fresh bread and handed it to her along with a full mug of elderberry wine. I intend that ye will do both, trust and respect me, in time. And, I ken that I must earn that…as I have come to realize that ye are verra cautious with yer…affections.
Darina smiled a knowing smile. “Ye have heard of me, now have ye?” she chuckled. I will kill my Uncle Ruarc, I will , she thought to herself, only a bit too late.
Patrick tipped his head to the side in confusion. “I’m s-so-sorry?” he asked.
“Oh, never ye mind,” she replied out loud. “My Uncle Ruarc likes to think he knows me better than anyone else. He is seldom accurate Patrick, trust me on this. I may be stubborn and bull-headed, but only because I’ve had to be.”
Patrick laughed this time. He said nothing of the kind. He did tell me that perhaps I had met my match, however. And Lucian seems to think the same.
“Lucian? What has Lucian to do with anything?” she retorted as she removed her hand from Patrick’s and grew cold to his touch.
“D’rina? What gripe have ye with Lucian?” he asked sensing there was more to the story.
“Patrick, I know that ye have a special bond with Lucian, considering yer, uh, similarities,” she ventured. “But, Lucian has brought me people and me clan more trouble than we can abide. Things were fine until Lucian arrived, along with his pagan ways, and curses and spells and other such nonsense.”
“G-go on,” he implored her.
“I know me sister Dervilla trains under him, and for more than just map-making. I am well aware that the hours he spent with me mathair were not just council meetings on clan business. There is witchcraft and sorcery wherever Lucian roams and it has brought destruction and calamity in its wake.”
Tell me, what has Lucian caused or cost yer people, Darina?
“Well, if ye don’t ken by now, I may as well tell ye,” she huffed. Darina stood and straightened her tunic and truis, and paced back in forth in front of the small fire Patrick lit for them. “Ye may want to seek an annulment after this, but here goes.”
Darina, there is nothing that would keep me from fulfilling my oath to our marriage, to yer people, to me people. There is nothing, trust me.
Darina composed herself and sat back down, directly across from Patrick, looking him square in the eye as if in direct challenge. Daring him to brave the change in the course of his life she was about to burden him with. Instead of resistance, instead of defiance, her gaze was met with understanding. Understanding she did not understand. A quiet peace she never knew existed. A resilience and courage unmatched by anything she ever experienced.
“G-go on,” he said again and placed her hand in his. I am listening.
“ Well, it’s a long story, so I’ll tell it fast. Lucian is a druid. When he showed up here, our clan starting warring with the Burke clan to our north. They cast a spell on our people so that we can no longer have male children. There hasn’t been a male born to our clan in twenty years.”
Patrick nodded and stroked her hand in a silent appeal that she continue her story.
“Well, when I was young, I got pulled into the river and me mam came in after me. Only she was pregnant, and she took fever and she lost the babe. Even Lucian couldn’t help her, or save the babe. Mighty fine sorcerer he is, he couldn’t save the babe,” she cried and clasped her head in her hands.
And ye believe it is Lucian’s fault the bairn died?
“Well, aye and nay; I suppose I don’t ken,” she replied tears now running down her cheeks. Patrick drew Darina close to comfort her, seating her between his legs and wrapping his arms about her, resting his chin on the back of her shoulder.
Darina, tis’ no’ Lucian’s fault yer mathair caught the fever. ‘Tis no’ Lucian’s fault if the babe died. Lucian is no’ a god.
Darina shook with the tears that she had held back for years. Unable to share her grief with her clan, her
Darina smiled a knowing smile. “Ye have heard of me, now have ye?” she chuckled. I will kill my Uncle Ruarc, I will , she thought to herself, only a bit too late.
Patrick tipped his head to the side in confusion. “I’m s-so-sorry?” he asked.
“Oh, never ye mind,” she replied out loud. “My Uncle Ruarc likes to think he knows me better than anyone else. He is seldom accurate Patrick, trust me on this. I may be stubborn and bull-headed, but only because I’ve had to be.”
Patrick laughed this time. He said nothing of the kind. He did tell me that perhaps I had met my match, however. And Lucian seems to think the same.
“Lucian? What has Lucian to do with anything?” she retorted as she removed her hand from Patrick’s and grew cold to his touch.
“D’rina? What gripe have ye with Lucian?” he asked sensing there was more to the story.
“Patrick, I know that ye have a special bond with Lucian, considering yer, uh, similarities,” she ventured. “But, Lucian has brought me people and me clan more trouble than we can abide. Things were fine until Lucian arrived, along with his pagan ways, and curses and spells and other such nonsense.”
“G-go on,” he implored her.
“I know me sister Dervilla trains under him, and for more than just map-making. I am well aware that the hours he spent with me mathair were not just council meetings on clan business. There is witchcraft and sorcery wherever Lucian roams and it has brought destruction and calamity in its wake.”
Tell me, what has Lucian caused or cost yer people, Darina?
“Well, if ye don’t ken by now, I may as well tell ye,” she huffed. Darina stood and straightened her tunic and truis, and paced back in forth in front of the small fire Patrick lit for them. “Ye may want to seek an annulment after this, but here goes.”
Darina, there is nothing that would keep me from fulfilling my oath to our marriage, to yer people, to me people. There is nothing, trust me.
Darina composed herself and sat back down, directly across from Patrick, looking him square in the eye as if in direct challenge. Daring him to brave the change in the course of his life she was about to burden him with. Instead of resistance, instead of defiance, her gaze was met with understanding. Understanding she did not understand. A quiet peace she never knew existed. A resilience and courage unmatched by anything she ever experienced.
“G-go on,” he said again and placed her hand in his. I am listening.
“ Well, it’s a long story, so I’ll tell it fast. Lucian is a druid. When he showed up here, our clan starting warring with the Burke clan to our north. They cast a spell on our people so that we can no longer have male children. There hasn’t been a male born to our clan in twenty years.”
Patrick nodded and stroked her hand in a silent appeal that she continue her story.
“Well, when I was young, I got pulled into the river and me mam came in after me. Only she was pregnant, and she took fever and she lost the babe. Even Lucian couldn’t help her, or save the babe. Mighty fine sorcerer he is, he couldn’t save the babe,” she cried and clasped her head in her hands.
And ye believe it is Lucian’s fault the bairn died?
“Well, aye and nay; I suppose I don’t ken,” she replied tears now running down her cheeks. Patrick drew Darina close to comfort her, seating her between his legs and wrapping his arms about her, resting his chin on the back of her shoulder.
Darina, tis’ no’ Lucian’s fault yer mathair caught the fever. ‘Tis no’ Lucian’s fault if the babe died. Lucian is no’ a god.
Darina shook with the tears that she had held back for years. Unable to share her grief with her clan, her
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