Chapter Seven
“Heed the wisdom of a child, especially those who have witnessed the ancients.”
~Chronicles of the Fae
The brisk, Highland air stung Conn’s face as he maneuvered his motorcycle through the hills near Aonach Castle, but he gave no care. The Great Glen was filled with a majestic beauty of both—past and present centuries. He had seen this land in peaceful and turbulent times. The latter he had dealt with only last autumn when he and the Brotherhood had helped the Dragon Knights defeat the evil druid Lachlan, preventing him from bringing forth a monster that would have destroyed both realms.
Conn was now returning to a place he once called home.
Making his way around a bend in the road, he slowed his vehicle and pulled over to the side. There among the trees, Conn could partially see the standing stones. The very spot where evil had been vanquished. He closed his eyes and reached out with his Fae senses. Smiling, he opened them. The place had been blessed, most likely by Margaret—Meggie MacFhearguis. She was the sister to the Dragon Knights and now married to Adam MacFhearguis.
Starting his bike, he took off toward the castle. A renewed sense of purpose filled him. Onward he traveled—passing familiar landmarks. No signs were posted for Aonach. Adam and Meggie deemed it a place where outsiders were not welcomed, especially to a home where magic dwelt within. Their original plans included a bed and breakfast with horseback riding through the scenic area as part of the package. However, after much discussion they decided to open the castle to the many cousins of the MacKay and MacFhearguis clans, disregarding their original idea.
Turning his bike from the main road, Conn took the narrow path leading upward toward the castle. Twisting and turning along the road, he ducked under heavy pine branches, never slowing his speed. The engine noise frightened several deer along the outside path, and they dashed away. Soon the area cleared, and the road leading to the castle opened before him.
Riding slowly through the gates, he braked suddenly at the scene in front of him. Jamie MacFhearguis stood in a cart—Meggie and Adam’s son. He held a wooden sword high as his father deflected his blows with his own sword.
Turning off the engine, Conn’s mouth gaped open in shock at the lad. In ten months, he had grown more, making him appear older than his mere three human years. He frowned as a chill swept over him. The Order of the Dragon Knights was stronger—both physically and magically. It would not be needed for another thousand years when the Dark One would once again try and enter the human realm. Or would it happen sooner this time?
Getting off the motorcycle, Conn rubbed a gloved hand over his chin and shoved the uneasiness aside. He was not a seer. Furthermore, he was on a quest of another matter. Removing his gloves and helmet, he smiled at the scene before him. Putting the items on the back of his bike, he shouted, “Should not the lad be fighting in the lists?”
“Conn,” yelled Jamie, leaping off the cart and dropping his sword. Running over to him, he jumped into Conn’s outstretched arms.
Conn laughed. “You have grown, Jamie. Or is it James?”
The lad snickered. “Only my mama calls me James and that’s when she’s mad.” He pointed to the motorcycle. “Cool bike.”
Placing the boy on the ground, he stated, “Bought it this morning in Inverness.”
Adam approached slowly. “’Tis strange to see ye traveling thus.”
Shrugging, Conn crossed his arms over his chest. “Since I am without powers, I had to do as any human would have done. Besides, I’m prone to keeping a motorcycle or two, especially in Ireland.” Brushing a hand over the sleek metal, he added, “Love the speed you can get from these vehicles, especially away from the cities.”
“Ye are well, then?” asked Adam.
Conn saw the uncertainty in the man’s eyes. “For now. And you? If I recall, my last memories were of your death.”
Adam smiled broadly, bringing Jamie to his side. “Aye. I am well.” He held his arm outward and Conn embraced the forearm in an ancient warrior tradition.
“Conn MacRoich! Is it truly ye? Since when do ye use the front entrance? Ye usually appear without notice,” shouted Meggie, ambling along as she clutched her abdomen.
His heart lurched at the sight of her coming toward him. He would be indebted to Margaret MacFhearguis for the rest of his life. Embracing the pregnant woman, he held her firmly.
“’Tis good to see ye, Conn,” she uttered softly. “And alive.”
Conn swallowed. “I owe my life to you.”
She gazed up at him. “It was the least I could do. Without ye, Rory, and Liam, we would not have been able to defeat Lachlan. Ye risked your lives for us.” Standing on tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “Thank ye. I never got to say those simple words.”
Emotions swirled within Conn. Releasing Meggie he took a step back. “You and the Dragon Knights will always have my loyalty, strength, and support.”
She frowned. “Why are ye here, Conn?”
Adam came forward and placed an arm around his wife. “We thought to never see ye again. If ye have nae powers, then what do ye want from us?”
“Do ye wish to work for us?” gasped Meggie, her eyes wide.
“I may have pledged an oath to you, but I would surely never work as a hired hand,” he replied dryly. “I am here to see Archie regarding historical information.”
“Ye seek answers to help on your quest,” stated Jamie as he retrieved his wooden sword.
Conn rubbed the back of his neck. “You are a wise one, Sir James, and correct.”
The boy snorted. “Laird MacFhearguis to ye.”
“Enough,” protested Meggie, trying her best not to laugh at her son. “Let’s move inside to the Great Hall, where I’m sure Conn can give his full account.”
“Do ye think ye could take me for a ride on your black beast?” asked Jamie.
Conn gazed into the amber eyes of the wee Dragon Knight. “Have you mastered riding your horse?”
Jamie lifted his chin. “I am learning. Da takes me out each morn after my chores.”
“When you can master the first jump, I will take you on my bike.”
The boy’s eyes turned to glowing amber in a second. His inner dragon came to life before Conn’s eyes.
Adam chuckled. “Jamie has mastered several jumps on his own.”
“Scared me so, I almost had the babe right there,” proclaimed Meggie, brushing a lock of hair away from her son’s face.
Conn looked at the lad. “Truth?”
Jamie’s smile spoke volumes—a mix of the ancient and the child.
“Then after the evening meal, I shall take you down to the loch.”
“Yippee!” he squealed in delight, thrusting his sword upward and running toward the castle.
Conn kicked up the kickstand on his bike and pushed it forward. He watched as the lad disappeared inside, shouting a war cry in Latin.
Glancing around, he noticed several new improvements. The horses’ stalls had been enlarged, as well as the smithy area. Curious, he asked, “Have you hired a blacksmith?”
Adam glanced sideways at him. “Nae. I find solace in the forge.” He pointed to it. “Ye can put your beast over near the place.”
Conn arched a brow. “Having problems adjusting in this century?”
Shrugging, Adam replied, “Nae, only wished to bring my knowledge to this time period.”
“It helps to soothe and connect him with the past,” interjected Meggie over her shoulder.
Chuckling softly, Adam nodded. “Ye ken I like to make my own swords and shoes for the horses.”
“I still have difficulty getting him into any car,” she added.
“They are naught but loud, smelly beasts. I prefer Ciar over any of those,” he argued gruffly.
Meggie laughed. “Have ye smelled Ciar lately? The horse needs a bath in the loch.”
Adam sprinted forward and swept Meggie into his arms.
“By the hounds, put me down! I weigh a ton with the extra weight from the babe.” She smacked playfully at his chest.
“I deem I should take ye for a swim in the loch, wife.” He nuzzled her neck. “And ye will never be too heavy for me to lift.” Adam silenced any further outbursts with a kiss.
Conn quickly glanced away and went to park his bike outside the smithy. Making his way to the entrance of the castle, his steps stilled and he turned around. For a moment, he envied the tender scene of husband and wife. What would it be like to have another in his life? The thought stunned him, and he clenched his hands. You are a Fenian Warrior, not some sappy human.
Quickly turning his back on the couple, he stormed into the Great Hall. Glancing around, the faces of the MacKay Dragon Knights stared back at him from their places on the wall. Though they were long dead, these great warriors would always be alive within his heart. Clasping his hands behind his back, Conn strolled down the length of the wall and around the other side.
When he stood in front of the tapestry of Duncan MacKay, he nodded. “Though you and your brothers were angry at me for many years, I’m happy to have sent your wife, Brigid to you. Peace and long life in the land of Tir na Og, Duncan.”
“You made a wise decision on the day you sent Brigid to meet her destiny,” uttered the male voice behind him.
Conn turned and smiled at his friend. “Do you never age, Archie McKibben?”
“Have you not seen the gray at my temples? Being the Bard for the Fae can be trying.” The man laughed and went to embrace Conn.
“I can empathize,” agreed Conn.
Archie stood back and gazed at him in confusion. “I have heard the account of the Fae council, but why are you here? I thought you were to stay—”
“My instructions were there would be no contact with the Brotherhood. Nothing was mentioned about other Fae, or Dragon Knights,” interrupted Conn.
Archie pointed a finger at him. “Tread carefully, my friend.”
“Are ye ready to explain?” asked Adam, strolling in with Meggie on his arm.
Meggie gave her husband a kiss. “I’ll go see to some food and drinks.”
“I’ll be along shortly to help ye. And we have wine already on the table.”
“Where are your other MacKay relatives?” asked Conn. “Surely you’re not doing all the work so close to your birthing?”
Meggie waved him off. “Ye men—regardless if ye are human or Fae, ye seem to believe I’m a fragile piece of porcelain simply because I’m carrying a babe. Lena left for Inverness for a few days and the others—Bruce, Lucas, and Scott are purchasing some more horses in Glasgow.”
Conn walked over to Meggie and lifted her hand. Placing a kiss along the knuckles, he said, “I would never insult the sister and wife of a Dragon Knight.”
She winked at him. “I never knew ye could be so charming, Fae.”
He released her hand and smiled. Turning back around, he went to the table by the large hearth. Adam poured some wine into a mug and handed it to him. Sitting down, Conn swirled the liquid and waited as Archie took his seat. He sipped the wine, savoring the fruitiness on his tongue.
“Are you making your own?” he asked over the rim of his cup.
Adam nodded. “Another task I am working on.”
“You’ve been busy, Dragon Knight.” Taking another sip, Conn placed the mug on the table.
“Verra,” he laughed. “Let me go tend to Meggie, before she burns or drops something.”
Watching as the man made his way out of the hall, Conn leaned his arms on the oak table. “As you know, I’ve been sent on a quest as part of my sentence from the council.”
“Yes. We all heard the proclamation,” Archie said softly.
Conn leaned back and folded his arms across his chest. “Apparently, I saved the wrong woman at a pivotal point in the timeline. She was unknown to me at the time. Hidden and not considered important. Or so I was told.”
“You relied too much on the woman, Dervla, and her own words,” argued Archie.
“Yes, I understand that now,” he snapped.
“Then what do you require of me?”
“All knowledge of this O’Callaghan woman. I need to read your scrolls, maps, any and all pertinent information.”
Archie took a large swallow of his wine. “Which woman? Past or present?”
“Both.”
Smiling, his friend put down his mug. “So you have determined that they might be linked—from the moment the threads split?”
Conn nodded slowly.
“You do realize how frail these threads are? If you succeed with one—”
“Then I might be able to close the gap in the veil and help to heal the past without affecting the timeline for any of the descendents.”
“You risk much, Conn.” His friend leaned forward. “Why not simply help the lass in the present on her journey?”
Reaching for the pitcher, Conn refilled his mug. “Because I owe both, and I know it can be done.” He held up his hands. “I may have been stripped of my Fenian powers, but I am still a Fae—a prince. With the right knowledge, I will be able to forge the link between the two women. All I’ll need is to see the records from that time to determine what needs to be done. You have the accounts, so it’s only a matter of reading through them all.”
Archie glanced into his mug. “What you’re attempting has never been done. To weave the life strand from present to past is one only spoken of in theory.”
“I’ve had plenty of time to consider the hypothesis.”
“Have you considered that you will need the lass in the present fully aware of what you’ll be doing? She must consent.” Archie leaned forward. “In addition, if you weave a new thread, you could tamper with the current lass’s timeline. Have you even thought of that possibility?”
Conn knew the risks as he rubbed a hand across his forehead. “I owe both women a chance for this opportunity.”
Archie slammed his palm onto the table. “For the love of Mother Danu, you risk much!”
“A Fenian Warrior never does anything halfway.” He pounded his chest. “I live and breathe by a code of honor that is unspoken. I may have been stripped of my powers and markings, but I am a trained warrior—from the instant I pledged my vows. I owe them both!”
Nodding slowly, Archie asked, “What if you’re unable to do so?”
“If I fail on either account, then death will surely follow to the O’Callaghan woman of the present. I have nothing to lose.”
“Only your life. For death will swiftly claim you, as well.”
“Nae!” shouted Meggie, bringing in a basket of bread. Coming over toward them, she slammed the item down. She glared at Archie. “My one and only request to the Fae was to spare Rory, Liam, and Conn’s lives. I willnae hear such talk.”
Conn rose and placed a comforting arm around her. “And they will always honor your wishes, Meggie. This is entirely different. I have chosen this path to set things right—past and present with a certain clan. I was fully aware of the consequences when I accepted this quest.”
She shook her head as tears misted in her eyes. “Surely ye can find another way?”
He tipped her chin up with his finger. “That is why I am here. I must heal the past, before I can weave a new thread on the loom in the life of another.”
She snorted and wiped at her eyes. “Ye speak in riddles only a Fae would understand.”
Conn arched a brow. “And you comprehend as a human.” Glancing up, he saw Adam and Jamie striding forth, their arms loaded with food items. Giving her a kiss on the forehead, he released her, whispering, “No tears, Meggie, or your husband would certainly demand my head in the lists.”
“Aye, he would like training with ye before ye take your leave. Do ye think ye could do so?”
Conn groaned. “Do I have a choice?”
She pinched him on the arm. “Nae. How long are ye planning to reside here?”
“For as long as necessary to obtain the information I seek.”
“Good. Ye can begin before dawn tomorrow.”
“You’re a demanding woman, Margaret MacKay MacFhearguis.”
She motioned for Jamie to put his items on the side table. “My husband and child would agree with ye.”
For the next few hours, Conn explained in detail the events of his situation and the knowledge he required from Archie. In turn, Adam and Meggie filled him in on the improvements to Aonach—from expanding certain rooms, to meeting more MacKay descendants. The conversation grew tense at times, especially when Meggie’s brothers were mentioned. Her eyes misted with unshed tears, and on several occasions, Adam would wrap his arm around her shoulders and whisper in her ear. Though Meggie had assured him that she accepted living in this era, she still grieved for her brothers from time to time, as well did Adam for his own family.
The afternoon grew late and Meggie yawned. “Excuse me, but I cannae sit any longer.” She leaned against Adam and rubbed at her side. “I swear this one kicks far worse than Jamie did when he was inside me.”
Adam placed a hand over her swollen abdomen. “’Tis a strong, fighting lad.”
She glanced at him skeptically. “Could be a lass, ye ken.”
Her husband roared with laughter. “Did not the Great Dragon tell ye otherwise?”
“What does she ken,” she grumbled, though her mouth twitched in humor.
“The Great Dragon knows everything,” argued Jamie, stuffing another apple tart into his mouth. “Did she not tell ye that I would have many brothers?”
“Truth?” asked Conn, smiling broadly.
Shrugging, Meggie replied, “We shall see. I like to leave the door open for other possibilities.”
Standing, Conn motioned to Jamie. “Let us go visit the Great Dragon.”
His eyes grew wide with excitement. “Can we go on your motorcycle?”
Conn glanced at Adam and Meggie. “Will you permit me?”
“Do not ken why ye cannae take him on a horse,” grumbled Adam, helping Meggie stand.
Meggie rolled her eyes. “Of course, Conn.” She touched her husband’s cheek. “They’re only traveling down the path to the loch. No harm shall come to them.”
Jamie shouted and dashed over to his mother and father, embracing them both. “Thank ye!” Releasing his hold, he ran out of the Great Hall.
Nodding to both, Conn took his leave and found Jamie examining his bike. “Much like racing a horse through the Highlands,” he stated, lifting Jamie into his arms. Settling them both on the motorcycle, he started the engine.
“Are ye not going to wear your helmet?”
“Not here. Only when I travel far distances. And since I do not have a helmet for you, we will go slow.”
Placing a firm hand around the lad’s waist, he maneuvered the vehicle out of the bailey and across the bridge. The soft glow of twilight settled around them, and Conn could see the loch in the distance. Light splintered and danced along the water’s edge. He could feel the power all around him—his, the Great Dragon, and the wee Dragon Knight. The boy laughed out loud, as Conn sped them faster down the path. The cool evening wind slapped at their faces, and Conn smiled.
As they neared the loch, Conn made a sharp left turn on the road, following his Fae instinct. Soon, he sensed her presence and continued down the path. A hawk appeared from a nearby tree, swooping low in greeting. Jamie roared in delight and waved.
Onward they traveled along the path leading closer to the Great Dragon. Making another turn around a bend, he slowed as he drove under a canopy of thick pines. Ducking under some branches, the area opened up fully. Coming to a stop, he turned off the ignition and placed Jamie on the ground.
“That was magnificent!” exclaimed Jamie. His fingers trailed along the metal. “When I am older, I am going to have one of these.”
Making their way down to the water’s edge, Conn removed his boots and knelt on one knee. The Great Dragon had already whispered her greeting when the first brush of power touched his mind. Lifting his head, he watched as Jamie transformed from boy to Dragon Knight in a flash. The fire blazed in the depths of his eyes more powerful than any he had ever encountered—more so than the MacKay Dragon Knights.
“Do you come here often, Jamie?” he asked, standing slowly.
“Aye, Fae Prince,” the lad responded in a low voice—ancient and full of wisdom.
Clasping his hands behind his back, Conn moved forward and stepped to the water’s edge. The cool water was soothing. “So she has shared my heritage with you.”
“And your sister’s,” he added. “Two shall weave the thread upon the loom and one shall break the other.”
Stunned, Conn glanced over his shoulder at him. “Are you speaking with the Great Dragon? Does your knowledge come from her?”
Jamie stood gazing outward. “Nae. There are many. The others that have gone before her.”
“The many?” he whispered. Uneasiness slithered inside of Conn.
The boy nodded slowly. “The timekeepers.”
“Dragons of the past,” stated Conn and glanced upward into the early evening sky.
“Aye, and they have issued ye a warning. Only follow the path of the stars to the beginning. If ye stray, they will come for ye.”
Conn placed a fist over his heart in reverence. “I understand, ancient ones.”