Page 12 of Luthias

“It’s definitely not for me, then,” she assured him, and frowned as he broke it in two. “Why did you do that?”

“I dinnae care for such things.” He pitched the pieces into the hearth. “Now we must fathom why you came to the clan.”

“We can talk about that on my next trip. It’s my first day at work, and I don’t think anyone is going to believe I traveled to the fourteenth century. So I need to go back and explain things. Somehow.” When he said nothing she felt her stomach drop. “I can go back to my time, right?”

Luthias leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I’ve an old story to tell you, lass, about the Fire Sword that you brought here. ’Twill explain what you dinnae fathom, and why you’ve come to us.”

The man was never going to answer a yes or no question with one word, it seemed. “All right, let’s hear it.”

He told her about the Fae otherworld of Elphyne, and two immortal princes who had fallen in love with the beautiful daughter of their king.

“As prince of fire, Ross ever disliked Kaer, the prince of ice. ’Twas their nature. When they lost their hearts to the king’s daughter, Princess Avarel, their longing for her changed them from rivals to enemies,” Luthias said. “Over time unmeasured they gave countless boons to the king to win his favor, in hopes of winning the princess’s hand. Yet no matter what the princes did, Avarel didnae choose either of them. They soon came to ken that neither of them would wed her.”

“Smart girl.” Emery felt a reluctant admiration for his very creative storytelling. “What did they do?”

“Avarel’s indifference made the hatred Ross and Kaer felt for each other grow beyond reason.” A log popped in the hearth, and his unusual eyes reflected the burst of orange sparks. “When at last she declared she’d never wed, the two princes went to war. Their followers attacked each other, and many lost their lives. At last Ross and Kaer faced each other in one final duel, and summoned all their elemental powers so they might destroy the other. ’Twas that moment Princess Avarel put herself between them to stop the conflict. Yet ’twas too late, and their powers instead engulfed the princess, burning and freezing her. She died a terrible death.”

Caught up in the story in spite of herself, Emery recoiled. “That’s no fairytale. What happened to the happily ever after ending?”

“’Twas naught of that for Ross and Kaer,” he admitted. “The king so loved Avarel that he became enraged, and stripped Ross and Kaer of their elemental powers. He then cast them out of Elphyne and forbid them ever return. All the Fae swore to shun both princes forever for killing Avarel, making them outcasts for eternity. Left in exile in our realm, Ross and Kaer had no choice but to live as mortals do.”

“Bet that was like moving from a mansion to a mud hut,” she said.

“Aye, and worse for them. They spent centuries making their place among mortals. Both took wives, had children, built families, and then founded two clans. Ross named his the MacRoss, and Kaer called his the Carack.” He hesitated before he added, “As immortals the princes could never age or sicken or die, so they watched those they loved grow old and die, over and again. ’Twas the cruelest punishment of all, I reckon. In the end, sadness and regret made them end themselves.”

She felt her eyes sting and blinked a few times. “If they were immortal, how could they do that?”

“Prince Ross used the magic that kept him immortal to forge a saining blade to protect his clan. ’Twas fashioned from the fire he once commanded, and enchanted to move through time. He said should his clan ever face grievous danger meant to end them, the Fire Sword would vanish to travel through time. The blade’s magic, ’twould seek out the one with the power to save the clan. He then commanded the MacRoss to protect anyone who returned the Fire Sword to them.” Luthias rose and came over to go down on one knee before her. “That ’twas the blade that found you, Mistress Parker. The Fire Sword brought you back through time to save the MacRoss, Prince Ross’s clan. I need you stay with us until you do so.”

“Me?” she squeaked the word. “I’m just a grad student. I don’t have any super powers. I know a lot about the weapons you use, but I’m no expert or anything. How the heck am I supposed to save an entire clan?”

The laird regarded her for a long moment before he said, “I’d hoped you could tell me.”

Chapter Four

Emery agreed to think about what he’d told her if Luthias would give her some time alone to, in her words, “process everything.” She also asked him to send away Ameron and Kyal, and promised not to go roaming about the castle by herself. Knowing the only way to win her trust was to extend some of his own, he left her, dismissed the guards and returned to the great hall.

Darach and Taveon had sent everyone back to their duties, and stood by the fire studying Emery’s pendant, from which they had managed to extract the lettered miniature.

“Naught ’tis steel but the ring,” the war master was saying as he handled the piece, expertly avoiding the metal. “’Tis too light for plate glass.”

“The miniature, ’tisnae painted, nor etched––and ever you’ve seen such parchment? ’Tis so thin and fine. ’Twas scraped a hundred times or more, I’ll wager.” The chieftain glanced at Luthias when he joined them. “How fares Mistress Parker, then?”

“She’s much to ponder, but she’s a valiant lady. Would that our lads had such calm.” He checked Darach’s knuckles for blood before he asked, “What of Camdyn?”

The chieftain made an ugly sound in his throat.

“Enough, Darach. I sent him to the forge, my lord, to fix a new oak cross guard on my favorite dagger.” The war master made a dismissive gesture. “’Twill take him an hour at best. He didnae say a word after you left with the lass.”

“He’s sulking like a babe put to wean,” Darach said.

“Cam’s no’ wrong in his suspicions, only where he casts them. The sword, ’twouldnae have brought the lass to us without cause.” What bedeviled Luthias was not knowing the threat, or how Emery could save the clan. The fact that she had found a love charm upon waking also troubled him. “What reckon you?”

“I’ve spoken with the last patrol on duty,” the chieftain said. “They spied a Carack hunter riding near our boundaries this morn, but he vanished. Mayhap his laird sent him to scout our defenses.”

“After ten centuries as our neighbors and enemies the Carack likely ken them as well as any MacRoss,” Taveon told him. “Aye, and Callum wouldnae be so bold. I worry more on what we dinnae see of them.”

“Agreed.” Luthias thought for a moment. “Darach, double the patrols, and send watchers to the slopes. Bid them to report anything they spy that doesnae seem right. Taveon, prepare a scheme on how we might quickly move the household out of Dun Lasair to the cattle and sheep farms. Send word to our stockmen to prepare the shearing barns and stables to house them if ’twill come to such. Aye, and plan how best we may ready for an attack to come at any hour.”