became still. Timbul, Araas, Kelian, Borgulnay and Gilgarry ran up the sand towards him.
Louisa helped Milgorry to sit upright and she gently brushed the white sand from his sun browned skin. Milgorry looked into Louisa’s eyes for a moment and his heart swelled with love. He wrapped his powerful arms around her and gently kissed her lips. For a long moment he held her, and then he rolled onto his knees. He drew his knife, reversed it and handed it to Tiernan who took it and looked down at the warrior.
‘ I’m ready,’ said Milgorry softly.
‘ What are you ready for, warrior?’ asked Tiernan, speaking just as quietly.
‘ I’m ready to return. Louisa is home. Her sisters are safe. I’ve finished what I needed to do.’ He looked towards Louisa as she shook her head frantically and tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Now Tiernan knows that I’d never hurt you. I’m ready.’
Tiernan did not speak. Araas and Timbul appeared grief stricken by the sight of Milgorry kneeling on the sand. Tiernan looked at the knife in his hand. He passed it back to Milgorry.
‘ It would be wrong,’ he said. ‘Every instinct within me longs to return you, but I cannot and will not destroy the life of this young guardian. She loves you and she has chosen you. And I sense very clearly that my sons are not willing to see you return. I trust their judgment, but I wonder if you know the difficult and dangerous position you place us in.’
Milgorry stared up at Tiernan. ‘Child of a guardian and of the free; so what will the child be? guardian or free?’
Tiernan ignored the question . ‘I know you brought Louisa here for her safety, but I also know there’s more. What do you want from me, warrior?’
‘ From my thoughts do you know who I am?’ Milgorry asked curiously, and Tiernan nodded. ‘Well, I think we want the same thing. My father wants a child of the guardians and of the free so he can attempt to return our lost abilities. He wants power. He wants to retain his freedom, but take back the strength and the abilities of the guardians. We cannot allow this to happen! He’ll destroy everything in his path, including his own people if necessary, to further his absurd scheme, but he won’t stop even if he manages to regain these powers. He has to be stopped before he destroys every human life. If he regains the gifts that were taken from us, he’ll come after the guardians first.’ He glanced to where Kelian stood with his arms around Elena. Borgulnay held one of Immosey’s hands and Gilgarry the other. He sighed as he was momentarily overwhelmed by his need to protect these people, his friends.
Tiernan stared at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. ‘I know who you are, Milgorry or Tarl, but I wonder if you know who you are. I saw from your thoughts that you remember very little of your mother.’
Milgorry ’s face paled a little. ‘I know who I am,’ he said and he sounded disgusted. He stood up. ‘By all rights, you should have returned me.’
Tiernan reached down to where Louisa was still kneeling on the sand and lifted her to her feet. She immediately grabbed Milgorry’s hand and looked nervously at Tiernan.
Tiernan ’s face softened as he looked at Louisa. ‘I won’t hurt you, Louisa and neither will I return your warrior. It seems he’s not exactly what I expected.
‘ What did you expect?’ asked Milgorry.
Tiernan ignored this question also, and turned to Kelian, Elena and Immosey. ‘Your Highness, Ladies Elena and Immosey, welcome to the Dwellings.’ He glanced expectantly towards the ship.
‘ The Queen and Princess are still on the ship, and the Princess’ little friend, Elliot,’ Kelian acknowledged, glancing towards Borgulnay who immediately waved towards a sailor on board the ship. The sailor waved back and disappeared and minutes later Queen Aithne, Princess Eijelin and Elliot were moving towards the shore. Tiernan greeted them formally then gestured towards the city.
‘
Louisa helped Milgorry to sit upright and she gently brushed the white sand from his sun browned skin. Milgorry looked into Louisa’s eyes for a moment and his heart swelled with love. He wrapped his powerful arms around her and gently kissed her lips. For a long moment he held her, and then he rolled onto his knees. He drew his knife, reversed it and handed it to Tiernan who took it and looked down at the warrior.
‘ I’m ready,’ said Milgorry softly.
‘ What are you ready for, warrior?’ asked Tiernan, speaking just as quietly.
‘ I’m ready to return. Louisa is home. Her sisters are safe. I’ve finished what I needed to do.’ He looked towards Louisa as she shook her head frantically and tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Now Tiernan knows that I’d never hurt you. I’m ready.’
Tiernan did not speak. Araas and Timbul appeared grief stricken by the sight of Milgorry kneeling on the sand. Tiernan looked at the knife in his hand. He passed it back to Milgorry.
‘ It would be wrong,’ he said. ‘Every instinct within me longs to return you, but I cannot and will not destroy the life of this young guardian. She loves you and she has chosen you. And I sense very clearly that my sons are not willing to see you return. I trust their judgment, but I wonder if you know the difficult and dangerous position you place us in.’
Milgorry stared up at Tiernan. ‘Child of a guardian and of the free; so what will the child be? guardian or free?’
Tiernan ignored the question . ‘I know you brought Louisa here for her safety, but I also know there’s more. What do you want from me, warrior?’
‘ From my thoughts do you know who I am?’ Milgorry asked curiously, and Tiernan nodded. ‘Well, I think we want the same thing. My father wants a child of the guardians and of the free so he can attempt to return our lost abilities. He wants power. He wants to retain his freedom, but take back the strength and the abilities of the guardians. We cannot allow this to happen! He’ll destroy everything in his path, including his own people if necessary, to further his absurd scheme, but he won’t stop even if he manages to regain these powers. He has to be stopped before he destroys every human life. If he regains the gifts that were taken from us, he’ll come after the guardians first.’ He glanced to where Kelian stood with his arms around Elena. Borgulnay held one of Immosey’s hands and Gilgarry the other. He sighed as he was momentarily overwhelmed by his need to protect these people, his friends.
Tiernan stared at him as if he was seeing him for the first time. ‘I know who you are, Milgorry or Tarl, but I wonder if you know who you are. I saw from your thoughts that you remember very little of your mother.’
Milgorry ’s face paled a little. ‘I know who I am,’ he said and he sounded disgusted. He stood up. ‘By all rights, you should have returned me.’
Tiernan reached down to where Louisa was still kneeling on the sand and lifted her to her feet. She immediately grabbed Milgorry’s hand and looked nervously at Tiernan.
Tiernan ’s face softened as he looked at Louisa. ‘I won’t hurt you, Louisa and neither will I return your warrior. It seems he’s not exactly what I expected.
‘ What did you expect?’ asked Milgorry.
Tiernan ignored this question also, and turned to Kelian, Elena and Immosey. ‘Your Highness, Ladies Elena and Immosey, welcome to the Dwellings.’ He glanced expectantly towards the ship.
‘ The Queen and Princess are still on the ship, and the Princess’ little friend, Elliot,’ Kelian acknowledged, glancing towards Borgulnay who immediately waved towards a sailor on board the ship. The sailor waved back and disappeared and minutes later Queen Aithne, Princess Eijelin and Elliot were moving towards the shore. Tiernan greeted them formally then gestured towards the city.
‘
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