Defiance (The Priestess Trilogy) (13 page)
Read Defiance (The Priestess Trilogy) Online
Authors: Melissa Sasina
Ceallach nodded and, giving a quick low bow, excused himself.
Mahon watched the man leave, wondering just
how
his sister had defied
Réalta and why she had done so. Grabbing an empty cup from the table, he decided to take Ainmire up on his offer and filled it generously with mead. He had never seen Ceallach react
the way he had that night. Seeing the man display such
emotions
honestly worried him and made him wonder just what had happened to make him so angry.
He took a drink from the cup as the door opened once more and two men stepped into the cottage.
Naal was a tall and slim young man of twenty-two years with long,
dark
hair that shinned with hints of red and an odd streak of white b
y
the right side of his face. A
spiral
curled
by his right eye
and another blue woad honor mark on his neck, partially hidden by his tunic
. Naal’s father, Earnán, was
man with dark brown hair that
was cut short and
dark eyes
that
flashed with warmth. Like his son, Earnán bore a spiral by his right eye.
The two men came in, talking and laughing,
completely unaware of what had just transpired. Their entrance came to an abrupt pause, though,
upon seeing the looks on Mahon and Ainmire’s faces.
Earnán bowed. “Please forgive the interruption, my lord,” he said
respectfully
.
Ainmire rose to his feet and approached the men, his face grave.
“There
have been grievous misdoings
brought upon us
,
” he told them
sadly.
Naal and Earnán look at him in concern.
“Cúlráid has been attacked,” he continued
with a heavy voice
. “Burned to the ground. And…and…” His voice trailed off, unable to continue. Emotions, deep and sorrowful, racked through his body.
Mahon stepped in. “Earnán, your sister Deirdre, and her
son
, are dead,” he said softly.
The look of disbelief, followed by grief crossed both men’s faces
.
Earnán sat down roughly, face in his hands
.
Mahon watched Earnán. The man had recently lost his wife to illness, and now to learn that his sister and nephew were dead, he could even begin imagining how Earnán must feel.
Naal stood by his father
, maintaining better composure
. “
Was it…Ailill
?”
he asked after a moment.
Ainmire nodded. “Aye,” he replied.
“So it begins…” muttered Earnán. “Should we inform the High Chieftains?”
“No, as I said in the past, we shall deal with Ailill ourselves,” stated Ainmire firmly.
Suddenly, the
cottage
door was fl
ung open and
Daire
strode in with a grin that stretched from ear to ear
. “I have
brought her,” he said
eagerly
, moving aside and beckoning to a shadowed figure standin
g in the doorway
.
As the young woman
stepped into the c
ottage, she
was washed over with the dancing firelight. She wore a pale gray shift with tight sleeve
s
over a longer plain white one. Her hair fell down her back in a long braid with a few loose curls framing her face. As she entered the room, she looked up, turning her gaze upon ever
yone in the cottage in turn
.
Mahon watched as those pale, silvery-blue eyes came to a rest on him, leaving him with a warm feeling of familiarity.
Her eyes remained steady as she looked at him.
Mah
on studied the woman in turn, taking in everything from the features of her face, to the stubborn gleam in her eyes
.
It was then that, for a brief moment, he was looking at a determined eight-year old girl instead of the woman standing before him now.
The
cup
slipped from his fingers and c
lattered noisily to the
ground
, mead spi
lling onto the packed dirt, soaking in.
Mahon found he stood there, mouth open as he fumbled to speak.
“
Shiovra
…?”
he breathed, struggling not to make a fool of him
. “
Shiovra
, is that you?” It had been so long he wasn’t sure if she was his little sister or not. The woman before him looked so different from the girl her remembered
, yet so much the same
.
She nodded.
“I have returned home
, brother
,” the woman said, a small smile curling her lips.
Mahon moved swiftly towards
Shiovra
, catching her hands within his own. “Why have you been away for so long?” he asked anxiously. “
How did your training go on Rúnda?
Did your journey here go unhindered?
Why is Ceallach do angry?
”
All the questions that had tumbled through his mind, all his worries and fears, began flooding out of his mouth unrestrained.
Shiovra
remai
ned silent for a moment.
“For the most part it was unhindered.
There was one…delay
…
but it was dealt with quickly,
” she
answered.
He noticed she stiffe
ned and her choice of words did not sit well with him.
Mahon pressed further, “What happened?”
“
I would rather not spe
ak about such right now. I
only just arrived
, could I not rest first?” She paused, her eyes searching his face
. “I know I have been away
far too
long, but I am here now.”
Mahon found that his worry was quickly replaced with anger.
“You didn’
t have to go in the first place!
”
he
countered
, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice. “You could have remained here!
”
She glanced away, and took a deep breath to calm herself
. “Forgive me if my decision as a child hurt you
, Mahon
, but
I still believe it was for the best of this village
.
” Meeting his gaze once more, her eyes pleaded with him. “There are many lessons I learned on Rúnda, those more recent were the hardest, but I am home now. Can we put the past aside and look forward to tomorrow?”
“But…” began Mahon, only to be cut off as Ainmire placed a calming hand on his shoulder.
“Peace, Mahon,
”
urged the chieftain.
“She has journeyed a long way.”
Mahon
nodded reluctantly and
sat down roughly on a low bench next to Earnán.
“
There is a time and place for such question
,” Ainmire
reassured Mahon. “Hounding you sister as soon as you are reunited is
not
the right time. You have waited ten years to demand answers, you can wait a little l
onger
before getting them.”
He turned to
Shiovra
. “And I am sure, once you have rested, you would be more than happy to provide them, would you not
, High Priestess
?”
Shiovra
nodded. “Aye, Lord Ainmire.”
Mahon
l
ooked away, unable to bring himself to look at his sister
. He
knew Ainmire’s words rang true. If he continued as he was, it would only result in him pushing her away and he did not want that to happen. He never wanted to see her turn away from him again as she had done ten years ago.
There was a
gentle knock on the
door-lintel
before it
opened and a young woman slipped in, bowing low. “Please forgive me,” she said
in a softly spoken voice
. “But the bath has been prepared for Lady
Shiovra
as requested.”
Daire
nodded. “Thank you.” He turned to
Shiovra
. “Follow her and she shall take you to the bath house.”
Shiovra
smiled softly. “Aye. Thank you.”
After blushing heavily, t
he handmaid bowed once more.
Shiovra
turned and followed her from the cottage, the door closing quietly behind them.
Earnán turned to Mahon. “
Give her time,” he told him. “
The duties of a High Priestess will be a heavy burden. This entire village is going to look to her for protection
.”
Mahon couldn’t tear his eyes from the door, hoping that perhaps she would return
.
He had envisioned their reunion many times and not once had it gone as terribly as it just had. He felt a genuine fool for letting his anger get the better of him when he should have welcomed his sister with open arms.
“I am such a fool…” muttered Mahon with a short laugh.
“
That you are,” chuckled
Daire
warmly. “But you are kin,
she will forgive you."
3.
TIES WHICH BIND
The
bathing cottage
was
small and cozy. Warm and
dimly lit,
a strong sent of
meadow
sweet scent
hung
heavy in the air
.
D
ried
herbs hung along the
cottage’s
support posts, used to scent the bathing water. A cauldron hung above the hearth,
where
water
warmed
to be used for the bath.
Everything was exactly as
Shiovra
had remembered it from her childhood.
Stripping off her clothing and setting it aside,
Shiovra
s
at down
on a low bench situated in the center of the room
beside the hearth
.
A thick woven rug sat beneath her feet and what felt like a wicker mat beneath that. Beside her on the bench, a basin filled with water and wash cloth waited.
The maiden
moved to tend
to the fire. Her long, ash
brown
hair had been braided and fell over her shoulder. Her
brown-
green eyes shone brightly
in the firelight and tanned skin seemed to glow. S
he hummed softly to herself
as
she poked at the wood, sending small embers to lift into the air
.
“What is your name?”
Shiovra
queried,
dipping her fingers
in
to
the
warm water
.
“My name, Lady
Shiovra
?”
replied
the maiden
with a note of surprise
.
She straightened and turned to face the priestess, giving a quick bow.
“I am Úna of the Neimidh
clan
. I come from a
very small village to the south
and am
to be your handmaiden while you are here.”
“Please, do not call me Lady,” scoffed
Shiovra
, creating paths in the water
with a fingertip
. “I do not like it. It makes me fee
l as if I am someone I am not.”
Looking
up
,
she
smiled
at the woman
.
Shiovra
knew of another who imposed the undesired title upon her: Kieran, son of Dubheasa and her guardian on Rúnda.
Úna
met her gaze with confusion
. “As…as you wish, La…
Shiovra
.”
“M
uch better. I would rather be your companion than your mistress.” Dipping a cloth into the water,
Shiovra
began to wash her arms.
Úna
offered a warm smile of her own
. “Aye. I would like that as well. I d
o not have many companions here,
”
she admitted. “I have not been here very long…”
“Now then,”
Shiovra
co
ntinued, letting a touch of mischievousness slip
in
to
her voice. “I noticed that you seemed a bit flushed when
Daire
addressed you e
arlier.” She cast a sidelong glance at Úna to see the woman’s reaction
.
As expected, the poor
girl flushed a vibrant shade of
crimson
and nearly dropped
the wash cloth
she carried over
.
“Do you take an interest
in my cousin? Or is my question too bold?”
Úna turned an even deeper shade of crimson. “You are not too bold to say so…” Her voice trailed off. She busied her
self with washing
Shiovra
’s hair
, using the wet cloth
. “I do have an interest in…Lord
Daire
…but…” She hesitated. “That can never be. I am not part of the Túath clan. I am Neimidh and come from a very poor family…”
“I am sure that
Daire
would not see it that way. He is not one to divide people for clan and rank.” She paused to look at the girl.
“Aye, that may be so, but his only concerns now are for you.”
Shiovra
smiled sadly
. “When we were children,
Daire
was very close to me. When he
would visit
from Rúnda, we would spend the time playing and running about,” she
told her. “He and Mahon were much against me going to Rúnda for my training. I know his mother can be a hard person to understand, and till recently, I had not know the full extent of it.”
Shiovra
dipped her cloth back into the basin. “I understand that he also blames himself for not trying everything to stop me from leaving. Aye, his concerns may lie with me for the moment, but that is because I have only just returned.”
Úna
nodded mutely
.
“I’m sure, once I have become settled in, my cousin’s concerns for me will lessen,” continued
Shiovra
. “
Do not fret and give him some time
.”
A small smile crossed Úna’s lips
. Returning to the cauldron hanging over the fire, she dipped a finger into the water. Nodding to herself
, she
grabbed a deep basin sitting on a table near the fire and dipped it into the water
. “Cl
ose your eyes,” she instructed as she returned to the priestess’ side.
As soon as
Shiovra
closed her eyes, she felt the sudden rush of
warmth as water was pored over her. She remained unmoving as she heard Úna move around her before another bout of water flowed across her bare skin.
“All done,” Úna said cheerfully.
Opening her eyes,
Shiovra
rose to her feet, rin
ging the water from her hair while
Úna proceeded to dry her off.
The priestess could feel Úna’s hesitation before the woman finally spoke up.
“Forgive me if this out of place…but Lord Mahon seemed rather upset…” Úna said
quietly.
Shiovra
found herself pausing, her fingers stopping midway through her hair.
“No, not out of place,” she murmured. “For my brother, my leaving of Tara ten years ago to train was like turning my back on him.
” A short laugh passed her lips. “
And…he has every right to feel that way.”
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Mahon paced the main cottage
, hardly noticing how cold his wet clothes felt upon his skin
after having run through the heavy rain
.
His mind lingered on his reunion with his sister, of all the question
s
that remained unanswered. Yet, three days later, he found he was hesitant to ask them. He had, of course, plenty occasions to do just that, but each time he found his voice would not come.
“Mahon, if you keep pacing, you sh
all wear a rut in
the floor a
nd I do not believe Ainmire would like that too much,”
Daire
said sternly.
Pausing
by the fire,
Mahon met
Daire
’s gaze. He ha
d
completely
forgotten his cousin was there and regarded him
silently
a moment.
Daire
sat leaning against a support post with his arms crossed.
“The two of you have be
en avoiding each other for three days now
, like stubborn children,” he muttered
.
“
You have waited ten years to see her, stop hiding from her.
”
“I’m not
hiding
” retorted Mahon. “I just…do
n
o
t want to end up pushing her away.
” He exhaled
heavily and let himself fall onto a bench. “It’s been ten years,
Daire
. Ten years that I have missed. My mind still sees the little girl she was, but my eyes see a woman who is a
stranger
to me. What happened in those ten years I missed that made her who she is?
”
Daire
shifted, stretching his back a bit
,
and then
questioned,
“How do you remember her?”
Thinking a moment, Mahon replied with a smile, “Stubborn.
Utterly and
completely
st
ubborn. A girl who had a strong will and fiery spirit.
A girl with more
determination
then I could possibly ever imagine
.” He shook his
head. “Did I mention stubborn?
” he repeated with a hint of
laughter.
Daire
grinned
.
“She is still the sister you know, Mahon, only a woman instead of a child,” he said reassuringly.
“
A stubborn, willful, and defiant woman
.
”
Mahon remained quiet.
“
Shiovra
will be assuming her duties as High Priestess soon, and then there is the
betrothal
…would it not be better to put the past behind you and help carry her burdens?”
asked
Daire
calmly.
Mahon si
ghed in defeat.
He hated to admit when
Daire
was correct.
“You speak true.”
With a groan, h
e rubbed his face. “This betrothal…I understand it is for alliance, but it does not sit well with me.” Mahon lowered his hands, shaking his head. “The Milidh
clan is
the
enemy;
t
heir very presence threatens our
rule of Éire.
And my sister is to marry one of them…” He did not try to hide the anger in his voice. “Both Ainmire and Ceallach have reassur
ed me this is for the best,
but I am wary to believe thus
.
”
“Understandable,” replied
Daire
with a short nod
.
Leaning forward,
Mahon
met
Daire
’s gaze firmly.
“Until this Milidh clan proves their
untainted
want of alliance, I want you t
o guard my sister when I cannot,” he said
. “Ainmire and Ceallach
may
leap eagerly at this claim of
alliance;
I am not so easily swayed.”
* ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ *
Leaving the
h
igh fort
,
Shiovra
made her
way to a
small hut
in which a
shrine to
the Great Mother
Dana
stood. Stepping
i
nside
, she
looked around
to find she was alone
. Torches lit the
tiny
hut
with dancing light and i
n the center, a
wooden statue of a woman stood holding a large basin in which swirling waters had been carved. Upon the basin, several offerings had been left, as well as some which lay strewn at the statues bare feet.
Shiovra
stepped up to the statue
and placed
a small
fractured
crystal among the other offerings
. Kneeling down, she closed her eyes
and held her hands out in open invitation
.
“Hail,
Guardian
of the watchtower of the east
, powers of air and intuition,
I greet thee now, in perfect love and perfect trust
,” she murmured softly. “
Hail, Guardian of the watchtower of the n
orth, powers of Mother and earth,
I greet thee now in perfect love and perfect trust.”
Shiovra
gathered
the
energies swirling around her as she chanted. “Hail, Guardian of
the watchtower of the south, p
owers of fire and feeling, I greet thee now in perfect love and perfect trust. Hail, Guardian
of the watchtower of the west, p
owers of water and
intervention, I greet thee now
in perfect love and perfect tr
ust
. Hail to Dana, Mother of the Túath. Dana of the Light and Danu of Darkness. I
greet thee now in perfect love and perfect trust
.”