The Gathering (15 page)

19

The late afternoon sun was beginning to disappear and with each moment the sun gave way to night, the lights of Lia Fail began to flicker on.
 
The solar lamps became brighter with every deeper shade of gray that crossed the sky.
 
Then the lamplighters began their rounds.
 
Every morning they put out the flames and every evening they lit the great torches around Lia Fail.
 
The maintenance of the torches also fell to this group of thirty or forty.
 
They moved like fireflies through the village as they carried their flames, darting in and around the buildings and walls until the village basked in a warm orange glow.
 

The light created by these two sources was beautiful, but more importantly it signified the start of the evening festivities.
 

Molly Creegan was sound asleep when she fell on the floor, right on her face.

"Come On!
 
Wake up!""

Molly groaned and rubbed her head.
 
When she opened her eyes and she rolled over she was staring directly up at Jones, who was consequently looking down at her.

"Sun's going down!
 
We're gonna to miss the start if you don't get a move on.
 
Let's go!"

She sat up and then raised herself to her feet.
 
She was now looking down at Jones, who was sporting a frown, which few ever saw.
 
Molly raised her hands and grabbed for her clothes.

"Ok, I’m going.
 
I thank the gods you don't wear a kilt.
 
I don’t need to see that when I wake up."

"I'll put one on if it'll make you move faster."

Molly grinned and bolted to the showers.

Sean had just finished changing his clothes.
 
He now wore a green long-sleeved shirt and brown leather pants with his boots.
 
He stamped down on the stone floor to fix his boot when someone knocked.

"Enter."

Into the room walked Chris and Tanner Stark.
 
They too were looking very handsome.
 
They were identical twins, but they went to great pains to make themselves look different.
 
Although they had the same medium build and both stood six feet in height, Chris had shoulder-length layered brown hair

and
had taken to wearing a van dyke.
 
Tanner had dyed his hair black and it hung almost to his waist.
 
He wore a goatee and a thin line beard around his jaw.
 
They managed to look very different.

Sean looked up and saw them.
 

"What's up?
 
Aren't you supposed to be setting up?"

"Nah, Mr. Tippen is setting up, " answered Tanner.

Then Tanner looked at Chris and nodded in Sean's direction, trying to get him to speak and Sean smiled as he thought about when they were only boys.

As the silent prodding went on, Sean spoke.

"Today, Gentlemen."

Chris turned.

"Ok, before our dad died, you and he would always celebrate the start of the Gathering with a toast."

"Yeah," said Tanner.

Sean raised his eyebrows.

"Well," Tanner continued, "we asked him before he "left" if we could toast as well and he said when we were eighteen."

Chris nodded.

"Well, we’re eighteen now."

Sean folded his arms in front of him.

"And?"

Chris's shoulders slumped slightly as Tanner started to answer.

"Well, since dad's not here anymore and now we're eighteen and…well, we…we thought we could carry on the tradition with you."

"If you want, that is,” stammered Chris.

Sean looked at the boys and then put his hands on his hips and looked at the ground.
 
He sighed heavily and raised his gaze to theirs.

"You guys are putting me in a hell of a position, you know that?
 
What if your mom finds out?
 
What then?"

The boys were looking at the floor as Sean moved to his armoire.
 
He opened the doors and reached inside.

He glanced over his shoulder with a smile and brought out a bottle of scotch and three glasses.

Both Chris and Tanner looked at him and then each other with stunned wonder and smiled.
 
Sean placed the glasses on the table and began to pour.

"Well, I guess what she doesn't know won't hurt her, right?"

"Right,” they responded in unison.

Sean handed the boys each a glass.
 
Then he raised his and the boys followed suit.
 
Sean smiled and looked at the young men.
 
They were so grown up in so many ways, but he still saw the little boys he had met thirteen years before.

"So you want to do the same toast?”

The boys looked at each other and then Sean nodded.

"Ok,” Sean spoke.
  
“May we always find peace in our hearts.
 
May we always find love in our homes.
 
May we always remember the past.
 
May we never have need to roam.
 
For the days of old have brought us together to remember how we came here.
 
We drink to our past, we drink to our love and we drink to our friends.
 
May we always remember why."

Sean held up his glass and the twins held up theirs.

"To my friend, Paul Stark."

Tanner looked at his brother.

"To our father."

Chris looked at Sean.

"And to his best friend…and ours."

Sean felt himself affected by the words, but managed to hide his emotion.
 
He nodded at the boys.

"To all of us."

"To all of us!"

They raised the glasses to their lips and swallowed.
 
Sean blew out the liquored air as he watched the boys start to cough.

"Nice, huh?"

The twins looked at him as if he were insane.
 
He took the glasses from them and slapped them on the back.

"Don't worry, Guys, you'll get used to it.
 
You have to acquire a taste."

The twins nodded and tried to breathe when another knock came on the door.

"Enter."

Molly Creegan had dressed in record time and she and Jones stood at the door.

"Sorry to bother you, Captain.
 
We just wanted to confirm that we're not expected back on duty until tomorrow night.
 
Is that correct, Sir?"

Sean nodded and smiled.

"That's right, Creegan.
 
You both put in the hours, now go have fun."

Jones leaned forward and looked concerned.

"Are they ok, Sir?"

"Sure, they just had their first whiskey.
 
They'll be fine."

Jones nodded and he and Molly walked away, barely containing their laughter.

The twins had regained their composure and had stopped coughing.

"It wasn't that bad," said Chris.

Sean pointed at the door.

"Out.
 
Go set up."

The boys smiled and started to leave.

"Boys?"

They turned and looked at their father's old friend.

"Your dad would be proud of you.
 
Never forget that."

They smiled and turned.

"Thanks, Sean."

They walked out and as they closed the door, Sean walked back to the bottle of scotch and poured another drink.
 
He walked over the window and looked at the lights.

"Here's to you, Old Friend."

He drank the shot and looked at the castle.
 
Just then, he could see Alia from one of her windows.
 
She looked over at him and threw up her arms and pointed at her wrist.
 
He put his hands up and left the window.

"She is a handful,"
he thought and looked at the old picture of he and Paul again.
 
"Don't know how you did it."

Sean opened the door and just as he was about to close it he thought he heard a voice, no higher than a whisper.

"You will."

Sean opened the door, but the only thing in the room was a raven on his windowsill.
 
He shook his head and closed the door.
 

20

"Come on, Ellie."

Grant Turner was pacing back and forth.

"I got a message from Alia.
 
We're supposed to meet her and everyone else at Donagan's Pub."

"I'm almost ready, Grant.
 
As God is my witness, you are the most impatient man."

A knock interrupted their bickering as Grant walked over and opened the door to reveal his son.
 
Ian was dressed in a long-sleeved white shirt, black pants and black boots.

"Aren't you guys going to the pub?"

Grant motioned towards the bedroom and threw his hands up.
 
Ian moved into the room and laughed.

"Well, I can see you have your hands full.
 
I'm going to the main stage.
 
Where's Hannah?"

"She, Rebecca and Rachel took off after dinner.
 
They're supposed to be at the main stage anyway and the pub is right there."

Grant moved towards the bedroom doorway and yelled.

"If there are any seats left when we get there!"

Ellen Turner walked into the room and smiled sweetly at her son.
 
She stopped to look him up and down.

"Well, don't we look handsome?
 
Any reason?"