God help me if anything happens to you or Kedryn today.” he said.

Lara stood and put her hand on his face. “I feel the same about the both of you.”

He kissed the tip of her nose. “I will come back with food and help you with your armor. After we will meet with the others to assess the troops.”

“Breakfast sounds good.” she said and walked him to the sitting area and watched him walk out. Lara walked back into her sleeping area. She looked at the water basin and decided to completely go all out.

“If I have to fight. At least I’ll look hot.” She laughed at herself and started getting ready busying herself to steady her nerves in her stomach.