After the evening meal, her husband, Derric, had mumbled something about going to the parapets. The girls had gone outside to practice archery and who knows what the boys were doing?
She took another sip as a door opened, Sylvi shouting to her, “Mama, Grandda is nearly here.”
“Grandda? He is? I didn’t know he was coming. When?”
The door opened and her dearest cousin Alasdair came in carrying three satchels, a gaggle of family members behind him, and a wee bit behind him appeared her father and mother.
She moved over to her cousins, kissed each one on the cheek, and began to cry when she leaned over to kiss her fatherand mother, throwing her arms around her father’s neck and whispering, “I need you so much, Da.”
Her father, Connor Grant, moved inside with a bit of a push. “If you let me set our packs down, I’ll give you my complete attention, daughter.”
Her mother, Sela, said, “Oh, Connor, she’s crying. I’m so glad we came.” Dyna switched from one parent to the other and latched onto her mother’s shoulders for a bit.
Dyna got herself under control and stepped back as both parents came inside, her dear sister Astra behind them. She hugged her sister a bit too tightly. The door opened from above stairs and Sandor bellowed, “Grandda! Grandmama! John!”
The door in the tower opened up and another bunch of people filled the hall, Grant yelling, “John! I’m so glad you’re here. Uncle Connor, Aunt Sela.”
Serving lasses came out of the kitchen with goblets of mead for the visitors and a tray of cheese and breads.
Dyna stood inconspicuously off to the side, tears running down her face, so happy to see her family, whom she missed so much, filling the hall with greetings and laughter and loud banter. Doing her best to gather her thoughts, she couldn’t come up with a good explanation for her father to accurately explain how she felt.
But something was off. She’d been having dreams of crumbling hills and screaming banshees. Not her usual type of dream at all. Not the kind she confessed to anyone.
It unsettled her to think that something was about to happen.
Many years ago, they’d been victims of some evil beings who thought to steal their bairns away, a horrible time in her life. But they’d all survived, and the faery, who had been amongst them, had said their help as seers wouldn’t be needed for a long time. The faery had gathered them together and advised the groupthat their skills would be needed to fight evil sometime in the future.
Her mind carried her back to that night. Lia had gathered the group: her parents, Hagen, Brynja, Maitland, Maeve, Grant, Alasdair, John, and Dyna.
The wee faery had informed them that they were a chosen group with their abilities and would be called upon someday to save bairns again. The group she’d singled out had been John, Grant, Tora, Sylvi, Sandor, and Magni. She’d said that Grant and John would work with the sapphire sword, and the others would be needed to protect bairns. Lia had told Connor and Dyna, Maeve and Maitland that they would be needed too. And so would Brynja and Hagen with their special healing skills.
It all seemed so distant. Had they truly dealt with a faery named Lia?
They’d never seen her since, though Magni had searched for her all over the Western Hebrides, but she was nowhere to be seen.
They knew she’d be found only when she wished to be found.
Her father strode over to her and wrapped his arms around her again. “Now you have my complete attention. What’s wrong? I don’t often see you this despondent.”
“I can’t explain it, Da.”
Her father took her by the hand and said, “Alasdair, come with us.” He led her into the solar where they could talk privately.
Alasdair joined them while the housekeeper settled the others in chambers with their bags. “What’s wrong, Dyna?”
“I don’t know. I just feel… different. Tora is having nightmares, Sylvi walks in circles staring at the walls, and Sandor is fixated on the ceiling. We’re all confused.”
Alasdair let out a big sigh and said, “Ailith is having bad dreams too. ’Tis one of the reasons we’re here.”
“She is? Oh my.”
“We’ll get settled, then you can talk with her. Mayhap on the morrow. She’s overtired from all the dreams. The boat across the water was hard for her. She was having visions then. Sometimes they give her headaches.”
Dyna scowled and hugged herself, a chill running through her.
Her father pointed to a chair. “Come and sit. Sela and Maeve will settle everyone upstairs. Your bairns are busy chattering with Alasdair’s. You have both of our attentions for a few moments. Talk to me, Dyna. How are your brothers?”
“Aye, they’re both fine. Hagen loves it by the sea at MacClane Castle. And they see Morgan and the shipping crew often. He works with them while Brynja goes to the abbey whenever she can.”
